Rohingya Massacres, Theravada Complicity?

A discussion on all aspects of Theravāda Buddhism
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Mr Man
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Re: Rohingya Massacres, Theravada Complicity?

Post by Mr Man »

Skeptic wrote:Yes, I had this one in mind. During the war in Balkans there was much more killings and ethnic cleansing than in Sri Lanka, but in beginning nobody cared about it. Western media started to report about it when many thousands of people were already killed. In Sinhalese dominated areas there are many ethnicaly mixed areas full of Tamils, just look at Colombo for example. This would be impossible in the Balkans during the war, people of other ethnicity would be mostly expelled or killed.

My point is that western media started to report about Sinhalese crimes, and ignore the Tamil crimes for political reasons. War crimes just happened all the time from both sides, but the emphasis in reporting about them was changed. And there is kind of western supremacist bias in media, portraying both Sinhalese and Tamils as wild Asians, while ignoring the fact that in the Europe there was much worse and brutal ethnic clansing not so long time ago.
The last days of the Sri Lankan war didn't get much coverage at all in the UK. The above linked program was shown very late at night on a channel 4 (not one of the most widely viewed channels). The actions of the Sri Lankan government were immoral in the extreem and the immoral actions of the Tigers does not mitigate this.

The war in the Balkans did receive wide coverage + intervention + some of the perpetrators have been brought to account.

Do you think the Rohingya should be afforded "rights" in Myanmar
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Mr Man
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Re: Rohingya Massacres, Theravada Complicity?

Post by Mr Man »

Came accross this article: Discrimination: A Buddhist perspective
http://www.mizzima.com/edop/commentary/ ... ctive.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Kim OHara
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Re: Rohingya Massacres, Theravada Complicity?

Post by Kim OHara »

I haven't continued to follow these events but the (Australian) ABC has: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-13/c ... on/4260252

:namaste:
Kim
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Hanzze
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Re: Rohingya Massacres, Theravada Complicity?

Post by Hanzze »

One would wonder what "monks" are all about, south east asia is full of kilesas and the tradition to wear a robe is nowaday a well used protection to make "effective" politic. I just can recommend to run away if one comes in contact with a seeming Buddhist agent in public or places where they usauly would not appear, especially if they are Asian origin.

Discrimination, nationalism and rasism is a rising phenomena which was not that present the last years (among the most monasteries) but incrases terrible. Here in Cambodia for example a Christian "hunting" campange has started spreed through the network of the religion.

We need to accept that that what is called Buddhism has died short after the last concil in Asia and its artificial survival needs its support. Its is simple a last rear up of a dead heritage.

It is how ever good to give neither this or that opposition food and keep as far away form it. Stay where you are, there is actually enought to care about.

Don't think that Buddhist leader havn't been involved in the history of the last wars and horrors when not even lead to them. When ever a Monk talk about politic and gets involved, simply regard his as not to be a Monk at all.

Food to get saturated, and that should be the only purpose of such food: Authorities Nurture Burma’s Buddhist Chauvinism, Analysts Say
Just that! *smile*
...We Buddhists must find the courage to leave our temples and enter the temples of human experience, temples that are filled with suffering. If we listen to Buddha, Christ, or Gandhi, we can do nothing else. The refugee camps, the prisons, the ghettos, and the battlefields will become our temples. We have so much work to do. ... Peace is Possible! Step by Step. - Samtach Preah Maha Ghosananda "Step by Step" http://www.ghosananda.org/bio_book.html

BUT! it is important to become a real Buddhist first. Like Punna did: Punna Sutta Nate sante baram sokham _()_
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Assaji
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Re: Rohingya Massacres, Theravada Complicity?

Post by Assaji »

Hanzze wrote:Food to get saturated, and that should be the only purpose of such food: Authorities Nurture Burma’s Buddhist Chauvinism, Analysts Say
The same events, viewed without the 'politically correct' 'chauvinism' label, and with the concerns of the monks conveyed:

http://www.irrawaddy.org/archives/13085" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

See also the comments.
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Hanzze
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Re: Rohingya Massacres, Theravada Complicity?

Post by Hanzze »

No faith into Dhamma and Vinaya is no faith into Dhamma and Vinaya and how ever can in no way be called an action leaded by Bhikkhus. Love and Hate is a wheel and not understanding this one would put other things higher then virtue if there is no anchor in what one accepts as precepts.
Just that! *smile*
...We Buddhists must find the courage to leave our temples and enter the temples of human experience, temples that are filled with suffering. If we listen to Buddha, Christ, or Gandhi, we can do nothing else. The refugee camps, the prisons, the ghettos, and the battlefields will become our temples. We have so much work to do. ... Peace is Possible! Step by Step. - Samtach Preah Maha Ghosananda "Step by Step" http://www.ghosananda.org/bio_book.html

BUT! it is important to become a real Buddhist first. Like Punna did: Punna Sutta Nate sante baram sokham _()_
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Dan74
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Re: Rohingya Massacres, Theravada Complicity?

