Narinjara News
Government authorities in Arakan State have been luring Muslim community members in Sittwe to cast "yes" votes in the upcoming referendum with promises that it will issue them with genuine national ID cards, said a politician.
He said, "The authority has conducted the plan in Sittwe through a group of Muslim businessmen led by U Khin Maung Lat, who is pro military government. The group is visiting all households in the Muslim community in Sittwe one by one to organize people to cast "yes" votes in the referendum, with the enticement of national ID cards."
Military authorities in Arakan State have been conducting the plan after rumors began spreading in Sittwe that residents will be casting "no" votes if they go to the polling booths.
"I think authorities will force people to cast "yes" votes, but there is a problem of how they can covert "no" votes to "yes" votes, if the everyone in Sittwe casts "no" votes in the referendum. So the authority has been using a new tactic of giving many enticements to get people to cast "yes" votes," he said.
The Burmese military government used to issue white national ID cards to Muslims in Sittwe, but many Muslims have refused to accept them because the cards are for resident foreigners, and not for Burmese nationals.
He said, "The authority knows well what the Muslim community needs from the military government, so they have lured the Muslim community by showing national ID cards for "yes" votes."
The Burmese military authority has issued temporary ID cards to individuals who are over 18 recently for the referendum, but the temporary ID cards are not substitutes for genuine national ID cards.
The authority is attempting to lure the Muslim community to Sittwe by issuing genuine national ID cards if the community supports the draft constitution by casting "yes" votes, the politician concluded.
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