Tens of thousands pray for Burma

Photo courtesy: Tanya Nagar

Tens of thousands of people around the country participated in the national Day of Prayer for Burma held on October 21 across Australia.

Representatives from Islamic, Jewish and Christian traditions joined Buddhist monks and nuns in calling for peace in Burma and an end to oppression in Sydney’s Martin Place. Attended by over 1000 people, the interfaith event then proceeded in a Procession for Peace in Burma to Hyde Park.

Drummers from the ethnic minority group the Karen, greeted the attendees at the event with a rousing rendition of a traditional song of peace. Saydaw U Damacara from the Yennora Buddhist temple then led the reflection with a Buddhist chant.

MC for the day Duncan McLaren, former head of Caritas Internationalis introduced the event by saying, “Prayer changes us and causes compassion to well up in us. Prayer leads us to discern what is the right path to make human conditions out of inhuman ones. Prayer is the point where peace and justice embrace. But prayer must lead to action, the kind of peaceful action shown by the monks of Burma”.

Rabbi Jeremy Lawrence, Mrs Silma Irham from the Islamic community, Sr Ivy Khoury and Jonathon Inkpin from the Ecumenical Council of NSW, stood together and reflected on the situation in Burma in words from their own faith tradition. After the reflections the Procession for Peace in Burma led off , stopping on the way at St James Church, where Anglican  Bishop Ken Mason presided over a minute’s silence to reflect on the recent conflict, killings and detentions in Burma.

Lindsay Daines, from Caritas Australia and one of the organizers of the event said, “People from different religions coming together to pray for peace in Burma was a powerful illustration of the compassion many have for the suffering of the people from Burma. To have representatives of religions standing up and saying they care is also a great example of the positive affect that religion can have”.

Dr Myint Cho of the Sydney Burma Community thanked the participants for attending and implored Australia and the world to continue to do all they can to push for a peaceful resolution to the recent conflict and to end 45 years of oppression in his country.

“We must keep the monks, nuns and all people of Burma in our thoughts and prayers. Their courageous acts of standing up to oppression was a call to us all to take action and fight for a more just world. The people of Burma are suffering everyday and we must continue to encourage the Australian government to do more and also the Government of China who are most likely to have any influence over the Burmese Generals.”

A traditional Buddhist water ritual of cleansing was the culmination point of the Sydney event.

In addition to the Procession for Peace in Burma in Sydney, people in synagogues, mosques, temples and churches across Australia, took time to reflect and pray for the people of Burma.