Strange as it may sound, some military personnel of the Burmese Army’s LIB 268 based in Falam town, northern Chin state have been urging Chin people secretly not to vote for the USDP in the ensuing general election on 7 November.

The reason is that they do not want the junta to legitimize its power through the elections.

“I and five of my friends met two soldiers in the first week of this month. They asked us to sit with them and then their commander told us not to vote for USDP in the election as his soldiers will not vote for the party either,” said a trader on the Indo-Myanmar border.

The commander said people will face more difficulties if USDP wins the election and comes to power. They advised us to vote for one of the Chin parties, the trader added.

Some policemen and families of government employees are also campaigning secretly among people not to vote for USDP in the election because their salaries are inadequate and they are facing immense crisis in earning their livelihood year after year. They have no freedom in their work place either.

“We earn Kyat 30,000 per month and of this at least Kyat 5000 is cut by the authorities every month. The rest of the money can buy only two tins of local rice,” said a mother of five children in Matupi Township, who is a primary school teacher.