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New article in World Politics Review argues that the Rohingya boat crisis will not subside without radical changes in Myanmar

In a World Politics Review briefing published yesterday, Professor Matthew Gibney outlines the context of the Rohingya refugee crisis and argues that a lasting solution can only be found in “reforms in Myanmar that incorporate the Rohingya as full and respected members of society”.

As many as 8,000 migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh have been stranded at sea close to Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand over the past month, with little water, food or shelter. Many are Rohingya refugees seeking asylum from persecution and exclusion in Myanmar; others are impoverished Bangladeshi migrants looking to escape insecurity and poverty in Bangladesh.

After being turned away by Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, causing an international outcry, these countries have now agreed to temporarily shelter the Rohingya refugees. However, as Matthew Gibney states, “the problem of desperate boat people in the region remains intractable. It cannot be solved without addressing its root causes, most of all in Myanmar.”

Read the article: Lasting Solution to Rohingya Refugee Crisis Depends on Myanmar

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