The Hidden History of Burma: Race, Capitalism, and the Crisis of Democracy in the 21st Century

by Thant Myint-U

But under the constitution, the president appoints the chief minister of every state. The Arakan National Party had hoped that, in the spirit of democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi would appoint one of their own. When she didn’t even reach out to them, they felt humiliated. Many, especially young Arakanese, gravitated toward the Arakan Army. The conflict in Arakan in 2018 was not simply between Muslims and Buddhists, or between the Burmese state and the Rohingya. Forgotten in many outside perspectives is the central place of the Arakanese Buddhists, many of whom consider themselves heirs to a once independent Arakan, and who see both the Burmese to the east and the “Bengalis” to the west as existential threats to their future.