The Strength to Forgive: Building Unity in a Divided Myanmar (By Danny Bawibikthawng)

The Strength to Forgive: Building Unity in a Divided Myanmar

By Danny Bawibikthawng

“The author of this paper is not a politician or a revolutionary, but a former citizen of Myanmar and an immigrant pastor in the United States. This reflection is written from the perspective of one who has closely observed the suffering, resilience, and hopes of his people—both in the homeland and in the diaspora. It is offered with the sincere hope that unity will emerge through forgiveness, and that Burma may one day flourish in peace, justice, and shared dignity among all its people.”

Introduction
Myanmar is a country rich in ethnic diversity, cultural heritage, and spiritual resilience. Yet, its history has been scarred by conflict, colonialism, military dictatorship, and deep internal divisions. The collapse of national unity cannot be attributed merely to external threats or oppressive regimes, but also to the fractures within. Today, as the nation suffers under renewed violence following the 2021 military coup and a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake, the call for unity is louder than ever. But unity cannot be built on bitterness, revenge, or pride. It must be forged through the difficult but courageous act of forgiveness. The truly strong are not those who retaliate, but those who forgive.

As Myanmar continues to fight for freedom and federal democracy, the future of the nation will depend not merely on the defeat of tyranny but on the reconciliation of its people. Based on careful observation as an ethnic person from Myanmar, I believe our main problem is not only the regime anymore. Pride, an unforgiving spirit, and the disunity within and between ethnic groups are now as dangerous as the military dictatorship itself. This paper argues that true unity can only be built by those who have the strength and boldness to forgive across ethnic, political, and historical lines.

I. A Nation Born in Promise, Divided by Power
The Union of Burma was founded in 1947 through the Panglong Agreement, led by General Aung San and key ethnic leaders from the Shan, Kachin, and Chin peoples. This historic agreement was a covenant between the majority Bamar and various ethnic nationalities to form a federal union based on equality, autonomy, and mutual respect. The promise of self-determination was the foundation of national unity. As Aung San declared, “If Burma receives one kyat, you will also get one kyat.”

Tragically, Aung San was assassinated just months later, and his vision of federalism was never realized. Instead, successive military regimes seized power, ruling Myanmar with authoritarian control for over sixty years. These decades of dictatorship eroded not only democratic institutions but also trust among ethnic groups. The military exploited ethnic divisions, pitting groups against each other and sowing seeds of long-lasting suspicion and hostility.

II. The Ruin of a Nation Under Military Rule
Under military governance, Myanmar became a cautionary tale of lost potential. Natural resources were plundered, the economic and education systems collapsed, and international isolation deepened, with poverty worsening. More critically, moral decay and institutionalized violence devastated the social fabric. Ethnic armed conflicts were not only ignored but often instigated by the regime to maintain control through division.

Since the February 2021 coup, these conditions have worsened drastically. The military has bombed schools, churches, monasteries, and civilian homes and killed thousands of civilians including innocent children and women with impunity. Over two million people have been displaced, and the death toll continues to rise. In April 2024, a massive earthquake further crippled already-devastated regions, intensifying the suffering of innocent civilians. The situation is now widely considered one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. Many credible sources claim that the regime in Myanmar has misappropriated international aid, leveraging it to accumulate wealth and power.

II. Ethnic Conflict Within and Beyond
Despite sharing a common enemy, ethnic groups and resistance movements remain fragmented. Even within individual ethnic communities such as the Chin, Karen, and Shan, internal disagreements and power struggles hinder collaboration. Myanmar’s diaspora, including those of us who fled to other nations, are also divided. While financially and emotionally supporting the Civil Disobedience Movement and People’s Defense Forces, many have fallen into the same patterns of mistrust and rivalry.

This disunity weakens our common mission. The struggle is no longer only against the military regime, but also against the forces of ego, pride, and unforgiveness that threaten to destroy the unity we so desperately need.

IV. The Boldness to Forgive: A New Foundation
Unity will not come from military victory alone. Even if the regime falls, a divided resistance will usher in new conflicts. We must therefore choose a different path, a path that requires moral courage and spiritual maturity. As theologian Miroslav Volf writes, “Forgiveness flounders because I exclude the enemy from the community of humans even as I exclude myself from the community of sinners.”

To build a united Myanmar, we must include one another in the community of grace. We must acknowledge past betrayals without clinging to them. The weak and the evil will stick to the past and use it as a weapon to destroy the unity of tomorrow. But the strong, the truly strong, will forgive. Forgiveness is not forgetting. It is remembering in a way that sets us free. It is not passive acceptance but active peacemaking. That kind of pride, grudge, unforgiveness, and blaming one another will destroy some ethnic groups like the Chin from within.

The Christian tradition upholds forgiveness as the highest virtue. Jesus, crucified unjustly, prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). His resurrection was not merely a victory over death but a restoration of hope for a fractured world. Forgiveness, in this view, is resurrection work. It raises what was dead and broken into new life.

V. A Path Forward for the Church / Religions and the Nation
Myanmar’s churches and other religious communities, particularly in the diaspora, must lead by example. The Church and other faiths have the theological resources and moral calling to be peacemakers. It is not enough to condemn injustice; we must also confront bitterness within our own hearts. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

We can support justice without becoming vengeful. We can seek accountability without feeding division. True power is shown in restraint. True leadership is measured in humility. True patriotism is proved in forgiveness.

Forgiveness is not weakness. It is the highest form of strength. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” If Myanmar is to become a truly federal and free nation, it must be rebuilt by such strength, by the strength to forgive.

Conclusion: Forgive to Unite, Unite to Flourish
Unity is not a sentimental idea. It is a political, moral, and spiritual necessity. As long as ethnic groups cling to old wounds and compete for power, Myanmar will remain vulnerable to new forms of tyranny. The way forward requires humility, courage, and vision.

We must forgive, not because the past does not matter, but because the future does. We must remember the dream of Panglong and revive it through renewed trust and shared sacrifice. And above all, we must believe that true strength is found not in retaliation, but in reconciliation.

Let us be among those who have the strength to forgive. Let us build a Myanmar not by might, nor by power, but by a spirit of mercy, truth, and unity.

Bibliography

Aung San, General. The Panglong Agreement, 1947. Reprinted in Documents on the Constitutional History of Myanmar. Yangon: University of Yangon Press, 2010.

Gandhi, Mahatma. The Words of Gandhi. Edited by Richard Attenborough. New York: William Morrow Paperbacks, 2001.

Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016.

International Crisis Group. “Myanmar’s Military Struggles to Control the Virtual Battlefield.” Asia Report No. 314, May 2021.

Thawnghmung, Ardeth Maung. The “Other” Karen in Myanmar: Ethnic Minorities and the Struggle Without Arms. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2012.

OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs). "Myanmar." Asia and the Pacific. Accessed on May 13,2025. (https://www.unocha.org/myanmar).

Volf, Miroslav. Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2019.