Buddhist Peace Fellowship Statement on One-Year Anniversary of Burma’s "Saffron Revolution"
On the one-year anniversary of the “Saffron Revolution” in Burma, the Buddhist Peace Fellowship‘s Margaret Howe and Hozan Alan Senauke have issued a statement:
- One year ago, last September, 100,000 Buddhist monks and nuns poured into streets of Burma, chanting the sutra of loving-kindness or metta. This “Saffron Revolution” aimed to change the hearts of generals who run one of the world’s most repressive regimes. The monks’ actions encouraged hundreds of thousands of ordinary Burmese to take to the streets and join their quest for justice. The world watched breathlessly as their nonviolent courage galvanized a nation. A few days into their actions, the Burmese military reclaimed the streets, in a brutal crackdown that left hundreds dead, monasteries closed, monks imprisoned and disrobed, many fleeing to the countryside.
The Burmese have suffered since 1962 under brutal military junta that has turned the “rice bowl of Asia” into a destitute country. Fear controls the people. Torture, imprisonment, forced labor, the burning of whole villages, and conscripting child soldiers are the norm.
It took years to bring change to South Africa’s brutal apartheid regime. It may still take more years to bring change to Burma.
But in Burma we have the principled, powerful example of Aung San Suu Kyi and the Buddhist monks and nuns who have refused to hate or retaliate in the face of horrific violence and injustice.Western Buddhists owe a debt of gratitude to the Burmese for helping to bring the Buddha’s teachings to the West. They have kept and treasured the dharma for two thousand years. Whether Theravadan, Mahayana or Vajrayana, all Western Buddhists have been touched by the depth of Burmese Buddhism. And now many monasteries remain closed and thousands of monks remain unaccounted for.
The Burmese act in near isolation from outside support. But backing for their quest for democracy grows. Through careful and quiet channels, the democracy movement in Burma knows what we do on their behalf here in the US. Our support is precious to them in their struggle. The Burmese need us to speak with them and for them.
Keep the courage and heart of the Buddhist monks and nuns in Burma alive. Honor the Saffron Revolution though taking some action, however small to keep their struggle in awareness, knowing that the revolution is far from over. Let the Burmese regime and the world know that we will continue to raise our voices until the military junta yields to a free and civil Burma.
The International Burmese Monks Organization (IBMO) has called for September 26 to be a Day of Action for Burma and they will hold an all day meditation at the United Nations in NYC on Friday September 26, along with other NYC public events. If you are in NYC, please join them. BPF website will post the event and others we know about.
Both Howe and Senauke also represent the Clear View Project, a new initiative of Buddhist-based resources for relief and social change. The Clear View Project and the Buddhist Peace Fellowship are recommending possible actions for enthusiastic supporters:
