Irrawaddy-June 12
A Buddhist monk who runs a refuge for thousands of homeless people has drawn criticism for suggesting that detained civilian leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi should leave politics and cooperate with the military regime to achieve peace in Myanmar. Buddhist monk U Ottamathara, the head of Thabawa (Nature) Meditation Center in Thanlyin Township on the outskirts of Yangon, visited National League for Democracy (NLD) patron U Tin Oo at his house on Thursday. The meditation center posted a video of the meeting on its Facebook page on Friday. In the video, U Ottamathara says tensions are running high in the Myanmar military over Aung San Suu Kyi’s refusal to give up politics. Suu Kyi is the key person for peace in Myanmar given her influence over the majority of the population, said the monk. “For the sake of people and peace, if she says something is white, not many people will say it is black,” the monk told U Tin Oo. The monk said he would like to meet Suu Kyi in person to explain that the situation could either improve or worsen depending on her actions. U Tin Oo, 96, gave a murmured response that could not be deciphered from the clip. The monk’s meeting with NLD’s patron came after junta National Solidarity and Peace Negotiation Committee (NSPNC) chairman Lieutenant-General Yar Pyae and retired Lt-Gen Khin Zaw Oo met Suu Kyi in Naypyitaw Prison, where she is being held, on May 27 and June 4. The military regime is fighting a multi-front war across the country comprising daily clashes with ethnic armed organizations and resistance groups collectively known as the People’s Defense Force, which operates as the armed wing of the civilian National Unity Government. U Ottamathara has also held several rounds of talks with junta representatives led by Lt-Gen Win Bo Shein and Lt-Gen Min Naing of the NSPNC, according to Thabawa Meditation Center’s Facebook page. Read more at: https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-monk-draws-flak-for-urging-aung-san-suu-kyi-to-renounce-politics.html
