The International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), a global network of activists, spiritual leaders, organizations and academics of all Buddhist sects, who integrates the practice of Buddhism and social actions for a healthy, just and peaceful world, hereby conveying our strongest supports and solidarity with the Buddhists monks and the people of Burma who are peacefully calling for the end of social and political sufferings in Burma. In particular, we strongly support the peaceful expressions of the loving-kindness and compassions for the Burmese society by the Buddhist monks across Burma. We also support their demands for the SPDC to offer their apologies to the monks :

• To reduce all commodity prices, fuel prices, rice and cooking oil prices immediately,
• To release all political prisoners including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and all detainees arrested in ongoing demonstrations over fuel price hike,
• To enter into dialogue with democratic forces and ethnic nationalities for national reconciliation immediately, and
• To resolve the crises and difficulties facing and suffering by the people.

Welcome the State and Peace Development Council or SPDC’s restraint on the use of violent means on the first day (September 18,2007)of the demonstrations by Buddhist monks in various towns and cities across Burma except the use of tear gas and violent break up of the demonstrations in Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State in western Burma. We also welcome the release of three monks, one novice and ten other protesters who were arrested on Tuesday afternoon in Sittwe.

We are extremely concerned over the latest news report on the SPDC’s secret declaration of the state of emergency which authorized regional and local authorities to use violent means, including an order to open fire, in cracking down the demonstrations.

We urge the SPDC, who are also Buddhists, to apply and practice Panna (wisdom), Metta (loving-kindness) and Karuna (compassion) in responding to the current situations by

1. revoking the authorization of, and ban, the use of all violent means, in dealing with all demonstrations in Burma including the use of tear gas and opening fires, the hiring of local thugs, Swan Arr Shin and SPDC’s proxy USDA to confront and crackdown on the peaceful protests and the arresting and beating up of the demonstrators.

2. stopping the surveillance and all restrictions on monasteries and temples.

3. allowing the peaceful demonstrations and expressions of the concerns and cares for the society by the Buddhist monks and the people of Burma.

4. allowing independent media to cover the current events without any restrictions so that both sides of the stories can be known and heard.

5. start entering into dialogue and working for the solutions with Buddhist monks who play a very significant roles as spiritual, cultural and social leaders in Burmese society.

The INEB believe that every human beings, including the personnel of SPDC, have a seed of Buddha, the potential for awakening and enlightenment. We hope the SPDC will take the current situation as the opportunity to let the seeds of Buddha within them grow by awakening to the need to start resolving the crises facing Burma by releasing Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, all political prisoners including imprisoned ethnic nationalities’ leaders and start a meaningful and compassionate dialogue with all relevant parties.

We will continue watching Burma closely with our utmost concerns and we send our best wishes to all people of Burma. May Peace Prevail in Burma very soon!

The International Network of Engaged Buddhists September 20, 2007.

Last week’s brutal crackdown on protests in Burma will not stop the growing movement for reform in the pariah state, pro-democracy leaders in exile said Friday in Bangkok.

The unprecedented Buddhist monk-led protests ignited a fire among long-suffering Burmese that will not be easily extinguished, but the international community must pressure the military regime to avoid further bloodshed, the activists told a Bangkok press conference.

“Many people are saying the Burmese revolt is over, but that is not true,” said Naing Aung of the Forum for Democracy in Burma. “A movement that brought out 1 million people willing to defy bullets cannot easily disappear.”

Leaders of several groups said the images thousands of monks marching peacefully, and finally being beaten, had brought together both Burmese citizens and people around the world to stand up to the regime.

“Those two contradictory images of peace and brutality were powerful for the world to see, but this has been going on in Burma for the last 50 years, especially in the ethnic areas,” said Salai Lian Sahkong of the Ethnic Nationalities Council.

“We have been suffering and dying and crying without the world knowing about it, but now the people of Burma are uniting, and we’re saying: ‘no more killing, no more beating.’”

The exiled pro-democracy leaders agreed that the moral authority of the country’s monks has lent powerful impetus to the movement, and said the military regime is fearful because it has not been able to control the monkhood.

