U Ottama

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U Ottama (???,1880-???,1939) was an Arakanese monk, author and one of the leaders for Burmese Independence. He is considered one of the modern heroes of Myanmar

Contents 1 Early Life 2 Education 3 Activism 4 Death 5 Impact on Myanmar

[edit] Early Life

He was born on 1880 in Rupa Rwa, a district of Sittwe, then Akyab, in BritishLower Burma. He was the son of U Mra Tha Oo.

Before he entered the sangha, his name was Paw Tun Aung. However, along with his sacrifice for Burmese nationalism, his religious name, U Ottama, stuck to him.

[edit] Education

He studied in Calcutta for three years, until he passed the vernacular. He then travelled around India, and to France and Egypt.

In January, 1907 he went to Japan, where he taught Pali and Sanskrit at the Academy of Buddhist Science in Tokyo. He then travelled to Korea, Manchuria, Port Arthur, China, Annam, Cambodia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India. In Saigon, he met with an exiled former Burmese price, Myin Kun (who had led a rebellion in 1866, where, along with Prince Myin Khondaing, assassinated the heir to the Burmese Crown, Crown Prince Ka Naung).

[edit] Activism

Once he returned to British Burma, he started his political activities, usually in the form of giving anti-colonial speeches. In 1921, he was arrested for one of his speeches, and sentenced for 18 months in prison. He was the first one in British Burma to get imprisoned as a result of making a political speech (followed by a long line of nationalists, such as Aung San and U Nu. According to academics, between 1921 and 1927, U Ottama spent more time in prison than outside.

U Ottama did not hold any post in any organization. However, he enthusiastically lead many agitation or strike to help Burmese nationalism and anti-colonialism. An admirer of Gandi, he did not resort to violence for his causes.

He represented the India National Congress at the funeral of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen in June 1929. The only time he held a post was as leader of the All India Hindu Mahasabhas in 1935.

[edit] Death

U Ottama was imprisoned in the late 1930s, due to his nationalist activities. In protest of recent political events, U Ottama went on a hunger strike, which the British colonial government ignored. Finally, he died while in captivity in 1939.

[edit] Impact on Myanmar

U Ottama is seen as both the first true martyr of Burmese Nationalism and father of the modern Arakanese nationalist movement. Although there were many other martyrs before him, none were able to impact Burmese independence, Burmese nationalism, Burmese Buddhism, and in the case of Arakan, also Arakanese nationalism, like U Ottama.

U Ottama is seen as the first of Myanmar's long list of political monks, who had stood up for the Burmese people in times of strife, either under colonial, democratic, socialist or military rule. His monastery in Sittwe, the Shwe Zedi Monastery, continues to be an important focal point in the Burmese political movement - the recent August-September 2007 riots were sparked when monks at the Shwe Zedi monastery began to march to the Sittwe Prison demanding the release of an activist. [1]