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The Rohingyas: Inside Myanmar's Hidden Genocide
The Rohingya are a Muslim group who live in Rakhine state (formerly Arakan state) in western Myanmar (Burma), a majority Buddhist country. According to the United Nations, they are one of the most persecuted minorities in the world. They suffer routine discrimination at the hands of
neighboring Buddhist Rakhine groups, but international human rights groups such as Human Rights Watch (HRW) have also accused Myanmar's authorities of being complicit in a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya Muslims. The Rohingya face regular violence, arbitrary arrest and detention,
extortion, and other abuses, a situation that has been particularly acute since 2012 in the wake of a serious wave of sectarian violence. Islam is practiced by around 4% of the population of Myanmar, and most Muslims also identify as Rohingya. Yet the authorities refuse to recognize this group as
one of the 135 ethnic groups or "national races" making up Myanmar's population. On this basis, Rohingya individuals are denied citizenship rights in the country of their birth, and face severe limitations on many aspects of an ordinary life, such as marriage or movement around the country.
This expose of the attempt to erase the Rohingyas from the face of Myanmar is sure to gain widespread attention.
neighboring Buddhist Rakhine groups, but international human rights groups such as Human Rights Watch (HRW) have also accused Myanmar's authorities of being complicit in a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya Muslims. The Rohingya face regular violence, arbitrary arrest and detention,
extortion, and other abuses, a situation that has been particularly acute since 2012 in the wake of a serious wave of sectarian violence. Islam is practiced by around 4% of the population of Myanmar, and most Muslims also identify as Rohingya. Yet the authorities refuse to recognize this group as
one of the 135 ethnic groups or "national races" making up Myanmar's population. On this basis, Rohingya individuals are denied citizenship rights in the country of their birth, and face severe limitations on many aspects of an ordinary life, such as marriage or movement around the country.
This expose of the attempt to erase the Rohingyas from the face of Myanmar is sure to gain widespread attention.
235 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
January 10, 2021
Dense but repetitive and belabors the point which can be distracting. Instead of emphasizing the plight of the Rohingyas, the statistics, numbers and constant references on books and articles can tire the reader; it sounds more like an academic paper that was edited slightly for the general audience. This is not an objective introduction to the Rohingyas but a behest to act on their behalf. Also, I would have loved to hear personal stories; after all, this is about faceless, nameless, stateless people who are on the brink of genocide.
This book argues that the Rohingyas have already been part of precolonial Myanmar, is a call on the international community's promise to act and put pressure on the government instead of merely supporting them and strengthening the regime which will only help with the persecution of this ethnic group. And at the start of the book, the author does not conceal his dissatisfaction with Aung San Suu Kyi's silence. Largely, this is a call to action because "the Rohingyas will disappear from Rakhine state. It is sure Rohingya will disappear" (an interview with a Rohingya politician). As this is the only book that focuses solely on the Rohingyas, and the most up to date one, it's a good primer (contextualizing it historically and with collated info/articles/interviews/books/stats), but I look forward to more books which will show me who they are not just as a persecuted minority, but as individuals.
This book argues that the Rohingyas have already been part of precolonial Myanmar, is a call on the international community's promise to act and put pressure on the government instead of merely supporting them and strengthening the regime which will only help with the persecution of this ethnic group. And at the start of the book, the author does not conceal his dissatisfaction with Aung San Suu Kyi's silence. Largely, this is a call to action because "the Rohingyas will disappear from Rakhine state. It is sure Rohingya will disappear" (an interview with a Rohingya politician). As this is the only book that focuses solely on the Rohingyas, and the most up to date one, it's a good primer (contextualizing it historically and with collated info/articles/interviews/books/stats), but I look forward to more books which will show me who they are not just as a persecuted minority, but as individuals.
May 8, 2016
It's so sad that the Rohingyas are another minorities that is facing genocide but nobody is interested in Burma anymore. Since Aung San Suu Kyi came to power the western world start to think that everything is settled, as far as I know I'm not the only one that has never knew that also Theravada Buddhist could be racist and violent. So this book is important because is written by one of the few person that is still fighting for this ignored minorities of Muslim who are almost all living in refugees camps where they are only waiting to die.
