Shan Herald Agency for News |
- SNLD hints at preliminary Shan State election victories
- On Election Day, two civilians shot by Burma Army in Shan State
- USDP member casts son’s vote, son allegedly tries to vote again
| 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."
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.
"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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