Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar
Websites/Multiple Documents
Description:
''The Fiscal Federalism modules include the following:
1.Fiscal Federalism Introduction
2.Decentralization, Revenue Transfers, and Social Development
3.Fiscal Federalism and Equalization
4.Fiscal Federalism and Natural Resources
5.Public Infrastructure, Public Services, and Human Capital
6.Fiscal Federalism and Myanmar’s Peace Negotiations...''
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2018-11-14
Date of entry/update:
2019-01-13
Grouping:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Category:
Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Politics, Government and Governance - Burma/Myanmar - general studies, Educational resources and materials (Burma- and non-Burma-related)
Language:
English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ), Kachin, Karen, Shan
Format :
pdf pdf pdf pdf pdf
Size:
2.96 MB 4.34 MB 4.59 MB 4.74 MB 4.58 MB
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Description:
States and Regions Covered:-
Chin:
This report presents the findings from the Local Governance Mapping conducted in Chin State between December 2013 and January 2014...
Mon:
This report presents the findings from the Local Governance Mapping conducted in Mon State between December 2013 and January 2014...
Ayeyarwady:
This report outlines the results of the Local Governance Mapping conducted by UNDP in Ayeyarwady Region in May 2014...
Kayin:
This report outlines the results of the Local Governance Mapping research conducted by UNDP in Kayin State between February and June 2014...
Tanintharyi:
This report outlines the results of the Local Governance Mapping conducted by UNDP in Tanintharyi Region in June 2014
Bago:
This report outlines the results of the Local Governance Mapping conducted by UNDP in Bago Region between February and June 2014...
Kayah:
This report outlines the results of the Local Governance Mapping conducted by UNDP in Kayah State between April and August 2014...
Magway:
This report outlines the results of the Local Governance Mapping conducted by UNDP in Magway Region in November-December 2014...
Mandalay:
This report outlines the results of the Local Governance Mapping conducted by UNDP in Mandalay Region between August and November 2014...
Yangon:
This report sets out to map the state of affairs and the evolution over the past years with regards to governance reform in Yangon Region...
Rakhine:
This report outlines the results of the Local Governance Mapping conducted by the UNDP in collaboration with the General Administration department (GAD) under Ministry of Home Affairs in Rakhine State in 2014...
Kachin:
This report outlines the results of the Local Governance Mapping conducted by the UNDP in partnership with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) in Kachin State from November 2014 to January 2015...
Sagaing:
The report on the Sagaing Region of Myanmar is part of a national local governance mapping conducted by UNDP in collaboration with the Government of Myanmar...
The State of Local Governance: Trends in Shan:
This report aims to map the state of affairs and the evolution as witnessed over the past few years with regards to governance reforms and service delivery in the Shan State.....
Local Governance Mapping Related Documents:
Fast Facts: Local Governance Mapping Methodology -
Eng (2.1 MB);
MM (1.8 MB)...
Fast Facts: Local Governance Mapping Sampling strategy -
Eng (1.4 MB)
MM (182.0 kB).
Source/publisher:
UNDP Myanmar
Date of publication:
2014-00-00
Date of entry/update:
2016-02-01
Grouping:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Language:
English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
more
Description:
Region and State Government - analysis...
Region and State Hluttaws (Assemblies) - proceedings 2012...
Region and State Hluttaws (Assemblies) - proceedings 2011.
Source/publisher:
Region and State Hluttaws
Date of entry/update:
2014-07-04
Grouping:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Language:
English
more
Individual Documents
Description:
"The title of this post may seem provocative, but our aim is not to antagonize ethnic nationalities. On the contrary, we would like to show that there is a consensus among the people of Myanmar regarding the importance of building what Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and ethnic leaders alike refer to as a “democratic federal union.” This should be good news to supporters of decentralization or federalism: that people in the seven regions of Myanmar would hope for, expect, and demand, greater degrees of autonomy and local governance, like people do in the seven states.