È molto triste realizzare come ci siano ancora molte minoranze ignorate che piano piano stanno scomparendo, come i Rohingyas per i quali si parla ormai di genocidio, ma non fanno notizia. Da quando Aung San Suu Kyi é arrivata al potere, il mondo occidentale sembra essersi lavato le mani della Birmania, come se ormai il problema fosse risolto. Inoltre molti ignorano come ci siano frange buddiste violente e razziste. Quindi questo libro é importante perché é scritto da uno dei pochi che ancora cerca di tenere alto l'interesse su questa monoranza mussulmana, che ormai vive quasi tutta in campi di rifugiati dove non viene permesso loro altro che aspettare di morire.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS FOR THE PREVIEW!
È molto triste realizzare come ci siano ancora molte minoranze ignorate che piano piano stanno scomparendo, come i Rohingyas per i quali si parla ormai di genocidio, ma non fanno notizia. Da quando Aung San Suu Kyi é arrivata al potere, il mondo occidentale sembra essersi lavato le mani della Birmania, come se ormai il problema fosse risolto. Inoltre molti ignorano come ci siano frange buddiste violente e razziste. Quindi questo libro é importante perché é scritto da uno dei pochi che ancora cerca di tenere alto l'interesse su questa monoranza mussulmana, che ormai vive quasi tutta in campi di rifugiati dove non viene permesso loro altro che aspettare di morire.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS FOR THE PREVIEW!
September 27, 2016
A bit dense but contains some really valuable and well-researched data on the
Rohingya's history in Burma/Myanmar
Rohingya's history in Burma/Myanmar
April 10, 2018
A toxic mix of post colonialism nationalism, Theravada Buddhist extremism and autocratic rule. A bit repetitive but interesting nonetheless.
October 8, 2017
Informative, good research. Great book for people who want to know more the origin of Rohingya and how those critical issues still going in our world.
August 25, 2018

The Rohingyas - Inside Myanmar's Hidden Genocide.
Author : Azeem Ibrahim.
Genre : Non-Fiction, Current Affairs, International Law and Policy.
Rating : 4/5
Overall, more than 7,00,000 Rohingyas have fled their homes due to destruction and plunder in the Northern areas of the Rakhine Province since August 2017. Add to that the previous increasing tolls of deaths and refugees and the horrific picture starts mutilating your eyes and hearts.
'The Rohingyas' is a timely and welcome piece of literature on the plight of persecuted ethnic minority of the Rohingyas in Myanmar facing acts of killing, plunder and ehnic cleansing by the Buddhist extremists with an urgent need to attract the world's attention to the worst situation currently on the brink of genocide.
It discusses in detail the carnage and systematic degradation of human rights and reduction of minorities through an authoritative regime, hostile civic sentiment and a reluctant and ambiguous political action.
This book helps us know in depth about the current problems of the the Rakhine (a.k.a Arakan) province and the roots of these horrific cases of ethnic cleansing beginning from 1948 after the country gained Independence.
The author with detailed research has laid down a chronological progression of events from recent centuries to a road to democracy to the current rhetoric along with the changes and its implications on the Rohingyas.
The Rohingyas have been denied citizenship in Myanmar and in turn fundamental rights due to passing of discriminatory laws.
The Burman - Buddhist extremists are of a view that the Rohingyas are Bengalis who shifted to Myanmar after 1824 during the British rule and therefore they cannot be recognised as citizens of Myanmar and are firm on their stance of gradually persecuting and cleaning up the minorities from the province of Rakhine.
The author has rebutted these claims by providing and extensively quoting historical evidence through documents that the Rohingyas were present in Arakan before the British arrived.
The author has brilliantly explained the period of military regime and the issues relating to them underscoring the excerbating of problems under the military rule.
But he also rightly discusses that the situation has not turned better even after democracy was established. Instead, it is seen to have worsened with political gains and power at stake.
