The Burmese military junta is allowing Muslims in Arakan to join the Union Solidarity Development Association, a government-backed organization, for support of the community for the 2010 elections, said a USDA official in Maungdaw.

"We have now started mobilizing the Muslim community in Maungdaw Township after higher authorities instructed us to do so for the USDA. We formed several groups with many members in Maungdaw to go to Muslim villages," the official said.

The military authorities had not allowed any Muslims in Arakan to join the USDA since the organization was formed in 1993, but the policy has recently undergone a change with an eye to the forthcoming elections.

"We went to many Muslim villages in Maungdaw Township recently to mobilize them. Many Muslim youths, who are under 20 applied for membership in the USDA. We are now reviewing their names and addresses, and we hope we will recognize them as USDA members very soon," he said.

The USDA secretary in Maungdaw Township, U Tun Hla Sein, AKA Khwe Chay, has visited many Muslim villages in Maungdaw along with officials from the fire brigade, township and district office, and red cross since January 2010.

Kamal, a student of Maungdaw's government high school, said, "We Muslim students were not allowed to become members of the USDA in the past despite being students, but the authorities are now allowing us to apply for membership of the USDA."

"I believe it is for the 2010 elections. The authorities want to woo our community for support in the polls," he added.

As the USDA is a government-backed organization, it is very powerful in Burma. Many young people are being pressured by authorities to join the USDA and it is impossible to get a government job in Burma without first becoming a member of the organization.

The USDA was formed on 15 September, 2003, and U Htay Oo is the secretary-general of the organization. Its headquarters are in Naypyidaw, the new capital of Burma, and it operates nationwide. The USDA's motto is "Morale, Discipline, Solidarity, and Unity". In spite of this motto, though, many USDA members have engaged in anti-social and oppressive activities. The organization now has 30 million members.