The Role of Muslims in Burma’s Democracy Movement

[north_malaysian]

The Role of Muslims in Burma’s Democracy Movement

Although the September protests in Rangoon were led by Buddhist monks, Burmese Muslims were among the first to offer water to the monks as a means of showing support for the peaceful demonstrations.

“I saw some Muslims kneel down and pay respect to the Buddhist monks,” said Pan Cha, a Burmese Sikh businessman who arrived at the Thai-Burmese border in early October after being involved in the September demonstrations.


Over a month since the junta cracked down violently on the monks and their supporters in the streets of Burma, Pan Cha forcefully said in an interview with The Irrawaddy that “The Burmese people are not afraid—nationwide demonstrations are coming back again soon!”

“I came here [to the border] just to escape for a while and tell the truth about what happened in Burma to the international media,” he said. “After, I will go back to Burma.”

In the context of the pro-democracy movement in Burma, it is important to remember the role of Burmese Muslims.

According to residents and journalists who were at the demonstrations, many Muslims supported and participated in the protests and were badly beaten by Burmese security forces.

In a video clip seen around the world, soldiers beat and kick a young Muslim man who is huddled on the ground. They club him with batons and kick him brutally.

Pan Cha, who helped organize security for the demonstrations, said that a top Burmese minister ordered pro-junta group, the Union Solidarity and Development Association, to beat any Muslim in sight at the demonstrations, because Muslims were never USDA members.

He went on to say that when they first saw Buddhist monks demonstrating on September 18, many Muslims wanted to support the monks, but were worried about repercussions against the Muslim community as a whole. They feared it would cause more Kala Burma Adigayone (Muslim - Buddhist riots) and create problems for all Muslims in Burma (Kala is a derogatory name for Muslims and Indians in Burmese).

Inspired by the resilience of many Muslims in Rangoon, Pan Cha began encouraging them not to fear the government, telling them that they were standing up for the rights of all the people of Burma. On September 19, many Muslims joined in the demonstrations after their prayers and supported the monks by offering water, betel nut and fresh towels.

Some wealthy Muslims supported demonstrators by providing mobile phones to make communications between the protesters easier. Some who were car owners blocked the military trucks that were carrying arrested demonstrators and tried to help them escape when the army convoys stopped. They risked their own lives on behalf of others.

According to the 88 Generation Students group, at least seven Muslims in Rangoon were charged with inciting state unrest by supporting the monk-led demonstrations. They are currently being detained in Pabedan Township in Rangoon.

Pan Cha also confirmed that before he left Burma on October 4, he knew of about 30 Muslims who had been hospitalized from being beaten during the street protests. More than 100 Muslims were still being detained, he said.

Muslims have long played a leading role in Burma’s democracy movement, even dating back to before Burmese independence.

All scholars of Burmese history know the story of Abdul Razak. Better known as U Razak, he was the Muslim headmaster of Mandalay Central National High School and became Minister of Education and National Planning in Burma’s pre-independence government. He was also a leader of the Anti-Fascist People’s Freedom League in Mandalay.

He lost his life at aged 49, when he was gunned down by assassins on July 19, 1947, together with Burmese independence leader Gen Aung San and seven other cabinet members and colleagues. The day is now commemorated annually in the country as “Martyrs’ Day.”

As a minority group, Muslims in Burma regularly suffer from social and religion discrimination. The Burmese government regularly encourages ultra-nationalism and uses religion as a political tool. The Burmese government will not grant citizenship to Muslims and, to all intensive purposes, do not recognize Muslims as being Burmese.

The junta’s top leader, Snr Gen Than Shwe, is known to despise Muslims and Chinese people who live in Burma. However, most Chinese in Burma are business people and were not directly involved in the September uprising. In Mandalay, home to thousands of Chinese immigrants, most doors remained closed during the protests, a sign that the ethnic Chinese were not in support of the demonstrators. The Muslim minority, on the other hand, played an active part in the pro-democracy demonstrations, just as they have throughout the country’s troubled recent history.

“We cannot say that the demonstrations were not related to Muslims just because they were led by Buddhist monks,” Pan Cha concludes.

“We were all born and live in Burma and should not discriminate among each other. We must work together toward democracy.”

http://b-m-a.org/?p=3

[north_malaysian]

Muslims detained for giving water to monks

Nine Burmese Muslims from the former capital Rangoon who supported the monk-led protests in September have been arrested and charged with inciting state unrest, said family members.

