Myanmar resistance group admits responsibility for killing of Buddhist monk it accused of army ties
BANGKOK (AP) — A local resistance group fighting against Myanmar’s military government has acknowledged responsibility for the killing last week of a Buddhist monk and his disciple in the country’s eastern region.
Dhamma Thara, 48, was the latest religious figure to die in the civil war that arose after the army seized power in February 2021 from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.
Buddhist monks are influential in their local communities and have historically been involved in political actions in Myanmar, an overwhelmingly Buddhist nation. While many have supported pro-democracy movements, other monks with ultranationalist views have allied themselves with the army.
A joint statement by 14 local social organizations posted on Facebook on Tuesday said that Dhamma Thara and his disciple, Aik Pi, were killed on March 4 by an armed group at the Buddhist monastery in Ohndaing village in Phekhon township in eastern Shan state. The area is located about 100 kilometers (about 60 miles) east of Myanmar’s capital, Naypyitaw.
A local resistance group called the “Bee Column”, which pledges allegiance to the National Unity Government, the main opposition organization, took responsibility for the killings in two separate statements posted Sunday on the Facebook page of “Pekon Police,” another group fighting against the military.
The group accused the monk of being an informer for the military and collaborating to organize the return of displaced people to the town of Pekon to form a pro-government garrison. It said he had also requested the military carry out artillery and air strikes on the outskirts of the town.
The statements claimed that the monk had admitted to being a supporter of the military and that he was killed by a 29-year-old member of the Bee Column in a fracas that broke out as they tried to take him from the monastery where he was temporarily staying. It said his disciple was killed inadvertently as he ran through the scene.
However, the local social organizations in their joint statement denied the guerrillas’ allegations on Tuesday, saying those were false narratives without any credible evidence and the actions mirrored the brutality of the military dictatorship.
“Killing without due process is not a fight against dictatorship but the creation of another form of oppression. We call for immediate and fair action against those responsible for these crimes.” the statement said.
Nang Soi Khan, an official of one of the social organizations, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Dhamma Thara was primarily involved in providing humanitarian aid to displaced persons.
The Karenni Interim Executive Council, a coalition of armed groups fighting the military in Kayah state, said in a Saturday statement that detailed investigations will be carried out to ensure justice. Myanmar Pressphoto Agency, an online media, reported on Monday that the leader of the Bee Column said the group would accept the resistance authorities’ ruling.
Last year, a prominent monk, Bhaddanta Munindarbhivamsa, was killed when the car in which he was traveling was fired upon by soldiers on a truck. The killing of the 78-year-old monk drew outrage, especially because the military initially lied and blamed it on resistance fighters. Last month, another local resistance group was suspected of killing a Catholic village priest in the country’s northwest.
In addition to the scattered killings of Buddhist and Christian clergy, dozens of houses of worship of both religions have been damaged or destroyed. often by shelling or aerial bombardment by the military.
