ASIA/MYANMAR - Buddhist monks take sides with the demonstrators

Thursday, 18 March 2021 human rights social situation justice politics

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Yangon (Agenzia Fides) - "It gives us courage and we see it as a glimmer of hope: At this terrible moment when the junta cuts the Internet connection so soldiers without witnesses can use violence and kill citizens, this attitude of the Buddhist monks is particularly important. It seems that they want to join the civil disobedience movement. Their support can be a valuable and vital contribution to all of the people who suffer and hope", says a source of Fides in Yangon, while violence continues.
The total of 47 members of the Buddhist Council in Myanmar ("State Saṅgha Maha Nayaka" or "Ma Ha Na") issued a public statement calling for an end to the violence in the hope of restoring social peace in Myanmar to give back "full freedom of movement and trade" to the people of Myanmar. The current statement reminds the population of the so-called "Saffron Revolution of 2007", in which the monks demonstrated on the front lines against the military dictatorship.
A few days ago, the monks of the Buddhist monastery of Manihyadanarama Myattaung in Mandalay, one of the famous monasteries that have recorded many martyrs since the era of the kings in Burmese history, reported that on March 14th soldiers had invaded the monastery for no reason and threatened the monks with weapons to intimidate them. The monks condemn "the intrusion of armed forces into Buddhist monasteries, religious complexes and pagodas" and agree they are ready to "lead the monks' demonstrations against military junta at the national level". (PA-JZ) (Agenzia Fides, 18/3/2021)