The IAFOR Journal of Ethics, Religion and Philosophy
Volume 1 – Issue 1 – Autumn 2013

The IAFOR Journal of Ethics, Religion and Philosophy
Volume 1 – Issue 1 – Autumn 2013

The IAFOR Journal of Ethics, Religion and Philosophy
Volume 1 – Issue 1 – Autumn 2013

Religion plays a vitally important role among the people of Myanmar. In this paper, I will use
the name “Myanmar” as a country name and “Burma” for the ethnic Barma people. “Burma”
was the country name before the military government changed “Burma” to “Myanmar.” The
USA, the EU, and some ethnic groups in Myanmar as well as the opposition party, National
League for Democracy led by Aung San Suu Kyi, do not recognize the name and still use the
word “Burma’ for the country name. I prefer to use Burma to denote the “Burma ethnic
group” because it is traditionally the word used to denote the Burma ethnicity. Even from
ancient times religion has been firmly rooted in the heart of the people. They worshipped and
adored “nats” or “spirit” which displays a form of reverence for the spirit of nature.

Buddhism was first introduced around 241 BC but it was only in the time of King Anawrahta
who unified the Burmese kingdom in 1044 AD that Buddhism in Myanmar began to
influence political events (Guruge 2004:105-107). From this time Theravada Buddhism was
considered the State religion. Today, the Therevada Buddhism is practiced by the Burman,
Mon, Shan, Rakhine, and some Karens, peoples. In 1962, General Ne Win, who ruled the
country from 1962 to 1988, promised that the government would not involve itself in mixing
religion and politics. Against his promise, his government had clamped down on all forms of
organization, including many Buddhist organizations (Houtman 1999, p. 269). All of the
foreign Christian missionaries were expelled from Myanmar and their properties and mission
schools became the property of government. Religion for the Ne Win regime only means
Buddhism. When the Ne Win regime was ousted in the 1988 uprising, General Than Shwe
succeeded in power to control the country. Like Ne Win, Than Shwe declared that there
would be no discrimination in regard to religion. In practice, however, the military
government has increasingly taken to representing itself as both piously Buddhist and of the
Burma ethnic group. General Than Shwe has said, 'As you know, I am a soldier, but at the
same time, I am also a Buddhist. I faithfully try to follow the Buddhist teaching (cited in
Houtman 1999, p.269).' Buddhism then becomes a tool of dictators to demolish ethnic
minorities and it has been used as a form of legitimacy to maintain their power.

In this paper, I will try explore the situation in regard to the ethnic minorities in Myanmar and
will focus upon the pain and suffering inflicted by the military government.

Joseph Haldane