Regional News
Myanmar Ceremony for 20,000 Monks Aims to Boost Thailand Ties
About 20,000 Myanmar and Thai Buddhist monks participate in an alms-offering ceremony in Mandalay on Sunday.- Photo Maung Zaw
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MANDALAY – A ceremony offering donations to 20,000 monks was held in Mandalay district on Sunday to develop good relations between Myanmar and Thailand.
“We’ve held this ceremony marking good relations between the two countries. We did such a ceremony before. Both countries have large populations of Buddhists.
“By holding this event, people can also pay obeisance to many monks in one place,” said Dr Than Tun Myint, member of the organizing committee.
The Mandalay Region government organized a mass donation ceremony in cooperation with Thailand’s Dhammakaya Foundation at Chan Mya Tharzi township’s abandoned airport in Mandalay, Myanmar on Sunday.
Monks take part in a donation ceremony in Mandalay on Sunday. – Photo Maung Zaw
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According to the statement, the event hopes to maintain the Buddhist culture heritage of donations to monks, strengthen relations between Myanmar and Thailand, develop unity between monks in the ASEAN region, and support monks and novices who are learning the teachings of Buddha.
“We’re very lucky to participate in this donation event. I hope I can donate like this in the future,” said U Myint Soe, who participated in the ceremony.
The first mass donation ceremony, which welcomed 10,000 monks, was held in Mandalay in September 2015 with the cooperation of abbots from Dhammakaya monastery and Atula Maha Mya Kyauk monastery.
By Maung Zaw
The Myanmar Times
