This post updates my previous effort to bring together some of the statements that have been made by academics on the uprising in Burma. Over the past week, there have been some substantial opinion pieces and a number of articles that New Mandala readers may want to keep track of. As a start, here are some extracts:
- By the late ’50s, the civilian government was becoming increasingly ineffective, even inert, and the generals — the leaders of the independence struggle and self-styled heirs to the warrior class that had attempted to safeguard Burmese sovereignty for most of the previous millennium — stepped in, first in 1958-59, then more decisively in 1962. In their self-interested view, they alone have kept chaos at bay over the past 45 years. Those interested in Myanmar’s current situation should keep this in mind, particularly those who would like to see the generals step out, lest activists become frustrated with the pace of change and move on to a new international cause next month.
Source: Professor Peter A. Coclanis (University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill), “To understand Myanmar, don’t start with August”, The News & Observer, 19 October 2007.
- After half a century of harsh military rule, in various pretexts and trying all sorts of ways, both violent and non violent means, to overthrow the yoke of the cruel Burmese army, the people of Burma are now looking to the international community, especially to the West and UN for help. The UN should be strongly appealing to world leaders, financial houses, businesses and the media to lend their weight to solve the chronic Burmese problem. If military force is the only alternative to unseat the Burmese regime, the international community with UN and US at its head should seriously considered it.
Source: Professor Kanbawza Win, “A Burmese Perspective: ‘United in Words but not in Actions’” , Asia Tribune, 16 October 2007.
- As in the Polish and other even more repressive country examples of the past half century, the Burmese junta can (and likely will) try to drag out the inevitable for several more months or even years, but in doing so, they will only continue to reinforce people’s will to resist them, as well as the growing international pressure on them. So, it is not only the misery of the people of Burma the regime and its security forces are prolonging, but ultimately their own as well.
Source: Assistant Professor Cynthia Boaz, “Burma’s Junta: Too Late to Turn Back the Clock”, Scoop, 17 October 2007.
- The violence of the military junta in Burma amplifies the cynical creed of Richard Dawkins and too many other reactionary critics of religion. Demonizing religion as a virus dehumanizes its practitioners. For materialists, death is the last word. Governments like Burma use it to eradicate the stain of faith from their human populations. The monks paid no heed. The rest of must continue to advocate a truer last word: Life.
Source: Associate Professor Ben Roth (University of Miami), “Eradicating Religion in Burma”, American Thinker, 18 October 2007.
- “You may be asking how can this government stay in power in a world dedicated to human rights and the principles of democracy, well I have the answer for you. The reason why is China,” said Mala Htun, a professor of political science at the New School university, addressing the crowd at Union Square—a statue of revolutionary war general George Washington behind her.
Source: Evan Mantyk, “Burma Coalition Calls for Beijing Olympics Boycott”, The Epoch Times, 16 October 2007.
Of course, New Mandala readers who come across other interesting statements from academics (or anybody else) are very welcome to share them with us all.
4 responses so far ↓
1 jonfernquest // Oct 21, 2007 at 2:57 am
Thanks. That was an interesting mix of commentators and some new faces, like Coclanis studying the emergence of world rice markets during the colonial era, Mala Htun, exiled monk Ashin Nayaka teaching history at Columbia, a call to boycott the China Olympics, still it all seems very far away from here in Southeast Asia.
If they held a democratic vote and asked people in ASEAm, India, and China whether they would abandon all previous and future investments, i.e. boycott Burma, which would require sometimes, financial sacrifice, I really doubt they would vote for it.
Far away in the West where hardly anyone has ever had any interest financial or otherwise in the place, where economic sanctions are essentially financially painless and abstract, you would get democratic support. At least giving the Dalai Lama was putting human rights in the abstract before real economic interests. Maybe more pressure on China would work, or maybe they’d just do an indignation at Dalai Lama award number.
2 Preetam Rai // Oct 25, 2007 at 4:07 am
Check out Indonesian defense minister’s views.
3 Ven Ashin Nayaka // Oct 31, 2007 at 9:05 am
Determination and defiance in moral hearts have turned into recalcitrance that has given its name in history to Burma’s saffron revolution that has marked an end of price of silence in traditional Buddhist society.
The Theravada Buddhist pholosophy embodies the concept of non-violent revolution and moral code which is called Pattanikujjana overturning alms bowl, literally meaning “holding onto truth, self-reliance and sefl-motification”.
No doubt, confuses conventional political thinking–is that Burma’s Saffron Revolution is not power struggle, but a conflict between peace and moral freedom on one side and the forces of political repression on other.
For a monk to be involved in politics or to hold a political post is strictly contrary to ethical code of the Theravada Buddhism.
Not only Burmese monks today are confronting major challenges but also military rulers are indeed facing a critical phase of history–a history of judgement in their life.
While recent bloody crackdown against spiritual protestors, Buddhist monks reverberated around the world it has deeper meaning and most important point is the fate of generals who destroyed the face of nation, the Sangha.
