Understanding Myanmar's Buddhist Extremists
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Buddhism and State Power in Myanmar
Buddhism and State Power in Myanmar Asia Report N°290 | 5 September 2017 Headquarters International Crisis Group Avenue Louise 149 • 1050 Brussels, Belgium Tel: +32 2 502 90 38 • Fax: +32 2 502 50 38 [email protected] Preventing War. Shaping Peace. Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... i I. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 II. Buddhist Nationalism in Myanmar and the Region ........................................................ 3 A. Historical Roots in Myanmar .................................................................................... 3 1. Kingdom and monarchy ....................................................................................... 3 2. British colonial period and independence ........................................................... 4 3. Patriotism and religion ......................................................................................... 5 B. Contemporary Drivers ............................................................................................... 6 1. Emergence of nationalism and violence .............................................................. 6 2. Perceived demographic and religious threats ...................................................... 7 3. Economic and cultural anxieties .......................................................................... 8 4. -
NEW from “Barbet Schroeder Has Made Yet Another Compelling Documentary That Demands to Be Seen.”
NEW FROM “Barbet Schroeder has made yet another compelling documentary that demands to be seen.” “GENUINELY HORRIFYING!” – Film Comment “There’s an ever-present sense of rage and despair burbling beneath the placid surface of Barbet Schroeder’s film.” – Slant Magazine WINNER! OFFICIAL SELECTION FREEDOM AWARD CANNES, CPH:DOX BEST DOCUMENTARY LOCARNO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, JERUSALEM FILM FESTIVAL TELLURIDE FILM FESTIVAL Barbet Schroeder is one of the world’s most accomplished and prolific directors of our time. Some of his most popular films includeSingle White Female, Kiss of Death, and Murder by Numbers. He has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director, and for the Palme d’Or for his 1987 film Barfly starring Mickey Rourke and Faye Dunaway “This is an important documentary that Evil comes in many forms. In Myanmar, it manifests in the casual racism and Islamophobia of influential, charismatic Burmese Buddhist monk not only illuminates the rank underbelly Ashin Wirathu. Through interviews with international journalists and of Theravada Buddhism in Myanmar, but community leaders who protest against Wirathu’s views, activist footage also captures one of the first major tests of Rohingya persecutions, and through powerful storytelling, acclaimed faced by the new political order.” director Barbet Schroeder (Reversal of Fortune, Koko: A Talking Gorilla, and Barfly) slowly, but inexorably, builds his case. Perhaps most damning – The New York Review of Books of all are the interviews with the man himself; couching his rhetoric in nationalist fervor. THE VENERABLE W. A film by Barbet Schroeder • From Distrib Films • An Icarus Films Release Established in 2013, Distrib Films brings the latest 2017 • 100 min • Color • in English, French, Spanish, Burmese (with English subtitles) • Not Rated SRP: $26.98 • UPC # 8-545-6500316-3 French and European movies to the US. -
Contesting Buddhist Narratives Democratization, Nationalism, and Communal Violence in Myanmar
Policy Studies 71 Contesting Buddhist Narratives Democratization, Nationalism, and Communal Violence in Myanmar Matthew J. Walton and Susan Hayward Contesting Buddhist Narratives Democratization, Nationalism, and Communal Violence in Myanmar About the East-West Center The East-West Center promotes better relations and understanding among the people and nations of the United States, Asia, and the Pacific through cooperative study, research, and dialogue. Established by the US Congress in 1960, the Center serves as a resource for infor- mation and analysis on critical issues of common concern, bringing people together to exchange views, build expertise, and develop policy options. The Center’s 21-acre Honolulu campus, adjacent to the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, is