Threat and virtuous defence: Listening to narratives of religious conflict in six Myanmar cities Matthew Schissler, Matthew J Walton, & Phyu Phyu Thi M.MAS Working Paper 1:11 St Antony’s College Abstract Myanmar has been the site of serious conflicts between Buddhist and Muslim communities since June 2012. This working paper presents findings from a research project we convened to better understand the production of this violence, and to use this understanding to support local groups working for peace. Based on interviews with 78 local residents of six cities, we find a narrative that presents Islam as an existential threat to race and religion and Muslims in Myanmar as a potential personal threat to individuals and communities. This narrative is reinforced by three inter-related sets of arguments that make reference to international events, events within Myanmar, and personal experiences. Drawing on these findings, we present conclusions that question the current focus on ‘rumours’ and ‘hate speech’ and identify important parallels between discourse in Myanmar and rhetoric connected to the Global War on Terror. We also raise pressing questions for future consideration that deal with the construction of historical memory and the role of the state and other authorities in either challenging or reinforcing images of Muslims as a threat. We believe that a better understanding of the production of violence within Myanmar can help inform more effective responses to religious conflict. Contents Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................................1 Research methods: Listening in six Myanmar cities .....................................................................................................3 Research findings and analysis ......................................................................................................................................6 Muslims as threat .......................................................................................................................................................7 Justifying arguments ..................................................................................................................................................9 Violence and virtuous self-defence.......................................................................................................................... 11 Producing narratives, reconciling contradictions ..................................................................................................... 14 Conclusions and questions ........................................................................................................................................... 17 Expand focus beyond ‘hate speech’ and ‘rumours’ ................................................................................................. 17 Recognize analogies between discourses in Myanmar and the Global War on Terror ............................................ 19 How is the historical lineage of contemporary conflict being constructed? ............................................................ 20 Who is contradicting – or reinforcing – narratives of Muslim threat? ..................................................................... 22 1 This working paper has been produced by the Myanmar Media and Society (M.MAS) project, a partnership between the Programme on Modern Burmese Studies at St Antony’s College, University of Oxford and the Myanmar ICT for Development Organization, and funded by a grant from the National Endowment for Democracy. This research has been presented at academic proceedings in Oxford, Amsterdam, and Canberra, as well as dozens of private briefings for NGOs and government organizations inside and outside of Myanmar. We appreciate the feedback we have received from those audiences. We would also like to thank Abby Vogus for detailed feedback and copyediting.