Leading Myanmar women's groups on Tuesday came out against proposed restrictions on interfaith marriage put forward by an extremist Buddhist monk.
The Rainfall women's organisation and seven other groups said they opposed the campaign to get the parliament to pass a law requiring any Buddhist woman seeking to marry a Muslim to first gain permission from her parents and local government officials.
"We see this as discrimination against Myanmar women," said Zin Mar Aung, a former political prisoner who now heads Rainfall.
The influential Mandalay-based Buddhist monk Wirathu, who earlier this year launched the 969 movement calling on Buddhists to boycott Muslim-owned shops, last week mooted his draft legislation at a convention of 200 Myanmar monks held to discuss the rising sectarian violence in the country.
The gathered monks refused to discuss the proposal, but Wirathu said he is undeterred.
"I have dreamed of this law for a long time," Wirathu said. "This is to protect Buddhist women."
Wirathu is seeking 300,000 signatures to support the proposal, which he will then submit to parliament through supportive legislators, he said.
The law would also force any Muslim man marrying a Buddhist to convert Buddhism, the main religion in Myanmar.
Violators would face up to 10 years in prison and having their property confiscated.
Myanmar has seen a spate of anti-Muslim clashes and riots since June 2012, when Buddhist communities in the Rakhine State attacked Rohingya Muslims after the alleged rape and murder of a Buddhist woman by three Muslims.
Weeks of violence left 167 dead and 125,000 people homeless, according to government figures.
This year there have been at least three outbreaks of sectarian violence in central and northern regions.
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