Big Brutus blogs for Burma |

HELP HELP HELP 

Dear all friends, 

We monks from Myanmar (Burma), are currently studying in Sri Lanka. As you might have already known people in Myanmar have been facing immense hardship due to soaring commodity prices in the past few months. Buddhist Monks sympathizing with the plight of their patrons walked in procession peacefully while reciting Metta Sutta as a means of showing dissent. 

However, Myanmar (Burma) military government responded brutally to this peaceful walk, beating, torturing and killing some monks as illustrated in the above picture. The whole Sangha from Myanmar demanded apologies from the military government. But the junta failed to oblige these demands. Instead, they made more arrests and therefore Myanmar Sangha from both inside and outside the country carried out Pattanikujjana (The Excommunication Boycott according to the Vinaya 265 -266) against the military government. Nowadays, they have killed more than twenty monks and many people, injured many monks and people, and arrested hundreds of thousands of people. 

We wish to seek your sympathetic support to stop Human Rights Violations such as killing, torturing and arresting and harassment on the Buddhist monks and people in Myanmar we would sincerely hope that people around the would join us and help in our cause by sharing this message to the rest of other people. 

Myanmar Student Monks Association in Sri Lanka

Today burmacampaign.org.uk released a video on YouTube of the UK’s most senior politicians uniting to condem the recent actions of the Burmese Junta. The release coincides with the first ever full-length Government-sponsored debate on Burma in the House of Commons. The video includes senior politicians from:

• Labour (Gordon Brown MP, David Miliband MP)
• The Conservatives (David Cameron MP, William Hague MP, Andrew Mitchell MP), and
• The Liberal Democrats (Michael Moore MP).

On the 18th of October 2007, the Nagpur edition of the Times of India carried the following report.

They love their motherland, even though it’s strifetorn. But these monks from Myanmar, whose brethren back home have borne the brunt of the unrest, don’t want to go back because they fear for their lives. In Nagpur to pursue their PhD in Buddhist studies, the monks decry the military junta for suppressing the pro-democracy movement.

“Though we love our motherland, we don’t want to go there. We might not be able to come back alive if we go back. We don’t know anything about our families,’’ said Bhante Nanda Mala who has been in the city since the last six months.

Bhante Nanda Mala now preaches Buddhism at Vipassana classes organised by Sari Puta Boudha Vihar in Kailash Nagar. Nanda Mala was accompanied by Bhante Ashin Indacara, U Indacara and U Sobhana who want to pursue a doctorate of philosophy from Nagpur University.

“The people in Myanmar support our movement. But they fear for their lives and don’t come out in the open like we monks do. Due to this unrest, the soldiers keep strict vigil on our movements. We’re virtually kept under house arrest,’’ said Bhante Ashin Indacara.

“Monks are barred from either entering or leaving the country. The situation is worse than Tibet where again monks are fighting for the country’s independence. In this volatile situation, we don’t want to risk our lives. Our sympathies are with our brethren. We just pray for restoration of democracy in our country,’’ Indacara said.

Nanda Mala accused China of helping the junta in Myanmar. “Due to China’s help in terms of arms and ammunition, the Myanmar military has become powerful and is using force on innocents.’’

Mala wants the Indian government to help the people there in restoring democracy in Myanmar which is under military rule since the last 17 years. “The relation between the two countries is good and I think India should pursue the matter with our military rulers,’’ he said.

In 2002 Gary player was involved in the construction of a 650 acre golf course in Burma. George Monbiot, writing in the Guardian, says that Gary Player’s design company “decided not to comment on any questions regarding Myanmar-Burma”.

Following this deafening silence, Gary Player was removed from the guest list of the Nelson Mandela Invitational Golf Tournament. The tournament is a fund raiser for the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund.

According to the Sunday Times in Johannesburg, Gary Player has belatedly spoken out against the ruling military junta. He now says that he decries the recent events in Burma and supports Archbishop Tutu’s efforts to bring peace and transition to Burma.

About time too!

On the 10th of October Associated Press reported a death under interrogation. The body was cremated at the detention center.

The article also reports ongoing arrests and repression of dissidents.

Chevron is coming under pressure to disinvest from Burma. For the full story see the San Francisco Cronicle’s website

Thailand is by far the largest buyer of Burma’s exports (principally gas). Chevron is involved in the Yanado project via its subsidiary Unocal which owns 28%.

The investors in the Yanado project, are Unocal, France’s Total, the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise and the Petroleum Authority of Thailand.

Burma’s principal supplier is China followed by Thailand and Singapore.

ASEAN countries are slowly starting to criticise the military regime in Burma.

Singapore’s senior statesman Lee Kuan Yew believes the ruling generals of Burma are “rather dumb” when it comes to managing the country’s economy and will not be able to survive indefinitely – see the Straits Times.

We went to support the Saffron Revolution by taking part in a peaceful and colourful march from Trafalgar Square to the Peace Pagoda in Battersea Park. Organised through Facebook and coordinated by the local Burmese community, about 3000 of us made our way down Whitehall and on to the Houses of Parliament. Bedecked in red, banners and flags waving, we marched to the rhythmical beat of drums, surprising and amusing Londoners and tourists alike! Victoria came and went before we dodged the traffic on the Embankment to go across Chelsea Bridge and into Battersea Park. There we met up with a delegation of Buddhist monks for a candlelit prayer meeting, which included speeches in support of Aung Sung Suu Kyi and the democratic movement in Burma. Finally an offering was made at the Peace Pagoda, a symbol of the struggle against the current oppressive regime and also a message to them: the world is watching you.

For the full story see the bbc website

Contact your member of parlaiment at their Westminster address:

House of Commons
Westminster
London
SW1A 0AA

Speaking at the Labour party conference Gordon Brown said

“If we could send a message today from this conference that we support Aung San Suu Kyi and all those people fighting for democracy against this illegitimate and repressive regime, then I think that is another sign that the world will not stand by and that this regime is under so much pressure now from all opinion throughout all the world.”

You can petition No. 10 Downing Street at No 10 e-petition Burma Crackdown

See the bbc website for the full story – 26 Sep. 2007 – Gordon Brown urges UN action over Burma