The Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), a non-profit news organization and one of the few places where the news from Myanmar still trickling in has posted a report in Burmese on soldiers trying to get the monks to give up their religious life.
Some 300 monks who were arrested a few days ago were delivered to a garage just out side of Insein GTI College. The soldiers are reported to be trying to force the monks to ” give up the secular life, to disrobe – become a layperson and no longer honour the ethics of being a monk.”
It is considered to be a sin to just give up being monkhood without valid reasons. The soldiers are trying to significantly lower their influence on people down, to shame them.
DVB also mentioned that soldiers ordered the “most senior monk in Insein” to come over and read pali scriptures that will begin the process of “shaming the monks” to make monks change into laypersons. However, the monks, who are supposed to repeat the pali scriptures read by the senior monks, refused to repeat them and after a while, the senior monk said that he can't convert them into laypersons and that it just won't happen and refused and supposedly left.
There are reports that the soldiers are also beating the monks in Insein. When a plumber came to fix the water pipes in the place, a monk looked up to see him and a soldier is said to have hit him with his belt.
There was also a report that when the army truck with these monks passed by cars on the street, one driver made the mistake of honking (probably in fear) and the soldiers stopped the truck and arrested the driver who honked.
There are also reports that a monk with wounds on his feet was brought to the general hospital and the soldiers ordered the doctors to not treat the monk until he converted back to a layperson. The monk then replied that he will not revert to become a layperson and preferred to die from his wounds.
Apparently, the hospital staff had to get the permission of the Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Mya Oo to be able to finally treat the monk.
Witnesses report that soldiers have surrounded the entrances and exits of the general hospital and are interrogating everyone who is visiting.
18 comments
shut down the government!!! no more violence!!!
civil disobedience is the only way to quiet the evil landlord and clever politicians.
they install fear and repression, make there families faat and ask for forgiveness when they are caught.
shut down the ports and stop the transportation of goods to and from the cities.
without violence these worms will crawl back in the holes.
the compassionate heart of the Buddhist is indestuctable and the power of all the people acting together is also indestructable.
My thoughts and prayers are with the courageous, inspiring Burmese people who are using civil disobediance to challenge tyranny.
I have thought of protesting in front of the Chinese consulate in neighboring San Francisco. As the Chinese government is very nervous about the upcoming summer Olympic Games in Beijing, would a call to boycott the games be effective?
Democratic Voice of Burma is funded by the NED – CIA’s public front:
http://www.saag.org/papers2/paper198.htm
As a Burmese, we do not care who is funding Democratic Voice of Burma. We do welcome all who will help the people of Burma.
By the way, the current monk and people killing military government is supported and armed by Chinese wapons. Our blood and suffering are with those who are supporting and doing business with them.
My only wish is the once proud armed forces of Burma will again become people’s armed forces by uniting with the people.
I call for the resignation of all those generals who had passed their retirement age and to the younger generation of learders in the armed forces to do what is right and perform their duty. Just like General Aung San once called to fight the nearest enemy of the state during the Japanese occupation, I would like to call on them to fight their nearest enemy of the state for the sake of the people of Burma.
I am very confuse to hear world powers and burmese politicians asking Chinese intervention in Burma’s affair. You should watch the documentery film” Tears of Tibet”, then you will see what really this Chinese Communist party is, then you realize, these Thug Generals learnt from Chinese how to eliminate Buddishism.
I was finding very fact that Burmese genrals are not the first dictactors but the communists, they tie and smash monks and rule country by gun.
Nowaday they are pursuing new strategy in Burma as they plan to grow Chinese population in Central Burma as Mandalay by buying properties and estates with printed RMB, they have record as they overwhelmed Tibet community by mainland chinese settlers.
So it is crystal clear how communist policy towards Burma with the help of ASEAN chinese community. We have to very cautious on these communists as they have track record by invading neighbours, but burnmese corrupted power crazy tyrants just submit earth and water to these barbaric regime.
If you ask for help, you should know what will have.