Myanmar is
the world’s fastest-growing economy, according to the IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook. The country’s GDP is projected to grow by 8.6% this year.
During this period, economic growth in Myanmar eased to 7% from an average of 8.5% in 2014-2015 amid a supply shock from heavy flooding, a slowdown in new investment during an election year, and a more challenging external environment including lower commodity prices affecting Myanmar's main exports...
After two years of strong economic growth and macroeconomic stability, Myanmar faced a more difficult economic environment in 2015-2016. Economic growth declined, but remained strong, at 7 percent during the period, compared with 8.5 percent in 2014-2015, according to the World Bank’s May 2016 edition of the Myanmar Economic Monitor. The slower growth came amid a supply shock from heavy flooding, a slowdown in new investment during an election year, and a more challenging external environment including lower commodity prices affecting Myanmar’s main exports....
Malaysia's manufacturing sector will suffer if Myanmar presses ahead with stopping its nationals from coming to Malaysia to work, said the Federation of manufacturers of Malaysia...
During this period, economic growth in Myanmar eased to 7% from an average of 8.5% in 2014-2015 amid a supply shock from heavy flooding, a slowdown in new investment during an election year, and a more challenging external environment including lower commodity prices affecting Myanmar's main exports...
After two years of strong economic growth and macroeconomic stability, Myanmar faced a more difficult economic environment in 2015-2016. Economic growth declined, but remained strong, at 7 percent during the period, compared with 8.5 percent in 2014-2015, according to the World Bank’s May 2016 edition of the Myanmar Economic Monitor. The slower growth came amid a supply shock from heavy flooding, a slowdown in new investment during an election year, and a more challenging external environment including lower commodity prices affecting Myanmar’s main exports....
Malaysia's manufacturing sector will suffer if Myanmar presses ahead with stopping its nationals from coming to Malaysia to work, said the Federation of manufacturers of Malaysia...
Burma lies on the mainland of Southeast Asia along the Bay of Bengal. It borders Bangladesh, India, China, Laos, and Thailand.
Rice fields surround a village in the Irrawaddy River Valley. Most Burmese live in villages like the one shown here. Most of the country's people also grow rice, Burma's chief crop. The spire of a pagoda rises in the foreground.
Symbols of Burma. The official flag of Burma's government was adopted in 1974. The cogwheel and rice plant stand for industry and agriculture, and the 14 stars for Burma's 7 states and 7 divisions. Blue symbolizes peace, and red, courage. The coat of arms has a map of Burma in the centre. The star stands for independence.
The magnificent Shwe Dagon pagoda is the most famous of Burma's thousands of Buddhist temples. The pagoda is in Rangoon, the country's capital and largest city.
Destinations in Myanmar - The
Shwedagon Pagoda officially named Shwedagon Zedi Daw and located in Yangon,
Myanmar. The 99 metres (325 ft) tall pagoda is situated on Singuttara Hill, to
the west of Kandawgyi Lake, and dominates the Yangon skyline. Shwedagon Pagoda
is the most sacred Buddhist pagoda in Myanmar, as it is believed to contain
relics of the four previous Buddhas of the present kalpa. These relics include
the staff of Kakusandha, the water filter of Koṇāgamana, a
piece of the robe of Kassapa, and eight strands of hair from the head of
Gautama. The Shwedagon Pagoda was constructed more than 2,600 years ago, which
would make it the oldest Buddhist stupa in the world.
Facts in brief about Myanmar/Burma
Thandwe formerly (Sandoway) is a town and
major seaport in Rakhine State, the westernmost part of Myanmar. Thandwe is
very ancient, and is said to have been at one time the capital of Rakhine
State, then called Arakan. The district has an area of 3,784 square miles
(9,800 km2). The country is mountainous, the Arakan Mountains sending out spurs
which reach the coast. Some of the peaks in the north attain 4,000 and more ft.
The streams are only mountain torrents to within a few miles of the coast; the
mouth of the Khwa forms a goodanchorage for vessels of from 9 to 10 ft (3.0 m).
draught. The rocks in theArakan Range and its spurs are metamorphic, and
comprise clay, slates, ironstone and indurated sandstone; towards the south,
ironstone, trap and rocks of basaltic character are common; veins of steatite
and white fibrous quartz are also found. Between 1961 and 1990, the mean annual
rainfall was 5,323 millimetres (209.6 in). Except a few acres of tobacco, all
the cultivation is rice...
Capital: Rangoon.
Official language: Burmese.
Official name: Pyidaungzu Myanmar Nainggandaw (Union of Myanmar).
Area: 676,578 km2. Greatest
distances— north-south, 2,090 km; east-west, 930 km.
Coastline— 2,655 km.
Elevation: Highest— Hkakabo Razi, 5,881 m above
sea level. Lowest— sea level.
Population: Estimated 1996population—
47,502,000; density, 67 people per km2; distribution, 75 per cent
rural, 25 per cent urban. 1983 census— 35,307,913. Estimated2001
population— 52,531,000.
