including Pinyar Thiha (left) and Thu Mingala (middle) cut a cake for the former monk’s birthday on Friday. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy)|Ko Ko Gyi greets respected and outspoken monk Thu Mingala
a Buddhist literature laureate
on Friday. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy)|Ashin Say Kain Da donates money at a ceremony to mark Pinyar Thiha’s birthday at a monastery in Rangoon Division’s Hmawbi on Friday. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy)|(From left to right) Pinyar Thiha
Ashin Say Kain Da
Monks
Ko Ko Gyi and Min Ko Naing at a ceremony to mark Pinyar Thiha’s birthday on Friday. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy)
|Attendees at Pinyar Thiha’s birthday celebrations at a monastery in Rangoon Division’s Hmawbi on Friday. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy)|Ko Ko Gyi and Min Ko Naing at a ceremony to mark Pinyar Thiha’s birthday on Friday. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy)
|A replica statue of Shwe Nya War Abott Pinyar Thiha unveiled to mark his 50th birthday on Friday. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy)|533 Pinyar Thiha at his birthday celebrations on Friday. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy)
and Thu Mingala. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy)|Thu Mingala speaks with Min Ko Naing on Friday. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy)
RANGOON — “Authoritarian rule is the common enemy of Burma and all Burmese citizens,” said one of the country’s most respected Buddhist monks, Thu Mingala, at a ceremony to mark the birthday of a colleague at a monastery in Rangoon Division’s Hmawbi on Friday.
The outspoken Buddhist literature laureate, who was jailed under the previous military regime, attended Friday’s function alongside 88 Generation Peace and Open Society activists Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi and Jimmy Me.
“The environment in Burma has been destroyed by the dictators,” Thu Mingala said to a crowd of around 1,000 people that attended the function for the monk Pinyar Thiha’s birthday, where a statue was unveiled in his honor.
“All those who have [supported] and implemented authoritarian rule in Burma are the saboteurs who have destroyed Burma.”
Thu Mingala told attendees to be free of fear and help safeguard a more prosperous future for the country after decades of military rule.
He also reminded the public not to forget the students that remain in prison in connection with the violent police crackdown on a peaceful protest at Letpadan, Pegu Division, in March.
