Monasteries evicted to make way for mango plantations
Play
The presiding monk of Shwe Wah Myaing Monastery says officials issued an arrest warrant against his monastery on Saturday after its representatives failed to appear in court to face squatting charges.
The “Sein Talone” mango plantation project zone is due to be launched in areas of Nay Pyi Taw where authorities plan to evict “squatting” monasteries.
Soon after the monasteries are confiscated, the project zone is expected to begin.
Pinnya Linkara, the presiding monk, said, “I didn’t appear at the court. I passed the Dhamma-sarira [in Buddhism]. They issued the warrant today. I will wait for the day when they [officials] use force to evict us from the monastery. Police came to warn us. They said they will arrest us if we don’t move away,”
But some other monasteries were allowed to remain near the soon-to-be evicted ones.
“Why are they [the other monasteries] officially allowed to continue to exist? The monks living in the monasteries are like us having the Dhamma-sarira. Some became monks when they were older. Yesterday I sat an exam for the honorary Dhamma-sarira. They posted the warrant today. I will face what comes if they arrest me,” he added.
However, the presiding monk of Shwe Wah Myaing Monastery said the Nay Pyi Taw Region Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee ordered him to stay there in September 2013.
