When 20,000 Buddhist monks, nuns and protesters marched through Rangoon's streets, a 50-year-old housewife broke into tears as she rushed to the sidewalk to cheer them on. She said they were tears of joy because, like many in the country ruled with an iron fist by the military, she sees the monks as Burma's preeminent moral authority taking a stand on behalf of the people. "We believe they can succeed because they are motivated by true kindness," she said, too fearful of reprisal from the military to give her name. "All of our neighbors are praying for them, but only inside their homes. Everyone is talking about the monks, but we are still too afraid to join them and march or pray outside." Her feelings are shared by many in Burma, a nation that is nearly 90 percent Buddhist, and one where the clergy play a deeply spiritual role in the daily lives of the people.
Ordination as a monk, at least for a short period, is a religious duty for young men and a way for them to honor the sacrifices of their parents. Many boys will enter the monastery once as a novice before their 16th birthday, and then again as a monk around the age of 20, said Thailand-based Burma analyst Win Min.
That means someone in almost every family has spent time as a monk, and it has also created a large, organized pool of young men who have emerged at the forefront of anti-junta protests. At any given time, the nation has at least 400,000 monks, with about 80 percent of them living in the second city of Mandalay, home to many of the teaching temples where young monks live and study.
In many ways, the monks and the public are dependent on each other, as the monks rely on alms given by people who believe their donations will help them achieve a higher station in their next life. As Burma's schools, hospitals and social services have crumbled under the military's neglect, monks have increasingly stepped up to fill the gap, according to Thailand-based analyst Aung Naing Oo. "The monasteries have opened themselves as orphanages and schools. They have begun to participate in HIV/ AIDS services, lots of social work and grassroots work," he said.
In addition to leading the largest protests seen here in nearly 20 years, some monks are now refusing to accept alms from soldiers or to provide religious services to their families, a scathing snub. "It is like the pope telling Catholics they are no longer Christians. So for this excommunication to happen, it is a public disgrace. It's social isolation," said Debbie Stothard, coordinator of the Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma.