People tricked into supporting draft constitution

SHAN NEWS 2008-04-29 10:30

Local authorities at Muse Township on the Sino-Burma border had held a mock polling session with the people, after which the mock result for support was sent to the new capital Naypyidaw as the real result, according to Muse sources.

On 27-28 April 2008, a former teacher U Win Maung, age 60, led a group of Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), fire brigade and Red Cross and held a meeting with the people from Wan Kat and Wan Zan tract, teaching them how to cast yes vote.

There were 20 people attending the training at Wan Kat tract, and 30 people at Wan Zan tract.

People who attended the training had to show their ID cards before the training started.

The instructors later told the trainees that people who came to vote in this training need not vote on May 10, because all the support vote would be transferred to the Naypidaw.

"We didn't know they [local authorities] would trick us. They just explained to us how to vote, let us practice and then count the ballots in front of us," a participant told SHAN.

Junta TV announced on 9 April that the referendum would be held on 10 May. Limited copies of the draft constitution have also been made available for public review on the same day. But more of the people didn't know what about they are going to vote.

Source