In the Western stereotype, Buddhists are meditating pacifists
who strive to keep their distance from worldly passions. But
last month, more than 40 people were killed in fighting between
Buddhists and Muslims in the central Burmese town of Meiktila.
Witnesses say some Buddhist monks joined in the violence, while
others tried to stop it. One prominent monk in particular has
been blamed for being behind it. U Wirathu, 45, is head of the
Masoeyein monastery in Myanmar’s second-largest city, Mandalay,
just up the highway from Meiktila. Wirathu is considered a
talented scholar of Buddhist scriptures in the ancient Pali
language, which gives him authority among Buddhists. On a recent
day, he sat in the middle of a large hall, full of Buddhist
imagery and pictures of other monks. Wirathu is a slight figure,
clad in saffron-colored robes. He says he was in Meiktila during
the violence, and was trying to stop it. “We spoke to the crowds
to try to control the situation,” he says in a steady voice. “We
assured them of t