Next Generation Myanmar > 43 worker from Shan State. ‘There is a lot of negative things coming from these ones […] They cause a lot of environmental problems in the area I come from.’ Survey respondents were most receptive to foreigners visiting as tourists: 80.6 per cent of youth surveyed agreed it is good for Myanmar that more tourists were coming to visit. In interviews and focus group discussions, many respondents were proud that the country’s heritage and culture was gaining international recognition. In one discussion, a 20-year-old chemistry student declared: ‘Thanks to foreigners, Bagan and Inle Lake are known to the world.’ A 24-year-old working for a tour agency agreed: ‘Having foreigners’ presence have promoted the values and culture of Myanmar. Bagan is going to become a heritage site. It will provide many opportunities.’ Increased foreign attention on Myanmar has also brought increased criticism, especially concerning the situation in Rakhine State in 2017. The widely reported military operations against the militant group ARSA (Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army), and the subsequent flow of hundreds and thousands of Rohingya refugees displaced by these operations, dramatically damaged Myanmar’s international reputation. Yet while 78.8 per cent of youth surveyed reported to be ‘concerned about what happened in Rakhine’, far fewer (31.9 per cent) felt the international criticism of Myanmar was reasonable (see Figure 18). Nearly nine out of ten survey respondents (86.6 per cent) reported they were worried that civilians have lost lives in the military operations conducted in Rakhine State, with approximately the same number of respondents agreeing that the government should do a better job protecting civilians. At the same time, half (49.1 per cent) of surveyed youth agreed that the army did the right thing in Rakhine. Many youth, however, were hesitant to assign blame for the situation, much less call for accountability. In the words of an 18-year-old student from Pathein: ‘I do not want to enter into the blaming game.’ Notably, one of the few discussion participants that directly criticised security forces was Kaman, a government-recognised but still marginalised Muslim ethnic group in Rakhine State. Among survey respondents, ‘fighting terrorism’ was the most pressing global challenge: 83.6 per cent of survey respondents said it was important to fight it (of which 61.9 per cent said it was very important), while 72.5 per cent agreed Myanmar had a problem with terrorism in Rakhine. Some expressed concern for repeated violence, and some youth interviewed in this study discussed the situation in Rakhine State in terms of ‘terrorism’. Others offered contrasting explanations for the origins of the conflict. Several youth felt the problem was one of land or national sovereignty. They repeated claims that Rohingya communities had come from Bangladesh to ‘build their own nation’, as one 27-year-old in Yangon asserted. ‘I don’t think Islam is teaching people to kill anyone,’ he continued. ‘Bamar people think Rakhine issue is an ethnic issue, International communities think as a human right issue. From my side, I will not let them to occupy our land.’ Others disagreed, arguing the problem stemmed from intercommunal tensions inflamed by political groups. While only 38 per cent of youth surveyed approved of Ma Ba Tha, several discussed their influence in interviews. According to a 24-year-old NLD representative from Bago, the issue began with ‘social and religious instigation from Ma Ba Tha, Tatmadaw and USDP [Union Solidarity and Development Party]. They poisoned the mind of the people… international[s] do not understand and criticise the NLD.’ FIGURE 18 Figure 18: International response to the situation in Rakhine State The criticism of Myanmar was reasonable The criticism of Myanmar shows that people in the outside world don't understand Myanmar The army did the right thing in Rakhine Myanmar should listen to the criticism that comes from the outside world It makes me sad when other countries criticise Myanmar Myanmar has a problem with terrorism in Rakhine I am concerned about what happened in Rakhine The government should do a better job of protecting civilians I worry that civilians have lost their lives 0 20 40 60 Neither agree nor disagree Do not know Agree Disagree 80 Prefer not to say 100