With the elections in Burma knocking on the door, a substantial number of Karenni school teachers in Loikaw, Deemawso and Pruso Townships have quit and joined the junta-backed party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) as members, leaving the Education Department and schools in the lurch.

“Some school teachers are left but most from Pruso, Deemawso and Loikaw Township have joined USDP,” according to a Deemawso resident.

Karenni sources said that to win the general elections on November 7, the USDP mainly recruited school teachers and government staffs as members.

Teachers, who joined the USDP, are mainly based in towns. Meanwhile, government school teachers, who are still working in remote areas far away have applied to take their place in town.

A resident close to the local Education Department said that many teachers, working in villages have been applying to work in towns.

Teaching staff have to pay at least 100,000 Kyat to the state educational coordinator to join the USDP.

Local sources said teachers are being pressurized to help garner votes.

“The local authorities ordered teachers to help the Burmese regime backed-party to win the elections. A friend working as a teacher told me,” a resident from Loikaw said.

Meanwhile the local educational institutions in Rangoon have also come under USDP pressure, sources said.

The deans of the Yezin Agricultural University, the University of Forestry and the University of Veterinary Science located around Naypyidaw were reportedly instructed to tell teachers to vote for USDP candidates and to advise their students to support the government-backed party.