The Burmese military junta is gearing up to celebrate New Year festivities in Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State, but Arakanese people are not allowed to celebrate the famous Rakhine festival in Sittwe this year, said a town elder.

"The authorities have started construction of many pavilions in front of government buildings and in front of the Vasila sports ground for Burmese style water play, but it is not allowing residents to construct pavilions in wards around Sittwe," the elder said.

The water festival starts on 13 April but the people will engage in water play from 14 to 16 April.

"The authorities seem  not to want people to celebrate the biggest Arakanese water festival in Sittwe this New Year because it is afraid of untoward incidents such as anti-government protests breaking out in Sittwe during the water festival,"  the elder added.

During the 2008 and 2009 New Year celebrations, some Arakanese youths participated in anti-government activities by wearing T-shirts saying "No Vote" and "Ven Uttama". Many of the youths were detained by the police in Sittwe but later released on bail.

"During this year's water festival, such anti-government activities may occur again in Sittwe because this year is very crucial in Burma with the elections being due. So the authorities are apprehensive and are likely to bar celebration of the Arakanese water festival in downtown area of Sittwe," he said.

The authorities have ordered government departments and private businesses to construct stages and pavilions in front of Vasali sports ground, which is located on the outskirts of Sittwe some distance from the rest of the city.

In Sittwe, there are plans afoot for 18 pavilions to be constructed by government ministries for this year's water festival for water play in the Burmese style.

A youth from Maw Late Ward said, "We have lost the opportunity to celebrate the Arakanese traditional water festival in Sittwe this year because the authorities banned celebration of the water festival in downtown Sittwe. It is difficult for us to participate in the Burmese-style water festival that will be celebrated by the government ministries."

The traditional Arakanese water festival is different from the Burmese water festival, but the authorities do not want to encourage Arakanese celebrations. It is typical of the authorities to try and substitute the Burmese style of celebrating the traditional Arakanese water festival in Sittwe.

"The Burmese-style water festival is nice, but I like the Arakanese traditional water festival because we can throw water face to face between groups of women and men in the pavilions. In the Burmese-style, people throw water with water pipes from the stage onto visitors who walk or drive in front," the youth said.