Burma Young Monks: We are Hopeless to Get Democracy

By Wahyuana


(U Pandavamsa, picture taken in Rangon)

U Pandavamsa has experience his life 8 years 4 months to serving a sentence in the prison of Burma military junta, about 3 years in Insein prison, Rangon and 5 years 4 months in Tehyeit prison, Touwingyi, at middle Burma. He catched by military junta officer in the year 1997 with 300 monks his colleagues in Nga Htut Gyi monastery, at Rangon. When around the 1.000 monks was gathered and refused to receive donation alms from the government junta. The donation are given by Senior General Saw Maung, Chairman of State Law and Order Restoration Council ( SLORC) that giving present alms to hundreds monasteries in Rangon.

Now U Pandavamsa is head of Shwe Taung monastery, one of the biggest monastery of tens monasteries at near train station in Rangon, Burma. " We refuse donation because we are still commitment to the statement boycott to government of "patam nikkujjana kamma" agreement which has been reading in Mandalay, in year 1990, that still applies until now," says U Pandavamsa.

He is Secretary General of the Young Monks Union (Sangha Sammagi) for region Lower Burma. The organization have membership around 80.000 young monks and have activities working for public education and Buddhist religion serving. From the Ah Thiti Tazaung pagoda, in Rangon, the Young Monks Union have an office room and running their program activities. " We are not under ground organization," says U Zawana, Chairman of the Young Monks Union Lower Burma.

This is an interview with U Pandavamsa on the role of monks in Burma democratization movements.

Ask: The young monks has been playing important role in history of Burma modern politics. How about the role of monks in Burma democratization issues now ?
Answer: We are hopeless to get democracy now. We are still very traumatic with event the field killing of hundreds young monks and student university in demonstration protest which known as 8888 national tragedy. Also the event of monks mass shooting and monks arrested in Rangon and Mandalay in 1990, then the arrested hundreds monks in Rangon at 1997, and in Mandalay at 2003. Almost every year any tens monks was catched and jailed by junta military. Just because they have a mistake that they are boycott and refuse to receive donation from the military government officer and their families. Now, every monastery living under observe and tightly controlled by intelligent military junta personnel. All activities of monks must be have a permission from government, though just a religious ceremony.

Besides that, since year 2001, government through the Sangha Mahanayaka Committee ( A state’s Buddhist monk organization) was release a regulation of Order No. 15/2001 that will starting implemented in year 2006. The regulation said that the monks can not use his robe again after he is exit from the prison. The regulation are really make fright the young monks. We are not afraid to serving a sentence, but we will afraid if banned to wear our pride of monk robe.


Ask: Does the monks also must be sign a letter contract that he is promise to not involve in politics ? And is he obliged to have a monk identity card ?
Answer : Yes. We sign a contract letter that explains to promises to not involve in politics. The letter is just for the head monks of the famous and influential monasteries. Not for all monasteries. The monks also must be have a monk identity card. The card are release by Sangha Mahanayaka Committee. Anytime the card can be abstracted by Sangha Mahanayaka Committee if the monk deemed have been involves in politics. ( U Pandavamsa show his monk identity card. In his card written; his name, his father, home address and his monastery address).


Ask: How about the situation of civil society organization another ?
Answer: In fact, life all of public and civil society organizations in Burmese has successfully to be weak by military government. Weak and weak for all everything. Not only to the opposition party of National Democratic League ( NLD) Party, but also for all groups, including the religion organizations. The Government have been move the state's capital from Rangon to Pyanmana, in Middle Burma. The new capital under tightly controlled by intelligent military. The Burmese itself can not going to enter there. So now, not any again the internal politics pressure from Burmese himself to his government of the military junta.

