Dalai Lama's appeal to co-religionists

At his 79th birthday celebrations, Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, used his moral authority to urge Myanmar and Sri Lankan Buddhists to stop violence against Muslims. Non-violence being central precept of the teachings of his faith, he averred "Buddha preaches love and compassion. If the Buddha is there, he will protect the Muslims whom the Buddhists are attacking." He could not have raised a stronger voice than that for the protection of Muslim lives in those two countries. At least 250 people have been killed in Myanmar since the outbreak of anti-Muslim violence in June 2012. They live in constant fear of being attacked by monks, leading to frequent closure of their shops and businesses. In Sri Lankan too monks from the Bodu (Buddhist) Bala Sena have been targeting Muslims in hate speeches to incite violence. As a result, last month the country saw the worst anti-Muslim violence in recent years. Four people were killed and hundreds of shops and homes damaged or burned.
Notably, Muslims known as Rohingya people in Myanmar are a minuscule minority - only five percent of the country's population. They are not engaged in any separatist movement nor do they have any reason to clash with other communities. In fact they are known to be a peaceable community in both countries. There is no apparent reason therefore for the monks to kill them and burn their homes and businesses. The cause is related more to politics than religion. Rohingyas are mostly descendants of Muslim immigrants from India who went there during the British rule to take up jobs in offices and businesses. The Sri Lankan Muslims are also relatively well off, holding prominent positions in business and politics.
The problem seems to arise from pervasive poverty and a general sense of deprivation among the peoples of the two countries. They need somebody to blame for their economic hardships. It suits the governments to see them find an easy scapegoat in Muslims. In Sri Lanka, for instance, President Mahinda Rajapaksa's government is under severe domestic criticism for turning a blind eye to Bodu Bala Sena's hate-mongering and attacks against Muslim minority. He is accused of trying to please his electoral constituency comprising Sinhalese Buddhists. As regards Myanmar, following its international rehabilitation the government has made some important political reforms, but failed to rein in the monks who have traditionally wielded significant political influence in the country. It is worthwhile to note that careful not to step on their wrong side, even the much celebrated Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has been shying away from condemning Buddhist monks' attacks on her country's Muslim minority. Strong voices from Buddhist leaders like Dalai Lama therefore are important to encourage moderate religious and political elements in those countries to take a stand against bigotry and violence of their co-religionists.