An ultra-nationalist monk U Wirathu received protection by border guard force during his recent trip to Rakhine State. He was welcomed by the Chair of the Arakan National Party (ANP), U Khine Pyi Soe on his arrival to the state capital Sittwe on 3 May. U Khine Pyi Soe told AFP news agency that although his party has no much fund to donate to U Wirathu but will try to assist the monk whatever it could. The Voice Journal reported that the head of the Border Guard Police Thura San Lwin met the monk on 4 May and the troops from the force has provided security for the monk. People in Maungtaw said they were concerned over renewed violence due to the monk’s visit. U Wirathu’s visit to Rakhine State included a trip to Maungtaw, which saw violent attacks recently. U Kyaw Hla Aung, a Rohingya lives in Sittwe said so-called nationalists would get moral boost by U Wirathu’s visit. He said the extremist monk enjoy wide support among Rakhine people for his call to drive out Rohingya from the Rakhine State. According to a local news, U Wirathu visited the site where 300 Rakhine people were killed in a sectarian violence Rakhine State in 1942. He visited the site, which is situated between Buthitaung and Maungtaw towns, on 6 May and recited Buddhist prayers at a site of an old mosque. U Wirathu’s visit to Sittwe coincided with a fire incident in the place where Muslims previously lived. Two houses were burned down in the incident. U Wirathu first visited Maungtaw in August 2012 two months after the Rakhine State saw first wave of sectarian violence in the state. The second wave of violence in October same year spread other places in the state. Since then the extremist monk visited the state every year and every time he visited he called Muslims to banish from the state and made sermon, which largely include anti- Muslim rhetoric. Reference: RFA Burmese and The Irrawaddy.