Bangkok
27 March 2008
The head of Burma's military junta, General Than Shwe, says he intends to give up control of the government to whoever wins elections in 2010. However, members of the opposition in Burma doubt the military will allow a transition to civilian rule. VOA's Luis Ramirez reports from our Southeast Asia bureau in Bangkok.
The United States and other members of the international community have called on the Burmese leaders to undertake real democratic reforms and open a meaningful dialogue with political opponents, including opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest for years.
Burmese leaders have launched what they call a "road map to democracy," approving a draft constitution that will go before voters in May. Washington has labeled the referendum a sham because it was drafted in a closed process by a hand-picked committee dominated by senior officials of the military government.