Ashin Nandaciriya (25): The Burmese people must do it themselves Ashin Nandaciriyas Voice

Ashin Nandaciriya is 25 years old and from Yezagyo Township, Magwe Division. At the time of this

conversation end of February 2010 he was living in Namti monastery, in the Mae Sot region. Ashin Nandaciriya was 10 years old when he entered the monastery as a novice. He became aware of politics at an early age: the abbot at his monastery had strong anti-muslim sentiments in Arrakan state, where Ashin Nandaciriya is from, there is a Muslim minority called the Rohingya. I was not so much politically active, as more concerned with Buddhist activism because of these anti-muslim sentiments of my abbot. Ashin Nandaciriya has a well-known face: he was one of the monks who appeared on pictures in de media worldwide during the Saffron Revolution of 2007. He is the flagbearer in many photographs.

After the marches in 2007, Ashin Nandaciriya went back to Pakkoku, but it was not possible for him to stay there anymore due to security issues because of his involvement in the monks uprisings. He went to Mandalay. Because he did not have an ID card, he went to apply for one at the immigration office. He provided the officials with all the necessary details and a photograph, but they refused to issue the ID card. They did not provide him with further details and after many unanswered questions, Ashin Nandaciriya lost his temper and threw a table on the ground. His anger worked: he got the card. He was told he had to pick it up at the Sangha Council, which is the juntas council of monks, which consists of many pro-junta monks. He went back to his monastery where they told him not to go and collect the card for fear of arrest. Ashin Nandaciriya then fled and left Mandalay. I went to Rangoon to a monastery, but the senior monk told me to leave. They knew the officials were after me and did not want to take the risk. I did not have any money and did not know where to go. Luckily, the abbot gave me some money and I managed to get to Moulmein. There I disrobed and changed into normal clothes. I arrived in Myawaddy, which is a border town on the Thai border. And I got a telephone number of a woman who helped me. I went to the local monastery, but they also refused to accept me. Entering Thailand was not very adventurous: because monks are not checked at borders, I could just walk across the bridge into Thailand and Mae Sot. In Mae Sot, I lived with an NGO for the first three months, but I could not stay there any longer. I went to the UNHCR to register as a refugee, but they could not help me. I do not know why exactly. King Zero helped me and I have been living at Namti monastery in the Mae Sot area for over one year

now. I cannot go back to Burma; I would be arrested and put in jail. But Thailand is not a completely free country for us Burmese, either: I am not recognised as an official refugee and hence am illegal. I would like to go to a third country as a refugee and be really free. Yes, I was angry at the immigration office, but I am committed to a non-violent struggle for my country. As far as the planned elections are concerned, Ashin Nandaciriya sees no role for the Sangha (monks) in advising on the political dialogue. I believe monks should not get involved in politics. I only want to help the people because they are suffering. This is what monks should do.

Change for Burma must come from within. There is not much outsiders can do to really help us: the Burmese people must do this themselves.