Chief products: Agriculture— rice,
vegetables and fruits, sugar cane, peanuts, sesame seeds, maize, wheat, millet,
tobacco, jute, cotton, rubber. Forestry— teak. Manufacturing— fertilizer, processed foods. Mining- coal, natural gas, petroleum,
zinc, lead, tin, tungsten, silver, jade, rubies, sapphires.
National anthem: "Kaba Makye" ("Our Free Homeland").
Money: Currency unit— kyat. One
kyat = 100 pyas.
Selected Videos
Erin Murphy on Myanmar Economy
The Struggle of the Rohingya
Rohingya Daily News - 4 December 2016
Rohingya Daily Neww - 2 December 2016
Najib's Speech On Rohingya Issues
Selected VideosThe Struggle of the Rohingya
Rohingya Daily News - 4 December 2016
Rohingya Daily Neww - 2 December 2016
Najib's Speech On Rohingya Issues
The Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic minority population of roughly 1 million people in Myanmar who speak Rohingya, an Indo-European language related to Bengali. Rohingya origin is disputed; some say they migrated from Bengal, while others say they are from the Rakhine State in Myanmar.
The Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, also known as the 1951 Refugee Convention, is a United Nations multilateral treaty that defines who
is a refugee, and sets out the rights of individuals who are
granted asylum and the responsibilities of nations that grant asylum.
Rohingya Muslims who have sought refuge in Bangladesh say they are desperate to stop living as refugees and return to their homeland in Myanmar.
Rohingya Muslims who have sought refuge in Bangladesh say they are desperate to stop living as refugees and return to their homeland in Myanmar.
A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee
his or her country because of persecution, war, or violence. A refugee has a
well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality,
political opinion or membership in a particular social group. Most likely, they
cannot return home or are afraid to do so. War and ethnic, tribal and religious
violence are leading causes of refugees fleeing their countries.
Burma is a country in Southeast Asia. It lies along the Bay of Bengal.
Mountains border Burma on the west, north, and east. They enclose the Irrawaddy
River Valley. The Irrawaddy River empties into the Bay of Bengal through many
mouths, forming a large delta. Rangoon, Burma's capital and largest city, lies
on this delta.
The people of Burma are called Burmese.
The great majority of them are Buddhists and live in villages on the delta and
in the Irrawaddy Valley.
People have lived in what is now Burma
since prehistoric times. Several kingdoms arose and fell in Burma from the
A.D. 1000's to the 1800's, when the United Kingdom (UK) conquered the country.
Burma won its independence in 1948. In 1989, the government announced that it
had changed the country's official name from Union of Burma to Union of
Myanmar.
Government
National government. A military council called the State Law and Order Restoration Council
(SLORC) controls Burma's government. The head of the council serves as prime
minister, minister of defence, minister of foreign affairs, and chief of staff
of the army. The council came to power through a military coup in 1988. In
1990, the council held multiparty elections. The main opposition party, the
National League for Democracy (NLD), won a majority of seats. But the SLORC
said it would not allow a transfer of power until
a new constitution was written and approved, with a leading role for the
military. Delegates began meeting in 1993 to write a new constitution.
Local government. Burma is divided into 14 large administrative units. They consist of 7 divisions
and 7 states. The divisions are inhabited chiefly by Burma's largest
ethnic group, the Burmans. People of other ethnic groups live mainly in the
states. The divisions and states are further divided into many smaller units.
Each unit of local government is directed by a Law and Order Restoration
Council composed of the local military, civil and police commanders.
Courts. Burma's highest court was abolished under martial law. Lower level
courts share jurisdiction with military courts of justice.
Armed forces. Burma's army, navy, and air force have about 180,000 members. About 90
per cent of them serve in the army. Service is voluntary. Burma has a national
police force of about 73,000 members.
People
Population and ancestry. For Burma's total population, see the Facts in brief table with
this article. About 75 per cent of the people live in rural areas.
Most Burmese are descendants of various
peoples who moved into the region from central Asia. The Burmans, Burma's
largest ethnic group, make up about two- thirds of the population. Other ethnic
groups include the Karen, Shan, Arakanese, Chin, Kachin, Mon, Naga, and Wa.
Most members of these groups live in the hills and mountains bordering Burma.
Each of these hill peoples seeks to preserve its own culture. Since
1948, several groups have been in armed rebellion against the government to
obtain more rights or to form separate countries. Some Chinese and Indian
people live in Burma's cities and towns.
Languages. Burmese is the official language of Burma. It is related to Tibetan.
Nearly all the people speak Burmese, and many of them also speak English. In
addition, many groups living in the hills have languages of their own.
Religion. About 85 per cent of Burma's people are members of the Theravada school
of Buddhism (see Buddhism). Buddhism, which teaches that people can find
happiness by freeing themselves of worldly desires, strongly influences family
and community life. Other religious groups in Burma include Christians,
Hindus, and Muslims.
