Religion in Burma

Burma is a multi-religious country. Buddhism in Burma is predominantly of the Theravada sect intermingled with local beliefs. According to the military government, it is practiced by 89% [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bm.html#People CIA Factbook - Burma] ] [ [http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90131.htm International Religious Freedom Report 2007 - Burma] ] [ [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35910.htm Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs - Background Note: Burma] ] of the population, especially among the Bamar, Rakhine, Shan, Mon, and Chinese.

Christianity is practiced by 4% of the population, primarily among the Kachin, Chin and Kayin, and Eurasians because of missionary work in their respective areas. About four-fifths of the country’s Christians are Protestants, in particular Baptists of the Myanmar Baptist Convention; Roman Catholics make up the remainder.

Islam, mainly of the Sunni sect, is practiced by 4% of the population according to the government census. However, according to the U.S. State Department’s 2006 international religious freedom report, the country's non-Buddhist populations were underestimated in the census. Muslim leaders estimate that as much as 20% of the population may be Muslim. [cite web |url=http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71335.htm |title=Burma—International Religious Freedom Report 2006 |publisher=U.S. Department of State |date=2006-09-15 |accessdate=2007-09-25] Muslims are divided amongst Indians, Indo-Burmese, Persians, Arabs, Panthays, Rohingyas, and the Chinese Hui people. See Islam in Burma.

Hinduism is practiced mainly by Burmese Indians.

The Muslim and Christian populations face religious persecution. The military government has revoked the citizenship of the Muslim Rohingya of Northern Rakhine and attacked Christian ethnic minority populations. Such persecution and targeting of civilians is particularly notable in Eastern Burma, where over 3000 villages have been destroyed in the past ten years. [cite web|url=http://tbbc.org/resources.html#reports |title=Internal Displacement in Eastern Burma 2006 Survey | accessdate=2007-02-04 | author=Thailand Burma Border Consortium | year=2007] cite news |first=Harry |last=Priestly |url=http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=5380 |title=The Outsiders |publisher=The Irrawaddy |date=2006-01-17 |accessdate=2006-07-07] [cite web|url=http://isrc.payap.ac.th/document/papers/paper23.pdf |title=The Encounter of Missionary Christianity and Resurgent Buddhism in Post-colonial Myanmar |accessdate=2006-07-14 |author=Samuel Ngun Ling |year=2003 |format=PDF |publisher=Payap University ]

Although Burma's Jews once numbered in the thousands, there are currently only approximately 20 Jews in Rangoon, where the country's only synagogue is located.

References