Buthidaung Township’s Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee has requested the State government on September 1 to stop the Tatmadaw from setting up camps in the compound of historic Thone Sat Thit Bone pagoda in Sango Htaung village, Buthidaung Township, Arakan State.

Sayardaw U Tayzaw Bartha, the chairperson of Buthidaung Township’s Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee, said that the reason he has made the request was that bullets struck religious buildings and Buddha statues because the Tatmadaw troops camped on the historic pagodas.

“Buddha is the holiest person in Buddhism. When the military sets up camps in the pagoda compound, bombs land on the pagoda and statues were destroyed. That’s why, we make the request,” U Tayzaw Bartha said.

Currently, the Tatmadaw set up its camp on the platform of Thone Sat Thit Bone pagoda, which is more than 100 years old.

U Tayzaw Bartha said that they didn’t want any more damage at the historic site.

“As Thone Sat Thit Bone pagoda is a history icon, we want to maintain it. Some of its parts have been already been damaged, we don’t want more damage,” he said.

The proposal - “to have the measures from the Arakan State government not to engage in fights using religious and residential places as cover” was submitted to the State’s Hluttaw and approved on September 23.