San Maung Than — Although there are least 100 Arakanese migrants living in Japan, only four have participated in the advanced voting process, according to the Arakan National Association Japan’s Chairman U Kyaw Than Hlaing.
“Most of the Myanmar citizens that are residing in Japan don’t trust the current government so only a few of them applied for early voting using a Form 15. Among the applicants, some of them weren’t allowed to vote. There are over 100 Arakanse men working in Japan, but only four men took part in the advanced voting,” he told Narinjara News.
Among the four men that participated in the advanced voting in Japan, two are from Sittwe and the other two are from Myebon and Ramree.
“All four Arakanese men voted for the Arakan National Party in the early voting in Japan. I voted for U Wai Sein Aung for the Upper House, U Maung Thein Khine for the Lower House, and U Aye Thein for the State Parliament’s Constituency No 1. They are running in Sittwe,” U Kyaw Than Hlaing said.
The application for early voting had to be submitted a week prior to the advance poll to ensure there was enough time.
Envelopes containing ballots that were stained or marked in some way are subject to disqualification. The envelopes sent to the embassy were very thin so the voters had to take great care to avoid getting them torn.
Although the Arakanese men faced no problems in voting for constituencies in Arakan State, voters from other states and regions living in Japan only received two envelopes instead of three so they could only cast two ballots.
Translated by Thida Linn with editing by BNI.
