Rakhine State Toungup Township National League for Democracy (NLD) party chairman Tin Thein Aung said that seven NLD members from Toungup Township had received warnings and threats from the Arakan Army (AA) before three party candidates were abducted by an armed group.

Those who had received warnings and threats from AA were Bushwemaw village NLD party chairman Than Htay and villager Boe Shwe Maung, Win Myint and Win Hlaing from Sapyin village, Win Hlaing and Than Shwe from Kyaw Kaing village and Toungup Township NLD chairman Tin Thein Aung. NLD party Toungup Township chairman Tin Thein Aung said that among them Than Shwe was arrested by the AA.

Since March 2020, the NLD party members had received such warnings and intimidation from AA individually for their activities and speeches they gave. Most of these people were warned and threatened by visits to their homes, contact by phone and sending persons who were on their way to these villages to them.

“We had frictions with them when we changed our party signboards, fixing new party signboards, giving relief supplies to the people. And also they disliked some words included in our speeches if they thought these words affected their organization. And then they responded to us in this way,” township party chairman Tin Thein Aung said.