WebHinduism is practised by 1.7% of the population of Myanmar. [26] Moreover, authorities do not sanction the police for their wrongdoings. The Bamar account for around 68% of the population, followed by the Shan (10%), Kayin (7%), Rakhine (4%) and overseas Chinese (3%). These Buddhist monastics, and supportive lay people, have also organized to advocate for economic and legal oppression of Muslims. In his book on integration and secession in Western Myanmar, Moshe Yegar noted that the Burmese (Buddhist) peasants became landless because the chettyars took control of much of the Burmese lands,[4] especially during the great depression in 1929. Approximately 2% of Burmese people are Hindu. Throughout the video, we will delve into the rituals, festivals, and ceremonies that are an integral part of Myanmar's religious traditions. Anti-Indian and anti-Muslim attitudes were compounded during both the Japanese occupation of Burma (19421945)when Muslims in British Burma, going against the leanings of the Burmese Independence Movement, sided with the colonial British[5]and the subsequent Rohingya Mujahideen Rebellion (19481961), in which the Rohingya waged an unsuccessful secessionist campaign to create a separate Islamic State that would eventually join East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).[6]. 0000000016 00000 n The birth rate in Myanmar, which has been declining as well, is 17.339 births per woman. While many monks in Myanmar seem to support and even advocate for violence against their Muslim neighbors, there are others who are constantly working to end the violence. This violence has often been supported by factions within the Buddhist monastic community in Myanmar. As much as 90 of the Burmese population practice Buddhism making it the main religion in MyanmarBuddhism in Burma is attached to the Theravada branch. This is especially the case for the Muslim Rohingya ethnic group who have been living for generations on the northwestern facade of Myanmar in Rakhine State. The essays in this series tackle these and other salient questions pertaining to sectarianism in the MENA and Asia Pacific regions. The second narrative espoused in the growing Burman-Buddhist nationalist movement is that the Rohingya started it. That is, Rohingya throughout history have rarely followed Burmese national interests, instead several times having threatened Myanmars newfound sovereignty. The narrative of demographic besiegement is also fuelled by the fact that many Rohingya fail to assimilate to Burmese local customs and way of life. Nearly 88% of Myanmars population identify themselves as Buddhist, with other religious denominations, such as Christians, Muslims, and Hindus, making up the 0000008816 00000 n Clicking Update will rewrite the URL in the address bar allowing you to bookmark this page. These elements of the Buddhist community have justified their actions using Buddhist theology, claiming that violence is acceptable if it is done in defense of their religion. Joshua Project makes every effort to ensure that the subject in an image is in fact from the specific people group. Some may not be viable and/or have incorrect Progress Scale values, population, language and religion information. hb```f``fix>w7S;?}U:dqBeChTFAA%% H$ b`b9,iRf] :b `k4#w> @ b4 When referring to the World Happiness Report, we see a ranking of 130, with an overall rating of 4.3 out of 10. From 1948 to 1961, the Rohingya Mujahideen fought to create a separate Islamic State. 0000004853 00000 n Officially, 4% of the inhabitants of Myanmar are Muslim. H#6^l? 9?(5S&G qa{uCiV;T(!DU4\d,mq9Hq!i Z+s)[/tnd\g:k[qPr HkxjQ!Orw],V +J1+WY#4OtF&:. Among his alleged crimes. 1 (January/ February 2014), 28. [22] Eliane Coates, Buddhist Monks in Myanmar: Driving Religious Intolerance and Hindering Reform, RSIS Commentaries No. By 2013, in neighboring Bangladesh alone around 300,000 Rohingya refugees lived in camps along the border. (6%CbmYIw<>g0Y@8 e8%A@%`aZ+#t 1$BITDDB%:dQD|_uj2ANWTX$0dCcsrWWTT?8|FpC8Mm7!3t=4Zm6]'^eo:_=@iq"y6PaLq"DsgMnW |1,W&F"q34Eu1UMln2k4rQ-rErX6?\=e5eYk"G`mQyjfB1bR3"AzCW mA/Dafe R^26osQF%87q+{"ke??