King Zero: Mandalay Peace Protest – Sangha under pressure

Friday, November 18, 2011

Mandalay Peace Protest – Sangha under pressure

Since yesterday we have not been able to contact any of the five monks who led the peaceful protest calling for the release of political prisoners and an end to the civil wars in Burma that began last Monday in Mandalay.
The last information that we could confirm was that the five monks had been ordered to return to their individual hometowns with transportation arranged by the authorities this afternoon (Friday 18 November). Two local journalists confirmed us today that all five monks have arrived in Monywa in Sagaing Division, but the local Sangha did not accept them.
They have split up into two groups now and are heading for remote areas.
Yesterday, the authorities reportedly delivered a guarantee via the Mahanayaka (Sangha Council) that the five monks would not be detained for their peaceful protest.
The restrictions preventing the media in Burma from reporting anything about the monks’ protest are seemingly still in effect, and with nothing new to report, Burmese media organizations-in-exile have also been quiet.
This procedure shines a clear light on the actual state of Freedom of speech in Burma. The Burmese Buddhist Sangha is evidently still under a enormous amount of pressure not to tollerate monks who dare to speak out.
International Organizations and Indivuduals who advokate Human Rights should take a close look on the fate of these five monks. We encourage people around the world to continue to keep an eye out for any developments in an effort to ensure that no one is imprisoned or harmed for their participation in the protest.
The Best Friend would like to sincerely thank artist and filmmaker Jeffrey Durkin for his creation and donation of two graphics in support of Ashin Sopaka and the other monks in Mandalay. Jeffrey is currently working on a documentary film about the intersection between street art, Buddhism, and the struggle for human rights in Burma. See more about his film here, and feel free to share and use his “Support for Ashin Sopaka” images.