The International Politics of the Rohingya Crisis in Myanmar: Title China, , and the United States

Author(s) Aung, Aung

Citation Kyoto Working Papers on Area Studies (2020), 134: 1-50

Issue Date 2020-03

URL http://hdl.handle.net/2433/250135

©2020 Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University (CSEAS); ©2020 Graduate School of Asian and African Area Right Studies, Kyoto University (ASAFAS); ©2020 Center for African Area Studies, Kyoto University (CAAS)

Type Paper

Textversion publisher

Kyoto University The International Politics of the Rohingya Crisis in Myanmar: China, Japan, and the United States

Aung Aung

Kyoto Working Papers on Area Studies No. 134

March 2020 Kyoto Working Papers on Area Studies is a series published jointly by the three area studies institutions on Kyoto University campus: Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS); the Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies (ASAFAS); and the Center for African Area Studies (CAAS). The papers are also available on our website: (Japanese) https://edit.cseas.kyoto-u.ac.jp/ja/kyoto-working-papers-on-area-studies/ (English) https://edit.cseas.kyoto-u.ac.jp/kyoto-working-papers-on-area-studies/

2020 Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS) Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies (ASAFAS) Center for African Area Studies (CAAS)

Kyoto University 46 Shimoadachi- cho, Yoshida, Saky -oku, Kyoto 606-8501, JAPAN

All rights reserved

ISBN 978-4-906332-42-7 The opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of CSEAS, ASAFAS, and CAAS.

The publication of this working paper No.134 is supported by the Japan Foundation. The International Politics of the Rohingya Crisis in Myanmar: China, Japan, and the United States

Aung Aung

Kyoto Working Papers on Area Studies No. 134

March 2020

The International Politics of the Rohingya Crisis in Myanmar: China, Japan, and the United States

Aung Aung1

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• Amid of global security threats and severe competition between China and the U.S., international pressures on Myanmar relating to the Rohingya crisis has dramatically increased.

• Behind the Rohingya crisis, international politics especially China, Japan and the U.S. are heavily involved in the United Nations and international realm, but their positions such as their interests and concerns are known to few people especially in Myanmar.

• While the U.S. and the West focus on human rights and democracy, Japan and China focus on their economic interests and national securities.

• While the U.S. has adopted sanctions against Myanmar’s military leaders, Japan has maintained its relations with both Myanmar’s civilian government and the military, and China has strategically promoted its ties with both sides in Myanmar.

• While the U.S. and Japan view China as a global security threat, China also views that the U.S. and Japan want to contain China via Myanmar in the names of UNs and INGOs to disturb Chinese interests and projects in Rakhine State.

• Under proactive foreign and security policies of China, Japan and the U.S., Myanmar’s Rakhine State seem to be a battle field of international politics especially between China and the U.S.

• Amid of Americanophobia and Sinophobia, viewing the U.S. extremely focuses on human rights, and China heavily emphasizes on its national security, Myanmar looks for more friends who

1 Aung Aung was Japan Foundation Fellow, and served as Visiting Fellow of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS) of Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan from 1 October 2019 to 31 March 2020. Under the pen name Aung Aung IR, he is a regular contributor to the Myanmar-language press. He obtained his master’s degrees in