Myanmar’s Buddhist-Rohingya Crisis: Resources

Last updated on: August 22, 2014 at 4:01 pm by George G. Coe

Myanmar’s Buddhist-Rohingya Crisis: Resources 2014-08-22T16:01:31-05:00 George G. Coe

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Image from The Guardian

Rohingya are ethnic Muslims in Myanmar (formerly Burma) which, as you can see from the map below, borders Laos, Thailand, China, Bangladesh, and India.

The Rohingya are not among the 134 minorities recognized by the Myanmar government. Radical Buddhist monks, led by Ashin Wirathu, charge that the Rohingya Muslims want to create an Islamic state.

Wirathu, who once called himself the “Burmese bin Laden,” wants to make sure that doesn’t happen. He leads a movement, called the 969 movement, that wants to dispel the Rohingya from Myanmar.

The 969 movement uses terror like looting and arson in an attempt to force the Muslims out. In addition, they have forced most Rohingya into so-called refugee camps. Many in the press say these camps are not refugee camps but concentration camps.

One characteristic of these camps, according to Reuters, in a special report, is the movement of Rohingya Muslims into trafficking rings. That happens when the Rohingya flee into neighboring Thailand.

As thousands of Rohingya flee Myanmar to escape religious persecution, a Reuters investigation in three countries has uncovered a clandestine policy to remove Rohingya refugees from Thailand’s immigration detention centers and deliver them to human traffickers waiting at sea.

For all these reasons, the United Nations call the Rohingya Muslims one of the most persecuted minorities in the world.

Two of the three videos clips below, the first from the BBC, and the second from Rohingya Video News, review who the Rohingya are and why they are being persecuted. The third clip, from the Guardian, discusses Ashin Wirauthu and is definitely worth watching.

In addition here are links to excellent stories about the Rohingya and the Panthay and their tragic plight.

- The New York Times has an excellent story about the Panthay, Chinese Muslims in Mandalay. The story is called “Mandalay’s Chinese Muslims Chilled by Riots.”
- Al Jazeera has a number of good stories about the Rrohingya, one called “Myanmar’s Buddhist-Rohingya ethnic divide,” another called “Rohingya deaths denied by Myanmar government.”
- Time Magazine has a very readable story about the concentration camps called “These Aren’t Refugee Camps, They’re Concentration Camps, and People Are Dying in Them”
- Reuters has a disturbing story called “Special Report – Thailand secretly dumps Myanmar refugees into trafficking rings“
- New York Times columnist, Keaan Malik, has an edinteresting itorial called Myanmar’s Buddhist Bigots
- The Guardian has a story about the radical Buddhist monk, Wirthau, at the heart of the crisis in Myanmar. The story is called “Buddhist monk uses racism and rumours to spread hatred in Burma.”
- BBC’s Heart and Soul has good 20 minute documentary about the 969 movement called 969: How Burma’s Buddhist Monks Turned on Islam

Previous Post

July 13, 2014

Jain Monks Want Meat-Free Town

Next Post

July 14, 2014 Palestine-Israel: An Animated History

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month May 2019 January 2017 December 2016 October 2016 September 2016 July 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was Samson's mother?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Manoah's wife Delilah Hannah Ruth