BAGO: Thousands of people in Myanmar on Thursday attended the funeral of a popular Buddhist abbot shot dead by the security forces drawing a rare apology from the junta.
Sayadaw Bhaddanta Munindabhivamsa, 78, was a prominent teacher and monk who headed a monastery that had publicly opposed the Myanmar military’s coup in 2021.
He was shot dead on June 19 during his travel to the central Mandalay region. Earlier state media blamed its opponents for the incident before the junta said its forces were responsible.
Senior and junior Buddhist monks, nuns and residents walked for hours in heavy rain alongside the coffin from the abbot’s monastery for cremation.
Some knelt on the ground to pay homage to the abbot and others recited Buddhist religious verses. Police and soldiers stood there although there was no sign of any violence or protest.
Junta-controlled media initially accused opponents of its coup for killing the abbot, but the next day a senior monk who had been at the scene said security forces were responsible for the tragic incident.
His allegation went viral on social media and the junta said it would initiate an inquiry of the incident. Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing later apologised for the killing of the abbot. He added the security forces had opened fire after the abbot’s car had failed to stop at a checkpost.
The Myanmar military has long sought to portray itself as a protector of Buddhist identity. Since taking power in 2021, it has apprehended and jailed locals and foreigners accused of harming Buddhism, in its sweeping crackdown.
