Monk militia: The Buddhist clergy backing Myanmar’s junta

In a monastery in central Myanmar, a Buddhist monk, Wathawa, rallies his militia with a cry: “What’s our spirit like?”

“The spirit of iron!” shout a gaggle of rifle-bearing males, loyalists of the army junta that seized energy final 12 months, now preventing to crush fledgling pro-democracy teams.

The scene, from a video posted on-line by army-linked media, would have appeared unimaginable to earlier generations within the overwhelmingly Buddhist nation. Now, it underscores the shut alliance the army has solid with the Buddhist hierarchy.