A
veritable exodus of Muslims is in progress in Myanmar for the persecution made
by Buddhists. Thousands of Muslims have left the territory of Burma to head in
neighboring Bangladesh and India.
Myanmar
is composed of a majority of Buddhists. Many minorities are persecuted in the
country, particularly the Muslims. Many attacks and violence happened in
central and western Myanmar. In March 2013, 43 people were killed
and 1300 houses were burned by Buddhist in the Muslin neighborhood
in Meiktila in central Myanmar. This violence were instigated by a monk member
of the “969 Movement” (969 symbolizes the virtues of the Buddha,
Buddhist practices and the Buddhist community). This nationalist movement opposed
to the Islam expansion in Myanmar. It encouraged for example the boycott of
muslim shops, pressuring people to shop in stores which show the number 969.
The
situation is even more worrying in the region of Rakhine in western
Myanmar. In this region, a Muslim minority, the Rohingya, has been
the target not only of a religious persecution but also of a real ethnic
cleansing. The Rohingya is the bigger Muslim group in the country, and for the
UN labeled it’s one of the most persecuted religious minorities in the world.
They have been denied Myanmar citizenship. They were subjected to rape,
arbitrary arrests, destruction of villages and mosques. 8000 Rohingya left the
country in September and October 2014 creating a real humanitarian emergency.
Many people have been arrested and tortured for alleged collaboration with the
Rohingya Solidarity Organisation. Rakhine state spokesman denied any knowledge
of arrests or abuse.
Although
the situation is changing, and they have made some democratic reforms the violence
doesn’t decrease. The leader of Human Rights Aung San Suu Kyi during
a BBC interview condemned the attack of Muslim minorities, but on the other
side she tried to justify the Buddhist community: “I think the problem is due
to the fear felt by both sides”.
Can
this really justify Muslim persecution?
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