Extensive explanation has been provided about the smuggling of people who flee Myanmar through sea from Rakhine in order to escape oppression to other South Asian countries as slaves and forced cheap labour for fishing and other industries in the world depicting the devastating scenario for all Rohingyas in Myanmar and outside.
In seperate chapters named "Genocide" and "Genocide and International Law", the author has taken course towards the legal nuances of the issue and definitions and prerequisites of a situation to be called as a genocide. But it ends in merely just explaining the plight in legal precepts including references to other genocidal instances like Rwanda and Nazi Germany and very little solutions on the legal arena.
In the final Chapter "What Can Be Done?"
Prof Ibrahim briefly points out the contours and major points like International Pressure, International Criminal Court and Domestic Pressure and the need of their harmonious attacks on the current regime, in detail for solving the long lasting and fundamental problems at hand.
There are some minute shortcomings in the layout, sometimes the use of the word genocide in the title is not consistent with its use in the actual text, the auhor is lot more careful.
The solutions provided are on a path of reduction and don't completely attack the roots of actual trouble which are visible throughout history.
But the plus points in the piece massively outnumber the miniscule fallacies in the bigger picture.
To conclude, it is the need of the hour that all the stake holders internally and the international community takes note of the ongoing plunder to join hands and do the least they can to reduce the danger by unrelenting political pressure and incessant humanitarian work since international silence and paralysis will only worsen the situation and it won't be far away that we will have another genocidal chapter to learn about for generations to come.
Happy Reading!
Thank you Speaking Tiger Publications for the review copy.
The Rohingyas - Inside Myanmar's Hidden Genocide.
Author : Azeem Ibrahim.
Genre : Non-Fiction, Current Affairs, International Law and Policy.
Rating : 4/5
Overall, more than 7,00,000 Rohingyas have fled their homes due to destruction and plunder in the Northern areas of the Rakhine Province since August 2017. Add to that the previous increasing tolls of deaths and refugees and the horrific picture starts mutilating your eyes and hearts.
'The Rohingyas' is a timely and welcome piece of literature on the plight of persecuted ethnic minority of the Rohingyas in Myanmar facing acts of killing, plunder and ehnic cleansing by the Buddhist extremists with an urgent need to attract the world's attention to the worst situation currently on the brink of genocide.
It discusses in detail the carnage and systematic degradation of human rights and reduction of minorities through an authoritative regime, hostile civic sentiment and a reluctant and ambiguous political action.
This book helps us know in depth about the current problems of the the Rakhine (a.k.a Arakan) province and the roots of these horrific cases of ethnic cleansing beginning from 1948 after the country gained Independence.
The author with detailed research has laid down a chronological progression of events from recent centuries to a road to democracy to the current rhetoric along with the changes and its implications on the Rohingyas.
The Rohingyas have been denied citizenship in Myanmar and in turn fundamental rights due to passing of discriminatory laws.
The Burman - Buddhist extremists are of a view that the Rohingyas are Bengalis who shifted to Myanmar after 1824 during the British rule and therefore they cannot be recognised as citizens of Myanmar and are firm on their stance of gradually persecuting and cleaning up the minorities from the province of Rakhine.
The author has rebutted these claims by providing and extensively quoting historical evidence through documents that the Rohingyas were present in Arakan before the British arrived.
The author has brilliantly explained the period of military regime and the issues relating to them underscoring the excerbating of problems under the military rule.
But he also rightly discusses that the situation has not turned better even after democracy was established. Instead, it is seen to have worsened with political gains and power at stake.
Extensive explanation has been provided about the smuggling of people who flee Myanmar through sea from Rakhine in order to escape oppression to other South Asian countries as slaves and forced cheap labour for fishing and other industries in the world depicting the devastating scenario for all Rohingyas in Myanmar and outside.
In seperate chapters named "Genocide" and "Genocide and International Law", the author has taken course towards the legal nuances of the issue and definitions and prerequisites of a situation to be called as a genocide. But it ends in merely just explaining the plight in legal precepts including references to other genocidal instances like Rwanda and Nazi Germany and very little solutions on the legal arena.
