The government of Myanmar says it will allow US, European Union, and Southeast Asian election monitors in to observe the coming national elections in April. Pro-democracy advocate Aung San Suu Kyi is on the ballot, seeking a seat in Parliament.
The announcement comes as Human Rights Watch released a report saying the government is blocking international humanitarian aid to 75,000 ethnic Kachin people who have been displaced. The government has been fighting Kachin rebels since last summer. The human rights group says government troops have destroyed Kachin villages, tortured civilians and raped women during the conflict. HRW says the Kachin rebels are using child soldiers.
