Terror against Muslims – Fleeing Myanmar

Radicalisation and religious extremism are phenomena that many initially associate with Islam. In South and Southeast Asia, though, a more complex picture comes into focus: Buddhist extremism is currently playing a big role in Myanmar, where Muslim segments of the population are being terrorised, persecuted, and driven out. Even Aung San Suu Kyi, once considered by many a peace icon, has yet to taken action vis-à-vis these violent outbreaks. The plight of the Rohingya, currently considered the world’s most heavily persecuted minority, has been paid too little attention by the rest of the world.

The panelists’ personal experiences on the ground and the distinct approaches they take in their work offer various vantage points on and from Myanmar: Under what conditions are people living there? Is peaceful coexistence possible in Myanmar? What does the future look like for the Rohingya? These topics and more will be tackled by Philipp Abresch (Southeast Asia correspondent for ARD), Jürgen Webermann (South Asia correspondent for ARD), and Dr. Jasmin Lorch (Southeast Asia expert at the GIGA). The evening’s discussion will be moderated by Julia-Niharika Sen, presenter of NDR’s international news magazine Weltbilder.

A summary of the event can be accessed in the NDR Mediathek (visual) and NDR Info’s Das Forum (audio).

In the collaborative event series from NDR and the GIGA “Crossing Borders – Foreign Correspondents Connecting with Scholars” (“Grenzgänger – Auslandskorrespondenten treffen Wissenschaftler”), researchers and journalists discuss current events across the world, always including a perspective on how Germany and Hamburg are affected.