Framing Statelessness and Repatriation: A Discourse Analysis of Rohingya Refugees in Newspaper Media
Abstract
The Rohingya crisis is a complex and ongoing humanitarian issue primarily centred in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. The Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority, have faced decades of systemic discrimination, violence, and statelessness, as they are not recognized as an official ethnic group by the Myanmar government. The crisis escalated dramatically in August 2017 when a military crackdown forced over 742,000 Rohingya to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh. This mass exodus was triggered by violent attacks on Rohingya villages, which the United Nations has described as a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing". The primary objective of this thesis is to critically evaluate how the Rohingya crisis has been presented in national and international newspaper media and to explore the implications of these representations for addressing the conflict. By analyzing the language, tone, and context used in articles, this study seeks to illuminate how newspapers portray the issue of Rohingya identity and their recognition as citizens of Myanmar. The study further aims to uncover the narratives surrounding the feasibility, challenges, and progress of repatriation, as well as the portrayal of international actors and their roles. Employing the Discourse Historical Approach in Critical Discourse Analysis, this study reveals that Bangladeshi newspapers positively highlight and support the idea of Rohingya citizenship, likely reflecting the Bangladesh government’s desire to repatriate the Rohingya to Myanmar amidst a lack of constructive response from the Myanmar government whereas portrayal of Rohingya’s narrative about their citizenship rights varies across the newspapers.