Lost Myanmar Empire Is Stage for Modern Violence

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Lost Myanmar Empire Is Stage for Modern Violence

By Frank Viviano, National Geographic

Centuries ago the region around Mrauk U was a realm of remarkable ethnic harmony. Today it is roiled by sectarian violence.

At the break of dawn, the fertile plain of Mrauk U, on a remote river in western Myanmar (Burma), is an archaeologist's dream come true.

The sun washes over hundreds of medieval temples, pagodas, and palaces. This is the lost capital of a fabled empire. Here the powerful kings of Arakan commanded the trade routes of South Asia from a city of 20 square miles (52 square kilometers) and 160,000 inhabitants.

Today plowmen silently guide their water buffalo through verdant rice paddies, and cows wander the grounds of 600-year-old monasteries.

But the dreamlike calm of Mrauk U cloaks a 21st-century nightmare. Myanmar's Rakhine region, where the ancient city lies, is the scene of relentless ethnic cleansing directed at a Muslim minority known as the Rohingya—deemed "illegal migrants," without citizenship or rights, after generations of residence.

Since 2012, when the crisis escalated into savage violence, Rohingya neighborhoods in Sittwe, the modern capital of Rakhine, have been burned to the ground. Tens of thousands have fled in flimsy wooden boats, only to be turned away by neighboring countries. Human traffickers demand extortionate fees for their services, and summarily kill any who are unable to pay.

Read more: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/06/150625-myanmar-burma-rohingya-refugees-archaeology-world/

[Dibbler]

I found this article a fascinating read, and it confirms that the ancestors of the Royingha lived in what is now known as Rakhine state for centuries - a fabulously wealthy region in those times - and that they were formerly recognized as one of the resident races there. Even their language was formerly recognized in currency minted by the Buddhist rulers. Indeed a lost empire today.

[Docno]

Very well-written article, but it (understandably) focuses on the history of the region centuries ago.

However, recent history may be more instructive as to what's been going on there in the past couple of years. To add a little balance to this discussion, here's some material (from Wikipedia) about more recent events that part of the world:

as a consequence of acquiring arms from the British during World War II, Rohingyas^{[note 1]} tried to destroy the Arakanese villages instead of resisting the Japanese. In March 1942, Rohingyas from northern Arakan killed around 20,000 Arakanese. In return, around 5,000 Muslims in the Minbya and Mrauk-U Townships were killed by Rakhines and Red Karens.^[51]

To facilitate their reentry into Burma, British formed Volunteer Forces with Rohingya. Over the three years during which the Allies and Japanese fought over the Mayu peninsula, the Rohingya recruits of the V-Force, engaged in a campaign against Arakanese communities, using weapons provided by V-Force.^[25] According to the secretary of British governor, the V Force, instead of fighting the Japanese, destroyed Buddhist monasteries, pagodas, and houses, and committed atrocities in northern Arakan.

Before the independence of Burma in January 1948, Muslim leaders from Arakan addressed themselves to Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, and asked his assistance in incorporating the Mayu region to Pakistan considering their religious affinity and geographical proximity with East Pakistan.^[47] Two months later, the north Arakan Muslim League was founded in Akyab (modern Sittwe). It demanded annexation to Pakistan.^[47] The proposal was never materialized since it was reportedly turned down by Jinnah saying that he was not in a position to interfere into Burmese matters.^[47]After Jinnah's refusal, Rohingya elders founded the Mujahid party as a jihad movement in northern Arakan in 1947.^[60] The aim of the Mujahid party was to create an autonomous Muslim state in Arakan.

[Docno]

I found this article a fascinating read, and it confirms that the ancestors of the Royingha lived in what is now known as Rakhine state for centuries - a fabulously wealthy region in those times - and that they were formerly recognized as one of the resident races there. Even their language was formerly recognized in currency minted by the Buddhist rulers. Indeed a lost empire today.

We have to be cautious with this topic because there are few (if any) international experts on the area, and the local experts may have their own agendas. For instance, the NG piece has, as one of it's sources, a "Rohingya historian." [Note that according to British colonial documentation, the term 'Rohingya' was not used before WWII]. The article cites arabic inscriptions on coins as well as a 15th century mosque as evidence that there as a large indigenous, integrated Muslim community in Arakan centuries ago. In fact, other sources have simply noted that these were indications of the importance and influence of Arab, Persian, and Indian traders in the area, just as Chinese coinage was widely used elsewhere in Southeast Asia (and you would have found Chinese temples in most important coastal settlements). BBC History Magazine did a piece some months back, based on British documents, indicating that the ancestors of the people we call Rohingya today were 'imported' as labour by the British colonial administration (don't forget that Arakan was administered as part of British India, so the current Bangladesh/Burma border did not exist).

[DeepInTheForest]

Very well-written article, but it (understandably) focuses on the history of the region centuries ago.

However, recent history may be more instructive as to what's been going on there in the past couple of years. To add a little balance to this discussion, here's some material (from Wikipedia) about more recent events that part of the world:

as a consequence of acquiring arms from the British during World War II, Rohingyas^{[note 1]} tried to destroy the Arakanese villages instead of resisting the Japanese. In March 1942, Rohingyas from northern Arakan killed around 20,000 Arakanese. In return, around 5,000 Muslims in the Minbya and Mrauk-U Townships were killed by Rakhines and Red Karens.^[51]

To facilitate their reentry into Burma, British formed Volunteer Forces with Rohingya. Over the three years during which the Allies and Japanese fought over the Mayu peninsula, the Rohingya recruits of the V-Force, engaged in a campaign against Arakanese communities, using weapons provided by V-Force.^[25] According to the secretary of British governor, the V Force, instead of fighting the Japanese, destroyed Buddhist monasteries, pagodas, and houses, and committed atrocities in northern Arakan.

