Ten people in Arakan State, including three monks, were sentenced to long terms in prison, while three monks continue to be detained in interrogation cells by the Burmese military junta. The arrests and prosecution come in the wake of the ‘Saffron Revolution’ in the country, said a National League for Democracy report in Arakan.

The NLD report listed the following monks as those recently sentenced by military authorities in Arakan:

U Ithiriya (28) from Sithuka monastery in Sittwe who was arrested on September, 29 ,2007, and sentenced to seven and a half years in prison. He is currently being held in Buthiduang prison.

U Kow Mala (67) from Adidan monastery in Sittwe, who was arrested on October 8 ,2007 and sentenced to two and a half years in jail. He is currently detained in Sittwe prison.

U Wana Tha Ra, (23) from Radana Gon Bonmay monastery, who was arrested on September 29, 2007, and sentenced to three years in prison. He is also being held in Sittwe prison.

Three other monks, U Panya Thiri, U Than Yama, and U Wayama, are still being held for interrogation in Sittwe prison and have not yet been sentenced despite having been held by authorities for over three months.

The military regime has also sentenced seven civilians for their alleged involvement in the recent monk-led protests. They are:

Ko Aung Naing Soe (22) from Pauktaw Township was arrested in October and sentenced to three years and nine months in prison. He is currently in Thandwe prison in southern Arakan State.

Ko Aung Naing (32), from Sittwe, was arrested on October 12, 2007 , and was sentenced to two years and three months in prison. He is currently in Sittwe prison.

Ko Win Maung, who was a member of a village council in Manaung Township, was arrested on November 27 and sentenced to two and a half years. He has been sent to Kyaukpru prison from Manaung.

Ko Min Min Oo from Gwa Township has been detained in the notorious Insein prison, and has been charged by authorities on seven counts.

Three NLD Arakan State members were also sentenced to long prison terms: Ko Min Aung (35), is the secretary of the financial department of the NLD Arakan State . He was arrested on October 13, 2007, and was sentenced to nine and a half years in prison. He is currently in Thandwe prison. His sentence was reduced by the authorities to seven and a half years after an appeal at the high court.

U Khin Hla (60) is the secretary of the organization department for the NLD Arakan State and was arrested on November 28, 2007. He was sentenced to four years in prison and is currently in Thandwe prison.

Ko Ray Thein, alias Bu Maung, is a member of the NLD from Buthidaung who was arrested on November 19, 2007. He is currently missing and the location of his detention is unknown.

The NLD in Arakan stated in the report that they have only collected the names of the aforementioned individuals in Arakan State after the ‘Saffron Revolution,’ but many more people have been reported arrested and are missing around the state after the junta cracked down on those they believed played a part in the protests.