The political transition in Buddhist-majority Myanmar (also known
as Burma)1
that began in 2011 has been marred by regular outbreaks
of violence between religious communities. Although the fighting first
started in the west of the country between Rakhine Buddhists and
Rohingya Muslims, more conflicts soon appeared in other parts of
the country between Buddhists and Muslims of various ethnic backgrounds.
Many see a connection between these violent episodes and
the rise of several Buddhist nationalist groups, first the 969 movement
that emerged since 2012, and more recently the Organization for the
Protection of Race and Religion (MaBaTha) that was formed in early
2014. The most prominent of the nationalist monks has been U Wirathu,
who was featured on the cover of a July 2013 issue of Time
Magazine above the words “The Face of Buddhist Terror.”2
Literature
produced by those connected to 969 and MaBaTha states that the
objective of these movements is to protect and promote Buddhism
and the Myanmar nation as a whole against perceived threats within
and outside the country. Islam has faced the brunt of criticism from
Buddhist nationalist groups. Their leaders depict Islam as culturally