located midway between Asia and the US main- land and features research, residential, and international conference facilities. The Center’s Washington, DC, office focuses on preparing the United States for an era of growing Asia Pacific prominence. The Center is an independent, public, nonprofit organization with funding from the US government, and additional support provided by private agencies, individuals, foundations, corporations, and govern- ments in the region. Policy Studies an East-West Center series Series Editors Dieter Ernst and Marcus Mietzner Description Policy Studies presents original research on pressing economic and political policy challenges for governments and industry across Asia, About the East-West Center and for the region's relations with the United States. Written for the The East-West Center promotes better relations and understanding policy and business communities, academics, journalists, and the in- among the people and nations of the United States, Asia, and the formed public, the peer-reviewed publications in this series provide Pacifi c through cooperative study, research, and dialogue. -
Religious Nationalism: Myanmar and the Role of Buddhism in Anti-Muslim Narratives
Lund University SIMV07 Master of Science in Global Studies Spring 2014 Department of Political Science Tutor: Catarina Kinnvall 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 Abstract In contrast to the Western ideal of secularization, religion has in some cultures maintained its important role in nationalist undertakings. This is the case in Myanmar, a country that is currently in the midst of a state transformation towards democracy after more than fifty years of authoritarian, military rule. This religious nationalism has been taken to a higher level of chauvinism and violence between the Buddhist majority and the Muslim minority, in particular towards the Rohingya minority form Rakhine state. In order to understand why and how Theravada Buddhism’s ideas, discourses and practices have been interpreted for political and nationalist purposes, this thesis will make use of nationalism theories, in relation to religion, and understand how the merge of those two concepts has lead to the current ethnical clashes. The research aims at assessing the role and power of Buddhism in the context of Burmese nationalism through a narrative analysis of sources such as NGO reports, newspaper articles, academic writings and second-hand interviews. The analysis concludes that it is not so much Buddhism in itself that has lead to the current anti-Muslim narratives and inter-religious clashes, but rather the use of its teachings and symbols, by the monkhood and the state, to gain legitimacy and to justify vehement discourses and actions. -
Conflict in Myanmar the Vast Majority of the Citizens of Myanmar, a Nation in Southeast Asia, Are Theravada Buddhists
Buddhism Case Study – Violence & Peace 2018 Conflict in Myanmar The vast majority of the citizens of Myanmar, a nation in southeast Asia, are Theravada Buddhists. Nearly 90% of the country is Buddhist, and most are members of the majority ethnic community known as Burmans.1 Ethnic minorities—such as the Chin, Kachin, Karin, and Rohingya—include significant populations of Christians and Muslims. Throughout the 20th century, British colonial policy regularly pitted these groups against each other, creating a violent “Monks Protesting in Burma” by Robert Coles 2 Wikimedia Commons http://bit.ly/2eCW0ow legacy that continues to this day. Note on this Case Study: Today, Myanmar is the center of one of the largest No religion is inherently violent or peaceful. refugee crises in the world. Members of the majority However, religions are powerful forces. Buddhist Burmese population have forcibly displaced They can inspire horrific violence. They can also inspire nearly unfathomable acts of love many of the Rohingya, a Muslim minority group and peacebuilding. The Buddhists described mainly centered in the southwest of the country. Over here span a wide range of values regarding the last decade, hundreds of Muslims have been the intersection of their religion and murdered, mosques have been destroyed, and violence. Some are the perpetrators of violence, some are working to end violence hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee their and promote peace, many more are homes.3 By 2013, in neighboring Bangladesh alone bystanders, who may build up cultural around 300,000 Rohingya refugees lived in camps violence, cultural peace, or even both. -