In the final Chapter "What Can Be Done?"
Prof Ibrahim briefly points out the contours and major points like International Pressure, International Criminal Court and Domestic Pressure and the need of their harmonious attacks on the current regime, in detail for solving the long lasting and fundamental problems at hand.
There are some minute shortcomings in the layout, sometimes the use of the word genocide in the title is not consistent with its use in the actual text, the auhor is lot more careful.
The solutions provided are on a path of reduction and don't completely attack the roots of actual trouble which are visible throughout history.
But the plus points in the piece massively outnumber the miniscule fallacies in the bigger picture.
To conclude, it is the need of the hour that all the stake holders internally and the international community takes note of the ongoing plunder to join hands and do the least they can to reduce the danger by unrelenting political pressure and incessant humanitarian work since international silence and paralysis will only worsen the situation and it won't be far away that we will have another genocidal chapter to learn about for generations to come.
Happy Reading!
Thank you Speaking Tiger Publications for the review copy.
September 8, 2020
Some of the most important information I gleaned from this read:
1. The complex political landscape of Myanmar (formerly Burma) has had a major role in shaping the Rohingya persecution today. The prejudice against the Rohingyas has evolved and been stoked up by political elites for their own political expedients. With a long ruling history by the military, opposition parties in Burma such as the National League for Democracy (NLD) have had to closely ally themselves with Buddhist confessional parties that were already calling for the expulsion of Rohingyas after the 1990 elections. This move was inevitable for the NLD to gain the electoral support of the Buddhist monks, but this in turn has severely limited the NLD’s appeal outside the Burman ethnic majority.
2. The common claim made as to the Rohingyas’ illegitimacy in the state is unsubstantiated. There is evidence from British records during the colonial period showing that the Rohingyas were already living in Rakhine (formerly Arakan) even before the arrival of the Buddhist Rakhine. Even if this historical fact is widely contested, there is also no getting away from the fact that no state can render stateless people born in its territory under the UN Charter.
3. We often associate the religion of Buddhism as peaceful, zen, and individualistic with an emphasis on mindfulness. Although in general this is true, especially for Mahayana Buddhism, this is not the most accurate depiction of the religion as a whole because Therevada Buddhism has been linked to violence, discrimination, oppression, and extremism in Myanmar and parts of Thailand and Sri Lanka. This is important for all of us to be aware of.
However, I’m not so sure I share the author’s optimism that the situation can be resolved by standing up to the regime and demand that they abide by the UN Charter on citizenship alone. If the historical accounts are factually accurate, the bleak political landscape in Myanmar makes that objective rather impossible to achieve because of its hostility towards international interference and pressure.
Besides, the author’s blasé suggestion that the International Criminal Court (ICC) “can still commence its own investigation if it is made aware of a possible care” despite Myanmar not being a signatory to the 2002 Rome Statute is flawed—the ICC lacks jurisdiction to do so if Myanmar is not a State Party. In hindsight, however, we can see the wheels of international justice gradually turning as the Pre-Trial Chamber III of the ICC on the 14th of November 2019 authorised the investigation into the Rohingya persecution on the grounds that part of the alleged criminal conduct takes place on the territory of a State Party- in this case Bangladesh which had ratified the Rome Statute in 2010.
Overall, I’d say it’s a dry but informative read for anyone interested to learn more about the plights of the Rohingyas. Some may find the repetitive bits irksome and more critical readers will likely observe of how biased and infuriated the author can be at some points, but the knowledge acquired in the end will make up for the shortcomings.
1. The complex political landscape of Myanmar (formerly Burma) has had a major role in shaping the Rohingya persecution today. The prejudice against the Rohingyas has evolved and been stoked up by political elites for their own political expedients. With a long ruling history by the military, opposition parties in Burma such as the National League for Democracy (NLD) have had to closely ally themselves with Buddhist confessional parties that were already calling for the expulsion of Rohingyas after the 1990 elections. This move was inevitable for the NLD to gain the electoral support of the Buddhist monks, but this in turn has severely limited the NLD’s appeal outside the Burman ethnic majority.
