Thursday 17 July 2008

Monks continue regime boycott

Jul 16, 2008 (DVB)–Buddhist monks across Burma have said they are continuing their boycott against government officials by refusing to accept donations or passing them on to needy people.

A monk taking part in the boycott from Kaw Thaung, Tenasserim division, said his monastery had not been able to refuse donations outright.

"Our Pattaneikkuzana act against government members is still ongoing – we have been giving away donation items we received from government members to other people,” he said.

“We had to accept these items because they will pressure us if we refuse them."

The monk said some monasteries in Kaw Thaung which had refused donation from government officials had been put under close watch by the military and the monks were also told to inform the authorities when they wanted to travel to other areas.

A monk from one of the lecturing monasteries in Pakokku and another monk from Masoeyein monastery in Mandalay said that they and their fellow monks were also continuing the boycott.

"There is no way we can communicate with these people with loving kindness [metta] according to Buddhist teachings,” the Masoeyein monk said.

“We each have different opinions in our hearts and they cannot be reconciled."

Reporting by Naw Say Phaw

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