Junta-controlled election body warns ANP not to issue one-sided statements

12 Oct 2022

DMG Newsroom
12 October 2022, Sittwe

The junta-appointed Union Election Commission (UEC), during a meeting with Arakan National Party (ANP) officials on Wednesday, warned the party to avoid making one-sided claims in issuing statements on the military situation and fighting between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army (AA).

“The UEC said we are free to issue statements as a political party on condition that our statements are balanced,” said U Tun Aung Kyaw, who sits on the ANP policy board. “The UEC mentioned that there were civilian casualties caused by AA attacks at the Maungdaw border; and that they have evidence. They mainly discussed that our statements need to be balanced.”

In a statement on September 29, the ANP condemned the Myanmar military for artillery attacks that resulted in civilian casualties and damage to dozens of houses.

The party urged the warring groups not to use residential areas to attack the other side.

The statement also called on the Myanmar military to lift its travel ban on local and international nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) providing humanitarian aid to internally displaced people (IDPs) in Arakan State. The ANP statement called the travel ban a threat to the lives of local people living in those areas.

U Tun Aung Kyaw said they told UEC officials that the party had issued its statement based on the accounts of local people and media reports.

“We have a responsibility to issue statements to relieve the sufferings of people. So, we told them that we issued the statement based on the reports that we had received,” he said.

At least six civilians were killed and 25 others were injured by junta artillery strikes in August and September amid renewed fighting between the Myanmar military and the AA, according to a DMG tally.

Since September 16, the regime has ordered local and international NGOs to halt humanitarian aid operations in Maungdaw, Buthidaung, Rathedaung, Minbya, Mrauk-U and Myebon townships amid rising military tensions in the region.