At the University of Toronto, Napas Thein explores how once-divided diaspora communities come together in a discussion around belonging.
At the University of Toronto in October, the Myanmar Policy and Community Knowledge (MyPACK) Hub recently collaborated with photojournalist Greg Constantine to host Constantine’s new work Ek Khaale at Hart House. Ek Khaale shows a different side of the Rohingya from what people have seen recently, presenting Rohingya’s histories of belonging in Myanmar through family photographs, land deeds, letters, and public service records. MyPACK held two associated events in October: a public event on Ek Khaale, and a cross-community dialogue bringing together Myanmar diaspora in discussions around belonging. The community forum was in partnership with diaspora community organizations including the Burma-Canadian Association of Ontario (BCAO), the Burma-Canada Ethnic Nationalities Organization (BCENO) and the Rohingya Centre of Canada (RCC).
Greg Constantine is a photojournalist well known for his work on documenting the atrocities committed against the minority Rohingya population in Rakhine State, which intensified around 2017. However, as he mentioned during the events, he felt that his previous work was focused on portraying the Rohingya as one-dimensional: a group that simply faces gross injustice. What he noted was the story of the individuals before that: as complex groups of people existing in a country while participating in and contributing to its political, social, and economic life. So, he began his work on Ek Khaale, collaborating over several years with the Rohingya diaspora and with communities still in Myanmar.
The public event was well attended, with people both from and outside of the University community filling the room and spilling into the hallways, full of people who want to learn more about the story of the Rohingya and the story of Myanmar. Events like this have been hosted before, with unexpected but welcome interest from broader Canadian society on the situation in Myanmar. Just last year, photojournalist Bryan Dickie presented his work on the People’s Defense Forces which saw significant attention on this lesser-known topic in Canadian circles. Canadians seem to be interested but not well informed on the situation in Myanmar, despite Canada’s previous multi-million-dollar investments in the country which have seen mixed results.
The diaspora event was particularly interesting as it reflected some things we have seen from the diaspora around the world. Firstly, we saw the diaspora across multiple communities invested in the development and progress of their homeland. We also saw moments of understanding and belonging across groups, especially towards the Rohingya, reflecting narrative shifts forward in broader inclusion after the 2021 coup in Myanmar.
In the diaspora event we saw three stories: Constantine’s Ek Khaale presentation, a presentation from U Mahn Kyaw Swe on Karen community belonging and advocacy for displaced people in Myanmar, and a presentation from York University PhD candidate Ame Khin May-Kyawt on her research around Burmese women’s experiences as first generation mothers in Canada.
Diaspora communities in the West have seen huge shifts in perspectives on inclusion over the decades. Prior to the genocide in 2017, anti-Rohingya sentiment and violence in Myanmar was also reflected by the diaspora in the West, including in Canada prior to the coup. Despite more rhetoric about solidarity since the coup, communities are undeniably still struggling with shifting narratives. It is generally, but not always, the older guard of the community who seemingly want to hold onto narratives of Rohingya exclusion from Myanmar.
The concept of national identity and belonging are core components of political belonging, even before the rise of the nation-state. Ancient and contemporary scholars have talked extensively about this, albeit in different veins. Aristotle saw civic engagement as a key part of being part of the polis, or city-state. Confucius saw “belonging-identity” as a key component to being part of a society. The Romans saw citizenship as linked to legal status and loyalty to the state.
Greg Constantine’s presentation of Ek Khaale makes the case for Rohingya identity across these three veins. Firstly, he showed Rohingya people participating in various forms of nation-building and democratic engagements, from participation on the World War II British Army “V” Force guerilla unit, which likely sparked tensions between the Rohingya and the Rakhine Buddhists who were anti-British, to the active election of Rohingya Members of Parliament in 1947.
Secondly, we see direct proof of belonging, either through evidence of generations existing in the land of Arakan, to the creation of clubs for Rohingya communities at the Rangoon University, to the evidence of everyday life for all kinds of people growing up in Burma during the 1970s. Rohingya communities existed, grew up, and thrived in Burma and in a diverse array of social and economic lives.
Finally, we see hard proof of legal identification justifying the existence of Rohingya people in the larger narrative of Myanmar and particularly within Rakhine State itself. Land ownership documents going back to the 1800s, even those written in bamboo, are held by families for generations. Possession of a National Registration Card, which presents legal proof of citizenship before the 1982 Citizenship Law stripped rights away from Rohingya peoples. Constantine makes a strong legal case for the Rohingya as a group with history in Burma.
