Myanmar's Enemy Within: Buddhist Violence and the Making of a Muslim 'Other' (Asian Arguments)

by Francis Wade

In November 2012, a month after the second wave of violence hit Rakhine State, the RNDP ran an editorial in its magazine, the Development Journal. It read: Hitler and Eichmann were the enemy of the Jews, but they were probably heroes to the Germans … In order for a country’s survival, the survival of a race, or in defense of national sovereignty, crimes against humanity or in-human acts may justifiably be committed … So, if that survival principle or justification is applied or permitted equally (in our Myanmar case) our endeavors to protect our Rakhine race and defend the sovereignty and longevity of the Union of Myanmar cannot be labeled as “crimes against humanity,” or “inhuman” or “in-humane.”