<7W92'PiA?0NExZ.b`V.E_CqD|mf0$SK|$9jv}|8v}x+w$\c(d; Wd"T:2snU(8 ;'GG'gxr`Q}pfOzkd Uz{6\VzdtmDG._5hE3.gpD#YfWA}0y@o2#MRw))cDcD((ET-nY#d5=`GQUgp>KS/)"gm/u%qA..ybr}}1eF?G=rBVyXz3Jw{03)-%/|kr[GEbs[|)2 Q Over the last decade, hundreds of Muslims have been murdered, mosques have been destroyed, and hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee their homes. RELIGION AND PUBLIC LIFE, Harvard Divinity School14 DivinityAvenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138. my.hds |Harvard Divinity School |Harvard University |Privacy | Accessibility | Digital Accessibility | Trademark Notice | Reporting Copyright InfringementCopyright 2023 President and Fellows of Harvard College. xb```f``9 @16)LV20U`&x(<>UY&Qs6.Aau^kC: CB,E(32`[kP9#Lv 384:0ac,f8` .lez "l]2gr0i-Zp, Today, Myanmar is the center of one of the largest refugee crises in the world. Interview with Aung San Suu Kyithe State Counselor of Burma, Nobel Peace Prize Winner, and a Theravada Buddhistwhere she responds to accusations of ethnic cleansing against Muslims in Myanmar: http://bit.ly/2sfZyDo. For example, one law promoted by monks in 2013 declared that Buddhist women could not marry a man of another faith without official permission from local authorities. Muslims (mostly Sunni) comprise The short form, which was asked of 80 percent of the total population, includes only seven basic questions: name, relationship to the head of the household, sex, age, marital status, race and religion. Monks have also mobilized to support the passage of anti-Muslim laws in the nations legislature. [21] Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Final Report of Inquiry Commission on Sectarian Violence in Rakhine State (July 8, 2013), 16, http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs15/Rakhine_Commission_Report-en-red.pdf. 0000009258 00000 n Very small groups reported, but outside the Joshua Project Small Group Policy. Web Christians in Myanmar are estimated to make up around 82 of the population roughly 55 Protestant 13 Roman Catholic and the remainder members of independent. Myanmar is predominantly a Buddhist country, with around 90% of the population following Theravada Buddhism. Both believe their actions to be deeply inspired by Buddhism, and both use theology to justify their claims. strict military rule, new found freedom of speech permits Buddhist monks, such as U [Ashin] Wirathu, to spread ideas of religious intolerance and fan the flames of Islamaphobia.[22] Indeed, while the 969 movement has been denied the official status of a religious organization, Buddhist monks are able to freely travel the country preaching the protection of their religion and race without government intervention. 0000005648 00000 n It was then that he undertook a quest to understand the origin of suffering with the aim of eradicating it. 19, Issue 10 (2013), 1. s\A0W+z=;;4{LqMQ(|> 0000010535 00000 n Little, if any, history of Christianity. MEI welcomes financial donations, but retains sole editorial control over its work and its publications reflect only the authors views. Web Religion in Myanmar is spread across Buddhist with 879 Christian 62 Muslim 43 Animist 08 Hindu 05 other 02 and none at 01 of the population. 813-821. Althoughreligion in Myanmarcan be tense at times due to the friction between the different religious groups, in reality, it is a very peaceful country. And what could be done to avert sectarian violence, to foster tolerance and peaceful coexistence, and to promote reconciliation? [3] Jacques P. Leider, Rohingya, Rakhaing and the Recent Outbreak of ViolenceA Note, Bulletin of the Burma Studies Group, 16 (2012), 8, http://www.networkmyanmar.org/images/stories/PDF15/Leider-Note.pdf. - Few evangelicals, but many who identify as Christians. The vast 0000001544 00000 n Click the image in the popup window for a people group profile. Ongoing repression of Rohingya is driven by Burman Buddhist fear of Islamic encroachment into Myanmar, as well as an ongoing belief that the Rohingya could potentially threaten Burmese sovereignty by further segregating Rakhine State. H\j0~ Burmese Hindus are a mix of Bengalis, Tamils, Telegus, and Uttar Pradeshis who arrived in Burma under British colonialism. [25] Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Final Report of Inquiry Commission on Sectarian Violence in Rakhine State (8 July 2013), 47, http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs15/Rakhine_Commission_Report-en-red.pdf. Copyright 2023 The President and Fellows of Harvard College, Religion and Society Graduate Certificate (Harvard Extension School). WebMyanmar is the most religious Buddhist country with regard to the percentage of the population living as monks and the amount of money spent on religion. WebThe majority of Myanmars population is rural, with the density of settlement in each region related to agricultural production, particularly of rice. One of the reasons for the falling fertility rates and birth rates is the increasing number of unmarried women in addition to the increased access to contraception. Rising Buddhist-Burman ethno-nationalism, fanned by the 969 movement led by Buddhist monks, has resulted in the rapid dissemination of hate speech and reignited lingering resentment between communities. %PDF-1.5 % [$- About 87% of the population in Myanmar identify as Theravada Buddhists. Buddhism does not have a creator god like other religions and it does not contain theories either. 