Rising Buddhist-Burman ethno-nationalism, fanned by the 969 movement led by Buddhist monks, has resulted in the rapid dissemination of hate speech and reignited lingering resentment between communities. [8] Michael Tanchum, The Buddhist-Muslim Violence in Myanmar: A Threat to Southeast Asia, The Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, BESA Center Perspectives Paper, No. Among his alleged crimes. How does gender play a role in the conflict in Myanmar. It does not engage in advocacy and its scholars opinions are their own. Points represent the approximate center of a larger area. H#6^l? 9?(5S&G qa{uCiV;T(!DU4\d,mq9Hq!i Z+s)[/tnd\g:k[qPr HkxjQ!Orw],V +J1+WY#4OtF&:. [QJshweeM[UH~{( Qxs8+(63+ q WebQuintana visited Myanmar in March 2010 and called for the establishment of a U.N. Commission of Inquiry to investigate Myanmars violations of international humanitarian and human rights law and to recommend appropriate redress.32 Quintana reiterated this appeal a year later in March 2011 and then again that summer, but to no avail.33 Copyright 2023 The President and Fellows of Harvard College, Religion and Society Graduate Certificate (Harvard Extension School). Buddhism has been a significant influence on Myanmar's culture, art, and way of life for more than a thousand years. In his book on integration and secession in Western Myanmar, Moshe Yegar noted that the Burmese (Buddhist) peasants became landless because the chettyars took control of much of the Burmese lands,[4] especially during the great depression in 1929. Prayer cards are formatted eight to a page. Sometimes known as Burma, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar - which is often shortened to Myanmar, is a sovereign state in Southeast Asia. %PDF-1.5 % [13] Even though Buddhists form the majority of the population, and there is no solid evidence Myanmar is facing an Islamist military threat, the narrative has gained traction amongst many Buddhists fearing that Islam will disrupt Myanmars Buddhist identity and potentially wipe out Buddhism in Myanmar altogether. Their children are often forced to participate in Buddhist rituals which take place at school every morning before class begins. WebThe United Nations Statistics Division collects, compiles and disseminates official demographic and social statistics on a wide range of topics. After Christianity, the third-largestreligion in Myanmaris Islam. Others claim that their statements against Muslims never explicitly call for violenceeven if it causes itand thus any violence that occurs is not their responsibility. [24] In Rakhine State, many of the police are selected from the Rakhine Buddhist community and often do not remain impartial when violence erupts between Buddhists and Muslims. This pivotal event subsequently saw the beginnings of Burman-Buddhist ethno-nationalism and the start of nationwide anti-Indian sentiment, which later evolved into anti-Muslim attitudes. In Muslim majority contexts like Mali, Burkina Faso, and northern Nigeria ethnicity plays a stronger role and implications for This act essentially legitimized discrimination against the Rohingya, which continues today. The analysis draws on the Centers wider body of research on global restrictions related to religion. Ashin Wirathu, a senior abbot in the Masoeyein Mandalay Buddhist monastery, is the face of the 969 economic-nationalist campaign, which encourages Buddhists to boycott Muslim-owned businesses. . (7u%Vd{|>ap"N:.9c~j,1B^U#pilGd`}K H6K@>*#Eg/,gGRL$ VHS{UmN0bo]Y||YWt4@4*^Q@xqh(PG"+m1_ O3Twy(P){g]mQy^ZU3hYkKpPp\(xy-9|Z(B/`7 0YY8{]\aqzMr*fB"Y$2~DIO"frp5Toe1 E_L_1p Q]"5|R9~CM{/ ] AvSWmnY;I$|dzR2/)QgQKm&OJCuM5Lmw0DV]QJ?P3#2;aQ 0000006213 00000 n H\0~ While the majority of Myanmars Muslim population reside in Rakhine State, in the rest of the country many Muslims are present and are accepted into their communities. WebIn Christian-majority contexts like CAR, southern Nigeria, and coastal West Africa, religion plays a stronger role. [17] Myanmar Considers Law Restricting Inter-Faith Marriage, Australia Network News (March 1, 2014), http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-01/an-myanmar-considers-law-restricting-interfaith-marriage/5292534; and Tin Maung Maung Than, Myanmar in 2013: At the Halfway Mark, Asian Survey, Vol. 0000005198 00000 n While Rohingya leaders claim to be the descendants of the precolonial Muslim community of Rakhine State, the term Rohingya only appeared in 1799 in an article on the comparative vocabulary in the Burma Empire to describe the indigenous people of Rakhine State.