2. The common claim made as to the Rohingyas’ illegitimacy in the state is unsubstantiated. There is evidence from British records during the colonial period showing that the Rohingyas were already living in Rakhine (formerly Arakan) even before the arrival of the Buddhist Rakhine. Even if this historical fact is widely contested, there is also no getting away from the fact that no state can render stateless people born in its territory under the UN Charter.
3. We often associate the religion of Buddhism as peaceful, zen, and individualistic with an emphasis on mindfulness. Although in general this is true, especially for Mahayana Buddhism, this is not the most accurate depiction of the religion as a whole because Therevada Buddhism has been linked to violence, discrimination, oppression, and extremism in Myanmar and parts of Thailand and Sri Lanka. This is important for all of us to be aware of.
However, I’m not so sure I share the author’s optimism that the situation can be resolved by standing up to the regime and demand that they abide by the UN Charter on citizenship alone. If the historical accounts are factually accurate, the bleak political landscape in Myanmar makes that objective rather impossible to achieve because of its hostility towards international interference and pressure.
Besides, the author’s blasé suggestion that the International Criminal Court (ICC) “can still commence its own investigation if it is made aware of a possible care” despite Myanmar not being a signatory to the 2002 Rome Statute is flawed—the ICC lacks jurisdiction to do so if Myanmar is not a State Party. In hindsight, however, we can see the wheels of international justice gradually turning as the Pre-Trial Chamber III of the ICC on the 14th of November 2019 authorised the investigation into the Rohingya persecution on the grounds that part of the alleged criminal conduct takes place on the territory of a State Party- in this case Bangladesh which had ratified the Rome Statute in 2010.
Overall, I’d say it’s a dry but informative read for anyone interested to learn more about the plights of the Rohingyas. Some may find the repetitive bits irksome and more critical readers will likely observe of how biased and infuriated the author can be at some points, but the knowledge acquired in the end will make up for the shortcomings.
April 8, 2018
"The Rohingyas" was an informative exposé on the dangers (potential genocide) facing the Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine, Myanmar. The book went into exhaustive detail about the history of the situation, including why and how the Rohingya Muslims are being targeted, the history of Rohingyas in Rakhine, and how we can reliably predict whether the situation will turn into a genocide (by definition).
Ibrahim explains that extreme Buddhists who encompass the majority of the Burmese population have long maintained that Rohingyas did not originate in Myanmar, but were instead immigrants to the region, and this justifies the discrimination against them. Ibrahim makes it clear that he believes that the length of time the Rohingyas have existed in Rakhine is irrelevant to whether or not they should be treated as citizens in the country of their birth, but he also provides great detailed evidence to support the claim that the Rohingyas have, in fact, resided in Rakhine for centuries past, and quite possibly just as long (or longer) than the Buddhists who are now the majority.
Ibrahim also gives a list of "risk factors" for genocide that were applicable in other international cases of genocide. He shows how at least some of these factors are already in-play in the situation in Myanmar, but how international pressure and sanctions can help turn the situation around.
While I was reading this book, Aung San Suu Kyi, the president of the National League of Democracy in Myanmar was stripped of the Elie Wiesel award, which she had been awarded in 2012. It is sad to see that progress is not positive in Myanmar, but good to see international recognition of the problem.
While it's not a pleasant topic to read about, I was grateful for the thorough background and assessment of the plight of the Rohingyas.
Ibrahim explains that extreme Buddhists who encompass the majority of the Burmese population have long maintained that Rohingyas did not originate in Myanmar, but were instead immigrants to the region, and this justifies the discrimination against them. Ibrahim makes it clear that he believes that the length of time the Rohingyas have existed in Rakhine is irrelevant to whether or not they should be treated as citizens in the country of their birth, but he also provides great detailed evidence to support the claim that the Rohingyas have, in fact, resided in Rakhine for centuries past, and quite possibly just as long (or longer) than the Buddhists who are now the majority.
