Buddhist monks are political force

THOUGH THEY HAVE NO FORMAL POLITICAL POWER, Burma's religious leaders shape the political system through their extraordinary influence on citizens.

Since the era of British colonial rule, religious leaders in the Buddhism-dominated nation have sided with the people in times of political upheaval. This has created a deep well of support for monks among Burma's citizens.

The government, however, tends to view this tradition of activist monks and their efforts on behalf of the people as a threat to national power.

U Zawana, a Burmese Buddhist monk, explained how the role of Buddhist monks has been crucial in shaping the political system. He says religious leaders, most notably a monk named U Ottama, actively joined the movement that led to Burma's independence in 1948.

“U Ottama was the pioneer religious leader who served as a guide for us. He was a hero in helping the people of Burma liberate themselves from slavery under British colonial rule,” said U Zawana.

The highly respected U Ottama was imprisoned several times by British colonial government for his anti-colonialist agitation. An admirer of India’s Gandhi, U Ottama rejected violence, and he instead participated in many nonviolent demonstrations and strikes against British rule.

U Ottama once famously told the British Governor Sir Reginald Craddock to go back home to Britain, a declaration that landed the monk in prison. He died in September, 1939, due to his hunger strike in prison.

U Wisara, another monk repeatedly condemned to prison for his speeches, died in jail in 1929 after a 166-day hunger strike. His prison sentences included terms of hard labor, and he was also defrocked.

Both monks became an inspiration to Burmese activists and students involved in the independence movement.

“Monks have compassion for the people. Some monks just pray for the people. But some politically active monks get involved personally in the effort for the plight of people,” said U Zawana.

In 1988, during the rule of tyrant Than Shwe, Buddhist monks once again joined a popular uprising in which about 3,000 protesters died due to a brutal government crackdown.

In September, 2007, thousands of Buddhist monks led a peaceful demonstration, though at least 50 people were killed, including monks. As the protests took place in the streets, thousands of supporters cheered the monks on and even provided them with food. Many of them were arrested and jailed with long terms of imprisonment.

“All of these incidents are evidence of the important role of religion in shaping the political system in Burma's history,” said U Zawana.

As a whole, Buddhist monks, considered “sons of Buddha,” comprise the second-largest institution in Burma, after the armed forces, which number over 400,000 soldiers and police.

It is estimated that in the time since Than Shwe's military regime came to power in 1988, about 300 monks have been defrocked and sentenced to long terms of imprisonment. In 1990, over 130 monasteries were raided in Mandalay, a stronghold base for monks in central Burma, and monks were defrocked and imprisoned due to their boycott against the Burmese government.

Buddhist monks have also earned strong citizen support in other highly restrictive countries in the region, such as Vietnam and Cambodia. Still, Burma is likely the worst of its stringent peers, claimed U Zawana.

“It is very bad that Burmese authorities ban Buddhist monks, particularly those believed to be anti-government monks, from delivering religious speeches,” said U Zawana.

U Gambira, one of the most prominent leaders who led the anti-government protests in 2007, was finally released from prison on January 13 of this year.

However, in early February, U Gambira was again detained on allegations that he had broken into three monasteries in Rangoon following his release from prison. Burmese authorities had shuttered the monasteries during their crackdown on the monk-led protests in 2007. U Gambira was again detained and questioned by police throughout the night of March 6, though he remains free as of this writing.

Burma is a multi-ethnic nation, full of different cultures and religions. Despite Buddhism's dominance, there are vibrant minority Christian communities, such as Kachin, Karen, Chin, Karenni and few of Shan people.

Apart from Bhuddism, Christian communities also suffered discrimination and suppression at the hands of the government, especially in remote areas in ethnic states.

On March 27, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom released its 2012 Annual Report, which includes Burma on its list of “countries of particular concern”. The statement comes amid reports of Bibles being burnt and Christian gatherings being disrupted in Kachin and Chin states.

Burma's first Prime Minister U Nu, who is disliked by many ethnic leaders, established Buddhism as national religion, a status enshrined in the country's constitution of 1947. At that time, government troops began attacking Christian communities and destroying churches and religious halls, especially in Kachin State, where the population is more than 90 percent Christian.

There is some strategic purpose for troops to target monasteries and churches of all religious persuasions. They are often used as meeting points for dissidents, makeshift hospitals, as well as places of refuge in emergencies.

And the government harassment continues today. On March 10, Burmese government troops disrupted a Christian conference and threatened a Member of Parliament at gunpoint in southern Chin State, according to the Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO).

Also, Burmese government troops reportedly ransacked Sin Lum Pang Mu Baptist Church in Kachin State, on March 13, burning Bibles and looting, according to the report by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.

Rev. Jangmaw Gam Maw, the pastor of Sin Lum Pang Mu Church told the US Commission that soldiers from 33rd Battalion of 88th Infantry Division burned Bibles, destroyed church property, stole a video player, loudspeakers, and cash from donation boxes.

While religious groups are often at odds with the government, not all Buddhist monks support the political opposition. In January of this year, pro-government monks forced Ashin Pyinna Thiha, the abbot of the Sardu Pariyatti Monastery in Rangoon, to leave his monastery due to his speeches calling for the release of political prisoners and the end of civil war in Burma. He was also banned from delivering religious speeches for a period of one year.

Also called Shwe Nya Wah Sayadaw, the abbot was well known for allowing student activists and others to use his monastery as a venue for political events. Due to his prominence in the civil-society community, he was invited to meet with US Secretary of State Clinton during her landmark trip to Burma in December, 2011.

With a religious tradition so ancient and now so invested in Burma's political evolution, it is inevitable that activist monks and reticent government officials will continue to regard each other with suspicion and even hostility. And while Burma is taking steps toward democratic reform, the slow pace of change will not soon eliminate restrictions on religion.

As U Zawana observed, “Politicians, especially dictators, restrict religious leaders simply because the religious leaders have influence on people who believe in them.”