Influential Burmese monk refuses to be silenced SLUG: Burma banned monk REPORTER: Citra Dyah Prastuti DATE: 0 !0"!

#0$# INTRO Burma has re%ent&y been thrust into the internationa& s'ot&i(ht) *o&&o+in( the &ands&ide ,i%tory o- the .ationa& Lea(ue -or Demo%ra%y in the A'ri& by/ e&e%tion and Aun( San Suu 0yi -ina&&y takin( a seat in 'ar&iament 1 Burma is bein( hai&ed as Asia2s ne+est demo%ra%y) But the (o,ernment %ontinues to &imit the 'ub&i%3 and sometimes 'o&iti%a&3 a%ti,ities oBurma2s Buddhist monks) A-ter the #004 Sa--ron Re,o&ution3 monks must no+ obtain (o,ernment 'ermission to (i,e a 'ub&i% s'ee%h 1 in%&udin( detai&s o- its %ontent) Prominent monk Ashin Pyinnyar Thiha is banned -rom (i,in( any s'ee%hes and +as re%ent&y e,i%ted -rom his monastery in Ran(oon) Citra Dyah Prastuti tra,e&s to 5ma+/Bi To+nshi' on the outskirts o- Ran(oon to meet him) TEXT S*6 bus 7t2s a t+o/hour dri,e on a 'ub&i% bus -rom do+nto+n Ran(oon to 5ma+/Bi To+nshi') A-ter bein( e,i%ted -rom Sadu Pariyatti 8onastery in Ran(oon &ast De%ember3 Buddhist monk Ashin Pyinnyar Thiha resett&ed in the ,i&&a(e) 5e &i,es in a sma&&3 o'en bamboo house on a deserted ri%e -ie&d) S*6 ,i&&a(e monastery Last Se'tember3 the 8inistry o- 5ome A--airs banned Ashin Pyinnyar Thiha -rom (i,in( 'ub&i% &e%tures) 5e had an(ered the (o,ernment be%ause he a&&o+ed his monastery to ho&d a %eremony to re/ ordinate 90 monks re&eased -rom 'rison in the :anuary amnesty) As the on&y monk +ho met United States Se%retary o- State 5i&&ary C&inton durin( her ,isit to Burma3 Ashin Pyinnyar Thiha is ,ie+ed as hi(h&y 'o&iti%a&) Ashin Pyinnyar $ ;8a&e3 Burmese<: =72m doin( 'o&iti%s -or the nationa& interest) 7 +i&& ne,er be si&en%ed -or any in>usti%e) 72m not doin( this -or myse&-) 7 no+ &i,e in a bamboo house3 but 7 ne,er re(ret any o- my a%tions) 8y 'eo'&e are in misery) 72m >ust -o&&o+in( +hat Buddha

did 1 to sa%ri-i%e -or others) 7- 7 think 72m ri(ht3 7 +i&& not be a-raid to state my mind) 7 don2t kno+ +hat -ear is)? The San(ha Coun%i& 1 a board o- senior monks a%%used that some say are in %ohorts +ith the (o,ernment 1 re%ent&y e@tended this monkAs ban -or another year) And a-ter he de&i,ered a sermon at the o--i%e o- the .ationa& Lea(ue -or Demo%ra%y3 or .LD3 he +as e,i%ted -rom his monastery) Ashin Pyinnyar Thiha # ;8a&e3 Burmese<: =7t +as an ordinary s'ee%h3 not a sermon) 7 ta&ked about sim'&e thin(s3 that youn( 'eo'&e shou&d stay united) Like bamboo trees3 they ne,er shou&d stand a&oneB they stay and (ro+ in a (rou') A stron( storm %annot destroy them) That2s unity) Coun( 'eo'&e must a&so use their eyes and ears so they %an de,e&o' themse&,es and 'rote%t the -uture -rom the di%tatorshi')? Ashin Pyinnyar Thiha is not the on&y Burmese monk +hose a%ti,ities are restri%ted) Abbot Thu 8in(a&a3 -rom 8in(a&a 8onastery3 +as a&so banned -rom (i,in( 'ub&i% s'ee%hes &ast De%ember) Lo%a& ri(hts (rou's re'ort that u' to one thousand 'o&iti%a& 'risoners are sti&& behind bars in Burma 1 in%&udin( se,era& monks) Buddhist monk and a%ti,ist Ashin Gambira +as a&so said to be harassed by the re(ime a-ter he +as re&eased in the (o,ernment2s mass amnesty) Ashin Pyinnyar Thiha D ;8a&e3 Burmese<: =7n Buddhism3 one has to say the ri(ht thin( as ri(ht3 and +ron( as +ron() As a monk3 'eo'&e donate -ood3 she&ter and the robes))) e,erythin( is donated by the 'eo'&e) Ehen the 'eo'&e are su--erin(3 monks must stand -or them and s'eak u') 7t2s a res'onsibi&ity o- the monks) *or e@am'&e3 durin( the .ar(is %y&one that ruined the %ountry3 monks shou&dn2t >ust 'ray in -ront o- Buddha statues3 but shou&d (i,e them +ater i- +hen they are thirsty) Ee must sho+ our &o,e and kindness 'hysi%a&&y) 72m ha''y to tea%h this to my students)? S*6 ,i&&a(e monastery 5e mi(ht be out o- the bi( %ity3 but Ashin Pyinnyar Thiha says he is sti&& bein( +at%hed) Ashin Pyinnyar Thiha 9 ;8a&e3 Burmese<: =72m sti&& under 'o&i%e sur,ei&&an%e3 but they don2t harrass me no+) Ehen they started to ask me about my ne+ monastery3 7 %onta%ted the Demo%rati% Foi%e o- Burma and stated that 7 +ou&d %ontinue bui&din( this) And that 72m not a-raid o- 'rison)? The Demo%rati% Foi%e o- Burma3 or DFB3 is a .or+ay/based inde'endent media or(aniGation that 'romotes -reedom o- e@'ression in Burma) 7t is hea,i&y monitored by the (o,ernment)