The Paññā Institute has organized eight focus group discussions (FGDs) in the Bago and Sagaing Regions, with a total of about one hundred participants, between October 2018 and January 2019, four in each of the two regions. Those FGDs followed the same pattern in both regions: one FGD with each one of four study populations and a total of 4 FGDs: one with ministers and civil servants, one with members of regional parliaments, one with journalists and one with local civil society organizations. These FGDs constituted the first phase of our project: “Developing Local Democracy: How Decentralization is Perceived, Applied and Envisioned in the Bago and Sagaing Regions.”
The initial findings of the research presented in this post are therefore limited to the Sagaing and Bago Regions, but based on our experience working in other states and regions, what we argue here is very likely to reflect views in other regions as well: People everywhere are getting increasingly invested in the work of their sub-national parliament, and government.
Our title may seem misleading, too. As is well known, the populations of both the Sagaing Region and the Bago Region are far from being made only of Bamar, and there is as much religious diversity there as there is “ethnic” diversity. We do not overlook the non-Bamar, in this study, and, in fact, our group interviews included those of non-Bamar ethnic origin. A number of the members and the founders and leaders of the Paññā Institute are proud of their ethnic heritage. But we feel the statement we make above— that Bamar care about governing their own regions, too— is maybe the single most significant aspect of our findings, as far as the future of Myanmar is concerned.
There has been much debate and discussion about democratization, equality and self-determination, as well as resource ownership and fiscal independence. While these have led to demands for the sharing of powers and for federalism, these debates have, to a large extent, and understandably so, focused on ethnic nationalities and ethnic areas. News articles and reports highlight how natural resources located in ethnic areas are exploited and how different ethnic national groups have been fighting for their rights and voicing their legitimate grievances for decades. We unambiguously sympathize with and echo these calls for equality, respect, and dignity.
With regards to federalism, political parties and organizations representing the interests of ethnic nationalities have defined basic principles, and even drafted constitutions for their respective states, for at least two decades. These actions aim to guarantee their rights to govern themselves within the frame of a federal system which, they hope, will come as a result of a Union Accord that would follow the National Ceasefire Agreement.
But how about the Bamar, who represent close to two thirds of the country’s population, and who are residing in all 14 states and regions ? Why are we not talking about Bamar expectations and demands in relation to federalism and sharing of powers ? The first, obvious reason is because they are collectively seen as a privileged group, supposedly the one who has been taking advantage of ethnic minorities for decades, often by force. As this logic goes, the Bamar have been in power both at national and sub-national levels since Independence from British colonial rule. As such, Bamar expectations have been largely ignored in discussions about federalism. It is evident that the government and military leaders strongly represent, and push for, the interest of Bamar— but how about the aspirations of ordinary Bamar who simply want a functioning governance structure, one able to improve their daily lives? It is true that members of parliaments at both national and sub-national levels, and civil society and community based organizations from Bamar-majority regions have had the chance to participate in the ongoing 21st Century Panglong Conference series. They have had numerous opportunities to present their views in terms of future state building. But are these arrangements good enough in seeking a consensus amongst Bamar-majority regions?
One may wonder about the privileges of millions of poor Bamar farmers in rural areas like the Sagaing and Bago Regions where we are leading our research. Or, when it comes to workers in peri-urban areas of Yangon, many of whom are originally from Ayeyarwaddy delta, or those Anyathars who left their birth places to work as hard laborers in Malaysia or in Thailand, what privileges do they really enjoy? Who exactly have they been exploiting? And here we get to the core of the issue we are discussing: for millions of Myanmar citizens, whether Bamar or non Bamar, decentralization and federalism do provide a political answer. Of course, few of these millions of farmers and workers ever have the luxury of discussing federalism, and constitutional matters in general are far from their daily priorities. This is true of many non Bamar farmers and workers, too. But the stakeholders who represent them, elected representatives, civil servants, civil society activists, and journalists, and certainly specifically those who participated to our recent focus group discussions, do very much care, as do a growing number of, indeed, citizens.