In the truth spirit of Buddhism the general must decide the fate of the nation following in the footsteps of the great Maurya Empire kings of India Asoka (304-323 BC) and Ajatasatthu (491-461 B.CE), who dignified the history of Buddhism “from evil to worthy life”.
Ultimately, Burma’s future will be determined by faith and courage, triumph of spirit that is saffron revolution.
Dr Ashin Nayaka
Visiting Scholar
Department of History, Columbia University, New York
4 Abid Bahar // Dec 24, 2007 at 7:00 am
Unfortunately, Monk Ashin Nayaka encourages genocide in his native province of Arakan.
Ashin Nayaka, a native of Arakan, and a leading member of the International Burmese Monks Organization in USA and a visiting professor, Department of History at Columbia University, New York. Recently he gave testimony to the US senate led by United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. But unknown to the outside world, at home in Arakan he spreads xenophobia among the Rakhines against other ethnic Arakani minority people’s freedom. In a book written by U Shw zan and Dr. Aye Chan,(2005) Rohingya are being demonized as being “Influx Viruses.” Ashin Nayaka in encouraging the above ultra-nationalists wrote in the forward section of the book the following:
“Rohingya movements have been accompanied by certain dangers and challenges, particularly for the Arakan State and beyond.”
Here Asin Nayaka due to his ethnic superiority feelings refused to acknowledge Rohingyas as a people and says “dangers and challenges” should be feared by the Rakhine and the Burmese people. It is to note that Rohingyas are a racially and religiously different group of Burmese people.
About the book “Influx Viruses” he further says:
“I hope this collective contribution will give both a broader understanding of so-called Rohingya issues and practical measures to address challenges of the future. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to both contributors whose scholastic works are credibly expected to give appropriate answers to all…”
In dehumanizing the Rohingyas the authors of the “Influx Viruses” refused to accept the birth right of the Rohingyas and calls the Rohingyas as “Viruses.”
Ashin Nayaka justifies this claim by calling the Rohingyas as the “so-called-Rohingyas.” The “practical measures” he refers had been taken by the ultra-nationalists Rakhines in 2001 to destroy the Rohingya historic sites in Arakan and even before renamed the Rohingya names such as Akyab into Sittwe. And for the army ofcourse the “practical measures” were to exterminate the so-called Rohingya “virus.” It appears that Ashin Nayaka opposes the military rule in Burma but supports the military’s Rohingya extermination policy in Arakan.
Today, there are atleast 700,000 stateless Rohingya people live in Malaysia, Japan and in the Middle East and approximately 200,000 live in Bangladesh.
Surprisingly Ashin Nayaka is an honorable Buddhist Monk who is supposed to be preaching nonviolence. Whereas he keeps his xenophobia and hate in his closet at home in Arakan and pretends to be a great democracy movement Monk leader in abroad deserving a prize on behalf of the Monks of Burma.
As a democracy movement activist recently he said to the US Senate, “We remain steadfast in our commitment to the freedom in our country and the freedom in our own hearts. All these things Americans value and cherish. Freedom for the people of Burma cannot be denied. The cost of that freedom is the only question in Burma,”
This is Ashin Nayaka style of Burmese way to democracy. To him ofcourse human rights is only for its Buddhist majority. Due to such dual roles played by certain Monks as Ashin Nayaka and some ultra-nationalist Arakani intellectuals,like Aye Chan and Aye Kyaw, Rohingya people’s rights of citizenship were being officially denied by the military government. Rohingyas have been suffering genocidal repression inside Arakan state and outside the country sufferes as stateless people.
Remarkably, Ashin Nayaka’s style is a typical Burmese way to democracy by most Arakanese ultra-nationalists: xenophobia at home and great democratic demonstration in abroad. No wonder why the military government has been successful in ruling Burma for such a long time!
For dehumanizing the Burmese born Rohingyas, and misrepresenting Buddhism, inciting Rohingya genocide and helping the extermination policy in Arakan, and helping in jailing of Rohingya leaders in Burma, it is imperative on the genuine democracy movement leaders to seperate the fake democrat Monks like Ashin Nayaka along with his team of ultra-nationalists and refer them to the international tribunal.
Also check the link:
Interfaith dialogue caught in the camera that is against Buddha’s teaching:
http://sanooaung. wordpress. com/2007/ 12/19/the- role-of-muslims- in-burma% e2%80%99s- democracy- movement- burmese-translat ion/
Documents such as
(1)InFlux_Viruses_The_Illegal_Muslim_in_Arakan__U_Shwe_Zan_and_Dr_1_._Aye_Chan__Letter_Book..doc and
(2)
Aye_Chan_s_Enclave_with_Influx_Viruses_Revisited.doc
could be sent if requested.
(Dr. Abid Bahar, a Sociologist and historian of Arakan, during the 80’s wrote his thesis on Ethnic Relations in Burmese society.) abid.bahar@gmail.com
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