My Reflections on the “Rohingya Crisis”

Recently I read, with some dismay, an open letter written to the Buddhist Sangha of Myanmar. It was said to be signed by seventy over prominent Buddhist personalities and well-known Buddhist leaders. In that letter, they openly urged the Myanmar Buddhist monks to speak up and do something about the violence against the Rohingyas. On the face of it, this letter appears to be appropriate. In fact, some years back, I had the same thinking. But this is not the case anymore. I have more facts now to make a more informed analysis of the situation. In light of this, the open letter seems to indirectly suggest that the Buddhist Sangha of Myanmar supports violence (by not speaking up). Generally, I observed that the recent ethnic cleansing is not caused by Buddhist monks. Except for a small number of monks, I believe a majority of the monks and nuns of Myanmar do not support violence at all. This open letter could mislead extremist Islamic groups into misinterpreting the situation and retaliate against innocent Buddhist monks and nuns. Already there are reports that speculated that the extremist I.S. group may target Buddhists in Thailand. Therefore it could be misconstrued. The open letter also underscores an important point that our Buddhist leaders do not really understand the situation in Myanmar – especially the delicate dynamics between the political leadership of Myanmar, the Buddhist Sangha and the Myanmar military regime. Many people question why Madam Aung San Suu Kyi and the Buddhist Sangha could not speak up louder and stemmed the violence with their political clout. Although I believe I have seen some statements from Madam Aung San Suu Kyi in social media, in which she said the situation is really very complex, by and large, the international community thinks that they have not spoken loud or done enough. She had mentioned that there are also Muslims killing Muslims. It is not a religious conflict as some people wants to portray it to be. A lot of people are concerned only because they are of the same religion as them. So, why is it the political leadership in Myanmar are still very “quiet”? Why can’t they do something to stop the violence against the Rohingyas?

From my own study and analysis of the situation there, I now understand better than before, that the actual reason why  they could not speak louder and take harder action is mainly because, they simply do not have the political clout nor voice to do so. It is a very delicate situation. We know that Myanmar had in the past been governed by the military regime for decades, and only in recent history, the political leadership is passed to the civilian government of Madam Aung San Suu Kyi, after an election. But that does not mean the military regime has truly relinquished power. If the civilian leaders were to speak any louder, do you think the military power will not take over the political rule again in Myanmar? I believe the international community does not want that to happen. I believe too that the Buddhist Sangha in Myanmar has always enjoyed close ties with the military throughout Myanmar. That’s how they could still enjoy their patronage and protection in the forest hermitages and temples throughout Myanmar. And patronage and protection are 2 essential elements for the continuity of Buddhism in Myanmar. We cannot simply dismiss such long standing social dynamics which has probably existed for decades in the country. With their hands tied, the two groups, which the international community has placed their hopes on, are practically silenced. Neither group could really say anything, or do much.

Also, we should note that on August 25, 2017, it was reported that the Rohingya militants had attacked the local government forces. The backlash of this was the action by the Myanmar military leadership against the Rohingyas. Thus, as the saying goes, one hand cannot clap. There are usually two sides of the story. There are casualties from both sides. Of course, now you can say that perhaps the Myanmar military regime had retaliated too harshly on the Rohingyas. In order to find a long term solution, an appreciation of the historical facts regarding the Rohingyas is required. We cannot just react on the basis of some incomplete recent news. As Buddhists, we have a responsibility to check our facts.

If the international Buddhist leaders and international political leaders are truly concerned of the situation affecting the Rohingyas, it is not the Buddhist Sangha of Myanmar they should appeal to. In addition to appealing to Madam Aung San Suu Kyi and her government, more importantly they should address their appeals to the MILITARY REGIME OF MYANMAR and urge them to work with the Myanmar’s civilian government on this matter. However, this is only one side to the crisis solution. Leaving out appealing to the EXTREMIST ROHINGYA MILITANTS is a big mistake by the international community. Hence, if there is any appeal letter, it has to be written to the top military leadership of both sides. With regards the Rohingya crisis, these two groups are the actual power brokers in Myanmar. Engage with them to find a solution, not just with Madam Aung Sang Suu Kyi. Although there is a small paragraph in the open letter urging action by Madam Aung San Suu Kyi and the military regime, the small paragraph is clearly inadequate. Also, it is mostly addressed to the Myanmar Buddhist Sangha. The Buddhist Sangha cannot do much. Furthermore, except for Ma Ba Tha, they were not the ones causing the violence.
 
These are my humble observation and feedback. And I hope my two cents can contribute to some peace in Myanmar in the long term. It will not be easy, but small steps can be done by urging and appealing to the correct people.

P/S: After a long absence, this is my "come back" post. Thanks for all your comments for other posts.