Anti-referendum posters in Central Burma

Mizzima News
March 5, 2008

New Delhi – In a fresh act of defiance against the Burmese military junta, several anti-referendum and 'Free Burma' campaign posters were found in Amarapura township of Mandalay in central Burma, local residents said.

'Free Burma', 'Free Aung San Suu Kyi' and 'Free Dr. Zaw Myint Maung', MP from Amarapura constituency, who is serving a long prison term, were written with spray guns in palm sized red coloured letters, locals said.

Anti-referendum posters were also seen pasted on the walls of the State High School in Laysu Ward, opposite the Taungthaman Bridge and on the main street, the local said.

The ruling junta has announced holding a constitution approval referendum in May.

"The posters urged the people to boycott the forthcoming referendum and oppose the constitution for the future generation to be free from 46-years of military dictatorship," a local woman, who saw the posters, told Mizzima.

"I saw these posters on March 3 in the morning and they were stuck in an aluminum pot shop to Taungthaman Bridge. We heard that the posters were found elsewhere in Amarapura," another local resident said.

On the same day, a policeman along with three members of Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), the junta backed civil organization, came by on two motorcycles and removed all the posters and white washed the sprayed letters, the locals added.

"Despite white washing, the words 'Free Burma' can still be seen faintly. The letters say 2-3-2008 written by a spray gun," the second local resident said.

Calendar size portraits of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi wearing her party election campaign logo - bamboo hat - were also seen pasted in front of the State High School at the main gate and were also removed by the local authorities later.