From the perspective of a non-Myanmar..an?  Myanmarese?  Non-Burman?  I don't know what the right term is!  Anyway, I'm Australian, and I live in the UK, and I don't know a vast amount about what's happened in your country but I am very sure that the sanctions aren't intended to punish civilians, even though they (inevitably) have that effect.  There is tremendous support internationally for Aung San Suu Kyi, and I know every U2 concert I've ever been to, Bono has made a big point of singing about her, talking about her - the west has a tendency to latch onto a single issue and stick with it, I suppose.

I'd be really interested to hear your thoughts - you say you're not politically aware but you then express your opinion about the sanctions, so you're clearly not totally unaware!  Is there much support for Aung San Suu Kyi where you live?  How do you feel about how she's been treated and forced to live under house arrest despite having been democratically elected all those years ago (as far as anyone outside Myanmar understands it)?  I'm a big fan of the rule of law - no punishment without law - and the way I understand it her punishment keeps being changed arbitrarily, and there doesn't seem to be much separation between the legislative and judiciary. 

I hope my questions aren't too nosy - I'd be fascinated to read your thoughts!

Well, my personal lack of interest in the news of elections is because it is a sham. But I would be very interested to read your opinions and experience about it because your point of view is always very valid and honest.  I don't know why all the military invests all this money and energy in putting all this big fake show when everyone knows this is a rigged show. I have long given up hope for real change -- DawASSK and many others are still being held captive. Freedom of expression is often met with severe punishment. A lot of top level officials and  business people are so stinking rich that I don't ever see anyone with that kind of wealth giving up their fountains of cash flow. I know basically nothing about how people become a gazillionaire in Burma. Purely based on my very limited exposure, a few people from there who shop outside the country is eye popping. $2000/ purse and $3000/ shoes - luggages full of them  per shopping trip. And if you think about it, this mountains of cash they carry come from the blood and sweat of people, at the expense of the extreme hardship everyone else because of the economy is set up over there (i.e. connection, connection, connection).... I am sure you know all about it more than I do since you live there..

Ah..I better stop ranting. You did not ask for my opinions and I don't want you to be in trouble because of my mouth. (feel free to delete it if you feel like I have gone overboard).

On a different note:
I offer this in parting: "Do not trust to hope. It has forsaken these lands" - Eomer
(had to throw LOTR quote in there, of course).

Sis, I've been trying to find out about the election news as well.  Time is less than 3 months left.  And I don't even know a candidate who will be representing Yangon.  And I'm not sure if I have to vote for Yangon or NPT.  That's my problem rite now.  I hope they'll issue a booklets of the candidates.  I know there are alot of negative views about this election.  But we have to focus on even a ray of light from this.  We can't expect everything, after 20 years.  Even though its not everything, something is better than nothing.  U may think the vote is nothing, but may b (who knows) even 1 vote can change alot of things.  And we are not electing the President anyways, we are to choose a senator who will represent our state/division.   

I am guessing that the majority of negative views are those living abroad.  I think people forget how it is to live inside the country.  For people inside Myanmar, we always look for something positives out of negatives.  This is how we survive.  We won't be living a full life if we are always being on down side, complaining and trying to find some1 for the blame.  Ofcourse we are aware of what's happening with the top level people.  But complaining just takes a lot of my time, and there's no use anyways (really tired of getting angry). 

I don't suppose the west will lift the stupid sanction because they
don't care about the election.  I think everyone except the governments
of the west support the sanction.  They don't even realize that it is
not affecting at all.  The only people that is affected by those
sanctions are ordinary working class citizens such as factory workers. 
Because of that, a lot of people were laid off, jobless.  I've even read that direct aid can't even get inside the country because of the sanctions by some governments, so they have to go through the NGOs.   

And to Morgane I choose to use Myanmar because Burma is the name given by British Colonial rule.  In our language, we call our country Myanmar. Which include all the nationalities.  And Burma sound like bamar which is the name of the major nationality.  That's why as a minority, I prefer the name Myanmar.  (Just my view)