As a preparation for the nationwide upcoming election which will be held on November 7 by the Burmese ruling junta, the government appointed election commission having practical demonstration sessions on the functions and producers of polling station officers in Kachin State, Northern Burma.

In one day training, many of the participants could not follow the demonstrations because of the time limitation and too much participants in one day.

“There were many participants and we got only one time practice during the training and it was just run-through”, said a school teacher who attended the practical demonstration.

The practical demonstration was held on September 12 at City Hall of Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State. There have 522 attendees who appointed to be polling station officers in Myitkyina Township by the government.

In one short day of practical demonstration, majority of participants are government school teachers.

“Mostly all are the school teachers with their uniform attended the sessions. I didn’t see civilians attend the practical demonstration much”, said a school teacher.

The practical demonstration was done by the General Secretary of Kachin State Peace and Development Council, the head of Election commission of Kachin State and the senior lawyers from the State.

However, there was also training like monitoring the polling station by the government in 2008 National Referendum. The government also appointed the people who listen to them to be a polling officer at that time, said Awng Wa, the chairman of the Kachin Development Networking Group (KDNG) who is based in Laiza on China-Burma border.

According to a housewife from Shwe Zet quarter in Kachin State, they have been also told to be an officer at polling station and all were chosen by the head of quarter State Peace and Development Council (Ya-Ya-Ka).

“I have been told to be polling officer by the Ya-Ya-Ka and I have no idea to be an officer at polling station as I just live at my home and take care of my children”, said a housewife.

According to a state newspaper, the new light of Myanmar, the SPDC election commission has done a training course for polling station officials in some district and township levels in Shan, Mon, Chin, Karenni state and also Sagaing, Pegu, Magwe, Mandalay, Rangoon and Irrawaddy Division.

Even though the government has done training for the polling officers, there has not seen any voters education training has done in Kachin State so far by the government, according to residents.