Mr. Tu Rin Tun (40) from Kawthoung town in the southern parts of Tanintharyi division and Mr. Min Phyo (18) from Monywa township in Sagaing division have been detained in Monywa jail for illegally going abroad under the Immigration Act 13/1.

The authorities have accused the duo of crossing the international Indo – Myanmar border and travelling to Mizoram state, India without permission from the Immigration Department of Myanmar.    

The Immigration Department from Monywa town in Sagaing division arrested them after they came back from an evangelical trip to Mizoram.

"If they really intend to take action against all those who had gone to neighbouring countries illegally, they would have to keep innumerable people in jail. In this case, they intentionally jailed the religious persona to stop preaching of the gospel to the Christian minority," said a person close to the accused.   

Mr. Tu Rin Tun, last year began a crusade in Aizawl, capital of Mizoram for migrants from Myanmar working in the Indian state. At the end of the sermon in Aizawl, he returned to Myanmar along with Mr. Min Pyo.

Mr. Min Pyo is said to have been planning to study the bible at the theological training school in Kawthoung in Tanintharyi division, in southern Myanmar. They were arrested when the preacher and he were applying for the national identity card at the immigration office in Monywa.

Jail authorities demanded Kyat 400,000 (US $ 320) from the detainees' relatives to prevent shifting the accused to concentration camps. The relatives had already bribed Kyat 100,000 (US $ 80) to the jail authorities. The rest of the money is yet to be paid, according to sources. – KNG.