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Reuters-Animals don't understand th



Subject: Reuters-Animals don't understand the reality

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Myanmar military slams ``exploitation'' of top monks=20
07:05 a.m. Jan 04, 2000 Eastern=20
YANGON, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Myanmar's military government said on Tuesday =
two prominent Buddhist monks who urged it to enter a dialogue with the =
pro-democracy opposition had been exploited for political ends.=20

Two of the top Sayadaws, or presiding monks, in the devoutly Buddhist =
country wrote appeals to both the ruling military council and the =
opposition National League for Democracy urging them to work for =
national reconciliation.=20

The monks were the abbots of the Kyakhet Wain monastery near Bago, about =
80 km (50 miles) north of Yangon, and of the Maha Gandayone monastery in =
Mandalay, the country's second city.=20

``It is quite regretful to learn that some quarters have been exploiting =
the Venerable Sayadaws for their own ends,'' a government statement =
said.=20

It said the monks had been made to participate ``unwittingly'' in =
activities strictly prohibited in the Buddhist religion, and rumours had =
been spread suggesting their opinions reflected those of the whole =
monkhood.=20

``Nevertheless,'' the statement said, ``The government agrees with the =
opinion of the said two Sayadaws and hopes that in this auspicious time =
of the beginning of the new millennium the National League for Democracy =
is willing to adopt a more realistic and flexible policy...''=20

There are about two dozen Sayadaws in Myanmar, who as the senior monks =
in a 400,000-strong monastic order can be extremely influential.=20

Earlier on Tuesday, one of Myanmar's surviving independence leaders =
appealed in a statement issued at an independence day ceremony for the =
military and the opposition to follow the monks' advice.=20

Bohmu Aung, 90, said Myanmar was in political turmoil due to a failure =
to convene a People's Parliament elected in the last general election in =
1990, which Suu Kyi's NLD won by a landslide.=20

Bohmu Aung was one of Myanmar's ``Thirty Comrades,'' the group which led =
the struggle for independence won in 1948.=20

The government and NLD, which is led by 1991 Nobel Peace laureate Aung =
San Suu Kyi blame each other for a lack of dialogue.=20


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT color=3D#ff0000><FONT =
size=3D+1><STRONG>Myanmar=20
military slams ``exploitation'' of top monks</STRONG></FONT> =
<BR></FONT>07:05=20
a.m. Jan 04, 2000 Eastern=20
<P>YANGON, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Myanmar's military government said on =
Tuesday two=20
prominent Buddhist monks who urged it to enter a dialogue with the =
pro-democracy=20
opposition had been exploited for political ends.=20
<P>Two of the top Sayadaws, or presiding monks, in the devoutly Buddhist =
country=20
wrote appeals to both the ruling military council and the opposition =
National=20
League for Democracy urging them to work for national reconciliation.=20
<P>The monks were the abbots of the Kyakhet Wain monastery near Bago, =
about 80=20
km (50 miles) north of Yangon, and of the Maha Gandayone monastery in =
Mandalay,=20
the country's second city.=20
<P>``It is quite regretful to learn that some quarters have been =
exploiting the=20
Venerable Sayadaws for their own ends,'' a government statement said.=20
<P>It said the monks had been made to participate ``unwittingly'' in =
activities=20
strictly prohibited in the Buddhist religion, and rumours had been =
spread=20
suggesting their opinions reflected those of the whole monkhood.=20
<P>``Nevertheless,'' the statement said, ``The government agrees with =
the=20
opinion of the said two Sayadaws and hopes that in this auspicious time =
of the=20
beginning of the new millennium the National League for Democracy is =
willing to=20
adopt a more realistic and flexible policy...''=20
<P>There are about two dozen Sayadaws in Myanmar, who as the senior =
monks in a=20
400,000-strong monastic order can be extremely influential.=20
<P>Earlier on Tuesday, one of Myanmar's surviving independence leaders =
appealed=20
in a statement issued at an independence day ceremony for the military =
and the=20
opposition to follow the monks' advice.=20
<P>Bohmu Aung, 90, said Myanmar was in political turmoil due to a =
failure to=20
convene a People's Parliament elected in the last general election in =
1990,=20
which Suu Kyi's NLD won by a landslide.=20
<P>Bohmu Aung was one of Myanmar's ``Thirty Comrades,'' the group which =
led the=20
struggle for independence won in 1948.=20
<P>The government and NLD, which is led by 1991 Nobel Peace laureate =
Aung San=20
Suu Kyi blame each other for a lack of dialogue. =
</P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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