Junta appeases monks with offerings

October 16, Mizzima News

In an attempt at appeasing Buddhist monks after ill treating them, the
Burmese military junta has started offering Swan and other things in
different monasteries in Rangoon and other parts of the country.

The State-run newspaper, New Light of Myanmar, today carried several
photographs and information on the junta's generals offering Swan and
other valuables including money to at least 66 monasteries in Rangoon and
across the country.

However, monks in Burma said they maintained a numb-sense in accepting the
offerings of the generals, who had last month come down heavily on monks,
protesting peacefully.

"We monks eat only when any one offers us. And whenever anyone wants to
offer, we cannot refuse. But we maintain a numb-sense and accept the
offerings," said an abbot in Thayetthaw monastery in Rangoon.

The junta last month cracked down on monk-led protests that posed a direct
challenge to its rule, and killed several monks and civilians. The junta
launched midnight raids in several monasteries and residence of activists.

The junta claimed that 10 people had died and over 2,000 were arrested but
activists said the number is higher with at least 200 killed and several
hundreds if not thousands arrested and put into prisons and interrogation
centres.

"There is nothing like we forgive for what they [the junta] have done to
us. We don't hate them nor do we love them, we just maintain a numb-sense.
We believe that people doing good will get good returns and for evil doers
the same will come back," said another abbot from a monastery in Rangoon.

Meanwhile, residents in Rangoon said, while some monasteries accepted the
offerings by military generals, a few rejected them and piled up the
offerings on the monastery ground.

While the information could not be independently verified, a local
resident, who is close to monasteries, said, "I heard that some
monasteries accepted the offerings but there are some that did not want
any offerings from the generals and they piled up the offerings in the
middle of the monastery ground."

But an abbot in New Delhi, India said the junta's act of offering Swan and
other materials after severely violating the Buddhist religious rules by
insulting and dishonoring revered monks [considered as sons of Lord Buddha
in Burma], the junta is trying to drive a wedge in the unity of monks in
Burma.

"By giving offerings, the junta is creating fissures in the monks' unity.
Because if the monks do not accept they might be arrested and by doing so
they are dividing the monks into two – monks who refuse the junta's
offering and monks who accept the offerings," U Pinyawara, chairman of the
All Burma Young Buddhist Monks Union told Mizzima.

"In Buddhism, there are five major sins, and the junta is now committing
the biggest sin," U Pinyawara added.