[1]. Regardless, there is no doubt that much of the Buddhist religious leadership of Myanmar has promoted violence against Muslims in the region. That being said, the situation is improving, especially in towns and cities where education has increased and the population are more open-minded aboutreligion in Myanmar. The ethnic and religious violence in Myanmar is incredibly complex; the traumas of colonialism, poverty, the recent transition from a military government to a more democratic state, and the global war on terror all play major roles in shaping the conflict. Web Estimated Population of Myanmar in 2023. Web Burmas population consists of Buddhists 879 percent Christians 62 percent Muslims 43 percent Animists 08 percent and Hindus 05 percent. They are second-class citizens and even stateless people (the Rohingya were deprived of Burmese citizenship in 1982). w+|R6r5pRCyzh+xm6f{.xmpf2YZ|_pT~9dbb?f4 0vev4l,{w}?_3~`9'L;v:5mpZGjneS?J5TjyNCJ;]%S9tA]@%Pv/_zjJ In this predominantly Buddhist country, Muslims are often discriminated against by the powerful nationalist movement that strives to protect Buddhist identity, thus creating a struggle for minority groups. This glossary lists terms that are used in various places in the religion and country profiles. Althoughreligion in Myanmarcan be tense at times due to the friction between the different religious groups, in reality, it is a very peaceful country. WebReligion in Myanmar is spread across Buddhist with 87.9%, Christian 6.2%, Muslim 4.3%, Animist 0.8%, Hindu 0.5%, other 0.2%, and none at 0.1% of the population. The Burma Citizenship Law was enacted in 1982. One of the most important aspects of the Burmese way of life is religion. In other words, they believe that they have only done wrong if the result of their action is what they explicitly intended. The second narrative espoused in the growing Burman-Buddhist nationalist movement is that the Rohingya started it. That is, Rohingya throughout history have rarely followed Burmese national interests, instead several times having threatened Myanmars newfound sovereignty. H\j0~ Populations are scaled to the current year. Web The difference is that Myanmar or Burma as it was known Burmese Hindus are a mix of Bengalis, Tamils, Telegus, and Uttar Pradeshis who arrived in Burma under British colonialism. The forecast population for 2020 is 54,808,276, Population estimates based on interpolation of data from World Population Prospects. By first shedding light on the historical origins of the conflict, this piece outlines the key triggers and social and political contexts in which inter-religious violence involving the Rohingya has occurred. The Middle East Institute (MEI) is an independent, non-partisan, non-for-profit, educational organization. 0000009664 00000 n RELIGION AND PUBLIC LIFE, Harvard Divinity School14 DivinityAvenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138. my.hds |Harvard Divinity School |Harvard University |Privacy | Accessibility | Digital Accessibility | Trademark Notice | Reporting Copyright InfringementCopyright 2023 President and Fellows of Harvard College. 0 Settlement in the Sittang delta, the A displayed zero can mean true zero, a very small rounded number or sometimes unknown. [nor] could [they] write or read the official Bamar language used in government communications.[19] Indeed, the majority of Rohingya speak a dialect similar to Bengali, and many can read and write in Urdu. [21] Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Final Report of Inquiry Commission on Sectarian Violence in Rakhine State (July 8, 2013), 16, http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs15/Rakhine_Commission_Report-en-red.pdf. endstream endobj 92 0 obj <> endobj 93 0 obj <> endobj 94 0 obj <>stream Web As of 2019 the Yangon region was the most populous region in Myanmar with a population of over eight million. [24] Human Rights Watch, All You Can Do is Pray: Crimes Against Humanity and Ethnic Cleansing of Rohingya Muslims in Burmas Arakan State (2013), http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/burma0413webwcover_0.pdf. TwitterBobRobertsJr A court in Myanmar has. . Are religious doctrinal differences primarily responsible for stoking intercommunal fear and hatred? Web Estimated Population of Myanmar in 2023. Pin Pa Patrimonios [26] Moreover, authorities do not sanction the police for their wrongdoings. Myanmar has 676,578 square kilometers of surface area available within its boundaries. [6] Yegar, Between Integration and Secession The Muslim Communities of the Southern Philippines, Southern Thailand, and Western Burma/ Myanmar (Maryland: Lexington Books, 2002), 37. By 2013, in neighboring Bangladesh alone around 300,000 Rohingya refugees lived in camps along the border. endstream endobj 37 0 obj <> endobj 38 0 obj <> endobj 39 0 obj <>stream Burmah, as it was spelled in the 19th Century, is a local corruption of the word Myanmar", according to the same report above. The organized movement has enlisted monasteries across Myanmar to spread radical anti-Muslim messages through Sunday schools, and by handing out stickers and distributing pamphlets and DVDs.