It would be hard to escape the division of the people in our country over the past couple of weeks. Some see the division as a plea for power, others see it is a plea for recognition and still others a plea for justice.
Myanmar is a mostly Buddhist country in southeast Asia that has struggled with its own division for centuries. While the government currently has an elected parliament, it is largely a military state, in that the military controls all of the local police. Myanmar has had some ugly moments in its history. Among 135 different ethnic groups, you will find the Rohingyas. The Rohingyas are a Muslim minority living in a Buddhist country. Quite a while back, a small faction of rebels in that area attacked a military base, and the Myanmar government used the incident as a trigger to kill over 9000 Rohingyas people, raping and maiming thousands more along the way. It is widely believed that the genocide was the result of the Buddhist government's fear of a growing Muslim population.
This feels like an event that would have occurred centuries ago or even in the first millennium. Not so. It was last year - August, 2017. I'm sure some of you reading are well versed on the event. I am embarrassed to admit that I am just becoming aware of it this morning.
Reading about this stirs emotions for me. Disbelief that this could happen. Sadness for the victims and the victims families. Anguish over what could be done to prevent this from happening again. Thankfulness for living in a country where it doesn't. A desire to make things better where I am.
I read about most of this in an article by Brian Stiller. For more on his perspective and a ray of hope for Myanmar, click here.
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