Anti-Election Campaign in Arakan

Kyauk Pru: A poster and leaflet campaign urging people to oppose the upcoming junta-planned election and the political parties that have registered to run has been occurring in Kyaukpru Township in western Burma's Arakan State, report local residents.

A resident of Kyaukpru told Narinjara that posters stating, "Oppose the Election to Save Yourself from Being a Lifelong Military Slave", and leaflets bearing the title, "Oppose the Registered Political Parties in Support of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi", were posted and distributed in public places throughout the city during the night of 6 August.

"It was amazing to see such a poster and leaflet in almost every place including households, markets, and offices in our town. But we do not know yet who has done this. We heard that the campaign is still spreading to the rural areas such as Krettin, Pyatwe, Saikrun, Katthapyay, and so many other villages in our township," the resident said.

They added that the leaflets are urging the public to boycott the election by not voting for any political party, accusing the parties of being national traitors that support legitimizing the military junta that seized state power by force and illegal maneuvers.

A goldsmith from the Kyaukpru market reported that local police came to their market the next morning and took the posters and leaflets from their shops, and interrogated the shopkeepers about whether they saw the culprits. However, no shopkeepers were arrested for possessing the posters or leaflets.

According to the source, local authorities have been stepping up security with the deployment of police forces in every place that draws crowds, and four police vehicles have been patrolling the streets around the clock since the anti-election campaign started.

Kyaukpru is one of the towns that supported the National League for Democracy led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in the 1990 election in Arakan State.

Special Branch police are suspicious that NLD members may be involved in the campaign because the leaflets contained the name of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. They have been closely watching local NLD members since the campaign started, said the sources.

Source: Narinjara