The relief aid for cyclone victims in Mray Bon Township has to be distributed to locals through the village authorities, known as Rayaka. The village authorities have taken the opportunity to campaign and mobilize people to support the USDP in the election.
U Aung Kyaw, a town elder, said, "Village council chairmen in some villages told cyclone victims to vote for USDP candidates in the election. If they don't, it will be impossible for them to get relief aid. I heard some village authorities in Mray Bon decided to prioritize USDP supporters to receive aid first."
In Atwin Nga Khu Chaung Village in Mray Bon Township, the village chairman refused to distributed relief aid to some cyclone victims who were not members of the USDP.
"This has not only happened in Atwin Nga Khu Chaung, but also in many other villages, including Nga Shwe, Ah Ngu, and Amyat Htut. Many victims were being pressured by village authorities to support the USDP when they went to the village chairmen's houses to collect the relief aid," he said.
Another source also said that the cyclone has benefited the authorities because they are now able to use the opportunity to organize people into supporting the USDP in Arakan using the relief aid that was donated by NGOs.
Moreover, some local village authorities in Mray Bon Township are selling rice donated for victims in the markets at high prices for the own profits, but no action has been taken against them by higher authorities.
Many witnesses in Mray Bon told Narinjara over the phone that half of the relief aid donated has been misappropriated by local village authorities for their own profit.
"High authorities in Mray Bon know the local village authorities have exploited the cyclone victims, but is neglecting the incidents because they need people to vote for the USDP. So they allow the activities of the village authorities," U Aung Kyaw added.
Source:http://www.narinjara.com/details.asp?id=2790
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