The Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar: Past, Present, and Future

More than seventy five percent of the world’s population dwells in countries where state restrictions on religious freedom prevail. Despite laudable strides towards democratic reform, Myanmar is among those nations. The United Nations has long characterized the Rohingya Muslims as one of the world’s most persecuted minorities. By way of background, anti-Rohingya and anti-Muslim sentiment has long tainted the state’s political and social spheres. More recently, escalating violence has not only exasperated the humanitarian crises confronting the Rohingya Muslims, but it also threatens to undermine the Burmese transition from one-party military rule to democratic governance. It adversely impacts global security, too. This paper examines the Rohingya Muslim experience historically, but perhaps more significantly, it examines their experience through a contemporary humanitarian and human rights lens as well.