Monday, November 9, 2015

National News

National News

North/South: NLD takes Thandwe but ANP performs well

Posted: 09 Nov 2015 01:06 PM PST

The National League for Democracy appeared to have swept Thandwe township yesterday, taking all four available seats – in some cases by a convincing margin.

UEC frustrates NLD with slow release of results

Posted: 09 Nov 2015 12:59 PM PST

Confident of having secured a landslide victory, the opposition National League for Democracy is being frustrated by the slow release of officially sanctioned results by the Union Election Commission.

UEC refuses to discuss advance votes at heated press conference

Posted: 09 Nov 2015 09:23 AM PST

A Union Election Commission press conference this afternoon degenerated into a shouting match, with commission member U Myint Naing warning journalists against asking questions about advance votes and other controversial topics.

Six people nabbed trying to vote on behalf of others

Posted: 09 Nov 2015 08:23 AM PST

Six people in Yangon are facing a police investigation accused of voting on behalf of others. They have been charged under section 59(h) of the electoral law.

Strongman Shwe Mann knocked out of next Pyithu Hluttaw

Posted: 09 Nov 2015 03:42 AM PST

In one of many upheavals sweeping the country in the wake of the polls, Speaker Thura U Shwe Mann appears to have lost his hometown constituency. The former ruling party chair conceded this morning on his Facebook page, offering his congratulations to his political rival and former classmate U Than Nyunt, the National League for Democracy candidate.

NLD leader congratulates the people as all wait for official results

Posted: 09 Nov 2015 03:37 AM PST

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has congratulated the people of Myanmar for their "political awakening", hinting at the victory the National League for Democracy expects as the country awaits official confirmation of the results from yesterday's parliamentary elections.

Ex-generals seem relaxed even as defeat may be looming

Posted: 09 Nov 2015 12:24 AM PST

Recently retired generals looking to win for the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party in what were considered safe seats in Myanmar's military-heavy capital radiated a sense of relaxed confidence yesterday, even as a hint of possible defeat beckoned.

Shan ethnic parties leading the count in Muse

Posted: 09 Nov 2015 12:23 AM PST

As votes began filtering in from Shan State last night, the two largest ethnic parties appeared to coming out on top in at least one heated field.

NLD senses victory following large turnout

Posted: 09 Nov 2015 12:20 AM PST

First and unofficial results reported late last night from some of the 40,000 polling stations across Myanmar led to celebrations in Yangon by supporters of the National League for Democracy, although the scale of the opposition party's hoped-for victory may remain in doubt for days to come.

Crowds gather outside Yangon HQ

Posted: 09 Nov 2015 12:19 AM PST

It was the moment many had waited decades for. "NLD must win, NLD must win," thousands of people stood and shouted at the tops of their voices outside the headquarters of the National League for Democracy, soaked by heavy rain, after polling stations closed yesterday.
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Shan Herald Agency for News

Shan Herald Agency for News

SNLD hints at preliminary Shan State election victories

Posted: 09 Nov 2015 03:10 AM PST

Just before 4 p.m. today, the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) published an open letter on social media suggesting confidence in a victory in Shan State, a move which was confirmed by a party spokesperson.

"This time, with your support, we won again," the Shan-language letter read.

Sai Lek, spokesperson for the SNLD, told SHAN that after receiving preliminary results from the township election commissions, he is very confident that the party has won all of the seats in at least 20 townships in Shan State.

In additional townships, they expect partial victories.

"We released the open letter because what we win is not for our party, but for a better future for the people, for the country to be peaceful."

SNLD open letter to public (SNLD / Facebook)

The statement, titled "Thank You to the Public," referenced the SNLD's first electoral competition in 1990, in which the party won the majority of seats in Shan State and came second nationally to Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD).


Sai Lek reaffirmed the party's platform of promising to amend the 2008 Constitution.
"We will amend it for the people," he said.

