Monks and University Students sent back home forcibly

September 30, 2007

HURFOM, Moulmein, Pegu

It was reported that Buddhist monks studying at monasteries and University students who have completed their examinations were sent back home from the capital of Mon State, Moulmein City.

According to an anonymous monk from the studying temple, “On the night of the 26th the authorities came to the monasteries to investigate, remind the monks to stop their protest and order the monks who were from the village to go back to their home. Then they arrested over 40 monks who were on the list of the leader of the demonstration.” On September 26 evening, the Mon State authorities came and ordered the monks to go back, so on the 27th they came and picked us up with the trucks, he added.

Dependable sources from the New Mon State Party in Moulmein city confirmed that some protest leaders were arrested on 27th evening. But due to strictly restricted by the authorities, it was hard to confirm who have been arrested. Moreover, Students and majority of the monks’ population were sent back to their home, so no more marching in Moulmein after those events.”

A source who live closed to Moulmein University also reported that on the evening of September 27, he saw many Army trucks from southeast command and it seem to him that the authorities were already arranging the trucks at the front of the student hostels to send them to their town.

According to a University student who temporary lives in Gone-Htate quarter said that the head of the authorities in the quarter was previously preparing the trucks for the students, so as soon as they finished the examination they came to the students’ hostel and let the student collect their belongings to go back.

“Even though we wanted to go back tomorrow, they didn’t allow us to stay and forced us to go back as soon as possible,” a second year Moulmein University student said.

Protests happened for a moment in Mawlamyine on September 27 but the news emerged that the authorities would use violence to crack down on the demonstration. Therefore at 3 p.m the protesters broke up their group.

Likewise, on September 27, 2007, the abbot of the biggest monastery in Pegu sent monks involved in protests back to their home town.

The abbot from Tharthana Mern Daing monastery sent back more than 400 monks who were studying in the temple and were involved in leading the protests in Pegu. The monks who were sent back have been supporting the protest and have not been accepting the government’s donation.

“Now only novices remain in the temple. The abbot is now accepting donations from military officers,” a monk said.

Recently the Thartana Mern Daing abbot and abbot of Kyat Khat Wine accepted donation from military officers why others boycotted. Before sending monks back home the abbot stopped them from joining the protests.

The military regime also used the Kyat Khat Wine case alleging that the protestors broke the doors and windows in Kyat Khat Wine monastery, to show protesters in bad light and as terrorists. The junta even alleged that the protesting monks were not monks at all.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News