Burma - New Zealanders protest as stories of brutality emerge
by Justin Henehan
Stories emerge from Burma of brutal government reprisals against monks
Grim stories are beginning to emerge from Burma of brutal government reprisals against Buddhist monks and the sacking of monasteries.
An email from Bangkok based IT consultant Claude Brina, whose sister lives in Burma, was read at a recent Auckland protest.
The protestors heard Brina’s sister’s story of a raid by a troop of mercenary riot police [lone-tein] on a monastery in Ngway Kyar Yan in the neighbourhood of Yangon, Burma.
“[The lone-tein] systematically ordered all the monks to line up and banged and crushed each one’s head against the brick wall of the monastery.
“One by one, the peaceful, non resisting monks fell to the ground, screaming in pain. Then, they tore off the red robes and threw them all in the military trucks (like rice bags) and took the bodies away.”
“Their every try to forge ahead was met with the bayonets. When all is done, only 10 out of 200 remained alive, hiding in the monastery. Blood stained everywhere on the walls and floors of the monastery.”
No official death count of the raid has been confirmed.
Brina says he fears for his sister’s life and is sure his phone conversations with her are now being monitored.
“I’m sure all the lines are tapped, so we don’t say much.”
Brina’s sister’s story is partially backed up by recent official news reports out of Burma of a raid on the Ngway Kyar Yan monastry in Yangon.
One report told of how soldiers beat women, children and monks with bamboo sticks.
“The army soldiers beat the monks violently. They ordered them to sit down and then they kicked the monks’ heads with their boots. There was blood stain everywhere in the monastry,” a student movement member told The Nation.
Another report, by the Democratic Voice of Burma, tells of how the Ngway Kyar Yan monastery was cleaned up and restored and new monks installed by Burma’s Ministry of Religious Affairs in advance of United Nations Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari’s arrival.
Auckland protesters offer prayers of solidarity for Burmese monks
120 to 160 people walked in pounding rain from Aotea Square to Britomart in a gesture of solidarity with the Burmese monks and people on Sunday.
The last weekend of September was one of protests, with more than 200 protesters, including most of the Auckland’s Burmese community, gathering on Saturday for a noisy and colourful display of defiance against Military rule in Myanmar.
Sunday’s protest was subdued and contemplative in comparison.The assembled group, led by eight Buddhist monks in saffron robes, marched the length of Queen Street with banners and multicoloured flags held aloft in a silent protest.
Huddled against the driving rain at Britomart station, the protestors protected their candle flames against the wind. At the sound of a bell the monks led the group in a chant of the metta kariniya sutta (the prayer of loving kindness).
“All we do is give attention to a small part of our mind that wants all things to be happy and let that grow,” translated Dharma Charini Tejopala, a member of the Westerner’s Buddhist Order.
“It was to show our support, friendship and commiseration, especially with the sangha (the Buddhist fellowship),” Dharma Charini Navachitta , said march organiser and devout Buddhist.
Non-violence was the theme and that’s the great Buddhist cause.
The metta sutta has been chanted by Burmese monks throughout the demonstrations.
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This is a bit late, but that’s life.