Myanmar’s Ministry of Religion and Culture seems to have finally made a clean break with firebrand cleric Wirathu.
That seems to be the logical takeaway from a public service announcement made Saturday in which the ministry instructed the public to stop referring to “sinful” or “fugitive” monks by the title “Sayadaw,” or teacher of royalty — a not-particularly-subtle jab at the wanted abbott.
The title, which refers to a senior monk at a monastery, is conveyed by the Burmese government, and theoretically only to those who have adhered to the 227 precepts of Buddhism. You know, things like not building a monastery without the Sangha’s permission, not to create divisions within the Sangha, and not lying. *ahem*
While the statement didn’t refer to Wirathu by name, the fourth paragraph specifically singles out those who had trespassed the law, those who were wanted by the law, and those who were evading an arrest warrant issued by the state.
Yangon authorities opened a case against the abbott in May after he criticized the civilian government of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi at a rally in Southern Myanmar. Speaking at the April 5 event, he specifically criticized her appearance and coziness with foreigners.
The monk has remained on the run for the past two weeks now, all along maintaining that he will only come back to face arrest if Yangon’s Maha Nayaka Committee, the highest Buddhist authority in the region, summons him to their office there.
Meanwhile, Yangon’s western district court, which issued the arrest warrant in question, decided last week to move ahead with his trial, with or without the monk.
At the same time, the monk has continued to release videos on Russian social media platform VK via third parties despite having been banned from t he platform for his Islamaphobic comments against Myanmar’s Muslims, especially the Rohingya.
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