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| Southeast Asia |
| Jihad in Myanmar |
| 2003-10-21 |
| As the world continues to glare at Myanmar’s ruling junta for its ongoing oppression of the country’s popular democracy movement, it is hardly by coincidence that tensions between Buddhists and Muslims, in the past instigated by Yangon in times of political crisis, are on the rise again. The writer takes it for granted the Buddhists rulers are the ones instigating clashes between Muslims and Buddhists. I don’t. Some in Myanmar point the finger at alleged new "terrorists" among the Muslim minority. Do these allegations represent a heightened Islamist presence in Myanmar, or is this just the inner grumblings of a regime hoping to use the "war on terror" for desperately needed international support? First, that’s a false dillemma. It could very well be the Myanmar government is trying to win international support AND there is a growing Islamist presence in Myanmar. "We have a problem in Myanmar; we have a problem here in Mandalay. The problem is called Islam. There are many new Muslims in Mandalay from Pakistan [and Bangladesh]. These people are thieves and terrorists. They do not respect our religion and our women. We are Buddhist, and we are peaceful, but we must protect ourselves." Throw the Muslims out. Throw them out while you can. While Win Rathu might be the first to claim that the US’s sanctions on Myanmar are aimed at terrorists rather than the ruling junta, he is not the first person to claim that terrorists have mingled with Myanmar’s Muslims. International attention was drawn to the Rohingya Muslim community when its links to Islamist groups were discovered. Anti-terror officials around the world took note, and so did the ruling junta in Yangon. Repeat after me: ’Islam is a religion of Peace, terrorists are not real Muslims... "There have been problems before, but the problems have really grown in the last several years with the Pakistani Muslims," said Wi Rathu. "They want Myanmar to be Muslim - but Myanmar is Buddhist. They want the rest of Asia to be Muslim and live by Muslims rules - but we are Buddhist." They want the rest of the world to be Muslim. As the government faces economic sanctions and renewed international condemnation for its imprisonment and treatment of Aung San Su Kyi from the West, one should expect the same diversionary tactics from the regime. The recent military campaign against Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) rebels in south confirms this. If democracy in Myanmar leads to increased Islamism, then damm democracy in Myanmar. If violence does once again break out, it will be agitators like Win Rathu at the lead. And this religious violence threatens to divert the world’s attention from the real issue in Myanmar - the continuing deprivation of its people’s prosperity by an unpopular military dictatorship. I’m glad the author has such telepathic powers to asign fault for violence not yet committed. Or perhaps those are self-denial powers to ignore the challenge of Islamism? |
| Posted by:Sorge |
| #7 |
| Posted by: Sorge 2003-10-21 3:34:47 PM |
| #6 |
| Posted by: .com 2003-10-21 12:48:34 PM |
| #5 |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-10-21 11:36:15 AM |
| #4 |
| Posted by: .com 2003-10-21 11:11:59 AM |
| #3 |
| Posted by: Sorge 2003-10-21 10:06:45 AM |
| #2 |
| Posted by: Paul Moloney 2003-10-21 9:28:02 AM |
| #1 |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-10-21 9:14:51 AM |