2013-06-04 19:38:21

Buddhist monks take in displaced Muslims


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








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