The Hidden Side of Democratization: Myanmar’s transition to democracy and ethnic violence against the Rohingya minority.

This paper examines the connection between Myanmar’s democratic transition and ethnic violence against the Rohingya minority. This is done by using Jack Snyder’s theories on democratization and nationalism. The paper compares reports on Myanmar’s development from 2003-2011 and 2011-2018 by UN-investigators in relation to democratization and ethnic violence against the Rohingya. It concludes that the country’s democratization has increased ethnic violence against the Rohingya, leading up to the 2017-genocide against the Rohingya. Governmental agents, primarily the military, have spread and exploited exclusionary nationalism against the minority in order to maintain their interests and power. However, ethnic violence has not been created by democratization but rather increased due to it