Ashin Wirathu
|
Ashin Wirathu ဝီရသူ |
|
|---|---|
| Religion | Buddhism |
| School | Theravada |
| Temple | Masoyein Monastery, Mandalay |
| Other names | Win Khaing Oo |
| Dharma names | Virasu |
| Personal | |
| Nationality | Burmese |
| Born |
10 July 1968 (age 49) Kyaukse, Mandalay Division, Burma (now Myanmar) |
Wirathu (Burmese: ဝီရသူ; born 10 July 1968 in Kyaukse, Mandalay Division, Burma) is a nationalist Burmese Buddhist monk, and the spiritual leader of the anti-Muslim movement in Burma. He has been accused of conspiring persecution of Muslims through his speeches, although he claims to be a peaceful preacher and not to have advocated violence.
Wirathu was born in 1968 near Mandalay. He left school at the age 14 to become a monk. In 2001, he became involved in the 969 Movement . Two years later, in 2003, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison for his sermons, but was released in 2012 along with many other political prisoners. Since the government reforms of 2011, he has been especially active on YouTube and other forms of social media.
Wirathu led a rally of monks in Mandalay in September 2012 to promote President Thein Sein's controversial plan to send Burmese Rohingya Muslims to a third country. One month later, more violence broke out in Rakhine state. Wirathu claims the violence in Rakhine was the spark for the most recent violence in Burma's central city of Meiktila, where a dispute in a gold shop quickly spiralled into a looting-and-arson spree. More than 14 people were killed, after monasteries, shops and houses were burned down across the city. At least two people, including a Burmese Buddhist monk, Shin Thawbita, and a Muslim man were reportedly assaulted and tortured by mobs in Meikhtilar on 5 March.
Wirathu is mentioned on the cover story of Time magazine as "The Face of Buddhist Terror" on 20 June 2013. "You can be full of kindness and love, but you cannot sleep next to a mad dog," Wirathu said, referring to Muslims. "If we are weak," he said, "our land will become Muslim." Referring to Muslim violence and domination in neighbouring nations and the example of the spread of Islam in Indonesia, Wirathu worries about a similar fate for Burma. Wirathu claims that his Muslim opponents labelled him the "Burmese Bin Laden" after the Time article incorrectly reported he described himself in this manner. He said he "abhorred violence" and "opposes terrorism". Wirathu has also expressed admiration for, and a desire to follow the example of, the English Defence League by "protecting the public."
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