Soldiers and police in cars arrived at the Thukhakari Monastery Lanmadaw Ward in Sittwe at around 11:30 PM on November 6, and arrested U Thuganda and two other junior monks, one of the abbot’s disciples told Narinjara.

“They came in cars last night. It is not yet known why they arrested the monks. They came directly to arrest the abbot, and they did not say why. They also arrested two other monks from the monastery”, he said. The reason for arresting the monks and where they are kept at the moment are still unknown, so all the disciples are worried, he added.

Two days earlier the head of Sittwe fisheries department U Thet Oo (60) was shot by two unidentified men on a motorcycle at an RV restaurant on Shukhinthar Road at around 7:30 PM on November 6, and suffered 4 bullet wounds. He was hospitalized.

After that incident, the Military Council intensified arrests in Sittwe but it is not clear whether this attempt to kill Sittwe’s fisheries chief was in some way linked to the subsequent arrests and the raid on the monastery.

 

In addition, the Military Council soldiers also arrested a person who was taking refuge in the refugee camp at Buddha Maw Monastery in Sittwe at around 3:00 AM early morning on November 7.

“At that time, he did not know that the soldiers were in the monastery compound, and he was arrested while going to the toilet as usual”, a family member said.

Thearrested person is U Htay Naing (38) who fled the war from Pyainetine Village in Kyauktaw Township.