NDF election campaign banned in some parts of Myitkyina

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.

Left to Right, Hpakant candidate Daw Bawk Ja, Myitkyina candidate U Ma Hka and two senior party members from Rangoon in front of NDF Myitkyina office, Kachin State. Photo: Kachin News Group

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.

According to sources close to the Tatkone Administrative Office, the local authority was instructed to take the action by the Kachin State Election Commission because the party was not in compliance with the Union Election Commission’s notification No. 91/2010, concerning “Rights to assemble and canvass for Hluttaw (parliament) candidates”.

The Rangoon based NDF inaugurated its branch office in Myitkyina at No. 103, Yuzana Quarter, on October 9, with over a hundred local residents present and two senior NDF leaders from Rangoon.

The ceremony was observed by the Military Affairs Security branch of junta Military Intelligence, police and members of the junta- backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), according to local people who attended.

Only two Kachin opposition candidates will contest the election for seats in the People’s Parliament from Myitkyina and Hpakant constituencies, NDF sources said. U Ma Hka will run in Myitkyina and Daw Bawk Ja in Hpakant, against the three Burmese junta-backed parties—the USDP, the Unity and Democracy Party of Kachin State (UDPKS) and the National Unity Party (NUP).

Sources from the Kachin State Election Commission said the NDF’s election campaign has been shutdown in Myitkyina because it opposes the USDP, and Hpakant candidate Daw Bawk Ja supports Kachins in the Hugawng Valley in their efforts to sue the agricultural giant, the Yunaza Company, for land confiscation in Myitkyina government court.

The White Tiger-labeled Shan Nationals Democratic Party (SNDP, a.k.a the White Tiger Party) will also run in Kachin State as an opposition party.

The Kachin State Progressive Party (KSPP), led by Dr. Tu Ja, the retired Vice-president No. 2 of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), and other independent Kachin parties and individual candidates in Kachin State and Shan State have been refused permission to run in the November 7 elections by the junta-controlled EC.

Source:http://kachinnews.com/news/1762-ndf-election-campaign-banned-in-some-parts-of-myitkyina.html