Moe Kyaw — Many ethnic Chin residing in Sagaing Region’s Kalay Township have not been allowed to vote for the Chin Affairs Minister. They are allowed to vote for candidates in the Lower House, Upper House and Regional Parliament, but not the Chin Affairs Minister: many have not been allowed to cast four ballots.
Ko Mone Noe, person-in-charge of Kalay from the Hornbill Organization tasked with observing electoral proceedings, said has he’s found this issue to be widespread.
“What we have noticed is that some of them are Chin, but their names are in Bamar. As their names are in Bamar, the commission didn’t regard them as Chin. I have found many people like this. Also, some people are not included in the list of votes for Chin Affairs even though their names are in Chin; we have seen many cases like this,” said Ko Mone Noe.
U Wun Kho Paung, a male ethnic Chin, which voted at the polling station in B.E.H.S (2) in Taungphilar Ward in Kalay said he was not allowed to vote for the Chin Affairs Minister.
“I cast 3 ballots today and wasn’t able to vote for Chin Affairs. My name wasn’t included, this makes me feel bad,” he said.
“If their names are included in the voter list, they can vote, even though they don’t have voter registration cards. Many Chins have been left out after the voter list for Chin Affairs was divided. We can’t do anything,” said U Go Khant Htan, chairman of Taungphilar Ward Election Commission.
He added that such kind of errors in the voter list is caused by the Township Commission’s mistakes when typing the list of Chin voters, and there may be at least five from each polling station that haven’t been allowed to vote for the minister.
Kalay Township has 176 polling stations and over 80,000 ethnic Chin people that reside there.
Translated by Thida Linn
Edited by BNI staff
