Arakan Muslims

IIAS Public lecture by Dr J. A. Berlie

18 January 2006
15.30 - 17.00 hrs
Leiden University
Building 1103, Nonnensteeg 1-3, Room 329

This lecture will deal with the Muslim community of Northwestern Myanmar (Burma). I will address the question of their legitimacy and citizenship in Myanmar, a country overwhelmingly Buddhist. Firstly, I will explain who these Muslims of Myanmar actually are.

For many centuries the Arakan Muslims (sometimes called Rohingyas) lived in the region presently called Rakhine State, but currently the Tatmadaw Government considers them ‘foreigners'. Many of the Arakan fled to Bangladesh and now live in refugee camps. Andrew Selth recently defined the situation of the Arakan Muslims with a key question: "terrorists or terrorised"? Without citizenship, what is their legal situation in Myanmar? How do these Muslims resist this alienation and Burmanisation?

Jean Berlie is a Southeast Asianist and anthropologist, who has spent many years in China. He is the author of a recent book entitled ‘Islam in China'. In 1999, he was the editor of ‘Macao 2000' before the handover of the Portuguese Territory to China.

Information:
International Institute for Asian Studies
Ms. Amis Boersma
071-527 4159
iiasfellowships@let.leidenuniv.nl