May 10, 2008

By Kachin News Group (KNG)

Referendum Daily News

May 10, 2008

Burma's Constitutional Referendum Result

Kachin State, Northern Burma

May 10, 2008

By Kachin News Group (KNG)

Source: Vote Commissions. Last updated: May 12, 2008.

Du Kahtawng, Kachin State - The two Kachin pastors of Du Kahtawng Baptist Church in Myitkyina-- Rev. Maran Zau Naw and Rev. Dumhpau Tang Gun have been put under house arrest in Du Kahtawng by the authorities for suggesting residents to cast 'No' ballots in the today's referendum on last Sunday (May 4, 2008). KNG

Myitkyina, Kachin State - Mr. Bawm Lang, leader of Kachin State National Congress for Democracy (KNCD) which won three main areas in Kachin State in the 1990 general election, cast the 'No' ballot in the referendum on the draft constitution at the polling booth in Shatapru Quarter in Myitkyina Township. When, KNCD leader Mr. Bawm Lang went to the polling booth, the Kachin youth arranged for his security him. KNG

Myitkyina, Kachin State – Not many voters went to the polling booths in Myitkyina Township because the people were frightened and disinterested about the referendum. Most polling booths in the township were crowded before noon. KNG

Washong, Kachin State - Underage villagers of Washong in Waingmaw Township were forced to cast votes in the referendum and the Washong youth leader also called 30 youths to vote because the village's administrator said so. KNG

Washong, Kachin State - All listed voters were not allowed to vote as they desired in today's referendum at the polling booth in Washong village in Waingmaw Township by the village administrators. KNG

Laiza, Kachin State - About 1,100 men and women in service in KIO including Chairman Lanyaw Zawng Hra and Vice-president Lt-Gen. Gauri Zau Seng and civilian residents have voted in the referendum on the new constitution drafted by Burma's ruling junta in Laiza controlled areas on Sino-Burma border in Kachin State. Eyewitnesses in Laiza said the KIO leaders and the men and women in service voted 'Yes'. The KIO decided to support today's referendum on the junta-drafted constitution on May 8 (this Thursday) in Laiza. KNG

Myitkyina, Kachin Sate - Aged voters were pressurized to tick the 'right mark' on the ballot paper in Lekone and Aye Zeidi polling booths by the local village administrators. KNG

Bhamo, Kachin State - Residents of Bhamo, the second largest city Kachin State were pressurized to vote 'Yes' in today's referendum by concerned quarters' and villages' administrators. KNG

Nawng Hkying, Kachin State - AKSU pasted several posters with the words "If you love Kachins, let's vote 'No' ballots" this morning in Nawng Hkying village in Waingmaw Township. KNG

Myitkyina, Kachin State - Hundreds of 'No' vote posters were pasted last night in Myitkyina Township by All Kachin Students Union (AKSU). KNG

Du Kahtawng, Kachin State - Kachin youth in Du Kahtawng in Myitkyina were invited to join this morning's opening ceremony of local polling booths with songs by the quarter's USDA leader U Dai Hu, but no young people joined the ceremony. KNG

Indawgyi Lake, Kachin State - The local Red Shans and Kachins in Indawgyi Lake areas were forced to cast 'Yes' ballots in today's referendum on a new constitution by Hsamaw based Burma Army, No. (105) Infantry Battalion, commander Lt-Col. Min Naing. KNG

Indawgyi Lake, Kachin State - U Thein Naing, vice police officer of Chaung Wa Police Station in Indawgyi Lake areas threatened residents of Mapin, Pan Hla and Chaung Hla villages to cast 'Yes' votes in today's referendum. He said, "If you are really brave enough, cast 'No' votes but you will be recorded and punished with three years in prison. KNG

Du Kahtawng, Kachin State - U Dai Hu, head of USDA organizer in Du Kahtawng in Myitkyina and adopted child of Minister Brig-Gen. Thein Zaw of Communication, Post and Telegraph Ministry of junta, warned the residents of Du Kahtawng and churche leaders saying "The public (Du Kahtawng) should not oppose the ruling government. If churche pastors oppose the government, they will be arrested." KNG

Lekone & Yan Gyi Aung, Kachin State - Public polling booths in Lekone and Yan Gyi Aung quarters in Myitkyina did not offer any private room to the voters to vote. The voters had to tick 'right' or 'cross' marks in front of the vote commissions and put into the ballot boxes. KNG

Shwezet, Kachin State - A MP3 Player from Mahka La Sam was seized by the junta's secret security agents in Shwezet Quarter, six miles north of Myitkyina downtown, while La Sam was taking a polling booth photographs n Shwezet. KNG

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May 9, 2008

Myitkyina, Kachin State - Hundreds of 'No' vote posters were pasted last night in Myitkyina Township by All Kachin Students Union (AKSU). KNG

Myitkyina, Kachin State - 1988 generations Kachin student leader, Mr. Awng Wa is widely searched by the secret security agents in Myitkyina Township. KNG

Myitkyina, Kachin State - The key Kachin student activists and leaders of inside based All Kachin Students Union (AKSU), Mr. Jack Mawle and Ms. Seng Nu are widely searched by the secret security agents of junta in Myitkyina Township. The AKSU has conducted series of anti-referendum and other anti-dam movements in Kachin State since last year. KNG

Myitkyina, Kachin State - Some residents of Myitkyina Township are making inquiries about Thailand based Kachin News Group's (KNG) editor Lahpai Nawdin and his family by non-uniform security agents of junta. KNG

