Religious nationalism: Myanmar and the role of Buddhism in anti-Muslim narratives An analysis of Myanmar’s ethnic conflicts through the lens of Buddhist nationalism Emilie Biver !!!!! [11] End of Mission Statement, 20 January 2017, http://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=21107&L... [14] End of Mission Statement, 24 February 2017, http://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=21232&L... [15] See for example Amnesty International (2016): Bangladesh pushes back Rohingya refugees amid collective punishment in Myanmar. http://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=21107&L... http://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=21232&L... http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/22347-kofi-annan-met-with-protests-in-rakhine-state.html, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/07/world/asia/myanmar-rohingya-aung-san-suu-kyi.html?_r=0, http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/21866-kia-admits-to-ambushing-police-convoy-en-route-to-hpakant.html, http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/mandalay-upper-myanmar/24551-kachin-idps-still-lack-safe-shelter-jst.html, http://www.mizzima.com/news-domestic/dozens-killed-fresh-clashes-myanmar%E2%80%99s-china-border#sthash.PBJA2gJE.dpuf, http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/25203-fighting-in-laukkai-resumes-dozens-dead-houses-destroyed.html, http://frontiermyanmar.net/en/the-forgotten-refugees-kokang, http://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/northern-alliance-sets-sights-on-next-myanmar-peace-conference-01242017153631.html. info@boell.de, Myanmar's Religious and Ethnic Conflicts: no end in sight, Interview: Second Peace Conference in Myanmar, Friends and supporters of the Heinrich Böll Foundation,  Myanmar peace expert Dr. Sai Oo of Yangon-based Pyidaungsu Institute, Our interview with Dr. Sai Oo of the Yangon-based Pyidaungsu Institute reveals that the road to peace will not be a smooth one, http://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/myanmar-says-islamic-terrorist-organization-behind-deadly-border-raids-in-rakhine-state-10142016164041.html, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-38008151. Perspectives Asia is a publication series providing an analysis of global trends and greater insights into developments and current political issues across the Asian region. It is common to hear people say that certain religions are “religions of violence” or “religions of peace.” What might you say to someone who made such a claim? (2013). The "lady" herself has remained mostly silent, one interpretation of which is that she is putting on a brave face, as there is little she can actually do ‒ short of admitting in public that the Tatmadaw is doing as it pleases. It is uncertain how much scope she has to influence developments. The dark side of transition: Violence against Muslims in Myanmar. The current state model did not emerge during a liberal period of Myanmar history and still excludes those who do not fit into the prevailing notions of indigeneity and belonging. This case study was created by Kristofer Rhude, MDiv ’18, under the editorial direction of Dr. Diane L. Moore, faculty director of Religion and Public Life. Flash Report, [6] United Nations, General Assembly. If the conflict continues to simmer at low or medium heat, this will, above all, play into the hands of the Tatmadaw. In Kokang, where China borders on the north of Shan State, conflict has also erupted anew. This version was obtained electronically direct from the publisher on condition that copyright is not infringed. 2, Issue 40 of 30 March 2017. Against the backdrop of persistent ethnic tensions, the second round of the peace conference of Burmese government, army (Tatmadaw) and ethnic minorities begins on 24 May in Myanmar. Myanmar has long denied carrying out genocide and says it is carrying out its own investigations into the events of 2017. [7] Shortly before Christmas, the government allowed a group of local journalists to visit the region for three days, however all their encounters were stage-managed by the Information Ministry and the security forces. www.boell.de The 1982 Citizenship Law, which led to the introduction of color coded citizenship scrutiny cards, differentiated between citizens (pink card), associate citizens (blue card), and naturalized citizens (green card); foreign residents got white cards. On the basis of this law, the Rohingya were no longer eligible for the pink NRCs guaranteeing full citizenship ‒ thus laying the groundwork for making the Muslim minority, initially, second class citizens and, later, rendering them stateless.[37]. Introduction Nowadays, conflicts take place on different religions start from misunderstandings to genocides. 8, No. This violence has often been supported by factions within the Buddhist monastic community in Myanmar. There is no official state religion, but the government shows extreme preference for Theravada Buddhism, the majority religion of the nation. [27] International Crisis Group. Monks have also mobilized to support the passage of anti-Muslim laws in the nation’s legislature. Since August 2016, old conflicts have erupted anew and become more virulent, especially in the north and the east of the country. Mitteilungen Des Instituts für Asienkunde. These Buddhist monastics, and supportive lay people, have also organized to advocate for economic and legal oppression of Muslims. March 2017, http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=21355&L... [46] See, Greig, J.M. (1996). While many monks in Myanmar seem to support and even advocate for violence against their Muslim neighbors, there are others who are constantly working to end the violence. Others claim that their statements against Muslims never explicitly call for violence—even if it causes it—and thus any violence