A Level Religious Studies - Opposition to Oppression and Injustice (Burma case study)

Opposition to oppression and injustice (case study: Burma)

What is the issue?

For a half century, the impoverished people of Burma (also known as Myanmar) have lived under a brutal military dictatorship. Although Burma has not seen mass starvation as in the so-called Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, unrelenting wars are raging against numerous ethnic groups seeking autonomy.

In 1988 Burma's people were betrayed not just by the ruthlessness of their rulers, but also by the squabbling and opportunism of the outside world, which failed to produce a coordinated response and let the murderous regime get away with it.

On 8 August 1988 cities across Burma were packed with demonstrators.

Hundreds of thousands of people marched through the then capital, Rangoon, calling for a transition to democracy and an end to military rule.

They were the largest mass protests in the country since independence in 1948 - and it looked for a while as though they might achieve results.

But six weeks later, at least 3,000 protesters were dead, thousands more were jailed and the military was firmly back in control.

What Buddhists say about these issues?

Aung San Suu Kyi

Aung San Suu Kyi is heralded as a hero by many around the world after her long non-violent struggle against Burma’s military dictatorship. In 2010, she was released from nearly two decades of on-again, off-again house arrest. When the country began its nominal transition to a democracy in 2012 she began a quick rise up the ladder of political leadership in the country. She is the head of the National League for Democracy (NLD), which now controls a majority of the seats in Burma’s governmental houses. She was, however, constitutionally barred from becoming the country’s president by the out-going military powers. So today she has widespread moral support and democratic power in Burma.

Walpola Rahula (a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk) wrote that "Buddhism arose in India as a spiritual force against social injustices”. Buddhists should fight against social injustices such as the issue in Burma as being a spiritual force against injustice is one of the reasons the religion took off.

Examples of how Buddhists have responded to these issues

September 2007 saw the biggest demonstrations in Burma since the 1988 uprising. Tens of thousands of monks led massive demonstrations in towns and cities across Burma. Thousands of Burmese civilians from all walks of life joined the protests to call for an end to military rule.

Monks joined protests on 28 August when they took part in a demonstration in Sittwe, North West Burma. On 5 September, tension escalated during a demonstration led by monks in the town of Pakkoku, near Mandalay, as regime soldiers fired warning shots and used tear gas to break up the peaceful protest. The monks, led by a coalition of monk groups called the All Burma Monks Alliance, demanded an apology for the violence, the release of all detained demonstrators and political prisoners and action to ease the economic hardship exacerbated by the fuel price rises.

Burma’s people have continued to defy the regime with peaceful acts of resistance. For example, in several townships in Rangoon, dogs were seen roaming with pictures of Than Shwe (Burmese politican) and other regime leaders strung around their necks. Associating anybody with a dog is a very serious insult in Burma. Trains were painted with anti-junta slogans and anti-junta (junta – a military or political group that rules a country after taking power by force) leaflets denouncing the brutal crackdown and calling for renewed struggle were secretly distributed in Akyab, Arakan State.

What Buddhist teachings are at work and their impact on Buddhist behaviour?

·       The Buddhist approach to justice begins with individual behaviour. The moral law of karma, in which good actions generate positive consequences and bad actions negative ones, is at its core.

·       Compassion – Karuna

·       Dharma means that we should live and follow the principles of nature and accord with what is right. A truly noble and righteous ruler would live in accord with dharma, ruling without violence or coercion. Therefore Buddhists must act on what they believe to be right.

·       Thich Nhat Hanh: “If an action, a speech, is motivated by compassion and understanding that is good enough”.

·       Buddhists believe in equanimity, upekkha. This means an equal attitude towards everyone. Buddhists try to ensure that everyone is treated as such in society.