Sep 8, 2008 (DVB), A National League for Democracy in Taunggok township, Arakan state, was given a one-year prison sentence on 4 September by Taunggok township court and has been sent to Sandoway jail.

Ko Sithu, an organising committee and youth member of Taunggok NLD, was imprisoned on charges relating to a dispute with his brother, even though his brother had tried to drop the charges against him, according to a colleague of Sithu.

"His brother came to his house drunk and hurled abuse at him. [Sithu] hit him with a stick to chastise him and his brother reported him to the authorities while he was still drunk," the colleague said.

"The next morning, his brother said that they had been reconciled and applied for a reconciliation letter," he said.

"But both the court and the police station refused; township chairman U Win Aung himself rejected it."

The incident occurred on the night of 1 September and Sithu was arrested the following day.

Sithu, 32, is from Station ward in Taunggok township.

This incident echoes the case last November of Taunggok NLD secretary U Khin Hla who was jailed for four years after an argument with his sister, despite her attempts to withdraw the charges against him.

Reporting by Nan Kham Kaew