Punish Myanmar’s Chin-Kuki : Buddhist monk

Ukhrul, Jun 14
The controversial Myanmar Buddhist monk Ashin Wirathu, known for his Nationalist and anti-Muslim rhetoric, took to X on Thursday, where he wrote, “All Kuki men and women need to be sent to jail, and children to juvenile homes.
“Don’t think that all are not bad. All of them are involved in activities like murder and terrorism. They are criminals. To reform and bring them within the ambit of the law, it is necessary to punish them.”
The tweet was followed by another barrage of attacks on the Chin-Kuki group in Myanmar, stating, “I openly oppose Kuki organized criminal society. Chin-Kuki fraudulently took shelter and later started a drug trade there and massacred other people. They need to be punished. Kuki children should be kept in juvenile homes so that they can become good humans.”
According to news reports, on January 4, 2023, during Myanmar’s Independence Day celebrations, the military junta awarded Ashin Wirathu, a Nationalist extremist monk, the title of "Thiri Pyanchi," sparking controversy.
Wirathu, a leader of the radical 969 organization, has a history of anti-Muslim rhetoric and violence, including a 25-year imprison- ment for orchestrating riots.
He had appeared at pro-military rallies, delivering Nationalist speeches and criticizing then- leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy Government.
A report by the Australian Institute of International Affairs, titled “The Unholy Nexus Between the Monks and Military in Myanmar,” stated that the military's use of religion to retain power has deep historical roots.
Under Aung San Suu Kyi’s Government, extremist monks were suppressed, but the 2021 coup saw their resurgence and support for the junta. These monks, responsible for significant violence against minorities, now bolster the military’s ultra-nationalist and Islamo-phobic agenda. Myanmar’s nationalist movement is intertwined with Buddhist fundamentalism.
Ukhrul Times