Democratization and Minority Rights Protection: The Case of the Rohingya Minority in Myanmar

Democratization of previously closed states is often lauded; however, it is an unstable process at the same time. This is also the case for Myanmar, especially for the Rohingya minority group that reside in the Northern Rakhine state. In the fall of 2017, they were the victims of the biggest persecution of a minority group in the world in which 700.000 people fled over the border to Bangladesh, and an unknown number became internally displaced. This heavy persecution interferes with the period of democratization, something that is striking considering the emphasize on values such as freedom and equality in democracy. In my thesis, the research question will be: Does democratization help in protecting minority rights in Myanmar? It is argued that the absence of power sharing arrangements in Myanmar politics led to the persecution of the Rohingya minority. After the research, it could be concluded that the power sharing arrangements are not completely missing, yet, even the...Show moreDemocratization of previously closed states is often lauded; however, it is an unstable process at the same time. This is also the case for Myanmar, especially for the Rohingya minority group that reside in the Northern Rakhine state. In the fall of 2017, they were the victims of the biggest persecution of a minority group in the world in which 700.000 people fled over the border to Bangladesh, and an unknown number became internally displaced. This heavy persecution interferes with the period of democratization, something that is striking considering the emphasize on values such as freedom and equality in democracy. In my thesis, the research question will be: Does democratization help in protecting minority rights in Myanmar? It is argued that the absence of power sharing arrangements in Myanmar politics led to the persecution of the Rohingya minority. After the research, it could be concluded that the power sharing arrangements are not completely missing, yet, even the arrangements that are in place are not applicable to the Rohingya. The Rohingya minority became victim of persecution because there were no power sharing arrangements for them in specific that could give them a voice in politics and a political identity in order to mitigate the ethnic tensions.Show less

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Democratization and Minority Rights Protection: The Case of the Rohingya Minority in Myanmar