The Brief History of
Sangha Movement in 2007
At 8.00 am on 26th September
2007, when the monks arrived for
gathering at the Shwedagon
pagoda, there were about 60
military vehicles. Many of members
of USDA, Lords of the Power,
former prisoners many unknown
were already at pagoda.
Through I had conservation with
the trustees of the pagoda, who
were the ranks of Mayor and
general in military services, the
attempt of compromising failed. In
a event of answering the questions
from those trustees, I explained the
relationship between citizens and
the state, and the role State
(government) to care for the
people.
Failure to be the services of the
state, the SPDC ordered the Chin
Troops from light infantry battalion
(77) arrived and killed the monks,
students and people
indiscriminately. In the incidents, U
Sandar Thiri and three monks were
killed. About 1000 of monks,
students and people were injured.
Nearly 6000 were arrested. Five
monks and seven students wrer
beaten to death inhumanly under
custody.
On 27th September 2007, soldiers,
security forces and members of
USDA were everywhere in Rangoon.
I personally witnessed that the
troops fired and killed the protester,
including the a Japanese.
At night, the troops violently raided
South Okkar Ngwe Kyar Yan
Pariyantti Buddhist monastery.
Continuously, more than 40,000
monks, nuns and students were
arrested.
On 29th September 2007
onward, the junta cracked down the
demonstration by using all kinds of
methods, and curfew was declared
for 45 days at that night.
According to the list issued by all
Burma Monks Association, there
were 27 death and 9000 detainees.
Such inhuman action and for the
goodness of the people as a whole
till the attainment of second
independentce.
Ashin Htarwara
General Secretary
All Burma Monks
Representative Committees
(ABMRC)
Contact Address: F.34, F Block,
Vikaspuri, New Delhi-110018
Mobile No: +91 9818938293
E Mail: uthavara@gmail.com
Blog: http://asnin-
htavara.blogspot.com
1
(Saffron Revolution in Burma)
Politic is not a business; if
politic becomes the source of
income, opportunity for your own
(Burmese) people at large will
never get rid of Burmese military
dictatorship yoke.
I'm one of those who walk
blindly in my life journey. As I love
my life, I also love truth. If I have
to select between these two, I will
select the truth, against the
survival at my life, if once again
blood is needed for our cause, that
blood drop of blood should be mine
one.
Saffron revolution was the
outcome of inhuman action and
maladministration of the military
government (the janta). I, Ashin
Htawara, personally partake in a
movement.
In 2007, the rising price of
basic needs and petrol drove the 88
generation to stand on the road and
demand for relief. People have been
suffering from poverty as well as
oppression over 6 decades. I a
situation of constant fear, Monks
followed the Buddha's ritual and
stood with the justice for the public.
On behalf of the suffering
people, monks stepped up on the
road and prayed for compassion in
the purpose telling the state
indirectly to perform is duty to care
the people. Accusing monks
undermining religious teaching by
performing religious demonstration,
U Pyinnya Sakka and U Pyinnya
Nandar ewre tide to the lamp posts
and beaten brutally by SPDC
members. This brutal action was
unusual and motivated the justice
defenders to partake in religious
demonstration. Among them,
supporting All Burma Monks
Alliance's statement, Ashin Htawara
distributed leaflets protesting
SPDC's lawlessness activities to
monasteries and among the public
on 6th September 2007 in Rangoon.
On 19th Sep: 2007, he was offer as
the General Secretary of ABMRC
after his active participation in
demonstration against the junta on
17th September 2007.
After the ABMRC was
cracked down, the janta announced
through kyimon newspaper to
arrest him on 25th October 2007. He
therefore to Rakhaine Mountain
Ranges, continuously to Takkanar
port on the Bangladeshi border on
22nd January 2008. Currently, he is
fighting the junta from the office of
ABMRC in Bangladesh.
Peacefully pray of
compassion is the Buddha's mean
to end calamity. Instead of
advocating Buddha's ritual, the
janta through they believe in
Buddhism treated monks as
enemies. This treatment is the
worst history of the junta in history
of Buddhism of Burma.
