STATELESSNESS AND REGIONAL RESPONSIBILITY: THE ROHINGYA CRISIS, THAILAND’S ROLE, AND ASEAN’S RESPONSE
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This research analyzes the protracted statelessness and systemic persecution of the Rohingya people, situating the 2016–2017 humanitarian crisis within the broader historical context of Myanmar’s exclusionary 1982 Citizenship Law. By applying Max Weber’s sociological framework on nationality and cultural prestige, the paper elucidates the mechanisms of social closure used to delegitimize Rohingya identity within Myanmar. The central argument focuses on the critical yet often overlooked role of Thailand as a secondary actor; the study highlights how Thailand’s current classification of Rohingya as illegal immigrants—rather than refugees—exacerbates their vulnerability to indefinite detention, human trafficking, and exploitation within the informal economy. Additionally, the paper critiques the diplomatic inertia of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), positing that the rigid adherence to the regional principle of non-interference has impeded effective humanitarian intervention. Ultimately, the author advocates for a paradigm shift in Thai policy towards the formalization of refugee status, arguing that legal integration would not only uphold international human rights standards but also allow the Rohingya to contribute meaningfully to Thailand’s workforce.
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