Hunted Burmese Monks Flee Monasteries

Source: Associated Press

The monasteries of Myanmar used to teem with saffron-robed Buddhist monks, revered as spiritual guides and moral authorities in a country in the grip of a repressive military regime.

Then the junta turned its troops on the monks, beating them in the streets for leading pro-democracy protests. They also raided their monasteries, leaving bloodstains on the floors, chasing anyone who had participated in the rallies.

Now, nobody knows how many of Myanmar's more than 500,000 monks are left in their monasteries.

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