A group of Buddhists in Malaysia issued a statement (below) supporting the Beijing Olympics and urged everyone not to disrupt the Olympic Torch Run in Kuala Lumpur to be held on 21 April 2008.
I just hoped no one will take any drastic actions that will create unnecessary negative impact on the Buddhist community. It seems that some Buddhist leaders already been summoned to Bukit Aman and told not to do anything which will disrupt the Torch Run.
My take is that Buddhists in Malaysia are peace loving people and usually abstained from taking any actions which might irked the police and the government. My hope is that the police and government will not look upon the Buddhists as potential trouble makers especially in relation to the Olympic Torch Run. In the history of modern Malaysia, the Buddhist citizens in this country have not even once or in any way created problems or incidents to the authorities. Even in the run up to the recent elections, while others were very vocal, which community kept their silence and did not publicised their needs and constraints publicly? It's the Buddhists!
So, please treat the Buddhists citizens with greater respect and gratitude!
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Press Statement
The Vajrayana Buddhist Council of Malaysia would like to support the call (NST report dated 16 April 2008) by the Chief High Priest of Malaysia Rev. K. Dhammaratana Thera that politics should be kept out of the coming Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
Hence, in conjunction with the arrival of the Olympic torch to Malaysia on 21 April 2008, and as consistently advised by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, we would like to urge all our Member Organizations, all other Tibetan Buddhist Societies/ Centers in Malaysia and the general public, not to disrupt the Olympic torch relay.
Instead, the Vajrayana Buddhist Council of Malaysia would like to urge all our Member Organizations, all other Tibetan Buddhist Societies/ Centers in Malaysia and the general public to show our concern over the recent deeply saddening and tragic events in Tibet and the surrounding regions in China in a peaceful way.
Therefore, we pray that the Beijing Olympics will be a peaceful and most successful Olympic Games in its series and achieves the Olympic Charter goal in contributing towards the building of a healthy, peaceful and better world through sports.
In conjunction with this message, we encourage our Member Organizations and all other Buddhist organizations to embark on a month of prayers culminating with the occasion of the Wesak Day Celebration on 19 May 2008, for the following purposes:
That there may be continual peace and harmony for all the citizens and residents in Malaysia and all countries in the world.
That there be peace and harmony, compassion and equality for all the trouble spots in the world, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Darfur, Gaza, Myanmar and Tibet.
Yours in the Dharma,
Pek Chee Hen
Secretary
Vajrayana Buddhist Council of Malaysia
