U Pyinya Zawta is a New York resident, a Buddhist monk and naturalized U.S. citizen. He is a former political prisoner, having been arrested and tortured in 2007, before he was finally released and departed for the United States.
In November 2024, Zawta returned to Myanmar to build a monastery for children. He entered the country legal, on a visa approved by the government of Myanmar. However, within a week of his return, he was arrested on spurious charges. His arrest appears to be retaliation by the repressive Myanmar government for his past dissent.
