MF CASR lunch with Iselin Frydenlund

Revolution or Order? Buddhist Responses to the 2021 (Failed) Military Coup in Myanmar

The military coup in Myanmar on 1 February 2021 ended semi-civilian rule (2011–2021), bringing the country once again under direct military rule. Recent research into the religious responses to the coup in its early phases indicate that the mass protests were characterised by global internet culture, interreligious solidarity, and new visions for a plural and democratic Myanmar. The Sangha, it is often claimed, remained silent and mainly supportive of the military. Through a multi-methodological approach of written statements, qualitative interviews and field work, this talk seeks to analyse possible shifts in the ways that Buddhism has contributed to both justification of, and resistance to, the military coup. Finally, I ask how the division and the polarization of the monastic order might result in dramatic changes for institutionalized Buddhism in Myanmar.

Please join us in person at the MF Library, or watch on Zoom: https://mf-no.zoom.us/j/64105595003?pwd=S0JpdTIyT1dBcjRwTjg2YzVxdmVRQT09

Zoom Meeting ID: 641 0559 5003
Passcode: MFCASR