The Saint Who Sold Hate: Exposing Sitagu Sayadaw’s Role in Myanmar’s Genocide Machinery
By Legal Advocacy & Accountability Review Committee (LAARC)
I. The Mask of Benevolence
Ashin Nyanissara, revered globally as Sitagu Sayadaw, projects an image of compassion through his international network of schools, hospitals, and charities. Yet behind this facade lies a calculated architect of anti-Muslim violence. Evidence proves his complicity in:
- Institutionalizing Islamophobia through sermons distorting Buddhist history to frame Muslims as “invaders.”
- Legitimizing military atrocities by blessing troops during genocidal operations.
- Weaponizing philanthropy to silence critics while bankrolling division.
II. The Three Pillars of Complicity
1. Ideological Poison: Rewriting History to Incite Hate
- In sermons (documented in MMNN’s Thidagu series), Nyanissara:
- Falsely claims Buddhism is “under siege” by Muslims.
- Calls the Rohingya “Kalar invaders” – a racial slur used to justify expulsion.
- Promotes the conspiracy that Muslims seek to “eliminate Buddhism” through birth rates.
- His rhetoric directly inspired:
- Ma Ba Tha’s anti-Muslim campaigns.
- Violence in Meiktila (2013) and Rakhine (2017).
2. Infrastructure of Oppression: Charities as Weapons
The Sitagu network (200+ schools/clinics worldwide) functions as:
- Recruitment hubs training ultranationalist monks.
- Money-laundering channels diverting foreign donations to hate groups.
- Propaganda centers distributing Islamophobic textbooks (Thidagu Part 2).
“He builds hospitals with one hand and funds genocide with the other.”
– MMNN Legal Memorandum, 2025
3. Direct Collaboration with War Criminals
- Blessed Tatmadaw units implicated in Rohingya massacres (2017).
- Donated $100,000+ to military for “welfare” while troops burned villages.
- Shared platforms with Wirathu and Aung Thaung (sanctioned junta leaders).
III. Legal Liability Under International Law
Per the LAARC Legal Assessment:
- Rome Statute, Article 25(3)(c): Criminal liability for inciting genocide through sermons.
- Genocide Convention, Article III(e): Complicity in genocide via material support to perpetrators.
- Crimes Against Humanity: Persecution through systematic dehumanization of Muslims.
IV. The Global Enabling System
Nyanissara escapes accountability due to:
- Diplomatic cover from Myanmar’s junta (granted “State Sangha” titles).
- Western ignorance of his dual role (U.S./EU-funded charities ignore his hate speech).
- UN inaction despite documentation by Fact-Finding Missions (2019).
V. Pathways to Justice
- ICC Investigation: Petition prosecutors to probe his incitement and funding of atrocities.
- Sanctions: Magnitsky-style asset freezes on Sitagu’s international network.
- Charity Audits: Demand transparency from donors (e.g., Japan, Singapore).
- Interfaith Boycott: Isolate him from Buddhist institutions worldwide.
“Sitagu’s narrative isn’t theology – it’s religious terrorism disguised as dharma.”
– Thidagu’s Islamophobic Narrative, 2025
