Sittwe: Senior abbots in Sittwe, most of whom owe allegiance to the military junta, requested security cover in Sittwe during the monks' examinations to be held on April 2, said a monk who refused to be named.

The request was made on Friday by senior abbots during a meeting regarding the monks' examinations between Sittwe Township chairman and the abbots, after rumors of demonstrations spread in Sittwe.

"There is a rumor in Sittwe that monks will stage a demonstration during the exams, so the senior abbots requested the authorities to deploy additional security forces in Sittwe," The monk said.

The security in Sittwe is likely to be tightened again by the authorities on the abbots' request, in the light of the Saffron Revolution that last fall.

The monk, who attended the meeting, said, "It will be impossible for demonstrations to surface in Sittwe during the period of the monks' examinations because the authorities are preparing to deploy additional security forces in many key places in Sittwe."

In addition to the rumors that a demonstration will be staged by monks in Sittwe, the number of monks registering for the exams has also decreased from last year's numbers.

"I think 20 or 30 percent of the monks will be enrolling for this year's exams, and many monks have neglected to participate for the exams this year," The monk said.

According to a source close to monks, about 1,000 Arakanese monks will participate in this year's examinations in Sittwe, whereas last year saw nearly 3,000 monks participating.

The number of examinees has dropped this year for two reasons. The first is that many of the monks who were sent back to their respective villages by authorities after the monk-led Saffron Revolution do not want to return to Sittwe during this crucial period for fear of arrest. The second reason is that many monks want to boycott the government-backed examinations after the military government killed many monks and civilians, and arrested many more, during and after last year's protests.