[11] As David Steinberg of Georgetown University highlights, the significance of Buddhist monks leading this campaign cannot be underestimated, as few, if any, in the Burman community can publicly dispute a monks announcement on an ostensibly religious issue.[12] Indeed, monks wield the highest level of moral authority in Myanmar and can thus pursue an ethno-nationalist agenda without hindrance. Buddhist 87.9%, Christian 6.2%, Muslim 4.3%, Animist 0.8%, Hindu 0.5%, other 0.2%, none 0.1% (2014 est.) H\n0. Stores are marked with the 969 symbol to verify the owner is Buddhist. Myanmar's relatively slow population growth is predicted to continue on its current trajectory. WebMyanmar is the most religious Buddhist country with regard to the percentage of the population living as monks and the amount of money spent on religion. This case study was created by Kristofer Rhude, MDiv 18, under the editorial direction of Dr. Diane L. Moore, faculty director of Religion and Public Life. 0000009258 00000 n Islam (4%), Hinduism (1%), Christianity (7%) and animism (1%) are also practiced in the 1. While the rise of 969 and Burman-Buddhist nationalism sparked the beginning of the recent inter-religious clashes, the violence has been prolonged by an enabling environment. [7] The law did not recognize the Rohingya as an ethnic group of Myanmar, stating that any ethnic group that settled in Myanmar after 1823 (the beginning of the First Anglo-Burmese War) was not entitled to citizenship. It's believed there are at least 300,000 refugees from Burma located along the Thai-Burma border, with many camps established in the 1980's. Web Chart and table of Myanmar population from 1950 to 2023. endstream endobj 40 0 obj <> endobj 41 0 obj <>stream For a description of the Commissions composition, mandate, and methodology, see Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Final Report of Inquiry Commission on Sectarian Violence in Rakhine State (July 8, 2013), i-ii, http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs15/Rakhine_Commission_Report-en-red.pdf . [13] Zarni Mann, Islamic Extremists Want My Downfall, Thats Why They Put Me On The Cover, The Irrawaddy (June 24, 2013). . Al Jazeera English video on the exclusion of Muslims from Myanmars government (2015): CNN article and video on recent bouts of violence (2017): PBS NewsHour video on Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh (2017): BBC video on the alleged crimes against humanity in Myanmar (2017): Vox video on the history of violence against Rohingya (2017): The Guardian video interviewing Buddhist monks who disagree about the causes and solution to the violence (2017): BBC interviews with anti-Muslim Buddhist monks (2017): BBC video on the arrest of Reuters journalists reporting on the violence (2018): In what ways can Buddhism said to be internally diverse in light of the conflict in Myanmar? This has resulted in significant transformations in areas such as censorship, whereby efforts by Buddhist monks to propagate anti-Muslim narratives are now facilitated by Myanmars reforms. There is a significant correlation between ethnicity and religion. Approximately 2% of Burmese people are Hindu. The short form, which was asked of 80 percent of the total population, includes only seven basic questions: name, relationship to the head of the household, sex, age, marital status, race and religion. [16] Reform Fails to Help Myanmars Rohingya, IISS Strategic Comments, Vol. WebCrime Statistics. However, the composition of the Rohingya community, which makes up about 5 percent of the population of approximately 60 million, is intricately linked to Burmas colonial past. [9] Jane Perlez, Rise in Bigotry Fuels Massacre Inside Myanmar, New York Times (March 2, 2014), http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/02/world/asia/rise-in-bigotry-fuels-mass. 0000003187 00000 n Cq B[=c+aS%}m)dwC 8Bc uUdwqji3px7F8|]#nI'4 xdMvB;^!'akBK}qN! The vast majority of people, 89%, profess Buddhism. The Buddhists described here span a wide range of values regarding the intersection of their religion and violence. Changing the pivot column will reset the column selection and sort order. Officially, 4% of the inhabitants of Myanmar are Muslim. 