Speaking to The Myanmar Times, he said, “The letter was submitted to the Sayadaws [senior monks]. The use of the word ‘for Dhamma’ and ‘against Dhamma’ is a bit too much. Instead of those words, ‘lawful’ or ‘unlawful’ could be used.”

To be able to decide on whether his sermons are right, “sound evidence is required by the Sayadaws. Without this evidence and by just looking at Facebook postings, it is difficult for them and to decide on the matter,” he said.
The petition, with 500 signatures from the South Dagon township residents, was sent to the Kaba Aye Sasana Vinaya Disciplinary Office on April 11.

The petition has urged the Ma Ha Na to make a ruling on U Wirathu’s recent words and actions.

The petition had been submitted to the committee a month ago but no decision has been made.

U Wirathu and his associates are considered ‘against Dhamma’, said a member of the Opposing Against Dhamma Committee, Ko Myat Kyaw.

He spoke at a press conference on Tuesday.

He said a state of lawlessness is prevailing in Myanmar and some quarters are instigating religious unrest in the country.

Ko Myat Kyaw said, “As various movements responsible for creating and encouraging religious and racial hatred are increasing, a stop has to be made to all this through a collective effort by all.”

He said that paragraph (b) of a statement issued by the Ma Ha Na forbids U Wirathu from preaching for one year in the country. The paragraph also said that should U Wirathu fail to comply, he would be punished.

“It says that he will be punished under existing laws if he doesn’t abide by the decision of paragraph (b). But the government, the Ma Ha Na and the Ministry of Home Affairs have yet to prosecute him.

“I want to ask the authorities, whether they have failed to prosecute or not dare to prosecute U Wirathu,” Ko Myat Kyaw said.

Citing a statement by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture, Ko Myat Kyaw said that U Wirathu, who is a senior member of the Committee for the Protection of Nationality and Religion (Ma Ba Tha in Myanmar acronym), had committed four instances of misconduct that even lay men do not make.

However, U Tun Nyunt said, referring to the petition, “What they wrote in the letter has no evidence, only allegations. We need eye witnesses and sound evidence to prosecute in a court of law, like the evidence required in a murder charge, for example.”

The Ma Ha Na has decided to ban U Wirathu from preaching for one year for instigating religious hatred and unrest.

It also said that he represents an obstacle to proper law enforcement and for agitating trouble among political parties.

But the committee has yet to decide if U Wirathu’s activities are ‘against Dhamma’ or ‘for Dhamma’.

Ko Myat Kyaw said that if those guilty of breaking the law are not punished, society in general faces a very bad backlash.

"Civil societies will support action taken by the government. After discussing with our committee members, more petitions will be collected in Yangon and Mandalay Regions and submitted to the Ma Ha Na and the government,” he said.

The Opposing Against Dhamma Committee said that enforcement of the law has been weak because the present civilian government has been busy working on reconciliation with the Tatmadaw.

– Translation by Zaw Nyunt