Feb 18, 2009 (DVB), A monk in Rangoon’s New Dagon Port township has complained that a local ward Peace and Development Council chairman will not approve permits for monasteries unless he is given money.
The monk, from ward 1-2 in the township, told DVB that ward PDC chairman Naing Win was asking money for construction permits and other procedures where his signature is needed.
"He asked for money when we applied for permission to mark a stretch of land in the ward as Sasana property, and then again when we applied for permission to build a new monastery," said the monk.
"Also he wouldn’t give approval for local monasteries to conduct Buddhist chanting sessions or use loudspeakers unless we paid him 10,000 kyat for alcohol."
Naing Win was unavailable for comment.
Reporting by Naw Say Phaw