Rakhine insurgents release ruling party politicians
Insurgents from western Myanmar yesterday released three ruling party politicians who had been kidnapped from conflict-torn Rakhine state, a spokesman for the insurgent group said, calling it a goodwill gesture to build trust with the government. The three - two women and a man – were abducted by the banned Arakan Army in mid-October while campaigning in Rakhine as candidates before a Nov. 8 election. The candidates were held for more than two months. Rakhine state has been roiled for more than a year by conflict between government troops and insurgents from the Arakan Army fighting for greater autonomy for the region. The fighting is separate from violence that has led to the flight of hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas, also from Rakhine state. The NLD scored another commanding win in the November parliamentary election. But in Rakhine the party lost most of the seats it took in 2015.
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