Latest Highlight

RB Channel

Saffron Revolution leader Ashin Gambhira (aka Ko Nyi Nyi Lwin) has been struggling with his health since his release from prison earlier this year. In a new letter, he speaks about the current conflict in Arakan State, and the fighting between Muslim Rohingyas and Buddhist Rakhines. 

“I feel very sorry after reading the latest news. I don’t feel so much surprised as angry because I knew something like this would happen soon. One step leads to another. It is actually not so surprising for our country Myanmar, because neither people nor politicians have good understanding.” 

The Military relies on conflict to stay in power 

“The violence between Rakhines and Rohingyas in Arakan State is an example of how dictatorships all over the world use and rely on conflicts to stay in power. If all people were united, a military dictatorship could not survive. Division and enmity in the minds of the people only keep the military strong. Because of this, the military systematically uses division-and-rule policies on the grounds of nationality, religion, economic and education status, etc., to divide people, to keep the military ‘necessary’, relevant, and in power. So the Burmese people are kept separated in groups, each group for themselves, without unity or cooperation. Everybody lives in fear and distrust of the other. Everyone sees the other with a suspicious mind. With this pressure, the people are defeated. 

Nationalism is used to the keep the military system alive 

“The new freedom fighter groups were organized under a wrong system of a Burma nationalist policy. These national revolution organization systems are a mistake. They produce suspicions and tensions between Burmese and their fellow landsman. Furthermore, it is slowly destroying the meaning of ‘union’ until the ‘union mind’ will disappear. This is the situation that the Burmese military uses to keep the military system necessary and alive. 

 The thirst for human rights 

“We haven’t had human rights or true democracy in our country for over fifty years. For the last fifty years and five months, an old man couldn’t get a taste of democracy, human rights, freedom, justice, or equality. Some people have not known any of these things their entire lives. This means we were so thirsty for human rights that we sometimes demanded them like fools. 

“We are living in the 21st century now, in a time of globalization, but in our country the principles of human rights and democracy are terribly broken. So our understandings of Dhamma, Metta, peace, and human rights are very rough, and we are beaten, arrested, killed, and destroyed. 

“Mr. Tomas Ojea Quintana, the UN Human Rights Commissioner, has said clearly that during the 2007 Saffron Revolution, crimes against humanity were committed. The illegal government acted against me with unjust laws and rules. I was sentenced by a judge to 68 years in prison. I lost my time, health, education, and freedom for the sake of my motherland. I spent nearly 4 years in prison. Everyone around the world knew that the people and monks were marching non-violently with love, Dhamma, and peace, and we didn’t have as much as a nail with us. But we were broken down very violently, beaten, shot, and killed. 

“The same people who were ruling Burma then are now presenting themselves to the world as a legal government. They show themselves to be honest, polite, and clear. But nothing has changed in Myanmar, even in this changing period. The neo-military dictatorship has exploited and fostered a new national crisis, a religious conflict, the Rakhine-Rohingya conflict, for its own purposes. 

“This is a very simple and effective strategy. It has happened several times in the past. There have been conflicts between Buddhist monks and Muslims before. They have been fighting each other, and the military dictatorship benefited from it. These clashes were encouraged by the military to keep the people separated. 

“We had started a Metta campaign in our country with slogans for peace and democracy. The campaign includes members of all religions. But now, the Rakhine and Rohingya have turned against each other violently in front of the world. Even some members of the democracy movement have followed the threat of politics by the military regime and have changed sides. 

The rule of law 

“I want to say one additional thing. We need to count from the beginning. We only needed to judge with the rule of law those three Rohingyas who raped a girl. Rohingyas or Rakhines, Burmans or Shan, everybody must obey the rule of law. Why encourage racism, why create a crisis? Why blame only Rohingyas and put all of the purnishment on all of them? 

“In Bangladesh, in a minority village on the border with Myanmar, several people were robbed by Bengali groups. The Bangladeshi government took effective action against the robbers with the rule of law, and a crisis was averted. 

“I feel sad to know that some Buddhist monks have joined demonstrations and campaigns against Rohingyas. We already previously kindled a fire of Dhamma for everyone around the world to see in 2007. Do I need to explain in detail the meaning of the Buddha’s words, of Metta, Dhamma, peace, ahitha, thitthar, ageha, for everyone? 

