Northern Shan State
On 18 October, Sai Myint Aye, Daw Hninn Yu Hlaing and Sai Kham Mart, candidates of junta-backed Union Solidarity and Democratic Party (USDP) in Northern Shan State’s Lashio township called on villagers from Ta Pong village tract to cast advance vote and ordered them to give the votes to the USDP.
“Otherwise, we will get arrested,” a villager quoted Sai Myint Aye as saying. The number of voters given on that day was 300.
On 21 October, members of Northern Shan State’s Lashio Township Peace and Development Council (TPDC), Quarter Peace and Development Council (QPDC) and election commission were reported to have erased voters’ names from every quarter, according to a member from QPDC.
“The top officers told us to collect the names of the members of each house hold. If there were 4 people who were eligible to vote, then they would erase 2 or 3,” he said.
Lashio has 12 Quarters. But most of the voters’ names that got erased were from Quarter No.5, 6, 7, 10, 11 and 12 where most of the Shan nationalities live, according to him.
On 27 October, Sai Hla Pe, a village headman in Northern Shan State’s Hsenwi township, was intimidated by a lawyer Daw Khin Soe Nyunt for casting his vote to the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP) at the advance voting in Quarter No.3.
Chairman of Hsenwi Township Peace and Development Council ordered the villagers there to cast votes to the USDP.
“If the villagers failed to comply with the order, they would be put in jail,” a local resident said.
On 30 October, Daw Khin Aye Hlaing, from Lashio Township Educational Department called on all teachers from Lashio Basic Education High School No. (6) to give advance votes and ordered them to give the votes only to the USDP, local sources said.
On 31 October, village headmen Wa Ling and Kyaw Ohn were forced by Chairman of Mongyai Township Peace and Development Council and members of Quarter Peace and Development Council to cast votes on behalf of their villagers. They were ordered to give all the votes to the USDP, otherwise all villagers including them would be arrested. In addition, they all would be banned from trade, the two therefore had given 100 votes to the USDP, local villagers said.
On 3 November, U Sai Kyu, USDP’s candidate who will contest in Lashio township’s Nampong village tract constituency No.1 ordered villagers from the areas to come and give their names for the advance voting to his female clerk.
“He said if we failed to comply the order, he would not take any responsibility for any future problems.”
The villagers reported they were not allowed to tick the mark, it was his female clerk did it for them. They just had to give signatures to prove that they had done advance voting.
On 4 November, over 1,000 people from Homon Quarter in Muse, Northern Shan State were forced to give advance votes by local authorities and election commissions, sources from Sino-Burma border said.
“In addition, the election commission in Nawng Hseng village tract deleted the names of elderly people who are eligible to vote from the lists. They were so angry at the authorities,” a local source said.
On 5 November, Sai Sam Nyunt, Chairman of Namkham’s Quarter No. 2 collected 400 advance votes from Chinese people from his quarter, local residents reported.
“Most of the votes were for the USDP,” a source said. “Anyhow, there are some votes for the White Tiger (SNDP) because their candidates came to watch the event.”
Likewise, over 250 Chinese from Quarter No.3 had voted for the USDP in accordance with authorities orders. Namkham has 16 Quarters. So far, the total number of people who had done advance votes were over 1,200. Among them, 75 percent were reported to have been USDP votes, according to a member of a government department.
“we were ordered to give at Ma Ya Ka office (TPDC office), not at the polling booths. Everyone can see us which party we vote for. It was not like they were demonstrating in TV every day,” a voter told SHAN.
“They urged us to give advance votes because it was easier and not busy. They said it would be a waste of time if we waited to vote on 7 November because there will be thousands of people on that day,” another voter told. “As you all know, most people were lazy to wait in line for a long time. So it was a chance for them to take advantage. ”
Southern Shan State
On 3 November, Chairman of Mongkeung Township Peace and Development Council called on 22 village headmen from the town to get the ballot papers and passed to the villagers to tick in the USDP box on the ballot paper in advance. The village headmen were reported to have received 200 ballot papers each.
According to local authorities, the reason for doing advance voting was because the areas were not secure and stable, local sources said.
On 4 November, election commissions in Shan State South’s Mongkeung township informed villagers and candidates of Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP) that they are not going to set the polling stations in village tracts that are far from the town due to security.
On 5 November, Kandama, Pangdavi militia leader in Shan State South’s Larngkhurh township, ordered all villagers to give votes only to the USDP on the coming Sunday, elections day of Burma, local sources reported.
“He said if he found people that give the vote to SNDP, he himself will arrest,” a local source said.
According to SNDP members, the eligible voters there are over 1,900.
Kachin State
On 3 November, U Kyi Lin, a canvasser of USDP in Inndaw Gyi ordered Nammon village headman to urge villagers to give votes to the USDP on elections day. If there are people who do not give the votes to the USDP, he/she will be arrested, local reported.
Local sources said that such pressure came after a visit of communication minister U Thein Zaw.