117 0 obj <>stream Detailed maps are often found on specific people profiles. Nearly 90 of the country is Buddhist and most are members of the majority. This glossary lists terms that are used in various places in the religion and country profiles. With about four percent in Myanmars. United Nations projections are also included through the year 2100. WebQuintana visited Myanmar in March 2010 and called for the establishment of a U.N. Commission of Inquiry to investigate Myanmars violations of international humanitarian and human rights law and to recommend appropriate redress.32 Quintana reiterated this appeal a year later in March 2011 and then again that summer, but to no avail.33 [23], Political reforms in Myanmar have also led to looser military control and, in some cases, a complete breakdown of law and order. The analysis draws on the Centers wider body of research on global restrictions related to religion. The fertility rate in Myanmar is 2.13 births per woman, which is high enough for population replacement (2.1 births per woman); however, it has been declining over the past several years, contributing to the slowing population growth rate. The population growth rate is slowly decreasing, resulting in population growth to cease around 2054 and the population to start shrinking thereafter. However, the composition of the Rohingya community, which makes up about 5 percent of the population of approximately 60 million, is intricately linked to Burmas colonial past. Burmah, as it was spelled in the 19th Century, is a local corruption of the word Myanmar", according to the same report above. Buddhism has been a significant influence on Myanmar's culture, art, and way of life for more than a thousand years. If you have information about these groups, please contact us. In rare instances a representative photo may be used. The ethnic and religious violence in Myanmar is incredibly complex; the traumas of colonialism, poverty, the recent transition from a military government to a more democratic state, and the global war on terror all play major roles in shaping the conflict. [24] In Rakhine State, many of the police are selected from the Rakhine Buddhist community and often do not remain impartial when violence erupts between Buddhists and Muslims. MYANMAR RELIGIONS THE OVERVIEW OF MYANMAR RELIGION The main religions of the country are Buddhism (89.2%), Christianity (5.0%), Islam (3.8%), Why Bengal S Murshidabad And Malda Are India S Most Dangerous Districts Today India News Firstpost, Luzon S First Dot Tourist Rest Area To Rise In Baguio City Be Part Of The Fun Welcome To The Dot Corporate Site, Designed with by Way2themes | Distributed by Blogger Themes. Furthermore, the governments tacit approval of policies that discriminate against the Rohingya, coupled with the role of social media in propagating hate speech, have fostered an enabling environment that has prolonged the sectarian violence. In this predominantly Buddhist country, Muslims are often discriminated against by the powerful nationalist movement that strives to protect Buddhist identity, thus creating a struggle for minority groups. In this video, we will explore the various aspects of Myanmar's religion, including its history, beliefs, practices, and the role of religion in Burmese society.We will take a closer look at the different religious practices that exist in Myanmar, including Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. Web Burmas population consists of Buddhists 879 percent Christians 62 percent Muslims 43 percent Animists 08 percent and Hindus 05 percent. 