The Deputy Home Minster of Burma's military regime, Brig-Gen Phone Swe visited the western border town of Maungdaw in Arakan State on Sunday to mobilise people to cast "yes" votes in the referendum, said a government official on condition of anonymity.

"He came to Maungdaw yesterday and held a meeting with many members from local village administrative councils at Thri Radana hall in Maungdaw for the ensuiing referendum," he said.

The meeting began at 8:30 a.m. and concluded at 11a.m. with about 750 people, including many village chairmen and clerks participating. The deputy minister asked the village chairmen during the meeting if there were any villages or people in Maungdaw Township who were against the referendum.

"All village chairmen replied that there were no villages or people against the referendum when he asked us if there were," said the official.

At the meeting, the Deputy Home Minister Phone Swe also told the village chairmen that he is ready to go to the villages to mobilise people if any village has plans to oppose the referendum.

The visit of the Deputy Home Minister to Maungdaw was oragnised by higher authorities after information spread that Arakanese people will be boycotting the referendum by refusing to go to the polls.

The Deputy Home Minister will reportedly visit another two towns in Buthidaung and Rathidaung to organize people for referendum after leaving Maungdaw.