Mandalay April 5th 2008
Sources closed to SPDC stressed that ministry of home affairs and religious affairs ministry officials were instructed to closely monitor the senior monks this week. Inside Burma, many respective senior monks who openly criticized the military government after 2007 September brutal suppression against peaceful demonstration led by the Buddhist monks.
Sources said regime fears these senior monks who could promote more anti-government sentiment and direct agitation towards their followers under the Buddhist Ritual Event; Water Festival or Burmese New Year.
Sources continued information minister Kyaw Hsan also instructed general editors that they must not allow any news of SPDC's blacklist senior monks,advertising their preaching events and do not disclose any ceremonies in the government mouthpiece newspapers.
In Mandalay, Sagang, and other part of the lower Burma’s monastic events might need local authorities' permition before May 2008. It wasn’t sure that government would allow before Water Festival, Burmese people’s ritual event of entering monkshood from a week to a month. Obviously, police special force units have stationed near the monasteries throughout Burma.
Many senior monks have been watched obviously or quietly. Sayardaw Dr. Ashin Nyannissara, Dean of Buddhist Academy in Sagang, has been followed by government secret police and military intelligent units since he had openly criticized the current regime at ritual ceremonies, said one of his followers. In his speeches, Ashin Nyannissara compared the downfall of brutal kings and current senior general and his men from the Buddhist History. His preaching events VCDs have been confiscated by the government authorities with Video and Printing Act.
