Referendum commission compiles list of elders foe 'Yes' votes

IMNA

05 May 2008 - The Commission for Holding Referendum (CHR) in Mon State is compiling a list of elders for voting to support the draft constitution.

Recently the commission started making a list of elders who want to vote early and the commission went from house to house to collect their names. The work on it has started in Mudon Township and the commission has already covered seven villages.

According to a villager, Naing-Hlone in Mudon Township, the villagers gave a full list of their elders because of they were unaware of what the authorities were up to.

"We thought, it was for early voting. We did not know that the list we gave would be used as a list for supporting votes. But when we checked we realized the list was to be used for supporting votes," a village leader told IMNA.

A villager told to an IMNA source, if they knew the intention of the operation they would not given the list.

Similarly, the CHR did not explain clearly to the six other villages why they were collecting the list of elders.

According to a source close to the commission, the operation will be widely undertaken in Mon State and Karen State soon.

CHR also threatened government employees in Three Pagoda Pass and a list of voters was compiled to force them to support the constitution. Left to themselves many of them would want to vote against the draft constitution.

A majority of government employees in Mon State were similarly threatened and also ordered to sign a pledge to support the constitution.

According to an education department employee, they were made to sign a month ago by senior officers.

Currently, the military regime in Mon State and Karen state has tightened security and are using schools as polling stations. According to a Township and Village Peace and Development Council member, the militia and police were ordered to take charge of security at the schools and polling stations.