Religion in Myanmar
"[1] According to both the 2014 census of the Burmese government Buddhism is the dominant religion, of 87.9% of the population, practiced especially by the Bamar, Rakhine, Shan, Mon and Chinese ethnic groups.
The 2008 constitution provides for the freedom of religion;[2] however, it also grants broad exceptions that allow the regime to restrict these rights at will.
[8] Adherents are most likely found among the dominant ethnic Bamar, Shan, Rakhine, Mon, Karen, and Chinese who are well integrated into Burmese society.
The Department for the Perpetuation and Propagation of the Sasana and state-sponsored State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee support and regulate Buddhism in the country.
[19] There is also a deep, mutually legitimising historical relationship between the state and the Sangha (monkhood) with long held inseparability of Buddhism and politics within the country.
[20] Christianity is practised by 6.2% of the population,[4][6] primarily among the Kachin, Chin and Karen people, and Eurasians because of missionary work in their respective areas.
Hinduism greatly influenced the royal court of Burmese kings in pre-colonial times, as seen in the architecture of cities such as Bagan.
While ancient and medieval arrival of ideas and culture fusion transformed Burma over time, it is in 19th and 20th century that over a million Hindu workers were brought in by British colonial government to serve in plantations and mines.
The British also felt that surrounding the European residential centre with Indian immigrants provided a buffer and a degree of security from tribal theft and raids.
The Indian policy of encouraging democratic protests in Burma increased persecution of Hindus, as well as led to Burmese retaliatory support of left-leaning rebel groups in northeastern states of India.
[26] Since the 1990s, the opening of Burma and its greater economic engagement has led to general improvement in the acceptance of Hindus and other minority religions in Myanmar.
The Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue serves the dozen families left as well as Jewish tourists and foreign workers, but not many show up for daily minyan.
The Military of Myanmar has been killing and driving the Rohingyas out of the country as part of their on and off attempt since the 1940s to create a Muslim-free land in Western Burma.
Recently, groups in the area, according to various media reports, aimed to create northern part of Arakan as an independent or autonomous state.
[32][33] Successive governments, both democratic and military, did not grant the citizenship of the Muslim Rohingya people of Northern Rakhine (Arakan) state.
[3] According to the US State Department's 2022 international religious freedom report, the country's Muslim population is approximately 4% of the total populace.
In 2022, the country was scored 1 out of 4 for religious freedom- while the constitution provides for freedom of religion, the government, in practice, interferes with religious groups and discriminates against minority groups through actions such as refusing permission for gatherings, restricting proselytisation and allowing the Anti-Muslim Ma Ba Tha organisation to establish "Muslim-free" villages.
[36] Particularly, this targeted violence is worst in Christian-majority Chin State where many Christians are forced to flee into neighboring countries, particularly to Northeastern India.
