BPF Delegation Returns from Burma
Our friends at the Buddhist Peace Fellowship (an affiliate of FOR) have just conducted a delegation to Burma, where thousands of monks and laypeople are still unaccounted for, and where the humanitarian crisis is still deepening — to say nothing of the egregious anti-democratic policies of the ruling junta.
Members of the delegation, who posed as tourists to be able to enter the country, collected a wealth of first-hand evidence that the situation in Burma has become even worse since the September peace marches undertaken by Buddhist monks. In particular, delegates gathered information indicating that at least 70 people have been killed in the government crackdown over the past two months, more than double the number given in a United Nations report released earlier this week.
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Delegation member Alan Senauke of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship said, “Wherever we went, people were very happy to meet with us, and welcomed the news that the world was still watching Burma, despite propaganda that things had returned to ”˜normal.’ They asked us to carry the message that the crackdown is active and ongoing; that ”˜normal’ for Burma under the military regime is a state of fear and repression.”
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The delegation learned that thousands of monks, nuns, and ordinary citizens have been imprisoned or driven out of the cities. Delegates recorded examples of those detained in the wake of the peace marches. Those who applauded the monks, offered them water in the blistering heat, or simply stood by and watched were arrested and held, often without family members knowledge, for up to one month. Many of the monks who participated in the peace marches are still missing and feared dead.
Hundreds of Burma’s monasteries have been emptied and continue to be locked tight. And no one is able to account for thousands of children who were being cared for at the 3,000 Buddhist monasteries. Some may be in orphanages around the country, but this is not clear.
The delegation identified numerous places where support””humanitarian and educational””was greatly needed, and is working to develop secure channels by which to offer this support. This will be a collaborative effort among Buddhist supporters in the U.S. and Australia, and activists in dedicated networks in Southeast Asia.
- Press Release: Buddhist Delegation Finds Burma Cloaked in Fear, 12/14/07
Visit the BPF's special Burma Home Page to find out how you can help.
