CHAPTER 1: The Meiktila Massacre and the Roots of Division

Written by Maung Maung (Shwe Keraweik) and translated by Dr. Ko Ko Gyi.

If I am to tell the story of the one-sided massacre in Meiktila, I must begin the day before the tragedy took place: March 19, 2013.

To truly understand the Multi-Religious Peace Programme held at the Oriental House Banquet Hall in Mandalay on that day, we first need to look at the events that preceded it.

The Unique Bond of Mandalay

Our city of Mandalay is unique because it is home to a vast number of studying and residing monks (sanga). Mandalayan business owners have always maintained close ties with the monastic community; in fact, understanding the special, respectful language used to communicate with monks is essential for doing business here.

In the old days, there were very few rest houses in Mandalay. People traveling from out-of-station to buy or sell goods would usually stay at monasteries they were familiar with. Because visitors often worried about getting lost, finding the right shops, or being cheated, the monks from their respective monasteries would accompany them to supervise their business transactions.

As shop owners, my family and I always treated these clients fairly and showed the accompanying monks the utmost respect. We took care of their food and drinks, ensuring our donations aligned perfectly with religious rules and regulations. Over time, as mutual trust grew, the monks no longer needed to accompany clients personally. Instead, they would send them to our shops via trusted horse-cart or trishaw drivers.

We took excellent care of any customer who arrived stating they were sent by a specific monk from a specific monastery. Upon returning, the monks would inspect the quality of the goods, prices, and receipts to verify everything was in order. If anything seemed unfair or suspicious, they would promptly order the goods to be returned.

This bond ran deep. When my late father was running our car spare-parts business, famous and influential figures like Sayadaw U Kuthala (President of the Young Monks’ Association) and Nandwin Sayadaw (whose palace-moat monastery was highly revered by the Myanmar military’s North-West Division HQ) frequently visited our shop and our home. They didn’t just do business with us; they regularly joined our family for breakfast and lunch.

When I opened my own shop in 1976, I proudly carried on this tradition. I became well-acquainted with monks from all four corners of Mandalay and developed a very close relationship with Popa Sayadaw U Paramma Wunna Theiddi.

Historically, there was no animosity between Mandalay’s Buddhists and Muslims—only unity. This cordial relationship stood strong up until 1988. Even when religious tensions and disturbances flared up in other parts of Burma, Mandalay remained calm under the steady, protective care of our revered elder monks.

The Military’s “Divide and Rule” Plot

Everything changed after 1988. The notorious, wicked, and cunning Burmese military systematically tried to drive a wedge into the unity between Mandalay’s monks and Muslims, deploying agent provocateurs as part of their well-known “divide and rule” policy.

In 1997, a massive public outcry erupted over the desecration of the Maha Myat Muni Payargyi, where the tummy of the Buddha statue was opened up—an act widely believed to have been committed by the military government to steal a priceless, powerful ruby. To divert public anger and cover up the crime, government agent provocateurs manufactured false rumors regarding the Ah Lae Baung quarter. As a result, several mosques in Mandalay were attacked and damaged.

Thanks to the timely intervention of revered elder monks and the incredible patience, endurance, and quick negotiation of the Muslim community, the riots were defused.

During this chaos, I was arrested by the Military Intelligence (MI) unit. My “crime” was simply trying to stop the riots and prevent revenge attacks from both sides. I was interrogated for eight days at an MI detention center, sentenced to three years in prison, and placed in solitary confinement in Cell No. 4 of Mandalay’s Oh Boh Jail. (I was later able to secure my freedom through the newly transferred Middle Command Commander-in-Chief, U Ye Myint, who is now the Mandalay Division Prime Minister).

Translator’s Note (Dr. Ko Ko Gyi): > When I learned of my brother’s prison sentence, I went directly to the Myanmar Embassy and Military Attaché’s office to demand the mailing address of Military Intelligence Chief General Khin Nyunt. I wrote to him, arguing that these racial riots were clearly orchestrated by disgruntled government insiders or opposition forces looking to disrupt the peace. I pointed out that arresting my brother—who was actively trying to stop the violence—while letting the actual rioters go free was unlawful and a blunder by his lower-level MI agents. > I detailed my own academic achievements and the unfair discrimination I had faced, noting that despite my anger, I had never acted against the government. I advised him to verify my character with successive embassy officials. Finally, I demanded my brother’s immediate release, warning that I would pursue every avenue of retaliation if he remained jailed. Not long after, Maung Maung was released, and I even sent General Khin Nyunt a “Thank You” card.

The Manufacturing of Extremism

Inside Oh Boh Jail, I witnessed the wrongful arrests of countless monks who had absolutely nothing to do with the riots. Most were young, innocent monks rounded up en masse while walking their early morning alms rounds. Upon entering the main gates of the prison, I saw a massive, heartbreaking pile of discarded saffron robes and alms bowls.

These arrested monks were isolated from the general prison population, subjected to verbal abuse, scolded with foul language, and physically tortured to instill a deep fear of the military. From this traumatized group, certain monks were systematically separated. After breaking them down mentally and physically, the military selected the more vulnerable, impressionable monks to be molded into undercover assets and agent provocateurs.

It was immediately after this period that aggressively anti-Muslim young monks began appearing in Mandalay and the surrounding regions. The most prominent among them was U Wirathu.

Because U Wirathu had earned the prestigious “Bi Wuntha” scriptural certificate, he used his credentials to publicly challenge and “correct” the teachings of older, far more respected monks. He carried himself like a lightweight boxer boldly stepping into the ring to challenge heavyweights.

U Wirathu began openly delivering Islamophobic hate speech, notably starting at the Buddhist Religion’s 2500 Anniversary West 45 Tar Zayat (Hall). There, he publicly declared:

“Because you lacked a proper leader, you failed in the 1997 Mandalay riots. Now, I will lead you all to ensure the ‘Kalars’ (Muslims) have no place to stay and no food to eat in Mandalay.”

In widely circulated video clips of this sermon, U Wirathu explicitly threatened to make the Muslims of Mandalay so terrified of Buddhists that they would not even dare to look up.