Post by Dan74 »

I guess the situation on the ground there is not as simple as we might think from the comfort of our safe and secure homes.

And when this safety and security are gone, slipping into tribalism and groupthink is all too easy, it seems.
_/|\_
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Hanzze
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Re: Rohingya Massacres, Theravada Complicity?

Post by Hanzze »

Very simple actually: moha, lobha, dosa. Its just that people think they them self or others are free of it.
Just that! *smile*
...We Buddhists must find the courage to leave our temples and enter the temples of human experience, temples that are filled with suffering. If we listen to Buddha, Christ, or Gandhi, we can do nothing else. The refugee camps, the prisons, the ghettos, and the battlefields will become our temples. We have so much work to do. ... Peace is Possible! Step by Step. - Samtach Preah Maha Ghosananda "Step by Step" http://www.ghosananda.org/bio_book.html

BUT! it is important to become a real Buddhist first. Like Punna did: Punna Sutta Nate sante baram sokham _()_
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Assaji
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Re: Rohingya Massacres, Theravada Complicity?

Post by Assaji »

The Rakhine victims of the clashes still remain largely homeless and require humanitarian aid.

You can help them by donating to "Myanmar Youths in Action" fund:

http://myia-asia.blogspot.com/2012/06/l ... ingya.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.facebook.com/myanmaryouths" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Hanzze
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Re: Rohingya Massacres, Theravada Complicity?

Post by Hanzze »

On the first hand please understand Dana (it is not a way to help the guilty conscience which comes form group identification) and help from outside directed to the children (as a synonym for unwise and lower in level of respect) is just putting oil into the fire and break the sociaty apart. Even well meant, western (better modern) people do not easily understand Asian culture. If you are able to support and teach the father and mother it might help. There is no free will in a dimension we might see it for those people and it is the reason of toubles because the unwise get more and more feeling of being able to act.

Today south asian people are not people who run altruistic projects (they also did less in the past, there wa just a working together for the group), it is all a matter of power and reputation and especial those so modern youthgroups are mainly pools of politic no different of the young generations of monks.
Just that! *smile*
...We Buddhists must find the courage to leave our temples and enter the temples of human experience, temples that are filled with suffering. If we listen to Buddha, Christ, or Gandhi, we can do nothing else. The refugee camps, the prisons, the ghettos, and the battlefields will become our temples. We have so much work to do. ... Peace is Possible! Step by Step. - Samtach Preah Maha Ghosananda "Step by Step" http://www.ghosananda.org/bio_book.html

BUT! it is important to become a real Buddhist first. Like Punna did: Punna Sutta Nate sante baram sokham _()_
householder
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Re: Rohingya Massacres, Theravada Complicity?

Post by householder »

For those following, matters have flared up again.
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Assaji
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Re: Rohingya Massacres, Theravada Complicity?

Post by Assaji »

householder wrote:For those following, matters have flared up again.
http://www.mizzima.com/news/inside-burm ... state.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2012 ... 26170.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Last edited by Assaji on Fri Oct 26, 2012 11:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
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cooran
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Re: Rohingya Massacres, Theravada Complicity?

Post by cooran »

Hello all,

I don't believe that anyone who deliberately kills or harms others, who destroys their property, who makes them homeless is a follower of the Buddha's Dhamma ... no matter whether they call themselves Buddhists or not.
''
'What Makes You A Buddhist?'

...........The Buddhist practice of nonviolence is not merely submissiveness with a smile or meek thoughtfulness. The fundamental cause of violence is when one is fixated on an extreme idea, such as justice or morality. This fixation usually stems from a habit of buying into dualistic views, such as bad and good, ugly and beautiful, moral and immoral. One’s inflexible self-righteousness takes up all the space that would allow empathy for others. Sanity is lost. Understanding that all these views or values are compounded and impermanent, as is the person who holds them, violence is averted. When you have no ego, no clinging to the self, there is never a reason to be violent. When one understands that one’s enemies are held under a powerful influence of their own ignorance and aggression, that they are trapped by their habits, it is easier to forgive them for their irritating behavior and actions. Similarly, if someone from the insane asylum insults you, there is no point in getting angry. When we transcend believing in the extremes of dualistic phenomena, we have transcended the causes of violence..........''
http://www.shambhalasun.com/index.php?o ... 5&Itemid=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

with metta and karuna,
Chris
---The trouble is that you think you have time---
---Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe---
---It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---
householder
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Re: Rohingya Massacres, Theravada Complicity?

Post by householder »

Elements of the Sangha here have reportedly played a very visible and conspicuous role in matters of late, protesting against the Rohingyas as well as the opening of an OIC office.

http://www.salem-news.com/articles/octo ... ttacks.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

and

http://www.iol.co.za/news/world/monks-t ... -1.1403130" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Kim OHara
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Re: Rohingya Massacres, Theravada Complicity?

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