ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to extend our gratitude and respect to the women and men who participated in this research and generously shared with us their time, knowledge and thoughts. All research for this briefing paper has been conducted by Kathy Win. It was written by Kathy Win and Natalie Brinham. Review and editing by Samanwita Paul, Amal de Chickera and Georgia Field. Design by Alena Jascanka. Author Profiles Kathy Win is from Kyaukme, Northern Shan State, Myanmar. Kathy is currently researching the role of harm reduction programmes in northern Shan State, Myanmar. As a research consultant, she is working on issues related to Rohingya refugee rights, displacements and the role of humanitarian aid in Rakhine, Myanmar and Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Her research interests include human rights, citizenship, ethnicity, identity politics, nationalism, refugees rights, intercommunal conflict, digital rights and hate speech. She holds an MSc. in Violence, Conflict and Development studies from SOAS University of London. She is a research fellow of the CARA’s fellowship programme and is working at the Department of Development Studies, SOAS University of London. About the Institutes on Statelessness and Inclusion and this initiative. The Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion (ISI) is the first and the only human rights NGO dedicated to working on statelessness at the global level. Its mission is to promote inclusive societies by realising and protecting the right to a nationality. The root causes of the depravations and marginalisation endured by the Rohingya community over multiple decades, are based on racist, discriminatory and xenophobic ideologies, laws and policies. While Myanmar is the source of these depravations, other countries have also failed to provide meaningful protection, status or rights to Rohingya, whether they fled to their country or were born there. In this context, a principled and sustained human rights framing of the challenges, which is rooted in the information, expertise and solutions put forward by Rohingya and Burmese researchers and activists, and which challenges and shapes responses to the crisis by states, UN agencies, humanitarian actors and others, is much needed. This initiative aims to provide such a framing, through the production of briefing papers and other interventions on different human rights challenges. This is the fifth briefing paper to be produced under this initiative. The other papers, available to download on ISI’s website relate to human rights and COVID-19; the impact of digital identity systems; citizenship in Myanmar; the protection of refugees in India; and access to citizenship in Myanmar. Natalie Brinham is a Senior Programme Officer at the Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion. ACRONYMS AA – Arakan Army - an Ethnic Armed Organisation NLD – National League for Democracy – a political ARSA – Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army – an armed NUG – National Unity Government – a parallel govern- EAO – Ethnic Armed Organisation NVC – National Verification Cards GBV – Gender Based Violence SAC – State Administration Council (the ‘coup-group.’) IDP – Internally Displaced Person ULA – United League of Arakan – the administrative with territorial control over parts of Rakhine State. organisation operating in the border areas of Myanmar and Bangladesh. INGO – International Non-Governmental Organisation MOU – Memorandum of Understanding party led by Aung San Suu Kyi. ment consisting of democratically elected representatives and ethnic minorities leaders. wing of the Arakan Army ULA-AA – See above. The parallel state in Rakhine consisting of the administrative and military bodies. UN – United Nations 2