MYANMAR, May 18, 2016 (Frontier): Signs of a vibrant Hindu community are everywhere in downtown Yangon; ornate temples peer out from between the tenements, and periodic festivals enliven the streets with rhythmic music, colorful costumes and offerings of sweet masala chai. With their roots in several waves of Indian migration during the British colonial era, Myanmar’s Hindus are thoroughly a part of the country’s intricate cultural fabric.
Hindus have long lived peacefully in Myanmar, U. Brajesh Verma, chairman of the Myanmar-Hindu Literature Association, said, because they “never interfere in anything.” Because of their cordial relationship with the country’s other diverse peoples, authorities have offered Hindus the freedom to practice their religion and preserve their culture through public festivals and ceremonies.
But while Hindus are relatively free to practice their faith, they remain political and economic outsiders in Myanmar. In a general election last November, Myanmar’s first freely elected poll in decades, not a single Hindu lawmaker was elected to Parliament or appointed to senior executive positions. This economic and political exclusion leads some to return to their ancestral grounds.
Much more at “source” above, as well as Hinduism Today’s feature story on Myanmar: https://www.hinduismtoday.com/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=5647