Ask: In ideologically how about the idea of democracy in Burma Buddhism.
Answer: Sangha (monks community) very enthusiastic and supports democratization process in this country, because the democracy is in the line with Buddha's Dhamma teaching. Since 2500 years ago the idea of Buddha is not only about the living of monks but rather than is that for all human being. A value of democracy is recognized as 'sutta'. Metta Sutta is directly give attention to the humanitarian approach of democracy. A motto of the struggle of Burma Buddhist monks for democracy that is the democracy is not to tackle each other and not to be hurt by means of one's to another. This is becoming a social ethic base of democratic struggle of Burma monks.


Ask: Lesson from a number states in ASEAN, the religion has playing important role in democracy movement. In Philippine we known the democratization leadership of Cardinal Sin of Catholic bishop. In Indonesia we known Abdurahman Wahid of Islamic cleric. Or in Tibet we known Bhiksu Dalai Lama for Mongolia freedom movement. How about the Buddhist monks in Burma.
Answer: The same. Religion also has been playing important role in public life of Burmese. We are the monks always involving in every evolution social process. But maybe the way of struggle is different. In Buddhism we can not take a terrorism way and a extremism view. In " Dhamma" of Tipitaka textbook are prohibits to every Buddhist to take a terrorism way and doing a violence. Actually, the statement of politics boycott as written in ' the pattam nikkujjana kamma ' agreement from the Sangha is culminating radicalism and the hardest political view of the Burma monks political movements. In history, the boycott monks to government has been proven effectively to dropped the power regime. But the recent Burma military regime do not want to listen the voice of monks. The monks political expression actually is not in form a stage demonstration in the road or a direct struggle resistance to enemies. The role of monks is as a mediator to dialogues or lobbies to give resuscitation. The hardest struggle form is boycott or refuse to give serving the Buddhist prayer ceremonial to men who we assume have a social problem like as the military officer now. This isn’t just applied in relation with the politics, but also in a cultural relation of each others personal relations and social.

If we are taking a lesson from the political struggle of Tibetan Buddha Sangha in Mongolia as an example, actually, if it's required by situation of repression are the monks actually can take a position to direct participate in the struggle in field. The monks are to be involved in politics struggle. That is can become an example that religion of Buddha also has attention to democracy struggle. In the British colonialism era, the Burma Buddha Sangha is one of exponent’s most actives of struggle to the freedom, but now we are in the silent.

Ask: Almost every year any an report that was happen a violence and attack to religion minority others like to Christian or Islam in Burma. How about the religion tolerance in Burma ?
Answer: Till now, my relation with the other religion followers at around this monastery is good. If any Buddhist religion party like as the Thadingyut Festival (the candle festival), we always invite the imams Islam and also the Christian priest from around there to following the party. If any Christian religion party like the Christmas, we are also celebrate it. And so do if there any a Islamic religion party are like the reading Qur'an tradition, usually before the event started, they were sent to us various food and also give us the donation. The relation each others of leaders religion in around there is good. Sometime there is any case the religion minority violence but doesn't influence a good relation of our religion brotherhood here.

Burma Buddhist Monks Fear Losing His Robe

By Wahyuana

U Mahawthada is a young monk in Mandalay Hill monasteries complex, at Mandalay, about 500 mill north Rangon, Burma. Through his small radio he is stealth listen Burma politics broadcast with his friends. " Radio is cheap way to know what was happen in Burma,” says Mahawthada. Usually, he got politics information from the radio BBC London, VOA (Voice of America) and DVB (Democratic Voice of Burma) from Norway.

The national media in Burma like the English newspaper New Light of Myanmar, Myanmar Times, Myanmar Radio and Televisi (MRTV), and Myawaddy television (MWD) that owned by Burma military regime are usually only loads and broadcasts news which have a positive view to the military junta. Usually, they will censor information on Aung San Suu Kyi, NLD (National League for Democracy) and exponent’s pro- democracy movement others.

