[Buddha-l] Now for Burma's junta

[Weng-Fai Wong]

Thai PM has newfound respect for ruling junta

Thailand's new Prime Minister said yesterday he has a new-found respect for
the ruling junta in Myanmar after learning that they meditate like good
Buddhists should. 

"Westerners have a saying, 'Look at both sides of the coin,' but westerners
only look at one side," Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said in his weekly
television talk show, two days after an official visit to Myanmar. 

"Myanmar is a Buddhist country. Myanmar's leaders meditate and say the
country lives in peace," Mr Samak said. Both countries are pre-dominantly
Buddhist. 

Myanmar's junta has come under global criticism for its crackdown on
pro-democracy protesters last year but Mr Samak said he preferred to talk
about bilateral trade.

"We want to do something about dams," said Mr Samak, adding that the junta
had also "found new gas resources". 

"I negotiated with them so we can sign contracts," he said.