Wirathu takes heat for offensive remarks
United Nations human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein joined some Buddhist monks in Myanmar to criticise a prominent Myanmar monk's negative comments about a UN special rapporteur.
Leading monks and some ordinary people in protest against a UN resolution urging Myanmar to offer Rohingyas full citizenship on January 16, Buddhist monk Ashin Wirathu made strong remarks against Yanghee Lee, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights situation in Myanmar.
To Zeid, the remarks were sexist and abusive.
"The sexist, insulting language used against the UN's independent human rights expert on Myanmar ... by an influential monk during Ms. Lee's official visit to the country is utterly unacceptable," he said in a statement.
"It is intolerable for UN special rapporteurs to be treated in this way, and I call on religious and political leaders in Myanmar to unequivocally condemn all forms of incitement to hatred including this abhorrent public personal attack against a UN-appointed expert," Zeid said.
He added that instead of attacking Lee, religious and political leaders in Myanmar should tackle the substance of concerns she has raised.
Another prominent monk said on Tuesday that U Wirathu had violated his monastic code and could damage his religion but was unlikely to face censure.
“All verbal acts of U Wirathu go against the code of conducts for Buddhist monks,” said Myawady Sayadaw Ashin Vansabhivamsa.
"We should declare that his verbal and physical deeds have nothing to do with the Sasana [religion] or the monkhood. They are his action alone," said the Myawady Sayadaw.
Tun Tun, director of the Religious Affairs Department, said that action would not be taken against Wirathu based on hearsay, but an investigation could be launched if his department received a complaint that the monk violated the code of conduct.
Lee, a South Korean, visited Myanmar during January 10-16 to assess the current rights situation there. During her tour, she visited Rakhine State where ethnic Buddhists show extreme anti-Muslim sentiment.
Most of Myanmar's 1.1 million Rohingya Muslims are stateless and live in apartheid-like conditions in Rakhine state in the predominantly Buddhist country. Almost 140,000 Rohingya remain displaced after deadly clashes with ethnic Rakhine Buddhists in 2012.
Ashin Wiruthu began holding talks on nationalism in 2001. Clashes occurred after he delivered a sermon in Kyaukse, hometown, in October 2003. A few days later, he was arrested and sentenced to 25 years in prison on several charges, including the distribution of leaflets to incite racial conflict. He was released from prison in 2010 under a general amnesty.
Since 2011, his talks have spread on the internet, and he has become popular as the leader of the anti-Muslim '969' movement. He is also a prominent supporter of the Race Protection Law, which would limit non-Buddhists’ rights in Myanmar.
There have been reports that Wirathu recently held secret meetings with Aung Thaung, advisor to the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party, and former intelligence chief Khin Nyunt, with whom he is reportedly close.
Some reports claim that in addition to insulting Yanghee Lee in his speech on January 16, he also made offensive remarks about opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Wirathu's remarks
In his response to Lee’s recommendation that Myanmar’s Bengali population, who call themselves Rohingyas, be granted citizenship and freedom to travel, Wirathu reportedly referred to her as a ‘whore’, among other insults.
“We have publicised our Race Protection Law, but without even studying it, this bitch [kaungma] complains about how it is against human rights,” he said in a speech to hundreds of supporters in Yangon on Friday.
“Can this whore really be from a respectable family background? Don’t assume you are a respectable person just because you work for the UN. In our country, you are just a whore. You are useless for our country. You don’t have permission to sell our Rakhine State. Don’t think of destroying Rakhine State. It is our defence unit. It is our door. If you destroy our door, we will fight you,” Wirathu said.
“If you want, you may offer your [self] to the kalar [racist term for black people]. But you will never sell off our Rakhine State,” he said.
Following his remarks, members of the public and the Sangha criticised Wirathu.
“His abusive words go against Vinaya rules [the code of conduct for Buddhist monks],” said a Sayadaw from Yangon.
According to the Vinaya, Buddhist monks are prohibited from uttering ten particularly abusive words.
“All verbal acts of U Wirathu go against the code of conducts for Buddhist monks,” said Myawady Sayadaw Ashin Vansabhivamsa.
"We should declare that his verbal and physical deeds have nothing to do with the Sasana [religion] or the monkhood. They are his action alone," said the Myawady Sayadaw.
For a Theravada Buddhist country like Myanmar, it is vital to exactly follow the Buddha teachings so that the Sasana can perpetuate.
Shwenyawa Sayadaw Ashin Panna Siha said Wirathu'a abusive words are a humiliation to the Theravada Buddhism that Myanmar seeks to uphold.
"For a Buddhist monk, expressing anger is out of line, let alone using abusive words. Such acts should not be committed by lay people or monks. Buddhist monks must not respond to criticism they receive," said the Sayadaw.
In 2013, TIME magazine ran a cover story on Ashin Wirathu using the title “The Face of Buddhist Terror”. At that time, Wirathu’s supporters and others protested against the magazine, claiming that Buddhist teachings are not extreme and that Wirathu himself is not an extremist.
However, after his remarks about Lee, few people spoke out to defend him.
