2016-17 Rohingya persecution in Myanmar

Rohingya persecution in Myanmar

Location of Rakhine State in Myanmar
Date	9 October 2016 (2016-10-09) – present
Location	Rakhine State, Myanmar
Type	Ethnic and religious persecution
Theme	Military crackdown by army and police on Rohingya Muslims
Cause	Wide-scale human rights violations at the hands of security forces and local Buddhist militants Historical mistreatment of the Rohingya by the government and Buddhist population
Outcome	Attacks on Myanmar border police posts by Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army Mass displacement of refugees Forced relocations
Deaths	2,000+
Publication bans	Media access in northern Rakhine State heavily restricted by the Myanmar government.

The Rohingya persecution in Myanmar refers to the ongoing military crackdown by the Myanmar Army and police on Rohingyas in Rakhine State in the country's western region. While the majority of Rohingyas are Muslim, attacks have also occurred against Hindu Rohingyas. The crackdown was in response to attacks on Myanmar border posts in October 2016 by Rohingya insurgents. The Myanmar army have been accused of wide-scale human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings, gang rapes, arson and infanticides, claims which the government dismisses as "exaggerations".

The military crackdown on the Rohingya people has drawn criticism from the United Nations (which cited possible "crimes against humanity"), the human rights group Amnesty International, the U.S. Department of State, as well as Bangladesh and Malaysia, where many Rohingya refugees have arrived. The de facto head of government of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi, has been criticized for her inaction on the issue and for doing little to prevent military abuses. Others argue that since the military retains significant autonomy and power in the government, she may be powerless to control them.

Myanmar is predominantly Buddhist (88%–90% of the population), with small minorities of other faiths, including a small minority of Muslims (4%), most of whom are forbidden to vote and denied citizenship (with the exception of the Kamans). The nation is dominated by its ethnic Bamar (or Burman) majority (68%), most of whom are Buddhist. Several other ethnic groups suffer discrimination, abuse and neglect by the government; in the western coastal province of Rakhine State, it is the predominantly Buddhist Rakhine (4%, about 2 million people) and the predominantly Muslim Rohingya (2%, about 1 million people) that have suffered at the hands of the government. Tensions between Buddhist and Muslim communities have also led to violence, with nationalist Buddhists often targeting Rohingyas. The Rohingya are a distinct ethnicity with their own language and culture, but claim a long historical connection to Rakhine State.