Advancing religious freedom and coexistence in Myanmar: Recommendations for the next U.S. administration
<p>Freedom of religion has long been restricted in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, both by formal regulation and by common practice. While non-Buddhist faiths have always had some space to practice their faith, government restrictions placed on religious minorities, particularly during the fifty-ye...
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| Format: | Journal article |
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Routledge
2016
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| _version_ | 1797087161687736320 |
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| author | Hayward, S Walton, M |
| author_facet | Hayward, S Walton, M |
| author_sort | Hayward, S |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | <p>Freedom of religion has long been restricted in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, both by formal regulation and by common practice. While non-Buddhist faiths have always had some space to practice their faith, government restrictions placed on religious minorities, particularly during the fifty-year period of military dictatorship, limited that practice and created deep grievances and mistrust, fueling several ethnic insurgencies. Religious minority communities and actors, on the whole, are more vulnerable to intimidation, arbitrary arrest, and social bias. The country’s 2008 constitution, which led the way for the military’s “discipline-flourishing” transition to democracy that reached its nominal conclusion in 2011, includes protections for religious freedom, even as it affirms Buddhism’s “special place.” However, some old restrictions remain in practice, while new laws have been passed that challenge religious freedom anew. Meanwhile, the judiciary and other rule of law institutions fail to protect religious minorities and sometimes enable discrimination, a legacy of their historical abuse by previous military regimes.</p> <br/> <p>Freedom of religion has long been restricted in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, both by formal regulation and by common practice. While non-Buddhist faiths have always had some space to practice their faith, government restrictions placed on religious minorities, particularly during the fifty-year period of military dictatorship, limited that practice and created deep grievances and mistrust, fueling several ethnic insurgencies. Religious minority communities and actors, on the whole, are more vulnerable to intimidation, arbitrary arrest, and social bias. The country’s 2008 constitution, which led the way for the military’s “discipline-flourishing” transition to democracy that reached its nominal conclusion in 2011, includes protections for religious freedom, even as it affirms Buddhism’s “special place.” However, some old restrictions remain in practice, while new laws have been passed that challenge religious freedom anew. Meanwhile, the judiciary and other rule of law institutions fail to protect religious minorities and sometimes enable discrimination, a legacy of their historical abuse by previous military regimes.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T02:32:06Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:a7959dd8-a657-4add-8fda-ec986a126718 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T02:32:06Z |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publisher | Routledge |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:a7959dd8-a657-4add-8fda-ec986a1267182022-03-27T02:55:37ZAdvancing religious freedom and coexistence in Myanmar: Recommendations for the next U.S. administrationJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:a7959dd8-a657-4add-8fda-ec986a126718Symplectic Elements at OxfordRoutledge2016Hayward, SWalton, M<p>Freedom of religion has long been restricted in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, both by formal regulation and by common practice. While non-Buddhist faiths have always had some space to practice their faith, government restrictions placed on religious minorities, particularly during the fifty-year period of military dictatorship, limited that practice and created deep grievances and mistrust, fueling several ethnic insurgencies. Religious minority communities and actors, on the whole, are more vulnerable to intimidation, arbitrary arrest, and social bias. The country’s 2008 constitution, which led the way for the military’s “discipline-flourishing” transition to democracy that reached its nominal conclusion in 2011, includes protections for religious freedom, even as it affirms Buddhism’s “special place.” However, some old restrictions remain in practice, while new laws have been passed that challenge religious freedom anew. Meanwhile, the judiciary and other rule of law institutions fail to protect religious minorities and sometimes enable discrimination, a legacy of their historical abuse by previous military regimes.</p> <br/> <p>Freedom of religion has long been restricted in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, both by formal regulation and by common practice. While non-Buddhist faiths have always had some space to practice their faith, government restrictions placed on religious minorities, particularly during the fifty-year period of military dictatorship, limited that practice and created deep grievances and mistrust, fueling several ethnic insurgencies. Religious minority communities and actors, on the whole, are more vulnerable to intimidation, arbitrary arrest, and social bias. The country’s 2008 constitution, which led the way for the military’s “discipline-flourishing” transition to democracy that reached its nominal conclusion in 2011, includes protections for religious freedom, even as it affirms Buddhism’s “special place.” However, some old restrictions remain in practice, while new laws have been passed that challenge religious freedom anew. Meanwhile, the judiciary and other rule of law institutions fail to protect religious minorities and sometimes enable discrimination, a legacy of their historical abuse by previous military regimes.</p> |
| spellingShingle | Hayward, S Walton, M Advancing religious freedom and coexistence in Myanmar: Recommendations for the next U.S. administration |
| title | Advancing religious freedom and coexistence in Myanmar: Recommendations for the next U.S. administration |
| title_full | Advancing religious freedom and coexistence in Myanmar: Recommendations for the next U.S. administration |
| title_fullStr | Advancing religious freedom and coexistence in Myanmar: Recommendations for the next U.S. administration |
| title_full_unstemmed | Advancing religious freedom and coexistence in Myanmar: Recommendations for the next U.S. administration |
| title_short | Advancing religious freedom and coexistence in Myanmar: Recommendations for the next U.S. administration |
| title_sort | advancing religious freedom and coexistence in myanmar recommendations for the next u s administration |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT haywards advancingreligiousfreedomandcoexistenceinmyanmarrecommendationsforthenextusadministration AT waltonm advancingreligiousfreedomandcoexistenceinmyanmarrecommendationsforthenextusadministration |