1763 N St. NW, Washington D.C. 20036. The Each Buddhist aspires to achieve this experience of enlightenment. On the other hand, Christians, Muslims, Hindus and others are also practiced in 0000011367 00000 n endstream endobj 37 0 obj <> endobj 38 0 obj <> endobj 39 0 obj <>stream Religion in Myanmar is spread across Buddhist with 87.9%, Christian 6.2%, Muslim 4.3%, Animist 0.8%, Hindu 0.5%, other 0.2%, and none at 0.1% of the population. [19] Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Final Report of Inquiry Commission on Sectarian Violence in Rakhine State (8 July 2013), 62, http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs15/Rakhine_Commission_Report-en-red.pdf. The organized movement has enlisted monasteries across Myanmar to spread radical anti-Muslim messages through Sunday schools, and by handing out stickers and distributing pamphlets and DVDs.[11] As David Steinberg of Georgetown University highlights, the significance of Buddhist monks leading this campaign cannot be underestimated, as few, if any, in the Burman community can publicly dispute a monks announcement on an ostensibly religious issue.[12] Indeed, monks wield the highest level of moral authority in Myanmar and can thus pursue an ethno-nationalist agenda without hindrance. H\n0. 0000004016 00000 n The demographic study based on analysis of more than 2,500 censuses, surveys and population registers finds 2.2 billion Christians (32% of the worlds population), 1.6 billion Muslims (23%), 1 billion Hindus (15%), nearly 500 million Buddhists (7%) and 14 million Jews (0.2%) around the world as of 2010. This act essentially legitimized discrimination against the Rohingya, which continues today. However, the BBC reports that not all countries give legitimacy to the change due to the fact that the change was brought by the unelected military regime. The median age in Myanmar/Burma is 28.2 years of age, with a total life expectancy of approximately 68.2 years. Populations are scaled to the current year. 0000015224 00000 n Myanmar Religion Percentage 2023 April 15, 2023 Web As of 2019 the Yangon region was the most populous region in Myanmar with a population of over eight million. Thus, the most populous regions are the Irrawaddy delta and the dry zone, and the highest densities are found in the upper delta, between Yangon and Hinthada (Henzada). [24] Human Rights Watch, All You Can Do is Pray: Crimes Against Humanity and Ethnic Cleansing of Rohingya Muslims in Burmas Arakan State (2013), http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/burma0413webwcover_0.pdf. Sr4cY\d_}AAA|} N &{=s&13333Ogah>7nZ4iqM> | NQwgO4wk\> >t'EYz v Indeed, the perception that foreigners ran much of Burmas finance and commerce was seen as unacceptable. The first is constructed around a fear of Islamic encroachment into Myanmar and demographic besiegement by Muslimsan idea that runs deep in Burman Buddhist society. [9] Jane Perlez, Rise in Bigotry Fuels Massacre Inside Myanmar, New York Times (March 2, 2014), http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/02/world/asia/rise-in-bigotry-fuels-mass. Strategic Technologies and Cyber Security, Oman Library at the Middle East Institute, Earth Day: Environmental Opportunities and Challenges in the Middle East, Womens Reproductive Rights and Abortion in Morocco: Regulatory Reforms Should Not Miss the Bigger Picture, http://www.networkmyanmar.com/images/stories/PDF12/rohingya-origins-1-r, http://www.economist.com/news/asia/21582321-fuelled-dangerous-brew-fait, http://www.networkmyanmar.org/images/stories/PDF15/Leider-Note.pdf, http://www.refworld.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/rwmain?docid=3ae6b4f71b, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/02/world/asia/rise-in-bigotry-fuels-mass, http://www.theforeignreport.com/2013/07/01/burma-buddhism-and-the-rise-, http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/SEA-01-180314.html, http://www.economist.com/news/asia/21565638-why-buddhists-and-muslims-r, http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-01/an-myanmar-considers-law-restricting-interfaith-marriage/5292534, http://www.fortifyrights.org/downloads/Policies_of_Persecution_Feb_25_F, http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs15/Rakhine_Commission_Report-en-red.pdf, http://www.rsis.edu.sg/publications/Perspective/RSIS2212013.pdf, http://dr.ntu.edu.sg/bitstream/handle/10220/8784/RSIS1312012.pdf?sequen, http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/burma0413webwcover_0.pdf, http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/press-releases/abuse-against-myanmar-s-r, Indonesia and the Middle East: Exploring Connections, Islam, Migrants and Multiculturalism: A Glance at Germany, Korea and Beyond, Sectarian Violence Involving Rohingya in Myanmar: Historical Roots and Modern Triggers.