Myanmar case links democratization to religious nationalist hatred

What the study found: The study argues that, in Myanmar, democratization can lead coopted majority religious clergy to promote religious nationalist hatred against a small, unarmed minority. The authors' explanation is that this happens to defend the dominance of a religious national identity.
Why the authors say this matters: The authors suggest this helps explain when nationalist violence during democratization takes on a religious tone. They also conclude that the threat is less about the targeted minority itself and more about mobilized secular co-religionist leaders challenging the status of demobilized religious clergy.
What the researchers tested: The researcher uses a mixed-methods approach and examines Myanmar as a case. The abstract says the study is intended to demonstrate the plausibility of the argument.
What worked and what didn't: The abstract reports that the argument is supported as plausible in the Myanmar case. It does not provide detailed evidence, comparative results, or negative findings.
What to keep in mind: The abstract does not describe the specific methods, data, or limitations in detail. It also frames the findings as a plausibility demonstration rather than a definitive test.

Key points

• Democratization may encourage coopted majority religious clergy to attack a small religious minority.
• The authors say this is aimed at preserving a religious national identity.
• The abstract links the hostility to threats from mobilized secular co-religionist leaders, not from the minority itself.
• The study uses a mixed-methods approach and focuses on Myanmar.
• The abstract describes the argument as plausible rather than definitively proven.