Burmese Monks

The reason the Burmese monk demonstrations were so successful is because they leverage their power onto the opposition and forced the opposition to infuriate the public eye. This they did by protesting which would have worked well even if they had not been beaten. “To physically assault a monk is one of the greatest sins in Buddhism: this spared mass indignation and helped the movement grow far more quickly than it would have otherwise” (Fink 355). Here we see how these monks created tension to push the movement forward faster than it normally would have. These were the only group of people who could have had this impact, and they used this to their advantage. Even had they protested and not been beaten, it would have made a strong impact because Buddhist monks rarely protest. It is also interesting what the monks are asking for. Instead of asking for the government to lower food prices and transportation costs, they are, “Chanting the metta sutta of loving and kindness towards all beings” (Fink 355). This way they appeal to third parties as wanting equality and fairness and not asking for price changes. This seems that it would be better to interest third party action because it is more broad and encapsulates the bigger picture of what the protest is about. It is about human rights in general, not so much about good costs. The specifics of the movement are important, but with the media involved it would make sense and would appeal more to other people if the word getting out angered people enough to get involved with the movement.