Ibrahim also gives a list of "risk factors" for genocide that were applicable in other international cases of genocide. He shows how at least some of these factors are already in-play in the situation in Myanmar, but how international pressure and sanctions can help turn the situation around.
While I was reading this book, Aung San Suu Kyi, the president of the National League of Democracy in Myanmar was stripped of the Elie Wiesel award, which she had been awarded in 2012. It is sad to see that progress is not positive in Myanmar, but good to see international recognition of the problem.
While it's not a pleasant topic to read about, I was grateful for the thorough background and assessment of the plight of the Rohingyas.
February 14, 2018
This book clearly shows how the situation in Myanmar is clearly one step away from turning into genocide for the Muslim Rohingyas. They have been thrown between a rock and a hard place. They have no citizenship, despite them being born in the country, which means they can't find employment, they can't travel, and they can't access government services. They cannot have more than two children, intermarriage is illegal, they are contained into concentration camps around the country where conditions are poor, little to no access of medical care and food with numerous human smugglers having infiltrated the camps where Rohingyas are trafficked into slavery into Thailand for the prawn industry, which American and other buyers turn a blind eye too, and women and children into the sex trade. The military has a stranglehold over the political process, and the world needs to stop pretending that they are democratizing, THEY ARE NOT! In every free election, the military junta through its party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party, has lost decisively and they simply annul the elections and ignore the results, and through the Buddhist extremist movement, the 969 movement, they have turned the average Myanmmar citizens against the Rohingyas and anyone not a Buddhist as an other and as a possible enemy of Buddhism and the nation. The only thing needed now to commence the genocide is a trigger. The world cannot ignore the growing danger of this situation as we did in Rwanda, and wait till after the fact, to do something.
November 3, 2024
Informative and well-researched. The book was written before the onset of the 2016/17 "clearance operations" and the 2021 coup d'etat that led to the current military rule, but foreshadows the inevitable catastrophic crimes committed against the Rohingya minority and the resulting humanitarian crisis and displacement of 1 million into refugee camps in neighboring Bangladesh. The central thesis of the book is that the Rohingya have had a long and storied history in Myanmar despite the current narrative that claims that the Rohingya came to the country through British colonial rule. This narrative coupled with the denial of citizenship to the Rohingya has perpetuated a campaign of xenophobic violence supported by almost all parties in Myanmar, including the majority Theravada Buddhists, the military, and the much-lauded NLD party led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.
The book is a bit repetitive but a good primer on what led to the current situation in Myanmar vis-a-vis the Rohingya people.
The book is a bit repetitive but a good primer on what led to the current situation in Myanmar vis-a-vis the Rohingya people.
September 24, 2018
The first half of the book was very informative and helpful in understanding the roots of the Rohingya crisis. The discussion in the second half (starting from the chapter Genocide and International Law) was not as in depth as I would have wanted. There was also a limited understanding of ICC jurisdiction. It is not true that the ICC prosecutor can commence an investigation on its own as claimed on p.135. This rule only applies to state-parties, which Myanmar is not.
Overall, I would recommend this for the historical background, which I think is key to finding an effective solution to the crisis. I feel like this crisis has been misunderstood in terms of popular conceptions of Buddhism (that it is “good”), and of Myanmar as a transitioning democracy (which it is not; it more likely follows its ASEAN neighbors in imbibing “mimetic” democracy). In order to feel the gravity of the situation in Myanmar, these two myths must be debunked. The book successfully does this.
Overall, I would recommend this for the historical background, which I think is key to finding an effective solution to the crisis. I feel like this crisis has been misunderstood in terms of popular conceptions of Buddhism (that it is “good”), and of Myanmar as a transitioning democracy (which it is not; it more likely follows its ASEAN neighbors in imbibing “mimetic” democracy). In order to feel the gravity of the situation in Myanmar, these two myths must be debunked. The book successfully does this.
