Controversial Buddhist monk Wirathu
participates in an assembly of Myanmar’s powerful Buddhist clergy in the
outskirts of Yangon on Thursday. (Photo AP)
June 28, 2013
A Myanmar monks’ convention has agreed to draw
up draft legislation to impose restrictions on interfaith marriage, sources
said on Friday.
The decision was reached on Thursday at a
meeting of 1,530 senior monks from across the country who gathered in Yangon to
debate legislation proposed by extremist cleric Wirathu that would place
restrictions on Buddhist women marrying outside their faith.
The convention agreed to set up an association
to pursue the interfaith marriage proposal and other legal means of protecting
Buddhism, said Damapiya, the convention’s spokesman.
Although monk Wirathu’s original draft law was
aimed only at Muslims, the monks’ convention supported an amended version that
would require any non-Buddhist man who marries a Buddhist to convert to her
faith, and requires the women to get permission from her parents and local
authorities before going ahead with the marriage.
“We have a team which includes lawyers,
well-educated persons and monks who will draw up the draft law to protect our
nationals,” said the convention spokesman, equating “nationals” with Myanmar
Buddhists.
Buddhism is the proclaimed faith of about 90
per cent of Myanmar’s 60 million population, while Islam and Christianity
account for less than 5 per cent each.
Sectarian clashes have been on the rise in
Myanmar since June 2012, when Buddhist communities in Rakhine State attacked
Rohingya Muslims, leaving 167 people dead and 125,000 people homeless. The
incident was sparked by the alleged rape and murder of a Buddhist woman by
three Muslims.
“The important thing is that we must take care
not to attack others, while protecting our nationals and our religion,” said
Sitagu Sayadaw, one of Myanmar’s most prominent Buddhist monks, who attended
Thursday’s conference.
The interfaith marriage draft legislation would
be submitted to parliament for a vote.
“We want to know the MPs who will oppose our
draft law,” said Wimala Buddhi, abbot of a monastery in Mawlamyine, southern
Myanmar.
“If we know, we will tell the people, and his
constituency will not to vote for him or her in the 2015 election.” Rising
sectarian violence poses one of the greatest political challenges to Myanmar’s
elected President Thein Sein.
Mr. Thein Sein’s Union Solidarity and
Development Party will face off against democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and
her National League for Democracy in the coming polls.
Ms. Suu Kyi last week criticised the proposed
marriage law for discriminating against women and running counter to human
rights.
“Human rights is not law,” said monk Wirathu
after Thursday’s convention. “It’s just a standard. We need to do whatever is
necessary to protect our nationals,” he said.
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