All Buddhists globally are one

Peace is not the opposite of war. Peace is the constant effort to avoid conflict.

Information regarding Buddhist peace rally to be held on 7th December 2011 at 11.30 am by the Co-ordination for Preservation of Buddhists' Concerns, Nepal.

Appeal

We, the council of Buddhist Sanghas would like to inform you about the Buddhist peace rally commencing from Manadala, Maitighar to the Constituent Assembly, Baneshwar on 7th December 2011.

This Buddhist peace rally calls for the religious and cultural rights of the Indigenous Nepali Buddhists as the Interim Constitution specifies Nepal as a democratic, republican, secular, federal, inclusive state.

Lumbini, Nepal is the birthplace of Buddha.The indigenous Buddhists of Nepal who are referred to as Indigenous (Mulvasi) have lived in the Himalayas, the mid hills and the terai since time immemorial. The indigenous Buddhists are the true stake holders of Lumbini by virtue of their inherited religious and cultural rights. As genuine stakeholders, their rights are specified by ILO 169, CERD, UNDRIP and UNESCO conventions, ratified by the Nepal government. Peace is the sole purpose of all Buddhists.

Although the Interim Constitution specifies Nepal as a democratic, republican, secular, federal, inclusive state, the Adivasi Janajatis feel marginalized, discriminated and exploited by the state government comprising of one caste rule.   

Socially, the Buddhists are caste discriminated. Politically, all parties apply party whip to make sure that the voice of the indigenous Buddhists is not heard. Economically, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs misappropriates allocated government funds for all religious institutions without rule of law. Recently, it has allocated Rs.500 million for Pashupati, while it provides only Rs 20 million for 7000 gompas in Nepal. All Buddhist gompas are built and preserved by the private funding of Buddhist individuals and institutions. Most Buddhist conferences and organizations are represented by non Buddhists.

At this critical juncture of historical transformation from a feudalistic state to a democratic state, our peoples and communities are deprived and endangered of equal rights and justice. We are continually experiencing the state run government repressing, encroaching and manipulating our historical, religious and cultural rights based on our identity.

After the Peoples' movement in 2006, Nepali citizens had aspired for reforms addressing the equal rights of multi culturalism in a democratic state. However, oppressive ordinances, bills and acts are frequently passed by a minority caste government in the interim period to infringe the fundamental rights of the indigenous Buddhists. Such oppressive laws have adversely affected the cultural rights of the Himalayan Buddhists e.g. Bhotes, Mananges, Thakalis and Sherpas; the Magars, Gurungs, Tamangs and Newars from the mid hills; the indigenous Tharus and Ambedkar Dalit Buddhists from the terai.

Recently, the cabinet of Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai has named the Chairman of the Maoist party as the 'national directive committee' for the development of Lumbini. The much controversial Lumbini Development Project under the Chairmanship of Mr.Pushpa Kamal Dahal affiliated with both APEC and UNIDO will not be tolerated by us Buddhists to turn Lumbini into an industrial zone. Lumbini is the root of Buddhist cultural value and is sacrosanct to all Buddhists globally.

We indigenous Buddhists of Nepal have been unjustly bearing the discrepancies of One-China policy. The voices of dissent which marks this peace rally are an internal concern regarding the unfair charges applied by misappropriating the Free-Tibet charges. The Nepalese government incites fear among its own citizens to oppress their fundamental and human rights status. If Lumbini is an encroachment by non Buddhists, Free-Tibet is a repressive tool manipulated against our historical, religious and cultural rights based on our identity.

This peaceful rally expresses the rightful demands of the indigenous Buddhists in a secular state and will not tolerate any longer the unlawful as well as unconstitutional process of representing Buddhist issues by non Buddhist representatives.

Our Demands

1.  Lumbini development area must be declared as an autonomous peace zone 

2.  Marauding of Buddhist cultural heritage, historical sites and archeological treasures by unlawful acts must be deemed as crime against cultural heritage  and   must be stopped immediately.

3.  Lumbini, Bouddha,,Swayambu, Namabuddha and other important  Buddhist religious  sites  must be declared as 'peace zone' .

4.  A separate Ministry for the development of Buddhist concerns in relation to religion, culture and its resources  must be established under the representation of  Buddhists only.

5.  All Buddhist organizations, committees and functions under the Government of Nepal for Buddhist concerns which is affiliated with party politics without our consent will not be honored by its stake holders.


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