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Criminology of Atrocity Crimes: Analysing the Aetiology of the Rohingya Persecution in Myanmar

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2023

Mohammad Pizuar Hossain*
Affiliation:
Department of Law, East West University, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Abstract

The current paper examines the aetiology of persecution committed against the Rohingya in Myanmar from a criminological perspective. Criminological theories focusing on one level of analysis may not fully explain the incidents concerning the systematic implementation of policies of persecution against the Rohingya for decades. Thus, the author scrutinizes the factors which are involved in the aetiology of persecution at three different levels: macro (national), meso (organizational) and micro (local community and individual) within four dynamics – namely, motivation, opportunity, control and constraint. This paper employs the case study method and collects data through focus group discussions with the Rohingya in the Kutupalong refugee camp in the Cox’s Bazar region of Bangladesh. It limits its analysis to the data that covers the events of persecution against the Rohingya in Myanmar, such as revocation of their citizenship, deprivation of their fundamental rights, and different forms of atrocity crimes, from 1962 to 2019. It reveals that, despite the heterogeneity of the actions that led to atrocity crimes against the Rohingya, the military leaders in charge of Myanmar (and somewhat Myanmar’s civilian government), military personnel and other security force members, paramilitaries and vigilantes played various roles in the perpetration of such crimes.

Abstracto

Abstracto

El presente documento examina la etiología de la persecución cometida contra los Rohingya en Myanmar desde una perspectiva criminológica. Las teorías criminológicas que se centran en un nivel de análisis pueden no explicar completamente los incidentes relacionados con la implementación sistemática de políticas de persecución contra los Rohingya durante décadas. Por lo tanto, el autor analiza los factores que están involucrados en la etiología de la persecución en tres niveles diferentes: macro (nacional), meso (organizacional) y micro (comunidad local e individual) dentro de cuatro dinámicas: motivación, oportunidad, control y restricción. Este documento emplea el método de estudio de caso y recopila datos a través de discusiones de grupos focales con los Rohingya en el campo de refugiados de Kutupalong en la región de Cox’s Bazar en Bangladesh. Limita su análisis a los datos que abarcan los hechos de persecución contra los Rohingya en Myanmar, como revocación de su ciudadanía, privación de sus derechos fundamentales y diferentes formas de crímenes atroces, desde 1962 hasta 2019. Revela que a pesar de la heterogeneidad de las acciones que condujeron a crímenes atroces contra los Rohingya, los líderes militares a cargo de Myanmar (y en parte del gobierno civil de Myanmar), el personal militar y otros miembros de las fuerzas de seguridad, los paramilitares y los vigilantes desempeñaron diversos papeles en la perpetración de tales crímenes.

Abstrait

Abstrait

Le présent article examine l'étiologie de la persécution commise contre les Rohingyas au Myanmar d’un point de vue criminologique. Les théories criminologiques se concentrant sur un seul niveau d’analyse peuvent ne pas expliquer pleinement les incidents concernant la mise en œuvre systématique des politiques de persécution contre les Rohingyas pendant des décennies. Ainsi, l’auteur examine les facteurs qui sont impliqués dans l'étiologie de la persécution à trois niveaux différents : macro (national), méso (organisationnel) et micro (communauté locale et individu) dans quatre dynamiques – à savoir, motivation, opportunité, contrôle et contrainte. Cet article utilise la méthode de l'étude de cas et recueille des données par le biais de discussions de groupe avec les Rohingyas dans le camp de réfugiés de Kutupalong dans la région de Cox’s Bazar au Bangladesh. Il limite son analyse aux données qui couvrent les événements de persécution contre les Rohingyas au Myanmar, tels que la révocation de leur citoyenneté, la privation de leurs droits fondamentaux et différentes formes d’atrocités criminelles, de 1962 à 2019. Il révèle que malgré l’hétérogénéité Parmi les actions qui ont conduit aux atrocités commises contre les Rohingyas, les chefs militaires en charge du Myanmar (et quelque peu le gouvernement civil du Myanmar), le personnel militaire et d’autres membres des forces de sécurité, les paramilitaires et les justiciers ont joué divers rôles dans la perpétration de ces crimes.

抽象的

抽象的

本论文从犯罪学的角度审视了缅甸罗兴亚人遭受迫害的原因。 专注于一个层面分析的犯罪学理论可能无法完全解释几十年来系统地实施迫害罗兴亚人政策的事件。 因此,作者从三个不同的层面审视了迫害的病因学所涉及的因素:宏观(国家)、中观(组织)和微观(当地社区和个人),分为四种动力——即动机、机会、控制和 约束。 本文采用案例研究的方法,通过与孟加拉国科克斯巴扎尔地区库图帕隆难民营中的罗兴亚人进行焦点小组讨论来收集数据。 它将分析范围限制在涵盖 1962 年至 2019 年缅甸罗兴亚人受迫害事件的数据上,例如剥夺他们的公民身份、剥夺他们的基本权利和不同形式的暴行罪。它揭示了尽管存在异质性 在导致对罗兴亚人犯下暴行罪的行动中,负责缅甸的军事领导人(以及缅甸文职政府)、军事人员和其他安全部队成员、准军事人员和义警在实施此类罪行中扮演了各种角色。

خلاصة

خلاصة

تبحث الورقة الحالية في مسببات الاضطهاد المرتكب ضد الروهينجا في ميانمار من منظور إجرامي. قد لا تشرح النظريات الإجرامية التي تركز على مستوى واحد من التحليل بشكل كامل الحوادث المتعلقة بالتنفيذ المنهجي لسياسات الاضطهاد ضد الروهينجا لعقود. وهكذا ، يفحص المؤلف العوامل التي تدخل في مسببات الاضطهاد على ثلاثة مستويات مختلفة: الكلي (الوطني) ، والمتوسط (التنظيمي) والجزئي (المجتمع المحلي والفرد) ضمن أربع ديناميكيات - وهي الدافع ، والفرصة ، والسيطرة ، و قيد. تستخدم هذه الورقة طريقة دراسة الحالة وتجمع البيانات من خلال المناقشات الجماعية المركزة مع الروهينجا في مخيم كوتوبالونغ للاجئين في منطقة كوكس بازار في بنغلاديش. ويقتصر تحليله على البيانات التي تغطي أحداث الاضطهاد ضد الروهينجا في ميانمار ، مثل إسقاط جنسيتهم ، وحرمانهم من حقوقهم الأساسية ، وأشكال مختلفة من الجرائم الفظيعة ، من عام 1962 إلى عام 2019. ويكشف أنه على الرغم من عدم التجانس من الإجراءات التي أدت إلى ارتكاب جرائم فظيعة ضد الروهينجا ، لعب القادة العسكريون المسؤولون عن ميانمار (وإلى حد ما الحكومة المدنية في ميانمار) والعسكريين وأفراد قوات الأمن الأخرى والقوات شبه العسكرية والحراس أدوارًا مختلفة في ارتكاب مثل هذه الجرائم.

Type
Article
Copyright
© International Society of Criminology, 2023

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Footnotes

1

Research for this paper was supported by the East West University Center for Research and Training, Dhaka, Bangladesh (grant reference no. EWUCRT (RP)-11(1)-21/2018). The author declares that this paper contains some primary data (statements of the Rohingya participants) that the author has used in the working paper of his research project, funded by EWUCRT (Hossain 2020). However, the data has been analysed differently in the present paper and its conclusions are also distinct. The author retains copyright of the primary data used in this paper.

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