The military council has permitted monasteries and monks to resume using unlicensed vehicles with approval from township Sangha Nayaka committees, according to head monks from monasteries in Yangon and Mandalay regions. Starting June 1, the military council had been conducting nationwide seizures of unlicensed vehicles and motorcycles, including an aggressive crackdown on unlicensed vehicles with religious designations from monasteries and teaching institutions. However, after monks from the Race and Religion Protection group submitted a petition to military leader Min Aung Hlaing, the council agreed to allow the continued use of unlicensed vehicles with endorsement from respective township Sangha Nayaka committees.
According to a head monk from Mattaya Township in Mandalay Region, religious vehicle designations must include approval from township Sangha Nayaka committees and the vehicles must be genuinely used by monks at monasteries and teaching institutions. The seizure of vehicles used for religious purposes has been suspended, and township Sangha Nayaka committees have officially announced that monasteries and teaching institutions can apply for vehicle endorsements. When issuing approvals for vehicles actually used for religious purposes, township Sangha Nayaka committees carefully register them and submit lists of approved religious vehicles to township police, general administration departments, and local military commanders.
Religious vehicles must have township Sangha Nayaka committee approval and be registered with traffic police, local military, and police forces to avoid seizure. Currently, cross-border travel is not permitted and will only be allowed after the completion of a planned program. Additionally, Ma Ba Tha and nationalist extremist monks have obtained endorsement letters from relevant military commanders for their unlicensed vehicles. Head monks have advised that cross-border travel is inappropriate during the current Buddhist Lent period. The military council’s system requires proper documentation and registration through multiple authorities for religious vehicles to operate legally, though restrictions remain on their movement between different areas.
