A serious dispute erupted between young voters and the official in-charge of the polling booth in Tal village in Falam township, Chin state during the advance voting for the 2010 general election in Burma on November 1, when voters were being coerced.

The in-charge of the polling booth in Tal village was forcing villagers to cast their votes in favour of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) but some youths refused to comply, a source said.

“When eight of our friends went to vote on November 1 in a polling booth in our village, the booth in-charge started forcing us to vote for the USDP, but we refused. There was palpable tension and an argument ensued. The official threatened us that if we did not vote for the USDP action will be taken against us,” said a voter on condition of anonymity.

“We ignored his threats and told him that we would expose it all if he takes any action against us. Following which, he was forced to allow us to vote according to our choice. We voted for the Chin National Party (CNP),” he added.

A member of the CNP in Falam town said that he had heard about some tension between voters and a polling booth in-charge. “It is unfortunate, but we cannot do anything.”

It is learnt that, most of the local people in Tal village have voted for the USDP because they were scared following threats by polling booth officers. Tal village is a small village with about 50 houses and is located on the main road to Falam and Hakha town.

Meanwhile, villagers in Rih, Indo-Myanmar border village, were forced to vote for the USDP in the advance voting system in Burma.