Rohingya Left Behind in Myanmar’s Power Transition

Inequality and an utter lack of health care, education and opportunity for a minority group of people does not reflect well on governance. “Denied citizenship and voting rights as well as access to proper medical care and education, the Rohingya have been largely left behind in Myanmar's widely-lauded transition to democracy following a November election that swept Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) to power,” reports Lucy Kafanov for Deutsche Welle. “The vote may have helped to end more than half a century of crushing military rule, but there are few signs of change on the horizon for the Rohingya.” Some government officials accuse minority, whose family have been in the country for several generations, of being illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. The Rohingya do not anticipate much from the new government and rely on aid and foreign NGOs. Muslims represent about 5 percent of the country’s population, and since 2012, tens of thousands have fled. – YaleGlobal