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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000617 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP AND IO; PACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/01/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BM
SUBJECT: BURMA: REGIME WARY OF MONKS AND ACTIVISTS 
 
REF: A. RANGOON 434 
     ¶B. RANGOON 454 
     ¶C. RANGOON 487 
     ¶D. RANGOON 594 
 
Classified By: Pol Officer Sean O'Neill for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d) 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary.  Sources have confirmed reports this week 
that nine monks arrested on July 15 are still being held in 
Insein prison.  The regime delayed announcing the results of 
monks' religious examinations until this week, but sources 
reported the number of passing candidates was expected to be 
higher than usual.  Authorities held a hearing on July 30 for 
arrested comedian/activist Zarganar and author/activist Zaw 
Thet Htway in a Special Court at Insein prison, but there 
were no significant developments in their case.  End Summary. 
 
Arrested Monks 
-------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) Embassy sources have confirmed that authorities 
arrested nine monks at Rangoon Central Railway Station on 
July 15 took them to Insein prison.  Opposition lawyer U Aung 
Thein spoke with a detained activist in Insein prison who 
confirmed that the nine monks were still being held there. 
Authorities have not acknowledged the arrests or released the 
names or hometowns of the monks, but witnesses reported that 
the monks did not appear to be traveling together.  So far no 
hearings have been held, and no charges have been filed. 
Aung Thein said that some monks speculated the arrests were 
the result of the regime being overly cautious during the 
period leading up to Martyrs' Day on July 19 and Buddhist 
Lent, which runs from July through October. 
 
Exam Results, Finally 
--------------------- 
 
¶3.  (C) The senior monk and chairman of the Dagon Township 
Sangha (religious order) told our political assistant that 
the government delayed the release of monks' religious exam 
results this year.  In previous years, exam results were 
announced before the start of Buddhist Lent; however, this 
year they were not published until the last week of July, a 
full week and a half after Buddhist Lent began on July 17. 
Our contact also confirmed that the number of monks passing 
the examinations was higher this year than in previous years. 
 The exile press has circulated rumors that the government 
sought to appease the Sangha this year by allowing more monks 
to pass the examinations.  However, our contact declined to 
attach any significance to the delayed release or reportedly 
higher pass rates. 
 
Updates:  Zarganar, Zaw Thet Htway, and Naw Ohn Hla 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶4.  (C) U Aung Thein reported that officials held a hearing 
for detained comedian/activist Zarganar's and author/activist 
Zaw Thet Htway's at a special court in Insein prison on July 
¶30.  According to U Aung Thein, his clients face charges 
under the Video Act and the Electronics Act, which carry 
maximum sentences of three and ten years, respectively.  Aung 
Thein noted, however, that these charges had not yet been 
finalized so more charges could be filed.  We are seeking to 
confirm exile media reports on August 1 that Zarganar has 
also been charged with disturbing public tranquility.  The 
detained activists' next hearing is scheduled for August 7. 
Prior to his arrest on June 4 Zarganar had been delivering 
relief aid to Nargis-affected areas and had repeatedly 
criticized the regime's recovery efforts in interviews with 
the press (Refs A and B).  Famous author/activist Zaw Thet 
Htwe, who also worked closely with Zarganar and other 
activists to provide relief aid, was also arrested on June 13 
(Ref C). 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Embassy sources have reported that Naw Ohn Hla's 
injuries were not life threatening.  According to colleagues 
who visited her in the hospital, she remains in Rangoon 
General Hospital recovering from her July 21 car accident 
 
RANGOON 00000617  002 OF 002 
 
 
(Ref D) without complications.  Naw Ohn Hla is the leader of 
the Tuesday Prayer Campaign, a group of pro-democracy 
activists who, until last Fall, visited Rangoon's Shwe Dagon 
Pagoda every Tuesday to pray for the release of Aung San Suu 
Kyi and all political prisoners. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶6.  (C) No one is exempt from Than Shwe's paranoia, 
especially as the anniversary of the August 1988 
pro-democracy protests nears.  Even unrelated monks 
coincidentally traveling home on the same train must be 
careful lest they find themselves in jail.  He may succeed in 
preventing any demonstrations for now, but we doubt Than Shwe 
can buy the good will of the Sangha or citizenry with a few 
favorable exam results. 
VILLAROSA