CHT monks plan to connive with Myanmar extremists

লিখেছেন লিখেছেন মোহাম্মদ খোরশেদ আলম ২৭ জুন, ২০১৫, ১২:৫২:০০ রাত

Extremist Buddhist monks in Chittagong

Hill Tracts have planned to form a Buddhist

organization that resembles ‘969’, an outfit

of extremist Buddhists in Myanmar, sources

said.

Those who are part of the plan have also

received training in Myanmar to implement

the plan. Some 969 members have also

paid a visit to Bangladesh to help monks in

the hill tracts with their extremist activities,

said sources.

In the past few years, 969 has widely been

known as an extremist movement

organized by monks in Myanmar, with

Ashin Wirathu being its key organizer.

Wirathu has also been accused of

instigating anti-Muslim riots in Myanmar.

Time magazine ran a story on Wirathu with

the title ‘The face of Buddhist terror’. His

picture was published in the magazine’s

June 2013 issue.

An investigative report of news agency

Reuters said the government in Myanmar is

backing 969 activities.

Some extremist Bangladeshi monks took

refuge in Myanmar almost a year ago and

received training in how to use firearms

from 969 members.

There has been a rise in the frequency of

visits to Myanmar by hill tracts monks

lately, with some 15-20 travelling to the

country every month. They travel to

Myanmar through Thanchi and Mizoram as

these borders are unguarded.

But Anupam Barua, leader of the World

Buddha Sashok Sebok Sangha, has

strenuously denied all the allegations, and

termed the information motivated and

imaginary.

“These are all propaganda, which is part of

a big conspiracy against the Buddhist

community,” he said.

Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) sources

said a Myanmar national named Aung Keng

Chakma was detained at Tumbru Bazar

area in Ghundhum union of Naikkongchhari

on the night of July 12. He was said to

have infiltrated into Bangladesh several

times through Tumbru and Baishfari

frontiers. His uncle Keola Ching Chakma

lives in Baishfari.

An intelligence report sent to the BGB

headquarters said Aung Keng Chakma is a

member of 969 and the leader of a 10-

member sub-group operating near

Bangladesh borders.

Some of the members were identified as

Aung La, Mang Ye Sha, Mang Te and Mang

Kiwao Pru, and they are all Myanmar

nationals.

Aung Keng Chakma told BGB officials

during interrogation that he regularly

communicates with Uuch Hala Bhante, an

alleged extremist Buddhist leader.

Intelligence officials have also received

allegation of Uuch Hala Bhante’s

association with the activities of 969.

Uuch Hala Bhante could not be contacted

for comments despite repeated attempts.

Uuch Hala Bhante’s close disciple Bacha

Mang told the report24 .com the religious

leader had been a victim of conspiracy and

the smear campaign against him was part

of the conspiracy.

“Buddhism is a religion of non-violence.

There is no place for armed violence or

extremism in this religion,” he said.

Bacha Mang said monks living in the hill

tracts use valid passports to travel to

countries dominated by Buddhism.

“As for such travels, the monks go to

Myanmar as it is a neighbouring country.

The authorities in Myanmar have given

Uuch Hala Bhante a piece of land to

operate a monastery. He mostly travels to

Myanmar for religious reasons,” he said.

The BGB on July 9 detained two monks –

Prakash Chakma and Sumoy Chakma – on

charges of returning from training in

Myanmar. They are cousins and hail from

Balukhali union of Rangamati Sadar.

Commanding officer of BGB Cox’s Bazar 17

battalion Lt Col Khandaker Saiful Alam told

thereport24 .com officials frisked the two

detainees and found books written in

Burmese language, food products produced

in Myanmar, map of Myanmar, android

mobile phones, tablet computers, SIM cards

of Bangladeshi mobile phone operators,

memory cards, pen drives, HD video

cameras, digital compact cameras, and

local as well as foreign currencies.

“Their mobile phones contained evidence of

communicating with citizens of

neighbouring countries,” he said.

Sources said tribal youths in Rangamati

are visiting Myanmar in the recent time to

work with monks. They are illegally

crossing borders and taking firearms

training in Myanmar by 969 members.

Police do not search vehicles used by

bhantes for travelling locally. Bhantes thus

use the opportunity to transport arms and

other stuff.

According to sources, several Bangladeshi

monks met Wirathu in Myanmar in early

last year and the monks began attending

training in Myanmar since then.

Thereport24 .com has obtained pictures of

monks receiving training in 969 camps in

Myanmar, and intelligence officials are

investigating if any of the monks are

Bangladeshi nationals.

BGB official Khandaker Saiful Alam

admitted that there are some shortcomings

in border security and the government has

been informed of those.

He said the defects were expected to be

removed soon and the BGB was on alert to

activities of monks.

“Monks in Myanmar live in areas close to

the border and they try to secretly

communicate with Bangladeshi monks, but

BGB vigilance thwart their attempts,” he

added.

source: http://www.burmatimes.net

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