Sittwe: The Burmese military junta authorities closed down the Ottama garden in downtown Sittwe yesterday after security forces confronted local people who had gone to the garden to honour Ven. Ottama with a candlelight vigil.

"About 80 people, including monks led by well-known Arakanese social leader U Mung Nyo went to Ottama garden to honour the Ottama sculpture in the garden by candlelight, but the security forces did not allow them to enter the garden. A confrontation broke out," an eye witness said.

During the confrontation many armed security personnel cordoned off the garden and closed all the entry points.

U Maung Nyo questioned the authorities about disrupting the programme to honour Ottama by candlelight, but officials present did not reply.

The eyewitness said, "U Maung Nyo told security forces that they came to the garden to honour Ottama, not to protest against the government, and asked several questions about why they were not allowed to honour the Burmese independence hero." However, the authorities continued to deny them entry to the garden.

U Ottama is a hero of Burma's independence because he first inspired the Burmese people to protest against the British colonial government by encouraging a sense of nationalism and ideology.

U Ottama was an Arakanese monk but he struggled for the freedom of all Burmese people from the British yoke. He died in 1939.

The central government of Burma has not recognized him as a national hero of Burma's independence because he was an Arakanese national. Arakanese people are dissatisfied with the regime and commemorate the anniversary every year despite the SPDC's ban on celebrating it anywhere in Burma.