Since the beginning of civil resistance against the Feb. 1 coup, Buddhist monks in Myanmar have made their presence felt in anti-government protests but are fewer in number compared with the 2007 Saffron Revolution which they themselves initiated.
Some Buddhist clergy support the military, which staged the coup, while others are siding with the pro-democracy youth.
Monks’ participation turned fatal on March 13 with the death of a monk in Mandalay, the second-largest city in the country.
Other religious communities, including Christians, are also at the forefront in the fight to restore democracy in the Southeast Asian country.
At least 39 people died on March 14 on the bloodiest day since the coup, with rights groups registering at least 180 deaths since the protests…
