A Muslim man was arrested in a village in Ayeyarwady Region in connection with dispute between a Christian man and local Buddhist over excavating an old pagoda. The man U Aye Win a.k.a U Pau was in Seittha village in Kangyi Daunt Township while dispute over excavating of an old pagoda by a local villager U Hay Bae Lay, who is a Christian. A fellow villager U Ah Khin lodged a police complaint against U Hay Bae Lay alleging that he along with four people were excavating old pagoda in his farmland. A local resident U Min Thet said U Aye Win, originally from Yangon was in the village to sell fragrance and some items use by Muslims, and he was arrested at the excavation site, which is about five miles from Kangyi Ddaunt Police station. “He was arrested by police from Pagan Su and Daut Gyi police stations, who were in plain clothes. The excavation work started 7 days ago,” U Min Thet said. He said the three other people are still avoiding arrest. Among them is Shaw Pati from Thapyay Kwin village. However, identity of the other two are still unknown. A former staff member of the land registration department of Kyaungkone said the land is registered as free hold land and the village has majority Christian population and there were no pagoda in the village. He said there are only homes, churches and schools in the village”. The accused is charged under the section 295 A of criminal penal code and he will be produced in the court for the second time on 17 February. The case is registered with Kyaung Kone police with the registration number (Pa) 1/2017. A residence of a nearby Lay Ein village said similar group of people came to his village to do excavation of treasure chest but since the villagers do not like strangers coming into the village they refused to give permission.