By Craig Lewis
From facebook.com
Leading a growing chorus of voices in the Buddhist world in response to the military coup that overthrew the civilian government of Myanmar (formerly Burma) on 1 February,* the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB) has issued a public statement urging reconciliation in the Southeast Asian nation and calling for the unhindered restoration of democratic processes.
In an open letter shared with Buddhistdoor Global titled “Calling for Reconciliation, Non-Violence, and Democratic Processes in Myanmar,” INEB, which works to overcome suffering by applying the values of the Buddhadharma through socially engaged Buddhism, states:
As the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), our members—Buddhists as well as those of other faiths and non-religious standpoints—represent a variety of peoples across Asia, and other parts of the world including the Americas, Europe, Oceana, and Africa. Our network has a long commitment to building peaceful societies together through using a compassionate, holistic and thoroughly non-violent approach. As Buddhists, we find violence an unskillful way of dealing with conflict that also leads to intolerable levels of human suffering.