Burma Young Monk: We are Hopeless to Get Democracy

by Wahyuana


U Pandavamsa, picture taken in Rangon)

U Pandavamsa has experienced life 8 years 4 months to serving a sentence in the prison of Burma military junta, about 3 years in the biggest Insein prison, Rangoon and 5 years 4 months in the 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, Rangoon. When around the 1.010 monks were gathered to refuse donation alms from the government junta. The donation were given by Senior General Saw Maung, Chairman of State Law and Order Restoration Council ( SLORC) to hundreds monasteries in Rangoon.

Now U Pandavamsa is head of Shwe Taung monastery, one of the biggest monastery of tens monasteries compound at near train station in Rangoon, 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 that still applies until now," says U Pandavamsa.

He is also as Secretary General of the Young Monks Union (Sangha Sammagi) for region Lower Burma. The organization have member about 80.000 young monks and have activities to working for public education and Buddhist religion serving. From the Ah Thiti Tazaung pagoda, in Rangoon, the Young Monks Union have an office room and running their program activities.

"We are not under ground organization," says U Zawana, friend of U Pandavamsa and the Chairman of the Young Monks Union Lower Burma.

This is an interview with U Pandavamsa on the role of Buddhist monks in Burma under military junta recently.

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 students university in demonstration protest which known as 8888 national tragedy. Also the event of monks mass shooting and monks arrested in Rangoon and Mandalay. Almost every year any tens monks was catched and jailed by junta. The catched just caused they are boycott and refuse to receive donation from the military or government officer and military families. Recently every monastery living under observes and tightly controlled by intelligent junta personnel. All activities of monks must be having permission from government though just a religious ceremony. Since 2001 the government through the Sangha Mahanayaka Committee (A state’s Buddhist monk organization) was release a regulation of Order No. 15/2001 that started implemented on 2006. The regulation said that the monks banned to wearing his robe again after he is released from the prison. The regulation is really made fright for the young monks. We are not afraid to serving a sentence in the prison, but we will afraid if banned to wear our pride of monk robe.

Ask: Does the monks also must be sign a letter permission contract that he must be promise to not involve in politics activities? And is he obliged to have a monk legal identity card?

Answer : Yes. We sign a contract letter explains that we was promised to not involve in politics. But this sign contract letter is just for the head monks of the famous and influential monasteries. Not for all the monasteries. The monks also must be having a monk identity card. The cards are released by Sangha Mahanayaka Committee. Anytime, the card can be abstracted by the Sangha Mahanayaka Committee if the monk deemed has been involving 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 others?

Answer: The fact, life of all public and civil society organizations inside Burma has been successfully to be weakening by junta. Weak and weak all everything, not only to the opposition party of the National Democratic League ( NLD) Party, but also for all civilian groups, including the Buddhist religion organizations. The Government was moved the state's capital from Rangoon to Pyanmana, in Middle Burma. The new capital under tightly controlled by intelligent military. The Burmese peoples self can not going to enter there. So now not any again the internal politics pressure from Burmese peoples himself to junta government.

Ask: In ideologically how about the idea of democracy in Burma Buddhism teaching.


Answer: Sangha (monk’s community) very enthusiastic and supports the 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 important than that is for all human being. A value of democracy in Buddhism is recognized as 'sutta'. Metta Sutta is directly give attention to the humanitarian approach to the 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 number Asian countries that the religion has playing important role in democracy and social change. In Philippine we were known the democratization leadership of Cardinal Sin of Catholic bishop. In Indonesia we were known Abdurahman Wahid of Islamic cleric. Or in Tibet we were known Bhiksu Dalai Lama to Mongolia freedom movement. So, how about the role of 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 the evolution social process. But maybe the way of struggle is different. In Buddhism teaching we can not take terrorism way and the extremism view for the democracy struggle. In "Dhamma" of Tipitaka textbook are prohibits to every Buddhist to take action a terrorism way and doing violence action. Actually, the statement of politics boycott as written in ' the pattam nikkujjana kamma ' agreement from the Sangha is culminating radical and the hardest political view of the Burma monks political movements. In history, the boycott monks to government have been proven effectively to drop the power regime.
But the recent Burma military regime does not want listen the voice of monks.

The monks political expression actually is not in form a stage demonstration in the street or a direct struggle resistance to the enemies. The role of monks is as mediator to a dialogue 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 recently. This isn’t just applied in relation with the political actors, but also in a cultural relation of each others personal relations in social life.

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 power, the monks actually enabled can take a position direct participate in the struggle in the field struggle. The monks may to be involved in political struggle. That is can become an example that the Buddhist religion also has attention to democracy. In the British colonialism era, the Burma Buddha Sangha is one of exponents most actives on struggle to the freedom, but recently we involve in the silent struggle.

Ask: Almost every year any a 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 leaders 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 an Islamic religion party is like tradition the reading of Qur’an, its usually before the event started they were sent to us various food and also give us the donation. Relation each others of the leaders religion in around there is no problem. 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



(Monks at Mahagondayone Monastery, Mandalay, North Burma)

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 happened 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. Mahawthada don’t like to hear or reading the mainstream Burmese media, because biased on political view, they only broadcast news which have positive view on the military junta. They will censor information on Aung San Suu Kyi information, on NLD (National League for Democracy) and on exponent's pro- democracy movement others. “A joke on the media inside Burma they are just make report on Sittar-sittar, Playar-playar, Thardu-thardu (mean is Pagoda-pagoda, Army-army, Donation-donation),” smile Mahawthada.

