Myanmar's new religion minister visits firebrand monk Wirathu

Myanmar's new religion minister visits firebrand monk Wirathu



YANGON: -- Aung Ko, Myanmar's new religious affairs minister, on Monday paid a visit to nationalist Buddhist monks from the Association for the Protection of Race and Religion, in Yangon, including the firebrand U Wirathu, The Irrawaddy reported.

Ashin Nya Neinda, a spokesperson from the organization better known by its acronym Ma Ba Tha, said Aung Ko met eight senior monks from the Buddhist nationalist group on Monday before later meeting Wirathu. He did not provide details on what was discussed at the meetings.

Tun Nyunt, who is a director of the Religious Affairs and Culture Ministry and joined the minister on his trip, said the visit was routine.

Aung Ko served as a senior member of the formerly ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). He was one of two USDP members appointed to the National League for Democracy (NLD) government’s cabinet.

His visit to the Ma Ba Tha monks came just two days after he suggested that Muslims in the country were not full Myanmar citizens, drawing criticism from Islamic organizations both overseas and within Myanmar.

The former USDP government was accused by local rights groups and the international community of suppressing non-Buddhist religions including Christians and Muslims, the latter group also being a target of Ma Ba Tha.

Wirathu has been at the fore of anti-Islamic rhetoric in Myanmar in recent years and the Buddhist nationalist group last year all but endorsed the incumbent USDP over the NLD, viewing the latter as “weak” on the matter of protecting Myanmar’s majority Buddhist character.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/158424

-- Thai PBS 2016-04-06