Sri Lanka inquiry into Buddhist monk's self-immolation

BBC, May 27, 2013

Colombo, Sri Lanka -- Sri Lanka is to investigate the role of the media in the death of a Buddhist monk on Saturday, the day after he set fire to himself.

<< Dozens of people protested after the authorities rejected a state funeral for the monk Dozens of people protested after the authorities rejected a state funeral for the monk

Officials say journalists who filmed Bowatte Indarathana's self-immolation could have tried to have him rescued.

The Media Ministry Secretary, Charitha Herath, said the monk had told at least one TV journalist of his plan.

Meanwhile, hardline Buddhist nationalists are hailing the dead monk as a hero for his act.

Mr Herath said any reporter who knew in advance of the monk's plans should have contacted the police.

"My issue is that if you have already [been] informed by somebody that he is going to commit suicide, you are supposed to at least inform others to get rid of that disaster," he said.

Venerable Indarathana was protesting against the slaughter of cattle and the alleged conversion of Buddhists by Sri Lanka's minority faiths.

He set himself on fire outside the holiest Buddhist shrine in the country - the Temple of the Tooth in the central city of Kandy. He died in intensive care in the capital Colombo the following day.

The monk - believed to be aged 30 - belonged to a Buddhist revivalist group which has been campaigning against the Muslim halal method of slaughtering animals.

Coverage criticised

The government condemned media outlets showing video of the incident.

The BBC's correspondent in Sri Lanka, Charles Haviland, says some viewers have criticised the extensive coverage the suicide

received from a hardline Buddhist TV channel, Swarnavahini.

However, Sinhalese ultra-nationalist ministers in the government have praised the incident as an act of self-sacrifice for the good of the country, he adds.

Dozens of monks from the same group, Voice of Sinhala, and their supporters, staged a demonstration in Colombo on Sunday after the authorities rejected their demand for the monk to be given a state funeral.

Self-immolation by Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka is exceptionally rare, although many Tibetan monks have recently committed suicide in this way for political reasons.

Read More @ Source



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Scholars discuss relevance of Buddha in modern world

Image
New Delhi, Nov 27 ( IANS ) More than 900 Buddhist scholars , leaders and practitioners from 46 countries Sunday began deliberating the relevance of Gautama Buddha 's teachings, 2,600 years after his enlightenment, at a four-day Global Buddhist Congregation here. The venue at Hotel Ashok sported a riot of saffron, burgundy and ceremonial colours as monks and senior lamas from 46 countries like Nepal, Vietnam, Korea, Mongolia, Laos, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Germany flooded the premises. In a televised message, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama , who will attend the convention Nov 30, to deliver the valedictory address, said: 'There have been many opportunities for Buddhists to come together and to discuss issues of common concerns.' 'The congregation has provided a much-needed and crucial opportunity. Now, and in the future, we need to encourage and foster an exchange of knowledge and experience among our different traditions and improve communication a
Keep reading

Buddhist temple in Westminster destroyed in early-morning fire

Image
Enduring bitter cold Monday morning, a Westminster firefighter battles a blaze at the Lao Buddhist Temple. The building was a total loss. (Steve Nehf, The Denver Post) WESTMINSTER — Brutal cold mixed with cold reality for members of the burned-out Lao Buddhist Temple of Colorado on Monday as they mourned the potential loss of artifacts saved by generations of worshippers. "It's not good, it's not good at all," said an exhausted Tom Pong as dusk fell over the remnants of the temple. "There is lots of history, over 100 years of it, and it could be lost forever." Pieces charred or melted by the fire — which started just before 6 a.m. — included several Buddha figures. Worries about asbestos prevented Pong and other members of the temple from going inside to assess the damage. The temple is part of an older building that the congregation bought in the early 1980s and then expanded on a 6-acre parcel at 10685 Dover St. The older section has asbestos,
Keep reading

Danish Buddhist leader, Lama Ole, to visit in Snohomish

Image
SNOHOMISH -- An unconventional guest is coming to Snohomish County next week. Ole Nydahl, a 70-year-old Danish leader of Diamond Way Buddhism, is visiting followers here in the Pacific Northwest. Nydahl's school of thought can be described as an adaptation of the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism to the Western culture, said Daria Novoselova, who will be hosting Nydahl's meeting with students in her Snohomish home. Nydahl, who is known as Lama Ole, is expected to arrive Monday. He is scheduled to give a talk at the University of Washington later that day. Novoselova, 29, felt drawn to Diamond Way Buddhism as soon as she met Nydahl. She remembers that very first lecture. She was 16 and living in Yekaterinburg, Russia, when her older brother brought her along to the lama's talk. "I immediately felt at home," she said. "I had all these ideas about the world, and, suddenly, everything came together." At the end of that lecture, she accepted a blessing
Keep reading