Source: Kaladan Press Network Please visit and show your support and appreciation
Akyab, Arakan State: The Burmese military junta authorities raided three monasteries in Akyab on the night of October 20 and 21, said a monk from Akyab.
The monasteries raided are: - Larawan, Daw Pu Pu and Myoma monastery in Akyab.
The monasteries were checked at night after the monks had gone to sleep. All the monks and servants were woken up ordered to go out from the monastery and wait in the compounds where security personnel kept a watch on them, said a policeman on condition of anonymity.
The security personnel checked the monasteries but did not get any evidence of anti-junta activities, he added.
Unconfirmed reports from Akyab said authorities are looking for monk, U Rakhaputaa who has been in the Larawan monastery for a longtime. He was said to have a connection with a bomb blast in Rangoon. He also has communication with monks in exile in Bangladesh, said a devotee.
Nine monks from Akyab have gone underground for having connections with U Rakhaputaa. It is believed that all the monks will go to Bangladesh, he added.
The authorities did not initiate any action against the monasteries and there are no reports of arrests of monks, said sources close to the police.
The raid was conducted following a bomb blast in Rangoon recently. Security has been tightened near all the monasteries. Outsiders are not allowed to stay over night in the monastery. The authorities are monitoring devotees and have restricted visits to the monastery, said a local from Akyab.
