• Despite the convening of the newly elected Parliament, Burma?s ?democratically-elected? regime is nothing more than a disguised version of the military dictatorship that has ruled Burma for the past five decades... • The military-dominated Parliament has placed high-ranking SPDC officials at the top of the country?s political system... o SPDC PM Thein Sein is the President... o SPDC?s former third-in-command Shwe Mann and the junta?s Minister of Culture Khin Aung Myint are the Speakers of the People?s Assembly and National Assembly respectively... o Twenty-six of the 30 newly appointed cabinet Ministers (all men) are either retired military officials or outgoing SPDC Ministers... o All State and Division Chief Ministers are MPs from the USDP or the appointed military bloc... • SPDC Chairman Sr Gen Than Shwe ensures he will continue to ?guide? Burma?s politics by naming himself the leader of a newly created State Supreme Council... • Than Shwe bypasses Parliament and issues a series of laws that are designed to maintain the military?s grip on power... • Parliamentary proceedings take place in a tightly controlled environment. SPDC-imposed procedures for MPs stifle genuine political debate and severely restrict media coverage. MPs denounce detention-like conditions in Naypyidaw... • The NLD steps up its activities in order to promote broad political participation across Burma. The pro-democracy party remains Burma?s best hope for genuine dialogue and national reconciliation... • The situation in ethnic nationality areas continues to deteriorate. The SPDC is targeting ceasefire groups that have rejected the junta?s Border Guard Force (BGF) scheme. Armed conflict between the SPDC Army and these groups has already displaced tens of thousands of civilians... • The situation for communities living in conflict zones is grim as the SPDC prepares to re-launch its inhumane ?four cuts? campaign... • The legal, constitutional, and ground realities of the post-election scenario do not offer evidence that justifies any softening of the existing EU Common Position. Measures must be taken to ensure there is no deterioration in the ethnic areas, particularly where ethnic opposition parties won seats... • The establishment of a CoI is extremely urgent. The creation of a CoI has a strong preventive value because it can hold the regime accountable for human rights abuses, deter future violations, promote respect for the rule of law, and obtain justice for the victims of these crimes.