Ethnic Issues in Myanmar Leads to Thousands Fleeing Overseas

An unholy alliance between radical Buddhist monks and the military is threatening to wipe out Muslims from Myanmar.

Paradoxically, in 1962 monks were suppressed by the military. Decades later, the Saffron Revolution led by the monks gave a platform for Muslims too to rise and demand more freedoms.

It was only then that Buddhist leaders incited religious tensions. Which then lead to unwanted events.

The organisation of the ultra-nationalist Buddhist monks, the Ma Ba Tha, aimed to protect race and religion in Myanmar became the spearheads behind most of the rhetoric which fuelled the anti-Muslim hatred.

Targeting the Rohingya in the Rakhine state, more than 700,000 were forced to flee the country into neighbouring Bangladesh.

The case has been classified by the UN as an attempt of ethnic cleansing. A scene that no ethnic should ever go through or deal with.

Follow the happenings and chronology of Myanmar: An Unholy Alliance on Al Jazeera via tonton on 18th March, 2019 at 4am and 8am, 19th March at 9am and 20th March at 2pm.  

Written by Fatin Zafirah