'Humanitarian Corridor' to Deliver Aid to Myanmar's Rakhine State: A Regional Geopolitical Analysis

This study offers a geopolitical analysis of the feasibility and functionality of establishing a humanitarian corridor to deliver aid to Myanmar’s Rakhine State, amid ongoing conflict and political instability. Through a qualitative analysis of policy documents, stakeholder reports, and regional diplomatic positions, the research reveals that aid corridors in Rakhine are not merely logistical operations, but rather political constructs influenced by sovereignty, regional diplomacy, and great-power competition. The Myanmar military regime weaponises humanitarian access to consolidate control, while ASEAN's non-interference principle hampers collective action. International responses are fragmented due to competing geopolitical interests, particularly from China and India. The paper argues that humanitarian corridors risk co-optation unless embedded in broader legal, diplomatic, and grassroots frameworks. Policy recommendations include ASEAN reform, multilateral pressure, legal accountability, independent aid monitoring, and support for local actors. The findings emphasise the urgent need to reconceptualise humanitarian corridors as both operational tools and political entities, requiring adaptive and ethically grounded approaches. This research contributes to the discourse on humanitarian access in authoritarian regimes, offering insights into navigating the geopolitical challenges of aid delivery in Southeast Asia.