In Bago division, Thararwaddy township’s National League for Democracy chairman U Aung Myint said farmers from villages in the region had been denied their right to vote in the referendum by Village Peace and Development Council and Unions Solidarity and Development Association officials.

“Residents of villages far from the town such as Nga Phyu Lay, Magyi Kwin, Taung Whay Shae, Koemeenin, Yaydwingone and Kywechaninn did not even have to go to the ballot stations as their village authorities and USDA officials had already cast ‘Yes’ votes on their behalf,” Aung Myint said.

A member of the Tharawaddy NLD organising committee said around 700 employees of the Tharawaddy dish factory had to cast ‘Yes’ votes in advance of the referendum as directed by government authorities.

He also said ‘Yes’ votes from about 150 members of the township police force and their family members were collected since before the referendum.

In Nyaunglaybin township, also in Bago division, voters said officials had already ticked the ‘Yes’ boxes on their ballot papers when they turned up to vote.

“We were disappointed to find out that the ballot station officials had already ticked ‘Yes’ on our ballot slips and we demanded an explanation from them,” one Nyaunglaybin resident said.

“They said it was only an error.”

A resident of Myinchan township, Mandalay division, said authorities had announced over loudspeakers ahead of the referendum that those who voted ‘No’ would be sent to Naypyidaw and imprisoned.

In Kyone Pyaw township in Irrawaddy division, residents were handed ballot papers already marked ‘Yes’ by polling station officials and told to put them in any of the three ballot boxes.

The referendum is due to be held on 24 May in the remaining townships in Rangoon and Irrawaddy divisions that were worst hit by the recent cyclone.