that occurs is not their responsibility. The ethnic minorities are, by and large, disenchanted ‒ and for this state of affairs they are blaming the Tatmadaw and Aung San Suu Kyi. The Arakan have a primal fear that their dominant Buddhist culture will be swamped through demographic change, and this is one of the main reasons underlying the conflict; however, economic factors and competition for scarce resources also figure large. To get the pink card one had to proof ancestry dating before 1823; for the blue card, ancestry after 1823 with qualified citizenship under the 1948 Citizenship Law; and for the green card, ancestral residence prior to 1948. Retrieved from http://www.unhcr.org/news/latest/2017/3/58cfac434/unhcr-seeks-equal-trea... [5] See, OHCHR (2017): Report of OHCHR mission to Bangladesh. http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=21355&L... Nairobi Office - Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Somalia/Somaliland, Cape Town Office - South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Sarajevo Office - Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, North Macedonia, Prague Office - Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Belgrade Office - Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Washington, DC Office - USA, Canada, Global Dialogue, Santiago de Chile Office - Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, San Salvador Office - El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico City Office - Mexico and the Caribbean, Energytransition - The Global Energiewende (EN). As a result, it offers appeal to Myanmar scholars intent on staying abreast of events in the country as well as broader audiences seeking to learn more about the forces affecting Myanmar government and society. (2000). The dark side of transition: Violence against Muslims in Myanmar. Nevertheless, these do not convey citizenship rights, and the Rohingya were thus effectively deprived of their citizenship rights and became denaturalised. Residents were noted to self-censor or provide inaccurate information for fear of reprisal, not only by the military but also by militants in the area. The religion contains four noble truths which include suffering. (1996). As Myanmar's military adjusts to life with its former opponents holding elected office, Conflict in Myanmar showcases innovative research by a rising generation of scholars, analysts and practitioners about the past five years of political transformation. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/burma-government-rohingya-m... http://www.mizzima.com/news-opinion/visiting-troubled-rakhine-state-inte... http://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/NewsSearch.aspx?MID=SR_Myanmar. Interviews with Rohingyas fleeing from Myanmar since 9 October 2016. (2005). Shortly after coming to power, Aung San Suu Kyi declared that her first priority would be to negotiate a lasting peace. During World War II, Rakhine was a front line where the Muslim Rohingya fought with the British while the Buddhists joined forces with the Japanese. Although the term “Rohingya” only became widely used in the 1950s, [32] the Rohingya claim that the origin of their ethnonym, and thus the presence of their ethnic group in Rakhine (formerly known as Arakan), goes back to the 14th century ‒ or at least to the end of the 18th century. How does gender play a role in the conflict in Myanmar. Rakhine state in Myanmar is burning. Also see a historical account in Leider, J.P. (2013). Burmese refugees in Bangladesh: Still no durable solution, Vol. As a consequence, an independence movement emerged, demanding an autonomous Muslim state [24]. Such rhetoric has spurred people in the country to close ranks in … Some, the Arakan army, Ta’ang National Liberation Front, and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance, have been excluded from the peace process. [36] In 1995, due to pressure from the UNHCR, the Rohingya were given white cards, so-called "Temporary Registration Cards (TRC)." (1979). The United Nations has recorded more than 70,000 stateless Rohingya, who, because of the fighting, have fled to Bangladesh where they are presently stranded. June 12, 2012. [3] Human Rights Watch (2016): Burma: Military Burned Villages in Rakhine State. In the report about her mission to Myanmar, dating from January 2017, Yanghee Lee, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, was rather critical of the government. Nearly 90% of the country is Buddhist, and most are members of the majority ethnic community known as Burmans. According to media reports, in the wake of the killing of nine police officers on the border with Bangladesh in October 2016 (perpetrated, according to the Myanmar government, by "I… SOAS Bulletin of Burma Research, 3,2, p.406, [23] In 1954, U Nu, the first elected Prime Minister of Burma, recognized the Rohingyas as “national brethren”, a political gesture that has been denied by consequent governments. (2016). Arakan Konfliktregion zwischen Birma und Bangladessh. [44] The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, Yanghee Lee, has called the situation extremely worrying, adding, that "today, the situation [in Kachin State] is worse than it has been in years. [34] Mayyu Education and Development Foundation (2016): unpublished study “A glimpse into the history and culture of Rohingyas”. Religion, Conflict and Peace. Although the government became more accepting of the Rakhine Muslims as peoples of Burma in the 1950s,[23] subsequent governments have been unwilling to recognize them as such. Myanmar has been the site of serious conflicts between Buddhist and Muslim communities, particularly in Rakhine State where at least 146,000 persons have been displaced since the first riots in June 2012. "[14] She then goes on to describe human rights violations and atrocities reported by the refugees. Our