Phakant, Kachin State - Hundreds of jade companies' workers and outside raw-jade-collectors (locals called Ye-ma-hsei) are forcibly written their signatures on the advance ballot paper and the ballots are brought back instantly to the vote commissions. The workers and raw-jade-collectors do not have any right to cast 'No' ballots. KNG

Shatapru, Kachin State - The junta has granted only 5,056 people from over 8,000 eligible voters in Shatapru quarter in Myitkyina for tomorrow referendum on a draft constitution. KNG

Myitkyina, Kachin State - Former Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC) Youth leader, Hkan Naw is being widely searched by the security agents of junta in Myitkyina Township. Hkan Naw is accused of advocating Kachin people for appearing 'No' votes in the tomorrow referendum. KNG

Myitkyina, Kachin State - Only 113,950 people are granted to cast tomorrow referendum on a draft constitution by the authorities of Myitkyina Township. This voters' list is reduced nearly half from the original figure of total 213, 294. There are 13 sub-townships in Myitkyina. KNG

Laiza, Kachin State - The Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) finally allows their men and women in service in all controlled areas to involve referendum on a new constitution. Previously, the entire KIO men and women in service were strongly forbidden from involving the referendum. KNG

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May 8, 2008

Myitkyina Hospital, Kachin State – The authorities is distributing today the ballots for the staff and patients in Myitkyina Government Hospital. KNG

Mawhpawng, Kachin State – Aged villagers of Mawhpawng near Myitkyina Township are forcibly called and cast ‘Yes’ advance votes by village administrators. KNG

Waingmaw, Kachin State – Villagers, over 50 years old in Nawnghkying village in Waingmaw township are forced to mark thumbprints on the ballot paper not ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ marks. The thumbprint ballots are forcibly collected house by house over aged advance voters in the village by the village administrators. KNG

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May 7, 2008

Chibwe, Kachin State - Inside based underground students organization, All Kachin Students Union (AKSU) pasted and distribute over 100, A-4 size 'No' vote posters in Chibwe areas in the upper N'mai Hka (N'mai River). The posters also urge to stop immediately 2,000 Megawatt of hydroelectric power project at Chibwe in N'mai River. KNG

Sadong, Kachin State - Local advance voters in Sadong areas in east of Kachin State are highly discriminated against the junta's constitutional referendum laws by the vote commission and New Democratic Army-Kachin (NDA-K). The voters do not have rights to mark 'Cross' or 'No marks' on the ballot papers except 'Right Marks' or 'Yes'. KNG

Namti, Kachin State - People in Namti and Ka Mai were also distributed advance ballots papers and forced to support referendum on a new constitution by their village administrators. KNG

Myitkyina, Kachin State - The junta's villages administrators distribute pre-vote ballots to residents in Tanghpre, Nam Jim, Chyarapati around Myitkyina Township and they have been forced to support the referendum. KNG

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May 6, 2008

Waingmaw, Kachin State - The National Registration Cards (NRCs) of Wuyan and Washong villagers in Waingmaw Township were forcibly kept by the two village administrators and the villagers were forced to support the referendum on a new constitution on May 10 by ticking 'Right Mark' on the ballots. KNG

Myitkyina, Kachin State - All government personnel including school teachers, firefighters and reserved firefighters were instructed to cast 'Yes' ballots in the referendum. KNG

Aungmethit, Kachin State - Villagers in Aungmethit in Waingmaw Township had to pay 200 Kyat per family for the referendum by the order of the village administration office (Ya-Ya-Ka). KNG

Waingmaw, Kachin State - The National Registration Cards (NRC) of villagers in Waingmaw Township were forcibly collected and the villagers were forced to cast 'Yes' votes in the referendum by the administrators of Burma's ruling junta. The villages are Bam Ba, Jam Ga, Nawng Hkyi and Mai Maw. KNG

Myitkyina, Kachin State – The Burmese ruling junta authorities in Myitkyina are forcibly recollecting 'polling tickets' which were recently issued by them to the residents of Manhking and Shatapru Quarters in Myitkyina Township the capital of Kachin State, northern Burma. Meanwhile, several armed policemen and soldiers were seen in Shatapru Quarter where Myitkyina University is situated. KNG

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May 5, 2008

Bhamo, Kachin State - Over 30 township firefighters held a meeting in Bhamo and they were instructed to cast only 'Yes' vote in the referendum by their senior officials.

Myitkyina, Kachin State - The junta pasted 973 voters' list at the polling station inside the Kachin Baptist Church (Fundamental) in Jan Mai Kawng quarter. KNG

Myitkyina, Kachin State - Some local students of Myitkyina University in the voters' list were not given 'Polling Tickets' by their villages' administrators (Ya-Ya-Ka). The students said, the authorities seemed to be trying to prevent 'No' votes from the university students. KNG

Laiza, Kachin State - The main Kachin ceasefire group, Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) formed the 'Vote Commission' for Burma's constitutional referendum on May 10 in Laiza Headquarters on Sino-Burma border. KNG

Laiza, Kachin State - Several hard-copy statements of inside based Burma's largest ethnic alliance' were distributed in KIO's Headquarters Laiza. The statement issued by United Nationalities Alliance (UNA) and UNA urged the entire Burmese ethnic nationalities to express their desire in the junta-centered constitutional referendum. KNG