Until recently Myanmar’s move to democratic government, overthrowing decades of oppressive military rule, had been universally lauded. Its civilian leaders like Aung San Suu Kyi were feted and the bravery of the majority Buddhist population, beholden to ideals of non-violence and tolerance, was lionised. But then, in June 2012, violence between Buddhists and Muslims erupted in western Myanmar, pointing to a growing divide between religious communities that before had received little attention from the outside world. Attacks on Muslims soon spread across the country, leaving hundreds dead, entire neighbourhoods turned to rubble, and tens of thousands of Muslims confined to internment camps or feeling for their lives across borders.

For years an investigative journalist active in the region, Francis Wade witnessed first-hand how an anxious ruling elite laid the foundations for a violence so sickening that the world is still coming to terms with it. In this new and updated edition of the book that ‘predicted the fate of Myanmar’s hated Muslim minority’, Wade explores the background to these events that shocked the world, and examines their legacy — both within Myanmar and the wider international community.