interview with Dr. Sai Oo of the Yangon-based Pyidaungsu Institute reveals that the road to peace will not be a smooth one. Rohingya: the name, the movement, and the quest for identity. While the government claims that those are isolated cases, Lee is doubtful, noting this could indicate that such behavior is common practice. The Buddhists described here span a wide range of values regarding the intersection of their religion and violence. For many, this was a positive signal, however the commission has met with massive resistance from the Buddhist ethnic majority in Rakhine (the "Arakan") that oppose any kind of outside interference. As Myanmar's military adjusts to life with its former opponents holding elected office, Conflict in Myanmar showcases innovative research by a rising generation of scholars, analysts and practitioners about the past five years of political transformation. Al Jazeera English video on the exclusion of Muslims from Myanmar’s government (2015): CNN article and video on recent bouts of violence (2017): PBS NewsHour video on Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh (2017): BBC video on the alleged crimes against humanity in Myanmar (2017): Vox video on the history of violence against Rohingya (2017): The Guardian video interviewing Buddhist monks who disagree about the causes and solution to the violence (2017): BBC interviews with anti-Muslim Buddhist monks (2017): BBC video on the arrest of Reuters journalists reporting on the violence (2018): In what ways can Buddhism said to be internally diverse in light of the conflict in Myanmar? 2-10. But religion has had a particular effect in the case of the Rohingya. 3 p.9. As noted by Nicholas Farrelly, one of the editors, Myanmar is undergoing a political transition after more than half a century of military dictatorship, and this book provides a timely discussion of conflicts of war, politics, and religion (6). Source: Radio speech by Prime Minister U Nu, 25 September 1954 at 8:00pm. The ethnic and religious violence in Myanmar is incredibly complex; the traumas of colonialism, poverty, the recent transition from a military government to a more democratic state, and the global war on terror all play major roles in shaping the conflict. Report No. F +49 (30) 285 34-109 They believe in a Theravadan Buddhist doctrine that states that only their intention affects their karma. In 1978, former Burmese dictator Ne Win launched an operation aimed at driving out illegal immigrants and refugees. In Rakhine State, in north-western Myanmar which is also known as Arakan, the ethno-religious conflict between the Buddhist majority and the Muslim minority of the Rohingya has escalated since 2016 ‒ with dire consequences for the political arena. pp. Win Mya Mya admitted religious discrimination against Muslims exists in Myanmar but denies that the NLD itself discriminates. Both believe their actions to be deeply inspired by Buddhism, and both use theology to justify their claims. , • Interview with Aung San Suu Kyi—the State Counselor of Burma, Nobel Peace Prize Winner, and a Theravada Buddhist—where she responds to accusations of ethnic cleansing against Muslims in Myanmar: http://bit.ly/2sfZyDo. [45] See Yanghee Lee's statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council, 13. Buddhis… [29] International Crisis Group. [38] “The split in the UNFC”, Frontier, Vol. The violence between Buddhists and Muslims has led to the death of at least two hundred people, by official account, since violence started in 2012, and has displaced tens of thousands of people from both religious groups. The peace process in Myanmar has been characterized by negotiations between the Myanmar army (the Tatmadaw), the government, and various ethnic armed organizations (EAOs). p.3, [22] Chan, A. Burma: The Rohingya Muslims: Ending a cycle of exodus? [16] This fear was not unfounded; during the visit, journalists reported the killing of a resident who had disclosed information on the militants’ operations. [27], According to the Rohingya, Ne Win employed a divide and conquer strategy, playing off the Buddhists and Muslims in Rakhine to reduce calls of autonomy of Rakhine. Stores are marked with the 969 symbol to verify the owner is Buddhist. This violence has prompted international organizations dedicated to early warning of mass violence to issue alarms, but the dynamics of this conflict are understood differently in Myanmar. However, the role of Buddhism in this conflict is clearly no less complex. Far Eastern Economic Review. Conflict can be defined as “a psychological state of affairs in which the parties are aware of the incompatibility of potential future positions”. Myanmar (Burma) is a multi-religious country. The main religion is Buddhism. International Mission of Inquiry p.6; and Human Rights Watch. (2016). One Buddhist nationalist monk, U Wirathu, was even described on the cover of Time Magazine as “The Face of Buddhist Terror” in 2013. 2, Issue 45, pp. [38] In August 2016, she invited the Ethnic Armed Organisations (EAO) as well as their political representatives to an initial peace summit. What is fuelling these renewed ethnic tensions and violent conflicts? It is estimated that about 250,000 Rohingyas had fled to Bangladesh by early 1992, with 200,000 being subsequently repatriated after the signing of another repatriation agreement between Myanmar and Bangladesh with international mediation. In Myanmar, social cohesion has three prominent, intersecting dimensions: religion, ethnicity and gender. Part two of the Union Peace Conference, which had been scheduled to take place at the end of February 2017, has continuously been postponed by Aung San Suu Kyi. The religion began in India around 2,500 years ago when an Indian prince by the name Siddhartha Gautama left the prestigious life to wander as a poor man.
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