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Editorial: Junta Should Not Inflame Religious Hatred

Last week we saw, in Burma, very serious fatal and bloody riots between Muslims and Buddhists.

It is very sad to learn that many people died_ for nothing but meaningless hatred_ and many more seriously wounded, with a large number of houses, shops, monasteries and mosques destroyed in the riots in central regions of Burma.

Usually in Burma, gathering of more than five people without permission from authorities is strictly banned, let alone rival groups of people gathering and fighting each other and rioting. There, we saw the secret hand of the military regime playing behind the riots inflaming them and cunningly manipulating to divert people's attention away from democracy politics.

As the United States and United Kingdom are pushing ahead with their plans to discuss Burma's case in UN Security council, as the ASEAN envoys' fact-finding missions for democratic reforms in Burma are looming, and as China is becoming more and more reluctant to provide a blind support to Burma's junta, the Generals are desperately finding a way out. They will do anything, whatsoever, to be able to hold onto power.

While the external pressure is building up, there are very serious problems inside too. Regime's top Generals, Than Shwe and Maung Aye, are reportedly locked in a potentially explosive power struggle. And civil servants, who are forced to transfer to the unfinished new capital, are on the brink of a general strike. Everything is in chaos, or at least on the brink of chaos.

So, if they can divert people's attention from these problems to religious riots, the junta will never be reluctant to inflame religious hatred between Buddhists and Muslims, between Buddhists and Christians, between whoever and whoever-else.

"Divide and Rule and Eliminate" is junta's special expertise. As long as people are divided and fighting each other, junta is safe and sound and happy and fine.

Muslim Rohinger refugees are dying like flies in refugee camps along Burma's western border with Bangladesh. Hundreds upon hundreds of Buddhist monks who dared to express dissent against the junta are literally rotting in junta's world famous (or rather infamous) notorious jails and detention camps.

So dear Muslim and Buddhists brothers, we are all undergoing the same fate under the iron heels of the fascist Generals. We all are in fact going on the same journey in the same boat towards our common goal of restoring democracy and human rights in our country.

Why shall we kill each other, why do we try to maim each other?

Let us unite. Let us build mutual understandings, friendship, trust and cooperation.

Let's stop fighting each other. Let us form a united front to fight against our common enemy, the fascist junta, the worst dictatorship in the world.

Dr. Tayza