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Forced Contributions to a Pagoda Fe
- Subject: Forced Contributions to a Pagoda Fe
- From: Rangoonp@xxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 01:30:00
Subject: Forced Contributions to a Pagoda Festival
Forced Contributions to a Pagoda Festival
The following three orders relate to a pagoda festival which was held
in the large village of Nabu in Pa?an District,
central Karen State. The first order ?invites? all villages in the
area to attend a meeting about it, the second order
reports on the results of the meeting and dictates how much each
village must donate, and the third order scolds a
village for not having turned in their donation on time. Forty-four
villages were forced to contribute to this
celebration, and the total amount was much more than should have been
required; much of what was collected may
have been kept by the local military authorities. It is also
important to note that this burden imposed on the villages is
in addition to the usual forced labour and money which they are
forced to provide to the military each month. Most
subsistence farmers in this region are struggling to survive as it
is, and can scarcely afford to ?donate? anything more,
even for a religious celebration. Villagers also regularly complain
that they give to the monks and the temples as they
can on their own and make merit in this fashion, whereas being
ordered to give to the temple is not in line with
Buddhist tenets at all.
Order #4
To: Village Chairperson
Chairperson of Pagoda Trustees
Village Youth Chairperson
xxxx
village
Date: 18-2-99
Subject: Invitation to attend the meeting to discuss the celebration
of Buddha Zaniya worship
Regarding the above subject, Aung Myay Set Kyar pagoda is enshrined
in Nabu monastery compound. Even though
[living] among other religions, people have celebrated Buddha Zaniya
worship annually for many years now, arranged
by the Battalion Commanders and leaders of the village, all of whom
are Buddhist.
To preserve the traditions of the ancients who celebrated Buddha
Zaniya worship, in order to celebrate the same
while we are alive, the meeting will be held according to the
programme below.
Programme
Place - Aung Teik Dee Monastery, Nabu village
Date/Time - Year 1360, 10th waxing day of Da Baun (Tuesday) at
noon, 12 o?clock; date 23-2-99.
[Sd.]
Major Win Naing Oo
Chairperson of the Celebration
#547 Light Infantry Battalion
Army region of Kawkareik Township
[This order was copied and sent out to many villages. It is a typed
order with the village name filled in by hand.
The heads of many villages were ordered to attend this meeting, after
which the Army sent out Order #5. ?Pagoda
trustees? (gaw p?ka) refers to a committee of lay villagers
responsible for taking care of the monastery/pagoda.]
============================================================
Order #5*
[The following order has 3 pages; the first page is the main letter,
followed by a list 2 pages long. It is a typed
document with the village name filled in at the top by hand.]
Nabu, Aung Teik Dee Monastery
Buddha Zaniya Worship Celebration Committee
Date: 1999, February [blank]
1360, [blank] waxing day of Da Baun
To: Head of Village
xxxx village
Subject: To come and bring the donated money / rice for the
celebration of Nabu Aung Teik Dee Buddha Zaniya
worship
1) According to the meeting which was held on the 10th waxing day of
Da Baun, 1360 (24-2-99), Wednesday, we
allocated the requirements for the celebration of Buddha Zaniya
worship at Nabu Aung Teik Dee monastery, to send
donated money / rice, meat / fish, and produce, by the list in
Appendix A [see below], you are hereby informed.
2) Therefore you must send the donated money from the village, rice,
meat/fish, produce and firewood, on the 2nd
waning day of Da Baun, 1360 (2-3-99), Tuesday, by noon, 12 o?clock,
to the financial and budget controlling
committee at Nabu Aung Teik Dee monastery, you are hereby informed.
[Sd.]
Major Win Naing Oo
Chairperson of Celebration Committee
#547 Light Infantry Battalion
Nabu Army region