Forced Contributions to a Pagoda Fe

[Rangoonp@xxxxxxx]

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