In Mon State, officers holding the rank of Major from the military council have been appointed to Township Management and Administrative Committees, as well as being placed in leadership positions within various township departments.
The military council has mandated that each Township Management and Administrative Committee must consist of seven members, one of whom must be a military representative, according to a military directive issued on July 31.
As a result, since early August, township administration committees have been reformed in Mawlamyine, Kyaikhto, Paung, Belin, Mudon, and Thanbyuzayat. With the inclusion of military representatives, administrative decision-making has become more restrictive, said a source close to the Mudon Township Administration Office.
“Here, the new Township Management and Administrative Committee has been re-formed for over a month now, and the military included a Major-level officer. Why? First, to ensure they can conduct elections smoothly, and second, to tighten their control over local areas. For the public, it just means increased restrictions,” the source explained.
Since the military representatives joined, township-level administrative meetings have been convened more frequently, and repeated instructions have been issued concerning election-related security, the source added.
In addition to appointing military officers as committee representatives, they have also taken up key positions such as heads of planning departments, township law officers, and even township administrators, according to a source close to the military council in Paung Township.
“In Paung Township, they said a military representative would be included. Here, the planning department head, the township law officer, and the township administrator are all from the military. With the law officer present, decisions are bound to become much stricter,” the source said.
Currently, residents are now facing tighter security checks and increased restrictions on social media use, trade and commerce, as well as freedom of movement.
It has also been learned that similar appointments of military representatives into township committees are being made not only in Mon State but also in other states and regions across the country.
Since the coup, the military council has frequently reshuffled both military and civilian leaders, and it is now extending its control down to the administrative levels of townships and villages.
At the same time, however, township administrators have been resigning from their posts this year due to both the pressure from the military council and warnings from revolutionary forces to not support the military.
