Abbot suspects foul play over monk defrocking

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

Penang Sayadaw was commenting on last Tuesday’s raid at his monastery which led to the remanding and disrobing of the five monks.

The abbot, who is in 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.

“The Regional SanghaMahaNayaka Committee has the mandate. We do not have any mandate. Therefore we will watch and respond to the actions they carried out. I will return to Myanmar to solve the problem. I cannot say exactly when I am going to come back. It may be tomorrow. It is difficult to set the date,” said the abbot, also known as U Pannavamsa.

The five monks are U Ottara (a sayadaw from England), U Thondnara, U Pannawura (a sayadaw from London), U Nanniya and a sayadaw (name unknown) from Rakhine. They are guests at the monastery, according to the abbot.

The abbot said he suspected foul play in the defrocking process and that he questioned whether the decision to deprive the monkhood reflected the view of the entire ruling body for Buddhist monks.

“The Sangha code of conduct office has to determine whether a monk should be disrobed. Depriving monkhood without investigation is against Buddhist teaching, code of conduct and Sangha laws. The incident has caused uneasiness among local and foreign monks. The order of Regional Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee is based on 47 monks in the committee, representing some 500,000 monks. I want to ask them whether their order was really based on the view of all 47 monks,” said the abbot.

Under the instruction of the committee, the five monks were charged for religious offence under Section 295 (a) 20/90 of the Penal Code at Tarmwe Court.

The five are being detained at Insein prison, according to news reports.

At the Ministry of Religious Affairs press conference, President’s Office advisor Ant Maung said the monastery raid was carried out because the monks violated religious disciplinary rules and trespassed on the monastery grounds.

In rebuttal, the abbot said: “The defrocked and detained monks are staying as guests of the monastery. U Ottara does not have the residency at the monastery. He has been travelling back and forth between London and Myanmar. U Pannawura came to Yangon to attend a Sayadaw’s funeral. U Thondnara is visiting to help SayadawGyi. U Nanniya has come at the invitation to take care of me. This is for a month. For next month, a Rakhine monk would be staying for a while. While I am abroad, they are helping as per assignments given by SayadawGyi.”

The ministry said the abbot could return to Myanmar because there was no ban for him.

The 88 Generation Peace and Open Society issued a statement denouncing the monastery raid. The use of force in the raid triggered public anxiety, it said.

The committee chairperson Sayadaw U Eindapala is believed to be behind the shutdown of MahaThandiThukha monastery. He is also reportedly the preceptor of the five monks.

His present residence is at Mula Se-Taung-Pyae monastery, near Zawana Junction, Thingangyun.

“Brothers should write the history bravely. If a monastery owned by State Sangha Maha Nayaka is not protected, whose would be? The assigned duty should be performed decisively. ThandiThukha case which is drawing world’s attention would be recorded today,” said the Voice Weekly quoting an audio clip of Sayadaw U Eindapala.

The journal report appeared in the publication dated June 16-22.

“Leave all the cars at the regional office. We will go in express buses. We will enter like we are foreign guests. We must act bravely. The monks there are not young. I have heard that they used to be those who returned to the legal fold from Myawaddy and Kawthaung,” according to the journal quoting U Eindapala ahead of the raid.