Monks form secret organizations

The internet has revealed more and more statements relating to forming of anti-junta secret organizations by monks.

The statements issued by the All Burma Students Union said branch organizations under the aegis of the underground All Burma Monks Organization were formed in Pegu, Irrawaddy and Rangoon Division. The information is being disseminated among Burmese internet users.

The All Burma Monks Organization Foreign Affairs in-charge Sayadaw U Eithiriya said that these branches were formed with the intention of toppling the military junta through mass movements, taking to the streets unitedly and with solidarity in order to achieve victory.

"We have consolidated all monk organizations such as Sangha Samaggi (Sangha Union), Young Monks Union and Thawthuzana. But for all these organizations, it is very difficult to form a unified organization. So we have now arranged to let all these organizations conduct their movements in their own area under the unified command and instruction of a central leadership," he said.

The monks’ organization’s has demanded that the junta make a formal apology for its atrocities, killings and persecution committed against monks. The apology should come before the deadline of October 2, noon.

The monk-led demonstrations spread like wildfire across the country after the local authorities beat up monks in Pakokku in early September 2007.

The monks took to the streets and chanted Metta sutra in Rangoon, Mandalay and other major cities. The security forces retaliated by brutally cracking down on the demonstrators, killing and arresting them.

Among the instances of brutal crackdowns, is the infamous incident, where the security forces raided Ngwe Kyar Yan monastery in Rangoon on November 24, 2007 and beat up all the monks they found inside and arrested them.

The Minister of Ministry of Religion accused the arrested monks of being imposters.

The statement issued by the All Burma Monks Organization is being widely disseminated among the people of Burma. A spokesperson of the organization U Dhama Wuntha told Mizzima that the monks in Burma are facing difficulty in going about their movement.

"In fact, we are mobilizing people through this movement. We showed them what we are doing and are trying to boost their morale. We are into this movement inside Burma without almost any political space. First we launched a poster campaign as part of an awareness campaign among the people and to encourage them to join us. Now we can no longer do these," he said.

The spokesman of the underground student organization Zar Ni said that they were getting ready to join the ex-communicative boycott when the All Burma Monk Organization launches it.

"To what extent the monks launch the boycott and how much it will spread, depend on the leading monks. When this movement forges ahead, our All Burma Federation of Student Union will join them and will fight the junta at the forefront," he said.

According to a source from Naypyidaw War Office, the junta has intelligence inputs on such a monk-led movement and they are monitoring the situation closely.