Over at The Irrawaddy Violet Cho has weighed into the debate on violence in western Myanmar with a thoughtful contribution. She questions prevailing assumptions about race and ethnicity in the Myanmar context. In doing so she opens up a range of other – potentially far more fruitful – areas for analysis and discussion. This strikes me as a very worthwhile undertaking at such a contested and uncertain time.
Highlighting issues that have tended to receive insufficient attention, Cho writes:
Western Burma is one of the poorest regions of the country. The significant investment that exists is primarily in resources, which hardly benefits local people. Poverty and state repression leads to intense frustration that does not have an easy outlet and can be seen as a common root cause of communal violence around the world.
And she goes on to argue that:
Class and the experience of state repression also form a key commonality amongst those involved in the violence, both perpetrators and victims. In everyday life, people involved in the violence arguably have a lot more in common with each other than rich, urban-based members of their respective ethnic groups and/or religions that they may identify with. This is often drowned out by nationalist talk, fear and hatred. We should be looking at these and other commonalities rather than emphasizing difference and division.
I can’t imagine that those who have been so quick to trade spiteful jabs in recent days, here on New Mandala and elsewhere, will pay much attention to Cho’s commentary. But I expect that one day soon a more considered conversation about ethnicity in Myanmar will need to emerge. The past six decades provide ample evidence that knitting together the country’s fraying ethnic fabric requires more than stale rhetoric about unity and non-disintegration.
In such a conversation, time will likely be of the essence. In the immediate aftermath of the conflict in Rakhine State it would make sense for Myanmar’s leaders to start inter-ethnic discussions afresh, perhaps with some of Cho’s ideas ringing in their ears. This could be an opportunity to do things differently. What some people fear is that without prompt attention the country may, sadly, face a future where inter-communal strife, of one sort or another, continues to define the political landscape.
That outcome would indicate a failure of leadership which, given everything that is at stake in the current transitional process, Myanmar can’t afford.
Transportation infrastructure connecting Arakan with the rest of Burma would seem to be a priority.
Arakan is not well-connected with central Burma by transportation links. Traditionally, one traveled to Arakan along the coast or over the Rakhine mountain range (Yoma) from Prome located up the Irrawaddy (this is the pattern found in the Burmese chronicle).
In comparison, Thailand’s well-developed highway system expands the possibilities of commerce and trade throughout the country. For example, durian from orchards to the Southeast of Bangkok readily find their way to the streets of Maesai, the northernmost point in Thailand. Ease of transport is reflected in cheaper prices compared with Burma which opens up new markets. Comparing the domestic market for fruit in Burma vs. Thailand, you see radical differences though both countries probably have equal potential for fruit cultivation (my observation from living there for two years, but beyond anecdote it could probably be proved statistically too).
“Western Burma is one of the poorest regions of the country. The significant investment that exists is primarily in resources, which hardly benefits local people. ”
At the risk of sounding like an “economic determinist”, development of key infrastructure may be the most important factor in regional development within Burma.
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Well put Violet! Given the shared socio-economic concerns of the poorer strata of Buddhist and Muslim communities, I wonder if efforts will be made to expand labour unions and farmer associations to incorporate these diverse groups and build class-based solidarity across ethnic and religious lines.
For an historical precedent: In 1938, at a time of devastating Indian-Burman riots in Yangon, Indian and Burman oil field workers fought together with solidarity in the most important strikes of the colonial period. (See Thein Pe Myint’s The Indo-Burman Riots.)
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On the issue of cross-ethnic class-based solidarity, I’ve got an article in the October 2012 issue of Sojourn titled “Cross-ethnic labour solidarities among Myanmar workers in Thailand”, which may be of further interest.
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In case you haven’t noticed it yet, here you can find what Bertil Lintner (an experienced Burma-expert) thinks about what’s going on in Arakan State.
http://www.theweek.co.uk/asia-pacific/burma/47364/burma-regime-inciting-rakhine-conflict-discredit-aung-san-suu-kyi
I’m not saying I agree with Lintner (it’s a bit too speculative for my taste, but he does know a lot about Burmese politics and “ethnic conflicts”)
Since I have posted a few times here, I should mention that I was born in Burma. In fact, I think, I am half Rakhine, but I’m not so sure. I never thought these things were important when I was growing up in Burma in the 50′s. My school-mates were probably from a variety of “ethnic backgrounds”, but as a young boy I didn’t really care about these things. Later in life, I once had to fill up a census form in the US and I left the slot on “race” empty. You know, this question about whether you’re Caucasian, Jew, Hispanic, South Asian, Oriental, Black blah blah blah. What nonsense is that! It’s all done in the name of “affirmative action” etc. I don’t know about Australia, but in the US this racial classification is still a big deal. I sometimes joke to my “white” friends, when they use the word Caucasian, whether their grandfather was born in the Caucasus mountains (by the way, people in continental Europe don’t use the word Caucasian for whites). Aren’t we all descended from African ancestors? I am even proud of the amphibians that gave rise to mammals and “finally” to our so “enlightened” species called “homo sapiens”. Sapiens (wise) indeed!
