Village authorities in cyclone-affected areas in Arakan State have been taking advantage of relief aid donated by international and local NGOs to garner political support for the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), said local and political party sources.

The relief aid for cyclone victims in Mray Bon Township has to be distributed to locals through the village authorities, known as Rayaka. The village officials have taken the opportunity to campaign and mobilize people to support the USDP in the election.

U Aung Kyaw, a town elder, said, "Village council chairmen in some villages told cyclone victims to vote for USDP candidates. If they don't, it will be impossible for them to get relief aid. I heard some village officials in Mray Bon decided to give priority to USDP supporters in disbursing aid."

In Atwin Nga Khu Chaung Village in Mray Bon Township, the village chairman refused to distribute relief aid to some cyclone victims who were not USDP members.

"This has not only happened in Atwin Nga Khu Chaung, but also in many other villages, including Nga Shwe, Ah Ngu, and Amyat Htut. Many victims were being pressurized by village authorities to support the USDP when they went to the village chairmen's houses to collect relief," he said.

Another source also said that the cyclone has benefited the authorities because they are now able to use the opportunity to mobilize people into supporting the USDP in Arakan using the relief aid donated by NGOs.

Moreover, some local village authorities in Mray Bon Township are selling rice donated for victims in the markets at high prices for their own profit, but no action has been taken against them by higher authorities.

Many witnesses in Mray Bon told Narinjara over telephone that half of the relief aid donated has been misappropriated by local village authorities for profit.

"Higher authorities in Mray Bon know the local village authorities have exploited the cyclone victims, but are ignoring the incidents because they need people to vote for the USDP. So they are allowing the activities of the village authorities," U Aung Kyaw added.