Dear Reverends

As you know, in the last week the Reverend Sangha in Burma (Myanmar) has declared an Excommunicative Boycott (Patta-Nikkujjana) against the military government there.

The Boycott is established under the Vinaya Pitika (IV, Silavar Commentary 5). According to the Vinaya, the Sangha may declare the Boycott in eight circumstances. One of them is if efforts are made to endanger the lives of monks. The Sangha has used the Boycott at times throughout history.

On 5 September 2007, the lives of monks in Burma were endangered when soldiers and government gangs at Pakokku attacked a group of them, tied some to a post and hit them with rifle butts.

The Reverend Sangha was restrained. It requested that the government apologise for the action within two we! eks. But the government did not apologise.

Therefore, from September 18 to 21, the Sangha around the country declared the Boycott. It also began to march peacefully and with firm discipline on the streets of cities and towns around the country.

People quickly came to join the monks on the streets. But in the first days the monks told them not to follow, and to allow the Sangha to walk alone. The reason was that the last time that it declared a Boycott in 1990, the authorities reacted with violence and many monks and other persons were killed and jailed. The reverends were worried for the safety of their people. 

However, in recent days it has been impossible for the ordinary people to stay away. On September 24, around 100,000 people joined over 10,000 monks and nuns on the streets in Rangoon (Yangon). They have joined hands and walked alongside to protect the Sangha. Smaller protests are continuing everywhere. As the monks have walk! ed, they have chanted the Metta Sutta.

Burma is now again at a crossroads.

I am thus appealing to you on behalf of its Reverend Sangha, and its people. As the Sangha in the neighbouring country where the Buddhist faith is also upheld throughout the land, please join with your brother Reverends, nuns and laity in Burma. Please do the following things:

1. Issue statements to support the Sangha in Burma. I am attaching the statement from His Holiness the Dalai Lama of September 23 as an example.

2. Organise gatherings to support and pray for the Sangha and laity in Burma. Many are already being held around the world. As the neighbouring country and proud inheritor of the Buddhist tradition, please join with them.

3. Discuss within your monasteries and communities also to declare a Boycott on the military regime in Burma and all persons associated with it. Although you may not receive alms or donations from it and its supporters, still this is an important symbolic action that you can take! at this time. It will send a message to the military government in Burma that its actions were a wrong not only against the Sangha in Burma, but against the Triple Gem of Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha everywhere.

I hope you will consider this request very seriously and soon do all that you can to support the Reverend Sangha in Burma. Even if one Reverend in Thailand will join in walking along this noble path it will be a blessing not only for the people of Burma but also for the people of Thailand, and indeed of the whole world.

"May all beings be happy"

Basil Fernando
Executive Director
Asian Human Rights Commission, Hong Kong