U Nu was one of the leading Burman nationalist politicians and the first prime minister of Myanmar under the provisions of the 1947 Constitutions. History tells us that the post-independence Buddhist nationalism is rooted in the Buddhist nationalist U Nu’s slogan: amyo (only the Burman race) barthar (only the Burmese language) and tharthanar (only the Buddhist religion).
After independence, Buddhist nationalism emerges as an anti- minority force, targeting ethnic Christians and non-Buddhists. History tells us that Buddhist nationalists in Myanmar have imitated the militant Buddhist nationalists in Sri Lanka since British colonial rule.īuddhist nationalism in Myanmar takes its origins in the British colonial period (1824–1948) as a form of anti-foreign power. Religiously motivated violence caused by the elite ruling and grassroots Buddhist nationalists occurs in Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Likewise, we see the immoral image of how the majority Burman Buddhist nationalists practice violence against the minority ethnic Christians and non-Buddhist groups. In Sri Lanka, we see the immoral image of how the majority Sinhalese Buddhist nationalists practice violence against the minority Tamil ethnic Hindus and Christians. The immoral forms of militant Buddhism are found primarily in two Asian nations-Sri Lanka and Myanmar. Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue Topic
While acknowledging the justifiable criticism of Myanmar’s iconic leader in her reluctance to speak out or take action on the Rohingya crisis, Ambassador Mitchel commented that the western media could not resist the juicy narrative of the “Nobel Peace Prize Winner Fallen from Grace”, and proceeded to publicly crucify her without properly examining the relevant complexities of the situation or the nuances of her position. Reverend Hayward spoke at length about the many dimensions to ethnic conflict in Myanmar, which includes centuries of antagonism from the government, flare-ups of nationalism, political conflict dating back to the colonial era, and porous borders.Īmbassador Mitchel went on to say that the western media’s vilification of Myanmar’s de facto leader, Nobel Peace Laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, has reduced diplomatic relations between the west and the Myanmar government to its lowest point in recent memory. While there is a strong element of Buddhist nationalism driving this crisis, the panelists urged the audience not to oversimplify the narrative. The topic of the Rohingya crisis - an ongoing situation in which huge numbers of Muslims in the western Rakhine State are being persecuted and forcibly displaced at the hands of the military, many over the border into Bangladesh - featured prominently in the discussion. On Monday, February 12, 2018, the Fletcher initiative on Religion, Law, and Diplomacy welcomed back Ambassador Derek Mitchel (F 91) and Reverend Susan Hayward (F 06), as well as human rights activist May Sabe Phyu, for a dinner and brilliant panel discussion on the key issues facing Myanmar.