In Brief

A Buddhist monk, an international activist and a religion professor gathered at the Yenching Building last night to discuss the Asian view of human rights as it applies to Burma.

Rewata Dhamma, a Buddhist monk and native of Burma, emphasized the role his religion could play in enhancing human rights in his homeland.

"In Christianity, you have to accept Christ if you want salvation," he said. "For Buddhists, it's the dignity of man you must accept for salvation."

"We have to educate [those in power], make them understand," Dhamma concluded. "If they are called Buddhists, they should apply Buddhism,...[and] if we all practice Buddhism, there will be no more problems."

Sidney Jones, executive director of Asia Watch, a human rights organization, outlined several goals towards which the international community should strive in dealing with Burma. Many of these objectives, she noted, would keep the military regime--the State Law and Order Restoration Committee (SLORC)--from attaining full-fledged legitimacy in the eyes of the world.

For example, Jones advocated maintaining tariffs on Burma. "[Tariffs] won't have any economic impact," she said, "but they serve to deny Burma international legitimacy."