From ABC News
Amid a damning new report showing official Myanmar complicity in ethnically cleansing entire Muslim towns and villages, the world’s foremost Buddhist leader has a message to the Buddhist monks accused of spearheading the violence.
Please stop.
The recent remarks, made by the Dalai Lama during an exclusive interview with ABC News from his home-in-exile in Dharamsala, India, represent his most public condemnation of the Buddhist-led violence that has left hundreds dead and an estimated hundreds of thousands homeless.
“It’s very sad,” the Dalai Lama said.
“All the major religions teach us the practice of love, compassion and forgiveness. So a genuine practitioner among these different religious traditions would not indulge in such violence and bullying of other people.”
When asked what he would say if he could speak directly with Buddhist monks in Myanmar, who stand accused of exhorting followers to attack Myanmar’s minority Muslims, the Tibetan leader made a personal plea.
“We are religious people,” he said earlier this month, gesturing to his Saffron colored robes.
“Buddha always teaches us about forgiveness, tolerance, compassion.
