disrupting/preventing campaign activities

The Union of Myanmar Federation of National Politics (UMFNP) party members were intimidated during party work in Poung Kyo village in Shwe Taung Township, western Bago region on 26 August.

UMFNP’s group led by U Kyaw Kyaw Lwin were intimidated by members of the Swan Arr Shin group when they were issuing party membership cards to members, U Aye Lwin, chairman of UMFNP party, said.

According to inside networks, there were about 1,700 eligible voters in Pouk Taw Township constituency 5, Arakan State, but only about 600 of them voted. Most of them boycotted the election. Although there was not advance voting, there were about 40 advance votes when votes are counted. There were many people in Kyoung Sout village who could not vote, as they were not in voters list. The village head of A’ Lal Kyun ran away with ballot boxes, as so many people voted for RNDP instead of USDP.

A voter from Arakan State who spoke to Burma Election Tracker said:"I'm a member of the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party (RNDP) and voted for my party. There were many biases in the election campaign. There was a prohibition to campaign in religious buildings such as: monasteries and chapels, but we could campaign in ward-chapels located away from monasteries. Campaigners were not allowed to use loudspeaker and only allowed to use a sound box, but the USDP could get around all prohibitions.

The National Democratic Force (NDF), led by former members of detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD), has been banned from election campaigning in some parts of Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State, northern Burma, said sources close to party.

The NDF’s campaign in Tatkone and Shatapru, the two main quarters of the capital, was prohibited yesterday by the ruling Burmese junta’s Kachin State Administrative Office of the so-called Kachin State Peace and Development Council, the sources said.

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.”

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.

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.