RISING MA BA THA
This series is part of a long-term project I began in 2013 with Ruom photographer Nicolas Axelrod, investigating the roots of Buddhist extremism in Myanmar and its impact on the country’s Muslim communities.
In March 2013, violent clashes between Buddhists and Muslims erupted in the town of Meiktila, leaving at least 40 people dead and large parts of the town destroyed.
Two years later, on the eve of Myanmar’s first historic democratic election, little had changed. Many Muslims in Meiktila and Mandalay—still living in temporary shelters or displacement camps—were unable to vote, as the authorities did not issue the necessary documentation. With mosques and schools damaged during the riots still closed or unrepaired, communities gathered to pray in small rooms, living in fear of renewed violence.
After the election, the landslide victory of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi offered little reassurance. The NLD excluded Muslim candidates from its slate, and subsequent events suggested limited prospects for meaningful change in the near term.