Way of life. The majority of Burmese people live in farm villages. Most villages
consist of about 50 to 100 bamboo houses with thatch roofs. The houses are
built on poles above the ground for protection against floods and wild animals.
Most villages have a Buddhist monastery, which is the centre of much social as
well as religious activity.
Boys spend from a few days to several
months in the monastery after an adulthood ceremony called shin-pyu. In
the ceremony, the boys' heads are shaved to symbolize their temporary
rejection of the world. Girls mark their entry into adulthood with an
earlobe-piercing ceremony called nahtwin, after which they receive their
first pair of earrings.
In cities, many people live in small brick
or concrete buildings and work for the government or in industry. City life has
more leisure and cultural activities than country life and moves at a faster
pace. But most city people also keep close ties with their family and ethnic
group, and religion remains important to them throughout their lives.
In both rural and urban areas, men and
women usually wear a longyi, a long, tightly wrapped skirt made from a
cylinder of cotton cloth. Women's longyis have bright colours and patterns and
are bound at the side. Men's longyis often have a checked pattern and are bound
in front. With the longyi, women wear a thin blouse, and men wear a shirt. On
special occasions, men may wear a silk jacket and a gaungbaung, a small
headdress made of cloth wrapped around a wicker frame. For pictures of other
Burmese clothing, see Clothing (Traditional costumes).
Burmese women have more rights than do
women in some other Asian countries. A Burmese woman keeps her name after
marriage and owns property equally with her husband. In most Burmese families,
the mother manages the finances and runs the household. Many of the women work
outside the home, and some of them own or manage a business.
Food. The Burmese eat rice with almost every meal. The rice is often flavoured
with chilli peppers. Fish or vegetables may also be added. The Burmese tend to
like fish, shrimp, and chicken but rarely eat beef or other red meat. Seafood
and meat seasonings include onions, garlic, ginger, and ngapi, a
sharp-tasting paste made from preserved fish or shrimp. Favourite fruit of the
Burmese include bananas, citrus fruit, and Southeast Asian fruit called durians.
Recreation. Popular spectator sports in Burma include soccer and a form of boxing
that allows hitting with any part of the body. The favourite participant sport
is chinlon. In this game, a ball of woven cane is passed from player to
player by hitting it with the feet, knees, or head.
The Burmese enjoy many festivals. The most
popular festival is held for three days before the Buddhist New Year begins,
usually in April during the hot, dry season. People throw water at one another
in a rowdy celebration that leaves everybody soaked. The New Year festival and
many other celebrations include a pwe, an all-night performance by
actors, dancers, singers, and clowns.
Education. About 80 per cent of Burma's people aged 15 or older can read and write.
Burmese law requires children from 5 to 9 years old to attend school. The
government offers free education from kindergarten to university level. However,
education beyond primary school is available only in the larger towns and cities.
Burma's major universities are in Rangoon and Mandalay. The country also has
many colleges and technical colleges.
The arts. The best-known Burmese works of art are the thousands of pagodas
(towerlike temples) found throughout the country. The most famous pagoda is the
Shwe Dagon Pagoda in Rangoon. The golden-domed structure rises 99 metres above
a marble platform on a hilltop. The ancient city of Pagan has hundreds of pagodas.
Burmese craftworkers are known for their woodcar- ving, lacquer ware, and
jewellery.
The land and climate
Land regions. Burma has three main land regions. They are (1) the Eastern Mountain
System, (2) the Western Mountain Belt, and (3) the Central Belt.
The Eastern Mountain
System separates
Burma from Thailand, Laos, and China. The region includes the long, narrow
Tenasserim Coast bordering the Andaman Sea and the hilly Shan Plateau to the
north. Some of the world's finest rubies and best-quality jade come from the
region. The area also contains deposits of silver, lead, and zinc.
The Western Mountain
Belt is a
region of thick forests along the border between Burma and India. A
group of low mountains called the Arakan
Yoma forms the southern part of the region and extends to the Bay of Bengal. A
narrow plain of rich agricultural land borders the bay.
The Central Belt lies between the eastern and western
mountain regions. It includes Burma's highest mountains in the far north.
Hkakabo Razi, the country's tallest peak, rises 5,881 metres above sea level.
The Central Belt consists chiefly of the Irrawaddy and Sittang river valleys.
The Irrawaddy River flows about 2,000 kilometres down the middle of the
country to the Bay of Bengal. It is Burma's major transportation route. The
550- kilometre long Sittang River lies to the east of the Irrawaddy. Farmers
use water from the rivers to irrigate their rice fields.
Climate. Most of Burma has a tropical climate. Temperatures in Mandalay, in
central Burma, average 20° C in January and 29° C in July. Temperatures in
Rangoon, on the delta, average 25° C in January and 27° C in July. Burma has
three seasons: (1) rainy, (2) cool, and (3) hot.
