United religions pray for Burma

No.12 - 10/2007
22 October 2007
Politics

United religions pray for Burma

_{By: Sai Awn Tai}

People of all faiths and spiritualities from different communities and organizations in Sydney pray for peace and justice for the people of Burma.

The National Council of Churches in Australia, in collaboration with Caritas Australia organizes a National Day of Prayer of Burma this afternoon at Martin Place, Sydney.

One of prayer rally organizers from Caritas, Tim O’Connor said, “We show our solidarity to the many suffering people of Burma and particularly to the many courageous Buddhist monks and nuns.”
An estimated 1,000 participants at prayer rally wear red T-shirts, showing their solidarity with monks in Burma, holding various placards of Aung San Suu Kyi and demanding the Australian and international communities to support the people of Burma.

They also urge the Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and the opposition leader Kevin Rudd to use their capacity to support the people of Burma and pressure the military junta to halt their brutal habits and bring peace and democracy in Burma.

Religious leaders from Buddhist, Jew, Muslim and Christian communities show their concern on the peace and democracy in Burma. “These religious leaders will make a great influence on the Australian government to take more action on the military regime”, said Dr Myint Cho, spokesperson of the Australia Burma Council and incharge of Burma office in Sydney.

Dr Myint Cho says, it is a remarkable prayer rally as all different religious backgrounda show their concern to the monks and people of Burma. It is a great achievement which all people from different communities support for the peace and democracy in Burma. “These different religious leaders will bring the Burma issue to their communities” he said.

Ven Chan Khun Samai, Sydney based Thai Buddhist monk, says Burma as a Thai neighbor country and has the same religion, he is very concerned about the monks in Burma when they were killed, tortured, detained and disrobed by the military regime. “May the monks in Burma free from fear of oppression and bring peace and justice to them,” he prayed.

Participants gather in front of St James Anglican church, when they walk from Martin Place to Hyde Park. Bishop Ken Mason said, “we pray for those who are under the repressive rule of the Burmese military and we show our solidarity to the people of Burma. The prayer rally today is important to our country and people because Burma is not different to us, we must help them”.

The Blue Mountains based Director of Liberation Prison Project (Australia) Ven. Aileen Barry, a Buddhist nun says, “I come here to show my solidarity with the monks and people in Burma. I pray for those who are oppressed, for never giving up their courage,” she said.

She says, the recent crackdown in Burma made her feel very sad and it is attacking something precious to her and also it precious to all people. The military regime shows its true behavior that it is very hard hearted. “A terrible thing has happened to them even they didn’t realize it,” she said.

Ven Aileen Barry travel to Sydney’s prison every week. She prays and teaches the prisoners about the meditation. “Every time I went to prison, the prisoners told me that they feel very sorry for what happened in Burma, they show concern for the people of Burma, they know everything what has happened inside Burma as they watch the news on TV,” she said.

On this National Day of Prayer for the people of Burma, many Christian communities also pray in their churches. “The Burma issue is a deep concern to the Australian community,” said Revd Dr Jonathan Inkpin, the General Secretary of New South Wales Ecumenical Council.

“On behalf of Christian community, we pray to the people of Burma for the freedom and justice. It is a major issue for all of us, we must help the people of Burma and pressure the military regime until demands for human rights and democracy are met in Burma,” he said.