The junta has stepped up security in Mon State and intensified checks ahead of the start of candidates’ election campaigns.

The junta-controlled Union Election Commission (UEC) has scheduled a 60-day campaigning period for election candidates, running from October 28 to December 26.

In Mon State, particularly in Kyaikto, Bilin, Thaton, and Ye townships, where resistance movements are strong, the junta has bolstered security ahead of the campaigning period by deploying large numbers of troops.

The junta has stationed undercover guards near many villages to monitor suspicious activity, with suspected individuals frequently subjected to beatings and interrogations, according to locals.

In addition, local youths in Mon State are reportedly facing arbitrary detentions by the junta without any clear reason, a Bilin resident said.

“They often drive around in cars searching for young people, and as soon as they spot someone, they abduct them by force. Many people around here have gone through these arbitrary arrests. Most of these abductions are carried out by police and junta-aligned Pyusawhti militia members, rather than by junta troops,” he told Than Lwin Times.

In recent weeks, the junta has tightened security at entry points to cities and towns in Mon State, increased urban patrols, and carried out surprise checks at junctions.

The UEC has banned political parties from organizing campaign marches involving large crowds for security reasons, allowing them instead to hold activities at fixed locations.

More than 250 candidates from nine political parties have registered with the UEC to contest constituencies in Mon State in the junta-run election scheduled for later this year.

The junta has announced that the election will be held in phases, with Kyaikto, Thaton, Mawlamyine, Chaungzon, and Kyaikmaraw townships in Mon State included in Phase 1, scheduled for December 28.

photo credit - CJ