Review: The Rohingya Crisis: A People Facing Extinction by Muhammad Abdul Bari.

I have been meaning to write a review of this book for a long long time! This will be my first book review, as opposed to podcast episode about the book, but I hope to do it more often for books that I don't feel are suitable for a whole episode of the podcast.

I read this book in August, which I had allocated to reading books from South Asia. I came across it in an Instagram Story and it sounded like a good way to find out more about what is happening to the Rohingya in Myanmar.

I don't know much about the country at all, but I came out of it feeling like I had a clearer idea of the context and forces involved. The book starts with a historical overview of the area and of the Rohingya and Muslim populations and their relationships with other groups in the region through history, including the impact of British colonialism on these relationships. It then describes the current situation and the oppression that the Rohingya have been experiencing. Before offering possible solutions, it explores the geo-political forces at play that limit the reaction of other national powers. Personally, I found this part most interesting as it helped me to understand why this disaster persists and the various parties involved.

This book is in no way an in-depth study; at just over 60 pages, it is designed to give the layman a general understanding of what is happening in the area. The language used is simple and easy to follow and it doesn't assume any background knowledge on the part of the reader. I found it served its purpose well and recommend it for anyone who wants to learn more about this underreported crisis.

---