Than Shwe Shuns Politics in Speech to Buddhist Summit

Human rights groups and opposition organizations in exile slammed the summit and called for a boycott of the meeting because of the military government’s poor human right record.

The Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) said international delegates should stay away from the summit because about 300 monks were in Burmese jails.

Before the summit, the Burmese government announced that delegates from 37 nations had been invited.

The Japanese Nenbutsushu sect decided not to attend the meeting following the government shake up in October in which Prime Minister and spy chief Gen Khin Nyunt was sacked.

According to official figures, there are nearly 400,000 monks in Burma. More than 80 percent of Burma’s 50 million people are Theravada Buddhist.

The state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported that the summit would issue a declaration when it finishes on Saturday.

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The objectives of the World Buddhist Summit being organized by the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Union of Myanmar are:

to promote friendship, mutual understanding and cooperation among the Buddhist countries
to maintain Buddha’s teachings and practice among the Buddhist countries
to promote Buddhistic education based on the studies of Buddhist scriptures in nations of the world
to create the peaceful world by the Buddhists for all humanbeing
to propagate the original teaching of the Buddha in the world.