Rob Bryan | September 15, 2010
“We have to be very careful,” he said. “The authorities have a list of who was in the movement, and I’m on that list.”
The 2007 protests began as small rallies against the rising cost of living but escalated into huge antigovernment demonstrations led by monks, whose attire saw their movement dubbed the “Saffron Revolution.”
Posing the biggest threat to military rule in nearly two decades, the protests were dealt with mercilessly: At least 31 people were killed by security forces while hundreds of others were beaten and detained.
Today, more than 250 monks are imprisoned, thousands have been disrobed and key monasteries remain under constant watch for their role in the September rebellion, rights activists say.
Ottama, whose name was changed for his protection, said spies were everywhere.
“The majority of monks don’t like the regime, but we can do nothing. We are very unlucky for having a military government,” he said. “I’m still angry with the regime. Whenever I think about them, I get very angry. Every monk feels like me, I think.”
Feelings of bitterness toward the junta may still be strong among the monks, who number up to 400,000 in Burma.
But Ottama said they were “very afraid” of joining, let alone leading, further antigovernment demonstrations.
He said authorities had stepped up efforts since 2007 to curry favor with senior monks in a bid to “calm them down” and stop them from talking about the regime. These senior monks had then told their juniors to steer clear of dissident discussion.
But in hushed corners, with brethren he trusts, Ottama talks about politics every day. When the monastery’s lights go out, he tunes in to BBC Radio or Voice of America to get “correct news.”
“The Burma government says they are the killers of the airwaves,” he said.
Economic hardships present a further challenge for the wider population. Since coming under military rule in 1962, Burma has become one of the poorest countries in Asia.
“The people have to work hard for food, clothing and living. They can’t give much thought to politics or creating some movement. That’s why they are not interested in the 2010 election,” Ottama said.
The national poll, set for Nov. 7, will be Burma’s first election in two decades, but it is widely expected to be neither fair nor free.
A controversial constitution passed in 2008 bars monks from any formal political role, ending a long tradition in Burma. But Ottama, in his 30s, still thinks they should be able to play a part.
“In Thailand, the Buddhist monks don’t take part in politics but they can have influence on the government,” he said. “We should have a chance to vote, but we have no chances.”
The regime’s wariness over the monks is understandable, since they have a history of political defiance during Burma’s most turbulent eras and they command deep respect from the people.
But another revolution seems unlikely.
“It was a very brave and noble thing to do and it got a lot of support,” said David Mathieson, a political analyst from Human Rights Watch.
“But the regime knew exactly what to do to. They brutally crushed it to send a message. The vast majority of monks now want nothing to do with politics,” he said.
Some of the monks have found other ways to channel their spiritual leadership. A senior monk in northern Yangon division said he was focused on community work rather than a political uprising.
“People need to do what they can at a grassroots level,” said the 42-year-old, adding that he took part in the Saffron Revolution “spiritually, not physically.”
“I think the monks would be willing to do something like the protests again but it’s difficult because they are not well coordinated nationally,” he said.
But if the upcoming election fails to bring reforms, Ottama hopes his countrymen’s characteristic Buddhist tolerance, however constrained by logistics and fear, will wear thin.
“If the situation does not change after the election, I think demonstrations will happen,” the monk said. “We should no longer be patient.”
Agence France-Presse
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