Antagonistic framing and the social exclusion of Rohingya in Myanmar’s parliamentary discourses (2011–2021)

Abstract

ABSTRACT Antagonistic frames about minority groups are hard to dislodge. Their persistence limits the scope for conflict resolution in divided societies. The parliament that surfaced in Myanmar during a decade of opening (2011–2021) presents a case for studying how emerging legislators develop strategies for minority exclusion. Through a frame analysis of parliamentary discourses focused on the Rohingya communities across two legislatures, we reconstruct how lawmakers framed such a vulnerable group during plenary debates. We detected five adversarial frames deployed by lawmakers regardless of their ethnoreligious background or party affiliation: (1) denial, (2) invasion, (3) inhospitality, (4) racist othering, (5) sexualized demonization. We found a clear alignment with popular master frames deeply embedded in Myanmar society. We further argue that such antagonistic framing developed in parliament served two purposes: it delegitimized the Rohingya as an ‘outgroup’ in official discourse while seeking to homogenize the rest of society despite entrenched ethnoreligious divisions.