U.S. Calls Myanmar Convention a Total Sham

Myanmar's authorities have launched a tough new crackdown on dissent over the past 10 days.

The United States views Myanmar's attempts to draw up a new constitution as a "total sham," the U.S. State Department said on Tuesday.

State Department spokesman Tom Casey said the national convention called to draw up the constitution had included only delegates hand-picked by the military junta in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.

"I think our simplest response to it is we view it as a total sham," Casey told reporters.

The military junta completed the first stage of drawing up the basic principles of a new constitution on Monday after 14 years working out the broad outline.

"It's also somewhat ironic that the conclusions of this supposed open political process coincide with a crackdown on citizens for peacefully protesting and trying to exercise their freedom of expression," said Casey.

Myanmar's authorities have launched a tough new crackdown on dissent over the past 10 days and halted a protest march on Monday, arresting its organizers.

Casey said the United States wanted there to be genuine and inclusive dialogue between the junta and democratic forces in the country.

Opposition parties such as Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's National League of Democracy (NLD) have boycotted most of the convention's proceedings since it started in 1993.