The Rohingya, a marginalized minority in Myanmar (Burma), are the victims of generations of discrimination, violence, and denied citizenship. Since June, widespread violence against the Rohingya has caused the displacement of over 100,000 people and staggering human rights abuses, as documented in an August 1, 2012 report by Human Rights Watch: http://www.hrw.org/reports/2012/07/31/government-could-have-stopped
However, extending citizenship, equal rights, and equal government protection to the Rohingya -- actions which could prevent such violence in the future -- is not an expressed interest of the Myanmar government, whose president has explicitly stated that in his view, the best solution to this crisis would be the deportation of the entire minority group to some other country. Moreover, many horrifying reports describe Myanmar army and police contributing to recent violent uprisings against the Rohingya, including rape, slaughter of children, razing of Rohingya villages, torture, and looting. International humanitarian organizations are largely barred by the government from accessing this devastated population.
Recently, Myanmar has taken some strides towards democracy. This has attracted the attention of the US, which has waived key sanctions against American investment in Myanmar. The government of Myanmar is eager to comply with recommendations of the US State Department to build and expand upon this new relationship, as it provides rich opportunity for this struggling nation.