Buddhists offer alms to Thai monks in deep South

BANGKOK, November 23 (TNA) - Devout Buddhists, including foreigners, offered alms to monks early on Sunday in Thailand's capital city of Bangkok, which will be later forwarded to monks in four violence-plagued southern provinces. Organised by several agencies including the National Buddhism Office, Bangkok Metropolitan Authority and the Bangkok Metropolitan Police, a large crowd of Buddhists offered dried foods and rice to monks. The two-hour event, ended at 8.00 a.m., was held on Bangkok's CDB Rajprasong Road. The alms were offered to 10,000 monks and they will be later forwarded to monks in the four troubled southern provinces of Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and Songkhla. Sunday’s alms offering, held for the fourth consecutive year, was part of a programme to offer alms to two million monks in 77 provinces nationwide. Renewed violence in those deep southern provinces has begun since January 2004 and there is still no sign of ending soon. (TNA)