Political parties in conflict-affected areas face campaign challenge amid internet disruptions
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Phyo/Thet Paing (NP News) - Nov 14
According to inquiries by The Statesman, parties contesting elections in areas where conflict is rife are facing difficulties in campaigning due to lack of local internet access.
Party candidates in conflict-prone areas such as Rakhine, Kachin and Chin states are reportedly facing difficulties in campaigning due to internet outages.
“We don’t have internet access anywhere in Rakhine. In some places, travel is very difficult. There is still no connection from Kyaukpyu to Munaung. Phone lines are just in a so-called working state. So while others are using the internet to campaign, I am traveling via Yangon to Kyaukpyu and Sittwe,” said a political party official in Rakhine.
In addition, Kachin State has not had internet access for years due to conflict. Currently, they are only setting up victory signboards in places where it is not safe to travel, and they are unable to use the internet to campaign through social media, said a parliamentary candidate who will run for office in the election.
“It’s been years since we had no internet access. We can only campaign in areas we’re able to travel to. If the internet services were available, it would make things much easier for places we can’t visit due to security concerns. Another issue is that whenever we want to hold a rally on the ground, we have to submit an endorsement from the local administrator to the Union Election Commission (UEC). But since many administrators are not cooperating actively, it has become very difficult for us,” he said.
Similarly, candidates running in elections from areas without internet access are also facing similar difficulties, with other connectivity issues in some areas.
On October 15, the Union Election Commission announced that the 60-day campaign period would begin at 6 am on October 28 and end at midnight on December 26.
However, the UEC has restricted political parties from holding large rallies, prompting many political parties to use the internet and social media for campaigning instead.