Maungdaw :The Burmese military junta is allowing Muslims in Arakan to apply to join the Union Solidarity Development Association, a government-backed organization, in order to gain support from the Muslim community for the 2010 election, said one official from the USDA in Maungdaw.The official said, "We have now started the organizing program of the Muslim community in Maungdaw Township after high authorities instructed us to organize the Muslim community for the USDA. We formed several groups with many members in Maungdaw going to Muslim villages to organize them for the USDA."
The military authorities have not allowed any Muslims in Arakan to join the USDA since the organization was formed in 1993, but the policy has recently been changed in preparation for the upcoming elections.
"We went to many Muslim villages in Maungdaw Township recently to organize the Muslim community. Many Muslim youths who are under 20 applied for membership in the USDA. We are now reviewing their names and addresses, and we hope we will recognize them as USDA members very soon," he said.
The USDA secretary in Maungdaw Township, U Tun Hla Sein, AKA Khwe Chay, has visited many Muslim villages in Maungdaw along with many officials from the fire brigade, township and district office, and red cross to organize Muslims since January 2010.
Kamal, a student from Maungdaw's government high school, said, "We Muslim students were not allowed as members of the USDA in the past despite that we are students, but the authority is now allowing us to apply for membership in the USDA organization."
He also added, "I believe it is for the 2010 election. The authority wants to organize our community for the 2010 election, so they gave the opportunity to our people with the aim of getting support from our community."
As the USDA is a government-backed organization, it is very powerful in Burma. Many young people are pressured by authorities to join the USDA and it is impossible to get a government job in Burma without first being a member of the organization.
The USDA was formed on 15 September, 2003, and U Htay Oo is the secretary-general of the organization. Its headquarters are in Naypyidaw, the new capital of Burma, and it operates nationwide. The USDA's motto is "Morale, Discipline, Solidarity, and Unity". In spite of this motto, though, many USDA members have engaged in anti-social and oppressive activities. The organization now has 30 million members.
Source :http://www.narinjara.com/details.asp?id=2485
Comments
Post a Comment