“People in the communities always give food to the monks, but now the people have started to go to the monks to ask them for food,” said Naing Aung of the Forum for Democracy in Burma. “The monks see how the people are suffering, and as the moral authority of the communities, they are now demanding to change the system.”

Khin Ohmas, an advocate for political prisoners and veteran of the mass 1988 democracy uprising that ended with a bloody crackdown, said the resurgent movement is stronger for past experiences and for the new leadership of the monks.

“When we were out in the streets, many people might’ve just seen us as rebellious kids - and, in a way, we were,” she said. “But now people see that the monks are leading the way, and they represent the highest level of respect in our society.”

Sulak Sivaraksa, a Thai author, teacher and devout Buddhist, said monks have a duty to be involved in politics when injustice is being committed.

“Buddhist monks must strive for peace on the inside, and peace on the outside - it is about looking for balance all through life - and politics is part of that whole,” he said. “It is only in the West that Buddhism has become some kind of escape.”

U Maung Maung, of the National Council of the Union of Burma, rejected the commonly held idea that the military junta is deaf to international criticism.

“If you don’t read Burmese, you may think that,” he said. “But the Burmese media, which are run by the regime, they are reacting all the time to what the US says, the EU, the UN. They do care about international opinion, and it is important to pressure them.”

Bangkok Post

WELL-KNOWN social critic Sulak Sivaraksa says he will petition both the United Nations and the National Human Rights Commission and file a case in the Administrative Court to challenge the police’s decision to ‘. ban and confiscate one of his recent books, which touched. on politics and the monarchy.

“I can assure you that all that I wrote was ‘true,” Sulak told The Nation.

“For three decades now, the authorities have not stopped harassing citizens and even [Prime Minister] Surayud [Chulanont] once remarked that police are like the mafia.”

Sulak said he received a Special Branch police notice on Tuesday ordering him to stop printing, selling and disseminating the book “A Quarter of a Century of Thai Politics: A Thorn-filled Path”, published by Song Siam publishing house.He said the order claimed the book “may cause unrest and degrade good morals” in Thai society, a charge Sulak rejected.

“I don’t know where and how many copies they have confiscated already.”

He said the printing law cited in the police order dated from, the dictatorial era of 1941.

“I also heard a rumour that they may come and arrest me,” said Sulak, who has twice been tried and acquitted on lese majeste charges.

A source who asked not to be named said the whole affair was putting the Surayud administration in a negative light and may be part of a plan by some influential group seeking to undermine the interim government.

Pravit Rojanaphruk
The Nation

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published in The Nation, October 4, 2007

The Special Branch Police has banned a book on Thai democracy written by respected scholar Sulak Sivaraksa.

The ban on Khawn Sattawat Prachatippatai Thai (Thai Democracy After More Than Half A Century) was issued by Pol Maj-Gen Sombat Supacheeva, chief of the Special Branch Police printed media affairs section, who claimed the book ”undermines social order and public morals”.

Police said sales and distribution of the book are prohibited. They will confiscate copies already on sale.

Mr Sulak said the ban came as a surprise since the book, an anthology of his articles and speeches, was released in March. He doubted the ban was politically motivated.

”Normally I would say this case reflects an attempt to suppress freedom of expression. But this time I think there is a hidden agenda as it will tarnish the government’s image and may derail the planned election,” he said.

He has asked human rights lawyer Somchai Hom-laor to bring the case to the Administrative Court and National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

He denied that his book undermines social order as claimed by the police.

”This is preposterous. What I wrote were the facts. [Police] must prove that I was wrong before banning it. My book is little or nothing compared to threats from corrupt politicians and the use of taxpayer money to sponsor lavish functions,” said the outspoken scholar.

Mr Sulak has been in hot water before for his forthright remarks on social and political issues. He was charged with lese majeste several times but acquitted.

Many of his recent works are on sensitive topics. For instance, he wrote a review of The King Never Smiles, a banned book, for Pacarayasara, a bi-monthly magazine published by the Sathien Koset Nakhapratheep Foundation.”

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published in Bangkok Post, October 4, 2007

On October 2nd, 2007 the Special Branch of Police issued a warrant to confiscate Sulak Sivaraksa’s Thai book entitled “75 Years of Thai Democracy: Full of Obstacles” citing the Criminal Law that the book creates unrest in Thai Society. There is not yet a warrant of arrest on the author.