According U Mahawthada, now the Burma military junta is being in a state of its strong. Nothing any again a resistance from the groups of pro democracy movement from the within Burma. "Most of all pro democracy groups in Burma has been successfully to be keep quiet and made to be weak by military junta. Not only the opposition group of NLD (National League for Democratic Party) which been ended, but also all groups of civil society, including the Sangha (monks community). But we are the monks still have a lucky because the Sangha still be strongest traditional power in the Burmese society. So now only the monks which still have chance to make a political different situation for the democracy in Burma," says Mahawthada.

Tate Naing, Secretary of Assistance Association for Political Prisoners Burma ( AAPP) in Chiang Mai, North Thailand, said estimated there is any about 3.000 political detainees in serving a sentence in hundreds Burma military prisons which scattered in throughout Burma. Around 300 detainees is Buddhist monks. " They are in custody treated like as a criminal prisoner. They are prohibited to wear their pride of Buddha robes," said Tate Naing.

Buddhist monk in throughout Burma is estimated reach 3% of total population peoples. With total population now 53 million peoples estimated there are any 1.500.000 Buddhist monks (hpongyi) and nuns (woman monks/thillasin). They are stay together at around 50.000 monasteries and pagodas at throughout Burma. Especially at Sagaing Hill, South Mandalay, that living together around 11.000 monks and 3.000 nuns in hundreds monasteries at a cool, peace, and quiet mountains -- really an exotic place. Buddha in Burma is majority religion about 90% of population.

“In the last decade, the poorness has been cause many young women decided to choose her life to be nuns. The numbers nuns is increasing twofold compared to decades before. To be nuns is only a choice for the rural women that will give her a guarantee to get free a food, clothes, and stay in monasteries at safe area,” says Thiha Saw, a senior journalist and chief editor of Myanma Dana economic weekly magazine, at Rangon.

Monks Identity Card
The military junta is tightly controlled and observed to every all monks activities in monasteries. “We don’t have a freedom religion. The military government places an intelligent military officer in every monastery to observing the monk’s activities. All activities of monks must be have a permission from the government, though its just a religious ceremony," says U Pandavamsa, secretary general of the Young Monks Union for region Lower Burma, in Rangon.

While according to U Wayama, a monk in Swe Dagon pagoda, Rangon -- the biggest pagoda in Burma and heritage from the 10 century. Swe Dagon pagoda is a center of Burma Buddhist spiritualism. He told that the junta now only confesses a legal organization is the state Sangha Mahanayaka Committee as ones of state Buddhist monks organization. The committee of Sangha Mahanayaka has member 47 senior monks, which was selected from a 300 senior monks council. The 300 senior monks council was selected by 1.400 monks representative from every province, sub province, district and representation of the famous and influential monasteries.

The state’s Sangha Mahanayaka committee is a legal body that has capacity to arranging and observing to all activities of the monks. The body was formed in national level, province, sub-province, and the village level. Coordination operation under the Burma Religion Departments, the Sangha Mahanayaka has been entitled to release a monk identity card. Anytime the Sangha Mahanayaka Committee also has been entitled to abstracted the card if the monk suspected involves in the politics movements.

According to emergency decree state of SLORC Law No. 20/90, date of October 31, 1990, the government military junta only confess a legal organization of Sangha Mahanayaka Committee, also only confess to 9 organization sect of Burma Buddha Terravada. Five of the biggest sect is Sudhama, Shweikyin, Dhammanudhama Mahadvara Nikaya, and Dhammavinayanuloma Muhadvara Nikaya.

"Sangha (monks community) is the Burma cultural power. Existence of Sangha may not be limited by the monk identity card regulation system. Each and everyone have a basic right to experience his life as a monk. They aren’t need permission to decide choose his life as a monk. Now any many monks who aren’t to be member the Sangha Mahanayaka Committee because they are disagrees with existence a super power regulation body monk. They aren’t confessed as a monks and alleged as a rebel," says U Pandavamsa, he shows his identity card monk.

According U Pandavamsa, the state’s Sangha Mahanayaka Committee also have release a regulation of Order No. 15/2001 that will implemented starting this year 2006. The regulation is addressed to all monks that have being served a sentence in the prison. The regulation said that the monks could’t uses his robe again after he is free from the prison. This regulation really make fright the young monks. “We are not afraid to living in the prison, but we are afraid if banned to wear our pride of monk robe. The monk robe is an identity of my life,” he told.