Quran: the Word of God Religious Influences in Particular Social and Historical Contexts
Judaism Introductory profiles adapted from On Common Ground: World Religions in America Pluralism Project, Harvard University Religious Literacy Project, Harvard Divinity School March 24, 2015 "Sharing the Light," Thomas Hawk (2005), San Francisco, USA, from Flickr Creative Commons. Judaism 2015 Preface: How to Read These Profiles In these religion profiles, our focus is on particular religious traditions with an emphasis on 1) their internal diversity, and 2) the ways that the traditions are always evolving and changing. Though we hope these profiles provide helpful introductions, this format is a bit misleading in that it can reinforce the idea that religions exist and develop in isolation from other social and historical forces, including other religions. While reading these profiles, please remember that religions always impact and are impacted by political, economic, social, and historical factors. Please see the Methods article for fuller explanation of these intersections and the Country Profiles for a demonstration of how to understand religious influences in particular social and historical contexts. Contents God, Torah, and Israel Preface: How to Read These Profiles 1 Simply put, Judaism is the way of life of the Jewish God, Torah, and Israel 1 people. In the English-speaking Western world, God: Biblical Monotheism 2 “Judaism” is often considered a “religion," but there are no equivalent words for “Judaism” or for “religion” in Israel: Jewish Nationhood 5 Hebrew; there are words for “faith,” “law,” or “custom” Post-Biblical Religion 7 but not for “religion” if one thinks of the term as Rabbinic Text 9 meaning solely the beliefs and practices associated with a relationship with God or a vision of transcendence. -
Ideational Function with Systemic Functional Linguistics Approach
Meaning beyond the Clause in Critical Discourse Analysis: Ideational Function with Systemic Functional Linguistics Approach Chalimah1, Riyadi Santosa1, Djatmika1, Tri Wiratno1 1Universitas Sebelas Maret, Jl. Ir. Sutami No. 36A, Jebres, Surakarta 57126, Indonesia Keywords: Meaning beyond the clause, Critical discourse analysis, Systemic functional linguistics, Transitivity Abstract: Critical discourse analysis in the religious context is now a significant issue to be investigated through the linguistic way because the discourse shows the strength of language. The aim of this research is to make the world understand and reject the discrimination in religion. This study used descriptive qualitative method to describe the ideational function by using transitivity analysis to analyze the experiential realities in a phenomenal speech delivered by one of the religious leaders in Myanmar, Ashin Wirathu, who put a pressure on Islam. This research drew on finding from a study of verbal social process through Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) to look at discourse critically. The research finding shows that the speech created the discrimination by showing Buddhist’s insecurity, dissatisfaction, and hatred signs to Muslim through processes in transitivity. This discrimination is clearly shown from the data: using 62% of verbs with negative meaning about Muslim in material process; using negation as much as 43% in mental process about Muslim,; 100% verbal process from Wirathu indicated that all information taken from Wirathu’s only; using 92% of behavioral process to complain about Muslim ideology; using 61% of relational process to describe negative value about Muslim. 1 INTRODUCTION he could convince that war was the right thing to do to get honor in the God’s side. -
Fashion,Costume,And Culture