For more information about this case please called 02 236 7783, 086 566 3735, 084 066 7161

Five days after the National Peace-keeping Council (NPKC) overthrew the democratically elected Chatichai Choonhavan government on 23 February 1991, the Asian Wall Street Journal came to interview me—at that time, the local dailies were too afraid to do so. In the interview I insisted on the following points. Thais in general would initially support the new rulers after the removal of the previous government. They wouldn’t see it as unjust to usurp power illegitimately. However, three months later, the people would begin to get dissatisfied with the new government. After six months, they would start criticizing and denouncing the new government. They might even feel nostalgic for the good old days under the previous regime, often forgetting its sins or flaws. This is either because the new government is really worse than the one before; or the government in power is often seen as worse than the one out of power. This has long been the case.

One month after the NPKC coup d’etat, I passed by Los Angeles, USA. The Thai newspaper in L.A. is called Siam Media. And the Association of Thai Journalists in California invited me to give a talk on Thai politics, which I gladly complied. The event took place on 22 March, and it was news in Siam Media. Subsequently, Matichon newspaper in Bangkok sent someone to inform me that I should not criticize the NPKC abroad. (Before that, someone big in Matichon who was close to someone big in the NPKC had also told me not to publicly oppose the NPKC.) I thanked the informer for the message, but replied that it was an impossible demand.

Three months after the coup, I was invited to give a talk along with Mr. Phoovadon Songprasert at Thammasat University. Only one local daily (and in this case it happened to be an English one) reported on what I had said in a very brief manner. Moreover, Phoovadon’s views, which I consider to be better than mine, were not reported at all. Subsequently, some thugs even beat him up.

Prior to that, I had been a Matichon columnist. At the time the standpoint of the newspaper was that the NPKC was a just dictatorship. I held the opposite view, however. Therefore, I resigned from the newspaper—though I remained close to its boss.

Six months after the coup, I was once again invited to give a talk at Thammasat University. The talk was entitled “Six Months of the NPKC: A Regression in Thai Democracy.” General Suchinda Kraprayoon lodged an anti-defamation suit against me because of this talk. Moreover, he also charged me with lese majeste because of this speech.

(more…)

The Sathirakoses-Nagapradipa Foundation (SNF) is situated on a land plot owned by Ajarn Sulak Sivaraksa’s family—his maternal side. The names of his aunts and mother are in this order: Ngern, Mee, and Ma. Subsequently, Ajarn Sulak inherited this plot of land and donated it to SNF.

Within the compound of the Garden of Fruition stands “Ruen Roi Chanum,” a fairly new building whose construction was jointly funded by “the people of Japan” and the Kled Thai Company. It is used as a library, a place to hold trainings and conferences, and a dorm for monks, activists and social workers. This office residence serves as a central nerve for the various works of SNF in Bangkok.

The Garden of Fruition compound also houses several semi-autonomous NGOs under the SNF umbrella, namely, Santi Pracha Dhamma Institute (SPD), Spirit in Education Movement (SEM), Pacarayasara magazine, Seeds of Peace journal, International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), Sekhiyadhamma Group, and the Puey Forum. The offices of these NGOs are situated in the original house of Ajarn’s Sulak’s mother. It is very old and dilapidated. It is often flooded during the rainy season, and is terribly hot during the long summer. SNF thus sees the necessity for the construction of a new office building to cope with the demands of its activities.

The new office to be constructed will be a 3-storey concrete building with an office space of 792 sq m. The ground floor is designed to be used for holding trainings and conferences. Offices will be situated on the second floor. And the third floor will serve as another dorm for visiting guests; the one in “Ruen Roi Chanum” is already congested.

The estimated cost of the new office building is 6.2 million baht. Kled Thai Company will provide 3 million baht to fund its construction. Any interested donor should contact Mr. Siroj Angsuvat

Background

More than six decades of development and modernization (which emphasized material progress) have contributed to numerous crises: the weakening of grassroots communities, environmental degradation, spiritual and cultural decline, and so on. Market values have displaced ethics and spirituality in society. These crises are getting increasingly complex, violent, and difficult to mitigate or tackle.