Before the independence of Burma in January 1948, Muslim leaders from Arakan addressed themselves to Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, and asked his assistance in incorporating the Mayu region to Pakistan considering their religious affinity and geographical proximity with East Pakistan.^[47] Two months later, the north Arakan Muslim League was founded in Akyab (modern Sittwe). It demanded annexation to Pakistan.^[47] The proposal was never materialized since it was reportedly turned down by Jinnah saying that he was not in a position to interfere into Burmese matters.^[47]After Jinnah's refusal, Rohingya elders founded the Mujahid party as a jihad movement in northern Arakan in 1947.^[60] The aim of the Mujahid party was to create an autonomous Muslim state in Arakan.

As long as we are "adding some balance to the discussion", it may be worth pointing out that the article you cite has been flagged by wiki as having "disputed" neutrality.

You did not include, in your cut-and-paste, that the text you have inserted above is taken from the work of "Aye Chan, a historian at the Kanda University". It was part of a master's thesis.

However, as for Mr. or Ms. Chan being a historian, there is some cause for doubt. According to its website, Kanda University is a Japanese language school, started in 1987. Its website makes clear that it does not possess a history department. In 2012, it was reorganized into four departments: English, Asian Languages, Spanish and Portuguese, and International Communication. No history. Topics covered obviously include only language and communications.

http://www.kandagaigo.ac.jp/kuis/english/

http://www.kandagaigo.ac.jp/kuis/english/overview/

http://www.kandagaigo.ac.jp/kuis/english/overview/history/

That implies that the content cited in the wiki article and your post is certainly not peer-reviewed, not part of a academic department of history, and thus of dubious value in terms of historical content. It was probably written to demonstrate proficiency in English. The reader may be well be advised to be skeptical when considering it.

Edited June 28, 2015 by DeepInTheForest

[Docno]

Very well-written article, but it (understandably) focuses on the history of the region centuries ago.

However, recent history may be more instructive as to what's been going on there in the past couple of years. To add a little balance to this discussion, here's some material (from Wikipedia) about more recent events that part of the world:

as a consequence of acquiring arms from the British during World War II, Rohingyas^{[note 1]} tried to destroy the Arakanese villages instead of resisting the Japanese. In March 1942, Rohingyas from northern Arakan killed around 20,000 Arakanese. In return, around 5,000 Muslims in the Minbya and Mrauk-U Townships were killed by Rakhines and Red Karens.^[51]

To facilitate their reentry into Burma, British formed Volunteer Forces with Rohingya. Over the three years during which the Allies and Japanese fought over the Mayu peninsula, the Rohingya recruits of the V-Force, engaged in a campaign against Arakanese communities, using weapons provided by V-Force.^[25] According to the secretary of British governor, the V Force, instead of fighting the Japanese, destroyed Buddhist monasteries, pagodas, and houses, and committed atrocities in northern Arakan.

Before the independence of Burma in January 1948, Muslim leaders from Arakan addressed themselves to Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, and asked his assistance in incorporating the Mayu region to Pakistan considering their religious affinity and geographical proximity with East Pakistan.^[47] Two months later, the north Arakan Muslim League was founded in Akyab (modern Sittwe). It demanded annexation to Pakistan.^[47] The proposal was never materialized since it was reportedly turned down by Jinnah saying that he was not in a position to interfere into Burmese matters.^[47]After Jinnah's refusal, Rohingya elders founded the Mujahid party as a jihad movement in northern Arakan in 1947.^[60] The aim of the Mujahid party was to create an autonomous Muslim state in Arakan.

As long as we are "adding some balance to the discussion", it may be worth pointing out that the article you cite has been flagged by wiki as having "disputed" neutrality.

You did not include, in your cut-and-paste, that the text you have inserted above is taken from the work of "Aye Chan, a historian at the Kanda University". It was part of a master's thesis.

However, as for Mr. or Ms. Chan being a historian, there is some cause for doubt. According to its website, Kanda University is a Japanese language school, started in 1987. Its website makes clear that it does not possess a history department. In 2012, it was reorganized into four departments: English, Asian Languages, Spanish and Portuguese, and International Communication. No history. Topics covered obviously include only language and communications.

http://www.kandagaigo.ac.jp/kuis/english/

http://www.kandagaigo.ac.jp/kuis/english/overview/

http://www.kandagaigo.ac.jp/kuis/english/overview/history/

That implies that the content cited in the wiki article and your post is certainly not peer-reviewed, not part of a academic department of history, and thus of dubious value in terms of historical content. It was probably written to demonstrate proficiency in English. The reader may be well be advised to be skeptical when considering it.

If you read my other post here, you will see that I made the very same points: that there are few (if any) outside experts on this region and that we have to be careful because 'historians' representing both sides may have agendas. That would equally go for the 'Rohingya historian' mentioned in the NG (I wonder what accredited university he works at). I also mentioned in that post a BBC History piece that drew from British colonial administrative records and which had a somewhat different take - unfortunately, I only have that as an e-subscription, so cannot link here.