FCC_TP_V2_930 3/5/04 3:55 PM Page 1 Fashion, Costume, and Culture Clothing, Headwear, Body Decorations, and Footwear through the Ages FCC_TP_V2_930 3/5/04 3:55 PM Page 3 Fashion, Costume, and Culture Clothing, Headwear, Body Decorations, and Footwear through the Ages Volume 2: Early Cultures Across2 the Globe SARA PENDERGAST AND TOM PENDERGAST SARAH HERMSEN, Project Editor Fashion, Costume, and Culture: Clothing, Headwear, Body Decorations, and Footwear through the Ages Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast Project Editor Imaging and Multimedia Composition Sarah Hermsen Dean Dauphinais, Dave Oblender Evi Seoud Editorial Product Design Manufacturing Lawrence W. Baker Kate Scheible Rita Wimberley Permissions Shalice Shah-Caldwell, Ann Taylor ©2004 by U•X•L. U•X•L is an imprint of For permission to use material from Picture Archive/CORBIS, the Library of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of this product, submit your request via Congress, AP/Wide World Photos; large Thomson Learning, Inc. the Web at http://www.gale-edit.com/ photo, Public Domain. Volume 4, from permissions, or you may download our top to bottom, © Austrian Archives/ U•X•L® is a registered trademark used Permissions Request form and submit CORBIS, AP/Wide World Photos, © Kelly herein under license. Thomson your request by fax or mail to: A. Quin; large photo, AP/Wide World Learning™ is a trademark used herein Permissions Department Photos. Volume 5, from top to bottom, under license. The Gale Group, Inc. Susan D. Rock, AP/Wide World Photos, 27500 Drake Rd. © Ken Settle; large photo, AP/Wide For more information, contact: Farmington Hills, MI 48331-3535 World Photos. -
Persecution of the Rohingya Muslims
OCTOBER 2015 PERSECUTION OF THE ROHINGYA MUSLIMS: IS GENOCIDE OCCURRING IN MYANMAR’S RAKHINE STATE? A LEGAL ANALYSIS PREPARED FOR FORTIFY RIGHTS ALLARD K. LOWENSTEIN INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS CLINIC, YALE LAW SCHOOL OCTOBER 2015 PERSECUTION OF THE ROHINGYA MUSLIMS: IS GENOCIDE OCCURRING IN MYANMAR’S RAKHINE STATE? A LEGAL ANALYSIS Prepared by the ALLARD K. LOWENSTEIN INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS CLINIC, YALE LAW SCHOOL for FORTIFY RIGHTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This paper was written by Alina Lindblom, Elizabeth Marsh, Tasnim Motala, and Katherine Munyan of the Allard K. Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic at Yale Law School. The team was supervised and the paper edited by Professor James Silk, director of the Lowenstein Clinic, and Soo-Ryun Kwon, formerly the Robert M. Cover - Allard K. Lowenstein Fellow in International Human Rights at Yale Law School. Former clinic member Veronica Jordan-Davis contributed to the initial research for the paper. The team would like to thank the students in the Fall 2015 Lowenstein Clinic for helping to check the paper’s citations. CONTENTS I. SUMMARY ................................................................................................ 1 II. METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................4 III. HISTORY OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES AGAINST ROHINGYA IN MYANMAR ...........................................................................................5 A. ROHINGYA UNDER MILITARY RULE: FROM MYANMAR’S INDEPENDENCE THR OUGH 2011 ..............................................................5 -
Rohingya Briefing Report
ROHINGYA BRIEFING REPORT October 2015 2 WARZONE INITIATIVES TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 INTRODUCTION 4 HISTORY OF MYANMAR Colonialism Buddhism Ethnic Conflict 7 HISTORY OF THE ROHINGYA 10 CURRENT SITUATION 11 INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE Neighboring Countries Western Countries 12 LEGAL IMPLICATIONS Burma/Myanmar Laws International Laws Crimes Against Humanity? Ethnic Cleansing? Genocide? 15 TIMELINE 16 REFERENCES ROHINGYA BRIEFING REPORT 3 INTRODUCTION The controversy surrounding Myanmar’s Rohingya people is evident in conflicting stories about the ethnic group’s origin. The Burmese government and Burmese historians argue that the Rohingya are actually Bengali Muslims, refusing to recognize the term “Rohingya.” They claim that the Rohingya migrated to Rakhine state in Myanmar from Bengal during and after the British colonial era of 1824-1948. However, most experts outside of Myanmar agree that the Rohingya have been living in Rakhine state since at least the 15th century, and possibly as early as the 7th century. Claims that the Rohingya are recent immigrants from Bangladesh are simply untrue. There are between 800,000 and 1,100,000 CHINA BANGLADESH Rohingya in Myanmar today, 80% of whom live in Rakhine state. The Rohingya primarily reside in the two northern townships in INDIA Rakhine state--Maungdaw and BURMA VIETNAM Buthidaung--along the border with LAOS Bangladesh. Rakhine Buddhists are the major RAKHINE population group residing in Rakhine state. Tensions leading to violence between these two groups is a regular occurrence. THAILAND WHO ARE THE ROHINGYA? Sunni Muslims Make up 1/3 of Rakhine state’s population 1,100,000 in Myanmar Significant population in Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Thailand, and Malaysia Government claims they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, and rejects them as one of the nation’s 135 official ethnic groups Most live in Maung Daw and Bu Thi Daung townships While the government has played a significant role in the oppression of the Rohingya, it has not been without the help of Burmese citizens. -
