Mizzima/NagaNews-Dec 22
In Naga Self-Administered Zone in Myanmar’s Sagaing Region, a concerning situation has emerged where food scarcity is driving religious conversion.
According to local sources, approximately 400 Christian villagers from Sappalaw Ah Nount Gone Village in Lahe Township recently pledged allegiance to Buddhism in front of local Buddhist monks who were providing food aid. The villagers signed a document on 7 December, vowing to leave the village if they ever convert to another faith. A former Parliamentary member who won the 2020 Naga self-administered zone election revealed to Mizzima that while some villagers wish to go back to their original religion, they face threats of expulsion if they do so. “At the moment, the powerful are exerting influence on the non-powerful. Christians are non-powerful, whereas Buddhists are powerful. The village heads and chiefs are using this imbalance to coerce the locals into cooperation with the (Buddhist) monks,” the representative explained.
The situation has been exacerbated by severe livelihood challenges in Sappalaw Ah Nount Gone Village, where crop yields have been poor for the past three years. In response, the village’s abbot, Bhaddanta Pandita, Saddhama Jotikadhaja, initiated a donation appeal. The local Infantry Battalion No. 272 responded by donating over 10 million kyat worth of food supplies, including rice, beans, cooking oil, salt, and dried tea leaves. The pledge-signing event, where villagers had to promise not to convert from Buddhism to other religions, emerged as a result of the abbot redistributing the donated supplies to impoverished villagers. However, Naga News reported on 18 December, citing a Christian pastor, that the promises were signed under duress. The report indicated that households faced various pressures, including mandatory Sunday work requirements, leading them to sign the pledge when unable to withstand the threats. The religious dynamics in the region have a complex history. Before 1980, local Nat worship was prevalent in the Naga self-administered zone. Christian missionaries arrived in 1985, leading to widespread conversion.
However, after 1994, the then-junta named State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) mandated the construction of Buddhist monasteries in Naga villages regardless of the residents’ faith, offering incentives for Buddhist conversion. Read more at:
