Has Burma Reached the Extermination Phase of Genocide? By DANNY HIRSCHEL-BURNS | Published: JULY 9, 2013 *A version of this post originally appeared on Sentinel Project Intern Danny Hirschel-Burns’ personal blog, The Widening Lens . The Rohingya in Rakhine state, a Muslim ethnic group in a predominantly Buddhist country, are one of the most persecuted minority groups in the world. Their situation has worsened in recent months with the rise of the ultra-nationalist 969 movement, led by Buddhist monk U Wirathu . The movement’s goal is fight against what they perceive as the increased influence of Islam in Burmese society. The current wave of violence began in May of 2012, when rumors of a rape/murder of a Buddhist woman by Rohingya men set off several incidences of violence. Though Rohingya have been involved in violence against Buddhist civilians, Buddhist mobs attacking Rohingya are responsible for the majority of the violence. While there is an international consensus that the Rohingya face heavy discrimination and persecution, there is debate over the chances of the future genocide and the existence of a current one.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Jul 2013 02:56:13 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015