S*6 +a&kin( to %onstru%tion site A ne+ one/story bri%k bui&din( is under %onstru%tion and is bein( -unded by donations -rom Ashin Pyinnyar2s -o&&o+ers and students) 0o Lin Ha+ 5tun3 is in/%har(e o- the %onstru%tion) 0o Lin Ha+ Thun $ ;8a&e3 Burmese<: =The ,ery -irst bui&din( is desi(ned -or Ashin Pyinnyar Thiha so he %an ha,e a ne+ she&ter)? 5e2s '&annin( to bui&d a bi((er monastery in the ,i&&a(e to a%%ommodate hundreds o- his students -rom Ran(oon) #"/year/o&d Ashin Eain Daka is in his se%ond year at the monastery and says he is %ommitted to -o&&o+in( his tea%her) Ashin Eain Daka %&i' $ ;8a&e3 Burmese<: =One o- my -a,ourite tea%hin(s -rom Ashin Pyinnyar Thiha is i- you2re a monk3 you ha,e to +a&k -or a&& 'eo'&e3 -or a&& bein(s) 5e2s sti&& under sur,ei&&an%e3 and so are +e3 his students) 7 don2t %are about the authorities) They2re doin( their business and +e2re doin( our business)? Sittin( on his %hair and %he+in( bete& &ea-3 Ashin Pyinnyar shares his ideas about bui&din( the nation +ith his students) Ashin Pyinnyar Thiha " ;8a&e3 Burmese<: =The (o,ernment needs to &oosen the restri%tion and +ork to(ether +ith Aun( San Suu 0yi and her 'arty members -rom the .LD) Our 'eo'&e are (ettin( 'oorer and 'oorer e,ery day3 and our e%onomi% situation is ,ery bad) Re-orm is ur(ent&y needed) Demo%ra%y is the on&y +ay to o'en and de,e&o' so%iety) But 'eo'&e ha,e to be 'atient) The %ountry is no+ mo,in( to the (ood side)? On the +a&& o- his bamboo house3 there2s a hu(e 'oster o- Burma2s 'ro/demo%ra%y i%on Aun( San Suu 0yi) Ashin Pyinnyar Thiha I ;8a&e3 Burmese<: =She has a &ot o- Jua&ities to adore) She2s the ho'e o- a&& the 'eo'&e in Burma) Cou %an see the honesty in her eyes) She +i&& ne,er do anythin( -or her o+n interest3 >ust &ike her -ather) She2s no+ I4 and 72m 94))) But 7 -ee& &ike she2s my o+n mother) She2s ,ery adorab&e)? Ashin Pyinnyar Thiha is sti&& banned -rom (i,in( 'ub&i% s'ee%hes) But he ho'es to re(ain his -reedom on%e the San(ha Coun%i& is re-ormed) Ashin Pyinnyar Thiha 4 ;8a&e3 Burmese<: =O&der monks in the %oun%i& don2t ha,e the %a'a%ity to ru&e a&& the monks in Burma) They ha,e to retire3 and they shou&d be re'&a%ed by ne+ monks +ith -resh minds) The %oun%i& shou&d be -ree o- (o,ernment in-&uen%e so it %an be an inde'endent body)? S*6 inside Ran(oon monastery The three/storey Sadu Pariyatti monastery in Ran(oon is no+ abandoned)

But as D4/year/o&d Ashin Thuriya says3 there are '&enty o- youn( monks ready to >oin Ashin Pyinnyar Thiha in his ne+ %om'ound) Ashin Thuriya %&i' $ ;8a&e3 Burmese<: =5e2s a ,ery (ood in de&i,erin( &e%tures3 he2s a (reat tea%her) 5e2s a&so ,ery bra,e to s'eak the truth and resist anythin( that o''resses him)? *or Asia Ca&&in(3 this is Citra Prastuti -rom Burma)