Myanmar Passes Bill to Prevent Buddhist Women from Marrying Muslims
LatestMyanmar’s parliament has passed a controversial measure that will make it much harder for Buddhist women to marry non-Buddhist men. The “Buddhist Women’s Special Marriage Bill” is one of several bills passed to protect “race and religion”; Human Rights Watch says they’re backed by extremist Buddhist monks and meant to incite hatred against Muslims.
Rohingya Muslims have been fleeing Myanmar for years, thousands of them in just the past few months alone, frequently fleeing on dangerous, crowded boats to neighboring countries like Malaysia and Thailand, where they are repeatedly sent away. Rohingya are considered “outsiders” by Myanmar’s government, deprived of basic human rights, and frequently confined to prison camps.