Overview

Myanmar is inhabited by a variety of groups of different ethnicities, as well as cultural, linguistic and religious backgrounds. One of the minority groups that call Myanmar home is the Rohingya Muslim group (“Rohingya”), who primarily reside in Rakhine State, the westernmost extremity of the country, along its border with Bangladesh. Despite the fact that most of the Rohingya reside in Rakhine State, they are still considered a minority community within Rakhine State, as the area is dominated by the Arakanese ethnic group, also known as the Rakhine.[1] Being a minority group within the country, the Rohingya have experienced discrimination and persecution since the country’s independence. In 1982, Myanmar's citizenship law excluded the Rohingya from being categorized as one of the country’s acknowledged ethnic groups and they were consequently barred from being able to attain citizenship, ultimately rendering them stateless.[2]