Religious extremism looms over Myanmar

[Jonathan Fairfield]

OPINION

Religious extremism looms over Myanmar

By David Scott Mathieson

(CNN)The impact of Myanmar's repressive policy toward Rohingya Muslims was made clear in recent weeks with scenes of desperate people crammed into boats, an escalation of a miserable maritime flight in which an estimated 90,000 people have fallen prey to smugglers and traffickers since early 2014. The United Nations estimates that around 1,000 people have died on the way.

The root cause is the long-term reprehensible treatment of the Rohingya in Myanmar (also known as Burma) -- stateless, officially and socially reviled, with severe curbs on their rights to work, travel, get health care and education, and practice their religion.

Yet even as this anguishing exodus has gripped international attention, it has obscured a connected and equally troubling pattern of rising religious extremism in Myanmar. At the height of the boat drama, parliament passed the "population control law," which permits the government to identify areas in Myanmar that could be subject to repressive birth control measures. The law was inspired by Buddhist extremists whose stated agenda is opposition not just to Rohingya, but to all of Myanmar's sizable Muslim minority. The law was sharply criticized by many activists in Myanmar and opposed by the opposition National League for Democracy, but passed a joint parliamentary vote, 530 to 443, with 39 abstentions.

The population control law is one element of a package of four "race and religion protection" bills. The other elements are an interfaith marriage bill, which grants government oversight of any marriage between a Buddhist and non-Buddhist; a religious conversion law, which requires government permission to change one's religion; and a monogamy law, which could limit the rights of people living in unmarried relationships and potentially target Muslims.

Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2015/06/16/opinions/mathieson-religious-extremism-myanmar/

-- CNN 2015-06-17

[Travelman868]

Hmmm, no reply, so far.

So should Myanmar be concerned about Muslims? And are there examples of

Muslim countries doing simular things to non Muslims.

Has Myanmar banned the Qur-an or the Bible, burned and pulled down churches and mosques?

Has Myanmar said everyone has to become Buddist or be killed, I do not believe this has happened in Myanmar. Strangely enough it did not happen in Syria or Iraq before IS came on the scene.

Before the Human Rights activists get going just think about the innocent people murdered by the Muslim extremists :- 9 year old boy beheaded in South Thailand, 15 year old coffee boy shot dead in Syria after asking for payment. Plus 10's of thousands of others.

If Islam wants respect then they need to rejoin the human race. While I agree there will always be extremists, if these few are given protection by the many there will be distrust.

[Ulic]

Hmmm, no reply, so far.

So should Myanmar be concerned about Muslims? And are there examples of

Muslim countries doing simular things to non Muslims.

Has Myanmar banned the Qur-an or the Bible, burned and pulled down churches and mosques?

Has Myanmar said everyone has to become Buddist or be killed, I do not believe this has happened in Myanmar. Strangely enough it did not happen in Syria or Iraq before IS came on the scene.

Before the Human Rights activists get going just think about the innocent people murdered by the Muslim extremists :- 9 year old boy beheaded in South Thailand, 15 year old coffee boy shot dead in Syria after asking for payment. Plus 10's of thousands of others.

If Islam wants respect then they need to rejoin the human race. While I agree there will always be extremists, if these few are given protection by the many there will be distrust.

I hear you, I understand, and on a certain level I agree. However, two wrongs do not make a right.

[watcharacters]

Does the country still welcome tourists?

[siam2007]

Hmmm, no reply, so far.

So should Myanmar be concerned about Muslims? And are there examples of

Muslim countries doing simular things to non Muslims.

Has Myanmar banned the Qur-an or the Bible, burned and pulled down churches and mosques?

Has Myanmar said everyone has to become Buddist or be killed, I do not believe this has happened in Myanmar. Strangely enough it did not happen in Syria or Iraq before IS came on the scene.

Before the Human Rights activists get going just think about the innocent people murdered by the Muslim extremists :- 9 year old boy beheaded in South Thailand, 15 year old coffee boy shot dead in Syria after asking for payment. Plus 10's of thousands of others.

If Islam wants respect then they need to rejoin the human race. While I agree there will always be extremists, if these few are given protection by the many there will be distrust.

it is disturbing me, because Buddhism is actually a religion of peace.

I definitely hate to see Myanmar following such an ill-advised path. We don't need a new NAZI movement, not here in Asia, and not anywhere else.....

[Tomtomtom69]

Does the country still welcome tourists?

More than ever before. You can even enter the country overland from Thailand too, something that was all but impossible without a difficult to secure and expensive permit before Aug 28, 2013.