Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Yangon (Agenzia Fides) - Buddhist monk Myaing Kyee Ngu Sayadaw invites his followers to destroy the country's churches and replace them with Buddhist temples. This is the alarm launched by the Christian community in Myanmar to Agenzia Fides. According to information sent to Fides, the monk has already managed to build three pagodas on land owned by Christians. The last seizure took place during the night, when the 73-year-old Buddhist leader and a dozen of his men entered the compound of the Anglican church of St. Mark in Hlaingbwe, in the Burmese state of Kayin, in the center-south of the country. The men carried bricks and cement, and started to build a temple in front of the church, work that continued in the following days.
The Anglican Bishop, head of the church, Mgr. Saw Stylo, prefered not to respond directly, so as not to trigger violence, but report the abuse to the authorities. "I do not want to feed hatred and division among religious communities, but we want to live in harmony", he said. Informed about the incident, Aung Ko Thura, Minister for Religious Affairs of the new government of Myanmar, apologized to the Christians in the state of Kayin, promising to work towards a peaceful and conciliatory solution. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 13/05/2016)
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