Violence, disputes abound as dust settles after poll

DISPUTES, complaints and fighting followed the November 8 |election, which has been considered the most free and fair as all political parties joined the race.

On November 11, battles between government troops and ethnic rebels erupted in Loilen district, Shan State, forcing almost 10,000 villagers to flee. Some were trapped or forced to hide in the forests.

Wansauce village emptied on November 12 and joined the waves of people flooding to Mong Hsu.

“We don’t want war. We only want peace. As a Shan, I want peace and development for our state,” said Mong Hsu resident Sai Tun Oo.

As the National League for Democracy won over 80 per cent of seats in the Lower House and the Upper House, the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party’s seats were depleted dramatically. Ethnic political parties are in an even worse condition.

As of November 13, the official election results confirmed that the Zomi Congress for Democracy, a member of United Nationalities Alliance, won six seats out of 12 constituencies in Chin State. NLD and USDP swept seats in other constituencies. The party competed in the 1990 election but it did not participate in 2010 in protest at the 2008 Constitution.

Pu Wun Kham Lyan, a successful Upper House candidate, said: “We will work to implement reforms with other democratic forces. We aim to build a federal union after gathering allies. It is our aim.”

As of November 13, from nearly 500 seats open for the contest, the ethnic minority parties of the United Nationalities Alliance (UNA), which has good relations with the NLD, have secured nearly 100 seats across the Lower House, Upper House and state parliaments.

The UNA members are the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), Mon National Party (MNP), Arakan National Party (ANP), Zomi Congress for Democracy, Kokang Democracy and Unity Party in Shan State, Kayan National Party, Kachin National Democracy Congress and Kayin People’s Party.

The situation was smooth in Yangon on election day, but 17 mishaps were reported in Mandalay Region.

In Patheingyi township, election authorities discovered that one voter voted twice. In Pyin Oo Lwin, the rubber voting stamp was misplaced before the voting time.

Complaints were rife against the Union Election Commission for the delay in the release of official results. NLD also plans to report electoral fraud in several places including Yangon Region’s Coco Islands and Zigon township, Bago region.

NLD observers in Zigon said polling officers assisted in imprinting the “right mark” seal on the ballots and entered the voting booths.

NLD regional parliamentary candidate Nyein Nyein Ei said: “I visited 15 polling stations out of 27. I saw the polling officers and members of the election commission in the voting booths. The members of the USDP took mobile phones into the station. Worst of all, I saw those who wore white shirts and hats transporting voters.”

USDP also has complaints to file. One is against NLD candidates in Ayeyawady Region, allegedly containing phrases in speeches like “the union is still not in peace because of the 2008 Constitution” and “this dictatorship changed the country into a state of prostitutes”.

 

 

 

Shan political parties ask president to end clashes with SSPP/SSA

 

Two Shan political parties asked President Thein Sein to stop the clashes between the army and the SSPP/SSA, which are currently taking place in Shan State, and to help war refugees. The parties made their requests at a meeting between several political parties and the president in Yangon on November 15.

Leaders of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) and the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP) asked the president to stop the fighting in Shan State as soon as possible.

“At today’s meeting with the president, I would like to discuss an issue assumed to be important for the country’s current development. That issue is the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement. It was signed by eight groups, plus the president. The discussions that led to the ceasefire signing were not easy. I acknowledge that the ceasefire was only reached because the government spent much time and held many meetings in various regions. I heard that the SSPP/SSP, a group that hasn’t signed the ceasefire, is under attack. Because of this, local people have had to flee their homes. This is the harvesting time for many rural villagers, and since they had to flee during this period, they are very concerned about their unharvested farmlands. Thus, the SNLD would like to request that the president to stop the attacks and bring the local people back to their homes,” said Sai Saw Aung, the vice chairperson of the SNLD.

“Clashes in middle part of Shan State caused the refugees to flee to Kyaythee, Mongshu, Leichar, Pinlon, and Taunggyi. The number of refugees has increased from a thousand to ten thousand. I would like to ask the government to help provide livelihoods and shelter to these refugees,” said Sai Aik Paung, the chairperson of the SNDP.

Since the beginning of October, major clashes have been occurred between the military and the SSPP, causing casualties on both sides. Thousands of residents have fled from the conflict, and they face deficiencies in shelter, healthcare and education.

At the meeting, the president did not reply to the requests of the Shan parties in detail. He said: “Some of the requests made here are ones we can and should implement within the remainder this government’s term. We will carry out what we can in accordance with the relevant rules and laws. However, some of these issues are long-term affairs. For long-term affairs, solutions will be implemented in cooperation with the leaders of all the parties in attendance today.”