Myanmar's 'Rohingya' Conflict [Paperback]

The plight of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims has made international news in recent years. Reports of genocide, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity are commonplace. The Rohingyas have been denied citizenship and are widely discriminated against. Hundreds of thousands have been internally displaced by violence, or have sought refuge in neighbouring or friendly Muslim countries. This conflict has become a litmus test for change in this country in transition, and current assessments are far from positive. Whitewashing by the military, and a refusal by Aung San Suu Kyi's government to even use the name 'Rohingya', adds to international scepticism. Exploring this long-running tripartite conflict between the Rohingya, Rakhine and Burman ethnic groups, this book offers a new analysis of the complexities of the conflict: the fears and motivations driving it and the competition to control historical representations and collective memory. By questioning these competing narratives, offering detailed sociopolitical analysis and examining the international dimensions of the conflict, this book offers new insights into what is preventing a peaceful resolution to this intractable conflict.

CONTENTS


Maps, Figures and Tables
Acknowledgments
Foreword
The Vexed Question of Names

PART I -- CONTEXT

Personal Journeys into this Conflict

1. Complexities, Misconceptions and Context

Addressing misconceptions, highlighting complexity
Rakhine State: Geography, history and demographics
Approach, Definitions and Outline

2. Recent Violence and Significance

Three interconnected conflicts, not one
Significance of the Conflict for Myanmar

PART II -- HISTORICAL NARRATIVES, REPRESENTATION AND COLLECTIVE MEMORY

History, memory and the social psychology of conflict

3. The Rohingya 'Origin' Narrative

Sources and their sociopolitical context
The Rohingya 'Origin' Narrative

4. Rakhine--Bl£(