Frygter at de internationale bistandsgivere går for hurtigt frem og ikke tænker nok på det politiske og ikke mindst økonomiske spil, de bliver en del af i et hidtil lukket og stadig mystisk land, hvor militæret er den “skjulte elefant”.
CHIANG MAI, 12 November 2012 (IRIN): Civil society groups (NGOer) in Asia are calling for a review of donor-funded peace initiatives in Burma, expressing concern that their pace is too fast, they pay little heed (hensyn) to the humanitarian cost of economic development, and may do more harm than good.
“Most of the conflict, human rights abuse (overgreb) and environmental destruction [are] directly involved with planned resource extractions (udnyttelse af værdifulde råstoffer) within ethnic areas,” said Wong Aung, an adviser for the Shwe Gas Movement.
The movement is a watchdog NGO, that is based near the Thai-Burmese border in Chiang Mai, which was set up in response to the exploitation of gas deposits off the coast of Arakan State in western Burma.
The NGO is part of the Burma Partnership, an alliance of 16 activist and civil society groups throughout Southeast and East Asia that commends the “well-intentioned” peace funds.
But the alliance fears they can undermine long-term stability in conflict-affected border areas heavily populated by ethnic minorities. “If… environmental concerns or human rights violations are overlooked, the security situation on the ground will never be resolved,” Wong Aung added.
Over the past year, the Peace Donor Support Group – which includes aid agencies from Norway, the European Union, the UK, Australia and the UN, as well as the Norwegian-led Burma Peace Support Initiative (MSPI) – has pledged nearly 30 million US dollar to support peace-building in conflict-affected communities.
The group, first convened in June 2012, will be funding humanitarian relief, demining (minerydning), job training and helping schools teach in ethnic minority languages, through government channels.
“The elephant in the room” – the military
But these actions largely ignore “the elephant in the room” – the military – and its role in the ongoing conflict, said the Burma Partnership, which is calling for a negotiated political settlement, or a binding peace accord, between the government and all the armed groups.
The government has signed preliminary ceasefires with 10 ethnic armies – including the Shan State Army, Karen National Liberation Army and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army.
Nevertheless, fighting continues in Burma’s northern Kachin and Shan states, where a 2,5 billion dollar oil and gas pipeline (the Shwe pipeline leading to China) is set to be completed by 2013, said Wong Aung.
A Ta’ang youth group has linked the pipeline to land confiscations, forced labour and an increased military presence along the pipeline.
The government’s position is that the pipeline is needed to supply energy and cash to a poor country where only some 25 percent of the population is connected to the power grid (el-nettet).
The cash includes some 13,8 million dollar annually in right-of-way transit fees from China as well as 100 million cubic metres of gas daily, according to local media.
Obama, also, will be visitting Burma
Political reforms by the country’s nominally-civilian government elected two years ago have helped to re-engage lapsed (frafaldne) donors, loosen trade embargoes and bring world leaders to the former pariah state.
Newly re-elected President Barack Obama is expected to become the first US head of state to visit later this month.
But such reforms have yet to trickle down to still-isolated communities, say activists.
“Even though the international community believes that the government has implemented political reforms, it does not mean those reforms have reached ethnic areas”, said Mai Amm Ngeal, a member of the Ta’ang youth group, adding:
“Especially not where there is increased militarization along the Shwe pipeline, increased fighting between the Burmese Army and ethnic armed groups and negative consequences for the people living in these areas”.
More than 75.000 people are displaced in Burma’s northern Kachin State following the June 2011 collapse of a 17-year ceasefire between the government and Kachin Independence Army (KIA), which has been fighting for greater autonomy for decades.
Peace or development first?
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http://www.irinnews.org/Report/96758/MYANMAR-Concern-over-international-peace-efforts
