Why is Religious Persecution in Myanmar unique?

Since 1960, Myanmar formerly Burma became Concentration Center for other religion; especially Christianity and Islam. While Dictator Ne Win nationalized all foreign investments, he also nationalized most of the Myanmar Muslims’ properties in 1962. There were nationalization, religious injustice all over the World but Myanmar is unique. During the socialist regime, the government drew a systematic plan for religious persecution.

U Nu tried to build a Buddhist country but failed . The regime did not announce  as a Buddhist Country of Myanmar but practically they made it Buddhist country. Look at the government schools, there you can find Buddhist worship room; in every school, there is Buddhist worship room, in every street, there is Dammayun, the Buddhist worship house, why don’t they allow Christian and Muslim worship house. The regime has a systematic plan to persecute Christianity and Islam, in the identity card of Myanmar they write religion and race to recognize the person whom they want to torture. 

During the socialist period, the regime didn’t write against other religion openly but now they are doing propaganda against Christianity and Islam openly; in the name of democracy transition period,  they insult Islam openly, they try to make non-Muslim country . All of Myanmar media is writing against Islam, especially Rakhine monks and Rakhine media got license to write anything against Islam. Rakhine Buddhists recently wrote a book in PDF format namely Islam Virus.

Myanmar Post Global Journal No (81) published on 19th. October 2012 had stated on its front page that “Karen State various Buddhist Sects’ Protection Organization had announces Four Sets of Rules including the prohibiting of Buddhist own houses, land, farming land, orchard land from selling to Muslims of Myanmar”.

In that news-

The meeting held in Mae BaungMonastry, Pha-an, was attended by more than 100 persons including the Chief Administrators from all the nine quarters except the two from the Pha-an Township.

ZweKapinTaung Abbot U Widaza had announced four rules.

Those Four Rules were:

(1) Prohibiting of selling or renting or using as collateral for borrowing money (Sic) (Note: never done by any Muslims to get illegal interest money) the Buddhist own houses, land, farming land, orchard land to Muslims of Myanmar.

(2) Prohibiting Buddhist women to marry with Muslims.

(3) Buddhists should patronize the Buddhist shops only.

(4) Prohibiting of Buddhists from allowing themselves to use their names from buying or renting the Buddhist own houses, land, farming land, orchard land for the Muslims.

Anyone who disobeys the above rules would be punished severely.

These Rules were distributed to the whole (Pha-an) town the next day after the meeting on 14th October.

Just before that meeting Karen Prime Minister U Zaw Min had visited the ZweKapinTaung Abbot U Widaza.

It had stated in the report that the Buddhists Protection procedures and actions were sent to the Karen Prime Minister, Karen State Parliament Chairmen, Karen State Security and Border Affairs Ministry and other Government Officials.

The publishing of the above news:

1. Directly attack the peaceful coexistence between different religions.

2. It is against the existing 2008 Constitution.

3. It is against the presently practicing open market system by the government.

4. Interfering the present State and Division Administration mechanism.

5. Contravening the Printing and Publishing Censorship Rules and Regulations.

The five top Islamic Organizations in Myanmar should take firm action on the Myanmar Post Global Journal which published the above news and this cases involving the dangerous events evolving in Pha-an, Karen State .

Those Four Rules were:

(1) Prohibiting of selling or renting or using as collateral for borrowing money (Sic) (Note: never done by any Muslims to get illegal interest money) the Buddhist own houses, land, farming land, orchard land to Muslims of Myanmar.

(2) Prohibiting Buddhist women to marry with Muslims.

(3) Buddhists should patronize the Buddhist shops only.

(4) Prohibiting of Buddhists from allowing themselves to use their names from buying or renting the Buddhist own houses, land, farming land, orchard land for the Muslims.

Above rules are propaganda of Government launched in  national televisions, magazines, and journals, as most of the monks who are involving in such propaganda, are  Rakhine monks such as Wirathu of Mandalay, their main target is to annihilate Muslims from Myanmar, almost all of the historical monuments and Mosques dated before 18^th century were already demolished, now they are trying to spread anti-Islamic attack everywhere in Myanmar, recently, in Raminthin, riots occurred  while Muslims and Buddhists played a friendly match but all media and T.V blamed Muslims terrorists. This is a clear cut religious persecution in the name of democracy process.

Nowhere in the World has such religious persecution , Myanmar is a unique persecution center for non-Buddhists and most of Myanmar Buddhists want to make a democratic Buddhist Myanmar, not a secular country, it is against the international law, human rights and freedom of worship. US and other countries focus on their own profits, not human rights. 

Zaw Lwin Oo