Dirty Votes: The Voices from a Observer on SPDC’s May 10 Referendum

July 24, 2008

By HURFOM:

This is the voices from an “Observer”, a young Mon man, on the SPDC’s May 10 Referendum and how the military regime had tried to make unfair and injustice also violate the rights of people – freedom of expression and voting.

“Before the military regime hold the referendum about a week the military regime started to collect pre-vote (or advance vote) in the whole Mon State. At that time the people didn’t know about the Referendum but the authorities and Referendum commission and their staff ticked Yes in the voting papers.”

“They already voted for those people who are in abroad or work in other countries with Yes vote by the authorities and commission staff.”

“In some area the military authorities even did not give any ballot to the voters, but the ballots are ticked to vote Yes by them and put ballot boxes by themselves”.

“During the referendum day (on May 10), in some area the commission of referendum staff and the authorities forced the voters to vote Yes and sometimes, they took ballots from the people and vote in the boxes instead of voters”.

“One real case was, in the poll station of Krong-pae village in Karen State, the headman of the village himself ticked all Yes votes in the ballot cards and gave to the villagers. Since the ballots were already ticked by him, the villagers then filled in their names and put into the ballot box.”

“Another manipulation was, in Toe-tat Ywa-thit village of sorthern part of Ye township, almost the villagers voted No and the Referendum Commission asked the villagers why are they vote No and forced the villager to give reasons. But the commissioner said there is no reason for the villagers to vote No and then the commissioners changed all ballots into Yes votes.”

“In a town ward of Ye, Kay-mar Town Ward, the 500 households voted No but the village headman destroyed the ballots by burning and re-ticked new ballots into Yes Vote.”

“In Thaung-bon village in northern part of Ye township about 150 ballots of No vote were changed to Yes by firemen fro Township’s Fire Brigade under the supervision of Commission.”

“In Han-gan village in southern part of Ye Township, almost the villagers vote No. but the headman of the village let his daughter changed all ballots in vote Yes in the whole night before they sent them to town.”

“There were about 12 poll stations in Paung Township, the regime authorities although gave orders to open that stations from 7 a. m. to 5 p. m., the authorities in poll stations the people to vote only 2 hours. The remaining people have no chance to vote and the result was strange because the poll box have just vote Yes.”

“In Doe-mar and Set-thwe villages in Mudon Township, the regime authorities and the commission opened the poll stations at 7. A. m and closed at 10 a. m., and the commission casted the votes for the remaining voters.”

“In Kalort-taw village in Mudon Township the ballot votes with No ticks were thrown by the referendum commissioners and the headmen had to take responsibility to change them in Yes vote. But almost the voters in the village knew the authorities would manipulate their votes.”

The result for the Referendum came out that 92 % of voters casted Yes Vote in the poll stations. From looking the above-mentioned samples in Mon State and Karen State, the regime and commission played a lot of unfair and injustices in getting supporting Vote for the military regime’s drafted Constitution.