U Aung Pyae Thein, Village Chairman of the National League for Democracy (NLD), was beaten up by the village administrator and group in Kawt Daing Village under Kawt Thin Shu Village Group in Hpa-an Township, Kayin (Karen) State and put in stocks at the Border Guard Forces (BGF) sentry post on January 11 due to a disagreement over rural development training issue.
The village administrator and group physically attacked the NLD Village Chairman on his return to the village for attending the rural development training without the village administrator’s permission. He was taken to the BGF sentry post near Naung Lon Valley on Hpa-an Bypass with a vehicle and detained in stocks.
“I was punched by the administrative group on the road on my way back from the training. I knew that I will get hurt more if I don’t resist so I ran away. They came after me with a car and detained me. They took me to the car and brought me to the BGF gate (sentry post) and put me in the stocks. I was released after informing my home,” said U Aung Pyae Thein, the NLD Village Chairman.
The Kayin State Chief Minister, state-level department officials, and the township administrator arrived at around 7 PM on that night of the incident after Naung Lon and Eindu NLD members informed the state-level NLD officials. They inquired about the incident in details and gave instructions to provide necessary healthcare and security for U Aung Pyae Thein, who received some injuries on the face and body, according to a family member.
“I admit that I was wrong to take him to the BGF gate (sentry post). I shouldn’t have done that. I should have discussed with him at the office. Many people come and go at the office and it was located next to the road. It wouldn’t be good if others saw us so I took him outside to have a calm conversation. I was wrong to act in anger and detain him out of line with the authority granted by the ward and village administration law,” said Saw Aung Tun, the village administrator.
U Aung Pyae Thein has filed charges against the attackers under Section 323 of the Penal Code at Eindu Police Station and the police will open the case by submitting it to the court, according to Police Station Officer Inspector Ye Htut Min.
Local residents have criticized the authorities for failing to catch an unknown armed group that gunned down a local member of the NLD ward and village during the 2015 Election period and an unknown group of people who damaged the home of the NLD ward and village member in Zay Ma Thwe Village and threatened him in 2016.
The local residents have expressed their concerns over similar incidents from repeating during the ward and village administrator election.
The locals criticized the lack of rule of law in their area due to the presence of ethnic armed groups, who have signed the ceasefire agreement.