The rainy season, during which Burma receives nearly all its
rain, lasts from late May to October. Rainfall varies greatly in each region of
the country. For example, the Mandalay area receives only about 76 centimetres
of rain a year. However, the Tenasserim Coast is drenched with more than 510
centimetres. The heavy rainfall is brought by seasonal winds called monsoons,
which sweep towards the northeast from the Indian Ocean.
The cool season lasts from late October to mid- February.
Temperatures are lowest at this time, though the climate remains tropical
throughout most of Burma.
The hot season lasts from late February to about mid-
May. During this season, temperatures often top 40° C in many parts of Burma.
Economy
Burma has a developing economy based
mainly on agriculture, which employs about two-thirds of the country's workers.
The government owns all the land. Government factories produce about half the
nation's industrial output.
A "floating market" is a colourful tradition on Inle Lake in central Burma. Farmers, craftworkers,
and other people in the area gather in boats every five days to trade their
specialities, such as rice cakes, fish, fruits and vegetables, farm tools, and
silk.
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing. Rice is Burma's chief crop, and rice fields cover more than half the
agricultural land. Much of the rice is exported. Other crops include
vegetables and fruits, sugar cane, peanuts, sesame seeds, maize, wheat,
millet, tobacco, jute, cotton, and rubber. Most crops are raised on small
farms.
Forests cover about half of Burma. They
contain about 80 per cent of the world's teakwood. Fish and shellfish are
caught in Burma's rivers and coastal waters. Many Burmese also raise fish in
village ponds.
Manufacturing employs less than a tenth of Burma's workers. Most manufactured goods
are produced for local use. They include processed foods, textiles, and
fertilizer. Rangoon is the nation's chief industrial centre.
Mining employs less than 1 per cent of Burma's workers. The country has
a wealth of minerals, including zinc, lead, tin, tungsten, and silver. It is
also rich in jade and such precious stones as rubies and sapphires. Flow- ever,
much of Burma's mineral wealth is undeveloped.
Energy sources. Burma produces barely enough oil and natural gas to meet its needs.
Flydroelectric plants supply more than half the country's electricity. Oil,
gas, and coal produce the rest.
Service industries employ about a fourth of Burma's workers. Many of these service
industries workers are government administrators. Others work for schools,
hospitals, and other institutions that provide community services. Service
industries workers also include people working in trade, transportation, and
communication.
Trade. Teak and rice account for about two-thirds of Burma's export income.
Other Asian countries buy most of Burma's exports. The nation's leading imports
include machinery, motor vehicles, fertilizer, and chemicals. Many of Burma's
imports come from Japan. Strict government controls on trade and a severe
shortage of consumer goods have resulted in a widespread black mar
ket in Burma. Such items as transistor radios, televisior sets, and
clothing are smuggled into the country in exchange for teak, rice, gems, and
opium.
Transportation. Most of Burma's freight travels by riverboat on more than 8,000
kilometres of inland wate' ways. Freight is also carried by road and rail.
Burma haj about 27,000 kilometres of all-weather roads and about 4,300
kilometres of railway track. Most riverboat and truck operations are privately
owned, but the government owns the railways. Few Burmese own a car. Mam people
travel between cities on riverboats. Oxcarts are common in rural areas. Burma's
chief seaports are Rangoon, Bassein, Moulmein, and Sittwe. Mandalay is a major
inland port and transportation centre. Rangoon has an international airport.
Communication. The Burmese government control; mass communication. It publishes five
daily newspapers—four in Burmese and one in English. Government radio
programmes are broadcast in Burmese, English, and local languages. Only about
4 per cent of the people own a radio. Government television broadcasts began in
1980.
History
Early days. The first known people to live in what is now Burma were the Mon. They
moved into the region as early as 3000 B.C. and settled near the mouths of the
Salween and Sittang rivers. The Mon, like the peoples who came later, migrated
from an area in central Asia that is now southwestern China. The Pyu arrived in
the A.D. 600's. The Burmans, Chin, Kachin, Karen, and Shan came during the
800's. Most of these peoples lived apan from one another and retained their own
individual cultures.
In 1044, a Burman ruler named Anawrahta
united the region and founded a kingdom that lasted nearly 250 years. The
kingdom's capital, Pagan, lay on the Irrawaddy River in central Burma. The
Burmans adopted features of the Mon and Pyu cultures, including Thera- vada
Buddhism. Mongol invaders led by Kublai Khan captured Pagan in 1287, shattering
the kingdom. A new Burman kingdom arose at Toungoo during the 1500's. It was
brought down by a Mon rebellion in 1752.
British conquest and rule. The last Burman kingdom was founded by Alaungpaya, a Burman leader,
after the Mon rebellion. Three wars with the British- triggered by Burmese
resistance to the United Kingdom's commercial and territorial ambitions—led to
the kingdom's collapse. The first war was fought from 1824 to 1826, the second
in 1852, and the third in 1885. In these wars, the United Kingdom gradually
conquered the whole of Burma.
