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