San Maung Saw Wah, 73, leads the Melbourne Karen Buddhist Association Inc. (MKBA), which organises cultural programs hosting children as young as six, according to the information it submitted to the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission.<\/p>\n
The ABC can reveal that last year, then-child safety regulator the Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP) received concerns about the not-for-profit organisation.<\/p>\n
In Victoria, registered sex offenders are prohibited from engaging in child-related work or from applying for a WWCC.<\/p>\n
Sexual assault\u00a0support lines:<\/p>\n
- \n
- 1800 Respect National Helpline<\/a>: 1800 737 732<\/li>\n
- Lifeline<\/a> (24-hour crisis line): 131 114<\/li>\n
- Full Stop Australia<\/a>: 1800 385 578<\/li>\n
- Bravehearts<\/a>: counselling and support for survivors of child sexual abuse: 1800\u00a0272\u00a0831<\/li>\n
- Child Wise<\/a>: counselling provider: 1800\u00a0991\u00a0099<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
However, the CCYP told Saw Wah in November 2025 that the legislation requiring staff and volunteers at charity and religious organisations to hold a WWCC did not apply to the MKBA.<\/p>\n
The CCYP said at the time that the MKBA was “likely exempt from the requirement to comply” with child safety standards set out by the law as it did not “exercise care, supervision or authority over children”.<\/p>\n
Photos and videos publicly available on social media show children are regularly present at MKBA events.<\/p>\n
It is unclear what activities the CCYP reviewed in its determination.<\/p>\n
The CCYP did not respond to the ABC about how it made its recommendations to the organisation.<\/p>\n
The MKBA declined to respond to the ABC’s questions and said in a statement that it was “reviewing its policies and compliance requirements in relation to the Victorian Child Safe Standards and guidance from the Commission for Children and Young People.”<\/p>\n
The ABC understands that Saw Wah informed Victoria Police about his involvement with the organisation.<\/p>\n
When asked about Saw Wah, a spokesperson for Victoria police said it “would never confirm the identity of who may or may not be subject to an investigation.”<\/p>\n
![\"Saw](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/5fb7e51fa86cd9e75786b8fd46f661eb.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nSaw Wah was seen interacting with children at a youth camp held by the organisation in 2022. (Facebook)<\/p>\n
Children a regular feature<\/p>\n
A photo posted on social media shows Saw Wah attending a ceremony sitting metres away from children in October 2025.<\/p>\n
Another photo from May 2024 shows him posing for a group photo with a number of people, including children.<\/p>\n
In a video from August 2023, he can be seen attending a ceremony sitting near a group of children.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/e2e421fe606b94506c7ff1554416e72a.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nJust a month before being told he did not need a WWCC by the former regulator, Saw Wah could be seen sitting near a group of children. (Facebook)<\/p>\n
An April 2022 photo appears to show him creating a banner for a youth camp, which saw 70 young adults and children from across the state staying at the organisation’s monastery in Mount Wallace across three days.<\/p>\n
The ABC contacted Saw Wah for comment, but he declined to be interviewed and did not respond to written questions.<\/p>\n
Past assault had ‘significant’ impact<\/p>\n
Saw Wah was convicted and imprisoned for sexually assaulting a young girl during a dance practice at his home in 2009, while he was the head of the Australian Karen Dance Association.<\/p>\n
He was initially convicted of the assault in 2013, which he successfully appealed, before he was re-convicted in 2015 and received a sentence of four years and eight months in prison.<\/p>\n
![\"Saw](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/3c0ac03a0dc72fc649464a1fa362e48d.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nThe CCYP found the organisation was “likely exempt” from needing to comply with child safety standards. (Facebook)<\/p>\n
The judge found the abuse committed by Saw Wah had a “significant impact” on the victim and her family.<\/p>\n
“You were in a position of trust and were seen as a grandfather figure by the complainant and her parents, who were considerably younger and much less sophisticated than you,” the judge said.<\/p>\n
Members left feeling ‘unsafe’<\/p>\n
An MKBA member speaking anonymously fearing backlash from the community said the exemption “doesn’t really make sense” as children were almost always present at events held by the organisation.<\/p>\n
“We have to have a children’s safety coordinator [at our events] \u2026 someone who is taking care of the children for that day, whether it’s children’s activities, drawing, painting, running or setting up jumping castles,” they said.<\/p>\n
“So, I don’t know why they [the regulator] are saying that we [are] exempt \u2026 I’m very disappointed.”<\/p>\n
