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Rohingya Conflict in Myanmar - Coggle Diagram
Rohingya Conflict in Myanmar
Identity perspective
Semantics of the words Rohingya: implies a distinct minority - buddhist nationalists claim that Rohingya are actually just an ofshoot of the Bengali of India and Bagladesh
Rohingya claim to historical ties to the Arakan (Rakhine) land is disputed by the Buddhists - if Rohingya cannot prove they settled in the region before 1822 (year of British conquest), they will not be recognized as a seperate ethnicum
Rohingya are muslim. There are strong islamophobic tendencies in the majority population --> difficult even for the new democratic government to stand up for the Rohingya
Rohingya clearly demonstrate how recognition of individual identity can contribute to the protection of a population - in 1982 Rohingya were not recognized as an ethnic group (135 others were recognized) - Rohingya cannot vote and are abused
Historical perspective
World War II.
Burmese side with the Japanese in hopes that their occupation will liberate them from the British
Rohingya alongside other ethnic minorities side with the British. Rohingya are promised a separate sate which is later denied.
1962 coup d'état
Staged by military in opposition to ethnic self-determination of the Shan and Kayah minorities (government seen as no longer being able to safeguard order and unity)
Minority self-determination or voices for deceentralization are since seen as "separatist, anti-national, anti-uniti and pro-disintegration"
Operation Dragon King - 1978
Bangladesh Liberation War ended in 1971 and Burma feared Rohingya would be used as a proxy for "invaders"
250,000 Rohingya expelled to Bangladesh - 180,000 later repatriated
Operation Clean and Beautiful Nation - 1991-2
(seriously tho.. is that how you cover up ethnic clensing??)
Following increase in the sophistication of the political organization of the Rohingya the operation started
The main opponent were again the "foreigners" led by the Rohingya Solidarity Orgnization - a politico-militant group advocating for Rohingya enfranchisement
200-250,000 Rohingyas expelled - 150,000 repatriated
Security perspective
Actors perceived as a threat by Myanmar
Bangladesh - could use the Rohingya as a destabilizng proxy
Al-Qaeda - already had ties to the RSO in late 90s - in 2014 a video surfaced where Al-Qaeda promises to "help their brothers in Myanmar"
Inernal terrorism
Rohingya Solidarity Orgnization (RSO)
Arakan Rohingya National Orgnization (ARNO) + Arakan Amry: reponsible for minor terrorist attacks on police stations in the Rakhine state
Historically the Buddhist majority had to suffer under the British empire - Burmese independence was won on grounds of national unity --> historically all ethnic dissent was associated with anti-unionist thinking (hence seen as an existential threat to the state)