Rebels clash with Burmese troops after election

Clashes between rebels and the Burmese government troops today raged at key border points a day
after the country's first election in two decades.

At least 10 people were wounded in what was the first sign of post-election violence, and thousands of panicked refugees fled into neighboring Thailand.

Groups from Burma's ethnic minorities who make up some 40 percent of the population had warned in recent days that civil war could erupt if the military tries to impose its highly centralized constitution and deprive them of rights.

Burma's military junta has billed yesterday’s election as a step toward democracy, but many observers, including leaders from Britain, the U.S. and the U.N., have rejected it as a sham designed to solidify military control.

Director of the Burma Campaign UK, Mark Farmener, says that it is a mistake to think that the election has anything to do with how the country will be run.

“There is no requirement for a single elected MP to be in the government in Burma. The Parliament is disconnected from the actual power in the country,” he said. “And so it will be business as usual for them. The only difference is they will be wearing suits instead of uniforms.”