With so much death and destruction, it may seem impossible for the peoples of Burma to ever get out from under the boot of the regime.  However, the regime itself has inadvertently set in motion events that will lead to its eventual downfall. It is now up to Buddhists of the world to help ensure that that downfall occurs.  Let me explain.

 

The Burmese culture is one that is primarily based around Buddhism.  Buddhism is one of the most, if not THE most peaceful of the world's religions.  Up until recently, the government actively promoted Buddhism because of its passive nature, which allowed them to more easily suppress the will of the people. 

 

However, with the recent events - with the breaking down of monastery doors, with the beating, shooting and torturing of monks, the regime has lost any legitimate right to call themselves Buddhist.  They have lost ALL moral authority - even the authority that they managed to fake for all of these years by claiming to support Buddhism.  This is an incredibly important point because a majority of the military is Buddhist.

 

The Burmese people and the world need to drive home the point that the regime is 'anti-Buddhist' - that they stand for the polar opposite of what the Buddha taught.  The actions taken by the military weren't just destructive and murderous, they were an INSULT TO THE BUDDHA HIMSELF.  The Buddhist followers and monks of the world must be at the forefront of this movement - deriding the regime as impostors of Buddhism and that the soldiers who support the apparatus are no longer considered Buddhist.  The soldiers are actively working against the Buddha. 

 

When this idea takes hold (if it hasn't already), this will have a wearing effect on the military - the everyday soldiers will question how they can be Buddhist but serve their anti-Buddhist masters.  At some point the military will crack and turn on itself, with a portion taking up the people's fight.

 

It won't be easy and it may take a long time.  But at some point it will occur.  And at that point we will see a new beginning for Burma.