Plainclothed Burmese soldiers arrested and beat up a campaigner for the Tai-leng (Shanni) Nationalities Development Party (TNDP) in Sagaing Region’s Homalin Township this week, the party leadership told SHAN.

The soldiers arrested Maung Thein in Pon Noi village in Mongkai village tract on the evening of October 27.

“Soldiers wearing civilian clothes arrested our election campaigner at his home in Pon Noi village at around 8:30 p.m. They tied his hands behind his back with a rope. Then they beat him,” TNDP chairperson Htay Aung said.  

According to Htay Aung, Maung Thein was beaten again by soldiers when they arrived in a military camp, and they allegedly accused him of having ties to a Shanni army and forced him to confess to a murder.

“The Burma Army should not act like this. If he broke the law, the police should arrest him. They must have a warrant, and they should come with the village headman,” the TNDP chair said.

He said he felt the act was a threat from the Burmese military to discourage locals from voting for the TNDP in Burma’s general election on November 8.

Maung Thein continues to be detained in Nam Taw police station in Homalin Township, with the TNDP advocating for his release.

The TNDP, which is also known as the Red Tiger party, is running for election in 10 constituencies in Sagaing Region and 31 constituencies in Kachin State.

In Burma’s last general election in 2015, the party won two positions: the Shan ethnic affairs minister for Sagaing Region and a parliamentary seat in the Sagaing regional parliament.