After the third war with the UK, Burma
became a province of India, which the UK ruled. Under UK control, Burma's
population and economy grew rapidly. But educated Burmese called for Burma's
separation from India and eventual independence. The Burmese protests led the
UK to set up a legislature in the 1920's that gave the people a small role in
the government.
Protests against UK rule continued,
however. During the early 1930's, a former Buddhist monk named Saya San led
thousands of peasants in an unsuccessful rebellion. At the same time,
university students founded the All-Burma Students' Union to work for
independence. Leaders of the movement included Thakin Nu and Thakin Aung San.
They organized a student strike in 1936. The UK separated Burma from India in
1937 and gave the Burmese partial self-government. But the struggle for full
independence continued.
World War II (1939-1945). In 1942, Japan conquered Burma. The Thakins had formed the Burma
Independence Army, which helped the Japanese drive the UK out of Burma. The
Japanese declared Burma independent in 1943, but actually took control of the
government. The Burmese disliked Japanese rule even more than UK rule. To fight
the Japanese, the Thakins formed the Anti- Fascist People's Freedom League
(AFPFL), led by General Aung San. The AFPFL helped the UK and other Allied
powers regain Burma in 1945.
Independence. Following Japan's defeat, the UK returned to power in Burma. Flowever,
the AFPFL had become a strong political party and challenged British control.
The UK could not govern the country without AFPFL support. They decided in 1947
to name AFPFL president, Aung San, prime minister of Burma, but he was assassinated
before independence came. AFPFL vice president, U Nu, became president of the
party, and the UK appointed him prime minister. Burma won full independence
on Jan. 4,1948.
Some Communists rebelled against the
government in 1948. Various ethnic groups also fought the new government. But
U Nu's leadership won the support of most Burmese. The AFPFL overwhelmingly won
elections in 1951 and 1956, though Communist and rebel ethnic groups continued
to fight the government.
In 1958, a split developed between U Nu's
followers and another AFPFL faction (group). U Nu asked General Ne Win
to set up a temporary military government. Ne Win restored order and promoted
economic growth.
He ruled until elections were held in
1960. U Nu's faction
won a landslide victory, and he again
became prime minister. But he could not control the political and ethnic
disputes. To hold Burma together, Ne Win seized the government in a bloodless
take-over in March 1962. He suspended the Constitution and set up a Revolutionary
Council to rule Burma.
Socialist republic. Ne Win and his Revolutionary Council wanted to make Burma a socialist
nation. In July 1962, Ne Win and the council founded the Burma Socialist
Programme Party (BSPP). It became the only political party allowed in Burma.
The government began to take strict control of the economy. For several years,
farm production fell, and consumer goods disappeared into the black market. The
government rejected most foreign aid and restricted the number of visits by foreign
reporters and tourists. It also closed or took over all privately owned
newspapers and schools. Student strikes were ended by army gunfire.
On March 2,1974, a new Constitution
created the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma, with U Ne Win (now a
civilian) as president. The Constitution reestablished elections, but the BSPP
still held all the power. U Ne Win resigned as president in 1981 but remained
head of the BSPP, and U San Yu became president.
Recent developments. In 1988, large numbers of Burmese demonstrated against the government.
They called for an end to the country's one-party rule. U Ne Win resigned as
head of the BSPP in July. He suggested that economic reforms and multiparty
elections might solve the nation's problems. U Sein Lwin, the head of the riot
police, replaced U Ne Win as party head and replaced U San Yu as president. U
Sein Lwin was unable to stop the unrest and resigned after 17 days in office. U
Maung Maung, a noted lawyer, replaced U Sein Lwin as president and head of the
party in August. But protests continued into September, at which time the army
overthrew the government, replacing it with the newly established State Law
and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). Before and after the military coup,
government troops killed thousands of protesters.
In June 1989, the government changed
Burma's official name to the Union of Myanmar. Rangoon was also renamed
Yangon. The SLORC promised multiparty elections, which were held in May 1990.
Before the elections, the SLORC arrested the leader of the NLD, Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi, the daughter of the independence leader Aung San. In spite of her
arrest, the NLD won 60 per cent of the vote and 80 per cent of the seats in the
legislature. But many of the elected representatives were imprisoned. The SLORC
said it would not allow a transfer of power until a new constitution was
written and approved, with a leading role for the military. Delegates
appointed by the SLORC finished drafting the constitution in 1994. The SLORC
claimed that the new constitution would restore democratic government, but
power remained in the hands of the military. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi won the 1991
Nobel Peace Prize for her nonviolent struggle for democracy and human rights.
Economic reforms have opened the country
to foreign and private businesses, which have exported many natural resources.
But problems of inflation and slow growth remain. Major nations have withheld
economic aid because of the SLORCs human rights violations. The army continues
to fight rebels in the mountains.
