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Ashin Nandaciriya (25): “The Burmese people must do it themselves”

Ashin Nandaciriya’s Voice

Ashin Nandaciriya is 25 years old and from Yezagyo Township, Magwe Division. At the time of this

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conversation – end of February 2010 – he was living in Namti monastery, in the Mae Sot region.

Ashin Nandaciriya was 10 years old when he entered the monastery as a novice. He became aware of 

 politics at an early age: the abbot at his monastery had strong anti-muslim sentiments – in Arrakan

state, where Ashin Nandaciriya is from, there is a Muslim minority called the Rohingya.

“I was not so much politically active, as more concerned with ‘Buddhist activism’ because of theseanti-muslim sentiments of my abbot”.

Ashin Nandaciriya has a well-known face: he was one of the monks who appeared on pictures in de

media worldwide during the Saffron Revolution of 2007. He is the flagbearer in many photographs.

After the marches in 2007, Ashin Nandaciriya went back to Pakkoku, but it was not possible for him to

stay there anymore due to security issues because of his involvement in the monks’ uprisings. He went

to Mandalay. Because he did not have an ID card, he went to apply for one at the immigration office.He provided the officials with all the necessary details and a photograph, but they refused to issue the

ID card. They did not provide him with further details and after many unanswered questions, Ashin

 Nandaciriya lost his temper and threw a table on the ground. His anger worked: he got the card. He wastold he had to pick it up at the Sangha Council, which is the junta’s council of monks, which consists of 

many pro-junta monks. He went back to his monastery where they told him not to go and collect the

card for fear of arrest. Ashin Nandaciriya then fled and left Mandalay.

“I went to Rangoon to a monastery, but the senior monk told me to leave. They knew the officials were

after me and did not want to take the risk. I did not have any money and did not know where to go.Luckily, the abbot gave me some money and I managed to get to Moulmein. There I disrobed and

changed into normal clothes. I arrived in Myawaddy, which is a border town on the Thai border. And Igot a telephone number of a woman who helped me. I went to the local monastery, but they also

refused to accept me. Entering Thailand was not very adventurous: because monks are not checked at

 borders, I could just walk across the bridge into Thailand and Mae Sot.”

“In Mae Sot, I lived with an NGO for the first three months, but I could not stay there any longer. Iwent to the UNHCR to register as a refugee, but they could not help me. I do not know why exactly.

King Zero helped me and I have been living at Namti monastery in the Mae Sot area for over one year 

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now.”

“ I cannot go back to Burma; I would be arrested and put in jail. But Thailand is not a completely free

country for us Burmese, either: I am not recognised as an official refugee and hence am illegal. I would

like to go to a third country as a refugee and be really free.”

“Yes, I was angry at the immigration office, but I am committed to a non-violent struggle for mycountry.”

As far as the planned elections are concerned, Ashin Nandaciriya sees no role for the Sangha (monks)

in advising on the political dialogue. “I believe monks should not get involved in politics. I only want

to help the people because they are suffering. This is what monks should do.”

“Change for Burma must come from within. There is not much outsiders can do to really help us: theBurmese people must do this themselves.”