The ruling military junta in Burma blatantly grabbed votes for its own party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), by abusing its authority through acts of voter fraud during yesterday’s election, eyewitnesses said.

“The Chief of quarter administration stood in front of the polling station and told all voters ‘you all should vote for the USDP’s Zahkung Ting Ying. We see and know who you are voting for, so be careful’. So, all the people voted for Ting Ying,” said a local source in Pangwa, the headquarters of the former armed group, the New Democratic Army-Kachin (NDA-K).

Pangwa Township is on the Sino-Burma border, in the eastern part of Kachin State. It had the only polling station for the whole district, but the building had no walls to provide privacy to voters, who had to mark their ballots in the open, under close scrutiny by authorities, the source said.

The authorities didn’t declare the voters list, but allowed everyone 18 or over to vote. The population in the township is over 1,000.

More than 10 policemen and fire fighters watched all voters at the polling station at Washawng village, in Waingmaw (Waimaw) Township, to make sure they voted for the USDP.

“Civilians were afraid of the police and soldiers when they stood around the polling station in their uniform. If possible they should have come without their uniform,” said local people.

The authorities put the ballot box near the window so USDP members could watch the voters closely. The source said they changed ballots to vote for the USDP whenever they helped voters.

In Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State, the polling stations in Du Kahtawng, Shwe Set, Thida and Tatkone (Dapkawng) were surrounded with people wearing clothes and hats marked with the logo of the USDP, said the eyewitness.

At polling station 87, in Longhkang (Lonkhin) Township, in Hpakant, Jade Land, USDP member, Daw Thin Thin Nywe, arrived in the early morning and instructed voters how to vote for her party.

People complained to the head of the Election Commission and the commission of the township. However, no one could stop her, said the local source.

“She took 50 ballot papers and marked them for the USDP. She was doing whatever she liked,” said the eyewitness.

Another USDP member, Thun Aung Kyaw, also took over 50 ballots and marked them for the USDP.

The candidate of the National Democratic Force (NDF) for Hpakant Township, Daw Bawk Ja, complained to the head of the Election commission of the township, Dr. Thein Han, about the actions of the USDP.

In Hpakant the authorities set up 101 polling stations. Seventeen stations were set up at every company with about 1,000 workers.

In Gwi Hka village, employees at the Myanmar Tagaung Company, the jade mining company were forced to vote for the USDP. The owner himself also voted for the USDP, said the villager.