
The full moon day of the lunar month of Thadingyut, when Buddhists believe the Buddha returned to the human realm after preaching dharma for three months in Trāyastriṃśa heaven, fell on October 17 this year.
Buddhists traditionally light oil lamps on the full moon night to honour and welcome the Buddha back to the realm of men.
There were no such rituals on Thadingyut’s full moon day this year in Si Par, Budalin Township in Myanmar’s central Dry Zone, where residents instead had to flee for their lives from junta soldiers storming their village.
While most managed to escape, locals said those left behind faced a living hell in the atrocities the army troops committed against them.
After setting up camp on the full moon day in Si Par village, located around four miles north of Budalin, Sagaing Region, junta soldiers. . .