Myanmar, 04 June 2013: Buddhist monks have been widely blamed for instigating the
spread of sectarian violence targeting Muslims in Myanmar over the past year. But
in Lashio, scene of the latest round of rioting last week, the willingness of one
Buddhist monastery to receive hundreds of displaced Muslims has demonstrated just
how complex this discord in Myanmar society has become.
“If we do not provide
assistance to people who are in the most desperate conditions, then our lives will
be meaningless,” said Ashin Pinya, the abbot of Thiri Mangala monastery. “This is
all about love and compassion.” When rioting broke out on last Tuesday afternoon
after a Buddhist woman was set on fire, reportedly by a Muslim, many Muslims in Lashio
were forced to flee their homes.
“If the violence stems from a real clash
between Buddhist and Islamic communities, then how on earth can we get food and shelter
in a Buddhist monastery?” said Myint Maung, a displaced Muslim. “I don’t know why
the violence keeps happening across the country. But I think this is being created
by a group of individuals.”
The abbot of Thiri Mangala saids that those who
have carried out violence targeting Muslims in Myanmar since deadly violence broke
out in western Rakhine state in June last year remain in the minority. But they pose
a major threat to the peace-loving image of the Buddhist community in the country,
he warned, as well as Myanmar's fledgling transition to democracy.
“Some Buddhist
monks, in the name of Buddha’s teachings, are exhorting hate speeches to create animosity
towards Muslims,” he says. “They are just an ignorant minority of people. We will
not waiver in our efforts to help people in trouble.”
“We never had this kind
of sectarian violence in this town. I have Muslim friends and neighbors who never
gave us trouble,” says Kyaw Kyaw, a 60-year-old retired school teacher who lives opposite
the burned mosque destroyed last week.
If the city’s Muslims return to their
homes, he says he would welcome them back wholeheartedly. “They are my friends,”
he says. “We are sorry about the situation.”Source: UCAN