Thousands mark Buddha’s birthday despite opposition by group

Holy day: Nuns praying at Shwedagon Pagoda as Buddhists mark Buddha’s birthday, which falls on the Full Moon Day of Kasone, in Yangon. — AFP

Thousands of monks celebrated the birth of Buddha at a junta-organised event in Mandalay, highlighting a division in the clergy since last year’s coup in Myanmar.

Since the coup that ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, more than 1,800 people have died in a brutal military crackdown on dissent, according to a monitoring group.Some monks have joined street protests opposing the power grab, while other religious leaders have defended the military junta.