The election billboards are shining new in Myanmar's northern town of Nawnghkio, but the homes are still shattered by combat.
Myanmar's military clawed back the town in a pre-election offensive this summer, but political campaigning is coloured by the pall of destruction rather than the promise of democratic renewal.
kAmQ(6 2C6 DE:== =:G:?8 :? 762C[Q D2:5 @?6 C6D:56?E[ DA62<:?8 E@ pu! @? 4@?5:E:@? @7 2?@?J>:EJ 7@C D64FC:EJ C62D@?D]k^Am
kAmQ(6 92G6 ?@ :562 H96? 7:89E:?8 4@F=5 92AA6?[Q D96 25565]k^Am
kAm}2H?89<:@ :D A6C4965 @? 2 A@CE:@? @7 >:DEJ A=2E62F :? $92? DE2E6[ @?46 >@DE 72>65 7@C A=2?E2E:@?D J:6=5:?8 2 4@C?F4@A:2 @7 @C2?86D[ G:3C2?E 7=@H6CD 2?5 4@7766 H:E9 92:C\C2:D:?8 42776:?6 4@?E6?E]k^Am
kAm|@C6 C646?E=J[ :E 3642>6 2 EFC?:?8\A@:?E E@H? :? |J2?>2CVD 4:G:= H2C \\ 42AEFC65 3J 2 C636= 2==:2?46 =2DE J62C[ E96? C6E2<6? 3J E96 >:=:E2CJ :? yF=J 27E6C 2? ``\>@?E9 32EE=6]k^Am
kAm}2H?89<:@ 42?5:52E6D H6C6 D925@H65 3J A=2:?\4=@E96D D64FC:EJ =2DE H66<[ 2AA2C6?E=J 7@C E96:C @H? D276EJ[ 2?5 @?6 H@F=5\36 |! 4@>A=2:?65 9:D 42>A2:8? EC2:= 2C@F?5 @FE=J:?8 G:==286D H2D =:EE6C65 H:E9 =2?5>:?6D]k^Am
kAm%96 E@H? :D 3@F?565 3J >:=:E2CJ 2?5 A@=:46 4964<A@:?ED[ H96C6 D64FC:EJ 7@C46D A9@E@8C2A9 DFDA64E G69:4=6D 2?5 :?DA64E 4:G:=:2? xs 42C5D]k^Am
k9am\ '@E:?8 7@C A6246 \k^9am
kAm%96 >:=:E2CJ D?2E4965 A@H6C :? 2 a_a` 4@FA[ E@AA=:?8 E96 56>@4C2E:4 8@G6C?>6?E[ ;2:=:?8 :ED =6256CD 2?5 DA2C<:?8 2 H2C E92E 92D C:G6? |J2?>2C]k^Am
kAm%96 ;F?E2 92D AC@>:D65 2 A92D65 6=64E:@? \\ H9:49 368:?D @? s646>36C ag :? 2C@F?5 2 E9:C5 @7 E96 4@F?ECJVD E@H?D9:AD[ :?4=F5:?8 }2H?89<:@ \\ H:== D2=G6 E96 4@?7=:4E 2?5 C6EFC? E96 4@F?ECJ E@ 4:G:=:2? CF=6]k^Am
kAmrC:E:4D D2J E96 A2CE:6D CF??:?8 2C6 G6EE65 3J E96 >:=:E2CJ 2?5 E92E E96 A@== :D 2 492C256 E@ C63C2?5 >2CE:2= CF=6]k^Am
kAmu@C E96 }2H?89<:@ C6D:56?E H9@D6 32==@E :D 36:?8 4@FCE65[ E96 G@E6 D66>D =6DD =:<6 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ 7@C 92C5\H@? 56>@4C24J E92? 2? @3=:82E:@? E@ 2AA62D6 E96 >:=:E2CJ @G6CD66:?8 E96 G@E6]k^Am
kAmQ(6 2C6 ?@E :?E6C6DE65[ 3FE H6 H:== 8@ E@ G@E6[Q D96 D2:5] Q(6 ;FDE H2?E E@ =:G6 A62467F==J 96C6]Qk^Am
kAmQ(6 5@ ?@E H2?E E@ 7=66 282:?] (6 5@ ?@E <?@H >F49 23@FE A@=:E:4D]Qk^Am
kAm}2H?89<:@ H2D @?46 E96 2A6I @7 2 C636= 25G2?46 E92E D66>65 E@ E9C62E6? E96 ;F?E2VD 8C:A @? A@H6C]k^Am
kAm|J2?>2C 92D 2 9:DE@CJ @7 8F6CC:==2 FAC:D:?8D[ 3FE E96 4@FA EC:886C65 2 7F==\3=@H? 4:G:= H2C 2D =@?8\24E:G6 6E9?:4 >:?@C:EJ 2C>:6D H6C6 ;@:?65 @? E96 32EE=67:6=5 3J AC@\56>@4C24J A2CE:D2?D]k^Am
kAm%96 5:D@C56C65 @AA@D:E:@? :?:E:2==J DECF88=65 E@ >2<6 82:?D[ 367@C6 2 ;@:?E @776?D:G6 DE2CE:?8 :? =2E6 a_ab >256 ?2E:@?H:56 25G2?46D 2?5 42F89E E96 >:=:E2CJ @? E96 324< 7@@E]k^Am
kAmx? $92? DE2E6[ E96 %2V2?8 }2E:@?2= {:36C2E:@? pC>J 2?5 AC@\56>@4C24J !6@A=6VD s676?46 u@C46 DFC865 @FE @7 E96 4@F?ECJVD 7C:?86D 2?5 5@H? E96 >2:? EC256 C@FE6 H:E9 r9:?2 \\ C6249:?8 2D 72C 2D }2H?89<:@]k^Am
kAmp:< %F? 7=65 E92E 7:89E:?8[ 3FE :D ?@H 324< 9@>6 @? 9:D 72C>[ 2?5 A@=:E:42==J 6?82865 2D E96 42?5:52E6D >2<6 E96:C 42D6]Â k^Am
kAm!6C92AD[ E96 dg\J62C\@=5 C62D@?D[ E96 G@E6 H:== 96=A 9:D 2:=:?8 9@>6=2?5]k^Am
kAmQ(6 ?665 56G6=@A>6?E 7@C @FC G:==286[ @FC E@H?[ @FC DE2E6D 2?5 C68:@?D[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmQ~?=J H96? H6 2C6 F?:E65 42? H6 36 DF446DD7F= H:E9 92AA:?6DD 2?5 A6246 :? E96 7FEFC6]Qk^Am
k9am\ Â !@==:?8 27E6C E96 AFED49 \k^9am
kAmyFDE 2? 9@FCVD 5C:G6 D@FE9 :D !J:? ~@ {H:?[ 9@FD:?8 E96 >:=:E2CJ @77:46C EC2:?:?8 24256>J]Â k^Am
kAm|J2?>2CVD D64@?5 4:EJ @7 |2?52=2J[ 2? 2?4:6?E D62E @7 C@J2=EJ[ :D ;FDE 2 7FCE96C 9@FCVD 5C:G6 :? E96 D2>6 5:C64E:@?]Â k^Am
kAmp H2E6CD965 32EE=6 2E }2H?89<:@ >2?2865 E@ EFC? E96 E:56 @? E9:D 7C@?E @7 E96 4:G:= H2C 29625 @7 E96 A92D65 G@E6[ H9:49 :D 5F6 E@ 56=:G6C C6DF=ED 2C@F?5 =2E6 y2?F2CJ 2?5 :?DE2== 2 ?@>:?2==J 4:G:=:2? 8@G6C?>6?E]k^Am
kAm%96 }2E:@?2= {628F6 7@C s6>@4C24J[ H9:49 H@? a_a_ 6=64E:@?D :? 2 =2?5D=:56[ 92D 366? 5:DD@=G65[ H9:=6 E96 >:=:E2CJ 8@G6C?>6?E 92D :?EC@5F465 564256\=@?8 D6?E6?46D 7@C 6=64E:@? 4C:E:4D 2?5 AC@E6DE6CD]k^Am
kAmx? @?46\E9C62E6?65 !J:? ~@ {H:?[ w6:? wE@@ w=2:?8 :D ?@H CF??:?8 7@C @77:46 7@C E96 !6@A=6VD !2CEJ 27E6C D6CG:?8 2D 2 42AE2:? :? E96 2C>J E92E D6:K65 A@H6C :? E96 4@FA]k^Am
kAmqFE 96 DEC:<6D 2 4@?4:=:2E@CJ E@?6] Qx H2?E E@ H@C< 7@C A6246 >2:?=J[Q E96 bb\J62C\@=5 D2:5]k^Am
kAmQp== 8C@FAD \\ E96 >:=:E2CJ @C 6E9?:4 2C>65 8C@FAD \\ FD65 E@ D2J E92E E96J 2C6 7:89E:?8 7@C E96 A6@A=6[ E96J 2C6 H@C<:?8 7@C E96 A6@A=6] x? C62=:EJ[ A6@A=6 2C6 42F89E 36EH66?]Qk^Am
kAmw6 ?@H 42>A2:8?D :? 4:G:=:2? 82C3[ 4@?46C?65 E92E @=5 C:G2=C:6D >:89E 92C> 9:> @? E96 42>A2:8? EC2:=]k^Am
kAmQx 92G6 ?@ :562 H9@ :D @FE 7@C >6[Q D2JD w6:? wE@@ w=2:?8] Qw@H6G6C[ x 5@ ?@E H@CCJ 3642FD6 x FD65 E@ D6CG6 2D 2 D@=5:6C]Qk^Am
kAmQ%96 5:776C6?46 :D x 92G6 ?@ 8F? :? >J 92?5 E@ D9@@E 324< ?@H :7 D@>6@?6 2EE24<D]Qk^Am
kAm9=2\;ED^D4@^7@Ik^Am
kAm© p86?46 uC2?46\!C6DD6k^Am
