Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Abbreviations
- Foreword
- Preface
- 1 The Rohingya Human Rights Crisis
- 2 A Theoretical Understanding of Rohingyas and Rohingyas in the Media
- 3 The Path to Refuge: Ethnicity, Politics, Religion, and Global Order
- 4 Dispossession and Displacement: The Crisis and Media Influence
- 5 Final Destinations and Policy Implications
- References
- Index
Foreword
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 January 2024
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Abbreviations
- Foreword
- Preface
- 1 The Rohingya Human Rights Crisis
- 2 A Theoretical Understanding of Rohingyas and Rohingyas in the Media
- 3 The Path to Refuge: Ethnicity, Politics, Religion, and Global Order
- 4 Dispossession and Displacement: The Crisis and Media Influence
- 5 Final Destinations and Policy Implications
- References
- Index
Summary
The Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic minority who have inhabited in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, for millennia. They have faced decades of violence, discrimination, and persecution. The United Nations referred to the Rohingyas as the most persecuted minority in the world. The long history of discriminatory and arbitrary laws, policies, and practises in Myanmar has resulted in their denial of citizenship in the country forcing to flee their home country since the late 1970s. As a result, their fundamental freedom and protections were violated, leaving them vulnerable to violence, and abuse.
Nonetheless, their largest exodus began in August 2017 when a wave of violence erupted in Myanmar's Rakhine State, causing more than a million people, half of whom were children, to flee to Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Indonesia, and other countries in the area. Even though the present refugee crisis has dominated global news for months, the plight of Rohingya Muslims in Bangladeshi camps has received little attention in the local regional press. Instead, the media has carried on stories of Rohingya crimes in Arakan. The stories are sometimes written in such a way that the international community is unable to empathize with people in life-threatening situations. Narratives influence how the world perceives the Rohingya. Unfortunately, the Rakhine issue is frequently portrayed as a religious one. In fact, that the media could have helped raise awareness about the Rohingya refugee crisis by using their voices and showing various facets of their current dilemma. In most cases, local media has portrayed them as criminals, burdens, and security hazards. Myanmar's media, on the other hand, fabricated information concerning Rohingya refugees, leaving world leaders and the international community cold unaware of realities. As a result, Bangladesh's ongoing Rohingya crisis is causing a slew of economic, social, and political problems. By leveraging experiences from throughout the world, this book aims to ignite debates about the Rohingya refugee situation at the local, regional, and global levels. Furthermore, in this book, the author-duo display a deeper knowledge of the reasons and drivers of identity-based politics among the stateless Rohingya.
The authors suggest that the media have played a big role in spreading the narratives, which hampered the Rohingya's ability to attract worldwide attention.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Unheard Stories of the RohingyasEthnicity, Diversity and Media, pp. v - viPublisher: Bristol University PressPrint publication year: 2023