On a patch of rough ground near the Irrawaddy River, aspiring member of parliament and retired Lieutenant-General Tayza Kyaw tries to muster some enthusiasm from his audience with a speech promising them better times. He is the candidate for the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), backed by Myanmar's military, in Aungmyaythazan, a constituency in the city of Mandalay. The crowd of 300-400 clutch the branded hats and flags they've been given, but soon wilt in the afternoon heat, some dozing off.
Children run and play in between the rows of chairs. Many of these families are victims of the earthquake which badly damaged Mandalay and surrounding areas in March, and are hoping for a handout. They disappear the moment the rally finishes.
On Sunday, the people of Myanmar will get their first opportunity to vote in an election since the military seized power in a coup nearly five years ago, setting off a devastating civil war. But the poll, already delayed many times by the ruling junta, is being widely condemned as a sham. The most popular party, the National League for Democracy, has been dissolved, and its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, is locked up in an undisclosed prison.
Voting, which will happen in three stages over a month, will not even be possible in large parts of the country still consumed by war. Even in areas where voting is happening, it is marred by a climate of fear and intimidation.
When the BBC tried to ask people at the rally what they thought of the election, we were told not to by party officials. The number of plain-clothes military intelligence officers present explains their nervousness. In a dictatorship that has criminalized liking Facebook pages criticizing the election, even staunch party supporters feared the consequences of allowing a journalist to ask uncensored questions.
Most people at the market stall selling fresh river fish refused to answer questions about the election. One woman expressed her frustration, saying, This election is a lie. Everyone is afraid. Everyone has lost their humanity and their freedom. So many people have died, been tortured or fled to other countries. If the military keeps running the country, how can things change? She indicated that she would not vote, aware of the risks involved.
General Tayza Kyaw, too, placed the blame for civilian casualties on those who oppose the military takeover. Many in Mandalay express that the upcoming election holds none of the vibrancy of previous elections, with little energy and few rallies. As such, many will still go to the polling stations, simply out of fear or exhaustion from the ongoing civil war, though one woman aptly noted, We will vote but not with our hearts.\
Children run and play in between the rows of chairs. Many of these families are victims of the earthquake which badly damaged Mandalay and surrounding areas in March, and are hoping for a handout. They disappear the moment the rally finishes.
On Sunday, the people of Myanmar will get their first opportunity to vote in an election since the military seized power in a coup nearly five years ago, setting off a devastating civil war. But the poll, already delayed many times by the ruling junta, is being widely condemned as a sham. The most popular party, the National League for Democracy, has been dissolved, and its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, is locked up in an undisclosed prison.
Voting, which will happen in three stages over a month, will not even be possible in large parts of the country still consumed by war. Even in areas where voting is happening, it is marred by a climate of fear and intimidation.
When the BBC tried to ask people at the rally what they thought of the election, we were told not to by party officials. The number of plain-clothes military intelligence officers present explains their nervousness. In a dictatorship that has criminalized liking Facebook pages criticizing the election, even staunch party supporters feared the consequences of allowing a journalist to ask uncensored questions.
Most people at the market stall selling fresh river fish refused to answer questions about the election. One woman expressed her frustration, saying, This election is a lie. Everyone is afraid. Everyone has lost their humanity and their freedom. So many people have died, been tortured or fled to other countries. If the military keeps running the country, how can things change? She indicated that she would not vote, aware of the risks involved.
General Tayza Kyaw, too, placed the blame for civilian casualties on those who oppose the military takeover. Many in Mandalay express that the upcoming election holds none of the vibrancy of previous elections, with little energy and few rallies. As such, many will still go to the polling stations, simply out of fear or exhaustion from the ongoing civil war, though one woman aptly noted, We will vote but not with our hearts.\
