Killings of village administrators and associates surged as Military Council election approaching

Narinjara News, January 19, 2023

As the election to be held by the Military Council is approaching, the number of deaths of staff working for the election including village administrators is gradually increasing according to reports in the region.

On January 15, Special Task Force - Mandalay (STF - MDY) said that U Saw, a ward administrator appointed by the Military Council, was shot dead in front of his house on 69th street, Between 40th street and 41st street in Maha Aungmye Township, Mandalay.

U Myint Aung, 65, the administrator of No.2 in Kyondoe Township, Kawkareik District, Karen State, was shot dead by an unknown group of people on January 14 at noon while going up to Kyondoe Mountain Monastery to donate water, residents said.

Similarly, Aung Tun, the administrator appointed by the Military Council, was shot and killed in Mayanchaung Village, Kyaikto Township, Mon State on January 14 according to local news sources.

The STF - MDY group also attacked a meeting for the election of the Military Council in Wathondare Chapel at 84th street, corner of Bo Eain Road, Kyun Lone Oak Shaung Ward, Chanmyathazi Township, with grenades.

The Ministry of Home Affairs of the National Unity Government (NUG) announced that 3 female and 1 male staff from the General Administration Department, who were collecting population census for the Military Council in Myaung Township, Sagaing Province, were arrested by the People's Administration Committee of Sagaing District.

On January 9th, Sub-Inspector Thein Htike under the Military Council, who was responsible for providing security to the village administrator group that was conducting population census in Tanintharyi Launglon Township, was shot dead.

In addition, on January 13, the Thathong People's Defense Force (PDF) said that the administrator and the clerk who were collecting the census in Taungsun Village, Thaton Township, Mon State, were shot dead.

Similarly, a 10-houses-group elder and another person from Kinmunchaung Village, Kyaikto Township were also shot dead for collecting the census.

"People from above are being forced to do what people disagree with, and people at the bottom are being killed. The Military Council cannot provide security. Shall I say it was because of their karma?" said a woman living in Chanmyathazi, Mandalay.

She said it is worrying that the number of people killed and the number of dead may increase due to the military council elections that will be held this year.

The National Unity Government (NUG) has announced that it is appealing to the public to make errors in the census, and to record and report the population census as a protest against the election to be held by the Military Council.

The census was conducted in the provinces and regions from January 9 to 13, and during that time, there were 7 attacks in Mandalay, Sagaing, Tanintharyi, Karen and Chin, according to the newspaper of the Military Council on January 14.

The Military Council has also announced that the nationwide population census will be conducted from January 9 to January 31.