RANGOON — Seven nationalists and Buddhist monks involved in Tuesday night’s confrontation between Buddhists and Muslims in Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township have been charged with incitement to commit violence.
Ko Latt, also known as Tin Htut Zaw, who was involved in the incident, and his wife were arrested near Kandawgyi Lake on Thursday, according to local lawmaker U Hla Htay.
U Pyinnya Wuntha and U Thuseitta, two Buddhist monks from the Patriotic Monks Union who were behind the incident, also have warrants out for their arrest, the MP said, adding that there were seven individuals listed on the warrant, including Myat Phone Moh and Tin Lin Htike.
The Buddhist monks led nationalists into the Muslim neighborhood before midnight on Tuesday, claiming ethnic Muslim Rohingya were there “illegally,” according to police and residents.
According to witnesses, the nationalists turned hostile toward the Muslim residents when police found no Rohingya in the area, as the nationalists had claimed.
On Thursday afternoon, the monks and the laypersons held a press conference, identifying themselves as those who were involved in the incident and demanded that authorities investigate the case.
The seven have been charged under Article 505(c) of Burma Penal Code. The article says any offender shall be punished up to two years imprisonment or a fine, or both.
