Monk Gambira, who stirred the collective conscience of the nation, by playing a leading role in the monk-led protest was sentenced to 12 and a-half-years in prison by a special court sitting in session inside Insein prison today.

The 29-year old, former child soldier was handed out prison terms on three counts - insulting religion, inducing crime against public tranquility in a closed door trial.

U Gambira joined politics while he was pursuing his studies in Buddhism – the Dharmasariya class. He became one of the leading monks in the monk-led protest in September 2007, popularly known as the 'saffron revolution'.

After the protest, he went into hiding and was finally arrested by the Military Affairs Security in Singai Township, Mandalay Division on November 4, 2007.

Before his arrest, he wrote an article about last year's protest and the subsequent brutal crackdown unleashed by the military junta. The article was published in Washington Post.

Similarly another leading monk of the movement, U Kaylartha from Mandalay Division 'All Burma Monks Alliance' (ABMA), was sentenced to 35 years in prison by a court in Insein prison yesterday.

The monks staged protests against rising fuel and essential commodity prices by marching in procession and chanting Metta sutra in Pakokku, Magwe Division on September 5 last year. However, the government tied some monks to the lamp post and beat them up in public. After which the movement spread in the entire nation in September last year under the leadership of the newly formed ABMA.

Many monks, political dissidents and 88 Generation Students were imprisoned. The Special Courts sitting inside Insein prison have been handing out lengthy prison terms to political activists and dissidents since last week.