Myanmar's 'Rohingya' Conflict

by Anthony Ware, Costas Laoutides

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.

Genres: Politics

224 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2018

Reviews

[aimilina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly well-written and well-resrarched book. Reading it was an enlightening experience.

[Will Pujol · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25. There’s a lot of good stuff in this book that is very helpful in understanding the conflict. However, in a book about the Rohingya, there is quite a lack of Rohingya voices. Besides the historical narrative section, Burmese people in general and Rohingya in particular are absent, which is disappointing seeing as the authors have apparently conducted extensive fieldwork in Myanmar. The authors also seem highly committed to an apolitical approach that doesn’t step on toes. This is simply not possible when you’re discussing an inherently political ongoing conflict.

In the concluding chapter, the assertion that ARSA “caused” the genocidal violence that followed their attack— as if the Tatmadaw simply had to respond by massacring entire villages and had no other choice— is completely absurd. It also shows a complete lack of awareness of why people form/join insurgency groups such as ARSA. However, since there’s practically no Rohingya voices in this book, I’m not surprised. Perhaps the authors should have considered what caused ARSA to attack (or be formed) in the first place. I’m not defending any insurgency group, I’m saying that if we pretend violence happens in a vacuum we will never actually understand any of the grievances of the oppressed. That goes for any conflict.

This is a very well-researched book, but it should not be the only one you read. It’s also pretty dense at times, so I wouldn’t recommend it as your introduction to the Rohingya genocide either. It should also be noted that since this books publication, a lot has happened in Myanmar and therefore this book could be called outdated in some aspects (though this is of course not the fault of the authors). If you plan on reading this book, make sure you have some background knowledge first.