Monks refuse documentary team to film in monastery

Irrawaddy
Saw Yan Naing
Wed 19 Dec 2007

A documentary team, led by Zin Yaw Maung Maung, one of Burma’s best-known film directors, was denied permission to take footage of Burmese minister Aung Thaung making an offering to monks by the resident monks of a monastery in Mandalay on Tuesday.

Buddhist monks at the Maha Gandayon monastery in Amarapura Township of Mandalay refused the documentary team, claiming that they were funded by the pro-junta group, the Union Solidarity and Development Association, according to sources.

A source close to the monks said: “The monks didn’t allow the group to take any footage. However, Zin Yaw Maung Maung tried to film it. The monks finally convinced the documentary group to leave and closed the gate. The group left the monastery at about 2:30 p.m.”

Zin Yaw Maung Maung has produced several films in the past promoting the propaganda of the military government. In 1996, he produced a documentary celebrating the anniversary of the USDA.

The source added that the senior monks urged their members not to accept offerings from Aung Thaung, Minister of Industry-1, who is believed to serve as one of the regime’s hardliners, earning the trust of junta chief Snr-Gen Than Shwe.

Buddhist monks staged a patta ni kozana kan, meaning a refusal to accept alms from members of the armed forces and their families, in September. Following their activities against the junta, many monasteries were raided and monks were brutally tortured.

Meanwhile, a 76-year-old Buddhist monk, Ashin Tay Zaw Bartha, is now staying at his daughter’s home after being forced out of the Klayani monastery in Pegu Division by the security forces, said sources.

Ashin Tay Zaw Bartha staged a solo protest against the military government at Rangoon City Hall in September and was subsequently arrested. He went missing for 15 days after his release on October 25. After being sent to his daughter’s home in South Okkalapa Township in Rangoon on Monday, he was told by the authorities not to go back to his monastery, said sources.

In late November, Buddhist monks were forcefully removed from Maggin Monastery in Rangoon by the authorities and the monastery was ordered to close. Nine monks, two laypersons and six HIV/AIDS patients were expelled from the monastery to unknown locations, said sources.

The Burmese junta has reported that 13 protesters were killed during the crackdown on September’s uprising; however, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Paulo Sergio Pinheiro said at least 31 people were killed, while dissidents claimed the death toll was much higher.

As a result of the crackdown, sanctions on Burma have been enforced by several Western countries, led by the US government. A freeze on arms to Burma was also reportedly imposed by the Indian government.

To ease international pressure at that time, Than Shwe announced he would conditionally meet with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

One month later however, Than Shwe shelved the talks, concentrating instead on his own agenda, including a series of ceremonies invariably bestowing high praise on the soldiers who carried out his shoot-to-kill orders during the pro-democracy demonstrations.

The main opposition party in Burma, the National League for Democracy, said that it did not see any signals of dialogue between Than Shwe and its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.

Nyan Win, a spokesperson for the NLD, said: “The meeting between Than Shwe and Suu Kyi should not take long to hold. It should be accelerated. The authorities should also allow us [NLD leaders] to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi whenever necessary.”

In a move supposedly associated with initiating dialogue between the two parties, the junta recently appointed a liaison minister, Aung Kyi, to deal with the pro-democracy leader.

The latest meeting between the regime’s liaison minister and Suu Kyi was held on November 19. No meeting has been held since, said the party’s spokesperson.