The Rohingya in crisis : evolving humanitarian norms in South and Southeast Asia?

• Main Author: Mukherjee, Sreeya
• Other Authors: -
• Format: Thesis-Master by Coursework
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2020
• Subjects: Social sciences::Political science
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/137880
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The protracted crisis of the stateless Rohingya presents one of the most dire forced migration predicaments of the current times. The impact of this displacement is far- reaching, but of particular concern in Myanmar’s neighbourhood. This dissertation aims to analyse the evolution of humanitarian norms in South and Southeast Asia by studying policies of Bangladesh, India, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia towards migrating Rohingya populations. Through the examination of these case studies over a four-decade time period spanning the exoduses of 1978, 1991, 2012 and 2017, the change in and emergence of norms has been sought. The nature of humanitarianism is reflected in the role of strategic politics of the state, sociocultural factors, and multitude of actors in humanitarian assistance and protection. This paper finds an absence of human security norms in the region, due to the primacy of national interests in practising responsible sovereignty. This is evident through the shortage of protections even in the presence of humanitarian assistance and diplomacy, veering towards a non- traditional security framework. However, notwithstanding norm violations, the role of non-state actors is significant in humanitarian practice as well as in influencing state behaviour.