Buddhism, Collective Memories, and Political Process in Myanmar (Burma)

Buddhism as a majority religion in Myanmar (Burma) has been a powerful symbol for the Burmese population and long affected the socio-political dynamics in a traditional country. Despite the romantic reading of Buddhism prevalent in the West and among neo-liberal commentators, Buddhism has manifested the potential to become a contentious public symbol when appropriated to oppress the ‘enemy’, while simultaneously justifying its position and winning public support.

The sangha historically maintained a close relationship with the Buddhist kingship and a symbiotic relationship between them underpinned the stability of the country until the last king was dethroned in 1885. The desacralization of Buddhism by Europeans and the violation of its symbols remain deep in the collective memories of the people. I discuss the political activism of Buddhist monks that started during the British colonial rule and highlight the patterns in which monks respond to different crisis points in modern history, deriving from a deep sense of anxiety that their Buddhist tradition is threatened.    

Myanmar (Burma) witnessed intense communal violence during the democratization period after independence in 1948. Prime Minister U Nu was hampered by monks making incessant demands to give preferential treatment to Buddhism and eventually succumbed to make Buddhism the state religion. Buddhist monks today comprise almost half a million of the population and profess themselves to be the custodians of the sāsana (the Buddha’s dispensation). They are increasingly asserting their authority to protect the sāsana in the age of moral decline, which they see as coming from Islam. This paper attempts to unravel the collective trauma that prompts monks to manifest a similar pattern of both self-defense and aggression, and understand the cultural and religious undercurrent that continues to influence people’s aspirations and worldview.