Mray Bon: A teacher who was selected to serve as a polling booth officer was dismissed from his job by high authorities after he traveled to his native village to attend his father's funeral during the election period, said close friend of his.

He said, "His father died during Cyclone Giri. He went to his native village to attend his father's funeral without permission from the authorities in the education department. Because of this, the authority fired him from his job."

The teacher who was fired is U Ba Hlaing, who was serving as a teacher at a primary school in Phone Nyo Late Village in Buthidaung Township. His father, U Hla Maung Tha, died tragically in Htoo Chay Village in Mray Bon Township when the cyclone struck the Arakan coast on 22 October.

"He requested permission from the authority in the education department in Buthidaung Township to attend his father's funeral, but the authority refused permission because he was a polling booth officer assigned to supervise the polling booths on election day. He went to his village to attend his father's funeral against the authority's prohibition. Later he was fired from his job by the high authority," he said.

According to the source, the education department of Buthidaung sent a letter to him explaining that he was fired from his job for failing to follow the authority's instructions.

The Burmese military junta will hold the first election in two decades on 7 November, 2010, amid international criticism that the polls will not be fair or free. Many government servicemen have been appointed as polling booth officers.

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