Non-Violence, Asceticism, and the Problem of Buddhist Nationalism
genealogy Article Non-Violence, Asceticism, and the Problem of Buddhist Nationalism Yvonne Chiu 1,2 1 Strategy and Policy Department, U.S. Naval War College, Newport, RI 02841, USA; [email protected] 2 Hoover Institution, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; [email protected] Received: 19 February 2020; Accepted: 25 August 2020; Published: 16 September 2020 Abstract: Contemporary Buddhist violence against minority Muslims in Myanmar is rightfully surprising: a religion with its particular moral philosophies of non-violence and asceticism and with its functional polytheism in practice should not generate genocidal nationalist violence. Yet, there are resources within the Buddhist canon that people can draw from to justify violence in defense of the religion and of a Buddhist-based polity. When those resources are exploited in the context of particular Theravada¯ Buddhist practices and the history of Buddhism and Buddhist identity in Burma from ancient times through its colonial and contemporary periods, it perpetuates an ongoing tragedy that is less about religion than about ethno-nationalism. Keywords: nationalism; Buddhism; Theravada;¯ non-violence; asceticism; polytheism; Burma; Myanmar What accounts for a non-violent religion’s turn to nationalist violence? This question is prompted by persistent and shocking genocidal violence by Buddhist groups in Myanmar (Burma) against minority Muslim Rohingya over the past decade. In the West, the virulence with which religion and nationalism converge is associated primarily with the fervor of Abrahamic religions, which only heightens the incongruence of Buddhism’s teachings of and reputation for non-violence with grotesque uses of force in its name. I argue that Buddhist nationalist1 violence in Myanmar should be both more and less surprising than it is, and address two major elements of Buddhist philosophy at the root of this incongruity: non-violence and asceticism. -
Fashion,Costume,And Culture
FCC_TP_V3_930 3/5/04 3:57 PM Page 1 Fashion, Costume, and Culture Clothing, Headwear, Body Decorations, and Footwear through the Ages FCC_TP_V3_930 3/5/04 3:57 PM Page 3 Fashion, Costume, and Culture Clothing, Headwear, Body Decorations, and Footwear through the Ages Volume 3: European Culture from the Renaissance to the Modern3 Era SARA PENDERGAST AND TOM PENDERGAST SARAH HERMSEN, Project Editor Fashion, Costume, and Culture: Clothing, Headwear, Body Decorations, and Footwear through the Ages Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast Project Editor Imaging and Multimedia Composition Sarah Hermsen Dean Dauphinais, Dave Oblender Evi Seoud Editorial Product Design Manufacturing Lawrence W. Baker Kate Scheible Rita Wimberley Permissions Shalice Shah-Caldwell, Ann Taylor ©2004 by U•X•L. U•X•L is an imprint of For permission to use material from Picture Archive/CORBIS, the Library of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of this product, submit your request via Congress, AP/Wide World Photos; large Thomson Learning, Inc. the Web at http://www.gale-edit.com/ photo, Public Domain. Volume 4, from permissions, or you may download our top to bottom, © Austrian Archives/ U•X•L® is a registered trademark used Permissions Request form and submit CORBIS, AP/Wide World Photos, © Kelly herein under license. Thomson your request by fax or mail to: A. Quin; large photo, AP/Wide World Learning™ is a trademark used herein Permissions Department Photos. Volume 5, from top to bottom, under license. The Gale Group, Inc. Susan D. Rock, AP/Wide World Photos, 27500 Drake Rd. © Ken Settle; large photo, AP/Wide For more information, contact: Farmington Hills, MI 48331-3535 World Photos.