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Burma Information Network- Japan (www.burmainfo.org) |
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November 28, 2004 |
Burma's military regime, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), plans to hold a "World Buddhist Summit" in Rangoon, from 9 to 11 December 2004. We would like to make clear that the military regime is in no way worthy of hosting such an event. Its systematic abuse of human rights throughout the nation contradicts the fundamental principles of Buddhism. This mix of Buddhism and politics also highlights the regime's abuse of the religion to polish its image, as well as its lack of sensitivity towards non-Burmans, many of who are not Buddhists, at a time of particular concern regarding progress towards national reconciliation. We call on the SPDC to cancel the summit.
The meeting was originally called "The Fourth World Buddhist Summit," which the SPDC and an organization in Japan were to have co-hosted. We were initially very concerned about the Japanese organization's choice of counterpart, but at the end of October, this organization suddenly withdrew their support. Though neither side has revealed reasons in detail, a purge against ex-Prime Minister Khin Nyunt reportedly caused strong dissatisfaction on the Japanese side, as they had relied on him as a liaison point on the matter. The future of the conference itself then became uncertain.
The military regime, however, has made clear its intention to go ahead with the Summit as the sole sponsor, though it renamed the event the "World Buddhist Summit" at the request of the original Japanese sponsor. It was also learned that a week after the Japanese sponsor withdrew, the SPDC approached the Japanese Buddhist Federation through the Burmese embassy in Tokyo for assistance with this Summit. The Japanese Buddhist Federation immediately, and sensibly, rejected the invitation.
According to the Ministry of Religious Affairs in Burma, about 2,500 delegates from 40 countries are to attend their Summit. Only 12 delegations, however, have confirmed that they will in fact attend, and the number of participants is expected to dramatically decrease. Considering that boosting the tourism industry in Burma is said to be among the original aims of this summit, this series of events are sure to have painful repercussions for the regime. We are concerned that delegates intending to participate are not informed about the severity of human rights in Burma. We call on all intending participants to examine the facts below and join us in our call for the Summit's cancellation.
Please remember that the military regime in Burma is not a legitimate government. This is the regime that refused to transfer power after general elections in 1990. It is a regime that has oppressed democratic opposition and imprisoned around 1,400 political prisoners, including General Secretary of the National League for Democracy (NLD) Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. This regime has waged war against non-Burman populations for over 50 years with its notorious four-cuts strategy, indulging in all vicious activities such as murder, execution, rape, torture, forced relocation, forced labor, forced disappearance, extortion, and destruction of local cultures and languages. This regime has mismanaged the national economy for such a long time that people's standards of living have plummeted, workers and entrepreneurs are losing hope, the gap between rich and poor has expanded, and the education system has been wreaked with the repeated closure of universities. Burma is being destroyed by this regime.
Is Burma's military regime a suitable body to sponsor a Buddhist summit? Our answer is "definitely not," especially in light of the facts below. This farce should be stopped.
Since independence, Burma has been a secular nation without a national religion. Even the draft constitution submitted to the SPDC-orchestrated National Convention contains such a clause. A secular nation should implement neither favorable nor discriminatory policy toward any particular religion. While the junta boasts that they have already spent "millions of kyats and hundreds of thousands of US dollars from its budget" for this summit, from a principle of secularism, this summit should not have been organized.
It is true that all governments since U Nu's era in the 1950's have explicitly favored Buddhism. Religious policies have functioned as a major source of oppression against non-Buddhist populations such as Christians and Muslims, mainly composed of non-Burmans. Such religious policies have also been a major cause of inter-ethnic hostilities. The regime must immediately adopt genuinely secular policies if they continue to maintain that they promote national reconciliation.
The SPDC uses Buddhism as an instrument not only as a justification for its rule, but also as an instrument of oppression against non-Buddhist populations. According to the latest annual Religious Freedom Report of the US Department of State, religious practices of non-Buddhists - from construction or repairing religious facilities, printing, promulgation, and gathering, to daily worship and religious service - are targets of severe control and frequent interference. The SPDC has reportedly operated forced conversion programs in Chin State as well. Given numerous incidents of serious religious discrimination by the regime, their self-proclaimed love for peace and the religion is obviously mere fraud.
The junta has been trying hard to appear as a pious ruler and a generous patron of Buddhism. The official media are always filled with images of generals making merit in temples. The generals seem to be in competition to build religious facilities such as pagodas. These activities can be seen not only as attempts to purify their bloody Karma, but also as "carrots" for subjugated monks.
From another point of view, their antics reflect the extent of their concern about the influence of Buddhist monks in Burma, and more significantly, how difficult it may be to forget the crucial role played by monks in the course of the Burma's modern history. Buddhist monks have been one among key players in every historical moment, from anti-British nationalist movements to the pro-democracy uprising in 1988.
The Buddhist population in Burma is an estimated eighty to ninety percent, which makes Buddhism the dominant religion in the country. After 1962, the military regime has feared the strong public influence of Buddhism and monks. In 1980, Ne Win finally succeeded in introducing a national monk registration system that forced all monks not only to register their residences with local authorities, but also to have ID cards issued by the government. The law enabled the dictator to control their movements, and the current military regime implements the same system. There have been other more recent efforts to apply more strict controls over monks and the Sangha.
In Burma it is impossible to enjoy the right to religious freedom, even for Buddhists. The up-coming summit, according to the SPDC, "will play an essential role in the perpetuation, promotion, and propagation of Buddhism." Their deeds, however, run in clear contradiction to their words.
The military regime tolerates absolutely no moves to oppose it. Full ranges of oppressive practices are the "sticks" against monks critical of the regime. The latest report from Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) reveals that over 300 monks still languish in prison. In the year 2003 alone, about 100 monks were put jailed.
Many of the incarcerated monks were participants in "Overturning the Bowl" (Pattam Nikkujjana Kamma), a "boycott" of sorts where monks refuse to receive any donations from, and perform any religious services for laypersons who offend the fundamental teachings of Buddhism. The act is a religious one written in major sutras and conducted with "metta" (mercy or compassion) from monks toward those who have wandered from the righteous way.
The generals, however, are unable to understand this lesson from the monks' pious act and only consider it as a threat to their authority. This itself illustrates that the SPDC leaders clearly lack understanding in Buddhism. The regime's sponsorship of this international Buddhist summit supposedly promoting Buddhist teachings is simply an expensive act of deceit.
We strongly condemn SPDC's oppressive practices and want genuine Buddhist organizations to understand the travesty behind the up-coming "World Buddhist Summit." If the SPDC has any respect for Buddhism left, it must cancel the Summit. The SPDC must also release all members of clergies, including Buddhist monks, who are incarcerated in prisons and labor camps throughout the country and who are held there because they have dared to exercise their right to religious freedom.
We earnestly hope that Burma will become a land of spirituality, where religious tolerance and mutual understanding among different religions will prevail.
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