Related articles:
Asia
Bamboo
Bay of Bengal
Buddhism
Burma Road
Colombo Plan
Elephant
Irrawaddy River
Jade
Mandalay
Monsoon
Pagoda
Rangoon
Teak
Thant, U
World War II (Early Japanese victories;
The China-Burma- India theatre)
Outline
Government
National government
Local government
Courts
Armed forces
People
Population and ancestry
Languages
Religion
Way of life
The land and climate
Land regions
Climate
Economy
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
Manufacturing
Mining
Energy sources
History
Questions
What is Burma's chief crop?
What is the religion of most Burmese
people?
Why does a widespread black market operate
in Burma?
How does most freight travel in Burma?
What is the centre of much activity in
most Burmese villages? What is a pwe?
When does Burma receive nearly all its
rain?
What are the best-known Burmese works of
art?
What organization controls the government
of Burma?
Rakhine State (formerly Arakan) is a state in Myanmar. Situated on the western coast, it is bordered by Chin State to the north, Magway Region, Bago Region and Ayeyarwady Region to the east, the Bay of Bengal to the west, and the Chittagong Division of Bangladeshto the northwest. It is located approximately between latitudes 17°30' north and 21°30' north and east longitudes 92°10' east and 94°50' east. The Arakan Mountains, rising to 3,063 metres (10,049 ft) at Victoria Peak, separate Rakhine State from central Burma. Off the coast of Rakhine State there are some fairly large islands such as Cheduba and Myingun Island. Rakhine State has an area of 36,762 square kilometres (14,194 sq mi) and its capital is SittweThe history of the region of Arakan (now renamed Rakhine) State can be roughly divided into seven parts. The first four divisions and the periods are based on the location of the centre of power of the main independent Rakhine-dominated polities in the northern Rakhine region, especially along the Kaladan River. Thus, the history is divided into the Dhanyawadi, Waithali, Laymro and Mrauk U. Mrauk U was conquered by the Konbaung dynasty of Burma in 1784–85, after which Rakhine became part of the Konbaung kingdom of Burma. In 1824, the first Anglo-Burmese war erupted and in 1826, Rakhine (alongside Tanintharyi) was ceded to the British as reparation by the Burmese to the British. Rakhine thus became part of the province of Burma of British India. In 1948, Burma was given independence and Rakhine became part (colony) of the new federal republic…
The Rohingyas Refugee Crisis: A Regional and International Issue?
Rakhine State (formerly Arakan) is a state in Myanmar. Situated on the western coast, it is bordered by Chin State to the north, Magway Region, Bago Region and Ayeyarwady Region to the east, the Bay of Bengal to the west, and the Chittagong Division of Bangladeshto the northwest. It is located approximately between latitudes 17°30' north and 21°30' north and east longitudes 92°10' east and 94°50' east. The Arakan Mountains, rising to 3,063 metres (10,049 ft) at Victoria Peak, separate Rakhine State from central Burma. Off the coast of Rakhine State there are some fairly large islands such as Cheduba and Myingun Island. Rakhine State has an area of 36,762 square kilometres (14,194 sq mi) and its capital is SittweThe history of the region of Arakan (now renamed Rakhine) State can be roughly divided into seven parts. The first four divisions and the periods are based on the location of the centre of power of the main independent Rakhine-dominated polities in the northern Rakhine region, especially along the Kaladan River. Thus, the history is divided into the Dhanyawadi, Waithali, Laymro and Mrauk U. Mrauk U was conquered by the Konbaung dynasty of Burma in 1784–85, after which Rakhine became part of the Konbaung kingdom of Burma. In 1824, the first Anglo-Burmese war erupted and in 1826, Rakhine (alongside Tanintharyi) was ceded to the British as reparation by the Burmese to the British. Rakhine thus became part of the province of Burma of British India. In 1948, Burma was given independence and Rakhine became part (colony) of the new federal republic…
The 2015 Rohingya
refugee crisis refers to the mass migration of thousands
of Rohingya people from Myanmar (also
known as Burma) and Bangladesh in
2015, collectively dubbed 'boat people' by international media. Nearly all that
fled traveled to Southeast Asian countries including Malaysia, Indonesia,
the Philippines and Thailand by
rickety boats via the waters of the Strait of
Malacca and the Andaman Sea.
The United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees estimates that 25,000 people have been taken to boats
from January to March in 2015 by human
traffickers. There are claims that around 100 people died in
Indonesia, 200 in Malaysia, and 10 in Thailand while
on their journey after the traffickers abandoned them at sea.
In October 2015, researchers from the International State Crime Initiative at Queen Mary University of London released a report drawing on leaked government documents that reveals an increasing "ghettoisation, sporadic massacres, and restrictions on movement" on Rohingya peoples. The researchers suggest that the Myanmar government are in the final stages of an organised process of genocide against the Rohingya and have called upon the international community to redress the situation as such…
The Rohingya people are Muslim Indo-Aryan peoples from the Rakhine State, Myanmar. According to Rohingyas and some scholars, they are indigenous to Rakhine State, while other historians claim that they migrated to Myanmar from Bengal primarily during the period of British rule in Burma, and to a lesser extent, following Burmese independence in 1948 and the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. International media and human rights organizations have often described Rohingyas as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world, while origin of that term with relation to the United Nations is still unclear.
In October 2015, researchers from the International State Crime Initiative at Queen Mary University of London released a report drawing on leaked government documents that reveals an increasing "ghettoisation, sporadic massacres, and restrictions on movement" on Rohingya peoples. The researchers suggest that the Myanmar government are in the final stages of an organised process of genocide against the Rohingya and have called upon the international community to redress the situation as such…
The Rohingya people are Muslim Indo-Aryan peoples from the Rakhine State, Myanmar. According to Rohingyas and some scholars, they are indigenous to Rakhine State, while other historians claim that they migrated to Myanmar from Bengal primarily during the period of British rule in Burma, and to a lesser extent, following Burmese independence in 1948 and the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. International media and human rights organizations have often described Rohingyas as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world, while origin of that term with relation to the United Nations is still unclear.
Muslims have settled in Rakhine State
(also known as Arakan) since the 16th century, although the number of Muslim
settlers before British rule is unclear. After the first Anglo-Burmese War in 1826, the
British annexed Arakan and encouraged migrations from Bengal to work as farm
laborers. The Muslim population may have constituted 5% of Arakan's population
by 1869, although estimates for earlier years give higher numbers. Successive
British censuses of 1872 and 1911 recorded an increase in Muslim population
from 58,255 to 178,647 in Akyab District. During World War II, the Arakan massacres in 1942 involved communal
violence between British-armed V Force Rohingya
recruits and Buddhist Rakhine people and
the region became increasingly ethnically polarized.
In 1982, General Ne Win's
government enacted the Burmese nationality law, which denied
Rohingya citizenship. Since the 1990s, the term "Rohingya" has
increased in usage among Rohingya communities.
As of 2013, about 1.3 million
Rohingyas live in Myanmar. They reside mainly in the northern Rakhine
townships, where they form 80–98% of the population. Many Rohingyas have fled
to ghettos and refugee camps in
neighbouring Bangladesh and to areas along the border with Thailand.
Large scale Rohingya migration to the Pakistani city
of Karachi has
made Karachi one
of the largest population centres of Rohingyas in the world after Myanmar. More
than 100,000 Rohingyas in Myanmar continue to live in camps for internally displaced persons, not allowed
by authorities to leave. Rohingyas have received international attention
in the wake of 2012 Rakhine State riots, and more
recently because of their attempted migration throughout Southeast Asia in the 2015 Rohingya refugee crisis.
According to Rohingyas and some
scholars, they are indigenous to Rakhine
State, while other historians claim that
they migrated to Myanmar from Bengal primarily during the period of British
rule in Burma, and to a lesser extent, following Burmese
independence in 1948 and the Bangladesh Liberation War in
1971…The Rohingyas Refugee Crisis: A Regional and International Issue?
By Antonietta
Pagano | Professor of Asian History and Institutions and of
Applied Geography - Niccolò Cusano University - Rome | Mar 10, 2016
The epic victory of the National League for Democracy in the
landmark national election in Myanmar in November 2015 grabbed worldwide
headlines. Not so the Rohingyas refugee crisis. In fact, the Rohingyas
emergency has received far less media attention than its magnitude would seem
to warrant, possibly due to the concurrent migration crisis in Europe. Indeed,
the differences in media coverage between the two humanitarian emergencies are
striking, especially considering their many similarities, including the
thousands of lives at risk, the hundreds of deaths at sea, the involvement of
smugglers, and the ambiguous behavior of the concerned countries regarding the
migrants’ acceptance and their international protection. However, one of the
biggest (and most important) differences between the two emergencies is that in
the Rohingya case, unlike in the European context, none of the involved states
is a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, nor its 1967 Protocol.
Furthermore, the lack of a formal regional asylum framework has made the
Rohingyas emergency that much more acute—and tragic.
The Origin of the Rohingyas Emergency
The United Nations refers to
Rohingyas as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world, and
probably among the most forgotten ones. The roots of the pattern of
discrimination they have long faced are ethnic and religious, as they represent
a minority that primarily resides in Rakhine State (western Myanmar)....
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Who Are The Rohingya?
By Morgan WINSOR
13 November 2014/5:17 PM
Who are the Rohingya?
The Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic minority population of roughly 1 million people in Myanmar who speak Rohingya, an Indo-European language related to Bengali. Rohingya origin is disputed; some say they migrated from Bengal, while others say they are from the Rakhine State in Myanmar.
What are the Rohingya beliefs?
The Rohingya practice Sunni Islam, the largest sect of the Islam religion, with components of Sufism -- a Muslim movement described as Islamic mysticism that starkly contrasts against Taliban ideology.
The Rohingya practice Sunni Islam, the largest sect of the Islam religion, with components of Sufism -- a Muslim movement described as Islamic mysticism that starkly contrasts against Taliban ideology.
Where do the Rohingya people live?
