Yangon’s western district court has heard from its final witnesses in proceedings in absentia against the fugitive monk Wirathu, reported news outlet Myanmar Now.
A judge on Tuesday gave the hate-preaching monk a month to turn himself in to authorities and issued an order for police to put up notices demanding his appearance.
Wirathu is wanted on charges of sedition following a series of speeches he made attacking State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and her administration.
The failure of the military-backed police force to arrest him has further eroded trust in Myanmar’s legal system, which is widely viewed as beholden to the wishes of the generals.
The court issued the order Tuesday after hearing from the final three plaintiff witnesses and deciding the monk had violated section 124a of the sedition law, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Because Wirathu is on the run, judges are allowed by law to issue a judgement without hearing any arguments in his defence, according to Kyee Myint, a lawyer who is not involved in the case.
- have put up notices in Wirathu’s monastery in Mandalay, as well as at schools and in courthouses, demanding the “absconder” hands himself in.
A total of nine plaintiff witnesses including ward administrators and house group elders gave statements against Wirathu during proceedings that began last month.
One was Wai Naing, the head of Yangon region’s department of religious affairs. During his court appearance he submitted a video recording of a recent Wirathu speech in Myeik in which he made lewd comments about Aung San Suu Kyi.
The court has yet to announce when it will issue its final ruling.
