PORTRAITS FROM THAN CHOUN
In a nation long ruled by the military and rapidly transitioning into a democracy, Theravada Buddhism and Burmese nationalism have long been used to attempt to unify a nation diverse in cultures and beliefs. The Rohingya people, an ethnic minority who have traditionally practiced Islam in Myanmar’s western Rhakine State, fall short of these perceived ideals.
Following sectarian violence in 2012, ethnic Rohingya were forcibly removed from their homes in Rhakine’s capital Sittwe. The city was declared ‘Muslim Free’. Mosques, including the 800 year old Sawduro Bor Masjid, were razed alongside whole Rohingya townships. Hundreds were killed and thousands relocated to Internally Displaced Person’s (IDP) camps far out of the city centre. Conditions inside the camps have drawn international condemnation from human rights groups, leading the United Nations to declare Rohingya as being ‘one of the world’s most persecuted minorities’.