30th October 2012
M-Media
A Buddhist monk titled Wira Thu (Baddanda Wisita) , a renowned anti-Islam activist resides in Masoyein monastery, Mandalay.
He is emphasizing on propagating hatred towards Islam and Muslims of Myanmar rather than his own Buddhist religious practises. In 2002, he had played a leading role in the widespread of Anti-Muslim Movements especially in Upper Myanmar. Due to his ill leadership in Kyauk-Se conflict, which resulted several damages and causalities for both communities Buddhists and Muslims, he was imprisoned and earlier this year, was released under president’s amnesty.
Upon release, he cunningly had tried to approach Muslim communities in Mandalay.Once he personally disclosed he was caught in political trap. By manipulating what he did as a result of political trap which actually was the bloodshed on streets done by a group of Buddhist Monks. He also did not fail to state his regret by saying of his unwillingness. Though it is directly indicates what he actually did is slaughtering Muslims according to several sources before his imprisonment.
In Upper Myanmar, people are still remembering his pledge to prevent all sorts of possible conflict between Muslims and Buddhist.
But by the pressure of his own subordinates, once brainwashed by him, he break his pledge and continue his anti-Muslim propagation. It is noticeable form his so-called preaching that he has had a great deal of followers, who are always posting and actively organizing Riots throughout the country.
Very recently, during the Muslims’ Festival of sacrifice, Eid-ul-Adha, he intentionally gave a haunted sermon and posted it on facebook titled ” The Bloody Path”, offending Muslims throughout the world and their religious practices.
“Wira Thu works for the government,” said one monk to Asia Times Online on strict condition of anonymity. “What he says is not Buddhist. What he does is not Buddhist. Many Buddhist monks do not support these views.”
If violence does once again break out, it will be agitators like Win Rathu at the lead position. And this religious violence threatens to divert the world’s attention from the real issue in Myanmar – the continuing deprivation of its people’s prosperity by an unpopular military dictatorship.
As Human Rights Watch reported, “Crackdown on Burmese Muslims”, monks, working with the support of the government, have distributed anti-Muslim pamphlets such as the 2001 tract “Myo Pyauk Hmar Soe Kyauk Hla Tai (The Fear of Losing One’s Race). Distribution of the pamphlets was also facilitated by the Union of Solidarity and Development Association (USDA).
Read More http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/EJ21Ae01.html
