Buddhist monks in Myanmar celebrate repressive laws

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Buddhist monks in Myanmar celebrate repressive laws

Joshua Carroll

Yangon, Myanmar - Buddhist monks in Myanmar have begun a two-week victory celebration to applaud the passing of laws that many fear will damage women's rights and be used against religious minorities - including marginalised Muslims.

Hundreds of supporters from the ultra-nationalist Ma Ba Tha group formed a convoy of trucks and buses that snaked through the main city of Yangon on September 14 to welcome the introduction of four Race and Religion Protection Laws, which the group drafted itself.

Human Rights Watch has said the bills, the last of which was signed into law late last month, place "unlawful" restrictions on people wishing to change religions, and could be used to force mothers to wait three years between each birth.

The laws also outlaw extra-marital affairs and place restrictions on marriages between non-Buddhist men and Buddhist women.

Ma Ba Tha's senior monks have been accused of stoking anti-Muslim violence with sermons preaching that Buddhism, the majority religion, is under threat from Islam.

Full story: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2015/09/buddhist-monks-myanmar-celebrate-repressive-laws-150922111750765.html

[anon4546543]

The Buddist monks are on the money. Muslim women breed above and beyond the norm. The fact that many Rohingas are illegal migrants from Bangladesh, their breeding habits and an inability to form a cohesive part of a predominantly Buddist country make these muslims unwelcome guests. Myanmar is doing its bit to stop the flood, when will western and European countries follow their example. Muslims belong in Muslim countries where they can practice their own form of culture. They are trying to break out and we need to stop them.

[Linzz]

Don't like your attitude.. Breed? You are talking about people not fleas or cattle. Are you a Nazi sympathizer? Substitute Jews for Muslims. They are and have been PREVENTED from forming a cohesive part of a predominantly Buddhist country.

So you support a fascist state dictating when mothers can give birth and who and when they can marry, who they can imprison without trial, disenfranchise, herd into camps, deny medical assistance and the basic human needs to exist and human rights to a minority who have lived in Burma for generations? Not guests but former citizens.

Is it any wonder why there is a flood as you call it? You would flee too if faced with this persecution. Myanmar is not "doing it's bit to stop the flood" but rather causing it. The Rohingya people have been fleeing that country in boats, being trafficked, raped drowned and killed and that has been prominent in the news for some time now so where have you been? They are not trying to break out, they are being pushed out.

Muslims belong only in Muslim countries? Muslims have existed in counties around the world for centuries.You need to understand that the majority of Muslims are not the extremists or jihadists that we all hate, but ordinarily normal people wanting to just get on with their lives.

Edited September 25, 2015 by Linzz

[anon4546543]

Good on you Linzz. You stick it up those who see Muslims fleeing Myanmar. Are they fleeing back to Bangladesh? Are they fleeing back to the homelands of Islam. Are they welcome there? Do they dump themselves uninvited on other countries, demanding food, housing and a lifestyle to which they are not familiar with. You are disillusioned and if you ever bothered to look at Islamist websites you would know that they brag about overrunning western countries, out breeding us and installing their version of Islam. When Muslims flee back to the safety of rich countries such as Turkey, Saudi, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Egypt and so on you may make a point. Until then you are an apologist for the loss of your country to an uninvited invasion by people who have conveniently lost their identification.. The west can afford to set up camps in these peoples own countries, but that would not suit you. How many bludgers are you supporting you hypocrite?

[Johpa]

The Buddist monks are on the money. Muslim women breed above and beyond the norm. The fact that many Rohingas are illegal migrants from Bangladesh, their breeding habits and an inability to form a cohesive part of a predominantly Buddist country make these muslims unwelcome guests. Myanmar is doing its bit to stop the flood, when will western and European countries follow their example. Muslims belong in Muslim countries where they can practice their own form of culture. They are trying to break out and we need to stop them.

You must really like living under authoritarian rule here in Thailand. The Burmese Sangha is neither on the money nor on the Dhamma. But then the Burmese Sangha has become a government puppet with many of the spiritual members having been forcibly disrobed by the military junta. The Rohinga migrated into the Arakan State generations ago, long before it was incorporated into the modern state of Burma, now Myanmar. The anti-Muslim rhetoric is now used to rile up the masses not just in regard to the Rohinga but also to the Muslim families who also have been living in Burma for generations. Today there are influential monks backed by the Burmese military who make old Kittivutho look like a moderate. So today it is the Muslims and then tomorrow who knows, Karen, Shan, or maybe back to some good old fashioned Chinese riots. And don't think this same kind of xenophobic crap can't happen in Thailand where diversion from internal problems can just as easily be focused on the Farang.

[anon4546543]

Welcome to all of the Muslim religion who are expanding in Southern Africa by atrocity and in Europe and Asia by dumping themselves on the west. Pray tell, are they fleeing persecution to other Muslim countries. There were some Rohinga in Burma generations ago. They have vastly exceeded a normal population growth due to illegal border runs by the Bangladesh, supported by Burma based Rohinga. So are these Muslims supported by other Muslims or are you on a "crusade" to support them . When Islamic countries decide to help these economic migrant/ tourists/ spongers, you can get my donation. Meanwhile they are trying to invade western countries without being invited, without paperwork and without any legitimate reason, except they are not able to try to defend their own country.

