An Overview of Where We Stand
We would like to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who has contributed to supporting the monastic communities affected by the ongoing conflict in Myanmar. Your generosity has made it possible for us to provide essential aid to monks, nuns, and displaced individuals who have been forced to flee their homes. The following essay, written by our team leader, sheds light on the difficult circumstances these communities are facing and the critical need for continued support. Through your donations, we have been able to offer food, shelter, and hope to those in need, and we are committed to ensuring this vital work continues.
As a lay-IDP myself, I truly understand the profound struggles faced by those displaced due to the conflict in Myanmar. Laypeople like me, though affected, often have the option to relocate, rebuild, or rent new homes, even if it’s at great personal cost. However, for monastic communities, the situation is much more complex. Monks and novices, who rely entirely on the donations of laypeople, cannot simply rent a space or rebuild their abodes independently. Their way of life is intertwined with the generosity of others, and they must either stay in other monasteries as guests or reduce their community size by sending members, often young novices, back to their native villages or other monasteries. This situation, however, creates a delicate burden on the host monasteries, which, though compassionate, are already facing immense pressure themselves.
The recent surge in conflict, particularly following Operation 1027, has worsened the situation, especially for monastic IDPs. Monasteries that were once pillars of spiritual support are now on the frontlines of the crisis, forced to flee alongside laypeople as their monastic buildings are destroyed or overtaken by military forces. For instance, we have learned of 50 Karenni monks who evacuated from Loikaw in Kayah State and a group of monastics from Makkathar Pariyatti Monastery in Karen State, whose two-story monastery was destroyed by military airstrikes.
In Northern Shan State, where the conflict has been especially brutal, many monastic communities have fled to Southern Shan State, seeking refuge in relatively peaceful areas like Taunggyi, Mong Kung, and surrounding townships. Monasteries and meditation centers there have opened their doors, transforming their Dhamma halls into makeshift shelters. However, as more monastic and lay IDPs arrive, resources are quickly becoming strained.
The challenges these monastics face are immense. They need food, robes, alms-bowls, and other basic supplies. Some communities have lost everything, including their monastic buildings, and cannot return. The immediate and urgent need, however, is food. While lay-IDPs can often find ways to restart their lives, monastics have fewer options, and their reliance on lay donors makes their situation even more precarious.
As someone who has experienced the harsh realities of being displaced, I empathize deeply with these monastic IDPs. Their plight is more challenging because their dependence on donations limits their ability to rebuild or relocate independently. Our team has worked tirelessly to provide food aid, particularly to monastic communities in places like Kyaukme and Naung-cho, but disruptions in logistics and communication have made it difficult to reach all those in need.
Moving forward, our goal is to ensure that we can provide consistent support to monastic IDPs by partnering with local charities and improving our donation channels. We’ve seen firsthand how vital these monasteries are, not only as spiritual centers but also as sanctuaries for lay and monastic war victims. By focusing our efforts on securing food and basic monastic requisites, we hope to alleviate some of the immense burden these communities face.
In summary, we are obligated to help monastic communities that are facing severe hardships, especially those that receive fewer local donations due to the country’s economic crisis, yet continue to compassionately support war victims and internally displaced persons (IDPs). We must not only assist the monastics who have evacuated their home monasteries due to the ongoing conflict but also extend aid to those still in combat zones, such as Mohnyin Monastery, which we supported earlier in the year. The immediate need is food, but we must also consider more sustainable, long-term solutions for their survival.
Our local team is committed to reaching out to more monastic communities in need, particularly in Northern Shan State and the northern part of the Mandalay Region, in townships like Mogok, Tha-beik-kyin, Sin-gu, Madaya, Kyaukme, and Naung-cho. We are also focusing on forestry monasteries and nunneries in rural areas like Patheingyi Township, where military campaigns continue.
Moving forward, our plan is twofold. First, we aim to identify monasteries whose abbots are willing to provide shelter and food for displaced monastics. We will compile a list of these monasteries to ensure aid reaches those most in need efficiently. Second, we intend to create temporary monastic abodes as short-term shelters in peaceful religious areas like Sagaing Hills, Mount Popa, and Bagan. This plan will be developed into a detailed proposal to provide both immediate and lasting support to monastic IDP communities, ensuring their well-being in the face of ongoing challenges.
In light of the ongoing struggles faced by monastic communities and the internally displaced persons they so selflessly support, we must continue to ever so humbly ask for your help. These monasteries are providing shelter and sustenance to those fleeing conflict, even as they themselves face shortages of food and basic supplies. Your donations will go to supporting these communities with essential items such as food, robes, and shelter. Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a significant difference in the lives of those most affected.