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2 Monks in the vanguard for regime
change By Brian McCartan
THREE PAGODAS PASS, Thailand-Myanmar
border - Images of tens of thousands of red-robed
monks have been broadcast across the world as
Myanmar's Buddhist clergy ups the ante in what has
become the largest demonstrations against military
rule since the brutal crackdown on pro-democracy
protests in 1988.
Monk-led marches on
Monday numbered more than 100,000 in the old
capital Yangon, while demonstrations with clergy
in the
vanguard in other major
cities tallied in the tens of thousands. Exile-run
media reports claim that as many as eight monks
have been killed in the violence, which started on
Wednesday when soldiers for the first time opened
fire on the protests in Yangon.
Early
Thursday, soldiers raided Yangon's Ngwe Kyar Yan
and Moe Guang monasteries, where they allegedly
opened fire, physically assaulted and arrested an
estimated 70 monks. Soldiers are now positioned at
the front of temples to enforce the government's
recent ban on gatherings of more than five people,
and the number of protesters has reportedly
dropped from Wednesday's figure.
That the
leadership of what has evolved into a nationwide
popular protest is in the hands of a religious
institution that is generally perceived as above
worldly concerns may seem odd to outsiders, but
this is not the first time Buddhist monks have
taken to the streets in Myanmar calling for
political change. Indeed, there is a long
tradition of political militancy in the
monasteries of Myanmar. Dating to the days of
British overlordship in what was then known as
Burma, monks have played a pivotal role in
politics. Several of Burma's anti-colonial revolts
were, at least partially, organized and led by the
clergy. Prominent Buddhist anti-colonial leaders
included the Venerable U Ottama and the Venerable
U Wisara.
U Ottama organized the first
anti-colonial activities under the General Council
of Buddhist Associations in 1918, started the use
of boycott campaigns and became the first Burmese
citizen to be imprisoned by the British colonial
authorities for a political speech he made in
1921. U Wisara died during the course of a 166-day
hunger strike against the colonial regime.
The Saya San rebellion of 1930-31, which
became the largest armed revolt against the
colonial system in Burma, had a strong Buddhist
element to it as well. Monks were actively
involved in organizing the rebels of an
insurrection that lasted more than two years,
required almost 10,000 British troops to subdue
and resulted in the deaths of about 10,000
Burmese, including the movement's leader, Saya
San.
Monks were again actively involved in
the pro-democracy uprising that swept the country
in 1988. While most of the demonstrations were
organized and led by university and high-school
students, monks were crucial in maintaining
discipline and giving their movement an important
sense of moral legitimacy - though there were also
reports of monks participating in retaliatory
violence. When the killing began on August 8,
1988, many monks were among those gunned down by
soldiers.
In October 1990, as a protest
against the killings, disrobing and arrest of
monks during the 1988 crackdown and continued
harassment thereafter, monks in Mandalay declared
an alms boycott against the generals and their
families. The then-State Law and Order Restoration
Council launched a crackdown and monasteries were
raided and as many as 300 monks were forcibly
disrobed and imprisoned.
Several of the
ethnic insurgencies that have long fought against
the government have also enlisted prominent monks
as leaders. One, the Democratic Karen Buddhist
Army (DKBA), is still, at least officially, run by
a Karen monk named U Thuzana. Although it is
inclusive of Christians, U Thuzana has seen that
the DKBA maintains a strong Buddhist slant to its
policies. Meanwhile, the Pa-O resistance movement
based in Shan state was also initially led by a
Pa-O Buddhist monk, U Nay Mee.
Karmic
arbiters In recognition of the centrality
of the Buddhist clergy, or Sangha, in Myanmar
society, the ruling generals have tried to be
frequently seen making contributions to building
monasteries and pagodas and donating money and
gifts to prominent monks. State-run media almost
daily contain images and stories of military
officers visiting monasteries and handing over
gifts of cash and religious materials or
conferring religious titles. The donations and
conferring of titles is a rather materialistic
attempt at co-opting the Sangha while attempting
to portray to the public an image of moral
legitimacy.
Tellingly, however, the
Ministry of Religious Affairs is currently run by
a military officer, Brigadier-General Thura Myint
Maung. Scores of monks who have run afoul of the
regime for expressing their
Head
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Central, Hong Kong Thailand Bureau:
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