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A Buddhist monk in Myanmar’s Sagaing region is at the centre of shocking allegations, accused of orchestrating the abduction of young men for forced military service under the junta.

 

U Waiponla, based in Htut Khaung village, is reportedly heading a Pyu Saw Htee militia unit aligned with the military regime. Locals say he works in tandem with the 33rd Light Infantry Division to seize men from their homes, often firing warning shots during raids. The operation is allegedly led on the ground by his disciple, Saw Pyae Chan Thar.

 

“They take people to Waiponla Monastery and demand ransoms,” one resident told The Irrawaddy. “If families can’t pay at least 5 or 6 million kyat, the youths are sent straight to the army. They are literally selling people.”

 

More than 50 young men were reportedly taken in the final week of September alone. Only those with military or administrative connections were released. Internally displaced people sheltering in monasteries and urban wards are said to be primary targets.

 

Waiponla’s monastery, built on land he purchased, has allegedly been converted into a fortified militia base. Locals question his religious standing, citing low-level monastic qualifications and accusing him of keeping a mistress—claims that further fuel public outrage.

 

Before the 2021 coup, Waiponla faced accusations of profiting from illegal gambling and smuggling restricted goods. His followers are also alleged to have extorted money from truck drivers at jetties following the March earthquake that damaged the Sagaing Bridge.

 

Saw Pyae Chan Thar, once a journalist with the now-defunct Zeyar Times, was briefly jailed after the coup but has since re-emerged as a key militia figure. His transformation from media to militia underscores the shifting allegiances in Myanmar’s conflict zones.

 

Residents say junta troops and Pyu Saw Htee units now patrol Sagaing in civilian vehicles, stopping and detaining people at will. The growing presence of armed militias under religious cover is raising alarm across the region, as communities grapple with fear, extortion, and forced conscription.

 

-2025-10-07

 

 

 

That is as scary as **** considering their not so distant history.