In that sense, what we are saying here should be of the greatest interest to ethnic nationalities: the Bamar in the seven regions may have reasons to support the call for federalism. These reasons may be different from those that are specific to ethnic nationalities, whose perspectives should clearly remain central to conversations about federalism. But ethnic nationalities are no longer alone in demanding greater levels of autonomy for the states and regions. It was one thing for the NLD and others to support the call for federalism, as they have since 1988. It is a significant development that now citizens in places like the Sagaing Region or the Bago Region would care for, and invest so much in, the politics of their respective region, too.
We do not deny that federalism is a demand formulated by ethnic nationalities in order, specifically, to gain rights, equality, and the ability to govern their respective states. And we again unambiguously acknowledge the legitimacy of these demands. We are saying that a growing number of citizens, including Bamar citizens, in the seven Regions, and certainly the two regions where we have been leading our study, agree that greater degrees of decentralization, and federalism, would be positive developments for them, too, and that we have been the witnesses, with our research, of growing support and interest in sub-national politics.
In other words, the process to build a federal system is no longer “simply” about ethnic rights, as important as this aspect is. It is also about providing for a political system that will empower each and every citizen at the sub-national level, across the country.
These two issues are different in nature, and the second aspect we present here— federalism as a political system that empowers all citizens at the sub-national level— does not, and should not, overshadow the first aspect— federalism as a means to promote equality and the rights demanded by ethnic nationalities. But when a political system seems to answer the demands of different groups in society, even in different ways, then certainly an avenue exists for national reconciliation and harmony. And for people to join forces to succeed in achieving their common objectives.
So, let’s discuss further this research that we think enables us to make these bold claims.
It consists of 2 phases. We have completed Phase I and this article shares the key findings of this first phase of the study. Phase II will be designed in such a way that the findings from Phase I are further explored and analyzed in this second stage. The four thematic areas for our research come as follows: assess the level of awareness/knowledge about the overall decentralization and decentralization process amongst the study populations; assess the level of awareness on decentralized powers currently granted in the 2008 Constitution; assess the way our target groups perceive the decentralization process as it is happening in the selected Regions (Bago and Sagaing); and understand how our study populations envision decentralization.
Over the past six months as a part of this research, we led the series of focus group discussions described above and observed that participants were keen to discuss decentralization (and our specific research) primarily because they are unhappy with the overall performance of their regional governments. Participants also expressed the view that the process of power-sharing between all three executive, legislative and judiciary powers at the union and sub-national levels is either slow, stagnant or going nowhere. Most of them noticed the inconsistencies between the laws enacted by the Union Parliaments and those of sub-national parliaments. They also expressed concerns about the personal and institutional capacity of sub-national government organizations and civil service members in taking over the responsibilities that currently fall under institutions at the Union-level. When asked about the assistance and collaboration for the upcoming data collection for Phase II, almost all participants were more than willing to assist as much as they could because of their hope that this research would pinpoint where the knowledge and capacity gaps are in the sub-national institutions to fully utilize the decentralized powers for the betterment of their Region. This willingness shows participants’ interest in speeding up the decentralization process and of finding a solution to build a governance structure which will guarantees a democratic federal union..."
MAELRAYNAUD, Thein Than Win
Date of publication:
2019-04-08
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-01
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
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Description:
''Introduction for the Fiscal Federalism in Myanmar curriculum.
English, Myanmar, Kachin, Karen and Shan''
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2018-11-01
Date of entry/update:
2019-01-16
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Politics, Government and Governance - Burma/Myanmar - general studies, Educational resources and materials (Burma- and non-Burma-related)
Language:
English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ), Kachin, Karen, Shan
Format :
pdf pdf pdf pdf pdf
Size:
1.14 MB 2.56 MB 2.92 MB 2.36 MB 5.15 MB
Local URL:
more
Description:
''This module covers decentralization, revenue transfers, and social development. English, Myanmar, Kachin, Karen and Shan''
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2018-11-01
Date of entry/update:
2019-01-16
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Politics, Government and Governance - Burma/Myanmar - general studies, Educational resources and materials (Burma- and non-Burma-related)
Language:
English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ), Kachin, Karen, Shan
Format :
pdf pdf pdf pdf pdf
Size:
1.1 MB 2.37 MB 2.52 MB 2.34 MB 2.51 MB
Local URL:
Module2_Decentralization-Revenue-Transfers-and-Social-Development_Workbook_en.pdf- Module2_Decentralization-Revenue-Transfers-and-Social-Development_Workbook_bu.pdf
- Module2_Decentralization-Revenue-Transfers-and-Social-Development_Workbook_kachin.pdf
- Module2_Decentralization-Revenue-Transfers-and-Social-Development_Workbook_kayin.pdf
- Module2_Decentralization-Revenue-Transfers-and-Social-Development_Workbook_shan.pdf
more
Description:
''This module covers fiscal federalism and equalization.
