Villagers in ethnic areas are being subjected to harassment and exploitation by local authorities for failing to support the military government-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) in the Nov. 7 election.
Villagers in Balu village in Mohanyin Township in Kachin State have been forced to grow summer paddy by the village chairman who also serves as the USDP candidate for the township.
Balu village voted overwhelmingly in favor of the Shan National Democratic Party in the general election, however alleged vote rigging resulted in the USDP taking all five seats in the township.
“The local authorities scolded the headman of the village because the USDP received so few votes in Balu,” said local resident Sai Aung. “Then the villagers were told they would have to grow summer paddy.”
Growing a rice crop in the summer, or dry season, is labor-intensive and difficult. Subsequently, the majority of farmers avoid growing a summer crop. Their apathy is accentuated by the fact that the local authorities invariably sequester a percentage of the rice or force the farmers to sell the paddy to them at a reduced price.
Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Tuesday, Bauk Ja, a candidate representing the National Democratic Force in Hpankant Township in Kachin State, said the authorities also intimidated the parents of her polling station observers after the election.
“The authorities questioned the parents of my polling station observers and asked them why they were supporting my party,” she said.
USDP candidate Sai Myint Aye, who won a seat in the People's Parliament representing Lashio Township in northern Shan State, called a meeting of all local village heads and scolded them for not impressing a pro-USDP policy upon constituents, a Shan election monitoring group said.
“Although Sai Myint Aye won in the election, he is not satisfied,” the group said. “He scolded the headmen and told them to keep control over their villagers.”
A similar scenario was reported in Mong Shu Township in Shan State.
Across Burma, allegations have been rife of voter intimidation and vote rigging in favor of the pro-military USDP, which was officially declared the winner of the election with 882 out of 1,154 seats in the People’s Parliament, the Nationalities' Parliament and state and regional parliaments.
Residents in Pauktaw and Yanbyae Townships in Arakan State also reported cases of intimidation and threats from local authorities in the wake of the election.
“The USDP members are picking fights with villagers who they suspect of voting for the Rakhine National Democratic Party,” said one Yanbyae resident.
Supplies of relief aid to victims of Cyclone Giri in some parts of Arakan State have reportedly been cut by local authorities because the villagers failed collectively to vote for the regime's proxy party.
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