The Sangha Council, a state institution that oversees Buddhist monastic discipline, declared Tuesday that it did not recognise Ma Ba Tha as a member of the country's Buddhist order. Most politicians have been reluctant to criticise the group because its nationalist message seemed popular in overwhelmingly Buddhist Myanmar. In this Sept 21, 2015 file photo, nationalist Buddhist monk Wirathu (centre) marches in Mandalay, the second largest city in Myanmar. Tun Kyi, a prominent Muslim peace activist and former political prisoner, said the government's challenges to Ma Ba Tha come too late. Last week, the government's minister for Yangon, Phyo Min Thein, said the group shouldn't exist, rejecting Ma Ba Tha's demands on official policy toward the Muslim Rohingya minority.

Source: Bangkok Post July 16, 2016 04:41 UTC