Myanmar's top Buddhist body has banned hardline group Ma Ba Tha, according to a document sent out on Tuesday, a move aimed at curbing the movement's influence amid rising Islamophobia.
Myanmar has been gripped by deepening religious tensions that have repeatedly spilled into violence, partially attributed to anti-Muslim rhetoric spread by nationalist groups like Ma Ba Tha.
The Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee, Myanmar's highest Buddhist authority, sent a letter to Government ministries today.
"People, either as individuals or as a group, cannot take any actions under the name of Ma Ba Tha," said the letter, which was seen by AFP and carried the signature of several monks including senior figures from Ma Ba Tha.