Thura Linn, BNI News Room — The Chairman of the Unity and Democracy Party of Kachin State (UDPKS) U Khet Htein Nan (also Khet Htain Nan) claims he will investigate allegation that his party members were involved in an attack on a group of National League for Democracy (NLD) candidates and party members in Kanhphan Village in Kachin State's Chipwe Township this week.
Khet Htein Nan told the BNI that he is currently in Nay Pyi Taw to attend the signing ceremony for the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) and was unaware of the allegations before adding that he had contacted his party’s office to inquire about the incident.
“The party’s principle states that its members shouldn't even speak ill of other parties, let alone attack them physically. I also want to know about this incident clearly,” U Khet Htain Nan said on Wednesday night.
U Kyaw Kyaw Oo, an NLD candidate running for the Upper House in Kachin State Constituency No 5, has reported the incident to the local police station after he was attacked on Monday evening before his planned campaign rally in Kanhphan village.
The attackers beat up the candidates and party members and destroyed campaign equipment worth 1.2 million kyats, U Kyaw Kyaw Oo claimed. When his group arrived back in Myitkyina, the Chipwe Township Officer contacted U Kyaw Kyaw Oo and told him that the police had opened a file to look into the case.
Kachin State Election Commission Chairman U Maung Maung Kun said both parties still had yet to inform the commission about this incident. The Chipwe Township Sub-Commission did however report the incident he said but its unclear what will be done to followup. The state commission said it would not be able to take action even if it has received a complaint from the NLD and can only negotiate between the two sides.
“We have forwarded this issue to the Union Election Commission to ask for their view. I don’t know what kind of instructions they will give us,” said U Maung Maung Kun.
NLD candidate U Kyaw Kyaw Oo, contradicted Maung Maung Kun and told BNI that the incident had been reported to the state commission, but that the commission had not taken any responsibility to resolve it.
“We have already submitted a letter to the party headquarters. We plan to report to the Union Election Commission as well,” said U Kyaw Kyaw Oo.
It appears however that the NLD will not be able to continue the campaign in Chipwe Township. Chipwe Township is part of what is known as Kachin Special Region No 1, an area set aside for the New Democratic Army-Kachin (NDAK) following that groups 1989 ceasefire with the central government.
The NDAK’s long time leader U Zakhung Ting Ying is seeking reelection as a candidate for an Upper House constituency known as Kachin state constituency No 4, which includes Chipwe Hsawlaw, and Injangyang. Last month he wrote a letter to the NLD telling the party to avoid campaigning in Kachin Special Region No. 1.
His son Zahkung Ying Sau is seeking re-election to his seat in the Kachin State parliament on the UKPDS ticket. The UKPDS is an ally of the ruling United Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).
