The Junta’s Assault on Buddhism: New Obstructions to Monastic Life

We share the following essay submission.

In a grotesque display of hypocrisy, Myanmar’s military junta, which justifies its rule under the pretense of ‘safeguarding Buddhism,’ has systematically been interfering with the Saṅgha and persecuting monks since the 2021 military coup. And now, perhaps most shockingly, it is preventing young men who have been conscripted from taking up robes, according to reports from Frontier Myanmar and Khit Thit Media!  

For generations, Buddhist ordination in Myanmar has been more than a religious commitment—it is a fundamental part of the social fabric. Nearly all Burmese boys spend time as novices (samanera), and full ordination (upasampada) remains a revered practice. Ordination is a sacred act that the Vinaya Pitaka, the monastic code laid down by the Buddha over 2500 years ago; the act of taking on robes is a profound moral and spiritual undertaking, seen as a way to earn merit for oneself and one's family, transitioning from worldly suffering to a path of discipline, wisdom, and compassion with the ultimate goal of seeking spiritual transcendence. By prohibiting ordination outright, and instead conscripting young men into an increasingly desperate military, the junta not only violates those young means’ human rights, but also one of the most sacred tenets of the very religion it professes to protect.

Monasteries have been ordered to deny entry to anyone on the conscription list. The military, losing manpower from historic battlefield defeats, has resorted to mass abductions, press-ganging young men from city streets, workplaces, and even their homes to enlist. Reports from Myanmar Now and Frontier describe how local thugs and paramilitary groups, often paid by the military, are now roaming the streets abducting young men for conscription. Bribery, once an escape route, is no longer a guaranteed option. In Yangon and Mandalay alone, hundreds have vanished in recent weeks, forced into the ranks of an institution despised by its own people. “They don’t want money anymore; they want bodies," a Mandalay Strike Force spokesperson told Frontier. Some families, unable to pay for their sons' release, watch helplessly as they are shipped off to military camps, often never to be heard from again.

The Saṅgha has not remained silent in the face of this travesty. Senior monks have openly criticized the junta for its hypocrisy. One monastic leader stated that the military's actions are “corrupt and embarrassing the nation” and that true Buddhist teachings are being defiled by the regime’s oppressive rule. Yet some suggest that the Saṅgha shouldn’t be addressing these matters at all; that they should be avoiding “politics” altogether and focusing solely on spiritual and religious matters. But when monastic aspirants are being barred from renunciation, and are forced into acts of killing instead, silence becomes a political act, because it allows the oppressors’ assault on the Dhamma to go unchecked—whether or not that is one’s intent.

The junta’s hypocrisy has historical roots. After all, this is the same military that has for decades leveraged religious nationalism to justify its rule while consistently persecuting monks who oppose its tyranny. But monastic institutions in Myanmar have historically served as a moral compass, and the junta understands—and fears—this! By tightening its grip on the Saṅgha, infiltrating monastic leadership, and now dictating who may or may not ordain, the regime is attempting to strip Myanmar’s monastic community of its role as a bastion of ethical leadership.

Yet history has also shown that the spirit of the Saṅgha cannot be so easily extinguished, in spite of the military’s many attempts to control it. During the colonial era, during Ne Win’s dictatorship, and even under previous military regimes, monks have been at the forefront of resisting tyranny, such as the Saffron Revolution of 2007.  Even now, some monasteries are quietly defying the junta’s orders, providing sanctuary to those fleeing conscription and refusing to comply with directives to turn away young men seeking ordination. Their courage stands as a testament to the enduring strength of true Buddhist principles.

Meanwhile, the military’s actions only accelerate its isolation and deepen public resentment. Never before has the path to ordination been so explicitly barricaded by force! If this policy is allowed to take root, it could permanently erode the foundation of monastic life in Myanmar, transforming the Saṅgha from a sacred refuge into a state-controlled entity where monks are no longer seekers of truth, but prisoners of power.

The Buddha famously described the path to liberation as one of ehipassiko—an open invitation for all who wish to come and experience for themselves how these teachings can ultimately lead to full liberation. The road to renunciation must always remain open, unblocked by coercion, untainted by worldly agendas. By closing that road, the junta is committing one of the gravest offenses imaginable: the destruction of the path to liberation itself.