English, Myanmar, Kachin, Karen and Shan''
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2018-11-01
Date of entry/update:
2019-01-16
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Politics, Government and Governance - Burma/Myanmar - general studies, Educational resources and materials (Burma- and non-Burma-related)
Language:
English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ), Kachin, Karen, Shan
Format :
pdf pdf pdf pdf pdf
Size:
874.94 KB 1.92 MB 2.25 MB 1.82 MB 4.42 MB
Local URL:
- Module-3_Fiscal-Federalism-and-Equalization_Workbook_en.pdf
- Module-3_Fiscal-Federalism-and-Equalization_Workbook_bu.pdf
- Module-3_Fiscal-Federalism-and-Equalization_Workbook_kachin.pdf
- Module-3_Fiscal-Federalism-and-Equalization_Workbook_kayin.pdf
- Module-3_Fiscal-Federalism-and-Equalization_Workbook_shan.pdf
more
Description:
"This module covers fiscal federalism and natural resources.
English, Myanmar, Kachin, Karen and Shan"
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2018-11-01
Date of entry/update:
2019-01-16
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Politics, Government and Governance - Burma/Myanmar - general studies, Educational resources and materials (Burma- and non-Burma-related)
Language:
English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ), Kachin, Karen, Shan
Format :
pdf pdf pdf pdf pdf
Size:
770.4 KB 2.1 MB 2.16 MB 1.98 MB 2.23 MB
Local URL:
- Module-4_Fiscal-Federalism-and-Natural-Resources_Workbook_en.pdf
- Module-4_Fiscal-Federalism-and-Natural-Resources_Workbook_bu.pdf
- Module-4_Fiscal-Federalism-and-Natural-Resources_Workbook_kachin.pdf
- Module-4_Fiscal-Federalism-and-Natural-Resources_Workbook_kayin.pdf
- Module-4_Fiscal-Federalism-and-Natural-Resources_Workbook_shan.pdf
more
Description:
''This module covers public infrastructure, public services, and human capital. English, Myanmar, Kachin, Karen and Shan''
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2018-11-01
Date of entry/update:
2019-01-16
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Politics, Government and Governance - Burma/Myanmar - general studies, Educational resources and materials (Burma- and non-Burma-related)
Language:
English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ), Kachin, Karen, Shan
Format :
pdf pdf pdf pdf pdf
Size:
1.36 MB 3.1 MB 3.43 MB 3.06 MB 5.47 MB
Local URL:
- Module-5_Fiscal-Federalism-Public-Infrastructure-Public-Services-and-Human-Capital_Workbook_en.pdf
- Module-5_Fiscal-Federalism-Public-Infrastructure-Public-Services-and-Human-Capital_Workbook_bu.pdf
- Module-5_Fiscal-Federalism-Public-Infrastructure-Public-Services-and-Human-Capital_Workbook_kachin.pdf
- Module-5_Fiscal-Federalism-Public-Infrastructure-Public-Services-and-Human-Capital_Workbook_kayin.pdf
- Module-5_Fiscal-Federalism-Public-Infrastructure-Public-Services-and-Human-Capital_Workbook_shan.pdf
more
Description:
''This module covers fiscal federalism and Myanmar’s peace negotiations.
