The Burmese military has directly threatened monks involved in protests in
the country in a nationwide media address for the first time since fuel
prices were increased last month.

In a televised segment on the state-run MRTV channel this evening,
minister for religious affairs brigadier general Thura Myint Maung warned
Burma’s monks not to break Buddhist “rules and regulations”.

“The monks who are walking (in protest) now represent only 2 percent of
the nation-wide monk population . . . if they do not operate according to
Buddhist rules then they will be faced with the law,” Thura Myint Maung
was shown on saying on the TV bulletin just hours after more than 200,000
monks and civilians protested around the country.

The military frequently uses the phrase ‘faced with the law’ when
preparing to arrest or charge activists and opposition members on
political grounds. The day after the leadership of the 88 Generation
Students group was arrested during midnight raids, the state-run New Light
of Myanmar said the activists had broken the law and would face legal
action.

The threats also came as reports emerged from Mytikyina and Monywa of
monks being thrown out of their monasteries for taking part in small
demonstrations. Residents in Myitkyina told DVB today that 30 monks from
the Wun Tho monastery were sent back to their home towns by abbot U Wuntha
for taking part in yesterday’s protest.

“The abbot has close ties with the government as he was elected by them as
the State’s head monk . . .,” one resident said on condition of anonymity.

In Monywa, almost 200 monks are reported to have been kicked out of their
monasteries for taking part in protest marches against military
oppression.