Pro – government Group is Organizing Villagers in Mon State to vote ‘YES’

April 23, 2008

HURFOM

On the 18th of April, the Referendum Commission of Mon State appointed government staff who are retired, including teachers and professors, to observe and organize the people during the upcoming referendum.

On the same day, some members of the Township Election Committee visited many villages in Mudon Township, namely: Naing Hlon, Lat Thet, Thor Kuu, Tha Kon Taing, Paing Ka Mar, Nyaung Konn, Kamawet, Ka Lot Toh, Kon HLar, Yaung Daung and Hnee Pa Daw and called the villagers to the meeting. Meetings were held in either the office of the Township Peace and Development Council or Government Schools. In the meetings they instructed villagers to bring their identity cards, and provide a copy of their signature together with their identity card numbers. Villagers were then shown how to vote ‘Yes’ and place their vote card into the correct box. The demonstrators were members of the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA).

Nai Myo (not his real name) said, “It seems the authorities are threatening us with these demonstrations. It is not a normal activity to ask for our ID numbers and our signatures. It is the same as forcing us to vote ‘YES’.”

An anonymous monk told HURFOM, “Many civilians who live in Thanbyuzayat and Mudon Township are educated and it is impossible that they don’t understand the current situation.

However, they feel afraid of the government. Therefore, it might lead to a situation where people have to do as the authorities order. If there is no unity among our civilians, the lives of our people worsens each day.”

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News