Moral Authority in Burmese Politics - Stephan Engelkamp, Oct 2008

November 12th, 2008 by Franz

Moral Authority in Burmese Politics

Stephan Engelkamp

ASIEN 109 (Oktober 2008), S. 37-53  (German Association of Asien Studies)

An Excerpt:

“(M)oral authority plays a constitutive role as a power resource in Burmese politics. Buddhism and Buddhist moral values are among the strongest ideational foundations of the Burmese society.

A cautious interpretation of the events during the 2007 crisis suggests that the government’s efforts to monopolize the meaning of moral authority have failed.70 Instead, the sangha continues to play a central role in organizing opposition to the regime. The refusal of the monks to accept the alms of the military was a powerful countertextual symbol that challenged the state’s discursive hegemony directly. The uprising reached its symbolic peak when the protesting monks managed to pay homage to opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. These protests revealed the political resistance of the sangha. They are a sign that the crisis of authority is still ongoing in Burma.”

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moral-authority-in-burmese-politics.pdf