The Blood-Stained Robes of Burmese Monks
by Jennifer Wong
As tens of thousands of monks in their saffron robes took to the streets recently in Myanmar, the world was fixated. In the last few weeks, the Burmese monks have taken their role as spiritual leaders to the next level: leading the protests against the ruling junta, or military regime. The current crisis in the former Burma was sparked by the beating of three monks by the junta during a peaceful protest, but it quickly became obvious that the monks wanted more than a simple apology. This isn't the first time that the monks have played a political role in Myanmar, and although the current protests have garnered much international attention, the focus has been more on the stirring image of these spiritual men confronting the government than the real reasons behind the conflict.
The Buddhist monks in Myanmar are a highly revered group - respected by both the ruling junta and the people oppressed by the junta. An overwhelming majority, eighty to ninety percent, of the Burmese people is Buddhist, and as the spiritual authorities, the monks play a vital role in daily life. The monasteries not only serve as focal points of spiritual guidance but also make up a practical institution - children who enter the Buddhist order can obtain a free education without the burdensome cost of travel or uniforms, for example. The most important role the monks play, however, is providing lay Buddhists with a chance to earn good karma.
At the basis of Buddhist belief is the idea of good and bad karma. Our present and future lives are dictated by past deeds; good deeds leading to better lives and reincarnation and likewise bad deeds will lead to unfortunate rebirths. The accumulation of good karma is important in gaining a good rebirth. The monks are not allowed to handle cash, and so they rely completely on donations from the public. When laymen offer donations, the laymen are gaining good karma and, in the case of military men donating to the monasteries, they can counteract the bad karma they have acquired (no doubt by beating, torturing and killing their fellow countrymen) by donating food and robes.
In addition to marching alongside many Burmese laymen to protest the oppressive policies of the junta and especially the recent increase in fuel prices, the monks have also refused to accept alms from the military and their respective families. The monks' refusal to accept donations from the military is not just a political statement but a much deeper spiritual protest; in refusing to accept their donations, the monks are saying that they will not aid them in gaining good karma, ultimately impeding the junta in this lifetime and in the next.
The monks knew they were putting themselves at the mercy of the military and yet they marched on and continued leading - a beacon of hope for a society that has been down-trodden and too scared, or perhaps too overpowered, to stage any real protests. When riot police brutally beat, arrested and killed protesting monks on Sept. 24, 2007, the monasteries finally broke the silence. In the following week, the government began rounding up, detaining and shipping off what may be thousands of monks and protesters to detention camps, leaving many monasteries empty and others heavily blocked and guarded by soldiers. And although the state-run media, which are highly censored, claims only ten lives have been claimed, we may never know the true number of people detained and murdered or the scores of other human rights violations committed.
But this much we know: sanctions by Western countries against Burma are futile efforts because nations like China, Singapore, and Thailand are all too happy to fill any gaps Western sanctions may incur. China, Thailand and Singapore have real economic leverage over Myanmar (each being the first, second and third supplier respectively to the country) and could force the junta leaders to relent and release all detainees, free up waves of communications, stop the search for cameras and mobile phones, and finally sit down with opposition leaders. And if they do nothing to try to stop the junta, the international community needs to state clearly its intent to boycott the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Let's see then how long before China starts putting real pressure on the Burmese military leaders.
The monks' marches were courageous acts that deserve to be followed up with more courage and resolve in the face of military oppression. Even though the people of Myanmar are terrified of the junta, their resolve needs to override their fear. This matter cannot wait until the next UN envoy in November; people in and outside of Myanmar need to rise up now and demand the international community to immediately take action in finally eradicating an incompetent government that has been in power for too long.
