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Myanmar is one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse state in the world,
with almost 135 ethnic groups. Owing to this diversity, the country has been
suffering with multiple internal ethnic armed conflicts, including the RohingysRakhine conflict. The Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic group of Myanma, was not
included in the officially recognized groups of Myanmar at the time of
independence in 1948. They migrated from neighbouring states at that time of
history when borders were not demarcated and people frequently move from one
place to another. The democratic setup of Burma (1948-62) maintained peace and
harmony, but the military regime victimized the ethnic groups, including the
Rohingya with its brutal policies forcing a huge number of people to flee into
other countries. Above it, the 1982 Citizenship Law did not grant citizenship to the
Rohingya as a recognized ethnic group with ties to Myanmar prior to 1824 (the
year when Arakan (Rakhine) came under British occupation) and this law
confirmed their statelessness. In the current situation, they have become alien as
the major ethnic group and the Rakhine Buddhists are forcing them to flee to
Bangladesh labeling them “illegal Bengali migrants.” Most of the Rohingyas
found it difficult to apply for naturalizing citizenship in the absence of documents
that are required as proof of their long-term stay in the country. Above it, they do
not speak any of the Burmese language. Losing the status, they have become
subject to persecution and discrimination. By law, they require travel permits to
visit other countries. The military regime refused to accept back the refugees
demanding proofs of 'genuine citizens.' In this age of globalization, there is talk of
the world without borders, but group like Rohingya reminds us the importance of
national borders and the rights of citizenship. There is very little attention paid in
World Politics to the plight of such „stateless‟ groups and solution to their
problem. The central thesis of this paper is that assimilation of Roghina into
Myanmar is made all the more difficult because they are made out to be just as
Bengali and „foreigners‟ and secondly the religious colouring has been given to
the conflict, highlighting the Muslim character of Roghinga and active
involvement of the Buddhist monks in inciting riots against Roghinga are two
dynamics that make the future of Roghinga grim in Myanmar.
Mussarat Jabeen. (2018) Identity Crisis: Citizenship and Myanmar’s Muslim Ethnic Group, Journal of the Punjab University Historical Society, Volume 31, Issue 2.
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