With the referendum to have the draft constitution of Burma approved, drawing near, the military junta has resorted to using strong arm tactics.
 
It has forced one of the main Kachin ceasefire groups, the New Democratic Army-Kachin (NDA-K) in Pang Wa, the town on the Sino-Burma border, which is the NDA-K's headquarter in its controlled area, to make temporary national identity cards and family unit (Ing-htaung-su), a Pang Wa resident said.
 
"The temporary national identity cards have been issued by the Chibwe (Chahpwi) immigration office and it is mainly to vote in the ensuing referendum to be held in May," a resident told KNG. "The immigration office has made the white colour temporary identity cards for the members of the NDA-K and the trice folding cards for the residents of Pang Wa. The green coloured ones are for men and the red coloured is for women," he added.
 
However, the residents who got the real national identity cards are over the age of 18 had to make temporary national identity cards again at a cost of Chinese Yuan 30 (US $ 4.2). But NDAK members could make the cards without paying any money.
 
"The immigration office collected the names of the people who made the temporary identity cards which they will use as the supporting list for the referendum," said a resident.
 
A team of officials of the Burmese military junta have also issued temporary national identity cards to the people of Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and the residents in KIO headquarters Laiza on the Sino-Burma border since March 1.