Ultimately, the monks who
abide the pure Buddha's ritual
obliged to conduct
'pattaneikkuzana' rite, the rite of
excommunication to halt the
inhuman act of the junta in current
as well as in future.
The reasons for performing
Patteneikkuzana Rite are;
1. An attempt preventing
the monks from obtaining four
types of sub- stantive things.
2. An attempt endangering
the monks and preventing him from
material developments of
substantive needs.
3. An attempt preventing
the monks from residing the
appropriate place.
4. An attempt abusing
verbally abusing ten types of
swearing.
5. An attempt splitting up
the integrated body of monks.
6. Censuring the
benevolence of Buddha.
7. Censuring the benefit of
Buddha's preaching.
8. Censuring the
benevolence of the Sangha (the
Order of Monks)
The above 8 factors could
drive the Monks to conduct the rite
of excommunication for the sake of
Sarsana and of the goodness of the
people as a whole.
Unbearable over the
suffering of the civilians, around
500 monks marched on the road in
rows and recited the compassion
prayer for the people while
demanding the SPDC to tackle the
problem of substantive needs of the
people.
However, instead of
performing the state's duty, the
SPDC exposed its real attitudes of
power preserving by ordering to
brutally crack down the Buddha's
ritual and people's will. The incident
of tying and beating U Pyinnyar
Sakka and U Pyinnyar Nanda to
death was the good instance of
SPDC's evil action.
The sufferon revolution,
beginning at 11:30 am on 17th
September 2007, was the outcome
of the inhuman action of the SPDC.
More than 1,000 monks, 5,000
students and people marched on
foot from the Shwedagon Pagoda,
reiting prayers for compassion, and
ended at 4:00 pm. During marching
through the appropriate routes,
many people took out of their home
and offered the medicine, clean
water, etc.
On this occasion, monks
were forcible forbad the climp up
into the platforms of the
Shwedagon pagoda, the Sule
pagoda and the Potataung pagoda
and in middle terrace the
Shwedagon pagoda, there were full
of military vehicles and of soldiers,
member of Union Solidarity and
Development Association, Lords of
Power and Security Polices who are
ready for action.
2
At noon on 19th September
2007, more than 10,000 monks and
70,000 students and people
marched and recited prayers on
foot from the Shwedagon pagoda
crassing through American
Embassy, India Embassy, Theigyi
market. In the evening, all Burma
Monks Representative Committee,
composed of 15 monks, was formed
with the support and wishes of all
monks, nuns, students nuns
people.
On 20th September 2007,
marching prayer was going on. At
the same day, there was a rice
offering ceremony for the monks at
Kyaikkasan township, arrange by
General Myint Shwe, Rangoon
Division Commander. The attitude
behind the ceremony was to reduce
the strange of marching prayers.
The attempt of the junta failed
because under the command of the
excommunication rite
(Patteaneikkazana) performed by
ABMRC, no monks shall accept the
donation from military personals. In
order to fullfil the substantive needs
of Monks (monastery, robes, alms
and medicine).. a group of 15
persons was formed with the
support of public.
On 22nd September 2007,
marching from Shwedagon pagoda
at noon, while crossing current Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi's house, she
came out of her house to pay
homage to monks. The monks
stood in unison and recited
compassion prayers about 15
minutes and she politely was
listening with falling tears while
over 30 members of security police
standing in front of her.
Saffron revolution inspired
the sprit of the people. Bases on
the sprit of justice, people raised
the slogans repeatly "May Mother
Suu in good health". "Success to
the Democracy Struggle".
During marching the prayers on
23rd September 2007, Ko Aung Way
(the Poet), Ko Kyaw Kyaw
(Chairman), Ashin Htarwara
(General Secretary of ABMRC)
deliverd the speeches for unity,
development and reconciliation. I
concluded that if the junta does not
work on solution, our monks will
join the people partaking in the
saffron revolution without fear till
the end.