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Recent Bigotry in Burma

  • 25-05-2015 11:30am
    #1
    donaghs
    Registered Users Posts: 2,690 ✭✭✭


    Any thoughts here on the religious and ethnic intolerance in Burma in recent years?

    http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/01/the-specter-of-mass-killings-in-burma/283483/

    The fact that it seems to be led by Buddhist monks is a surprise to many who associate Buddhism as being peaceful and tolerant. Personally I think that's naive and lacks understanding of human nature. But taking the longer historical view, persecution by Buddhist of others seems rarer than with other religions. And the scale of the violence in Burma is really quite shocking.


Comments

  • #2
    bou
    Registered Users Posts: 158 ✭✭bou


    You've said it yourself - human nature. Fear and other negative emotions.
    It looks like ethnic and sectarian problems that have simmered and flared for over a century.
    Even if monks are involved, I can't see justification for any of it. Hatred and violence leads to more of the same in return as we've also seen here in Ireland.

    I notice there was letter from the Dalai Lama in 2012 expressing sadness at the violence and his wish for non-violence and tolerance.

    I guess anywhere there are populations moved around, there follows tensions as groups compete for land, resources, power etc.


  • #3
    donaghs
    Registered Users Posts: 2,690 ✭✭✭donaghs


    bou wrote: »
    You've said it yourself - human nature. Fear and other negative emotions.
    It looks like ethnic and sectarian problems that have simmered and flared for over a century.
    Even if monks are involved, I can't see justification for any of it. Hatred and violence leads to more of the same in return as we've also seen here in Ireland.

    I notice there was letter from the Dalai Lama in 2012 expressing sadness at the violence and his wish for non-violence and tolerance.

    I guess anywhere there are populations moved around, there follows tensions as groups compete for land, resources, power etc.

    I'm not sure if this is mainly to do with people moving around? From reading some background on this, the Rohingya people seem to be native to parts of whats now Burma/Mayanmar. Although at various times since the 16th c and British rule it does seem that other Muslims have migrated to Burma. And after the Bangladesh Independence war against Pakistan. The first big communal violence I've read of was during ww2 when the Rohingya identified with the Allies, and the Burmese with Burmese nationalism or the Japanese occupation.

    Since Burmese military rule, it seems that main driver of this persecution is the promotion of a nationalism based on Burmese ethnicity and the Buddhist religion.


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