Analyzes the politics of identity from the perspective of the people instead of media and government reports Addresses topics new to the discussion of the Rohingya refugee community, such as memories, cultural life, and non-conventional resistance Appeals to scholars and students examining issues of forced migration, refugee studies, Southeast Asian international relations, and ethnic politics.

Autorentext

Kazi Fahmida Farzana is Senior Lecturer in the Department of International Affairs at the University Utara Malaysia, Malaysia.

Zusammenfassung
This book provides a critical analysis of the Rohingya refugees' identity building processes and how this is closely linked to the state-building process of Myanmar as well as issues of marginalization, statelessness, forced migration, exile life, and resistance of an ethnic minority. With a focus on the ethnic minority's life at the Myanmar-Bangladesh border, the author demonstrates how the state itself is involved in the construction of identity, which it manipulates for its own political purposes. The study is based on original research, largely drawn from fieldwork data. It presents an alternative and endogenous interpretation of the problem in contrast to the exogenous narrative espoused by state institutions, non-governmental organizations, and the media.

Inhalt
1: Introduction.- 2: The historical and politico-military context of the border.- 3: The refugee problem from an official account.- 4: Reconstructions of social memory by refugees.- 5: Everyday life in refugee camps.- 6: Music and Art as symbols of identity and everyday resistance.- 7: Conclusion.