Posters exhorting monks' to protest on Independence Day in Pakhokku

Htein Linn
Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)

December 21, 2007 - Posters have appeared exhorting Buddhist monks to once again take to the streets on Burma 's Independence Day. In what appears to be an effort to renew the 'Saffron Revolution' posters were seen pasted in Pakhokku town in central Burma, sources said.

The posters calling for a mass rally of monks on the 60th anniversary of Burma's Independence Day on January 4, 2008, were pasted on the northern gate of the Mahawihzayarrama monastery, also Known as the East monastery, in Pakhokku, a town in Magwe Division where the September Saffron Revolution was sparked, the source said.

"This morning posters that call for a demonstration to be staged on January 4, were seen pasted at the northern gate. A number of monks and novices went to read the posters," a teaching monk from the monasteries told Mizzima.

However, the posters were removed soon by the local police force, the monk added.

Similarly, on November 9, posters exhorting monks to re-launch a boycott were also seen pasted on the walls of the monasteries.

Following the brutal crackdown on the September protests, the authorities raided several monasteries across the country and sent back most of the monks who were learning and novices to their native hometown, in a bid to weaken the monks' agitation.

Local residents said, only one-third of the monks could be seen present in Pakhokku town after the authorities forcibly drove away many monks and novices to their native hometown.

"Earlier there were about 600 monks but now there are only 200 left. Since there will be no more examinations, the monks left for their hometown after the September protests and did not return," the monk added.

A monk, who wished not to be named, said, authorities under the 'teacher-pupil' project ordered government employees to be informers by serving the monks at the monasteries and watch the activities of the monks closely.

"I have been ordered to work at one of the monasteries on the west of Shwe Street . Since there is no choice we have to do it," a government employee in Pakhokku told Mizzima.

Monks in Pakhokku planned to boycott the monks' examination to be conducted by the local authorities as opposition against the treatment meted out to the monks by the authorities during the Saffron 'Revolution'.