A meeting in support of arrested monk Ashon Pyinya Sara organized by monks in Sittwe, the capital of Arakan, was foiled by police on Monday.

Speaking to Narinjara, a monk said, "We attempted to assemble at the monastery where Ashon Pyinya Sara was living for a meeting to discuss his arrest, but the meeting was postponed after police stopped the programme."

Police from Min Gan police station in Sittwe halted the meeting saying that the monastery was not allowed to be used for such meetings on the orders of high authorities.

"Around 10 monks arrived outside the monastery for the meeting but abandoned the plan after the police threatened to arrest us if we did not follow their orders," the monk said.

The meeting was organized by the abbot of Vasali Dhama Pala Monastery in Sittwe, to discuss the latest situation of Ashon Pyinya Sara, being detained in Sittwe prison.

"The abbot invited some monks, who are close to him, to discuss the affairs of arrested monk Pyinya Sara, because his trial will be completed soon and the judge will give his verdict. Before the verdict is passed, we should do something for his release - so we arranged the meeting," the monk added.

Ashon Pyinya Sara is an Arakanese historian as well as an abbot of an orphanage named Mahamuni Buddha Vihara and he was arrested by military authorities on 27 July on seven charges.

Ashon Pyinya Sara wrote many articles related to the ancient kingdom of Arakan and Arakanese literature. The authorities however, see this as behaviour contrary to the solidarity of the union. U Pyinya Sara also refused to cooperate with the military authorities when they proposed he work for the government.

It was learnt that many believe the arrest of Ashon Pyinya Sara is related to politics and his attitude towards the military government.

U Pyinya Sara is now being detained at the Sittwe prison and authorities have filed seven charges against him. Among the charges, trials in six of the cases have been completed, while the charge in the final case is misappropriation of funds donated by foreign countries. A verdict is expected to be given in the case next week.