Patrice Densley

Rohingya Vs. Buddhisms

The Rohingya people live in Myanmar, also known as Burma. Myanmar is mostly a

Buddhist country, but the Rohingya people are Muslim. The Rohingya people are stateless, have

very little rights in Myanmar, and are not recognized as citizens of Myanmar. The 1.1 million

people have lived in Myanmar for many decades but have failed to get along with the Buddhists

that live in the same area (Ratcliffe). On August 25, 2017 the government military, with support

of the Buddhist militia, initiated a clearance operation killing at least 1,000 people and creating

over 300,000 Rohingya refugees (Ratcliffe).

Why did this occur? The tension between the Rohingya Muslims and the Buddhists has

often lead to violence, yet how did the government militia get involved? The government

claimed that most of those that were killed were terrorists and the Rohingya people were burning

their own villages, yet others have witnessed the burning of abandoned Rohingya villages

(Ratcliffe). Even Aung Sun Suu Kyi, the political leader in Myanmar, has said media and

international communities have made the issue seem bigger than it actually is, but some say she

says this in fear of losing support from Buddhist citizens (Eisenman).

This issue is interesting to look at when considering the two religions involved. Both

religions teach peace and tranquility with oneself and those around them, yet the conflict

between the two in this area has brought turmoil to the region. When looking at religion in a

functional perspective and how religion teaches social virtues, it is difficult to see the virtues

developed in this conflict between Buddhists and Muslims. When pride become a focus, many

virtues and peaceful feelings are pushed aside and people get hurt. Both parties are being
affected by this struggle and it is not a helpful situation. If all people lived what their religion

taught, such tensions would be less likely and peace would be more spread out.
 Work Cited

Eisenman, Debra. Explainer: What's Happening to Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims. Asia

Society, 24 Feb. 2017, asiasociety.org/blog/asia/explainer-whats-happening-myanmars-

rohingya-muslims.

Ratcliffe, Rebecca. Who Are the Rohingya and What Is Happening in Myanmar? The

Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 5 Sept. 2017, www.theguardian.com/global-

development/2017/sep/06/who-are-the-rohingya-and-what-is-happening-in-myanmar.