As now is the time of breaking out the variant COVID-19 pandemic, arrangements should be made for attendee venerable monks and laypersons to strictly abide by the orders, directives, guidelines for COVID-19 issued by the Ministry of Health and Sports, said Patron of the Leading Committee on Organizing the State Administration Council Waso Robe-Offering Ceremony of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Vice-Chairman of the State Administration Council Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Soe Win at the coordination meeting of the leading committee at the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday afternoon.
In his address, the Vice-Senior General said the leading committee was formed with 13 members including the patron and the chairman and the working committee with 13 members led by the deputy minister, and 10 subcommittees were also formed. Although the Waso robe-offering ceremony is held yearly, this year’s ceremony coincides with the outbreak of variant COVID-19. The State Administration Council is systematically taking the measures to soonest cease the third wave of the pandemic. Hence, the ceremony must be held in line with orders and directives issued by the COVID-19 prevention, control and treatment national-level central committee and the Ministry of Health and Sports.
It is a noble ceremony in which the governments in successive eras offered Waso robes to venerable members of the Sangha. This year, two venerable members of the Sangha from the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee, nine Ovadacariya Sayadaws from Uppatasanti Pagoda Board of Trustees, four Sayadaws from Nay Pyi Taw Sangha Nayaka Committee and those from Township Sangha Nayaka Committee and presiding Nayaka Sayadaws from Buddhist learning centres totalling 27 will be invited to the ceremony.
It is necessary to take special care of holding the ceremony, not to break out diseases related to the monsoon. As now is the time of breaking out the variant COVID-19 pandemic, arrangements should be made for attendee venerable monks and laypersons to strictly abide by the orders, directives and guidelines for COVID-19 issued by the Ministry of Health and Sports.
Chairman of the leading committee Union Minister for Religious Affairs and Culture U Ko Ko and Deputy Minister U Aye Tun reported on preparations to hold the ceremony. Officials from the respective subcommittees participated in the discussions.
The Vice-Senior General gave a concluding remark. Then, the Vice-Senior General viewed offerings to be donated at the 2021 Waso robe offering ceremony of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. — MNA
