The Best Friend has always been involved in education. In Burma, its members taught languages and other courses. Since we started operating from Thailand in 2008, this has continued. We now provide free education from our library in Mae Sot and we run schools in the surrounding area.

One year ago Buddhist monk U Ghosita was arrested at Yangon International Airport on his return from a trip to Taiwan. U Ghosita had a valid passport and had not committed any immigration violations or any other crimes.

It has been a year, since Thanda Htun and Ko Nyo were sentenced to a five year prison sentence. Their crime? Contact with “members of a Buddhist monks’ group that is in opposition to the military dictatorship in Burma”. Thanda Htun (27) and Ko Nyo (32) were punished for their social work and their desire [...]

Our film night in honor of the 3-year anniversary of the Saffron Revolution went well. Around 45 people attended. After the second film we had a discussion with the monks Ashin Kovida and two other monks, one from Arakan State, the other from a small village in Rangoon Division. We discussed the Saffron Revolution, monks [...]

Today, 23 September, Ashin Issariya’s birthday was celebrated with a gathering at The Best Friend library in Mae Sot.

Please join us tonight for our special documentary screening event in honor of the 3-year anniversary of the Saffron Revolution. The films to be screened are “Inside Burma: Land of Fear” and “In The Middle of the Bridge: Burmese Monks in Foreign Lands”. We will be joined by Burmese monks who, following the films, will [...]