Mizzima News

Chiang Mai – A Buddhist monk sentenced to 68 years imprisonment for organizing protests last September, has today been moved to a prison in a remote area of the country, according family sources.

U Gambira, a 29-year-old monk, was today transferred from Rangoon's Insein prison 450 miles away to Kanti prison in Sagaing Division of northwestern Burma.

The news came from prison department officials who notified family members who came to visit the prison on Monday.

The former child soldier was one of the founders of the All Burmese Monks' Alliance, which played an important role in organizing the biggest mass protests in Burma since 1988 in September of last year.

Tens of thousands of monks, followed by laymen, marched the streets of cities throughout Burma, reciting the Buddha's teachings on loving-kindness and calling for national reconciliation. Popularly known as the "Saffron Revolution," Burma's military government violently suppressed the protesters, killing at least 31 people.

Following a massive manhunt, U Gambira finally fell into the hands of military intelligence agents and was charged for multiple transgressions of the law - including insulting religion and inducing crime against public tranquility.

U Gambira was arrested in Mandalay Division in upper Burma on November 4, 2007, with some of his relatives also arrested and sentenced to imprisonment.