Violence in Myanmar shows the world needs to stop romanticising Buddhism
THERE is a perception among the Western world that Buddhists are all peaceful, loving people. But some of them are willing to burn villages to the ground.
September 17, 2017
http://www.news.com.au/world/asia/v...m/news-story/37bf65e55ec59eb1922f82942576161a
WARNING: Disturbing images
PEOPLE don’t generally associate Buddhists with violence, especially not the type of violence that sees houses set on fire and gunfire sprayed around villages.
But one expert says people around the world need to shed their romanticised view of Buddhism and Buddhists as a peaceful religion and confront the reality of one of the worst human rights abuses in the world.
For three weeks now villages have been burning in Myanmar as military take revenge for an insurgent attack on police and paramilitary posts on August 25.
It’s the second outbreak of violence since October last year and nearly 400,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine state.
People have been arriving at the Bangladeshi border town of Teknaf, crossing the Naf River in small boats. At least 88 people have drowned after their boats capsized while making the crossing.