![\"Saw](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/fcf3e3f84bd97d5d9f1fb61599fcb96b.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nIn several social media posts, Saw Wah can be sitting in close proximity to groups of children. (YouTube)<\/p>\n
Another member speaking anonymously fearing backlash from the community said their children frequently attended MKBA events and that they were “horrified” to learn of the president’s past conviction.<\/p>\n
They said the concern was shared among many members of the organisation, but a “culture of fear” about being ostracised by the community was keeping people silent.<\/p>\n
“It’s not easy to speak out about these feelings. People refuse to say anything \u2026 because they don’t want to talk about it,” they said.<\/p>\n
They said they would like to see the president stood down.<\/p>\n
“I don’t think he should be around our community,” they said.<\/p>\n
“I feel uncomfortable. I feel unsafe.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/55d6c46c61e6f460f8b8701028203b69.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nSaw Wah was present at a three-day MKBA youth camp that hosted about 70 young adults and children in 2022.\u00a0 (Facebook)<\/p>\n
‘Let down’ by regulators<\/p>\n
Adjunct professor and expert in child abuse laws Chris Goddard said the oversight “defies belief”.<\/p>\n
“It is another absolutely horrific example of our failure to give child protection the priority that it requires,” \u00a0he said.<\/p>\n
“One of Australia’s problems is that we don’t have a national approach to child protection.<\/p>\n
“So, we have what I think is a disorganised response to child protection in Australia.<\/p>\n
“And if this man is in a position of authority in \u2026 an organisation that’s organising youth camps, then that is absolutely extraordinary.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The Victorian government recently revoked the CCYP’s powers to assess organisations and investigate allegations.<\/p>\n
The CCYP directed the ABC’s inquiry to its successor the Social Services Regulator, which did not answer questions about whether Saw Wah’s criminal background was considered in the review.<\/p>\n
![\"Scott](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/246023b5f5ae50fbbc986e5d1fca59be.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nAdelaide University Adjunct Professor Chris Goddard. (ABC News: Rudy De Santis)<\/p>\n
Social Services Regulator Jonathan Kaplan did not comment on the specifics of this matter, but said the regulator holds “a range of enforcement powers” it can wield for organisations that fail to comply with child safety obligations”.<\/p>\n
“It is a criminal offence for an excluded person to apply for or engage in child-related work, and for employers to knowingly employ someone without a valid Working with Children Check clearance,” he said.<\/p>\n
The National Children’s Commissioner Deborah Tsorbaris also did not comment on this matter specifically but said leaders and board member of religious and charity organisations should “absolutely” be required to hold a WWCC.<\/p>\n
“It would be my advice that any organisation that is working with children, it is often best practice for board members to have working with children checks in this country, I’m not sure they’re always required if they don’t come into contact with children, but it is best practice,” she said.<\/p>\n
One of MKBA members said they felt “let down” by the regulators.<\/p>\n
“We keep saying we want to protect children, but when it comes to this, we can’t even implement basic safety measures in one organisation,” they said.<\/p>\n
“It looks wrong, it feels wrong, and it places children at risk.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A convicted child sex offender serving as the president of a Melbourne community organisation received an exemption from…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":787410,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[4740,20020,321781,50,321778,5207,100446,80461,321779,153082,321780],"class_list":{"0":"post-787409","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"tag-australia","9":"tag-child-abuse","10":"tag-mkba","11":"tag-news","12":"tag-organisation","13":"tag-president","14":"tag-regulator","15":"tag-religious","16":"tag-saw-wah","17":"tag-sex-offender","18":"tag-working-with-children-check"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116552539133088293","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/787409","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=787409"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/787409\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/787410"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=787409"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=787409"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=787409"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- Lifeline<\/a> (24-hour crisis line): 131 114<\/li>\n