Is there an orchestrated campaign to grant citizenship to Bengalis?
- Published on Wednesday, 12 March 2014 13:03
- Written by Zayar Nanda/Eleven Media
The cover of Santa Barbara Independent newspaper titled “Burma’s Brutal Buddhists” and the article seen on the website
It
has been two years since the riots in Rakhine State left more than 200
dead and hundreds of thousands homeless, but the tension still burns
between ethnic Rakhines and Bengalis. Both the Rakhine and Bengali
communities have suffered from the violence since a tide of migrants
rushed in through the western border of Myanmar. However, international
media organizations and various associations continue to portray the
Bengalis as the population most antagonized by the violence in Rakhine
State, and the Rakhine ethnics—and the country as a whole—as
discriminating against Muslim communities in the western state.
The international media’s coverage of
events has become more aggressive, to the point of insulting Buddhist
Rakhines and the religion itself, which is practiced by most people in
Myanmar. Religion and national identity are very delicate issues, but
international observers have now altered the motive of the violence from
an uncontrolled immigration problem to a religious and nationalistic
cause. Moreover, Buddhism, a religion of kindness and love, is
frequently depicted as violent and extreme.
Since the riots in Rakhine State in
2012, the word “Buddhist Terror” has become popular among the
international media. Thanks to TIME magazine’s cover story, “The Face of
Buddhist Terror,” which referred to a Buddhist monk as an extremist and
a terrorist, the insults against Buddhism intensified. Consequently,
copies of the particular issue were barred from distribution in Myanmar
and Siri Lanka.
People who have studied Buddhism know
that that it is a peaceful religion. Buddhists are proud to practice
precepts of kindness and love. They are right to be proud, since no one
has ever been harmed in the name of the religion over the course of
history. However, international media uses the words “Buddhist
terrorists” whenever they describe communal clashes between the Rakhines
and Bengalis. They are propagandizing in favor of the Bengalis while
completely neglecting the fact that Buddhism is not a religion of
violence.
Two years after the TIME article, the
Santa Barbara Independent, a weekly newspaper based in California, has
published a similarly insulting article. The same Buddhist monk,
Wirathu, was featured once again under the headline, “Buddhist Rampage
in Burma,” using the country’s former name. Likewise, the article
featured one-sided views favoring the Bengalis. The article quoted
unreliable and unconfirmed sources stating that Bengalis, who call
themselves “Rohingya,” are being tortured and discriminated against. In
addition, the case of Duchiyadan village in Rakhine State, which was
investigated by various observers including international organizations,
was recounted inaccurately. Rumours of a two-child policy were also
included in the story to make it look as though the Bengalis are being
discriminated against. The article quoted unreliable sources and was
one-sided.
The Santa Barbara Independent, which has
a circulation of 40,000, portrayed Wirathu as a terrorist just like
TIME magazine did. In fact, all the attacks on Buddhism began as attacks
on Wirathu that later expanded to insult the Buddhist community as a
whole. In the TIME article, Buddhism was portrayed as a new birthplace
for terrorism. In the Santa Barbara Independent, the insult was not only
against Wirathu but also every single citizen of Myanmar who is a
Buddhist.
The article, which appeared on March 6,
seems timed with the national census happening in April. This is another
way to apply pressure on the government to recognize the Bengalis as
“Rohingya,” as the international media refers to them. There may be more
occurrences like this, in which international media insult Myanmar
Buddhists, favour the Bengalis, fabricate stories as with the Duchiyadan
case, and apply pressure on the government. People of our country must
be ready for such attacks and accusations.
Myanmar is a sovereign nation.
Therefore, rules and laws granting citizenship concern our country
alone. All over the world, citizenship laws are drafted to protect
countries and the interests of their people. No individual or
organization has the right to disturb enforcement of the law. Thus it
remains that Bengalis should only be screened according to the 1982
citizenship law. If they qualify for citizenship according to the law,
citizenship status will be granted. The truth is that no one—including
the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, or any
other organization, country, or media outlet—can pressure the government
to grant citizenship.
This is not a problem that can be solved
with mounting pressure. Even though the public and the government have
always had differences of opinion when it comes to most issues, they are
of one mind when it comes to the Bengalis. This must not be forgotten.
So anyone who tries to pressure the government to grant citizenship to
Bengalis, or insists on amending the citizenship law, needs to know that
they will face opposition—not only from the government but from the
public as well.
Zayar Nanda is a senior editor for the Eleven Media Group.
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Eleven Media Group
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