‘Monks are being used’

An Interview with U Pantavunsa

Do you believe in the 969 campaign?

I no longer believe in it. If the campaign is just for meditation or to propagate Buddhism, it’s OK. But what is happening now is some people staged religious attacks using 969 as a pretext, and sparked racial and religious conflicts. This totally deviates from its mission. We still have four major religions all over the world. It’s nonsense in this globalized world to encourage people to discriminate against one religion in favor of another. That idea also diverts from our democratization process. It will prevent us catching up with the rest of the world from a human rights point of view. According to Theravada principles, we just have to follow what the Buddha taught. he never taught anything like what the 969 campaigners are saying now.

Did the Buddha instruct his followers to support Buddhism?

Never. h e had some rivals with very different convictions, but he never spoke against them. There is a well-known story of a rich man who previously supported one of the Buddha’s rivals, but who later became a lifelong disciple of the exalted One after hearing his teachings. But even then, the Buddha told his new follower to continue supporting his old mentors. It shows that he never lectured his disciples to be against others who have different beliefs.

Although the 969 campaign is spearheaded by monks, I’m sure they have no intention to see destructive consequences sparked by their sermons. They are just scapegoats used by some people who want to destabilize the country.

If they are being used, who is using them?

It’s beyond my knowledge, but if you study the patterns of recent riots, you can’t deny the fact that they were well organized and there must have been someone behind them. Thirty-thousand copies of a DVD with 969 talks in Mon State have been distributed in Yangon. So, it’s very evident that they have a sponsor to distribute them on a large scale. There are several possibilities: cronies who would be comfortable doing business with the former military regime or some hardliners reluctant to undergo reform who might secretly finance them. Who knows? iN the past, they baNNed some moNks who spoke out about democracy aNd daw auNg saN suu kyi from speakiNg iN public. why doN’t they take actioN this time, too?

But don’t you think that what the monks are preaching is fueling antiMuslim sentiment?

Of course, I do. Their actions are against the instructions issued by the Sangha Maha Nayaka, the state-controlled monastic council. What we are not pleased with is that the government used excessive force to crack down on protesters, including monks, of the Chinese-backed Letpadaung copper mine, while they are not bothering to open fire on rioters who were looting, torching and beating Muslims right before their eyes. That makes me feel very uneasy. On the other hand, what those 969 monks preach makes it more difficult for peaceful co-existence between the two communities. In the past, they banned some monks who spoke out about democracy and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from speaking in public. Why don’t they take action this time, too?

Why has the 969 campaign become so popular?

Because the authorities concerned haven’t taken the necessary action. Plus, even though most of Myanmars are tolerant, there is underlying anti-Muslim sentiment. It’s quite similar to what happened in the past when we heartily supported anyone who said anything bad about the military.

Why has the government failed to stop the spread of the violence?

They might have thought the violence would not have spread that much. Maybe they didn’t take 969 seriously. In spite of the president’s request for all-inclusive approaches to prevent unrest, we have found that, to our dismay, some officials working on the ground are still reluctant to implement them. They keep complaining that they are just waiting for orders. In short, I blame the mismanagement of the government.