Govt Bans U Wirathu from Preaching Sermons

By Htun Htun 11 March 2017

Burma’s infamous nationalist Buddhist monk U Wirathu was banned from delivering sermons across the country for one year, starting from March 10, due to his religious hate speeches.

The decision was made at a special meeting of the country’s 47 senior Buddhist monks who run the the state Buddhist authority State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee in Naypyidaw on Thursday, according to U Myint Zaw Win, a director of the Ministry for Religious Affairs and Culture.

The statement from the meeting released on Friday warned U Wirathu that any breach of the order will lead to legal action. The ban will be in effect until March 9 next year.

The State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee said in the statement that the nationalist monk was repeatedly delivering hate speeches against religions to cause communal strife, hinder rule of law, and that he took sides with political parties to inflame tensions.