The portrayal of the Rohingya genocide and refugee crisis in the age of post-truth politics

Abstract

The systematic persecution and ethnic cleansing of the Rohingyas by Myanmar which resulted from populist hatred can be traced back to the Second World War when the Rohingyas sided with the British. Xenophobia has taken a permanent shape in the practice of power, the motive force behind the actions and reactions of successive Myanmar states and political elites. The colonial legacy has been used as the rationale for isolation and the use of violence against the Rohingyas. The socio-historical constructed and imposed identity throughout the colonial and post-colonial years has been used by the majority Buddhists to dehumanize the Rohingyas. The article argues that the historical identity creation and imposition by the majority Buddhists have facilitated the recent refugee crisis. The article aims to identify whether the tactics of post-truth politics have been used to fuel populist anti-Rohingya feelings among the majority Buddhists.