This study examines the extent to which religion has influenced state policies in Myanmar and the role Buddhism has played or been utilized by different actors in order to influence the socio-political and economic dynamics of Myanmar. The study examines contemporary policies of Myanmar and how Buddhism was appropriated as a hegemonizing ideology and whether it was used to further marginalize religious and ethnic minorities. By assessing historical causes of the Rohingya crisis, this study aims to shed light on the complex link between state institutions and Buddhist organizations and how they contribute to the Rohingya problem. This paper also views the Rohingya problem through a clash of civilization lens and examines if these two civilizations have had friction due to their religious and cultural differences or whether there are underlying causes of the Rohingya problem. The paper uses discourse analysis to examine how language and rhetoric were used to shape perceptions and justify state laws and actions against the Rohingya. Statements by religious leaders like Ashin Wirathu, state laws and state media reports were analyzed to provide a nuanced understanding of how Buddhism was utilized as a tool for state control. This study also carried out a comparative analysis of how different states like China, India and Sri Lanka have leveraged religion to consolidate power. The study has also drawn on state-building theory to examine how states employ religion as a unifying factor and its ramifications.