A court in Yangon has charged three monks and four other people under the section 19 of the Peaceful Assembly Act for their involvement in demonstration in front of the United States embassy in April. Those facing the charge are the Mogwe Monastery Monk U Pamaukkha, U Nyanna Dhama, U Thusita (Wira Myo Sat), U Win Ko Ko Latt from Myanmar Nationalists Congress (MNC), and MNC’s Secretary Naung Taw Lay and the other two people. The group had organized the demonstration against a statement issued by the US embassy on 20 April to express condolences over the death of a group of Rohingya people in a boat incident. The protestors said they want the embassy to apologize for using the word “Rohingya Community” in the statement. The protest in front of the embassy on 28 April was organized by the Association for the Protection of the Race and Religion - more widely known with its Burmese acronym Ma Ba Tha. About 200 people joined the protest which included a march from the Yangon University to the US embassy. U Win Ko Ko Latt and Naungtaw Lay along with their associate Ko Khin Maung Win (a) Ko Pho Thar are facing similar charge at the Bahan Township Court for organizing a protest against the Government’s usage of the “Muslim Community in Rakhine State” in reference to Rohingya people. Reference: Daily Eleven, July 16, pg-20