The Arakan Liberation Party has called on the Arakan Army to immediately release one of its leading members, Khaing Aung Thein Htay, who has been held in the ethnic armed group’s custody for more than seven months.

He was detained by the Arakan Army (AA) on April 6 during a workshop on environmental conservation with literary and cultural scholars in Lay Taung town, Ramree Township, said ALP Lieutenant Colonel Khaing Kyaw Hlaing.

“If Khaing Aung Thein Htay has committed an offence against the AA, it should show us. Then, we will take action against him. But the AA did not respond to us so far, although we contacted it. If there is no solid evidence, the AA should release him,” he said.

It has been more than seven months that Khaing Aung Thein Htay has been detained but the reason for his arrest has not been made known so far, Lieutenant Colonel Khaing Kyaw Hlaing added.

“Khaing Aung Thein Htay is a top leader of the ALP,” he said. “We are worried for him. During revolution, a group will point out other groups’ weaknesses. So, a group should not arrest a person from another group for criticising it. If what he did is not a big offence, the AA should release him. His family is also worried about him.”

DMG phoned AA spokesperson U Khaing Thukha seeking comment on the detention of the ALP committee member, but he could not be reached.

The ALP’s armed wing, the Arakan Liberation Army, signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) in 2015.

As such, it is also a member of the Peace Process Steering Team (PPST), which is made up of the 10 ethnic armed organisations that have signed the NCA, and exists to facilitate Myanmar’s peace process.