Local Youth Call on TNLA to Release Detainee
The Ta’ang armed group confirms that troops arrested a mother of three for legal violations that it would not disclose.
By NETWORK MEDIA GROUP (NMG)
Tuesday, August 21, 2018
The Namkham Youth Network in northern Shan State condemned the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) on Saturday for arresting a local woman on August 17 and is calling for her immediate release.
Locals say that TNLA troops took Nang Mo Hom, who is from Namkham town, into custody last Thursday evening at around 8 p.m. She is a married mother of three children and runs a small grocery shop.
“Her parents and family are really worried about her security. Her children are very young. We want the immediate release of this woman. She is still in detention,” Sai Thein Shwe, a member of the youth network, told NMG. “Many people are worried about whether this kind of abduction could happen in the future,” he added.
A TNLA spokesperson confirmed that Nang Mo Hom had been arrested, but attributed her detention to her having allegedly violated legal statutes put into place by the armed group. He could not, however, elaborate on what she had done or what the penalty would be, adding only that she would eventually be released.
“She violated our law. We will take action against her. We have yet to make a decision about what action to take, but we will call her family and relatives when we do. Currently, we have detained her in a safe place. They don’t need to worry,” Maj Mai Aik Kyaw, who is in charge of the TNLA’s information department, told NMG.
The Namkham Youth Network’s Saturday statement said that the TNLA’s arrest of Nang Mo Hom constituted a violation of basic human rights. They also said that they were worried about the perpetuation of interethnic tension and greater insecurity for local people caused by continued armed conflict.