“As you know, my health is not so good, so I have been taking a rest lately. Actually, the past revolution experience was a very dark and hopeless situation inside the prison for me. I faced it, and survived this condition after I was released into the present political situation. I really want to write more about it. But I have to take care of my health first. In the future when I am better, I hope I can do it. Even writing this letter hurts my eyes and causes severe headaches. The deep pain inside my body is bad, but I needed to write and send this to you.” 

The original letter was written in Burmese by U Gambhira (aka Ko Nyi Nyi Lwin) on August 27th to Ms. Yu Yu Ko. The letter was given to The Best Friend International e.V. for publishing. Special thanks for the first translation from Burmese to English by Ko Nyi Nyi Lwin, Tokyo.

Sources Here :

Interview with Ashin Gambira | Ashin Gambira, who was released from prison only a few weeks ago and is now facing new threats of legal charges, says that despite all the words in newspapers, the real situation in his country has yet to change. “It hasn’t changed at all. Even though they are talking about being on the road to democracy, they are not really acting in accordance with it.”

On Sunday, the “New Light of Myanmar” reported that the Sangha Committee has asked for legal action to be taken against Ashin Gambira.

He pulls the article out of his bag and says, “I just had a big discussion with the Sangha Committee. During this discussion we reached a mutual agreement. When I left the meeting everything was resolved. These accusations are not from the Sangha Committee. This comes from the authorities.”

He is ready to face whatever comes, he says, and he is not thinking about leaving the country for his safety. He doesn’t want to be limited by fear, by thinking about if it is safe or not to go here and there.

“There are many unjust and false accusations against me in this article. For example, I explained to the Sangha Committee that I was a monk long before the Saffron Revolution, I have been monk during my time in prison, and now I am still a monk.”

He has had two re-ordination ceremonies since his release. During the meeting with the Sangha Council, his re-ordinations were approved by the Sangha Maha Nayka, “but the military regime does not accept it”.

He continues: “It might look to the outside world like freedom when people can now wear t-shirts with political slogans and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s picture. People can buy books that were prohibited before, pictures of General Aung San and of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi can be seen sold on the street. This was not possible before, yes. But Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is still limited, she can not freely go to all places on her campaign trail. And in some remote regions of the country this new kind of freedom has not arrived yet.”

More than 400 political prisoners remain behind bars, among them forty-three monks. “I want to ask the international community to keep working for their freedom. I will continue to work for the release of all remaining political prisoners, especially the monks who are my students, who joined the peaceful movement in 2007. Why are they still not released, why are they still behind bars?”

Civil wars are still going on, despite the government’s claims to have reached ceasefires with several ethnic groups. “We need an end to all civil wars now. The opposition, which is now outside of Burma, must be able to come back.”

The Buddhist Sangha still remains the main target of the regime in Burma. Monks, especially monks with dissident views, are restricted and oppressed with the help of the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee. Ashin Gambira regrets that “the Sangha Council doesn’t take responsibility for the well-being of the monks, it is mainly working for the interests of the regime.” Famous monks are being prohibited from preaching Dharma. “And Even if the Sangha Maha Nayaka approves a Dharma talk, there are many limitations by the regime.”

One example is the well known monk Shwe Nya Wah Sayadaw, who was banned from giving Dharma speeches for one year, and was recently evicted from his monastery.

“He had planned to go together with a thousand monks for a ceremonial alms collection in the city. This was prohibited by the regime. Restriction of monks has not changed.”

Ashin Sopaka is another example. Ashin Gambira says: “Now Ashin Sopaka is allowed to visit the city once a week. But he needs to ask for permission from the authorities, and he is always followed by a group of plainclothes police. He is not free. He must have the right to go around freely, alone by himself.”

“I am also watched all the time. The surveillance is very close now to us, but I don’t care how many of them are following us. I will still do what I think is right.”

“Until now, I only read about democracy in the newspaper. Human rights are still violated on a regular basis in my country. We do not have freedom, no freedom of speech or press freedom.”

Interview by Alexandra Rösch, The Best Friend

Credit : The Best Friend.org


    • Rohingya Exodus