"Many state employees face daunting choice in Launglon"
The People’s Defense Forces (LLPDF) operating in Launglon Township, Tanintharyi Division, have issued a stark ultimatum to all (non-CDM) government employees that, if they are not (CDM) and are still working inside the Military Council’s administration, to quit within a week.
The statement No. 119/23 of LLPDF, dated January 27th, warned all non-CDM staff to vacate the Military Council’s workplaces and departments by February 3rd.
LLPDF also strongly warned that employees who will continue to be pillars of the Military Council, and refuse to comply with the statement may suffer the consequences.” In other words this is a strong threat with no “ifs” and “buts” for those staff who feel they cannot quit because they have to take care of their children. But some employees feel the ultimatum from the local
PDF does not offer them a fair choice.
A 35-year-old non-CDM employee revealed that the ultimatum to quit within a week was too difficult for non-CDM staff to comply with.
“Quitting the job right away is not an easy matter. After doing that I would have to flee with my family. When I think about the family, this absolute demand is extremely harsh. But if I continue as an employee (non-CDM), my life will no longer be safe. It’s really a dire situation ”, he said.
After the coup, most of Launglon’s health and education workers joined the CDM, and it still operates as a township with strong CDM support.
Such a stern warning directly addressing all non-CDM staff in Launglon was issued for the first time in 2 years since the Military Council staged the coup in February 2021.In the past warning notices have been addressed only to individual employees who were notorious for corruption, locals said.
The statement of LLPDF described the non-CDM staff as “the pillars of the Military Council’s administrative mechanism, which causes the public to suffer all kinds of hardships.
“ It is claimed that the staff who joined CDM in opposing the coup supported the ultimatum to non-CDM staff. But it is not clear that the LLPDF had engaged in any dialogue with the CDM staff in advance of the harsh ultimatum.
An education employee said, “ Since non-CDM staff can’t decide whether they should quit or not now, they will learn to sympathize with how CDM staff have struggled to take a stand.”
The PDF demand was to be circulated from 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM every day in Launglon Township, but it has been found that people travel outside that time-frame. LLPDF also warned that if the public do not pay enough attention to the instructions, they will be responsible for the consequences that may follow.
