Vol. VI, No. 3, March 1992 +-+-+-+-+ - Ibiblio

Mar. 23: Thirty-second World Meteorological Day, by Maung Tun
Lwin (Meteorologist). ["The Department of Meteorology and Hydrology
of Myanmar has 27 WWW {World Weather Watch} stations from Putao...to
Kawthoung ...."]
Religious Matters
Mar. 3: At the 3rd Yangon Division Working Commission of
Sangha, Sayadaw Bhaddanta Vannasiri made the following criticisms of
Sangha practises:
-- Some Sayadaw members of Division or Township Sangha Nayaka
Committees failed to meet and consult, or even hold required annual
meetings. They should resign.
-- Township Sangha Nayaka Committees hold religious examinations,
which is good. But, there are irresponsible acts such as "some
invigilator Sayadaws reading newspapers or falling asleep while the
examination was being held; some of them pretending not to see
candidates copying from others because [they] belonged to the
monasteries of the invigilator Sayadaws...but taking action against
the candidates because they were from other monasteries; some
reporting irregularities with prejudice; and invigilators and the
laymen collaborating to allow irregularities; some abbots
and...Committees enlisting the names of candidates who were not in
the Township during the lent; and some getting hold of the question
papers, taking out, answering them and copying them in examination
halls." Some "talked in such a way as supporting those
irregularities."
-- Some abbots "accepted a large number of candidates and
encouraged irregularities," and some State Central Committee Sayadaws
"forewarned those concerned that supervisors of the State
Sangha...and Religious Affairs Department were due to arrive."
-- Some Township Sangha Nayaka Committee chairmen or
secretaries "issued letters contrary to the resolutions passed
without consulting others...."
Yangon Commander Maj-Gen. Myo Nyunt "supplicated on religious
matters." (WPD 3/4)
Mar. 4: "A get-together of peoples of different faiths to
strengthen friendly ties between all religions in Upper Myanmar Zone
was held...in Mandalay...under the sponsorthip of the Myanmar-Muslim
National Affairs Organization...." Muslim representatives from
Kachin, Kayah, Chin, Sagaing, Mandalay, Magway, Mon, Yangon, Bago,
and Ayeyarwady attended. Speeches were given by Mandalay
representatives of Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, and Hindus.
Election Commission member Saya Chai, a Muslim, said Myanmar-
Muslims include Muslims from the national races and those who became
citizens in 1948 under the Citizenship Law. They do not include
Muslims who are not citizens of Myanmar. "He pointed out that all
Myanmar-Muslims are duty-bound to inherit the patriotism and zeal
shown by their forefathers towards the State." He denounced British
colonialist efforts to divide and rule through religion, and
"malicious rumours broadcast by the BBC and spread by some foreign
publications with ulterior motives...to make it appear as if the
Government and the Tatmadaw were persecuting Myanmar-Muslims in the
country...to make the Islamic Nations of the world have wrong opinion
of the Myanmar Government...." (WPD 3/5)
Mar. 15: The 47-member plenary meeting of the State Sangha Maha
Nayaka Committee "discussed the question of `whether the Buddha is an
ordinary human being or not,'" and concluded that he is not. It
resolved that:
"(1) Though Lord Buddha belonged to the human race He was not
an ordinary one.... He is unmatched and incomparable."
"(2) ...one who belittles or speaks ill of the Buddha amounts
to committing an offense; with the accumulation of demerits he could
fall into four nether regions. If the one who commits such an offence
is a Buddhist, he will cease being a Buddhist."
"(3) If one reveres and respects the Buddha there will be
accumulation of merits, which could bring great benefits up to the