English, Myanmar, Kachin, Karen and Shan''
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2018-11-01
Date of entry/update:
2019-01-16
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Politics, Government and Governance - Burma/Myanmar - general studies, Educational resources and materials (Burma- and non-Burma-related)
Language:
English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ), Kachin, Karen, Shan
Format :
pdf pdf pdf pdf pdf
Size:
744.51 KB 2.07 MB 2.21 MB 2.02 MB 2.25 MB
Local URL:
- Module-6_Fiscal-Federalism-and-Myanmars-Peace-Negotiations_Workbook_en.pdf
- Module-6_Fiscal-Federalism-and-Myanmars-Peace-Negotiations_Workbook_bu.pdf
- Module-6_Fiscal-Federalism-and-Myanmars-Peace-Negotiations_Workbook_kachin.pdf
- Module-6_Fiscal-Federalism-and-Myanmars-Peace-Negotiations_Workbook_kayin.pdf
- Module-6_Fiscal-Federalism-and-Myanmars-Peace-Negotiations_Workbook_Shan.pdf
more
Description:
Download facilitator notes for the Fiscal Federalism in Myanmar curriculum.
English, Myanmar, Kachin, Karen and Shan.
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2018-11-01
Date of entry/update:
2019-01-15
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Politics, Government and Governance - Burma/Myanmar - general studies, Educational resources and materials (Burma- and non-Burma-related)
Language:
English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ), Kachin, Karen, Shan
Format :
pdf pdf pdf pdf pdf
Size:
2.64 MB 3.21 MB 2.57 MB 2.81 MB 2.41 MB
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Description:
''Introduction for the Fiscal Federalism in Myanmar curriculum.
English, Myanmar, Kachin, Karen and Shan...''
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2018-11-01
Date of entry/update:
2019-01-15
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Politics, Government and Governance - Burma/Myanmar - general studies, Educational resources and materials (Burma- and non-Burma-related)
Language:
English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ), Kachin, Karen, Shan
Format :
pdf pdf pdf pdf pdf
Size:
747.19 KB 916.63 KB 935.37 KB 985.04 KB 1.19 MB
more
Description:
This module covers decentralization, revenue transfers, and social development. English, Myanmar, Kachin, Karen and Shan.
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2018-11-01
Date of entry/update:
2019-01-15
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Politics, Government and Governance - Burma/Myanmar - general studies, Educational resources and materials (Burma- and non-Burma-related)
Language:
English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ), Kachin, Karen, Shan
Format :
pdf pdf pdf pdf pdf
Size:
949.4 KB 1.29 MB 1.28 MB 1.37 MB 1.4 MB
Local URL:
- Module2_Decentralization-Revenue-Transfers-and-Social-Development_en.pdf
- Module2_Decentralization-Revenue-Transfers-and-Social-Development_bu.pdf
- Module2_Decentralization-Revenue-Transfers-and-Social-Development_KACHIN.pdf
- Module2_Decentralization-Revenue-Transfers-and-Social-Development_KAYIN.pdf
- Module2_Decentralization-Revenue-Transfers-and-Social-Development_SHAN.pdf
more
Description:
''This module covers fiscal federalism and equalization.
English, Myanmar, Kachin, Karen and Shan...''
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2018-11-01
Date of entry/update:
2019-01-15
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Politics, Government and Governance - Burma/Myanmar - general studies, Educational resources and materials (Burma- and non-Burma-related)
Language:
English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ), Kachin, Karen, Shan
Format :
pdf pdf pdf pdf pdf
Size:
671.6 KB 849.95 KB 846.45 KB 967.06 KB 970.39 KB
more
Description:
''This module covers fiscal federalism and natural resources.
English, Myanmar, Kachin, Karen and Shan''
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2018-11-01
Date of entry/update:
2019-01-15
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Politics, Government and Governance - Burma/Myanmar - general studies, Educational resources and materials (Burma- and non-Burma-related)
Language:
English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ), Kachin, Karen, Shan
Format :
pdf pdf pdf pdf pdf
Size:
698 KB 925.17 KB 967.01 KB 1018.47 KB 1.4 MB
more
Description:
''This module covers public infrastructure, public services, and human capital. English, Myanmar, Kachin, Karen and Shan...''
