Oct 9, 2007 (DVB), Two monks and two laymen arrested last week in raids on Maggin monastery have been released from detention and the monastery has been reopened, according to sources.

Maggin monastery had been sealed off since last Thursday after it was raided by troops from the government's army battalion 66. The troops arrested four monks, including the abbot U Einda, and four lay people at the monastery.

A source close to the monastery told DVB that the two men released by authorities are already back at the monastery but the whereabouts of the two monks since their release is still unknown.

"Only the two lay people arrived back at the monastery on Sunday. They are from nearby wards and they have been living at the monastery for a while," said the source.

"The monks who have been released are [monastery] lecturer U Nandiya and 84-year-old U Gaetu, father of the abbot U Einda, who is still detained. They haven’t come back to the monastery yet."

Reporting by Naw Say Phaw