World Problems Assignment Writing Guide
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Political Science
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Dec 6, 2023
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World Problems Assignment Writing Guide
1.
Briefly describe the case you will analyze.
What happened, where, when and why?
What happened?
The Rohingya crisis is defined as the persecution and assault against the Rohingya ethnic
minority in Myanmar. This crisis led to The Gambia filing a case against the government
of Myanmar, mainly led by Buddhist nationalists and the military, at the International
Court of Justice in 2019. The Myanmar government was charged with violating human
rights and carrying out crimes against the Rohingya community.
Where?
The Rohingya primarily inhabited the Rakhine State in western Myanmar, which is near
the border of Bangladesh.
When?
The dispute between the Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims has been ongoing for
decades, but in 2012, the Myanmar military oppressed the Rohingya through a
progressively worsening genocide due to a rape allegation made by a Buddhist woman.
This resulted in the military launching ‘ethnic cleansing’ actions and in 2017, larger
numbers of Rohingya refugees were exiled to neighboring countries, mainly Bangladesh.
Why?
This crisis can be argued to have deep-rooted causes, such as historical tensions,
prejudice, and the Myanmar view of the Rohingya as outsiders. The government's
actions are seen to be motivated by multiple factors, such as the consolidation of power,
valuable resource control, and a nationalist ideology that views the Rohingya as an
insignificant race.
1a. Is the case a clear example of the unit’s theme (genocide, disaster, or dangerous diets)?
Why? If not, choose another case.
This case is an example of the unit's theme due to it meeting the United Nations criteria
for genocide. Some criteria that have been met are, killing members of the group,
causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group, and deliberately
inflicting on the group's condition of life for partial or complete physical destruction. This
can be supported by Myanmar's military acts of mass killings, torture, sexual violence,
and the intentional targeting of Rohingya civilians, including women and children.
Another criterion that is met is forced displacement. The Myanmar military issued a
massive deportation of Rohingya Muslims, with the primary objective being to force
them out of their native lands.
1b. What are some sources you can use to present this case?
Are they all reputable? (If not,
select other sources.)
Some sources that I can use are the United Nations Reports, the Human Rights Watch,
and the International Crisis Group. These sources have high credibility and authority. The
UN is a global government organization, and its reports are regarded as reliable sources
of information on global issues. Additionally, its reports can greatly influence
international diplomacy. Similarly, Human Rights Watch and the International Crisis
Group are highly respected international non-government organizations with a proven
track record of promoting human rights and resolving conflicts.
2.
List all the concepts from the course that could be relevant for understanding this case (if
you can’t think of any, choose a new case).
The concepts from the course that can be used to understand this case are nationalism,
ethnic cleansing, the law of hypodescent, “othering”, denaturalization, religion, and
social construction.
3.
What is your paper’s main claim (argument). Remember that strong arguments are
specific, supported by evidence, and debateable. Figuring out your claim will require lots
of thinking – free writing or talking can be helpful.
The Rohingya crisis depicts how ethnic cleansing, driven by the practice of ‘othering’, has
resulted in the severe persecution, and forced displacement of the Rohingya population.
4.
What is one way that you could use evidence about the case to support that claim?
An article published by The Human Rights Watch, illustrates the discrimination that
Rohingya Muslims faced. It highlights that the Rohingya were stripped of their citizenship
under Myanmar’s laws. This aligns with the concept of ‘othering’ as they are labeled as
‘nowa kalar’, a Muslim slur, which emphasizes their marginalized and excluded status.
5.
What is another way that you could use evidence about the case to support that claim?
A report from the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar presents disturbing
stories of the Rohingya when they were held under custody by the Myanmar military. Many
of these people experienced brutality, and some even lost their lives while in custody. The
realization that these civilians were targeted due to their ethnicity emphasizes how
"othering" played a role in this.
6.
What is a third way that you can use evidence about the case to support that claim?
A report made by the United Nations human rights chief illustrates how the practice of
‘othering’ has led to the devastating action of ethnic cleansing. With the Myanmar military
denying the citizenship and human rights of the Rohingya, this ideology is seen to influence
their voluntary use of brutal methods when implementing mass displacement.
7.
Which of/how many of the ideas for analysis in 4-6 above would work best in your paper,
why?
I believe that all 3 ideas can be used to strongly support my claim with different forms of
compelling evidence. The Human Rights Watch Article can be used to introduce the concept
of 'othering' and its real-world consequences for the Rohingya. To further illustrate this
concept, the UN Fact-Finding Mission Report can then be introduced to demonstrate the
harsh conditions the Rohingya faced while in custody. Finally, the UN Human Rights Chief's
Report can be used to connect the practice of 'othering' to the Myanmar military's
willingness to implement ethnic cleansing.
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