In blatant disregard for the Opposition in Burma, a member of the main political party – the National League for Democracy – in central Burma has been threatened and forced to work as an informer for the military junta.

Myint Soe, a member of NLD organizing committee in Pyin Oo Lwin town, about 40 miles east of Burma’s second largest city Mandalay, told Mizzima that his colleague Ko Win Bo, who resides in Naung Kham village, was summoned by the authorities on June 17. He was ordered to close his shop selling cigarettes.

The village council told Ko Win Bo to provide information about party activities and act as an informer for them in exchange for allowing him to continue running his shop on which his livelihood depends, Myint Soe said.

“They [authorities] told him bluntly to work as an informer for them. They made it clear that if he acts as an informer they will consider providing other remuneration to him. But Ko Win Bo flatly refused their offer,” Myint Soe said.

Myint Soe added that the authorities threatened to close down Ko Win Bo’s shop in order to pressurize him to work as an informer to provide minutes of NLD meetings and their plans and activities.

Earlier this month, authorities in Thar Yar Kone village in Pyin Oo Lwin Township threatened an NLD youth Nay Myo Aung and forced him to resign from the party, Myint Soe added.

According to Myint Soe, a group of people comprising members of the village council, Union Solidarity and Development Association, local police and Swan Arr Shin, people’s militia, visited Nay Myo Aung’s residence on June 11 and forced him to resign from the party.