An ethnic political party in eastern Burma claims that one of their leaders was wrongfully detained by the central government and demanded that all charges against him be dropped.

The Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) has accused the Burmese military of arbitrarily detaining and physically abusing Sai Jan, a party leader in Kengtung, under the premise of false and baseless charges.

Party representatives claim that Sai Jan was beaten by Burmese soldiers of the Infantry Battalion 245 when they entered the party office in Nam Lin Mai village without warrant on 5 May.

“He was forced to confess without breaking any laws,” said Sai Lek, spokesperson for the SNLD. “When he wouldn’t confess, they forcibly took his fingerprint.”

Sai Lek added that falsifying a case against a Shan party leader risks damaging the country’s fragile peace process by challenging Shan State Army South. Sai Jan is believed to soon be facing charges under Article 17/1 of the Unlawful Associations Act.

[related]