New tactics of persuading the monks by the military authorities have clearly be seen.

They have asked the respectable people like the Head Masters of the schools, the doctors and some kind of people who are involving in the religious activities, to approach the monks and persuade them not to participate the boycott declared by the National Front of Monks.

The authorities’ top officials in the central area around the city of Mandalay donated cooking oil and other things to 102 monasteries, the New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported on its front page, showing photos of kneeling officials offering gifts to senior monks.

According to the sources close to the monastries, a few senior monks who are in charge of the monastries have been offered mobile phones yesterday.

It seems to be an attempt to keep the monks away from joining weeks of protests that began last month.

Traditional organisations which regularly offer alms to the monks have been passing the message that their offerings are not permitted until futher notice, one of the donors of the Ponnyakari team told the BBC.