Pattam Nikkujjana Kamma

Ashin Zagara is head of senior monks at Chauk Htat Kye monastery, in Rangon. He is also an editor of Damma Yeik Magazine --a popular local Burmese monthly magazine on Buddhism. He told, actually the Burmese monks are not apathetic to the various political problems and the grief of life Burmese peoples under power the military junta.

According Azhin Zagara, in history, the Burmese Buddhist monks always playing important role in the politics and social change. When Burma under period power of King Naraphistu (1173-1210) in Bagan, at middle Burma, the Sangha is actively advocating to the public life. When the King Naraphistu have an ambitious to build a big Pagoda. He is applies a regulation that is an obligation for all men to compulsory work build the pagodas. The Sangha is boycotting this King policy, because the compulsory work system has made peoples to be poor. The Sangha boycott to give serving the ceremonial prayer to the King, because the King was acted arbitrary to his peoples.

Zagara told, in history of Burma modern, the Young Monks Association ( YMA) in the beginning of century 20 is the first organization and an exponent in struggle movement to Burma freedom and independence from the British colonialism. The young monks are take a fights because they feel have been affronted by the British government officers which them refuse to take off their shoes when they are enter to pagodas or monasteries.

U Pandavamsa said, actually if we learning from the struggle of Tibetan Budha Mahayana in Mongolia, the monks can directly to take a fights for democracy. " Dalai Lama is a inspiration on Buddhism political struggle in contemporary era," he said.

A senior journalist in Rangon, Thiha Saw, said, the role of politics monks in Burma is a cultural politics movement. "The method of the struggle Burma monks for democracy is criticizes to the government by media, support indirectly to opposition party, and boycott to the junta,” he said.

A top role monk in Burma democracy movement is a bloody event of the Mandalay monks bloodies in 1990. When tens of monks were dies by shot and hundreds was catched by military junta. When around 7000 monks’ was gathered to celebrate second anniversary the student pro- democracy demonstrations of 8888 national bloodies tragedy. In the event also around 3110 monks was arrested and jailed by junta.

Eventful of the Mandalay monks bloodies 1990 was coordinated by the Young Monks Union (Sangha Sammagi). The leader is U Yewata, In the event was expressed a declaration "Pattam Nikujjana Kamma," agreement. That is a Buddhist monk important statement to refuses alms donation from the personnels military and their families. The all-Burmese monks agree to break off the spiritualism relation with military families. And the monks refuse to give serving the religious ceremony prayer to military families. Because they have a assume that military junta personals was in outside of religion line and humanity. Because the military was done killing mass of thousands student demonstrator in 1988.

This statement is very important. In the Burmese Buddhist Terravada society, the ritual of giving alms from a laymen to the monks in every morning is one of important parts Buddhist rituals. The ritual alms bowl is marks of spiritual relations between a layperson and the monks that will help us to determine a place in heaven in next life after dies. Statement boycott monks of Pattam Nikujjana Kamma is a big ignominy and the fall of morale of one and their families.

In history of Burmese, Pattam Nikkujjana Kamma even effective to droped the king power. The statement Pattam Nukkujana Kamma confessed in holy book of Buddha is Tipitaka. Like arranged in section 262 of Vinaya book, the third book of Tipitaka that arranging on procedures discipline of the life monks.

According U Pandavamsa, Secretary General the Young Monks Union ( Sangha Samaggi) for region Lower Burma. This statement is still applying until now. The committee compiler of Pattam Nikujjana Kamma is a team of respectable senior monks. They are representation from the famous and influential monasteries from throughout Burma.