SNLD competed for 46 Lower House seats, 14 Upper House seats, and 96 regional seats in Burma's national parliamentary election yesterday. Votes are still being counted, with final tallies expected to be confirmed throughout the week.

The first seats 16 victories announced by the Union Election Commission were located in Yangon Division, and were won by the NLD. The government-backed Union State and Development Party (USDP) claimed one seat.

By SAI AW / Shan Herald Agency News (S.H.A.N)






On Election Day, two civilians shot by Burma Army in Shan State

Posted: 09 Nov 2015 01:08 AM PST

As polls closed in the country's general election yesterday, Burma Army soldiers shot two civilians—including one child—as they were leaving their paddy fields in southern Shan State, according to both the Shan Human Rights Foundation and a local man who witnessed the attack.

According Sai Hseng Na, a resident and bystander, the incident occurred near the village of Hoong Kham in Mong Nong sub-township, Kesi Township, at 4 p.m. while around 30 villagers were returning from farming their fields. The villagers allegedly had permission from local authorities to tend to their land, despite a Burma Army order that residents not venture out of the village.

The victims are confirmed as Pa Tem, age 55, and Sai Mon Parng, age 15. At the time of reporting, both were recovering in a local hospital in Taunggyi District. Sai Mon Parng was shot in the throat. It is not known in which part of her body Pa Tem was shot.  

Sai Hor Hseng, a spokesperson for Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF), described the incident as "extreme violence against innocent people."

"The Burma military arbitrarily attacks civilians," he said.

According to local sources, the Burma Army Battalion No. 286 is reportedly active in this part of Mong Nong.

Here in Kesi Township and in neighboring Mong Hsu, offensives by the Burma Army against the Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army-North (SSPP/SSA-N) have been ongoing since October 6. The conflict has displaced more than 6,000 people.

Civilians are often targeted by the Burma Army when they are suspected of being militants or supporters of non-state ethnic armies.

"The victim is an old woman," said Sai Hor Hseng. "How can she be linked with any armed group?"
 "The conflict must stop now," he added. "If there is no fighting, our people will not suffer."

Yesterday marked Burma's first general election in 25 years. Voting was cancelled in Mong Nong and in the whole of Kesi Township by the Union Election Commission (UEC) on October 27, citing armed conflict as the reason for the annulment.

Warning: The images below are graphic and may be disturbing to some readers.




A 55-year-old woman and 15-year old boy are taken to a local hospital after being shot by Burma Army soldiers while leaving their farmland on November 8. (Photos: Tai Mao / Facebook)


By SAI AW / Shan Herald Agency for News (S.H.A.N)

USDP member casts son’s vote, son allegedly tries to vote again

Posted: 08 Nov 2015 07:42 AM PST

A member of the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) has allegedly voted on behalf of his son—who then tried to vote again—in a polling station in eastern Shan State's Mong Yang Township.

Ballot Box
Sai Noom Htwe, a candidate from the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), told SHAN that he captured video of the man in question describing and admitting to the act, and that he is also a staff member of a village tract polling station in Mong Yang Township.  

"He cast the advanced vote for his son," Sai Noom Htwe said. "However, today his son tried to cast the vote again. But he was stopped by the election commission."

According to Sai Noom Htwe, the official cast the vote for his son because his son's name was included in their family records, which are required for voter registration in Burma. But the son was allegedly away from home and his father was worried that he might not be able to vote, so he voted for him.

Sai Noom Htwe said he was concerned by the fact that the USDP member's son was able to obtain a token to vote in person even though the advanced vote had already been cast.

SHAN reportedyesterday that a candidate from the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP) in Mong Yang Township was worried that leftover tokens in Mong Yang Township could be distributed extralegally, leading to people casting multiple votes.

According to the election law, if a voter has difficulty reading the ballot or "is unable to cast the ballot as directed," then the voter's parent, spouse, sibling or child—from the same registered household—can vote on their behalf, but as instructed by the voter themselves.

By SAI AW / Shan Herald Agency for News (S.H.A.N)
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