Myanmar's religious affairs minister apologizes to Christians for Buddhist monk's stupa-building in church compound

Myanmar's Union minister for religious affairs met with Christian communities in Kayin state and apologized for the actions of a Bhuddist monk, who built two stupas in the property owned by a church. President Htin Kyaw and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi reportedly instructed Minister Thura U Aung Ko to issue the apology.

According to The Myanmar Times, the religious affairs minister told the people that he would submit a report to the president and the state counsellor regarding the issue, but he instructed them to try to avoid any religious conflict. He likewise asked the Kayin State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee to not retaliate or take any action against the monk in question.

"We don't know how to decide on these issues because the new government hasn't told us to take action and neither did the previous government," a committee member said, as quoted by the publication.

The current issue started last month when monk Myaing Kyee Ngu Sayadaw built a Buddhist shrine inside the compound of St. Mark's Anglican Church, located in the township of Hlaingbwe. He built a second stupa on May 3 within the same property, and then began constructing a Buddhist ordination hall in close proximity to it.

There were reports that the church donated the land to the monk to keep peace, but this was denied by Naw Sar Wah, the secretary of the Hpa-an Anglican missionary.

"This is just a misunderstanding," she said. "We won't donate the lands. The construction has not stopped yet despite the visit of the Union minister."

U Aung Ko told The Myanmar Times last week that the issue is sensitive and should be handled with care; otherwise, it could lead to conflict within the Kayin State.

"If we solved these issues immediately, national reconciliation and the peace process could be affected, because ethnic armed groups are involved on both sides," he said.

The church has been patient since they don't want to provoke conflict. Bishop Saw Stylo of St. Mark Anglican Church said, according to Christian Today, that the new democratic government is trying to reconcile the nation, and igniting disputes while the country is seeing progress is not something good to be passed down to the next generation. 

Last year, the popular monk built a stupa in a Baptist compound in Mi Zine village, and another one near a mosque in Shwe Gon village.

U Aung Ko intended to meet with the Buddhist monk, but the latter was reportedly in Thailand for medical reasons.