For Rohingya who attended the events, seeing their community presented this way was empowering. Saifullah Muhammad, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Rohingya Centre of Canada, said the following:
Ek Khaale is more than an exhibition; it’s a powerful reclamation of our history and identity. Through these memories and images, Greg has brought to life the truth of our existence and resilience. On behalf of the Rohingya community, I extend gratitude to Greg and the Burmese community leaders who have supported this exhibition, standing with us in honoring our heritage and making our story known to the world.
The other presenters made their case for belonging in similar ways. Through the other presentations, we found that many groups produced belonging in different ways. Some did it through resistance with arms. Many groups prove their belonging through their indigeneity. Many prove it by maintaining their cultures and identities, even when travelling to a place that is geographically, economically, socially, and culturally distinct. But for all of these, like the Rohingya, belonging comes with struggle.
The evidence of national identity in the Rohingya case sounds similar to that of other Burmese ethnic groups: Karen, Kachin, and Chin people also largely participated in World War II on the side of the British. The Kachin and Chin, along with the Shan peoples, would later pursue the Panglong Agreement in 1947 to codify their existence and their rights into the state of Burma. The Karen people were ultimately shut out of the process, forcing them into armed rebellion against the Burmese central government. These ethnic groups would establish among themselves ethnic armed organizations and governments, proving their belonging and pursuing protection of their culture and identity.
The cross-diaspora events allowed for dialogue, recognition of similar histories, and simple connections between people–and friends–a first step towards building a sense of understanding between communities. U Kyaw Zaw, Spokesperson of the President’s Office for the National Unity Government, who also attended the event, said the following:
Those photos tell the stories about [Rohingya] identity, their dignity, their suffering, their pride and above all being part of the citizens of Burma … We all, ethnic and religious communities including the Bamar majority and minority communities such as Kachin, Karen, Chin, Karenni, Rohingya, are all united against the military dictatorship as the people’s spring revolution unites us all. We are fighting together for the system to change from military dictatorship to a genuine federal democracy that guarantees human rights and justice. All of us have a story about the military dictatorship. All of us have a story about fighting together and winning against the brutal military dictatorship. We are united and use our diversity as a strength. The military uses our diversity as a weakness to divide us on ethnic and religious grounds … These two events told the story of the people of Burma.
These series of events hosted by the MyPACK Hub offer two takeaways.
Firstly, there is a large amount of untapped interest among Canadians on the situation in Myanmar. Of course, the story of Myanmar is in and of itself compelling. The situation in Myanmar presents a deeply intriguing story of democratic actors fighting against a cruel military dictatorship. Additionally, the pursuit of a federal democracy rings in the ears of Canadians who themselves appreciate the system of federalism. Regardless, Canadians are interested in learning more and the diaspora community, policymakers, and politicians should take note.
Secondly, there is room for productive dialogue and interchange between groups that otherwise would differ in a vacuum. Canada can be characterized as a “superdiverse” nation—Canada hosts a wide range of people from many different parts of the world that are themselves diverse groups. This is obvious with Burmese-Canadian communities. The Burmese community in Canada is not just composed of the majority Bamar ethnic group with a singular political identity. Instead, the Burmese-Canadian community is composed of people from the many different ethnicities of Burma with varying views, experiences, and socio-economic situations. This event helped to bring people with different, and oftentimes contested, identities together to discuss belonging and pathways forward.
Genuine advocacy, making a space for belonging, and relationship building are not easy tasks, especially in the Myanmar case. But these events show that members of the Myanmar diaspora in Canada are reaching out across traditional identity divides to strengthen the community here, as part of supporting the revolution against dictatorship in Myanmar.
Napas Thein, Research Fellow, Myanmar Policy and Community Knowledge Hub
Napas Thein is a Research Fellow based at the MyPACK Hub (Myanmar Policy and Community Knowledge Hub) based at the Munk School, University of Toronto. He completed both his Master of Public Policy and his undergraduate degree in Public Policy, Urban Studies, and Economics at the University of Toronto. He has previous experience working in Canadian politics and research, and is actively involved with the Burmese diaspora in Canada, including with the Burma-Canadian Association of Ontario. He is continually engaged in policy-work around effective engagement in democracy, policy, and human rights outcomes in Myanmar.
(X: MyPACK_Hub and Facebook)
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