19 JAN 2005
Thursday
January 20, 5:39 AM
Asian Political News
Buddhist practice saved lives in Myanmar's tsunamis
(Kyodo)
Hundreds of Myanmar fishermen escaped the
deadly tsunamis by sticking to a
Buddhist practice,
the official daily New Light of Myanmar reported
Wednesday.
Myanmar
fishermen did not go out for fishing in the
sea on Dec. 26 because that day,
which is called
Na-daw, is considered an auspicious day for Buddhists
in
Myanmar, the paper quoted Health Minister Kyaw
Myint as saying Tuesday.
Most
people on that day try to avoid committing sins
such as killing other creatures.
"It
was one of the reasons why Myanmar had only very
minimal damage caused by the
Dec. 26 earthquake and
tsunamis," Kyaw Myint said.
The
disaster has claimed the lives of an estimated
225,000 people in Asia.
Myanmar
said only 59 people died and 45 were injured
in the disaster. International
aid agencies in the
country said that up to 80 people lost their lives.