Candidate in this month's election detained by resistance forces in Myanmar, state media report

BANGKOK A candidate running in Myanmar's upcoming election has been taken into custody by a local resistance group opposing the military, state media reported Wednesday, marking the first known pre-election detention.

Wai Lin Htet, 37, representing the Shan and Nationalities Democratic Party, was seized in the central Magway Region, illustrating the persistent friction between armed local groups and the military government ahead of the polls scheduled for December 28. Magway has been a hotspot for armed opposition since the military ousted Aung San Suu Kyis government in February 2021. Many pro-democracy activists, following violent suppression of peaceful protests, joined the Peoples Defense Force, which is now engaged in fighting across several regions.

The state-run Myanma Alinn newspaper reported that Htet was detained around 3 p.m. Saturday by three individuals from a resistance faction who arrived on motorcycles at his home in Pakokku Township. The assailants were identified as members of the Peoples Defense Force, the armed wing of the pro-democracy movement confronting the military. No further details were given about the unit involved, and no public statements regarding the detention have been issued.

Authorities are reportedly seeking to charge the three under a recent electoral law, which imposes up to seven years in prison for obstructing a parliamentary candidates campaign. Local media, including Myanmar Now, indicate that since the laws enactment in July, nearly 100 peopleincluding filmmakershave been arrested, with some receiving sentences of up to 49 years.

Sai Ai Pao, chairman of the Shan and Nationalities Democratic Party, also known as the White Tiger Party, declined to comment publicly due to concerns over Htets safety. The party, once a regional ethnic party in Shan and Kachin states, is now fielding over 580 candidates nationwide, ranking fifth among the six parties contesting the elections. While it does not explicitly support or oppose the military, its participation is often interpreted as being aligned with the army.

Author: Caleb Jennings