International commentators are fond of saying that Myanmar’s November 8 election could bring sweeping changes to the country. But many of the displaced people living in camps in Kachin State do not see it that way.

Even those willing and able to vote see little hope of change to their situation. All they want to do is to go home.

Any hope that an end of conflict might improve matters was dashed when the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) announced its refusal to join the nationwide ceasefire accord to be signed in Nay Pyi Taw on October 15. Only eight ethnic armed groups will be signing the accord, leaving about a dozen that refuse to do so or have been shut out by the government.

The KIA’s decision affects thousands of internally displaced persons now living in Ja Mai Kaung Baptist refugee camp in Myitkyina.

“No one wants to stay here any longer. We followed the news of the peace talks in the hope that we could go back home. That hope has been lost. But there’s still the election. If it brings change, maybe then we can go home,” U Naw Taung, head of Ja Mai Kaung camp, told a visiting reporter from The Myanmar Times on October 7.

One of the biggest IDP camps in Kachin State, Ja Mai Kaung received a visit from film star Angelina Jolie Pitt, a UNHCR special envoy, in July.

An outbreak of fighting in June between the Tatmadaw and the KIA sent thousands more IDPs to join those who have been living in the camps for four years.

According to the state election commission, 38,054 people are living in 91 camps in Kachin State. If they have been living in the same place for more than 180 days, they are entitled to vote by submitting what is known as form 3 to local electoral officials.

According to the UN, nearly 100,000 people are still displaced in Kachin State from the conflict that erupted in 2011. About half of them are staying in areas beyond government control where humanitarian access is limited.

“Of those 38,054 camp residents, about 18,000 are eligible to vote,” said U Maung Maung Kun, head of the state sub-election commission.

He added that 12,891 people in the camps had asked to be added to the voters’ list as of October 7. The deadline for requests was October 10.

“The district sub-commissions are still checking the lists. We will display them very soon. Nobody who is eligible will lose the right to vote,” U Maung Maung Kun said.

Meanwhile, refugees from the St Joseph Mina camp in Waingmaw township, Myitkyina, have asked the township sub-commission to be included on the voters list.

“There are 1212 people in these camps, including 650 eligible voters. We have already sent nearly 400 applications to the sub-commission,” said the head of the camp, U Bran Aung.

“Some political parties have come to campaign. But people don’t know how to vote or who to vote for. The township commission said they would carry out voter education,” he said.

Many camp residents said they could barely identify any of the parties. Kachin State is set to be one of the most fiercely contested areas of the country, with 503 candidates from 18 political parties contesting just 70 seats.

“I don’t know when the election is, and I don’t think it matters whether I vote or not,” said Jar Htwe Pan, 21, from Ja Mai Kaung camp. She fled from Kansee village in Hpakant township amid fighting between the Tatmadaw and the KIA in 2011. She said she did not know the names of any of the parties.

Fellow camp resident U En Bwe Bann does not sound much more enthusiastic.

“One party says they want peace, then another one comes and says the same thing. We don’t trust anyone. I will vote, but not with much hope that the new government will let us go home,” he said while cutting firewood. He fled with his family in late 2011 from Tarlawgyee village, Myitkyina.

More than the election, or even returning home, the main concern of many displaced people is food: Local and international aid has declined over the past two years, and food aid with it.

Daw Thin Thin Khaing, who fled from Nan San Yan village in Waingmaw township, said she would vote for the National League for Democracy, though the party’s leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, was criticised by locals for not visiting the camps during her campaign tour of Kachin State last week.

“She didn’t come to visit us, but I still support her because I want to see changes. That’s why I will vote for the NLD. This election is very important and could decide our future. The next government will lead for five years, but I have only one day to decide what kind of government I want. That’s why I don’t want to miss this chance,” said Daw Thin Thin Khaing, a member of the camp coordination and management committee.

She said she had urged other camp residents to vote for the NLD.

However, U Naw Taung said it would be better to support Kachin parties rather than either the NLD or the Union Solidarity and Development Party.

“We must vote for our ethnic parties, which alone can really represent us,” he said. “We trust neither the NLD nor the USDP.”