ABSTRACT
Genocide involves a concerted and coordinated attempt to destroy a group of people. ID schemes were referred to by Rohingya research participants as an intrinsic part of a genocidal plan that aimed to destroy them as a group belonging to the Rakhine region of Myanmar. This chapter explores the links between genocide and identity destruction, drawing on both genocide scholarship and Rohingya narratives about their identity cards. It focuses on the role of IDs and registration schemes within sociological understandings of genocide and provides an overview of Myanmar’s national verification process. It considers how Rohingya have resisted Myanmar’s ID schemes and identity destruction. Key concepts explored in this chapter include legal and sociological definitions of genocide, evidencing genocidal ‘intent,’ conceptualising the ‘group’ in genocide studies, and early warning systems.