Myot Thant, Nyi Nyi Zaw, Myo Win, Naing Min, Htun Htun Naing, Kyaw Kyaw Satt, Htun Myint Aung, Han Zaw Min Aung and Thaung Htut are Muslims from the Rangoon townships of Pebedan, Tamwe, Mingalar Taung Nyunt and Bahan.

They were arrested by the Burmese authorities a few days after they handed bottles of drinking water to protesting monks during the demonstrations at the end of September.

A family members of one of the detainees told DVB that all nine of them are now being held inside Pabadan police station, and their families have only been allowed to visit them once in the last month.

“They have bruises all over their bodies and said they were beaten up nearly every day during interrogation. They could not even eat properly,” said the family member, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“The Pabedan police chief told us they were beaten up, not by police officers from the station, but by the military security department officers who are conducting their daily interrogations.”

Another family member told DVB the nine were brought before Rangoon divisional court on Monday and are now being tried on charges of provoking public unrest in the country.

Reporting by Moe Aye

http://b-m-a.org/?p=18

[alcurad]

thanks for sharing.
as long as they believe they can achieve something, i'm all for it, but the Burmese government as a whole doesn't appear to be really effected, that's mostly international lack of support though..

[north_malaysian]

thanks for sharing.
as long as they believe they can achieve something, i'm all for it, but the Burmese government as a whole doesn't appear to be really effected, that's mostly international lack of support though..

I'm so sad that ASEAN countries didnt want to boycott Myanmar...

[alcurad]

Malaisa should invade Borneo, stock up on cash, then ivade the rest

[north_malaysian]

Malaisa should invade Borneo, stock up on cash, then ivade the rest

A country which 90% of the population never touched a gun.... to invade Indonesia? We're dead meat then... We cant even touch Singapore..

And the best thing is that even if Singapore offer to return back into Malaysia... or Thailand offer its southern regions to be incorporated into Malaysia... Malaysians would reject those offers...

[alcurad]

Borneo has lots of money, and singapore is mostly a service economy with no military, maybe just the strategic location and so not worth much anyway, so then Malaysians can get a taste for conquest, and the government should encourage military training, and then invade weh.
they should go to Thailand first, ask for Chinese help with Indonesia, then conquer China while it's sleeping..X?D

[north_malaysian]

Borneo has lots of money,

and full of snakes... plus the natives were headhunters... it's not easy.

and singapore is mostly a service economy with no military,

Nah... their weapons, jetfighters and navy are way better than us thanks to USA and Israel... plus most male citizens are reserved units... But still, we cant attack Singapore as both parties, UK, Australia and NZ signed a pact protecting each other...

they should go to Thailand first, ask for Chinese help with Indonesia,

Malaysia conquering Thailand, is like Kuwait conquering Saudi Arabia... how can we conquer relatives...:coolalien Plus Indonesia is not interested in Thailand..

then conquer China while it's sleeping.

How about 7,000,000+ Chinese living in Malaysia, would they support the country to conquer China? ... better to conquer USA than China... LOL

[alcurad]

but China is going to conquer the south east of Asia if no one does anything, aside from some conflicts in Phatani and Acheh and so on the place is very complacent, and easy to conqueror, how to stop that?

[north_malaysian]

but China is going to conquer the south east of Asia if no one does anything, aside from some conflicts in Phatani and Acheh and so on the place is very complacent, and easy to conqueror, how to stop that?

When China was the greatest world power centuries ago, they came to southeast asia.. but they never conquer this part of the world...

If they didnt conquer us before, why should they conquer us now? Plus UK, Australia and NZ have the obligation to protect Malaysia and Singapore.... so it's not easy for China..

and I think USA and Israel also have obligation to protect Singapore

[alcurad]

what to do after USrael is weak?

[north_malaysian]

what to do after USrael is weak?

any idea?

[alcurad]

umm, unite with Indonesia then conquer the remanding smaller ones and form a coalition against chinese expansion.
notice China never conquered many countries, bu it never had a population of over a billion either.

[north_malaysian]

umm, unite with Indonesia then conquer the remanding smaller ones and form a coalition against chinese expansion.
notice China never conquered many countries, bu it never had a population of over a billion either.

Indonesia would love to unite with us... but the problem is Malaysia..

1) Malaysia rejected Singapore and Patani (Southern Thailand) before, why it should accept Indonesia?

