Well-known Arakanese Monk, Saradaw Ashin Ottama, Passes Away

On This Day in Arakan History ၊ September 9, 1939

September 9, 1939, marks the day when Saradaw Ashin Ottama, the revered Arakanese Buddhist monk and a towering figure in Burma's independence movement, passed away in Rangoon at the age of 59. His death marked the end of a life dedicated to anti-colonial activism and the awakening of national consciousness in Burma.

Born Paw Tun Aung on December 28, 1879, in Rupa village, Sittwe District, Arakan Division, he entered the monkhood and assumed the religious name Ottama. He was one of the first Burmese monks to study abroad, spending three years in Calcutta and later teaching Pali and Sanskrit at the Academy of Buddhist Science in Tokyo. His extensive travels across Asia, Europe, and Egypt broadened his worldview and deepened his commitment to anti-colonial principles.

Upon his return to British Burma, Ashin Ottama became a leading voice against colonial rule. He toured the country, delivering fiery anti-colonial speeches through the Young Men's Buddhist Association. In 1921, he was arrested for his infamous open letter to the British governor, Sir Reginald Craddock, bluntly titled "Craddock, Get Out!". This act made him the first person in British Burma to be imprisoned for making a political speech. Between 1921 and 1927, the outspoken monk spent more time in prison than outside.

For the Arakanese people and the wider Burmese population, the passing of Ashin Ottama was a moment of profound loss. The monk who had been a symbol of resistance and a pioneer of peaceful protest was now gone. Inspired by Gandhian principles, he advocated nonviolent resistance, boycotts of British goods, and a revival of indigenous values.

His legacy as the first of Myanmar's long line of political monks remains significant; his monastery, Shwe Zedi Kyaung in Sittwe, continues to be a focal point for political and social activism.