Young Men's Buddhist Association (Burma)

The Young Men's Buddhist Association (YMBA) was a Buddhist cultural organisation in Burma.

History

The YMBA was founded in Rangoon in 1906 as a federation of lay Buddhist groups dating back to 1898, with prominent founders including Ba Pe, U Kin, May Oung and Maung Gyee.^[1] It was modelled on the Young Men's Buddhist Association founded in Ceylon in 1898,^[2] and was created to preserve the Buddhist-based culture in Burma against the backdrop of British colonialism including the incorporation of Burma into India.

The YMBA started its first open campaign against British rule in 1916,^[3] and after many protests obtained a ruling that abbots could impose dress codes on all visitors to Buddhists monasteries.^[4]

The organisation split in 1918 when older members insisted that it should remain apolitical, whilst younger members sought to enter the political sphere, sending a delegation to India to meet the Viceroy and Secretary of State to request the separation of Burma from India.^[1] Further lobbying delegations were sent to London in 1919 and 1920. Following its key involvement in the 1920 student strike,^[1] the most nationalist elements of the YMBA broke off and formed a political party known as the General Council of Burmese Associations,^[5] whilst a senior faction later formed the Independent Party.

Activities

The organisation founded multiple schools. It was one of the key organisations in the start of nationalist sentiment in Burma.

References

1. Haruhiro Fukui (1985) Political parties of Asia and the Pacific, Greenwood Press, pp153–154
2. Human Rights Watch (2009) The Resistance of the Monks: Buddhism and Activism in Burma p12
3. William Roger Louis (1999) Oxford History of the British Empire, Vol. 4, Oxford University Press
4. History of Burma Michigan State University
5. Here Today, Gone Tomorrow The Irrawaddy, 8 November 2009

Further reading

• Michale W. Charney. A History of Modern Burma. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009. p. 31.
• Georgetown Berkeley Center article on this organization