In Lashio, military junta is holding Election Campaigns, But public is mot Interested

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🟥 Military junta and Kokang Army met again at Two Elephants Hotel

In Lashio, northern Shan State, the military junta is beginning campaigns for the election, but most local residents are not interested.

The military junta is hanging election-related banners and vinyls near the city hall in Lashio, which was recaptured from the Kokang MNDAA, in recent days.

In addition, election-related activities and preparations have begun in the relevant ward offices of 12 wards in the city.

“Yesterday, I saw election-related vinyls in the city. They are hanging them near the city hall and in the ward offices. But only ten to a hundred household heads from the ward went there where is holding campaigns, and there were also area chiefs. It seems like the people are not very interested anymore,” a local resident told BBM.

After the military junta took control of Lashio, it was reported that not only goods from China but also some goods from Thailand were not allowed to enter the city.

In addition, the number of checkpoints along the road to and from Lashio has increased, causing the prices of goods to rise even further.

In addition to the scarcity and high prices of goods, most local people still lack basic necessities such as electricity, telephone lines and water, the local resident added.

“Food prices in Lashio have increased, and we don’t have enough supplies. Transportation is still the same as before, but the high fees mean that the work for people is unstable, it makes people as hard as they should. People are no longer interested in anything other than their living,” he said.

The military junta took back Lashio from the Kokang army in April, but it has not yet been able to properly implement the city’s administration.

In addition, in the second week of November, the military junta met with the Kokang army in the compound of the Two Elephants Hotel in Lashio.

“No one is not allowed to pass around the hotel during their meeting, the rest of the places are allowed, I don’t know what they are discussing, I think it’s about the Theinni issue. We will have to wait and see whether Theinni is returned by the end of this year, I can’t say what will happen,” the local resident added.

Like Lashio, the military junta is also demanding the return of Theinni from the Kokang army, and there are reports that the Kokang army (MNDAA) will hand over Theinni by the end of this year, but BBM has not been able to confirm this yet.