At the same time, the Sangha is dominated by the State, capitalism, and consumerism. It lacks transparency and accountability. In general, the bond between lay and ordained communities is also rapidly weakening. The Sangha is in decline, and there is no sign that it will be able to halt this downward momentum. It can be said that the Sangha no longer serves as a major source of wisdom and spiritual guidance in society.

Amid this crisis, there are a number of monks and nuns who steadfastly uphold the Dhamma. They offer guidance in terms of wisdom and spirituality to society at large. Most of them reside in the rural areas, in areas far from ‘modernity.’ They cooperate with local villagers in empowering grassroots communities—attempting to make them more self-sufficient, for instance. Additionally, many of them are engaged in ‘academic’ work, offering knowledge, guidance, and solutions to present crises based on the teachings of the Buddha.

In 1990 the Thai-Inter-religious Commission for Development (TICD), an organization under the umbrella of the Sathirakoses-Nagapradipa Foundation, invited several monks mentioned above to a meeting to share views and experiences on social work. The meeting also provided a forum to meditate together and to provide moral support for each other’s work.

Many at the meeting agreed that monks and nuns who were working in the field of development should create a network that would provide support and coordination as well as facilitate the adaptation of Buddhist teachings to contemporary life and society based on sufficiency and sustainability. As such the “Sekhiyadhamma Group” was created. Its primary objective was to increase the relevancy of Buddhism, to make it socially engaged and capable of coping with the crises in contemporary society.

Aside from upholding the Dhammavinaya, the Sekhiyadhamma Group also came up with common observances: avoiding a way of life that supports capitalism and consumerism; abstaining from all forms of intoxicants (e.g., cigarettes, betel nuts, soft drinks, energy drinks, etc.); and minimizing/discontinuing the use of plastic and Styrofoam products as well as luxury goods that impede the cultivation of contentment and the proper behavior for the ordained.

At present, membership of the Sekhiyadhamma Group is open to both the lay and the ordained.

Objectives

1. To promote celibacy that is sustainable and happy
2. To foster the condition of being kalyanamitta between monks and nuns working in the field of development
3. To promote self-cultivation and social development giving due consideration to the natural environment based on Buddhist teachings
4. To strengthen the Four Buddhist Assemblies, making them play a beneficial role in society
5. To serve as a network coordinating the work of monks and nuns involved in development

Goals

1. To attain celibacy in a sustainable and happy manner, being beneficial to both the self and the other
2. To achieve liberation (spiritual and intellectual independence)
3. To promote and strengthen the faith in Buddhism
4. To promote the condition of being kalyanamitta among the members as well as in society at large

Distinct Features

1. A model of simple and frugal livelihood
2. A model to anyone interested in self-cultivation based on the Three-fold Training
3. A model of freedom from intoxicants and the causes of ruin to anyone interested in leading a healthy life
4. A model of an alternative to consumerism
5. A model of the promotion of local wisdom and the conservation of the natural environment, tradition, and culture
6. Fostering reconciliation and building bridges between the sexes and racial, ethnic, national, and religious groups

On January 19, 2007 Sulak Sivaraksa will be the keynote speaker at Thammasat University. He will speak on events occurring over the 5 months since the last coup. In light of current events, this will be a sensitive subject. We do hope that the event will pass without incident.

Teaching Tour in Thailand of The Venerable Tenzin Palmo:
January 2007
5 January Seminar “Female Dhamma Masters: Opportunity, Obstacle and Future” 9:00 - 15:00 hrs. Political Science Alumni Association Auditorium, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University
6-7 January Visit to Ven. Dhammananda at Songdham Kalyani Temple, Nakorn Pathom province
8 January Visit to Suan Mokkh in Surath Thani province
9 January The 13th Sem Pringpuangkaew Lecture “Woman Dhamma Masters and Healing of the World” 18.00 - 20.00 hrs. Auditorium Hall, Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University
10 January Talk to Social Venture Network Thailand
11-14 January Meditation Retreat, Wongsanit Ashram, Nakorn Nayok province
16-18 January Meditation Retreat in Chiangmai

For more information, please contact: INEB at ineboffice@yahoo.com