Military detains election sub-commission officials from 44 townships in Yangon
The military is detaining the chairmen and secretaries of the election sub-commissions in 44 townships of Yangon Region at Bayintnaung Transit Center, said some sub-commission officials.
They were summoned by the region general administration department at the region parliament building on February 11 and sent to the transit center at about 8pm.
“They are from our sub-commissions at regional, district and township levels. They are at Bayintnaung Transit Center,” said Than Hlaing, chair of South District Election Sub-commission.
There was no questioning till 11 am in February and they were free to live there but what would happen next is unknown, he said.
“Our detention is simple because it is the voter list issue. I don’t know what they will do”, Than Hlaing added.
He said he would say everything correctly when asked about the voter list.
“We couldn’t say the voter lists were completely accurate after announcements two times. When the election came on November 8, we could say the voter lists were quite correct. We can say they are correct to a certain extent,” Than Hlaing said.
After the military coup on February 1, chairman Hla Thein and some members of the Union Election Commission were detained. The arrest and detention of chairmen and secretaries of region/state election sub-commissions started on the night of February 11.
“I don’t want to say anything. But they have written their own history. The regional administrator asked us to come to a meeting and we came at our own expense. All township sub-commission chairman in east, west, south and north districts are included. Problems would emerge if they (the military) came to their homes to arrest. Now, they didn’t cost a penny. No fuel expense. It is like we have been trapped automatically,” said the chairman of a township election sub-commission on the night of February 11.
The officials from all township election sub-commissions have been detained except Coco Island Township.
Military Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said the military took over State duties after declaring a statement of emergency because the voter lists were found largely fraudulent.