Islamists using Myanmar clashes to justify violence elsewhere

A Wirathu, the spiritual leader of the 969 movement, is currently one of the talkedabout figures in Myanmar. What does the 969 movement stand for? Wirathu claims it is to safeguard Buddhist religion and the people in the country. But there are many others who see his nationalist movement as a hate campaign against all Muslims of Myanmar. Here’s an extract from an interview with A Wirathu, courtesy Outlook

magazine. What is your 969 campaign all about? The 969 campaign is all about protecting our religion and race. The campaign talks about a Myanmar where Muslims almost have no place. Or do they? No, you cannot say or look at it like that. The campaign is mainly to build our own fences and to protect our race and religion from outsiders. It is somewhat like what Mahatma Gandhi did when he gave a call for boycott of foreign products. What are the reasons for the series of clashes between Buddhists and Muslims in Myanmar? There are a number of reasons. The Arakan state has been violated by outsiders a number of times. The Muslims in the country are trying to intimidate and create problems for Buddhists. There are now attempts by the local Buddhists to resist those attacks. Should the Rohingyas be treated as nationals of Myanmar and enjoy the rights as citizens? I am willing to accept them not only as citizens but also support them in getting the rights as others if they live peacefully like Indian Hindus do. If they do not create problems, they should enjoy not only citizen rights but also other rights. Are Muslims in Myanmar a threat to the country’s security and do you see them encroaching on Buddhists’ rights? Those who believe in jihad and extremist ideology under foreign influence are a threat to the national security and sovereignty of Myanmar. They are destroying our religion; they are trying to swallow up our race by means of cross marriage.

How does the 969 movement propose to bring an end to clashes between Buddhists and Muslims in Myanmar? By 969 movement, we can build our fence firmly and protect our race and religion. As a consequence, we cannot be violated and attacked by them. But at the same time, from our side too, we don’t need to respond against them by resorting to unlawful means. How do you justify violence in the name of Buddha? There are no provisions for violence and revenge in any religion. They cannot be sanctified by any religion. If a religion provides such kind of things, it cannot be treated and respected as a religion. Can India also get caught in the flames that emanate from Myanmar? The clashes in Myanmar stem from actions of those who are hungry for blood and wants revenge. They use the name of Myanmar to cover their threat and justify their action. You have probably heard of Bodh Gaya blasts in India and the suspicion that some Islamists upset with the treatment of Rohingyas in Myanmar may have caused it. What are your reactions? I am sure that they did it. They are trying to take over Myanmar by undemocratic and violent means, like what they tried in Southern Thailand. They are trying to use the clashes in Myanmar to justify their violent activities elsewhere, like they did in Bodh Gaya.

Where did you get this epithet—the “Burmese Bin Laden” from? How do you react to it? I got it from Muslims who put their views online. They are the ones who call me this but people in Myanmar call me by my real name, Wirathu.