The Buddhist Monk whom initiated the Rohingya Genocide
Ashin Wirathu is a renowned Buddhist monk, a well known spiritual leader and leader of the anti-Muslim movement in Myanmar. From young age he follow the education of Theravada. Almost 90% of Buddha religion followers also practice the spiritual education of Theravada. These spiritual education is reputed as conservative and monarch.
Why Buddhism have substantial influence on people of Myanmar?
In the gloom history of Myanmar, the people were oppressed and treated violately by the Myanmar’s military. The teaching of Buddhism taught the people to endure the suffering and continue to accept the hardness of living in Myanmar using guidance and spiritual teaching of Buddha. Therefore, Buddhism had become a traditional custom to the people of Myanmar today.
Ashin Wirathu also know as Wing Khaing Oo or Virasu (name in Dharma).
Here’s some information about the malignity Buddhist monk that believe to initiated the Rohingya Genocide
- Born on July 10, 1968.
- Left school at age 14 to become a monk.
- 2001, involved in the movement 969.
- Movement 969 is an organization that promote hatred against Muslims in Myanmar and he is the leader of the organization.
- 969 was chosen as the name of the organization because it has a certain symbolic in Buddhism.
- 9 The first refers to the nine special properties god Buddha, 6 refers to six characteristics 9 Dharma while the latter refers to the special properties of Buddha Sangha.
- Why would 969 targeting Muslim groups? The answer is because it wants to diminish the influence of Islam in Myanmar. For Wiratha, Islam is a “elements” which would cause danger to Buddhism in Myanmar.
- There are some controversial remarks uttered by Wiratha to influence his followers to resort to violence, atrocities and crimes against Muslim believers in Myanmar.
- People only know that Rakhie Rohingya Muslims are sole victims of violence by the Muslim hate organization, but in fact it is all over Myanmar.
- A series of violence also occurred in Mandalay. Mandalay is the second largest city in Myanmar. In July 2014, the speculation spread by Wiratha that a Muslim man had raped a Buddhist woman through Facebook connection and this ultimately create disorder in Mandalay when Buddhist devotees who provoked the distribution of violence against adherents of Islam in Mandalay. The effect of the distribution lead to two people killed, a devout Muslim and one Buddhist.
- Wiratha insisted that he did not spread the false ‘rape’ news. It is spread following the young Muslim man was arrested after alleged rape but according to the WSJ report, the rape allegation is just a fake news.
- After the retraction of the alleged rape news, his Buddhist follower continue to harass the alleged Muslim man by destroying property around Myanmar and announced it as the way to protect the dignity of Buddhist believes.
- Apart from the two deaths, 12 people were also wounded in the fighting and ultimately lead to state wide curfew in Mandaly to prevent further violent riot.
- 2003, Wiratha jailed for dozen years due to speech that were alleged to be seditious against Myanmar junta (military) at the time.
- However, he was eventually released in 2012. Together with other political prisoners.
- In September 2012, Wiratha lead a demonstration in support of the proposals of President Thein Sein, that Muslim believers in Rakhie (Rohingyas) should be commit to the third grade citizen.
- One month later, violence erupted in the area Rakhie.
- Wiratha later issued a statement, saying that Rakhie violence started from what happened in Meiktila. It had nothing to do with him or his organization.
- On 20 June 2013, Wiratha were recorded said, “you can be someone who is full of goodness and love, but you can not sleep with a mad dog”. The mad dog is referring to Muslim believers in Myanmar. “If we are weak, this land will become the property of Muslims.” He said.
- Although condemned by the world, Wiratha repeatedly stated that he did not endure violent and support the environment of peace and goodness.
Do all Myanmar people hate Muslim?
Not all monks in Myanmar supported Wiratha hatred against Muslims. But their movement is not as strong and as strong as 969. Of which averaged believe it was orchestrated (supported furtively) by the Myanmar government itself. Given a series of violence involving Buddhists in 969 movement itself not taken any action, even seditious speech and hate against Muslim believers who often uttered by Wiratha also ignored by the government.
Until now still, Myanmar denied any solution to this religion conflict.