Earlier today I was sent a link to a page on The Buddhist Channel website with a petition campaign asking for signatures to request the military regime in Myanmar (Burma) end its campaign of cruelty against the monks and nuns in that nation.
I reproduce most of that petition now. YOu can print it out from here and mail it in, or you can perform the same actions by going to this link.
Where you initiate your petition print-out isn't that important. To hopefully save thousands of gentle souls who are airing their grievances against a cruel dictatorship, Signing and sending it in, IS.
OK here is the petition:
A Petition Campaign for Buddhist Solidarity with the Monks and Nuns of Burma
"Love and kindness must win over everything"
We, the Buddhists of the world, implore the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC, the official name of the military regime of Burma (Myanmar)) to refrain from taking any actions that:
1. Physically harm the Buddhist monks and nuns participating in the protest marches currently taking place in major cities and towns in Burma
2. Infiltrate the protesting groups by pretending to be monks and nuns (via having the head shaven and dressing in monks' robes) and then instigitating violence from within through such pretension
3. Offer poisoned foods as alms (Dana)
4. Arresting and beating up people or persons who offers food and water (dana) to the monks
5. Arresting the protesting monks and treating them like criminals, such as catching the monks by lariats and ropes, tying them up with wires and strapping them onto electrical poles, slapping their cheeks, kicking them with military boots and hitting their heads with rifle butts.
We appeal to the members of the military regime to act in accordance with the sacred Buddha-Dharma, in the spirit of loving-kindness, compassion and non-violence.
We implore the millitary regime to accede to the wishes of the common people of Burma, to establish the conditions for the flowering of justice, democracy and liberty.
We wish to convey our admiration and support to the large number of Buddhists monks and fellow Dharma practitioners for advocating democracy and freedom in Burma, and would like to appeal to all freedom-loving people all over the world to support such non-violent movements.
We pray for the success of this peace movement and the early release of Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
Show your support to the Burmese Sangha!
Please copy and print the above and galvanise a signature campaign within your community. Collect your list of signature and together with the message above, send it to the nearest Burmese Embassy located in your country (see below):
EMBASSY INFORMATION - Union of Myanmar (Burma)
USA (Washington D.C.)
Embassy of the Union of Myanmar
2300 S Street NW, Washington D.C. - 20008
Office hours: (Mon - Fri)
Tel: 202-332-3344, 202-332-4350, 202-332-4352
FAX : 202-332-4351
Email: info@mewashingtondc.com
E-mail: thuriya@aol.com
USA (New York)
Permanent Mission of the Union of Myanmar to the United Nations
10 EAST 77TH St. N. Y 10021, New York .
Office hours: (Mon - Fri)
Tel: 00-212-535-1310, 535-1311
Fax: 00-21-737-2421
E-mail: myanmar@un.int
Thank you.
May the crisis currently engulfing Burma ends peacefully. May no beings - members of the Holy Sangha and lay people - be harmed.
Sabbe Satta Bhavantu Sukhitatha