The Formation of International Burmese Monks Organization

Burmese Buddhist leaders declare leadership-in-exile

Overseas Buddhist monks are very concerned about the future of their religion in Burma

Two senior Burmese monks have announced they are setting up a new Buddhist leadership overseas to defend their religion from the military government.They argued that the killing and detention of monks by the security forces meant it was no longer safe for Buddhist monks to conduct their religious affairs in Burma itself.

They said their decision was in response to appeals from inside Burma.One of the leaders of the new Supreme Sangha Body is the Los Angeles-based monk U Kawida, who led a boycott of military leaders in 1990 following the suppression of pro-democracy protests at that time.The other is U Pannawamsa, who founded monasteries in Malaysia and Singapore.