YANGON: A court in Myanmar has issued an arrest warrant for a nationalist Buddhist monk, Wirathu, on a charge of sedition, police said on Wednesday.
Wirathu is known for his rhetoric against minority Muslims, particularly the Rohingya community, but he has also been critical of the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi and supportive of Myanmar’s powerful military.
Police spokesman Myo Thu Soe said the arrest warrant had been issued on Tuesday by the western district court in Myanmar’s main city, Yangon.
He did not give a reason for the warrant.
At recent rallies, Wirathu has accused the government of corruption and criticized it for trying to change the constitution in a way that would reduce the power of the military.
“This sedition accusation is bullying him,” Thu Saitta, an ally of Wirathu, told Reuters.
“We won’t say what we will do if he is arrested, but it is certain that we won’t be calm.”
Wirathu is the most prominent of the nationalist monks to gain growing political weight in Myanmar since a transition from military rule began in 2011.
The police spokesman said the warrant had not yet been received by police in the central city of Mandalay, where Wirathu is based.
Wirathu was banned by Myanmar’s highest religious authority from preaching for one year until early last year because of hate speech.
He has often targeted Rohingya Muslims, more than 700,000 of whom fled an army crackdown in Rakhine State in 2017 that UN investigators said was carried out with “genocidal intent.”
The law under which Wirathu faces possible arrest prohibits bringing “hatred or contempt” or exciting disaffection toward the government. It carries a prison sentence of up to three years.
Arrest warrant issued for Myanmar hard-line monk Wirathu
Arrest warrant issued for Myanmar hard-line monk Wirathu
- Wirathu is known for his rhetoric against minority Muslims, particularly the Rohingya community
- But he has also been critical of the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi
Three more UK pro-Palestinian activists end hunger strike
- The detainees are due to stand trial for alleged break-ins or criminal damage on behalf of the Palestine Action campaign group before it was banned under anti-terrorism laws
LONDON: Three detained pro-Palestinian activists awaiting trial in the UK have ended their hunger strike after 73 days, a campaign group said.
The three began “refeeding” on Wednesday, Prisoners for Palestine said in a statement late on Wednesday.
The decision leaves just one person still on hunger strike who started six days ago, it confirmed to AFP. Four others called off their hunger strike earlier.
The detainees are due to stand trial for alleged break-ins or criminal damage on behalf of the Palestine Action campaign group before it was banned under anti-terrorism laws.
They deny the charges.
The group, aged 20-31, launched their hunger strike in November in protest at their treatment and called for their release from prison on bail as they await trial.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer previously said in parliament that all “rules and procedures” were being followed in their cases.
His government outlawed Palestine Action in July after activists, protesting the war in Gaza, broke into a UK air force base and caused an estimated £7 million ($9.3 million) of damage.
Some of those on hunger strike are charged in relation to that incident.
The inmates’ demands included that the government lift its Palestine Action ban and close an Israel-linked defense firm.
Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori challenged the ban last July, and High Court judges are expected to rule at a later date on whether to uphold the prohibition.
