Dhaka: The holding of the referendum to approve the military junta's draft constitution in at least two villages on the Indo-Burma border was postponed on May 10 as the Arakan Liberation Army seized the ballots a day before the polls.

"We could not cast votes in the referendum on May 10 as the ALA seized the ballots to disrupt the referendum. The authority held the referendum the next day," a villager said.

The referendum in two villages, Bagawa and Shwe Hlaing Vi, was held on May 11 as the new ballots had to be shipped in from Paletwa and did not arrive by May 10.

 "A group of armed fighters from the Arakan Liberation Army entered two villages, Pagawa and Shwe Hlaing, located on the Indo-Burma border at night and seized 538 ballots for the referendum from the villages," the villager said.

There was no armed clash between the ALA fighters and Burma Army soldiers as the ALA forces managed to evade troops when they arrived in the village.

The ALA is the armed wing of the Arakan Liberation Party, which has for decades been fighting for independence of Arakan.