Coming back to Violet Cho’s article, I of course, agree that concepts like “race” and “religion” are constructed by human societies to fulfill certain functions (whether they are good or bad for us is a different question) and people in Burma (and elsewhere) should just lighten up (I’m not talking about skin-colour here!) and think more about the common future of our children on this fragile planet, rather than digging up old history books trying to bask in the “glorious” past (especially military conquests and territorial claims and stuff like that). That stuff is sooo yesterday (as my kids would say). The earth is old and Burma’s history is just a blip in time.. I’m not saying we should forget the past but intelligent people can get over it! So wake up and try to build a tolerant, just and peaceful society. GDP growth and conspicuous consumption is not that important, but I would wish better health and education (especially in science and technology) for all the children of Burma (and of the whole world for that matter).
May they become homo sapientior (wiser)!
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Bertil Litner can be counted on 100%:
1) Anti Bamar/Anti anything SPDC every time.
2) Pro DAw AUng San Suu Kyi.
Even at this point DASSK decision somewhat lock step with Thein Sein/SPDC government for the greater good of Myanmar Citizenry as a whole.
Bertil Litner need to travel within the Yakhine state.
Preferably by cars and experience the true conditions of deprivations that Ms Cho is describing.
And realize what his contribution to the overall deprivation solely from his anti Bamar/anti SPDC stance.
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The paragraphs Nich highlighted in Violet Cho’s piece are spot on. The political will on the part of the leaders however remains the predictably depressing element. Neither the Rohingya leadership nor the govt is receptive of such a sensible idea except under duress perhaps. If the whole episode was instigated by the USDP as some have indicated the Rohingya all too readily snapped at the bait. As the situation ‘spirals out of control’ it would justify ‘legitimate’ state violence to be meted out, a good pretext that was lacking in Operation King Dragon in 1978. The Rohingya end up adrift at sea or unwanted in Chittagong once more, a lot worse off than they have ever been.
In talking about this conflict, Islamophobia is a feature. This is linked to post 911 global terrorism discourse that has been imported into Burma.
It serves to heighten the anxiety but irrelevant regarding ethnic cleansing (going back to 1942) as well as secessionist (simply Mujahideen as they called themselves in 1947 before Burmese independence) attempts by the so called Rohingya.
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Allow me to give you our historian Dr Aye Chan’s conclusion in his original paper published by the SOAS in its Bulletin of Burma Research, Autumn 2005, titled The Development of a Muslim Enclave in Arakan (Rakhine) State of Burma (Myanmar) p414
See also pp 397,401,406-7,411-2
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In Vietnam USA left a net work of world class High way systems that were build mainly for the war against this Communist government.
The systems were left entirely intact in after the “Fall of Saigon” that have been maintained by the government.
With the normalization Vietnam economy has taken off and has never looked back.
Despite the dreaded same oppressive military regime that now rely on Caterpillar ® to maintain its available High way in the South as well as building new ones in the North.
Myanmar will benefit as well if not more from such unequivocal commitment to invest in such infrastructure as world DOT class roads.
It will invariably bring changes toward more freedom not to mention permanent long term economic ties with the Democratic West that are the most capable of such improvement.
A world class high way as in Vietnam that can with stand the repeated monsoon rain/wetness and dry season heat is only to be found b/t outskirt of Yangon and Naypyidaw.
The irony is most westerner choose to travel by plane for that segment of their trip.
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plan B,
The logistics of war requires good all weather routes for troops and supplies besides landing fields for aircraft. Remember the story in U Nu’s time when the US offered to build a six-lane Rangoon-Mandalay highway, the Chinese offered to plant trees in the central reservation apparently spoiling the deal? We also still have one of the world’s last remaining narrow gauge railroad networks. It’s a national disgrace.
But where’s the political will to allocate funds for such public works? Where did all the revenues from the offshore gas go? It’s not so much ‘resource curse’ as daylight robbery that continues to blight the country and impoverish the nation.
Infrastructure is definitely important for not only for trade and commerce but for holding the union together, not by troops, but by people travelling and interacting between the Irrawaddy basin (Burmese heartlands) and the hills (ethnic homelands).
Who cares if Westerners shun the roads and choose to fly? Except the tourist board.
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