Even though authorities have issued identity cards to villagers in five villages, located east of Pon River, from See Hsai Township and some villages in Mauk Mae township, the villagers are unaware of the referendum, said the visitor.
While the authorities have informed people living near the town that they have been making identity cards for the referendum, people from rural areas don't know why they are issuing identity cards, said the visitor.
"When I got there, they had started to make ID cards. They are still making them. They are making ID cards for villagers who don't have them."
The villagers don't know why the authorities came to make ID cards but there is no fee for it. So, villagers came to take it.
"Villagers know nothing. They went to take the ID cards because it's free. Villagers from some villages didn't have ID cards before. In some village, only the village headman had an ID card. The majority are from See Hsai and Mauk Mae townships."
Shan, Pa-O, Lishaw and Karenni people live in the region but few are educated. The Shan State People's Liberation Organization is active around the area and other armed groups like Shan State Army (South) and the Burma Army usually move around these villages.
Authorities have not informed the villages to cast votes in the referendum.