0000011636 00000 n Located in the south of the country the region is. The first is constructed around a fear of Islamic encroachment into Myanmar and demographic besiegement by Muslimsan idea that runs deep in Burman Buddhist society. GQ}^. With about four percent in Myanmars. The essays in this series tackle these and other salient questions pertaining to sectarianism in the MENA and Asia Pacific regions. 26 0 obj <> endobj [12] David Steinberg, Laws Enforce Discrimination in Myanmar, Asia Times Online (March 18, 2014), http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/SEA-01-180314.html. The prince of a small kingdom in India, he lived in opulence thanks to his familys wealth without having the slightest contact with anything outside the palace, neither with poverty, nor with misery, nor death. 0 While many monks in Myanmar seem to support and even advocate for violence against their Muslim neighbors, there are others who are constantly working to end the violence. Copyright 2023 The President and Fellows of Harvard College, Religion and Society Graduate Certificate (Harvard Extension School). Sign up to receive the latest publications, event invitations, and our weekly newsletter delivered to your inbox. WebConsidered as the main religion, Buddhism (mostly Theravada Buddhism) makes up more. As India is a close neighbor, Hinduism has had a regional influence for centuries and Hindu gods are sometimes included among the nats, or spirits, worshiped by some Burmese Buddhists. Interview with Aung San Suu Kyithe State Counselor of Burma, Nobel Peace Prize Winner, and a Theravada Buddhistwhere she responds to accusations of ethnic cleansing against Muslims in Myanmar: http://bit.ly/2sfZyDo. The name 969 is a numerological reference to the Buddha, his teachings, and his religious community. The population density overall is approximately 79 people per square kilometer. The current population of Myanmar in 2023 is. Ethnic minoritiessuch as the Chin, Kachin, Karin, and Rohingyainclude significant populations of Christians and Muslims. Approximately 2% of Burmese people are Hindu. [17] Rohingya must also seek official authorization to marry and to cross township borders, and they are barred from many areas of employment, including government jobs.[18]. Inflation Rate in Myanmar is expected to be 1200 percent by the end of this. The Inquiry Commission into sectarian violence in Rakhine State released in 2013 found that Rohingya living in rural areas could not speak any indigenous languages of Myanmar well . Click any point for a popup with further people group details. 0000015224 00000 n Manfred Hutter, Hindus in Southeast and East Asia, Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Eds. Myanmar has maintained steady growth over the past century despite its battles both in ending British rule and with the ongoing civil wars. Births attended by skilled health personnel, per cent, 2004-2020 Population aged 0-14, percent: Proportion of the population between age 0 and age 14. Many of the ethnic minorities in Myanmar are Christian, such as the Chin, the Kachins, the Karen and the Naga. Monks have also mobilized to support the passage of anti-Muslim laws in the nations legislature. They believe in a Theravadan Buddhist doctrine that states that only their intention affects their karma. 0000002975 00000 n [22] Eliane Coates, Buddhist Monks in Myanmar: Driving Religious Intolerance and Hindering Reform, RSIS Commentaries No. 0000010535 00000 n In great need of spiritual renewal and commitment to biblical faith. He experienced enlightenment, a kind of extraordinary clairvoyance, a great wisdom where he understood that man causes his own suffering by undertaking and carrying out negative actions. And what could be done to avert sectarian violence, to foster tolerance and peaceful coexistence, and to promote reconciliation? As I have noted in another article, whereas during the period of the military junta ethnic tensions and separatism were held at bay by . If you have information about these groups, please contact us. (States / Districts only available for South Asia). The fertility rate in Myanmar is 2.13 births per woman, which is high enough for population replacement (2.1 births per woman); however, it has been declining over the past several years, contributing to the slowing population growth rate. RELIGION AND PUBLIC LIFE, Harvard Divinity School14 DivinityAvenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138. my.hds |Harvard Divinity School |Harvard University |Privacy | Accessibility | Digital Accessibility | Trademark Notice | Reporting Copyright InfringementCopyright 2023 President and Fellows of Harvard College. The country experienced a spike in population in the 1960s, and since then the nation continues to grow, but at a slower pace. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/02/world/asia/rise-in-bigotry-fuels-mass. 0000001544 00000 n H\0>E? B-x`u From 1948 to 1961, the Rohingya Mujahideen fought to create a separate Islamic State. For example, one law promoted by monks in 2013 declared that Buddhist women could not marry a man of another faith without official permission from local authorities. There have been numerous sermons from such leaders promoting coexistence, decrying the restrictions on interfaith marriages, and building interfaith understanding. Other ethnic groups include the Mon (2%), Overseas Indians (2%) and the Kachin, Chin, Anglo-Indians, Nepali and Anglo-Burmese. [10] 969 website, https://969movement.org. There are two salient narratives driving anti-Rohingya/anti-Muslim sentiments. - Few evangelicals and few who identify as Christians. khdJV|!3/f:V_nzZmP]/T7cPOOu^pL7zyZ7MmV4fQ* Furthermore, the governments tacit approval of policies that discriminate against the Rohingya, coupled with the role of social media in propagating hate speech, have fostered an enabling environment that has prolonged the sectarian violence. Between 1951 and 1961, the Muslim population expanded by 32.7%, 11 percentage points more than Indias overall rate of 21.6%. Racial riots ensued during the 1930s between the majority Burman Buddhist ethnic group and Muslim migrants of Indian descent, ultimately leading to the nationalist Doh Bama (We Burma) movement. Myanmar is predominantly a Buddhist country, with around 90% of the population following Theravada Buddhism. Most Bamar, Shan, Mon, Rakhine, Karen, and many ethnic groups of Myanmar follow They can inspire horrific violence. %PDF-1.6 % What roles have state, sub-state and transnational actors played in fomenting sectarian discord? Strategic Technologies and Cyber Security, Oman Library at the Middle East Institute, Earth Day: Environmental Opportunities and Challenges in the Middle East, Womens Reproductive Rights and Abortion in Morocco: Regulatory Reforms Should Not Miss the Bigger Picture, http://www.networkmyanmar.com/images/stories/PDF12/rohingya-origins-1-r, http://www.economist.com/news/asia/21582321-fuelled-dangerous-brew-fait, http://www.networkmyanmar.org/images/stories/PDF15/Leider-Note.pdf, http://www.refworld.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/rwmain?docid=3ae6b4f71b, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/02/world/asia/rise-in-bigotry-fuels-mass, http://www.theforeignreport.com/2013/07/01/burma-buddhism-and-the-rise-, http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/SEA-01-180314.html, http://www.economist.com/news/asia/21565638-why-buddhists-and-muslims-r, http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-01/an-myanmar-considers-law-restricting-interfaith-marriage/5292534, http://www.fortifyrights.org/downloads/Policies_of_Persecution_Feb_25_F, http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs15/Rakhine_Commission_Report-en-red.pdf, http://www.rsis.edu.sg/publications/Perspective/RSIS2212013.pdf, http://dr.ntu.edu.sg/bitstream/handle/10220/8784/RSIS1312012.pdf?sequen, http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/burma0413webwcover_0.pdf, http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/press-releases/abuse-against-myanmar-s-r, Indonesia and the Middle East: Exploring Connections, Islam, Migrants and Multiculturalism: A Glance at Germany, Korea and Beyond, Sectarian Violence Involving Rohingya in Myanmar: Historical Roots and Modern Triggers. On the other hand, Christians, Muslims, Hindus and others are also practiced in 2023 by selected countries in. hbbd``b`:$C3`\@ !$+ n r6#+#E endstream endobj 42 0 obj <> endobj 43 0 obj <>stream Since the opening of Myanmar in 2011, President Thein Sein has pursued broad economic and political reforms of policies created by former military leaders. However, the large movement of Rohingyas in 2017 has halved the number of Muslims in the country.. Today, a segment of Burman Buddhist monks represented by Ashin Wirathu is re-igniting sentiments of intolerance and flaming lingering resentment toward Rohingya, preaching hateful rhetoric and sowing fear in the local Buddhist population in an attempt to change the ethnic demographics of Rakhine State. 0000004016 00000 n They can also inspire nearly unfathomable acts of love and peacebuilding. 0000002037 00000 n Values for %Christian Adherent and %Evangelical (which determine unreached status) are often informed estimates, some more accurate than others.