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2018-11-01
Date of entry/update:
2019-01-15
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Politics, Government and Governance - Burma/Myanmar - general studies, Educational resources and materials (Burma- and non-Burma-related)
Language:
English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ), Kachin, Karen, Shan
Format :
pdf pdf pdf pdf pdf
Size:
802.11 KB 1.12 MB 1.11 MB 1.2 MB 1.33 MB
Local URL:
- Module-5_Fiscal-Federalism-Public-Infrastructure-Public-Services-and-Human-Capital_en.pdf
- Module-5_Fiscal-Federalism-Public-Infrastructure-Public-Services-and-Human-Capital_bu.pdf
- Module-5_Fiscal-Federalism-Public-Infrastructure-Public-Services-and-Human-Capital_KACHIN.pdf
- Module-5_Fiscal-Federalism-Public-Infrastructure-Public-Services-and-Human-Capital_KAYIN.pdf
- Module-5_Fiscal-Federalism-Public-Infrastructure-Public-Services-and-Human-Capital_SHAN.pdf
more
Description:
''This module covers fiscal federalism and Myanmar’s peace negotiations.
English, Myanmar, Kachin, Karen and Shan...''
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2018-11-01
Date of entry/update:
2019-01-15
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Politics, Government and Governance - Burma/Myanmar - general studies, Educational resources and materials (Burma- and non-Burma-related)
Language:
English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ), Kachin, Karen, Shan
Format :
pdf pdf pdf pdf pdf
Size:
557.24 KB 656.92 KB 819.74 KB 868.47 KB 895.4 KB
Local URL:
- Module-6_Fiscal-Federalism-and-Myanmars-Peace-Negotiations_en.pdf
- Module-6_Fiscal-Federalism-and-Myanmars-Peace-Negotiations_bu.pdf
- Module-6_Fiscal-Federalism-and-Myanmars-Peace-Negotiations_KACHIN.pdf
- Module-6_Fiscal-Federalism-and-Myanmars-Peace-Negotiations_KAYIN.pdf
- Module-6_Fiscal-Federalism-and-Myanmars-Peace-Negotiations_SHAN.pdf
more
Description:
''The Fiscal Federalism modules include the following:
1.Fiscal Federalism Introduction
2.Decentralization, Revenue Transfers, and Social Development
3.Fiscal Federalism and Equalization
4.Fiscal Federalism and Natural Resources
5.Public Infrastructure, Public Services, and Human Capital
6.Fiscal Federalism and Myanmar’s Peace Negotiation...''
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2018-11-01
Date of entry/update:
2019-01-14
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Politics, Government and Governance - Burma/Myanmar - general studies, Educational resources and materials (Burma- and non-Burma-related)
Language:
English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ), Kachin, Karan, Shan
Format :
pdf pdf pdf pdf pdf
Size:
6.51 MB 15.19 MB 16.59 MB 14.64 MB 16.29 MB
Local URL:
- Fiscal-Federalism-in-Myanmar-Training-Curriculum-Workbook_en.pdf
- Fiscal-Federalism-in-Myanmar-Training-Curriculum-Workbook_bu.pdf
- Fiscal-Federalism-in-Myanmar-Training-Curriculum-Workbook-KACHIN.pdf
- Fiscal-Federalism-in-Myanmar-Training-Curriculum-Workbook_KAYIN.pdf
- Fiscal-Federalism-in-Myanmar-Training-Curriculum-Workbook_SHAN.pdf
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Description:
''Burke recently served as lead researcher and author of The Asia Foundation’s 2017 report, Contested Areas of Myanmar: Subnational Conflict, Aid and Development. Other notable assignments for the Foundation include an independent evaluation of programs in conflict-affected areas in southern Thailand and an analysis of the development trajectory of Malaysia and Thailand as Advanced Middle-Income Countries...''
