Many monks in Sittwe have gone into hiding at unknown locations to avoid arrest by Burmese military junta authorities after two monasteries were raided recently by police, said a monk in Sittwe.

"Around 50 policemen raided two monasteries on October 13 in Sittwe searching for some monk leaders who were preparing to stage a demonstration on the day of the full-moon religious festival," he said.

The Daw Pu Pu monastery in Bon Dut Thar Su Ward and Dhama Ron monastery in Kon Dan Ward were raided by the police on the October 13. The police searched for the monk leaders and evidence against them throughout the two monasteries, but no one was arrested.

"Police officials instructed the abbots not to inform anyone outside about the raid.  So, the abbot kept the information from spreading outside the monasteries," he said.

U Rakha Putta, who recently gave several interviews to foreign-based Burmese radio programmes about the monks' plans to demonstrate in Sittwe, is wanted by the authorities along with 10 other monks. The monks went into hiding to avoid arrest and their whereabouts are currently unknown.

According to a local source, during the raid on the monasteries, police officials brought a paper with a list of names of monks who are wanted.

"When the monks received the information, they went into hiding to avoid arrest," the monk said.

Some relatives of Rakha Putta were taken by authorities to a police station in Sittwe for questioning about the whereabouts of the monk leader, but none of the relatives had any information.

"The relatives were released later, but some families are being watched by the police," he added.

The first anniversary of the Saffron Revolution protests was nearly one month ago, but security in Sittwe remains tight with many security personnel deployed at key locations in the city, including temples and monasteries.

"It is impossible for any protests to surface against the regime in Sittwe because many monk leaders are hiding in unknown locations. Meanwhile, the authorities have not withdrawn security forces from Sittwe," the monk added.