Six monks were arrested in Mandalay on Saturday for their involvement in a days-long protest near the city’s Mahamuni Pagoda.
The protest first began on Wednesday, when several monks and nationalists set up camp near Mahamuni Pagoda in Mandalay as well as near Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon. Refusing to speak to media, they held up signs calling on the NLD to step down due to their failure to “protect” the country and for “destroying Buddhism”.
The monks camped out with their alms bowls upturned — a gesture called thabeik hmauk — to signify that they were not accepting alms as part of their rejection of the government.
Both protests have been met with condemnation from the general public, who say that the nationalists are merely inflaming tensions.
On Friday, Mandalay police issued a warrant for the arrests of five laypeople in the Mahamuni camp as well as the eight monks who were leading the protest, The Irrawaddy reports. The case was opened under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code (“Statements conducing to public mischief”) which carries a prison sentence of up to two years.
Mandalay regional police raided and shut down the camp on Saturday, and six of the eight monks were taken into custody. The other two monks and five laymen remain at large.
Speaking at a press conference, Mandalay Chief Minister Dr. Zaw Myint Maung explained, “The reason behind their protest is not solid. We told them several times to disperse, for what they were doing is unlawful. But our warnings fell on deaf ears.”
At about 4pm on Saturday, the protestors in Yangon announced that they were temporarily shutting down their camp, with no indication as to how long the postponement would last. It is still unclear if legal action will also be taken against the Yangon protestors.
