Capturing the World’s Attention: Buddhist Media Diplomacy in Myanmar

Abstract

When Buddhist monks joined Myanmar’s1 civilian protesters in September 2007, the subsequent Saffron Revolution2 challenged the nation’s nineteen-year-military junta. Photos and videos spread the news worldwide, and the holy men’s courageous stand won support from an admiring public. By helping to focus the global gaze on Myanmar’s repressive regime, the monks’ actions exemplified how religious groups accomplish public diplomacy. Although the junta harshly quelled the demonstrations, military leaders initiated steps to form a civilian government in 2011, and former opposition leaders—including Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi—won parliamentary seats the following April. In September 2012, Myanmar’s leaders were welcomed at the United Nations and restored to the good graces of the United States and the European Union ending years of political isolation and economic sanctions. Arguably, these stunning diplomatic turnarounds began with the 2007 demonstrations and the monks’ central role in galvanizing public opinion.