Aug 14, 2008 (DVB), All-Burmese Monks' Alliance leader U Gambira raised the issue of the imprisonment and disrobing of monks by the Burmese regime in a meeting with United Nations human rights rapporteur Tomas Ojea Quintana.

U Gambira's sister Ma Khin Thu Htay said her brother had spent 20 minutes with the special rapporteur during his visit to Burma last week.

"He said the meeting took place at night time and they had a lot of privacy, but U Gambira didn’t get to tell him about all the important things, only general things , such as about 200 monks being thrown into prison and then disrobed," Khin Thu Htay said.

"He told Mr Quintana that he was being detained in prison without a court hearing or remand. He wanted to tell him a lot but there wasn’t much time," she said.

"Mr Quintana promised him he would do his best."

U Gambira has been in detention in Insein prison since he was arrested by government authorities in Magwe division’s Sintgaing township on 4 November 2007 for his role in instigating public protests in September.

Reporting by Khin Hnin Htet