Burmese dissidents launch "anti-stealing" campaign

Win Naing, a self-decribed "independent politician," led the religious ceremony at which saffron robes were donated to monks at the Tharthanagonye temple in Rangoon, with more than 100 Burmese activists in attendance including representatives from the opposition National League for Democracy and the 88 Generation Students group.

Win Naing was the chief organiser behind several anti-inflation marches held in Rangoon last February. As a dissident, he has chosen to highlight Burma's deplorable economic situation rather than the political stalemate that has characterized the country since 1990.

In previous speeches he has criticised Burma's military junta for corruption and mismanagement that has led to spiraling inflation over the past year.

On Sunday, Win Naing called on Burmese to practice two of the Buddha's five moral precepts, namely to not steal and not lie. The other three precepts prohibit killing, adultery and consumption of alcohol.

 "As the prices are skyrocketing, we have to reduce buying, let us also reduce the number of observing Sila (Buddha's precepts) to the minimal two, that is, not to steal and not to tell lies," said Win Naing. "Let this practice proliferate throughout the length and breath of the nation to make the prices of commodities fall so that peace, unity, progress and democracy processes are expedited." 

The anti-stealing, anti-lying campaign was seen as a veiled criticism of government corruption and mis-information, observers at the rally said.

Inflation has been on the rise in Burma since April 2006, when the military junta hiked government salaries by as much as 500 per cent.

Although the government estimated inflation at 10.7 per cent in 2006, Western embassies said it was closer to 50 per cent.

 Protests are rare in Burma, which has essentially been under martial law since 1988. All public gatherings of more than five people banned unless they have received official permission.

Crackdowns on all shows of dissent were intensified after the 1990 general election, which was won by the National League for Democracy party of Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

The regime has ignored that election result for the past 17 years, arguing that a new constitution would be needed before an elected government could take over.

//Deutsche Presse Agentur (DPA)