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2018-11-01
Date of entry/update:
2019-01-13
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Politics, Government and Governance - Burma/Myanmar - general studies
Language:
English
more
Description:
"In Myanmar, there is a general attitude that issues affecting women fall exclusively under the purview of the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief, and Resettlement. This policy paper explores how gender mainstreaming in subnational governance can take place outside of what is typically considered women-centric policy domains in Myanmar, using the fisheries and livestock sectors as examples...Since 2011, Myanmar has begun implementing significant governance reforms. The 2008
Constitution provided a framework for the beginning of decentralization, shifting from a highly
centralized and authoritarian system to one that more closely resembles a democracy. The
formation of State and Region (S/R) governments, Myanmar?s newly established subnational
governing bodies, has created opportunities for legislation, policies, and budgets that are more
responsive and representative of local needs. While the introduction of subnational institutions
has indeed laid the foundations for increasingly democratic practices, the road towards gender
equality continues to face significant challenges under Myanmar?s current governance structure.
These challenges include:
zz A complex administrative structure that neglects to clearly define roles, responsibilities, and
reporting relationships;1
zz A general attitude that issues affecting women fall exclusively under the purview of the
Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief, and Resettlement; and
zz Outdated governance systems that pose barriers to equitable participation..."
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2018-08-15
Date of entry/update:
2018-08-26
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Women and Politics in Burma/Myanmar, Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Livestock
Language:
more
Description:
"While Burma?s ethnic states are blessed with a wealth of natural resources and biodiversity, they
have been cursed by the unsustainable extraction and sale of those resources, which has fuelled
armed conflict. Instituting a system of devolved federal management of natural resources can
play a key role in resolving conflict and building a lasting peace in Burma.
Despite some ceasefires on paper, Burma remains in a state of conflict. Ongoing offensives in
Kachin and Shan states alone have left hundreds of thousands homeless. Fundamental calls for
self-determination have gone unheeded in a lack of political dialogue to end decades of fighting.
Military offensives into resource-rich ethnic areas have expanded Burma Army presence in plac
-
es previously controlled by de-facto ethnic governments. This has facilitated the rapid increase
in the extraction and sale of natural resources in recent years. Resource projects have collected
huge revenues for the army and the central government, but have not benefited local populations.
Constitutional powers place natural resource ownership, control, and management fully in the
hands of the central government. This report analyzes six key natural resources: forests, land,
water, minerals, gems, and oil and gas. In each sector, a series of laws and practices prevent
affected peoples from having a say in their own development: they cannot assess, provide input
into, or censure the management of their natural resources. Ethnic women, particularly in rural
areas, are doubly marginalized from natural resource governance.
Centralised resource control is fanning the flames of discontent and anger
. Resource projects are
causing environmental destruction, human rights abuses, and loss of livelihoods, with unique
impacts on women. Extracting and exporting raw, often non-renewable, resources is further
inflicting an incalculable liability on future generations. Resources used to produce ener
gy are
consistently prioritised for export, contributing to the development of neighboring countries
while resource-rich areas remain in the dark.
People from across the country have staged protests and demonstrations, calling for an end to
destructive resource exploitation and for constitutional rights to own, control, and manage their
own resources. Ethnic political parties and armed groups are standing with the people in these
demands. Devolved decision-making offers stronger accountability and representation at all
levels of government, an opportunity for local input and control, benefits to local populations,
and environmental sustainability.
Burma does not need to start from zero in developing devolved governance structures. Local
communities have managed lands, water, and forests with sustainable customary practices for
generations, and de-facto governments have supported such practices with formal structures and laws..."
