Events this week have revealed the dilemma of the Myanmar regime in its attempts to push through reforms. Its relaxed approach to internal governance has provided it sops from the West with the United States easing visa restrictions in a sign of support despite a surge in anti-Muslim violence. But the country, which was in the grip of junta rule till two years ago, has seen a paroxysm of religious tension as dormant resentments boil to the surface with new social freedoms in the midst of explosive political, social and economic change. Unrest has long been brewing, with the junta turning a blind eye to simmering troubles between Buddhists and the Rohingya Muslims in the Rakhine state. In addition, the dominant role played by monks in the pro-democracy movement has made them heroes and also the moral authority for the country's Buddhist majority. This has made Myanmar a veritable tinderbox with troubles starting from the smallest things. The police are powerless before mobs fired with religious zeal and armed with bricks and swords. Fear courses through the streets of Myanmar's cities, especially among its Muslim minority. The country's spreading religious violence threatens to destabilize its fragile democracy. With little faith in the government's ability to protect them and a growing movement of Buddhist extremism, some feel they have little choice but to try to defend themselves. First it was Rakhine state, then Meikhtila in central Myanmar where three days of rioting left at least 43 dead while police stood idly by, and now Okkan, where troubles were triggered by an innocuous incident — a Muslim woman and Buddhist monk bumped into each other at a crowded market, knocking the monk's alms bowl to the ground, leading to the destruction of 160 mosques, homes and shops. Adding to the unease is the growth of a radical Buddhist movement called 969, which was founded late last year. It urges Buddhists to shop only at Buddhist stores and not to marry, sell property to or hire Muslims. Though 969 professes to be peaceful, some believe this week's violence is related to the 969 stickers that now adorn most motorbikes in town. Residents in some neighborhoods have started their own patrols, and this is a growing sign that among the sea of insanity there are still some islands of sanity. With most leaders sitting on the fence on this issue, villagers and townspeople have banded together to form voluntary groups to patrol their area. There is no religious distinction in the bands, which patrol to stop any “outsider” from sparking trouble. The harmony shown by these Burmese — not Buddhists or Muslims — is the lesson that needs to be learned by all, while there is also the need to tolerate dissent. In addition, political leaders should take the lead in forging harmony, and law and order should reign supreme. Only then will the fledgling democracy be able to take root. According to the nation's constitution all faiths are protected from perceived insults, although the country “recognizes (the) special position of Buddhism as the faith professed by the great majority of the citizens”. The onus then falls on the majority community to safeguard the interest of minorities, as specified by the constitution.
