Page "Politics of Burma" Paragraph 3

From the time of the signing of the Burmese Constitution in 1948, ethnic minorities have been denied Constitutional rights, access to lands that were traditionally controlled by their peoples and participation in the government.

The various minority ethnic groups have been consistently oppressed by the dominant Burman majority, but have also suffered at the hands of warlords and regional ethnic alliances.

Religion also plays a role in the ethnic conflicts that have taken place.

Muslims, Hindus, Christians and Buddhists all live in Burma.

These religious differences have led to several incidents that have affected hundreds of thousands of citizens in Burma.

In 1991, approximately 250, 000 Muslim Rohingyas ( an ethnic group from southwestern Burma ) were forced from their homes by Burman forces.

They crossed the border into Bangladesh, where they were given refugee status and aid from the international community that was not available to them inside Burma.