Shan State Surveyed About Referendum

By THE IRRAWADDY
The Irrawaddy has conducted an opinion poll in Shan State—including Taunggyi, Lashio, Kengtung and Tachilek—which is the largest state in Burma and a region of many ethnicities.

Staff at The Irrawaddy on Friday made 50 cold calls to local people in Shan State—including farmers, businessmen, civil servants, students, business owners and doctors—in several townships. None of the interviewees were politicians or activists.

We asked them if they would vote “Yes” or “No” in the upcoming referendum on supporting the draft constitution. Then we asked why.

In our opinion poll, 10 of the respondents answered that they are not interested in the constitutional referendum and some questioned why the government were even holding a constitutional referendum.

Of the 50 respondents, 26 said “No” while 10 people said they didn’t want to answer the question or that they didn’t know. Two of the respondents answered “Yes” to the question.

As in Irrawaddy Division—surveyed by The Irrawaddy yesterday by telephone [The Irrawaddy online; April 10, 2008; www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=11367 ]—none of the respondents had read the draft constitution.

According to our survey in Shan State, four of the 50 respondents hadn’t decided yet which way to vote, while eight persons simply hung up the phone when The Irrawaddy introduced themselves. Staff speculated that respondents may be suspicious or fearful of repercussions.

A businessman from Tachilek Township said the new constitution will not help create a democracy in Burma. “I am sure that most people from Tachilek will vote ‘No,’” he said. “People who are close to the authorities will vote ‘Yes’ if their business is related to the government.”

A doctor from Tachilek Township said he had not yet decided which way to vote. “The local authorities verbally told us that civil servants should vote ‘Yes,’” the doctor said. “But it is a secret vote, and I believe there will be strong opinions against the authorities from within the civil service,” he added.

A restaurant owner from Lashio Township responded resolutely: “I will vote ‘No.’ I really don’t like the military government. People are suffering in poor conditions and will likely vote ‘No.’”

A community leader from Ponpakyin Township said that she would not vote “Yes.”

“If the local authorities force people to vote ‘Yes,’ we will not go to the polling station,” she said. “They still haven’t offered any explanation about the constitution in my region, so most of the people are prepared to vote ‘No.’”

A young Shan woman from Mong Pan Township said that she would cast a “No” vote in the May 10 referendum. “I will vote ‘No’ because the government has banned Aung San Suu Kyi from being president in the draft constitution,” she said. “If Aung San Suu Kyi could take part in politics, I would vote ‘Yes.’”

* The Irrawaddy will report its findings from a continuing series of surveys on the referendum.