Burma’s Buddhist Council, Police Raid Monastery in Land Dispute.

[DagonKhan]

Burma’s Buddhist Council, Police Raid Monastery in Land Dispute.

RANGOON — Police and Burma’s state-backed monastic council sealed off a Buddhist monastery in Rangoon’s Tamwe Township at about midnight on Tuesday, evicting monks who reside at the site.

Continues here:- http://www.irrawaddy.org/burma/burmas-buddhist-council-police-raid-monastery-land-dispute.html

Monastery raided to regain control of property, says ministry

The Ministry of Religious Affairs says an early morning raid on a Yangon monastery was necessary to regain control of the disputed property from a well-known abbot and his followers.

The abbot, the Venerable Penang Sayardaw, is believed to be overseas.

The raid on the Mahasantisukhua monastery in Tarmwe Township began about 1am on June 11 and involved hundreds of uniformed and plain-clothes police and monks, witnesses said.

Continues here:- http://www.mizzima.com/mizzima-news/myanmar/item/11440-monastery-raided-to-regain-control-of-property-says-ministry

[DagonKhan]

Lots of Burmese talking about this with countless video clips circulating on social media of the eviction.

Why was he thrown out as he is well known and revered by many? Million dollar question that has yet to be answered.

I've been to this monastery, it's incredibly 'rich' and is probably one of, if not the most popular wedding venue for couples. It comes complete with ballrooms, sound systems, kitchens etc., they do a roaring trade and it's hard to book one of the rooms as they're frequently fully booked.

Edited June 11, 2014 by DagonKhan

[DagonKhan]

Mahasantisukha Monastery raided in Rangoon

The Mahasantisukha Monastery in Rangoon’s Tamwe Township was raided on Tuesday night by officials from the Religious Affairs Department and riot police who escorted the resident monks to the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee while detaining their supporters.

Continues here:- http://www.dvb.no/news/mahasantisukha-monastery-raided-in-rangoon-burma-myanmar/41429

[DagonKhan]

Abbot Lashes out at Govt-Backed Clergy Over Monastery Raid

Abbot Penang Sayadaw U Pyinnya Wuntha has lashed out at the government-backed Buddhist clergy council, the State Sangha Maha Nayaka, over the forced eviction of his followers from Rangoon’s Maha Thanti Thukha Buddhist monastery on Tuesday.

Continues:- http://www.irrawaddy.org/burma/abbot-lashes-govt-backed-clergy-monastery-raid.html?PageSpeed=noscript

[DagonKhan]

Mahasantisukha monks, supporters will be charged, say religious dept officials

Buddhist monks and staff from the Mahasantisukha Monastery will be charged in accordance with the law, said the Ministry of Religious Affairs at a press conference in its Rangoon office near Kaba-aye Pagoda on Wednesday.

Continues here:- http://www.dvb.no/dvb-video/mahasantisukha-monks-supporters-will-be-charged-say-religious-dept-officials-burma-myanmar/41463

[DagonKhan]

Authorities Charge Monks in Dispute With Govt-Backed Clergy

RANGOON — Authorities in Rangoon’s Tamwe Township charged five Buddhist monks with religious offenses on Friday after they became embroiled in a dispute with the government-backed Buddhist clergy over the ownership of a large Rangoon monastery.

The monks were reportedly disrobed and sent to Insein Prison to await their trial, which could result in a prison sentence.

“It’s true, we brought them to the court, but I don’t’ want to say any more [about this case],” Ye Myo Hein, a police officer involved in the case, said when asked whether the monks had been charged with religious offenses.

Continues here:- http://www.irrawaddy.org/burma/authorities-charge-monks-dispute-govt-backed-clergy.html

[DagonKhan]

Govt, Sangha committee under fire for night raid

The State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee and Ministry of Religious Affairs have come under fierce criticism for a nighttime raid on a monastery at the centre of a high-profile land dispute.

Continues here:- http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/10666-govt-sangha-committee-under-fire-for-night-raid.html

[DagonKhan]

‘We are ashamed of ourselves,’ says monk who helped raid Mahasantisukha

A Buddhist monk who assisted the Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee during its raid on the Mahasantisukha Monastery in Rangoon late on Tuesday, has come forward to say he was tricked into participating by the committee and was ashamed to have been involved.

Continues here:- http://www.dvb.no/uncategorized/we-are-ashamed-of-ourselves-says-monk-who-helped-raid-mahasantisukha-burma-myanmar/41491

[DagonKhan]

Monastery raid can spark second Saffron Revolution, warns U Wirathu

Controversial monk the Venerable U Wirathu has warned that a raid by the authorities to seize control of a Yangon monastery could create a protest movement by members of the clergy similar to that in 2007 known as the Saffron Revolution.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs has said the early morning raid on the Mahasantisukha Monastery on June 11 was necessary to seize control of the property from its well-known abbot and his followers.

Continues here:- http://www.mizzima.com/mizzima-news/myanmar/item/11465-monastery-raid-can-spark-second-saffron-revolution-warns-u-wirathu

[DagonKhan]

Five Buddhist monks defrocked and remanded for religious offence

Five Buddhist monks from Maha Thandi Thukha monastery in Yangon were disrobed and remanded at Insein prison for offending the religious ruling committee, temple followers said.

The religious dispute came to the head on Tuesday when police, officials from Religious Affairs Ministry and some 250 monks from Yangon Sangha Nayaka Committee raided and shut down the monastery, run by abbot the venerable Penang Sayadaw.

Continues here:- http://www.elevenmyanmar.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6442:five-buddhist-monks-defrocked-and-remanded-for-religious-offence&catid=44:national&Itemid=384

[DagonKhan]

Hospital chaplain arrested in Burma: MP calls for 'urgent action'

Bermondsey & Old Southwark MP Simon Hughes has called for 'urgent action' by the Government after a Buddhist chaplain at Guy's and St Thomas' hospitals was arrested in Burma.

Simon Hughes has written to the Foreign Office minister responsible for the Far East following the arrest in Burma of the Venerable U Uttara, a Buddhist chaplain at Guy's and St Thomas' hospitals.

Mr Uttara, a long-standing member of the chaplaincy service at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, had taken a career break to set up a prison chaplaincy and healthcare service in Burma.

Continues here:- http://www.london-se1.co.uk/news/view/7633

Edited June 14, 2014 by DagonKhan

[DagonKhan]

Unacceptable to defrock monks without investigation: revered abbot

Penang Sayadaw, abbot of MahaThandiThukha monastery, yesterday lashed out at the authorities for defrocking five monks before investigating their alleged religious offence.

Asked by Daily Eleven, Penang Sayadaw was commenting on the Tuesday’s raid at his monastery which led to the remanding and disrobing of the five monks.

The abbot, who has been on a trip to Japan, said he would return and resolve the incident carried out by secular authorities as well as the Regional SanghaMahaNayaka Committee, the ruling body for Buddhist monks.

Continues here:- http://www.elevenmyanmar.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6455:unacceptable-to-defrock-monks-without-investigation-revered-abbot&catid=44:national&Itemid=384