2) Many Indonesians are treated like dirts by many Malaysians (including those with Indonesian ancestry)... and suddenly both are equally treated?

3) A very weird situation for Singapore as it's situated in the middle of Malindo...

4) 28 millions Malaysians have to share their richness with 200 million Indonesians... another weird situation.

5) The Islamists and Conservatives would reject this as Indonesia is a very liberal country.

6) Nationalists would reject this because how would they impose Malay Supremacy as they are only a minority in Malindo..

7) The Kings and Royalists would reject this as they dont want to be ruled by a President and lost their royalty status.

8) The Malaysian Chinese and Malaysian Indians would reject this as they have to assimilate as Indonesians...like having Indonesian names, learning Indonesian at school etc.

[alcurad]

you make several good points.

the idea is to unite in a federal government, jointly controlled at the highest echelons, with resources being shared equally.

everyone stay where they are, multiple languages accepted as official, different sides make their own decisions in local matters, the goal is to counter-maneuver China, not turn the area to a melting pot, thus anything that is not directly or indirectly related to countering, circumventing Chinese influence is left to the locals.

Indonesia is mostly underdeveloped, not that it is poor in natural resources or man power. a problem of poor government, not genetical inefficacy.
the threat of Chinese expansion to SE Asia is very real, that will create enormous pressure to unite on some levels, unless they prefer the alternative, Indonesia being the largest, most influential will be the first to receive increased attention from China.

Singapore is a very delicate issue, however, despite it's potential as a spear head for Chinese expansion, it could also lose it's economical importance barring any development of any real economy as opposed to it's current services based one. Thus it could be become-or be made, if cleverly manipulated by both Kuala Lumpur & Jakarta- to increasingly depend on neighboring areas for a sustainable economy.

Papua New Guinea will mostly deal with Australia in this, which will seek to create a buffer zone, so Australia could be brought in as well, however it will not be overly committed, since if the coalition falls apart, it could be seen as a hostile by the Chinese and the aftermath would be uncertain. But it's inclusion in the alliance, as perhaps a secondary partner, would be prudent.

[north_malaysian]

the idea is to unite in a federal government, jointly controlled at the highest echelons, with resources being shared equally.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.... well Malaysia itself currently a federation of 13 states...

everyone stay where they are, multiple languages accepted as official, different sides make their own decisions in local matters,

Multiple languages as official... LOL... there are some Indonesians who are mocking us for speaking in English.... I dont think they would accept multiple languages as official

the goal is to counter-maneuver China,

Both Indonesia and Malaysia dont think that China is a threat.... I think for many Malaysians and Indonesians (and Thais too), Singapore is a threat for the nations.. personally I dont think so

not turn the area to a melting pot,

too..late...... both countries had been a melting pot since ... only God knows when...maybe millenias ago...

Indonesia is mostly underdeveloped, not that it is poor in natural resources or man power. a problem of poor government, not genetical inefficacy.

I believe the same to but many Malaysians think that the Indonesians are not competent with Malaysians.... maybe because of the influx of Indonesian immigrants here...

the threat of Chinese expansion to SE Asia is very real,

We love China....

Papua New Guinea will mostly deal with Australia in this, which will seek to create a buffer zone, so Australia could be brought in as well, however it will not be overly committed, since if the coalition falls apart, it could be seen as a hostile by the Chinese and the aftermath would be uncertain. But it's inclusion in the alliance, as perhaps a secondary partner, would be prudent.

I think SE Asia nations (excluding Myanmar) should form something like EU.

[alcurad]

well, it will happen eventually, given their rising needs for energy & resources, they won't invade militarily, rather seek to influence and control the SEers, given their size, it would be very hard for any single SE country to say no.
wait until the USrael is weak, then see,,

[north_malaysian]

well, it will happen eventually, given their rising needs for energy & resources, they won't invade militarily, rather seek to influence and control the SEers, given their size, it would be very hard for any single SE country to say no.
wait until the USrael is weak, then see,,

99.99% of SEAsians have Chinese blood.... there is a big possibility that we would voluntarily ally with China.. plus all of us eat noodles..

[alcurad]

heh, alright, I can see ur points, but there is guarantee it's going to be peaceful..

[north_malaysian]

Peaceful... well...

The Philippines has their Moroland problem..

Thailand has their southern provinces problem...

Indonesia... phew.. they have problems in Papua, Mollucas, Aceh etc.