But I am in Burma not to make stories on the media. There I would make coverage on Burma Buddhist monks. For its reason I meet with Mahawtada. He refuses to make an interview with his real name. U Mahawtada is his title name as a monk from the Sanskrit language Buddhist tradition.

According U Mahawthada now the Burma military junta is being in a state of its strongest. It’s nothing any resistance from the groups of pro democracy movement from the inside Burma. "Most of all pro democracy groups in Burma has been successfully to be keeping quiet and 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 is strongest traditional power in the Burmese society. So now are only the monks which still have chance to make political change for the democracy," said Mahawthada. ..more...

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 usually living together in close monasteries, any around 51.000 monasteries and pagodas at throughout Burma. Interesting on Sagaing Hill, South Mandalay is a complex where around 11.000 monks and 3.000 nuns live in hundreds monasteries in a cool, peace, and quiet mountains area -- really an exotic place. Buddha Theravada in Burma is majority religion about 90% of population.

In Burma are to be a monk not just for the men. Many women also waste her life for service as nuns. "In the last decade, the poorness has been cause many young women decided to choose her life to be nuns. The number nuns are increasing twofold compared to decades before. To be nuns is the best choice for the rural women that would been given her a guarantee to got free of 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 Burma 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 all the monk's activities. Each activity of the monks must be have a permission from the government though it just a religious ceremony," says U Pandavamsa, secretary general of the Young Monks Union for region the Lower Burma, in Rangon.

While according U Wayama, a monk in Swe Dagon pagoda, Rangon, said that the junta now only regulate the state Sangha Mahanayaka Committee as one of legal Buddhist monks organization. Swe Dagon Pagoda is the biggest pagoda in Burma from the 10 century heritage and it is center of Burma Buddhist spiritualism reference.

The committee of Sangha Mahanayaka has member 47 senior monks, which has been selected from a 300 senior monks council. The 300 senior monks council has 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 has capacity to arranging and observing to all activities of the monks. The body formed in the 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.

Many monks refuse the system of monks identity card. They said that the regulation just to limits monks activities mainly to make them far from the political activities. “Because the monks community (Sangha) is a cultural power that have potential to against junta,” said U Wayama.

Some monks argue that they are refuse with this state regulation because its opposite with the Vinaya of Tipitaka Buddhist textbook. ”Everyone has a basic right to experience his life as a monk. They aren't need permission to decide 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.

Base note of the Young Monks Union region the Lower Burma, the state Sangha Mahanayaka Committee also have release a regulation of Order No. 15/2001 that was implemented started 2006. The regulation is addressed to all monks that have being served a sentence in the prison. The regulation said that the monks banned wearing his robe again after he is free from the prison. These regulations 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.

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 are Buddhist monks. “In custody they are treated like as a criminal prisoner. They are prohibited to wear their pride of Buddha robes," said Tate Naing

Burma Boycott Monks

Monk is cultural political power in Burma. But under junta regime they are go to the wall. Sangha (monk community) is a potential power to make bargaining political movement with the government. But under regulation the junta many peoples assumed they have been apathetic to the politic.

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

Zagara said, historically, the Burmese Buddhist monks always playing important role in the politics and social change. While Burma under power of King Naraphistu (1173-1210) in Bagan, at middle Burma, the Buddha Sangha is very actively to advocating the public life of peoples. The King Naraphistu has an ambitious to build a big Pagoda. He is applies a regulation which obligate for all men to compulsory work build the pagodas. The Sangha is boycotting its King policy, because the compulsory work system has made peoples to be poor. The Buddha Sangha boycott to give serving ceremonial prayer to the King families, because the King policy was acted arbitrary to his peoples.

While 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 from the British colonialism. The young monks are take a fights because they feel have been affronted by the British government officers which refuse to take off their shoes when they are enter to pagodas or monasteries.

But it’s a struggle democracy inspiring from the past. How it’s in the contemporary era? U Pandavamsa said the struggle of Tibetan Budha Mahayana in Mongolia under leadership Bhiksu Dalai Lama is a good inspiration on Buddhism political struggle for democracy. “The bhiksu in Tibet involves directly in leadership of political movement. They become main actor in struggle against regime. But in Burma we can not take its method. Very dangerous,” 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 in Burma is make 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 recently 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 personnel 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 assume that military junta personals was in outside of religion line and humanity. 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 layman to the monks in every morning is one of important parts of 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 are a big ignominy and the fall of morale of one and their families.

The statement Pattam Nukkujana Kamma confessed in holy book of Buddha is Tipitaka, like arranged in section 262 of Vinaya book.

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).

The statement is 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 boycott alms from the military junta now.

"The boycott monks are a culminating strategy democracy movement of monks. This is a highest political morale movement of political Burma Buddhist Sangha," said U Pandavamsa.***