This research project evaluates the root cause of the Rohingyan genocide by comparing religious and state ideology. A comparison of these ideologies displayed a deeper issue within the Buddhist organi..
This research project evaluates the root cause of the Rohingyan genocide by comparing religious and state ideology. A comparison of these ideologies displayed a deeper issue within the Buddhist organizations throughout the Rakhine state. This research was conducted through an evaluation of articles and interviews detailing Burmese culture, victim accounts of the genocide, state laws, and extremist speeches delivered by Buddhist monks. Of the existing research, very little focuses on ideology or the unique role of Buddhists in this atrocity. This research shows that many Buddhists in the Rakhine state have shown a blatant disregard for - or developed an extreme interpretation of - their religious ideology and the lasting impact that British colonialism has had on Myanmar. Along with this, the research reveals Buddhist monks are the true leaders of the genocidal regime and establishes a connection between ideological power and religion in the state of Myanmar further proving the Rohingyan genocide unique as a religious sponsored genocide using state ideology. Overall, the Rohingyan genocide represents ties between state and religion which can directly influence the destruction of a people “in whole or in part” (UN Genocide Convention 1948).