March 2, 2018
Well-written, sometimes a bit repetitive in its points, but in general a very enlightening book about the Rohingyas historical and current situation in Myanmar. It also gives a refreshing feeling that we, the international community, actual still have a very important role to play, when it comes to the protection of the Rohingyas - even though it sometimes seems like the government in Myanmar do not care for international pressure and criticism, it has earlier showed small, but not less important results and the international community needs to continue the pressure, to ensure that the Rohingyas will once again enjoy their full rights as citizens of Myanmar.
November 7, 2018
I read this immediately after Francis Wade's account. Though factually, the strip down of the history of Burma's minorities aside from the core Burman population provides context to how and why the Rohingyas were systematically targeted and remains an easy convenient scapegoat and target of the majority theravada Buddhist nationalism. I found myself grateful for Francis Wade's interpretation mostly because the narrative seems a lot more personal as reported from the ground up. Still, a necessary primer for the woefully negligible attention from the trade partners of Myanmar and how they have played into the hands of the ever adroit burmese military.
April 7, 2024
A good reference for learning about the historical routes of the way Myanmar has ostricised the Rohingya based on colonialism and exaggerated migration myths. The author doesn't hold back in this extremely detailed look at the history and policis of the treatment surrounding the Rohingyas leading up to their eventual 'ethnic cleansing' and blames both the parties of the NLD and USDP/military for this oversight (least we forget the military culling of the Rohingyas en masses did begin under Aung San Suu Kyi, no matter the puppetry of 'democracy' behind deeply-entrenched military systems and thus presents a more balanced of a book that is brilliantly explored to it's roots.
March 31, 2018
Published in 2016, this read like an eerie setup to atrocities taking place in Myanmar today. The historical background and geopolitical context chapters are crucial in showing that the systematic requirement for genocide is not actually missing.
April 6, 2018
Went to Lecture, read the book, still not real clear as to what is going on and why. Not quite polemic but written in a polemical slightly outraged voice. Might be appropriate for situation, but seems it would be better if it was one or the other.
September 14, 2018
I had heard of the Rohingyas as a vague human rights issue but had no idea of the extent of the persecution. This is a humanitarian disaster in the making as the Myanmar government seems intent on a policy of genocide or forced expulsion that can affect the stability of the whole region.
April 28, 2019
This is an important book
This is an important book that is also succinct, well argued, and highly readable. If we want to stop the next genocide before it happens we need to educate ourselves.
This is an important book that is also succinct, well argued, and highly readable. If we want to stop the next genocide before it happens we need to educate ourselves.
August 8, 2019
This is the first book I have read about the Rohingyas and their plight. The book is hugely informative for the uninitiated and explains the socio political landscape of the region and it's delicate balance but thy being said it is often quite repetitive and that can get a bit monontonous.
May 15, 2025
A really important read, that isn't too long or arduous to read. However I felt the solutions offered in the book a little lacking in detail and also this book reads like an academic paper, so not a style for everyone.
October 28, 2017
Worthwhile read to get an introduction to the history of the region and the violence that is underway.
May 2, 2018
Good demonstration of the historical context as to what gave rise to contemporary oppression of the Rohingya today.
May 6, 2019
Very informational, really good for research paper and helps understand more inside of the situation that is going on. I recommend this book.
Read
October 8, 2020'മ്യാന്മാരു'കാരുടെ 'ബംഗാളി'കളെ കുറിച്ച്. അപരവത്കരണത്തിന്റെ മറ്റൊരു നീണ്ട ചരിത്രം
November 5, 2020
A good reference book for those who want to know who are the Rohingyas and what's happening to them in Myanmar.
February 23, 2021
The book is very informative but the theories established to answer the problems felt repetitive at times.
July 21, 2022
Read this book to help me write my dissertation.
January 31, 2023
A shocking and important read.
December 2, 2017
Well-written and -documented monograph. Pro-Rohingya feeling in places, particularly when dealing with older, debated cources. Great introduction to the history of the current crisis.
Read
February 26, 2019An academic book, but a must read if studying the conflicts within Myanmar and the Rohingya people. I wish there was more analysis in the present, so this book would be almost better as a historical analysis of where the conflict stems from today.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews