Religion in Burma - general

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Websites/Multiple Documents

Description: Archive ends October 20`16
Source/publisher: Various sources via "BurmaNet News"
Date of entry/update: 2015-03-08
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
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Individual Documents

Description: "The Myanmar military regime has destroyed more than 100 Buddhist and Christian religious buildings in resistance strongholds in the country’s northwest, heartland and southeast since the coup last year. Since late last year, the junta has conducted artillery and airstrikes on civilian areas in Chin State and Sagaing and Magwe regions, as well as in Kayah State. It has been facing strong resistance from local people in all those areas. The regime’s attacks on civilian targets in predominantly Buddhist and Christian areas haven’t spared religious buildings, in which people often taken shelter when clashes erupt. In predominantly Christian Chin State, nearly 35 churches and 15 affiliated buildings were destroyed in junta attacks between February 2021 and January 2022, according to the Chin Human Rights Organization. In mostly Christian Kayah State in southeastern Myanmar, about 12 churches were destroyed in the same period, the Karenni Human Rights Group said. In May last year, the regime forces’ continuous shelling of the Sacred Heart Church in Kayah State’s capital Loikaw killed four people taking shelter there, not to mention causing damage to the religious building. The junta’s claim that the building harbored resistance fighters was largely denied by people there. The attack prompted Myanmar’s Cardinal Charles Maung Bo to request that the regime refrain from targeting religious buildings. But the regime forces ignored the cardinal’s request, shelling one of the main churches in Kayah State’s Demoso Township, the Queen of Peace Church, on June 6. A Karenni Christian leader said the regime had shelled churches even during times when there was no fighting between junta and resistance forces. Sometime it attacked religious buildings located away from the combat areas, he said. “They are attacking the churches intentionally to suppress the spirit of Christian people by attacking their sacred churches. I condemn their bad intentions,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons. Thantlang has been the worst-affected area in Chin State in Myanmar’s northwest, suffering artillery and arson attacks by the regime 26 times since September last year, forcing residents to desert the town. During the attacks, a Chin pastor was shot dead and his wedding ring cut from his finger by Myanmar junta soldiers when he went outside to help put out fires caused by the military’s shelling. Aerial pictures of the smoldering town with smoke snaking upward to the sky shocked the world. Three churches in the town caught on fire on Oct. 29 alone. On Nov. 1, Washington condemned the Myanmar junta’s horrific use of violence in Chin State. The targeting of churches in Kayah and Chin states reflects the regime’s frustration at not being able to assert control in the states despite almost 10 months of intense fighting against Karenni and Chin resistance fighters, during which the regime has resorted to using airstrikes and heavy weapons including artillery. Additionally, the regime’s forces—who have vowed to protect Buddhism—have destroyed and launched arson attacks on Buddhist monasteries, especially in Sagaing and Magwe regions, two strongholds of anti-regime armed resistance in Myanmar’s heartland. Based on media reports, at least 30 Buddhist monasteries in Sagaing Region and 20 in Magwe Region, which are predominantly Buddhist regions, have been destroyed, raided and looted by regime soldiers since April last year. During clearance operations in the areas where they suspect locals of harboring resistance forces, junta troops have used heavy weapons and conducted arson attacks on monasteries, as well as destroying property and stealing valuables while quartered in the buildings. Early this month, as many as six people died when the monastery they were sheltering in was shelled in Latpandaw Village in Sagaing Region’s Yinmabin Township. The same township suffered the regime’s brutality in late February when soldiers raided Chin Phone Village’s monastery and detained over 80 primary schoolchildren as human shields for 36 hours. “When the abbot of the monastery tried to negotiate with the regime forces, they pointed a gun at the monk and wouldn’t let him out of the monastery,” a villager recalled. The regime forces turned the Buddhist monastery into an interrogation center and tortured and killed nine people including a 19-year-old woman, and stole 50 million kyats donated to the monastery by villagers. U Waryama, a striking Buddhist monk and member of the Spring Revolution Sangha Network, said that while the regime made a lot of noise about protecting and promoting Buddhism, it never failed to show its true colors whenever its power was challenged. “They build pagodas and monasteries to show they are the guardians of Buddhism but will not hesitate to kill monks if they pose a threat to their power,” the monk said..."
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" (Thailand)
2022-03-28
Date of entry/update: 2022-03-28
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "John Clifford Holt’s Myanmar’s Buddhist-Muslim Crisis: Rohingya, Arakanese, and Burmese Narratives of Siege and Fear makes a timely contribution to the growing literature on the Rohingya affairs in Myanmar. A scholar of Buddhist studies whose primary work is on Sri Lanka and Laos, Holt lends his expertise in the comparative analysis of Myanmar’s ongoing ethno-religious turmoil among Bamar Buddhists, Arakanese (or Rakhine), and Rohingya with its neighboring, predominantly Buddhist countries, Thailand and Sri Lanka. In addition to a thorough historical context that introduces Buddhism on a global scale, the narratives in the book are organized based on three geographical locations in Myanmar: Yangon (Part One), Arakan (Part Two), and Mandalay (Part Three) because “many of the referents within the discussions are locale, and [his] conversational partners were steeped in those specific concerns” (p. xvi). Holt provides a disclaimer in the Preface that his limited linguistic skills in Burmese led him to conduct the interviews primarily in English. The author notes that interviewees’ command in English indicates their well-educated backgrounds, and therefore, the narratives in the book are by no means “representative of most Rohingya, Arakanese, and Burmese” (p. xii). While I appreciate the disclaimer about the possible limitations of the author’s interviewees, it is also important to keep those of the author’s own (lack of linguistic command in local languages) and his researcher positionality (Sri Lanka as his primary field of study) in mind when reading this book. The book is accessible with little to no academic jargon. The interlocutors’ narratives are coherently interlaced with the author’s own reflexive thoughts. The kaleidoscopic nature of narratives situated in three different cities offers much needed context that is nuanced, and provides first-hand perspectives for any layperson who is concerned with Myanmar’s Buddhist-Muslim conflict, but exasperated by the over-generalized and sensationalized nature of news media stories about the topic..."
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Source/publisher: " Teacircleoxford" (Yangon)
2020-01-09
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-13
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Buddhists handed out white roses to Muslims heading to pray Wednesday to mark the end of Ramadan – the culmination of a rare show of solidarity in a country where Islam is often vilified. Volunteers lined up outside Dargah mosque in eastern Yangon, giving flowers to scores of devotees heading inside to mark the Eid festival, weeks after a mob of hardliners had tried to shut down Ramadan prayers. Muslim motorbike courier U Tin Myint, 42, said the gesture had raised spirits in the Muslim community. "Some Buddhists really helped protect us," he said. The white rose campaign started three weeks ago, after a mob of some 200 ultra-nationalists descended on three sites hosting Ramadan prayers in Yangon, forcing them to stop. Police responded in the following days by offering protection to the shocked worshippers and an arrest warrant was issued for one protest leader. Respected moderate monk Seindita also came to plead for their patience, handing out white roses in solidarity and triggering the campaign. The team of some 100 volunteers gave out around 15,000 flowers to Muslims at 23 locations across the country during Ramadan. Ko Thet Swe Win, 33, explained the roses were a "warning to extremists that many in Myanmar don't share their unjust views". About three to four percent of Buddhist-majority Myanmar's population is Muslim although the religion traces its roots in the country back centuries. A brutal 2017 military crackdown forced some 740,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh. But discrimination against the Muslim community – which includes people from many ethnic groups – goes back further. Critics say Muslims were particularly targeted by changes to Myanmar's laws in 2015, which heavily restricted inter-faith marriages. U Wunna Shwe, joint-secretary of the Islamic Religious Affairs Council Myanmar, said the white rose campaign had really helped after years of degradation of their rights. "We used to live like brothers and sisters with each other [alongside Buddhists]," he said, adding the problems were created for "political purposes"..."
Creator/author: Ko Thet Swe Win, U Wunna Shwe
Source/publisher: Frontier Myanmar
2019-06-06
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-06
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: ''Freedom of thought, conscience and belief, often referred to as the right to freedom of religion of belief (FoRB) is considered by many to be one of the foundations of a democratic society. The workshop was aimed at discussing State regulation of religion or belief in Myanmar and included some 40 human rights defenders, lawyers and members of religious groups, from across the country. ICJ legal adviser Sean Bain introduced the right to FoRB under international law and standards – particularly Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Mr Bain also discussed the complementarity of these articles with other rights, such as the right to freedom of expression, and highlighted the limitation clauses in the international treaties which provide a framework for resolving some of the tensions that can arise in specific cases. Michelle Yesudas, a Malaysian human rights lawyer, shared good practices and lesson learned from application of strategic litigation in FoRB related cases in Malaysian context and spoke about potential approaches and strategies that could be adapted in Myanmar context to push the legislative reform and enforcement of the law...''
Source/publisher: International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)
2018-11-05
Date of entry/update: 2019-01-31
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "In Myanmar, rumours abound about the assault and coercion of Buddhist women. What makes this trope of everyday storytelling—often factually inaccurate—so resistant to ?debunking”? Based on more than four years of in-depth qualitative research, we argue that rumours are durable because they resonate with, and allocate blame for, the suffering and stagnation of the 1990s and 2000s. We see these dynamics at play in support for the four ?Protection of Race and Religion” laws. Drafted with assistance of Buddhist organisation Ma Ba Tha, they were passed in the final months of the U Thein Sein government and remain a thorn in the side of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi?s National League for Democracy government..."
Creator/author: Gerard McCarthy & Jacqueline Menager
Source/publisher: "New Mandala"
2017-07-12
Date of entry/update: 2017-12-22
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "Religion in Myanmar is a sensitive issue, and will remain so for the foreseeable future. The impact of religion on Myanmar society and politics was the focus of a panel exploring anti-Muslim sentiment at the 2017 Myanmar Update at ANU. A lively discussion offered new perspectives on religious participation, before concluding with an optimistic paper on the collection of positive inter-religious memories. First, Thawng Tha Lian?s paper approached the role of the Christian church in Myanmar?s political transition, with a focus on Chin State. He argued that for Chin people, churches are uniquely placed to play a role in the nation?s democratic project, due to their strong social, legal and financial standing. This paper cited the experiences of church leaders in negotiations with armed groups and the government, as well as in ceasefire monitoring. Barriers to religious leaders? participation in politics were also identified, however, including recent instances and memories of religious oppression by the government..."
Creator/author: James T Davies
Source/publisher: "New Mandala"
2017-03-24
Date of entry/update: 2017-12-22
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "Commissioned by CPCS, Myanmar: Portraits of Diversity is a series of short films seeking to stimulate discussion and move audiences towards recognizing, accepting, and celebrating religious diversity in Myanmar. Directed by Kannan Arunasalam, the films present individuals from Myanmar?s different religious communities and highlight the inter-faith connections and engagement that take place naturally around the country. Featuring stories of cooperation across religious and ethnic divides, as well as the capacity for peace leadership within the country, community leaders share analysis and insights into the threat of inter-communal violence and illustrate the capacity for peace leadership...The film series seeks to stimulate alternative narratives regarding ethnic and spiritual issues in Myanmar where tolerance and cooperation are highlighted, rather than conflict and persecution. Screened together with guided reflections, the films can be used as tools to stimulate exchanges of ideas about diversity and tolerance, and to create a space to foster acceptance and share visions for the future. The issues raised by individuals featured in the films can be used to generate discussions on Myanmar?s different religious communities and highlight the kinds of inter-faith connections and engagement that take place naturally around the country. A discussion and study guide is available for each video portrait, followed by suggested activities that can also be adapted to different learning environments. For each film, background is provided on the person and their context, followed by five discussion questions and extension activities..."
Source/publisher: Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (CPCS)
2015-04-00
Date of entry/update: 2015-09-29
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English and Burmese
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Description: Introduction: "Myanmar has had the prosperous religion, traditional, and other forms of culture in their ways of life. Regarding of the religion, the long-­‐standing and extensive belief in holy and tutelary spirits (Nat) among Myanmese could be generally cited as the Myanmar?s tradition prior the Theravada. Then Buddhism has become to the official faith since King Anawrahta of Bagan dynasty instituted Theravada? a school of Buddhism? to be the principal religion in 11th century. Like Myanmar, other societies in Southeast-­‐Asia and all where the ancient belief and religion is respected and followed by those local people. Among the several Myanmar primitive cults, this article would like to raise the topic of the existence of colorful ritual which fully contains of high respect; Nat and Nat Kadaw (spirit and spirit medium). Actually, this traditional belief has been gradually illustrated by the scholars in different aspects, the classic one was written by the American anthropologist; Melford E. Spiro (1967). Three decades later, the specifically ritual book about the well-­‐known Myanmar local festival was completed by Yves Rodrigue (1995) and other views such as the intensive of this ritual, spirit and spirit medium have been still described by Bénédicte Brac de la Perrière (2009) and the other authors. This attractive cult, however, has still remained interesting phenomenon because the existence of the local be lief and rite has closely been in Myanmese ways of life from Buddhism belief, strict Buddhists and non-­‐Buddhist alliances. In addition, some interesting aspects are that how the Myanmar?s socio-­‐economic changing into the modern society effects to their local belief and spirit worship, how their social transition would affect to the people appealing, and how the Nat Kadaws play their roles and have relations under this context.".....Paper delivered at the International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-­26 July 2015.
