New Delhi – Soldiers and riot police have surrounded Kaba Aye monastery in Rangoon and have increased their presence at other monasteries as well, local eyewitnesses say.

"Soldiers have surrounded Kaba Aye monastery. We don't know why but they have closed the gates and do not allow anyone to enter. In front of the gate there are several soldiers and four trucks," an eyewitness told Mizzima.

 

Authorities in Rangoon have placed heavy security in the vicinity of several Buddhist monasteries in addition to encircling the famous Kaba Aye Buddhist monastery in Rangoon.

 

The eyewitness calculated, from the four trucks present at Kaba Aye, that the number of soldiers must exceed one hundred.

 

While the reason for the latest security measures remain unclear, it is likely to be connected to the rumor that the Buddhist clergy is gearing up for another round of activities in defiance of military rule, which has governed the country since 1962.

 

Another local eyewitness commented that soldiers are also positioning themselves in and around Bo Tathaung Pagoda, along the Rangoon River.