What two religious groups are at the center of the current conflict in Myanmar?

Myanmar has been the site of serious conflicts between Buddhist and Muslim communities, particularly in Rakhine State where at least 146,000 persons have been displaced since the first riots in June 2012.

What percentage of Burma is Christian?

Christians in Myanmar are estimated to make up around 8.2% of the population, roughly 5.5% Protestant, 1.3% Roman Catholic, and the remainder members of independent churches. Of these groups, about 2.5% identify as Evangelicals and 2.1% as Pentecostals.

Which religion is followed in Myanmar?

Religion is an essential aspect of life in Myanmar and central to conceptions of personal identity. Most of the Burmese population identify as Buddhist (87.9%). However, there are also significant minorities of Christians (6.2%) and Muslims (4.3%), as well as some Animists (0.8%) and Hindus (0.5%).

Which religious group is being persecuted?

Statistics

Group Probability that a religious lives in a country where persecution of the group occurred in 2015 Number of countries where the group was persecuted in 2015
Jews 99% 74
Hindus 99% 18
Muslims 97% 125
Other religions 85% 50

Who brought Christianity to Burma?

In 1960 an attempt was made to make Buddhism the state religion. This was met with much resistance from minority groups. Christianity was brought to Myanmar by missionaries from England and France in the 17th century. It was not until the 19th century however, that large numbers of converts were made in the country.

Why do the Burmese hate the Rohingya?

The Rohingya people have been denied Burmese citizenship since the Burmese nationality law (1982 Citizenship Act) was enacted. The Government of Myanmar claims that the Rohingya are illegal immigrants who arrived during the British colonial era, and were originally Bengalis.