Mya Wun Yan — A campaign signboard belonging to the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), that was erected on Bogyoke Road in Shan State’s capital Taunggyi, was damaged severely on October 31, according to the party’s candidate U Sai Linn Myat.
“Among [the pictures of] four candidates, only U Sai Khin Maung Nyunt’s picture remained intact and the words under the pictures of the other three candidates have been destroyed,” said U Sai Linn Myat.
At this point in time in remains unclear who destroyed the sign. Sai Linn Myat says that the party will inform the election commission about the incident. “We don’t want to know who did it, but we are interested in why it was done. To whom did the slogan ‘we will stand by the public’ harm?” U Sai Linn Myat asked.
Police officials claim that a group led by Surveillance Officer Sub-Inspector Yan Naing Win have inspected the party’s signboard. It remains unclear what the police will do about the incident.
Other party's have also had their signboard's vandalized. The Union PaO National Organization (UPNO), , have had four of their signs damaged. The party reported the incident to the Shan State Election Commission as well as the police.
UNPO candidate U Khun Zaw Tun told the Election Newsroom that the incidents have been reported to the Township Police chief via the commission so the police station chief and the surveillance police force have come to look at the place where the incident happened.
“We were told to open a case the next day, but when we went there, the police told us it’s not under their jurisdiction and asked us to submit our complaint to the court. The court told us that they won’t accept the case since we can’t name the culprit. Actually, the police should have started investigation after the incident was reported. When we went to the commission, they couldn’t give us a definite answer,” said U Khun Zaw Tun.
Taunggyi District Election Commission’s chairman U Tin Oo told BNI that his commission is not an organization that can investigate and take action and it can only accept notifications letter.
“It’s not wrong for the party to send a notification letter to the commission. It’s good. When the candidates make objections after the winners’ names are released, it will be shown that these incidents have been reported since the beginning. It is likely that the culprit can be found afterward,” U Tin Oo predicted.