[yardrunner]

Welcome to all of the Muslim religion who are expanding in Southern Africa by atrocity and in Europe and Asia by dumping themselves on the west. Pray tell, are they fleeing persecution to other Muslim countries. There were some Rohinga in Burma generations ago. They have vastly exceeded a normal population growth due to illegal border runs by the Bangladesh, supported by Burma based Rohinga. So are these Muslims supported by other Muslims or are you on a "crusade" to support them . When Islamic countries decide to help these economic migrant/ tourists/ spongers, you can get my donation. Meanwhile they are trying to invade western countries without being invited, without paperwork and without any legitimate reason, except they are not able to try to defend their own country.

I take it that you are a supporter of the SS and would support a final solution !!!!.

please crawl back under the stone that you crawled out from

[Tai777]

Good, they are banning extra-marital affairs too?

It's about time a non-Muslim country did this. It's too hard to find virgin women these days.

[anon4546543]

Thank you Linzz, Johpa and yardrunner for calling me nazi and ss. That is all you are good for - name calling. Not once did you find any fact to denounce me, instead you denounce me by insulting me. So I will not call you names, I suggest you investigate what is happening and make informed opinions in future, not mindless name calling good feel idiocies. P.S. My mother (air force) and father (navy) distinguished themselves in fighting the axis countries during WW11. You do yourselves no good calling me a nazi. but like my parents, I will defend my country from invasion.

[Tai777]

spiderorchid is right on point.

Muslim families have more children, which will lead them to migrate and spread out to other states in Myanmar looking for work, then they will settle there, have more kids, repeat.

Eventually the Muslim population will outnumber the Buddhist population and Myanmar will become a dominant Muslim country. By then the problem will be too big to contain.

It's good that they are taking care of this now, rather than later.

Take a look at Bangladesh, the country is so overpopulated that they are spilling out of their borders. These Muslims need to be dealt with with an iron fist, not pity.

[Linzz]

Unbelievable postings on here and so much emotional rhetoric. "invasion, iron fist, bludgers " do you guys want to be taken seriously? If so then start by using objective language.

Spider you need to read more accurately but you can't when you're blinded by rage and bigotry. I never said you were a Nazi, I asked you if you were, seriously, because of your choice of language firstly and secondly your brutal hubris.

Good on both your parents for distinguishing themselves fighting the Nazis but their efforts were wasted on you and I would imagine they would be ashamed of you. You believe in ethnic cleansing which they fought to defeat. They at least knew the true meaning of "invasion" and also European countries the "iron fist"

Comparing refugees fleeing persecution and other horrors to military invasion is just plain stupid. Comparing jihadists and extremists to ordinary Muslims is ignorant as well.The majority of Muslims are families who work hard and just want to get on with their lives.

I know Muslims as neighbors and tenants and I could not say nicer things about them. I am not Muslim, nor would I want to be, I don't like their religion much. My nearest Muslim neighbor is Fijian Indian. He's shocked by the extremists. He says "Who are these guys? I don't know any Arabs" He is a perfect example that he is as different from a Saudi as I am from a Thai. Islam is a multi cultural, multi ethic, multi language, multi country diversity.They will never agree. Most of the current wars are between Muslims. That is basically a religious conflict too like the Catholic/ Protestant conflict. That is why they don't travel to Bangladesh or Pakistan Saudi Arabia etc because they are not accepted there either. It's inexcusable but the hatred between them is more than they hate the West. They have to sort themselves out. Thus you cannot lump them all together under one banner as them against us. Far too simplistic.

To be clear, the combination of medieval thinking and modern technology equals a very frightening prospect and the popularity of simplistic fundamental beliefs by disaffected youth is a growing worry.However I don't wish to give way to hysteria and lynch mob mentality without recognising that the press shove as much bad news in our faces and the gutter press revel in whipping up a storm to sell as much news as they can. Bad news travels fast and makes dollars quick, especially in this century.Then there are those organisations and websites that propagandize everything because they are itching for conflict, not too different in mentality from those they oppose which you mention. You want to join up?

The point is ISIS will not survive. Moderate Muslims are already fighting them from other Muslim countries.Every action has a reaction. Extremist phases pass with time and the world rebalances.By luck or by management. In the 60's we came to the brink of nuclear war but in the end common sense prevailed.

Common sense is what your parents fought for. In your chest beating you are not.

[Tai777]

Sorry, you still didn't address the problem of the Muslims having a large number of offspring and displacing the Buddhists and outnumbering them.

[gregk0543]

Sorry, you still didn't address the problem of the Muslims having a large number of offspring and displacing the Buddhists and outnumbering them.

This is a very simplistic argument so I would like you to do some mathematics and present it here to prove your ideas that this is of some concern.

When I came to Myanmar 35 years ago the population of muslims was 5% and now 35 years later I think it is still 5%.

