The Most Venerable Prof. Dr. Phra Dharmakosajarn, the Rector of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, says on the celebration of Visakha Puja Day or the United Nations Day of Vesak that 540,000 Indians in Bombay have recently converted to Buddhism and most of them are people of Chandala caste.

The Chandala is a caste title reserved for a despised and enslaved group of indigenous people of India. Many people in India who have converted to Buddhism say they do not have to be categorized into social classes, but Buddhism separates goodness and evil.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has delivered a message, saying Vietnam would like to host the 5th United Nations Vesak Celebration. In addition, he says Vietnam will always respect the rights of the individual to enjoy freedom of religion, belief and worship, and is adamant that all favourable conditions must be created so all religions feel welcomed within the country. 

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