Meeting for Arrested Monk Ashon Pyinya Sara Foiled by Police
Sittwe: A meeting for the arrested monk Ashon Pyinya Sara that was organized by monks in Sittwe, the capital of Arakan, was foiled by police on Monday.
Speaking to Narinjara, one monk said, “We attempted to gather at the monastery where Ashon Pyinya Sara was living for a meeting to consult on his arrest, but the meeting was postponed after police foiled the program.”
Police from Min Gan police station in Sittwe blocked the meeting on the pretense that the monastery was not allowed to be used for such on orders from the high authority.
“Around ten monks arrived at the front of the monastery to attend the meeting but they gave up their plan after the police threatened to arrest us if we did not follow their orders,” the monk said.
The meeting was organized by the abbot of Vasali Dhama Pala Monastery in Sittwe, to discuss the latest situation of Ashon Pyinya Sara, who is being detained in Sittwe prison.
“The abbot invited some monks who are close to him to consult on the affairs of arrested monk Pyinya Sara, because his trial will be finished soon and the judge will pass his verdict. Before the verdict is passed, we should do something for his release – so we arranged the meeting,” the monk added.
Ashon Pyinya Sara is an Arakanese historian as well as an abbot of an orphanage named Mahamuni Buddha Vihara, and he was arrested by military authorities on 27 July on seven charges.
Ashon Pyinya Sara wrote many articles related to the ancient kingdom of Arakan and Arakanese literature. The authorities however, see this as behavior contrary to the solidarity of the union. U Pyinya Sara also refused to cooperate with the military authorities when they proposed he work for the government.
It was learned that many believe the arrest of Ashon Pyinya Sara is related to politics and his attitudes about the military government.
U Pyinya Sara is now being detained at Sittwe prison and authorities have filed seven charges against him. Among the charges, trials in six of the cases have been completed, while the charge in the final case to be tried is misappropriate of funds donated by foreign countries. A verdict is expected to be passed in the case next week.
Narinjara
