The Public International Law & Policy Group (PILPG), a global, pro bono law firm providing legal assistance to governments involved in conflicts, has released its report on the April 1 parliamentary by-elections in Burma, which had 45 contested seats. The report, “Burma’s 2012 By-Elections: Neither Free nor Fair, But a Step for Democratic Reform,” analyzes the by-elections in the context of basic international standards for democratic elections. The report finds that, despite improvement from the 2010 general elections, the 2012 elections failed to meet basic democratic standards and could not be considered free and fair. The report concludes that the elections should not be seen as a measure of democratic reform in Burma, but rather as one step of many in an ongoing reform process.

See full report here: http://bit.ly/J3OOrK