Wanted monk flees to Thailand border

A Buddhist monk featuring in the wanted list of the Burmese military regime fled to the Thai-Burma border yesterday.

U Ein Thariya (33) a monk of 14 years standing changed into civilian clothes, temporarily, while fleeing to a neighbouring country. He was under surveillance of Burmese intelligence agencies.

He was wanted by the Burmese military junta for his involvement in street demonstrations against the regime in Pakkoku Township.

He had written vehement protest letters under the pen name "Min Thonenya" against the junta's atrocities and sent it to foreign news broadcasting radio stations.

"They didn't know me directly. They knew only my pen name and they had no idea whose name it actually was. They made inquires but my relatives and friends kept it a secret. I was not arrested because they did not know who exactly I was," he told Mizzima over telephone.

U Ein Thariya was a student monk (studying Buddha's sermon) in Kyilin monastery, Chanmyatharzi Township, Mandalay.

On October 15, 2007, military junta officials arrested and beat up some monks who took part in the monk-led march spreading their love to countrymen by singing sermons. Although monks had demanded the regime apologize to them for the assault, the junta ignored the demand in what is a Buddhist majority country.