11 July 

An opening ceremony of the head office of Asian Buddhist Community (ABC), under the aegis of the Myanmar Theravada Buddhist Federation and the Border Areas, Hill Region Sasana Nuggaha Association (Central) and representatives comprised of 12 countries, was held yesterday morning at the Zabuthiri Beikman, Mayangon Township, Yangon.

The ceremony was attended by Rector Sayadaw and faculty members of the Council of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, Rector Sayadaw of State Paritatti Sasana University Aggamahapandita Aggamahasaddhammajotikadhaja Dr. Bhanddanta Kumara, Chair of Theravada missionary Ovada Sariya Aggamahasaddhammajotikadhaja Bhanddanta Kumara, Second Kyaikhtisaung Sayadaw Aggamahasaddhammajotikadhaja Dr. Bhanddanta Nargadipa and other monks, Union Minister for Religious Affairs and Culture Thura U Aung Ko, the Myanmar Theravada Buddhist Federation and the Border Areas and Hill Region Sasana Nuggaha Association (Central) Chairman Wunna Kyaw Htin Dr. Khin Shwe, committee members, representatives from Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka, India, Singapore, Viet Nam, China, China (Taipei), ROK , Indonesia and other guests.

First, the event began with the opening remarks made by Chair of Asian Buddhist Community and Rector Sayadaw and faculty members of the Council of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, Rector Sayadaw of State Paritatti Sasana University, Vice-rector of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University and representative Sayadaw of ROK. Then Chair of Asian Buddhist Community (Central) explained about Asian Buddhist Community, that is also an INGO, and representatives from 12 countries took part in the discussion.

Next, Union Minister Thura U Aung Ko said that the opening of the ABC office, which is also an INGO, was the first auspicious step taken to carry out the tasks of promotion and propagation of the Buddhism globally. It was also auspicious to unite among the same religion while other faiths were practicing cohesion in diversity, the concept of unity in diversity for peace and development of the social structure. The ABC had been founded through the holdings of several meetings and which aimed at building peaceful social structure, fostering regional and world peace in cooperation with NGOs, the Myanmar Theravada Buddhist Federation and the Border Areas, Hill Region Sasana Nuggaha Association (Central) and the Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University from Thailand. The Union Minister expressed his appreciation for the establishment of ABC as an INGO and called for serving the interests of the world together.

Following this, the Union Minister and officials presented souvenirs to the representatives from different countries.—MNA

(Translated by Win Ko Ko Aung)