The self-appointed guardians of “race and religion” yesterday justified their religiously infused politics as necessary under the circumstances. Speaking in Yangon at the finale event after a month-long victory lap for their four newly enacted and controversial laws, members of Ma Ba Tha said their political work is necessary to protect Buddhist people during a period of transition.
If monks did only religious affairs, and did not pursue politics as missionaries on a goodwill mission, Buddhist traditions could vanish forever, prominent monk and Ma Ba Tha vice chair U Nyanissara, also known as Sitagu Sayadaw, said during the ceremony.
Thousands of radical Buddhist monks and their hardline nationalist supporters filled Thuwanna Stadium yesterday, an event location secured only with the nod of President U Thein Sein. The nationalist Buddhist group have toured nearly every state and region commemorating its legislative package and the lawmakers who helped enforce it in the midst of the election campaign period.
Sitagu Sayadaw said the monks need to next set their aim as enshrining Buddhism as the state religion through the State Religion Law. The 1961 attempt to adopt a state religion is widely cited as angering marginalised religious minorities and prompting the coup of General Ne Win, however.
Sitagu Sayadaw cited a long historical trend of religion intervening in dire political situations. “In October 1917 a religious revolution occurred in Russia and the dynasty of Russia Kings ended along with the proliferation of Lenin’s Communism. When Communism spread to Europe, the pope and the Vatican established the Christian Democratic Party in 1919 and collaborated with people to end Communism. Similarly, Germany established the Christian Democratic Union. So, we need to do missionary work like them, and make use of religion in political affairs,” he said.
The 2008 constitution maintains several prohibitions on mixing religion and politics. Section 364 states, “The abuse of religion for political purposes is forbidden.” The constitution also bars monks from voting or forming political parties.
Aware of the constitutional parameters, Sitagu Sayadaw backtracked slightly, adding a caveat to his protection of “race and religion” politics. He added that he doesn’t mean to urge all monks to enter political affairs, but just to suggest that sometimes such action is needed so the different faiths can “coexist peacefully”. He also warned monks to carefully monitor the political situation.
“These laws will not harm other religions and races,” he said. “Ma Ba Tha will also not get involved in politics for any religion, races, parties or conflicts,. It is only to establish the interfaith laws.”
Insein Ywa Ma Sayadaw added the sectarian violence in 2012 that erupted in Rakhine State had made such religiously motivated political involvement necessary.
“We are very afraid,” he said. “This violence emerged because our people were neglected by the law, I think.”
Ma Ba Tha has also been involved in what it calls “voter education” activities, however, which at times has included thinly veiled attacks on the National League for Democracy, and handing out pamphlets suggesting certain “ethnic national” candidates.
The anti-Muslim lobby group’s increasing involvement in the campaign period spurred concerns from opposition political parties, especially the NLD, as well as the UN and other international organisations. The NLD recently admitted that it had not included Muslim candidates in its election line-up for fear of retribution from Ma Ba Tha. Despite the party’s absence of Muslim election hopefuls, the party has not been spared censure from the hardliners.
Yesterday, on the sidelines of the Ma Ba Tha ceremony, U Wirathu told Reuters the NLD “is so full of themselves” and will not “have a high chance of winning in elections”.
“If we have to choose the best, it is President U Thein Sein’s government,” U Wirathu said, but denied that Ma Ba Tha was campaigning for the USDP in return for the ruling party supporting the “race and religion” legislation, as many have suggested.
U Win Htein, NLD patron and party spokesperson, responded by saying, “He should go to hell”. Monks should be neutral in politics, he added.
Last week, veteran NLD member U Tin Oo had attempted to pacify growing tensions with Ma Ba Tha during meetings with Sitagu Sayadaw and U Wirathu.
Translation by Thiri Min Htun
