Over 250 residents protested in northern Shan State’s Namkham Township on Wednesday demanding the release of twelve civilians who were allegedly arrested by the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), according to a local source.
The protest arose in response to the abduction of villagers from Mongwi and Hopang villages in Namkham Township by the TNLA troops on 27 November last year and not seen since.
Nang Kham, a Hopang resident who also joined the protest said: “They [the TNLA army] arrested my brother. I don’t know where I can find him, I don’t know whether he is still alive or if he is dead.”
A representative at the protest said there had been no information about the abducted villagers since their arrests. They accused the TNLA of being responsible for their detention.
Loong Sai, a Mongwi Village resident who also joined the protest said: “Please release all of the detainees. We ask that all the leaders understand our situation and release our people... Please do not harm any of them."
On 6 December the TNLA Information Department published a statement declaring that they had not abducted civilians. They said they would not detain civilians because civilians support their cause.
The arrests came during fighting between the TNLA and the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army-South (RCSS/SSA-S), the latter of which is one of the eight signatories to Burma’s controversial Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA).
Clashes between the two groups are ongoing and have caused hundreds of villagers to flee their homes.
By SAI AW / Shan Herald Agency for News (S.H.A.N)
Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI
