Is the Persecution of the Rohingya in a Genocide? Julia Santiago, Adara Goldberg and Lauretta Farrell (Advisors) College of Liberal Arts, Kean University, [email protected]

Introduction Results In their own country, Myanmar, the Rohingya Muslims are an ethnic minority Ø In reference to the UN’s “Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime and have suffered persecution and systematic killings which resulted in periodic of Genocide”, the persecution of the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar does meet the ethnic cleansings. They are often dehumanized and frequently subjected to definition of genocide and meets all ten stages of the “Ten Stages of Genocide” which state-sponsored abuses and institutionalized discrimination. The exclusionary include: classification, symbolization, discrimination, dehumanization, organization, policies of Myanmar’s military government have rendered this ethnic minority polarization, preparation, persecution, extermination, and denial. stateless in their own and neighboring countries. The most recent crackdown by the in 2017 caused hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee Conclusions into . In January 2020, the United Nation's top court ordered the Ø New evidence shows how Myanmar authorities made “extensive and systematic Buddhist-majority country to take measures to protect members of its Rohingya preparations for the commission of mass atrocity crimes against indigenous Rohingya community from genocide. The country’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi denies civilians during the weeks and months” before the attacks on August 25, 2017. This allegations of genocide. clearly shows intent to destroy the ethnic and religious minority group. Ø Despite being in the area for centuries, the Myanmar government refers to the Left Photo: Jomila, a Rohingya as “Bengalis” to describe them as illegitimate foreigners from Bangladesh. Rohingya woman, survived A large group of , fled from ongoing military At the same time, Bangladesh refers to the Rohingya as refugees who need to return the genocide that took her operations in Myanmar's , try to cross the border at to Myanmar. This opposition in labeling the Rohingya has resulted in them becoming husband and son but remains Palongkhalii, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on October 17, 2017. the single largest stateless population in the world. tormented by their loss. (Photo by Getty Images) Ø The ongoing persecution of the Rohingya is led by Myanmar’s military. Examples of Right Photo: Jomila holds all this include but are not limited to: Operation Dragon King in 1978, the Burmese she has left of her son. Citizenship Act of 1982, withholding of birth certificates, and the most recent attacks Photos by Greg Constantine in 2017 resulting in 700,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh. References Arnold, Katie. 2017. Aljazeera. August 31. Accessed March 29, 2021. https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2017/8/31/nearly-50000-rohingya-flee-violence- in-myanmar. Colvin, Victoria, and Phil Orchard. “The Rohingya Jurisdiction Decision: A Step Forward for Stopping Forced Deportations.” Australian Journal of International Affairs 73, no. 1 (February 2019): 16–21. doi:10.1080/10357718.2018.1548563. Burmese authorities made Jomila’s family stand for this household registration photo in 2010. Her husband Abdul Aziz, 38, is second from Sarmin, Arifa. "Ongoing Persecution of the Rohingya: A History of Periodic Ethnic the left. Jomila is standing to his right. Her son Jahingir, 15, is wearing a Cleansings and Genocides." Intellectual Discourse 28, no. 2 (2020): 675-696. blue shirt and standing in the center, front row. Both Abdul Aziz and Stanton, Gregory H. 1996. The Ten Stages of Genocide. Accessed March 29, 2021. Jahingir were killed during the massacre in Maung Nu on August 27, 2017. https://www.genocidewatch.com/tenstages. Ullah, AKM A. and Diotima Chattoraj. "Roots of Discrimination Against Rohingya Methods and Materials Minorities: Society, Ethnicity and International Relations." Intellectual Discourse 26, Ø I focused on peer-reviewed articles researching the history of the Rohingya no. 2 (2018): 541. Muslims and compared the history of persecution against the United United Nations General Assembly. 1948. "Genocide." United Nations: Office on Genocide Nations’s definition of genocide and the ten stages of genocide established Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect. December 9. Accessed march 29, 2021. by an NGO called Genocide Watch. https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/genocide.shtml. Ø I utilized both primary and secondary sources to form a conclusion on United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. n.d. Burma's Path to Genocide. Accessed whether the history of persecution and actions by the Myanmar March 22, 2021. https://exhibitions.ushmm.org/burmas-path-to-genocide/holding-a- government constitute the designation of genocide. family-together.