Two residents of Mudon township who cast ballots in Myanmar’s Jan. 11 election have gone missing after failing to return home, according to local sources.
The two men disappeared along the Abit–Kyaikmarawgyi road, which connects Mon State and Karen State, on election day, sources from Mudon told Independent Mon News Agency.
One of the missing men, a resident of Kawpihtaw village in Mudon township, was last seen on Jan. 11 while traveling to his orchard located along the Abit–Kyaikmarawgyi road, family members and people close to him said.
On the same day, which marked the second phase of the junta-organised election, local resistance forces had tightened security checks along the road. Reports circulating locally claim the Kawpihtaw resident was detained at a checkpoint operated by the Karen National Union (KNU) between Pulin, Abit and Taungdee villages after ink stains were found on his finger, indicating he had voted.
“He hasn’t come back yet,” a person close to the family said. “After voting, he went to his orchard. Because there was ink on his finger, the KNU reportedly took him in. Since he is Mon, we heard he was handed over to the New Mon State Party’s anti-dictatorship wing.”
A second Mudon resident was also reportedly detained on the same day while returning from Mudon to Kyaikmarawgyi, allegedly for having voted in the election, the source added.
“The second man is from Palaukone village. His father lives in Mudon, and he went to see him because he was ill. He voted while he was there, and on his way back to Kyaikmarawgyi, he was detained,” the source said. “They are just civilians and didn’t expect this to happen.”
There have been reports that the two men were transferred by the KNU to the New Mon State Party – Anti-Dictatorship (NMSP-AD) faction because they are ethnic Mon. However, NMSP-AD spokesperson Nai Kaung Zar said he was not aware of the case.
“I have no information about this yet,” he told IMNA. “I don’t know whether they were detained or not.”
The two missing men are civilians, and their families have been growing increasingly concerned after more than a week without contact, according to local sources.
Earlier this month, on Jan. 3, an elementary school headmaster from Ye township was also detained by a local resistance armed group on allegations of violating anti-election laws, highlighting rising risks for civilians amid election-related tensions.
