Speech by Ven. U Pannavamsa, President, International Burmese Monks Organisation (IBMO)

Melbourne, Australia, 18 March 2008

Good evening ladies and gentlemen,

On behalf of the International Burmese Monks Organization and the Burmese community in Australia, I would like to thank the Buddhist Peace Fellowship and Australia Burma Network for inviting me to speak at this important event.

I would also like to take this opportunity to talk about the role of Buddhist monks in Burma, and a peaceful nation-wide movement led by monks in September last year and its impacts.

You may be aware that Buddhist monks are the moral authorities, spiritual guides, educators and care givers of the people in Burma. Moreover, they have always played an influential role in political and social changes in Burma. Historically, they were involved in the struggles for independence from Britain and Japan. They also actively took part in the student-led “people’s power” movement in 1988. Last year, they led a peaceful nation-wide movement for political and socio-economic change.

As you all know, monks rely on the lay population for their daily alms food, medicine and robes while they in return are duty-bound to ensure the spiritual and physical well-being of the people. Monks also take the view that hardships of the people are their concern.

Following the sudden fuel price hike last August, former student leaders took to the streets and demanded the ruling regime to reduce prices of fuel and all basic commodities. They were arrested a few days later. To support the people, some monks took to the streets in some cities and chanted prayers while they were marching.

While marching in Pakokku town, the monks were violently attacked by the regime-sponsored paramilitary groups. Such violent attacks and subsequent arrests and ill-treatment against monks fanned the flame of growing dissatisfaction over the regime.

On 9 September 2007, an underground organization of monks called, the “All Burma Monks Alliance (ABMA)”, issued four demands upon the military regime:

1. To issue a public apology for the brutal crackdown on the peaceful demonstration of monks in Pakokku;

2. To immediately reduce all basic commodity prices, fuel prices, and rice and cooking oil prices;

3. To release all political prisoners, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all detainees arrested in the ongoing demonstrations over the fuel price hike; and

4. To immediately enter into dialogue with democratic opposition groups to seek national reconciliation and to resolve the crises and difficulties suffered by the populace.

‘The ABMA also called upon all monks across the country to boycott any religious activities, including the acceptance of alms, involving the regime and its associates if four demands were not met by 17 September 2007.

As the regime ignored their demands, monks began their boycott campaign and organized peaceful protests across the country. Then, the people followed. It has been reported that at least 227 protests were staged during August, September and October in 66 townships.

The monks were marching while chanting prayers for peace when the military regime brutally crushed them, resulting in the injury and death of many dozens of people. Mr Kenji Nagai, a Japanese photojournalist was shot at point blank range in Rangoon.

While the regime has stated that 15 people died during the protests in September 2007, the UN Special Rapporteur on Burma, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro asserts that more than double this number died in Rangoon alone. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners in Burma today maintains that at least 72 people still remain unaccounted for. 

We may never know the true human toll due to the systematic removal of the dead and wounded from the site of each crackdown and the disposal of the bodies during secret night time cremations. A similar situation occurred in 1988 uprising when unknown numbers perished.

The regime’s security forces also raided many monasteries at night and took more than 6,000 people, including nearly 1,400 monks to the interrogation centres where they were tortured and disrobed.  Numerous detainees suffered injuries during their initial apprehension. They were denied adequate medical care and over 20 deaths occurred in custody.

Some activists and monks were also forced to flee to the remote villages in border areas of Thailand and Bangladesh. I was informed that 25 monks have been in Mae Sot alone and another 5 elsewhere in Thailand. As they are treated as illegal immigrants in such countries, they are now facing hardships in obtaining food, clothing, shelter and security. They desperately need humanitarian assistance.

A further  250 monks and nuns living in India, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore are facing difficulties in maintaining their legal status in respective countries as they are refused to renew their Burmese passports at the Burmese embassies because of their support of the Saffron Revolution.

Due to mounting international pressure, the majority of those persons arrested in relation to the demonstrations have been released. However, a significant number of persons, including 5 parliamentarians-elect, 28 members of the 88 Generation Students’ Group, 16 members of the Human Rights Defenders and Promoters network, and 5 members of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions remain in detention. At present the total number of political prisoners is estimated at 2,000.

Today, the regime is still searching for activists and monks who have gone underground in Burma. There are many new arrests of activists, particularly the members of the National League for Democracy led by Aung San Suu Kyi. Some leading activists and monks have been given harsh prison terms. 

Ladies and gentlemen,

Although the recent movement has not yet brought down the dictatorship in Burma, it has had great impact at home and abroad. It has developed and strengthened the political will of the people. A new generation of monks, activists and students has come forward. Exiled Burmese activists and solidarity groups in more than 21 countries, including Australia, are intensively lobbying their respective governments to increase pressure on the junta to make real changes towards democracy.

Upon appeal from many monks and supporters inside Burma to help them and prevent the decline of Buddhism in Burma, we the Burmese monks in exile also formed the International Burmese Monks Organization (IBMO) in October 2007. Since then, we have been travelling around the world to raise awareness of current situation in Burma, to seek support for the monks and the people inside Burma, to bring the international community together to take coordinated action for peaceful change in Burma.

The US, the EU and Canada tightened sanctions against the junta and pressed the United Nations to take tougher action. Japan cancelled grants of approximately US$4.7million. India halted arms sale to the junta. ASEAN pressed the junta for political reform, expressing “revulsion” at the violence used by the authorities. Even China called for national reconciliation. Australia also imposed targeted financial sanctions against the junta, their families and associates.

For the first time, the UN Security Council took action on Burma by issuing a Presidential Statement deploring the use of violence against peaceful protesters. They demanded the release of all political prisoners, and stressed the need for the junta to create necessary conditions for a genuine dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi and all concerned parties and ethnic nationality groups, with the direct support of the UN. The UN Human Rights Council also passed a rare resolution, making similar calls.

However, these actions have not been enough to force the junta to bring about change. We all monks and activists inside and outside Burma, solidarity groups, and the people of all faiths need to step up our efforts to lobby the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, to keep Burma as a top priority on its agenda, and to ensure that the regime heeds the call of the UN Security Council for a genuine dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi and ethnic nationality groups, with the direct support of the UN.

In addition, we need to support additional action by the Australian Government. These issues are:

• The Australian government should bring its ‘targeted sanctions’ policy into line with US, Canada and EU policies. This would ensure that world-wide coordination is maximized;
• The Australian Government should continue to use any UN avenue for diplomatic efforts.  An important avenue is the recently established 'Friends of Burma' group, of which Australia is a member;
• The Australian Government should end its training of Burmese police by the Australian Federal Police. There is no civilian police force in Burma and therefore no guarantee that Australia’s police have not contributed to the violence against Burma’s people;
• Australian aid policy should be changed so that aid delivered on the borders can be delivered cross-border. This would play a role in assisting people who are politically vulnerable;
• Australia’s Embassy in Burma should request to meet regularly with Aung San Suu Kyi and her party the National League for Democracy. This sends strong signals to the military and acts to recognize and legitimize the opposition party and its leadership. It also gives strength to those struggling for democracy inside Burma.
• Australia’s Government should fund a Burma Democracy Fund to support and strengthen the democratic political movement inside Burma (similar to Zimbabwe Democracy Fund which was established by Australia to support democratic movements inside Zimbabwe).

In conclusion, I would like to request all of you to lobby the Australian Government to implement these recommendations and to throw your full weight behind our movement.

Thank you so much for your attention and support.