The Responsibility to Protect doctrine was accepted by all member states of the United Nations in 2005 and affirms that all nations have a responsibility to prevent the commission of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity. The ongoing persecution of the Rohingya, a minority ethnic group in Myanmar, presents a case study for analysis of the Responsibility to Protect doctrine in practice. Despite widespread identification of ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity occurring in Myanmar no substantive action has been taken by the United Nations or any of its member states. This thesis paper analyzes why the international community failed to satisfy the obligations imposed by the Responsibility to Protect doctrine. Analysis will conclude that the emerging norm of human security is not yet strong enough to overcome the neorealist behavior of states seeking to maximize their power, and that the organization of the United Nations is not sufficient to successfully implement the Responsibility to Protect doctrine.
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