Burma is making final preparations for this week's World Buddhist Summit, which has been marred by the pullout of its main sponsor.
The World Buddhist Summit begins Thursday and will last three days. Burmese state-run media report that officials from 37 countries have been invited to participate in the summit, but it is not clear how many will attend.
Japan's Nenbutsushu Buddhist sect announced last month that it will not provide funding for the summit. The pullout came after October's ouster of Burmese Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt.
Previous World Buddhist Summits have been held in Japan, Thailand and Cambodia.
Information for this report is provided by AFP.