    problem of citizenship126 – should be approached and addressed.127 A traditional emphasis in the field of statelessness has been on law reform, including by bringing national laws into closer alignment with international frameworks and standards.128 In a regional context, where only a few states have ratified the statelessness conventions, the Philippines is often hailed as an example to challenge ‘Asian exceptionalism’. Drawing on first-hand observations, Temprosa, in Chapter 13, chronicles and analyses the Philippines’ ratification process, exploring how states can be persuaded to ratify these international treaties. He reveals that ‘states ratify human rights treaties on rationalist and non-rationalist (but not necessarily irrational)’ grounds. While drawing some cautionary lessons, Temprosa argues that ‘other Asian states could learn from the challenges that the Philippines had faced or is currently facing in the signature, ratification, and implementation of the Statelessness Convention, or at least, in putting up a regime of laws that protect stateless persons’. Yet, a study of statelessness in Asia clearly shows the limitations of approaches solely focused on law reforms. If we recognize that the phenomenon of statelessness in Asia is one of law and practice, intersectional in nature and frequently marked by discriminatory practices, we quickly realize that attempts to address statelessness require much broader, deeper, and context-specific strategies than are currently envisaged at international levels. Responses need to consider the root causes of social exclusion and statelessness and tackle the politics behind these processes. This will not only involve careful engagement with Asian states’ concerns with respect to the inclusion of particular groups, but also listening to the voices of stateless people themselves. In Chapter 11, Kyaw deeply engages with the politics of Rohingya’s exclusion from citizenship in Myanmar, showing how fundamental changes in the political landscape – such as the 2021 coup – can both complicate attempts at resolution but also open up new opportunities. 126 Tendayi Bloom and Lindsey N. Kingston (eds), Statelessness, Governance, and the Problem of Citizenship (Manchester University Press 2021). 127 See also Nick Oakeshott, ‘Solutions to Statelessness in Southeast Asia’, in Laura van Waas and Melanie Khanna (eds), Solving Statelessness (Wolf Legal Publishers 2016); and UNHCR, Good Practices: Addressing Statelessness in South East Asia (Report of the Regional Expert Roundtable 2010). 128 Alex Paxton, ‘Finding A Country to Call Home: A Framework for Evaluating Legislation to Reduce Statelessness in Southeast Asia’ (2012) 21(3) Pacific Rim Law & Policy Journal 623. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009399555.003 Published online by Cambridge University Press