Actually I did some checking it is 4% https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Myanmar

Ok so please show us some maths to prove your point. In 50 or 100 years time what will be the percentage of muslims in Myanmar?

Show us how this outnumbering of myanmar is more than a badly thought out opinion not even based on a single piece of maths.

Where is the maths please?

[gregk0543]

Further to the math less statement we are being overun. Is this.

“There has been a lot of speculation about the growth of the Muslim population around the world, and many of those who speculate don’t have good data,” said Brian Grim, a senior researcher at the Pew Forum. “Instead of a runaway train, it’s trending with the general global population.”

Sourced from here.

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/01/27/2-2-billion-worlds-muslim-population-doubles/

Ok so if you look at other important issues like climate change you will find that the whole worlds population is in overshoot and will be due for some kind of die back before 2100. It is likely that we could not even feed the 7 or 8 billion we already have on the planet by then.

My point is that Muslims arent going to overrun the planet in your lifetime. Or maybe never so I would be more interested in a graph with shows muslims parts per million over time as is done for CO2 than just a flimsy thought.

Please find one or make it and I would be most interested to see it.

Human population has been doubling over time for a long time now. The speed of doubling has increased over time but it is not going to double again in any time frame anyone can suggest. Lets say we have 7 billion now. It will never reach 14 billion. There is no projection anywhere to show it and not enough resources to support it.

When I was young and at school it was 3.5 billion and now it has doubled in my lifetime to 7.0 billion heading towards 10 or 11 in the future if climate change doesnt kill us all.

So my point is please show some maths to back up the argument which is really just an expression of primal fear rather than fact.

If die off happens you will be pleased to know that muslims will die in greater numbers than other religions because their overpopulation of land use dictates it.

So dont worry nature will take care of all or us we dont need to meddle.

[Lorn]

spiderorchid is right on point.

Muslim families have more children, which will lead them to migrate and spread out to other states in Myanmar looking for work, then they will settle there, have more kids, repeat.

Eventually the Muslim population will outnumber the Buddhist population and Myanmar will become a dominant Muslim country. By then the problem will be too big to contain.

It's good that they are taking care of this now, rather than later.

Take a look at Bangladesh, the country is so overpopulated that they are spilling out of their borders. These Muslims need to be dealt with with an iron fist, not pity.

Isn't this the same with Catholics having to spread from Philippines and South and Central America because they breed too damn much? Can't we just outlaw all religion or at least sterilize anyone stupid enough to believe in it before they poison their children's minds with their ignorance.

Oh wait Europe is full of Catholic countries yet don't have high birth rates despite what their teachings prohibit. Maybe this might the case in Muslim countries too. Let's have a look.

"The proven demographic fact that birth rates have been falling among Muslim women, both in Muslim majority countries and western countries where Muslims have migrated, is not new. Nor are articles debunking the idea that Muslims will become the majority in Europe"

http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2011/01/27/will-pew-muslim-birth-rate-study-finally-silence-the-eurabia-claim/

Edited September 29, 2015 by Lorn

[Linzz]

spiderorchid is right on point.

Muslim families have more children, which will lead them to migrate and spread out to other states in Myanmar looking for work, then they will settle there, have more kids, repeat.

Eventually the Muslim population will outnumber the Buddhist population and Myanmar will become a dominant Muslim country. By then the problem will be too big to contain.

It's good that they are taking care of this now, rather than later.

Take a look at Bangladesh, the country is so overpopulated that they are spilling out of their borders. These Muslims need to be dealt with with an iron fist, not pity.

Isn't this the same with Catholics having to spread from Philippines and South and Central America because they breed too damn much? Can't we just outlaw all religion or at least sterilize anyone stupid enough to believe in it before they poison their children's minds with their ignorance.

Oh wait Europe is full of Catholic countries yet don't have high birth rates despite what their teachings prohibit. Maybe this might the case in Muslim countries too. Let's have a look.

"The proven demographic fact that birth rates have been falling among Muslim women, both in Muslim majority countries and western countries where Muslims have migrated, is not new. Nor are articles debunking the idea that Muslims will become the majority in Europe"

http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2011/01/27/will-pew-muslim-birth-rate-study-finally-silence-the-eurabia-claim/

Thanks for the link Lorn. Nice to find some common sense and fact prevailing over so much xenophobic hysteria by paranoid prophets of doom.

Iron fists are usually accompanied by jackboots and ignorance out of which fascist states are born. If it's white fascism or Islamo fascism,it's the same coin, just different sides..

[boomerangutang]

It sounds like Burmese monks are becoming too political and right-wing for their own good. ....while straying from the essence of Buddhism. Burma's landmass is bigger than Thailand's. There is plenty of room for added people and towns. It pleases me not that Burmese monks are oppressing women's rights.

[Tai777]

It sounds like Burmese monks are becoming too political and right-wing for their own good. ....while straying from the essence of Buddhism. Burma's landmass is bigger than Thailand's. There is plenty of room for added people and towns. It pleases me not that Burmese monks are oppressing women's rights.

no such thing as fundamental rights, it's all subjective. Why does every leftist think the whole world has to cater to them?