The Rohingya Muslim population primarily resides in northern Rakine State in western Myanmar, a coastal region of roughly 3 million residents near the country’s border with Bangladesh. However, nearly 140,000 Rohingya are internally displaced and live in refugee camps, following conflict with Rakhine State’s Buddhist majority population, according to data from the United Nations Refugee Agency.
The Rohingya Muslim population primarily resides in northern Rakine State in western Myanmar, a coastal region of roughly 3 million residents near the country’s border with Bangladesh. However, nearly 140,000 Rohingya are internally displaced and live in refugee camps, following conflict with Rakhine State’s Buddhist majority population, according to data from the United Nations Refugee Agency.
Why is there conflict between the Rohingya and the Buddhist majority?
There are deep religious and racial tensions between the two ethnic groups, according to Lex Rieffel, a senior fellow at Brookings Institute and an expert on Southeast Asia. The Buddhist majority says the Rohingya are not indigenous to Rakhine State and thus should be denied citizenship. This tension has escalated into widespread violence in recent years, killing and displacing thousands. The United Nations has reported routine and deliberate human-rights violations in the country. An estimated 810,000 people in northern Rakhine State are currently without citizenship and nearly 100,000 persecuted Rohingya have fled the country all together, according to recent data. As of 2013, Myanmar -- a country formerly known as Burma -- had a low level of human development, ranking 150 out of 187 countries total, according to the Human Development Index.
There are deep religious and racial tensions between the two ethnic groups, according to Lex Rieffel, a senior fellow at Brookings Institute and an expert on Southeast Asia. The Buddhist majority says the Rohingya are not indigenous to Rakhine State and thus should be denied citizenship. This tension has escalated into widespread violence in recent years, killing and displacing thousands. The United Nations has reported routine and deliberate human-rights violations in the country. An estimated 810,000 people in northern Rakhine State are currently without citizenship and nearly 100,000 persecuted Rohingya have fled the country all together, according to recent data. As of 2013, Myanmar -- a country formerly known as Burma -- had a low level of human development, ranking 150 out of 187 countries total, according to the Human Development Index.
What is being done to help the Rohingya?
Several humanitarian organizations are monitoring the persecution of Rohingya in Myanmar and many are urging outside intervention. Western countries, particularly the United States, are pressuring the country to take steps toward improving the Rohingya situation. Since 2004, the Myanmar government has managed to transition out of a 50-year-long military dictatorship into a semi-democracy. But in the last two years, the government has been accused of not committing to further meaningful reform, according to Rieffel. For instance, Myanmar’s Parliament is considering passing legislation that would bar Rohingya from voting in next year’s elections. The government recently announced that the Rohingya can become official Myanmar citizens, but only if they agree to be registered under another ethnicity and if they can verify their family has lived there for at least 60 years. Ultimately, some experts say the people of Myanmar must determine how to address this long-standing conflict...
Several humanitarian organizations are monitoring the persecution of Rohingya in Myanmar and many are urging outside intervention. Western countries, particularly the United States, are pressuring the country to take steps toward improving the Rohingya situation. Since 2004, the Myanmar government has managed to transition out of a 50-year-long military dictatorship into a semi-democracy. But in the last two years, the government has been accused of not committing to further meaningful reform, according to Rieffel. For instance, Myanmar’s Parliament is considering passing legislation that would bar Rohingya from voting in next year’s elections. The government recently announced that the Rohingya can become official Myanmar citizens, but only if they agree to be registered under another ethnicity and if they can verify their family has lived there for at least 60 years. Ultimately, some experts say the people of Myanmar must determine how to address this long-standing conflict...
A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee
his or her country because of persecution, war, or violence. A refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution
for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in
a particular social group. (or)
A person who has been forced to leave
their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.
Reliefweb-Nov 30, 2016
The crisis of violence against Rohingya Muslims
goes back many years. In this image, a group of refugees is
turned back by Bangladesh ...
Read more news...
Voice of America-Nov 30, 2016
Some Rohingya men
just after their arrival from Myanmar, at an unidentified place in
Cox's Bazar district, Bangladesh. This group managed to ...
Rohingya and
responsibility
Opinion-Jakarta Post-Nov 29, 2016
The Lady's hesitation over the Rohingya upsets the EU
Opinion-Jakarta Post-Nov 29, 2016
The Lady's hesitation over the Rohingya upsets the EU
In-Depth-Asia Times-Nov 30, 2016
More news for refugees...
13.5 million
people in Syria need humanitarian assistance due to a violent
civil war that began in 2011.
4.8 million
Syrians are refugees, and 6.1 million are displaced within Syria;
half of those affected are children.
Children affected by the Syrian
conflict are at risk of becoming ill, malnourished, abused, or exploited.
Millions have been forced to quit school. View these photos to see life through the eyes of Syrian refugee
children.
Most Syrian refugees remain in the
Middle East, in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt; slightly more
than 10 percent of the refugees have fled to Europe.
Peace negotiations continue despite a
fraying and piecemeal ceasefire.
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