Ko Myo Kyaw Thu, leader of the Hlaing Tharyar NLD youth wing, was detained and warned by authorities on his way home for distributing pamphlets along with eight other youths.

Myo Kyaw Thu was released after being interrogated, but NLD youth members said the authorities confiscated the pamphlets distributed by the NLD headquarters.

While the state-run media has been openly campaigning for a “Yes” vote in the upcoming referendum, the military regime has been stepping up the harassment, intimidation and arrests of “No” vote campaigners.

NLD spokesperson U Nyan Win said NLD youth members were being particularly targeted for government harassment.

“All sorts of papers are currently being distributed in Rangoon and we do not even know what all of them are – some are anti-government papers and a great many others are pro-government,” Nyan Win said.

“Despite this, NLD youths are being singled out for persecution. I believe that this is intentional.”

Nyan Win also called for independent election monitoring to guarantee a free and fair referendum.

“What I would like to state emphatically is that even though a minister has said the upcoming referendum will be fair, I am seriously concerned and doubt it will be so,” he said.

“Hence, I would like to reiterate that international monitoring teams are needed, as previously announced by our party.”

Despite the crackdown on “No” campaigners in Rangoon and also in Arakan State, the Kachin students’ movement is gaining momentum in Kachin State, according to students.

The All-Kachin State Students Union was established during the “Saffron Revolution” of September 2007 and has been actively distributing anti-government and anti-dam pamphlets on a regular basis.

“No” campaign pamphlets were distributed in Bhamo, Mansi, Shwegu, and Momauk townships in Bhamo District last week, one student said.

The pamphlets set out objections to the government’s project to force people to grow physic nut and the Irrawaddy Myitsone Chipwe dam project, and called on people to vote “No” to the draft constitution in the 10 May referendum.

The student group has reportedly been putting up similar posters in Myitkyina, Waingmaw, Momauk, and Bhamo since 14 April.