A Buddhist monk in Myanmar has undergone armed training to fight with the popular resistance against the military regime, giving up his vows against killing in response to the deaths of over 860 peaceful protesters.
Former monk Kaythara, 33, who became a monk when he was 20 and now goes by the name George Michael, left the monkhood and took up arms in response to the arrests and killings of fellow monks who joined protests against the military regime that overthrew the elected government in February.
Serving as the head monk in a monastery in the outskirts of Yangon, the largest city, Kaythara said he participated in the early protests against the coup. After a violent crackdown that left more than 60 people dead, many residents, including thousands of factory workers, fled the area, which authorities placed under martial law.
“I wonder if I am really capable of killing someone in battle,” Kaythara said. “I remind myself I am no longer a monk and that I am a soldier now, so I try to eat and live like other soldiers do.”
At least 18 monks have been arrested by security forces for participating in protests since the Feb. 1 coup, according to the Dhamma and Peace Foundation, an online group set up in 2019 by prominent domestic and international Buddhist monks. At least 4,480 people have been detained since the coup and are still being held around prisons in Myanmar.
RFA
1 comment:
Can't fight tyrants without guns. That's the point. Protest all you want. 10, 20, 50 years you will still protest tyrants with guns until they decide to kill you. You need guns to fight tyrants with guns.
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