INDEPENDENT MON NEWS AGENCY (IMNA)
WEEKLY NEWS

A Buddhist Monk attended a Human Rights Training

February 19, 2002
IMNA / Sangkhlaburi

Human Rights training has been conducted in
Sangkhlaburi, Thai -Burma Border town for three days
under the arrangement of Human Rights Foundation of
Monland.

Ten women, four men and one Buddhist monk attended a
short course and two local trainers became
facilitators for the training. Nai Kasauh Mon,
Director of Human Rights Foundation of Monland and Mi
Khamom Htaw, Mon Women Rights Advocator facilitated
three days training with full motivation.

'More such training is good for us' a Buddhist monk
who attended the course said. Many trainees expressed
their satisfy in regard the training. Miss Mi Hlaing
Son, age 17 said ' woman can lead everything and
everywhere, I will tell to other women about human
rights'.

Mr Wang Mough Chan, age 20 said 'I will explain to my
friends who live in the country about human rights, I
know in the first hand about these rights, so I want
to tell them very much'.

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92nd Birthday Celebration of Rev.Uttama Rumbha, Wat
Viwekarram,
IMNA / February 19, 2002

A five day Celebration of Birthday of Rev. Uttama
Rumbha, age 92 has been played at Sangkhlaburi Mon
Country Village in Thailand territory. Hundred of
thousand of people around the areas gathered to his
monastery and Kyeik Soumsok Pagoda on Thursday.

A Thai military band and music unit has shown to the
ceremony but a Mon theatre group could not show its
performance at the first night because the Burmese
border patrol blocked them for entry to the border
town, a local source said.

Rev Uttama Rumbha has mentioned in his previous
preaches that he is neither Thai nor Burmese but he is
a pure Mon nationality, the source added. He said
that he does not hold either Thai or Burmese Buddhist
ID card.

Rev. Uttama Rumbha has contributed his moral duties to
local people in regards social and family welfare for
more than five decades. He established the current
Mon Monastery in new place in 1986 after the old place
was flooded because dam construction in Thonphaphoom
District in the south. Local people that include
Mon, Thai, Karen and Burmese always visit him when
they would like to seek good fortune for life.

He is not only good at religious affairs but also at
social and local development, the source said. He
first built the old bridge to cross other side of town
with self-help project in 1983. Then later he
rebuilt that wooden bridge across Kwai river and that
bridge is also well-known tourist attractive site.

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