The inter-communal violence we have seen in Myanmar’s Rakhine State since 2012 is a manifestation of the deep-rooted structural inequity and unhealed traumas that have continuously grown in scope and intensity over generations. Historical roots of the inequity and traumas include the colonial invasions and control of the region (in 1824-1948 by the British and in 1942-45 by the Japanese) and Myanmar’s own internal challenge in inter-racial, inter-ethnic relations and inclusive governance since its independence in 1948. Regardless of the historical grievances that motivate each of the communities involved in the Rakhine conflict to advocate its own voice of identity and justice, they must also confront a painful, inconvenient truth they share: a further escalation of this crisis would unleash a much larger scope of inter-communal violence, possibly destabilizing the whole of Myanmar and its regional context and causing all parties greater suffering. However difficult and unthinkable it may be at this point, all parties involved must adopt a decisive departure from their familiar modes of advocacy. Instead they will need to ask a different question: What would a viable and sustainable future of Rakhine State look like and what concrete steps can we take together to make this vision a reality?
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-----------------------------------------------------Tatsushi Arai, PhD: Associate prof. of peacebuilding and conflict transformation, School for International Training; graduate institute & fellow, Center for Peacemaking Practice, School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University, USA. He is a Japanese citizen, an independent social scientist, and a peacebuilding practitioner with extensive practical experience in diverse conflict-affected societies. Email: tatsushi.arai@sit.edu.
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