A prominent monk who led the 2007 Saffron Revolution and holds US citizenship, U Panyajota, has been arrested by Myanmar’s military junta upon his recent return to the country. Sources close to the monk allege that he was subjected to torture and beatings during interrogation.
After nearly three weeks of detention and interrogation, U Panyajota has been transferred to Insein Prison and charged with terrorism and other offenses that carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The junta alleges that the monk provided financial support to terrorist activities.
U Panyajota’s arrest is the latest in a series of crackdowns on civil society and political opposition by the Myanmar military junta. The junta has been accused of using terrorism charges to target its critics and suppress freedom of expression.
The monk’s supporters fear that he may be subjected to further abuse and mistreatment while in detention. They are calling on the international community to put pressure on the junta to release U Panyajota and to respect human rights in Myanmar.
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