A senior Buddhist monk, U Kay Thara, 54, the abbot of a monastery in Mogaung Township in Myanmar’s northern Kachin State, is reported to have been detained in military custody since 14 May and physically abused, after refusing to allow his monastery to be used by a militia group allied with the Myanmar’s military government, a local media service has reported.
Citing an unnamed pro-democracy resistance source, the independent news service Myanmar Now reported that U Kay Thara, who was ordained more than 30 years ago, was arrested after repeatedly refusing requests by the Shanni Nationalities Army (SNA) to station troops at his monastery.
“They asked him two or three times to let them camp at the monastery, but he wouldn’t allow it,” said the source. “He told them to leave, and they did. But then at around 11 p.m. that night, they came back with cars, broke the door lock, arrested the abbot, and took him away.” (Myanmar Now)
Myanmar’s military declared a state of emergency on 1 February 2021, after detaining President Win Myint, State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, and other members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party. The coup d’état took place hours before the country’s new parliament was due to convene following a general election in November 2020, in which the NLD secured a decisive victory.
Since then, the military-led State Administration Council (now the State Security and Peace Commission) has sought to consolidate power through violent crackdowns on protests and dissent held in defiance of military-led suppression. Even the country’s venerated Buddhist monastic sangha have found themselves in the military’s crosshairs.*
“The abbot was first taken to the village of Kahnyinmyaing, where the SNA’s Brigade 565 is based, but was later transferred to the junta’s Military Operations Command 3 headquarters in Mogaung,” Myanmar Now reported. “Resistance and local sources say the monk was forced to disrobe and has been subjected to beatings while under interrogation inside the military compound.” (Myanmar Now)
Myanmar Now said SNA supporters on social media had claimed that Spring Lottery tickets, widely associated with fundraising for the anti-regime resistance movement, and a walkie-talkie were found at the monastery during the arrest, but noted that neither claim could be independently verified.
The abbot is reportedly suspected of having ties to the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), which is also active in the area. However, a source close to the KIA cited by Myanmar Now said that U Kay Thara, 54, had no affiliation with the group.
“He has no connection with the KIA,” the source said, noting that the monk was known to support the ousted National League for Democracy. “Before the coup, during the 2015 and 2020 elections, he urged people to vote for the NLD.” (Myanmar Now)
Thousands of people have died and millions have been displaced since the coup. The United Nations estimates as much as 40 per cent of the region’s population now requires humanitarian assistance as a result of the ongoing conflict.
Despite years of violent suppression by government forces, the junta continues to face widespread public opposition. Crackdowns on peaceful protest movements have resulted in a growing number of communities turning to armed resistance, often with support from existing ethnic militia groups. Sagaing Region has been a key conflict area in the civil war, with large parts controlled by volunteer militias.
“Over five years on from the military coup, the Myanmar junta’s assault on the population has decimated every facet of life in the country,” Human Rights Watch said in a 13 March statement. “The military’s recruitment of child soldiers and its use of internationally banned cluster munitions and antipersonnel landmines have greatly expanded since the coup. More than 12 million people are facing acute hunger due to humanitarian blockages, foreign aid cuts, and economic collapse.” (Human Rights Watch)
The Myanmar- and Thailand-based human rights organization Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) reported that as of 19 April, a total of 8,048 people, including 1,072 children, were confirmed to have been killed by the junta in military engagements against the pro-democracy movement. The AAPP noted that the figures represented only deaths that it could independently verify and that the actual number was likely to be significantly higher. A total of 31,009 people were known to have been arrested by the junta, the AAPP said.
Theravada Buddhism has been the official state religion of Myanmar since 1961, with 91.3 per cent of Myanmar’s population identifying as Buddhists, according to census data for 2024. Christians make up 4.6 per cent, Muslims 3.3 per cent, and Hindus 0.6 per cent, with tribal and other religions (including no religious affiliation) comprising 0.2 per cent.
* Buddhist Monastics Targeted in Ongoing Crackdown by Myanmar’s Military Junta (BDG) and Myanmar Junta Drops Plan to Place Buddhist Monks on Military Roadblocks (BDG)
See more
Buddhist abbot detained, beaten for defying Myanmar junta ally in Kachin State (Myanmar Now)
Daily Briefing in Relation to the Military Coup (Assistance Association for Political Prisoners)
Myanmar: Junta’s Crimes Escalate, States Should Reject Sham Elections (Human Rights Watch)
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