They are U Tilawkar Biwuntha (head of Insein Ywama monastery), U Thumingalar Linkara (head of Mahar Ghandaryone monastery), U Nyarna Wuntha (head of Maydini monastery), U Panditha Biwuntha (head of Maharbawdi monastery), U Tanza Wunda (head of Ma Soe Yein Nu monastery), Ashin Aingitha (head of Parli Karyi monastery), U Wantha Wanpandi (head of Maggin monastery), U Waryamandar Biwuntha (head of Shwe Phone Pwint monastery), U Byanma Thini (monk of Shwe Phone Pwint monastery), and U Kaw Thanla (monk of Shwe Phone Pwint monastery).

Statement still applying until now. In year 2003, about 26 monks were catched with brutally by military junta officer in Mahar Gondhayone monastery at Kabaraye, Rangon, because they are also boycott to receive alms from the government. The Mahar Gandhayone is the biggest monastery and most influential in Burma. Till now, every year any tens monks have been catched and jailed by junta Estimated there is about 300 Burma monks in the prisons because boycottt alms from the military junta now.

“The boycott monks is a culminating strategy democracy movement of monks. This is a highest political morale movement of political Buddhist Sangha,” said U Pandavamsa.

Industri Farmasi Indonesia dan Jepang Perlu Meningkatkan Kerjasama Untuk Menghadapi Pasar Bebas Obat ASEAN 2008

Oeh : Wahyuana

Eiji Echikawa, konsultan industri farmasi yang bekerja untuk Gabungan Pengusaha Farmasi Indonesia (GP Farmasi) di Jakarta, mengatakan bahwa perusahaan-perusahaan industri farmasi Jepang dan Indonesia perlu segera konsolidasi dan meningkatkan kerjasama antara keduanya untuk menghadapi perdagangan bebas industri farmasi di ASEAN yang akan dimulai tahun 2008. “Kita perlu meningkatkan kerjasama melalui pertukaran teknologi, pelatihan atau joint manufacturing untuk meningkat kualitas produk obat. Kalau tidak, industri farmasi Indonesia akan ketinggalan dan Indonesia hanya akan jadi pasar saja bagi produk-produk farmasi dari luar,” ujar Echikawa.

Mulai tahun 2008 akan diberlakukan kesepakatan perdagangan bebas obat tingkat ASEAN. Mulai saat itu berlaku harmonisasi perdagangan tingkat ASEAN. Dimana untuk industri farmasi berlaku ketentuan current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) yang terdiri dari dua persyarakatan utama yaitu ASEAN Common Technical Dossier dan ASEAN Common Technical Requirements (ACTD/ACTR). “Melalui ketentuan ini, sebuah perusahaan farmasi tidak perlu lagi untuk meregistrasikan produknya di setiap negara ASEAN untuk beredar bebas, tetapi cukup meregistrasikan produknya di salah satu negara ASEAN, dan produk itu sudah boleh dipasarkan di semua negara ASEAN,” ujar Ichikawa. ACTD/ACTR merupakan persyaratan standardisasi quality obat dan kemasan yang diberlakukan sama di semua negara-negara ASEAN. Standar itu, diantaranya meliputi jaminan keamanan pemakaian, standar sehat proses produksi, standar khasiat, dan standard penggunaan bahan-bahan dasar obat. Dengan ketentuan ini obat dapat beredar bebas di tingkat ASEAN yang diharapkan akan semakin meningkatkan mutu kualitas obat dan juga akan menurunkan harga obat di pasaran tingkat ASEAN.

Jika ketentuan ini mulai diberlakukan tahun 2008, diperkirakan akan ada banyak industri farmasi Indonesia yang akan gulung tikar. “Diperkirakan banyak industri farmasi Indonesia yang akan kesulitan menyesuaikan diri memenuhi persyaratan ketentuan ini. Tidak usah membicarakan masalah teknis proses pembuatan obat dan quality-nya dulu. Untuk proses packaging saja, masih banyak industri farmasi Indonesia yang kualitas packaging obat-nya yang masih jauh dibawah persyaratan standard,” ujar Ichikawa.... more...