Source:http://shanland.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3285:vote-buying-vote-cheating-forced-voting-of-junta-party-across-burma&catid=85:politics&Itemid=266
On 18 October, Sai Myint Aye, Daw Hninn Yu Hlaing and Sai Kham Mart, candidates of junta-backed Union Solidarity and Democratic Party (USDP) in Northern Shan State’s Lashio township called on villagers from Ta Pong village tract to cast advance vote and ordered them to give the votes to the USDP.
“Otherwise, we will get arrested,” a villager quoted Sai Myint Aye as saying. The number of voters given on that day was 300.
On 21 October, members of Northern Shan State’s Lashio Township Peace and Development Council (TPDC), Quarter Peace and Development Council (QPDC) and election commission were reported to have erased voters’ names from every quarter, according to a member from QPDC.
“The top officers told us to collect the names of the members of each house hold. If there were 4 people who were eligible to vote, then they would erase 2 or 3,” he said.
Lashio has 12 Quarters. But most of the voters’ names that got erased were from Quarter No.5, 6, 7, 10, 11 and 12 where most of the Shan nationalities live, according to him.
On 27 October, Sai Hla Pe, a village headman in Northern Shan State’s Hsenwi township, was intimidated by a lawyer Daw Khin Soe Nyunt for casting his vote to the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP) at the advance voting in Quarter No.3.
Chairman of Hsenwi Township Peace and Development Council ordered the villagers there to cast votes to the USDP.
“If the villagers failed to comply with the order, they would be put in jail,” a local resident said.
On 30 October, Daw Khin Aye Hlaing, from Lashio Township Educational Department called on all teachers from Lashio Basic Education High School No. (6) to give advance votes and ordered them to give the votes only to the USDP, local sources said.
On 31 October, village headmen Wa Ling and Kyaw Ohn were forced by Chairman of Mongyai Township Peace and Development Council and members of Quarter Peace and Development Council to cast votes on behalf of their villagers. They were ordered to give all the votes to the USDP, otherwise all villagers including them would be arrested. In addition, they all would be banned from trade, the two therefore had given 100 votes to the USDP, local villagers said.
On 3 November, U Sai Kyu, USDP’s candidate who will contest in Lashio township’s Nampong village tract constituency No.1 ordered villagers from the areas to come and give their names for the advance voting to his female clerk.
“He said if we failed to comply the order, he would not take any responsibility for any future problems.”
The villagers reported they were not allowed to tick the mark, it was his female clerk did it for them. They just had to give signatures to prove that they had done advance voting.
On 4 November, over 1,000 people from Homon Quarter in Muse, Northern Shan State were forced to give advance votes by local authorities and election commissions, sources from Sino-Burma border said.
“In addition, the election commission in Nawng Hseng village tract deleted the names of elderly people who are eligible to vote from the lists. They were so angry at the authorities,” a local source said.
On 5 November, Sai Sam Nyunt, Chairman of Namkham’s Quarter No. 2 collected 400 advance votes from Chinese people from his quarter, local residents reported.
“Most of the votes were for the USDP,” a source said. “Anyhow, there are some votes for the White Tiger (SNDP) because their candidates came to watch the event.”
Likewise, over 250 Chinese from Quarter No.3 had voted for the USDP in accordance with authorities orders. Namkham has 16 Quarters. So far, the total number of people who had done advance votes were over 1,200. Among them, 75 percent were reported to have been USDP votes, according to a member of a government department.
“we were ordered to give at Ma Ya Ka office (TPDC office), not at the polling booths. Everyone can see us which party we vote for. It was not like they were demonstrating in TV every day,” a voter told SHAN.
“They urged us to give advance votes because it was easier and not busy. They said it would be a waste of time if we waited to vote on 7 November because there will be thousands of people on that day,” another voter told. “As you all know, most people were lazy to wait in line for a long time. So it was a chance for them to take advantage. ”
Southern Shan State
On 3 November, Chairman of Mongkeung Township Peace and Development Council called on 22 village headmen from the town to get the ballot papers and passed to the villagers to tick in the USDP box on the ballot paper in advance. The village headmen were reported to have received 200 ballot papers each.
According to local authorities, the reason for doing advance voting was because the areas were not secure and stable, local sources said.
On 4 November, election commissions in Shan State South’s Mongkeung township informed villagers and candidates of Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP) that they are not going to set the polling stations in village tracts that are far from the town due to security.
On 5 November, Kandama, Pangdavi militia leader in Shan State South’s Larngkhurh township, ordered all villagers to give votes only to the USDP on the coming Sunday, elections day of Burma, local sources reported.
“He said if he found people that give the vote to SNDP, he himself will arrest,” a local source said.
According to SNDP members, the eligible voters there are over 1,900.
Kachin State
On 3 November, U Kyi Lin, a canvasser of USDP in Inndaw Gyi ordered Nammon village headman to urge villagers to give votes to the USDP on elections day. If there are people who do not give the votes to the USDP, he/she will be arrested, local reported.
Local sources said that such pressure came after a visit of communication minister U Thein Zaw.
Source:http://shanland.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3285:vote-buying-vote-cheating-forced-voting-of-junta-party-across-burma&catid=85:politics&Itemid=266
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