Enemies

John shoots the bad guys

Given my knowledge of Myanmar before I arrived 3 weeks ago came from the movie John Rambo, I don’t consider myself an expert of the Burmese political situation.  The movie wasn’t even filmed in Myanmar, so authenticity is not its strong point, and generally I don’t base my political knowledge on Sylvester Stallone movies, unless it’s called Demolition Man (in which case it portrays a nuanced understanding of elite-led oppression against the impoverished underclass).

But Sly did get one thing right in Rambo by highlighting the violence that can sometimes flare up in the midst of an otherwise peaceful society. In the past week, there have been a number of incidents affecting the minority Muslim community up and down Burma, and the issue shows signs of escalating even further.

Unease between the Muslim and Buddhist communities has existed for some time, stemming from years of British rule, and continuing into independent rule. The ethnic divisions the British imposed (a gift we gave to many countries) isolated many of the smaller groups by politicising their ethnicities and creating some wealthy, privileged groups and some poor ones. Religious tensions like those in Myanmar are most often (if not always) political constructs, enforced by some political will.

But for this to escalate into violence is another matter. Enemy-making tactics have been employed in Iran against the Baha’is, in Sri Lanka against the Tamils, in 1950s United States, in Rwanda, by the Nazis pre-WW2, and no doubt in various other instances across history. It is clear much the same is happening in Myanmar to the Muslim community, and the historical social divisions created by years of political reforms are now manifesting in dreadful ways, particularly in Rakhine State.

For each of these cases:

1) there is a minority group small enough to be powerless, but large enough to be visible;

2) this minority is perceived as heaving wealth or power;

2) the context within which the minority lives is politically unstable;

3) the minority is largely physically indistinguishable from other groups (which is why religion, or political persuasion, is so often used as the tool of enemy-making) and;

4) it is politically advantageous for an existing group to build the illusion that this minority is the “enemy” because their political and economic interests are at risk from the instability. Often, violence flares up in transient political states, during elections, or during economic stagnation, because there is so much power to lose or gain at these times.

This week in Myanmar, riots have flared up in various towns between Mandalay and Yangon, and it is likely many more are to come. In the past week alone, around 40 Muslims have been killed and more than 13,000 displaced from their homes, forced to live in makeshift camps in surrounding areas. As we travel headlong into the general election of 2015, Myanmar society is treading on delicate ice and the propaganda machine against the small Muslim community here is growing. A new extremist group called “969” has begun distributing leaflets and videos in an attempt to bolster more riots across the country. The authorities are proactively adopting curfews and raising the number of soldiers to protect the Muslim communities from the possible emergence of this spreading violent behaviour, which some people fear could eventually spill into Yangon.

 

Teza Hlaing's photo of burning buildings in Meikhtila last week

Most people are keeping a close eye on the situation and hoping for 2 things; that there is no further escalation of violence anywhere in the country, and that the internally displaced minorities are prepared and supported for the upcoming rainy season, which will no doubt spread water-borne disease and cause a massive loss of life.

Not sure what John Rambo could do about that, even with his bow and arrow.