Protestors call for Buddhist monk U Wirathu to have his case heard

17 January 2021
Protestors call for Buddhist monk U Wirathu to have his case heard
(File) Myanmar nationalist Buddhist monk U Wirathu (C) waves to supporters outside the Yangon western district police station, Yangon, Myanmar, 02 November 2020. Photo: Lynn Bo Bo/EPA

Dozens of followers of the ultra-nationalist monk Ashin Wirathu scuffled with police in Yangon at a demonstration calling for him to be put on trial more than two months after he surrendered to face sedition charges, according to local media reports.

Protesters, many of them Buddhist monks, gathered outside the Insein Prison, where Wirathu has been held since November. He had handed himself in to the authorities after a year on the run.

The protestors dispersed after a scuffle and there was an arrest, according to reports.

Ashin Wirathu is known for his hate-filled rhetoric against minority Muslims, his criticism of the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi and his support for the Myanmar military.