Ashin Wirathu

RadicaliserExtremistRight WingBuddhistBuddhist extremismAnti MuslimBurmeseMyanmarBuddhism

Aug 23

**DOB:** 10 July 1968

**Nationality:** Burmese

**Location:** Mandalay, Myanmar
**Ideology/Affiliation:** Anti-Muslim/Right-wing Populism/Ultra-Nationalism/Buddhist extremism

**Type of Leader:** Hate preacher/Buddhist monk/Leader of 969 Anti-Muslim Movement

Other Names: Win Khaing Oo/Vīrasū/Burmese Bin Laden

Current Status: Burmese Buddhist Monk and leader of the extremist anti-Muslim 969 Movement in Myanmar.

Biography

Ashin Wirathu, who was born in 1968, dropped out of school at the age of fourteen to become a monk. In 2001, he became an active member of the 969 movement. His activities did not last long, as he was sentenced to 25 years in jail in 2003, as a result of his sermons that included hate speech and incitement to violence against Muslims, primarily, but was freed in 2010 along with other political prisoners. Wirathu is one of those preachers who believe in the vital role social media plays in preaching and directing the mass audience. He has been particularly active on YouTube and other social platforms such as Facebook.

After numerous warnings not to publish religiously provocative information, Facebook deleted his profile on the accusation of promoting religious hate among other groups. Wirathu was portrayed on the cover story of Time Magazine as “The Face of Buddhist Terror” in July 2013. In the same month, Wirathu was a target of an assassination attempt by a bomb explosion but survived and later claimed that “Muslim extremists stood behind the terrorist attack to silence him”.

Additionally, Wirathu alleged that his Muslim opponents labelled him the “Buddhist Bin Laden” after Time Magazine mistakenly stated that he identified himself in this manner. He frequently defends himself against extremist accusations by stating that he abhors violence and stands firmly against any terrorist acts. Wirathu has also expressed deep admiration for the English Defence League - a right-wing anti-Muslim British organisation - and his willingness to follow in EDL’s footsteps. According to Abbot Arriya Wutha Bewuntha, Wirathu “sides a bit toward hate and not the way Buddha taught.”

“What the Buddha taught is that hatred is not good, because Buddha sees everyone as an equal being. The Buddha doesn't see people through religion," Bewuntha added. From the Guardian’s perspective, Wirathu’s fanaticism stems from ignorance, yet his beliefs hold sway in Myanmar, where there is a sizeable Muslim minority, with many managing large businesses. Hate speech in Myanmar is one of the reasons behind the persecution of the Rohingya Muslim minority.

Banned

None

Banned

None

969 Movement

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Evidence of Hate Speech/Incitement:

September 2017: With his ultra-nationalist rhetoric, Wirathu is responsible for inciting violence against Muslims. Additionally, he led rallies calling for the expulsion of Rohingya Muslims, claiming that Muslims are forcefully taking action to establish Myanmar as an Islamic state, despite Muslim Burmese only accounting for approximately 4 percent of the total population.

January 2015: Wirathu labelled a female UN official who denounced Myanmar's prejudice against Muslims a “whore” in 2015, saying: “Don't assume you are a respectable person, just because of your position. To us, you are just a whore.” His comment amounted to incitement to hatred. Additionally, the Monk used Facebook to applaud the killing of a key assistant to Myanmar's de facto leader, Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi.

June 2013: Wirathu said in a rare and wide-ranging interview with GlobalPost that “Muslims are like African carp. They breed rapidly, have violent behaviour, and eat their own kind and other fishes. They also destroy natural resources and beauty underwater. That’s why if there are as many Muslims as there are Buddhists, Myanmar could never be at peace.”

June 2013: In an interview with GlobalPost, Right-wing populist, Ashin Wirathu, compared Muslims with snakes, saying: “You can be full of kindness and love, but you cannot sleep next to a mad dog. If we are weak, our land will become Muslim.”