Quick Facts
Biography
U Pinnyasiha (ပညာသီဟ), commonly known as the Shwe Nya Wa Sayadaw (Burmese: ရွှေညဝါဆရာတော် ဦးပညာသီဟ, pronounced: [ʃwèɲa̰wà sʰəjàdɔ̀]), is a Burmese Theravada Buddhist monk, best known for teaching at Yangon Buddhist University in Kyimyindaing Township in Yangon. In December 2011, he met with Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State, along with other civil society delegates.
He was born in 1965 to U Htun Yin and Daw Hla Tot, in Phayagon village, Mandalay Division.
In February 2012, Shwenyawa Sayadaw, the abbot of the Sadhu Pariyatti Monastery, was evicted from his monastery by the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee for alleged disobedience, by holding a sermon at the Mandalay office of the National League for Democracy in September, where he had publicly called for the release of political prisoners and the end of ongoing civil wars, despite sending the Committee an apology where had asked for a repeal.
Shwenyawa Sayadaw is known to be a controversial and outspoken figure, he has criticised many of his peers in the Buddhist clergy for corruption and failure to live up their religious obligations, as well as speaking out against the government and the military. Most notably he is known for his strong opposition to the nationalistic and anti-Muslim 969 movement, Shwenyawa Saydaw urged for calm and restraint during the 2013 Burma anti-Muslim riots.