Creator/author: Patchareepan Ravangban
Source/publisher: International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-­26 July 2015
2015-07-26
Date of entry/update: 2015-08-21
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 184.13 KB
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Description: Introduction: "The Saddhamma Sangaha is a work of 14 century AD on the history of Buddhist religion and Pali Literature. The author of Saddhamma Saṅ gaha is Venerable dhammakitti. He was a Thai native who, being desirous of coming to Ceylon traveled to that country and after performing meritorious deeds he received ordination under the chief monk. While he was staying in Ceylon he composed this work by Pāḷi and then returns to his native land and lived in Thailand. This work is mentioned as Thai Pāḷi Text by H. Saddhātissa?s Pāḷi Literature of Thailand (1979). His work is a History of Buddhism in Ceylon. It has eleven chapters and contains the five Buddhist Council, how Buddha Sāsanā arrived in Ceylon, the life and literary works of distinguished commentator Mahā Buddhaghosa, the accounts of Tīkās and Ganthantara treatises and the advantage of writing Piṭaka Scriptures and advantage of listing to the discourses. It was published in Roman Characters edited by N. Saddhānanda of 1961. In Myanmar no manuscript of it is found and the text has not yet been studied. It is assumed that once, the text was well acknowledged by the Myanmar Buddhist of Kongbound period for the stanza beginning with ?Akkharā ekamekaňca.....” was quoted in the writings on the cords of palm leaf manuscripts belonging to that period. This stanza of the Saddhamma Saṅgaha is found nowhere in the treatise of Pāli Literature. This research paper will be described in the five sub titles as follows.".....Paper delivered at the International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-­26 July 2015.
Creator/author: San San Wai
Source/publisher: International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-­26 July 2015
2015-07-26
Date of entry/update: 2015-08-21
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 164.17 KB
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Description: "For those who have observed Burmese religious life long enough, one striking evolution of the last decades has been the growing place of Buddhist preaching in the practice of many monks and in the public space . While until the late eighties dhamma predication was hardly to be seen on the public scene, from the beginning of the nineties onward, it started to become more and more visible. Traditional ly monks were requested to preach on private or communal ritual occasions such as funerals, noviciation or offerings made at the monastery at the end of the rain retreat season (kahteinbwe). The large public performance of «dhamma talks» by monks invited by laypeople independently of any ritual occasion contrasts sharply with these previous practices. They are c alled in Burmese taya bwe, the ?feast of Law”, they are held at night and usually last around an hour, or more. As stated by Mahinda Deegalle in his study on Sri Lanka (2006), the development of public predication, known as the bana tradition in that context, particularly from the beginning of the eighteen th century onward, corresponds to the will of consolidating Buddhist communities through popularization of Buddhist teachings. In Burma, resorting to mass preaching to educate the public at large has its own genealogy starting in the early nineteenth century with the famous addresses of Thingaza Hsayadaw and those not less famous of Ledi Hsayadaw towards the end of the nineteenth century. Mass preaching had its heyday in the 1920s, when it was used as a tool to initiate reform among the public and contest the colonial rule by young activist monks such as Ottama and Wisara. It had continued until the 1960 s when it drastically decreased, after Ne Win?s military coup, because expressions of religious life then tended to be relegated to the p rivate sphere. The large public dhamma talks were to re-emerge only in the 1990s, at the joint initiative of local communities and the authorities, to become the highly popular events prevailing today...".....Paper delivered at the International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-­26 July 2015.
Creator/author: Brac de la Perrière Bénédicte
Source/publisher: International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-­26 July 2015
2015-07-26
Date of entry/update: 2015-08-10
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 711.04 KB
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Source/publisher: http://www.drumpublications.org/download/karenfaithsk.pdf
2007-03-00
Date of entry/update: 2015-05-13
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: Karen (ကရင်ဘာသာ)
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