Heba al-Adawy
Heba Al-Adawy MPhil (Oxon) is a Research Analyst at the Institute of Regional Studies.
DOI: http://DOI Number
Keywords: South Asia, South-East Asia, anti-Rohingya, Myanmar, economic tiger, humanitarian concerns, security, democracy, Buddhist terror, military, Burmese muslims
Abstract
Increasing number of refugees from Rohingya highlight the atroctities commited against the muslim minority. The outbreak of communal violence was declared by human rights observers as a campaign of ethnic cleansing, making them one of the world’s most vulnerable minority. Although violence is not uncommon against the people, this time the campaign raises several questions. The country is undergoing rapid economic expansion ans is even labelled Asia’s next economic tiger, however, the darker truth is still covered. Much of the violence is seen as a part of democratization process, as the persecution in Rohihngya is a common. Even more so is the role of political economy, aided by inequitable investment, in fuelling the enduring persecution of Muslims in Myanmar. Despite their precarious position in society, scholarly literature focusing on the Rohingya is scanty, or at best, scattered. The present economic and political situation of Myanmar carries particular implications for one of its most persecuted minorities. Many have claimed that Myanmar’s democratisation process is exacerbating ethnic tensions, while others have suggested a post-reform power struggle between hardliners and moderate military forces. While the points above have some validity, this research attempts to fill a vacuum in the literature by concentrating on the economics of hatred in Myanmar. It investigates the foreign development and assistance sector in Myanmar and how it exacerbates existing societal cleavages. In this sense, the violence of 2012-13 is linked to larger dynamics of political economy, as well as an exclusivist national vision that uses the Rohingya and, by extension, Burmese Muslims as economic scapegoats.
First Published
September 25, 2013
How to Cite
Heba al-Adawy, “Persecution of the Rohingya – the Dark Side of Development in Myanmar,” Regional Studies 31, no.4 (Autumn 2013): 43-65, https://regionalstudies.com.pk/wp/article/persecution-of-the-rohingya-the-dark-side-of-development-in-myanmar/
Issue
Volume 31, Issue 4