Monk militia: The Buddhist clergy backing Myanmar's junta

An undated handout picture shows Wathawa, a pro-junta monk, addressing crowds. Chindwin News Agency/Handout via REUTERS

(Reuters) - In a monastery in central Myanmar, a Buddhist monk, Wathawa, rallies his militia with a cry: "What's our spirit like?"

"The spirit of iron!" shout a group of rifle-bearing men, loyalists of the military junta that seized power last year, now fighting to crush fledgling pro-democracy groups.