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Tale of Five Elections

Myitkyina

National League for Democracy supporters walk past a sign of Bogyoke Aung San at a rally led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in Myitkyina in 2015. (Steve Tickner)

COVID, corruption, incumbency? Kachin party shifts the blame after election defeat

Kachin State People’s Party members are split on who or what is to blame for their election failure on November 8 – but they’re sure it’s got nothing to do with them.

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A Tai-Leng Nationalities Development Party supporter campaigns in Myitkyina in August 2020. (J.M. Elizabeth | Frontier)

In Myitkyina, the result hinges on who turns out to vote

With support for parties split along ethnic lines, the election result in the diverse Kachin State capital will depend on which communities come out to vote, and which stay at home.

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Kachin National Congress party supporters rally in Myitkyina on August 25. (Hkun Lat)
Kachin National Congress party supporters rally in Myitkyina on September 10. (J.M. Elizabeth)

‘Our feet are tied’: Candidates in Myitkyina hobbled by COVID-19 restrictions

Ethnic parties are battling larger, national ones by focusing on state-level issues in the Kachin State capital, but the pandemic has made it hard to reach rural, offline voters.

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A three-wheeled cargo motorbike cruises the streets of downtown Myitkyina on October 5, 2015. Support for the NLD ran high then, but it has since waned among ethnic groups in Kachin State. (Steve Tickner | Frontier)
A three-wheeled cargo motorbike cruises the streets of downtown Myitkyina on October 5, 2015. Support for the NLD ran high then, but it has since waned among ethnic groups in Kachin State. (Steve Tickner | Frontier)

All bets are off in the race for Myitkyina

Ethnic identity is poised to define the election in the Kachin State capital, where votes from internal migrants and Tatmadaw soldiers could tip the scales in a close race.

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Hkun Lat

Hkun Lat

Hkun Lat is a documentary photographer based in Yangon. He works on his own projects and on assignment for international media and organisations.

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