Another mosque has been razed in Myanmar, the second in just over a week. The destruction has been blamed on rising Buddhist nationalism. That in itself is ironical. The intrinsic core of Buddhism is peace. The nation has been troubled by increasing incidents of rioting. The mosques that were destroyed were in Kachin and Bago, but Rakhine, where the minority Rohingya live, has seen senseless violence.
The government of Aung San Suu Kyi has stood a silent spectator as the rioting has intensified and the Rohingya have been increasingly targeted. The UN has expressed its concern, but little is being done to rein in this wave of Buddhist nationalism. This again is ironic because Suu Kyi, who has spent years in prison championing the cause of the oppressed, must understand the plight of the Rohingya and yet she has moved slowly to find a solution to their problems. The Rohingya are stateless, have no rights, and the Buddhists of Rakhine want to label them illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. (Courtesy of gulfnews.com)
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