Maungdaw

The Burmese regime-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party has won all parliamentary seats in Maungdaw Township in western Burma's Arakan State, allegedly after a closed-door tally of votes in Sunday's election, the first nationwide election in two decades.

Reports of intimidation and arrests in ethnic areas during Burma’s elections

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has received reports of harassment, intimidation, violence and arrests in several of Burma’s ethnic states, during and immediately following the sham elections three days ago.

An organizer for the National Democratic Party for Development (NDPD) said election officials and candidates of the junta-backed USDP forcibly removed opposition officials from polling stations where they were to serve as monitors.

Authorities also reportedly arrested NDPD candidate Khin Maung Myint, also known as Enayet Ullah, on interfering in a polling booth to object to USDP’s rigging.

“He is still in custody in Maungdaw police station,” said an NDPD organizer.

Election Commission officials and township authorities in Maungdaw admitted today that the National Democratic Party for Development (NDPD) swept to victory in Sunday’s national election, according to an official at the Election Commission office.

“The NDPD won in 90 village tracts out of 105 in Maungdaw, but this has not officially been announced yet,” the official said.

“We worked very hard for the Union Solidarity and Development Party to win in northern Arakan State, but we were not successful.”

Widespread intimidation of voters and violation of election laws were reported throughout Maungdaw as residents of Arakan State voted in today’s national election.

An organizer of the National Democratic Party for Development (NDPD) said officials and candidates of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) forcibly removed NDPD officials from polling stations, where they were to serve as election monitors.

USDP party members also openly urged voters at polling stations to support the Burmese junta-backed party.

Burma’s border security force Nasaka arrested seven supporters of the National Democratic Party for Development (NDPD) on November 4, just three days ahead of Burma’s first national election in more than 20 years, said a politician from south Maungdaw.

The detained have been identified as Aman Ullah, 40, Ibrahim, 40, Mohmed Ali, 50, and Rafique, 28, all from Aley Than Kyaw village, two from Myint Hlut and one from Du Nyaungpin gyi in Maungdaw Township, and are reportedly still being held at Nasaka Camp 7 in Aley Than Kyaw.

Votes in Burma’s long-awaited and much maligned national election have been cast and counted as an early poll system went into motion in Maungdaw Township yesterday.

The election is officially slated for November 7 - Burma’s first election since the now disbanded National League for Democracy swept the 1990 polls but was prevented from assuming power.

Residents of Maungdaw in western Burma say they are being instructed to vote only for candidates of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) by high-ranking officials of Burma’s border security force, Nasaka.

The deputy director of Nasaka headquarters in Kyi Kann Pyin (Kawar Bill) in Maungdaw Township travelled to Bautkar Gonanah (Kholiza Bangaar) village on November 1 for a meeting with local village leaders and elders as well the chairmen and members of the Village Peace and Development Councils (VPDC)

Junta authorities imposed a curfew in Ward 4 of Maungdaw town yesterday restricting people from congregating after 9pm, according to a local trader.

“Two or more people are not allowed to talk to each other after 9pm and people are totally prohibited from leaving their homes. Residents believe that the curfew will be imposed in other areas as the election draws near,” the trader said.

Villagers in Maungdaw Township said the curfew could be the result of clashes between supporters of rival political parties.

The Township Peace and Development Council (TPDC) has issued a stern warning to village authorities at a quarterly meeting recently in Maungdaw Township that their jobs would be at stake if they support the National Democratic Party for Development (NDPD) in the ensuing election, a village leader who attended the meeting said.

The TPDC Chairman Aung Kyaw Oo convened the meeting with 70 Village Peace and Development Council (VPDC) officials, at Thirimagahla Hall in Maungdaw.