Sittwe: The amended arguments for the case of Ashion Pyinya Sara, who was sentenced to eight years and three months in prison by the district court, have been recenly submitted to the Naypyidaw court after the appeal to the state court in the capital Sittwe was rejected, said Daw Aye Nu Sein, the defense lawyer in the case.

"We submitted our amended arguments for his case to the Naypyidaw court on 13 January as our appeal to the state court was dismissed with brief remarks. We can not accept the harsh sentence for an acquittal case against him by the district court here," she said.

She said that the amended arguments for the case were being submitted to the court in accordance with Burmese laws.

"According to the Burmese laws, the court will summon me to give arguments about why the case should be heard in that court. After examining my arguments, the court will decide whether to continue to hear the case," she added.

"I went to Tharet Prison to see Ashion Pyinya Sara on 12 January. Even I, his lawyer, was allowed only five minutes to see him. Only the prison authority knows why they have to be so strict for him. But I found him in good health," she added.

Ashion Pyinya Sara was sentenced to his current prison term and a fine of 10,000 kyat on charges of possessing illegal foreign currency and blue movies, misuse of religious buildings or premises, and misuse of funding, despite that he was originally arrested on charges of breaking religious laws for having sex with a female.

He was arrested on 27 September, 2010, and sentenced to prison by the district court in Sittwe on unjustified accusations.

After his arrest, the army took away 100 orphans from his Mahamuni Orphanage and moved them to undisclosed locations in Burma proper. They also took the Arakanese cultural antiques he had collected over the years.