Singapore stops activists in Burmese temple after ASEAN spotlight over

DPA
23 Nov 07
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=123857

The Burmese Buddhist temple in Singapore has stopped activists from using the venue to stage pro-democracy activities on behalf of their homeland, officials said Friday.

Participants clad in red T-shirts have been holding massive prayer sessions, distributing pro-democracy leaflets and using the largest such temple in Singapore as their mailing address since the Burmese ruling junta cracked down on peaceful protesters in September.

“The temple is just a place of worship,” The Straits Times quoted the management committee’s honorary president David Lim as saying. “Anyone can come here for prayers, but we don’t want it used for political activities.”

The decision was made after Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo visited the shrine. The Burmese community numbers 30,000 in the city- state.

“The temple should be a place of peace,” Lim said, not a domain for “activists shouting slogans.”

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