India must intervene to build dialogue among the warring factions in Myanmar, the senior-most Vietnamese Buddhist monk stationed in India has proposed. In an exclusive interview with The Hindu, Thầy Huyền Diệu, also known as the Venerable Dr. Lam, the founder of the Vietnamese monastery in Bodh Gaya, said India has cultural influence in the form of Buddhism and should exercise this advantage over Myanmar to initiate dialogue among the junta, the National Unity government, and ethnic armed groups in that country.
“The majority of the people in Myanmar are misunderstanding but I believe that they are misunderstanding the concepts of the Buddha. If we can convince them to come to Bodh Gaya and follow the Buddha way, then the conflict can be resolved. Many countries are facing unending conflict because they are not trying to find a solution. That solution was given by the Buddha, who said hatred can be ended by kindness and compassion,” Dr. Lam said. He argues that world history is replete with examples of violent rulers who underwent a change of heart after being convinced by the arguments of the Buddhist path.
Editorial | War in Myanmar: On the junta and restoring democracy
