The sister of a Buddhist monk imprisoned by Burma's military rulers forpro-democracy activities says her brother is on a hunger strike.
KhinThu Htay tells VOA Burmese service that monk Ashin Gambira began thehunger strike 10 days ago after prison authorities blocked him fromseeing her and other family members. She says the family tried to visithim at a prison in the central region of Mandalay.
The sistersays Burmese authorities told her that several days later, Gambira wastransferred to another prison Hkamti in a remote part of thenorthwestern Sagaing region.
Courts in military-run Burma sentenced the monk last year to 68 years in prison for leading pro-democracy protests in 2007.
Burmesecitizens began weeks of mass protests against the military in June 2007before authorities crushed the demonstrations. The United Nations saysat least 31 people were killed and thousands more were detained in thecrackdown.