CSOs and locals in Kyaukme Township Shan State are worried they may lose their voting rights in the General Election unless there is an immediate end to the ongoing war in Shan State.
A fresh outburst of fighting between the Burmese army (Tatmadaw) and the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) in Kyaukme Township in the north of Shan State since October 2 has caused great anxiety among locals about their daily life, economic survival and potential loss of their voting rights.
A local in Kyaukme said: “Due to the ongoing fighting in Kyaethee in 2015, the election could not take place in Kyaethee, Monghsu and Tanyang Townships. There were no polling booths there. So I would like to call for an immediate ceasefire to stop the fighting.”
An official of Namkhone philanthropic organization said: “Both sides should stop the fighting immediately so that voters can choose their candidates without any fear.”
A Kyaukme local who declined to be named said: “There is only one month left until the Election Day. The election situation in Kyaukme is very worrying. It is very difficult for the locals to cast their votes. I think the building of polling booths is not easy if the fighting continues.”
Due to the war and lack of security, the Union Election Commission (UEC) has not been able to conduct the election in around 600 village-tracts and seven townships in Kachin, Kayin, Mon, Shan and Bago in the 2015 General Election, according to the records of the election monitoring groups.
The townships that were missed out in Shan State are: Mongla, Monghsu, Pangwaing, Mongmaw, Narphan and Panhsan. In addition, no election was held in some village-tracts in Muse, Mongton, Gonekyan, Mongyan, Mongkhat, Mongyaung, Tangyan and Matman Townships.
Five townships namely, Mongmaw, Nampham, Matman, Pangwaing and Panhsan Townships are included in Wa Autonomous Region also/ missed out on the election. The election was also canceled in around 221 village-tracts in Swanparabwan, Waingmaw, Khaunglanphu, Machanbaw, Chiphwe, Sawlaw, Ingyanyan, Mansi, Tanaing and Shwegu Townships in Kachin State.
There was also no election in the 2015 election in some village-tracts in Myawaddy, Thandaunggyi, Hapa-an, Hlaingbwe, Kawkareik and Kyarinseikgyi Townships in Kayin State, Bawnawgyi village-tract in Belin Township in Mon State, 29 village-tracts in Shwegyin Township and 12 village-tracts in Kyaukgyi Township in Bago Region.
