An arrest warrant has been issued by the Burmese military junta for Daw Bawk Ja, representative of the National Democratic Force (NDF) party for the country’s northern Kachin State, said sources close to her.

Her arrest warrant was issued on January 17 in Myitkyina, capital of Kachin State by Brig-Gen Zeyar Aung, the junta’s Northern Regional Commander (Ma-Pa-Kha), the sources added.

A day after issuing her arrest warrant, police in Myitkyina formed three search squads to nab Daw Bawk Ja--- G-1 for Hpakant jade mining township, G-2 for Danai (Tanai) township and G-3 for Myitkyina township, said sources close to the police to the Thailand-based Kachin News Group.

It is not clear why commander Brig-Gen Zeyar Aung issued the arrest warrant for Daw Bawk, local sources close to her said.

An ethnic Kachin woman, Daw Bawk Ja contested the 2010 November 7 election as people’s representative of the Hpakant jade mining township nominated by the NDF, which was formed after the National League for Democracy Party (NLD) led by pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, split before the polls.

Bawk Ja recently told KNG she won the election in Hpakant defeating her rival the former Northern Regional Commander U Ohn Myint of the junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) but the Union Election Commission officially declared U Ohn Myint the winner.

Regarding the fraud over the results relating to U Ohn Myint, Daw Bawk Ja sent an official letter of complaint to the Union Election Commission (UEC) in Naypyitaw capital of Burma on January 7, laying her claim as the victor. She demanded a fresh announcement that she was the winner from the Hpakant constituency from the EC.

Daw Bawk Ja has stood firmly behind Kachin farmers, who sued the Yuzana Company over illegal land seizure in Hukawng Valley in the court in October last year.

Till Wednesday evening, Daw Bawk Ja had not been arrested, a source close to her told KNG.