“An election for village administration officer was held in Sein Nyin Pya (Sein Dee Pran) village, Buthidaung South, with four competitors - Abdul Hashim (graduate), Mohamed Sadek (matriculation), Sidique Ahmed (under matriculation), and Nurul Islam (Class III).”

The election was held by the order of district administration officer, as the former administration officer was sacked from his post earlier due to corruption. But, the election was held under the supervision of the Buthidaung Township Administration Officer.

Villagers peacefully voted in the election. Abdul Hashim received the most votes, while Nurul Islam got the least votes from the participants. However, when the results were declared, Nurul Islam had won the election. Therefore, he became the new village administration officer of the village.

“Nurul Islam is a USDP member, and he bribed two million Kyat to the Township Administration Officer before the election,” said a local trader who declined to be named.

“Nurul Islam neither speaks nor writes in Burmese. How does he rule his village? Local villagers said that one of the USDP members -- namely Mohamed Noor -- will do all the work on behalf of Nurul Islam,” said another local businessman.

“This is a selection, not an election,” said the Township Administration Officer when villagers asked, according to a schoolteacher who declined to be named.

“The officer selecting an uneducated man means the authority wants the village administration officer to do anything what the higher authority orders.”

“People across the country and the international community say that there are some changes in Burma, but there is no change in northern Arakan State, and the political persecutions against the Rohingya community continues,” said a local politician.