8.18.2006

Monks behaving badly.


Monk graffiti? Monks brawling over peace? What gives?

Organizers said there were around 1,000 people in a park in the capital, Colombo [Sri Lanka], listening to a range of speakers when hardline saffron-robed monks opposed to concessions to Tamil Tiger rebels mounted the stage and erected banners.

Some more moderate Buddhist monks, protesting for peace, were already on the stage when punches were thrown. Soon, monks' robes and fists were flying, although no one was badly hurt, witnesses said.

"They were saying we should go to war," said pro-peace monk Madampawe Assagee. "We like to listen to other opinions so we let them do that but then they started fighting and we couldn't control some of our people. They tried to make it a big fight but we settled it in a few minutes."

Earlier: Monkmobiles and bulletproof robes.

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