A human rights activist in Taungup said, "Many soldiers from Taungup were sent yesterday to rural areas of Rambree Township on Rambree Island on board several motor boats."
The soldiers are from the Military Operation Planning Bureau, known as Sakhaka 15, based in Taungup, and it is likely they were deployed to monitor the referendum in the area.
"I heard that the higher authorities also have plans to deploy soldiers to rural areas of Thandwe and Gwa Townships, and other army personnel will be despatched to those areas today or tomorrow," he said.
Thandwe and Gwa are located in southern Arakan State and some villages in the two townships are situated in remote areas.
"It is the military regime’s plan to emerge victorious in the referendum because the villagers will have to cast "Yes" votes when they see soldiers. Everyone is afraid of the army in Arakan State and it would be impossible for people to cast a "No" vote in front of soldiers," he said.
In northern Arakan, there is no army deployment to monitor the referendum, but many army units have been patrolling the rural areas to support the election commission in mobilizing people to cast "yes" votes.
Burmese Army personnel in Paletwa Township of southern Chin State, near Arakan's Kyauktaw Township, have been
visiting several rural villages and have been urging people to cast "yes" votes.