Source/publisher:
Burma Environmental Working Group (BEWG)
Date of publication:
2017-10-24
Date of entry/update:
2017-11-19
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Forest policy in Burma/Myanmar, Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Environmental governance in Burma/Myanmar, Land confiscation for military, commercial and other purposes, Extractive industries (general) - Myanmar
Language:
English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Format :
pdf
Size:
2.43 MB
Local URL:
more
Description:
"... it seems to us that many observers, and indeed political players, underestimate how much ?what happens in these parliaments? today functions to define the future of Myanmar?s institutions and politics. If federalism is to be the end result of the current political and peace processes (two processes that it would be wrong to see as entirely separate), then such federalism will not appear overnight, out of thin air, On the contrary, it will be built on the foundations offered by the existing institutions logically relevant to federalism: the fourteen local parliaments and governments. Institutions have roots, they have a history, they have traditions, and these have already started being built. This is one message we would like to share with ethnic political organizations, and armed groups, in particular: one ignores the present political process at one?s own risk. Federalism is not a train that has yet to leave the station. It?s an already moving train that they?ll have to get on board with at some point. The opposite message could then be sent to those involved in Myanmar?s ?mainstream” political process: the train of federalism is far from having reached full speed, and does not yet have all its passengers on board. In that sense, what happens in the local parliaments is shaping not only the present, but also the future of Myanmar, but it is happening in a context that is bound to evolve greatly if Myanmar is ever to be organized along the lines of a federal system..."
Tinzar Htun, Zaw Min Oo, Nyein Thiri Swe, Mael Raynaud
Source/publisher:
Enlightened Myanmar Research Foundation via teacircleoxford
Date of publication:
2017-05-17
Date of entry/update:
2017-09-04
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Sub-national administrative areas - general, Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Politics, Government and Governance - Burma/Myanmar - general studies
Language:
English
more
Description:
"Burma?s civilian-led government recently marked five months since the transfer of power from the country?s previous, military-backed administration.
The Irrawaddy explored the ongoing challenges facing regional parliamentarians in the new system by surveying six National League for Democracy (NLD) lawmakers from Pegu, Irrawaddy and Rangoon division parliaments, and six representatives from parliaments in ethnic states, including those serving in the Arakan National Party (ANP), the Kachin State Democracy Party (KSDP), the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) and the once-ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).
In interviews, parliamentarians discussed and reflected on the first official 100 days in their divisional legislatures, a period which ended in August.
Regional lawmakers revealed a struggle surrounding limited transparency and a sense of helplessness they attribute to continued centralization in the country?s young government..."
Moe Myint
Source/publisher:
"The Irrawaddy"
Date of publication:
2016-09-09
Date of entry/update:
2016-09-11
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
more
Description:
"As Myanmar?s new government begins defining its reform policies, arguably the biggest need is for good governance. Following decades of centralized military dictatorship, the country confronts dual challenges of trying to loosen the military?s grip on public administration as well as push government agencies to be more accountable and deliver better social services. Where the legacies of dictatorship overlap most significantly with hopes for change is in terms of local governance, namely the basic public administration of Myanmar?s districts and townships..."
Matthew Arnold
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2016-06-08
Date of entry/update:
2016-08-08
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Sub-national administrative areas - general, Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar
Language:
English
Format :
htm
Size:
105.61 KB
more
Description:
"Early signs from the Yangon Hluttaw suggest that the state and region parliaments will do a better job of holding local governments to account than their predecessors...Myanmar?s state and regional legislatures have been slow to find their feet during the country?s transition. While lawmakers in Nay Pyi Taw cut ministry budgets and reshaped draft legislation, the 14 sub-national parliaments have been largely bit players in the reform process. Rarely have they challenged the state and region governments on which they are supposed to exercise oversight.
The Yangon Region Hluttaw is a case in point. Over the past five years it largely acted as a rubber stamp for the regional government, signing off on budget requests and bills, and ignoring widespread complaints about service delivery and unpopular projects. Scrutiny was minimal, and brought to bear by only a handful of mostly opposition MPs.
But the sub-national legislatures are important institutions for political decentralisation, which is a key issue in negotiations toward a peace settlement and broader reconciliation with ethnic minorities. They also play a significant role in service delivery in urban areas, as they approve municipal budgets and enact laws for local elections.
So is the role of these new lawmaking bodies likely to develop over the coming five years? And what are the early indications from the Yangon parliament?
Before considering these questions, it?s important to understand some of the reasons behind why the Yangon hluttaw and other sub-national legislatures were largely ineffective over the past five years..."
Hein Ko Soe & Thomas Kean
Source/publisher:
"Frontier Myanmar"
Date of publication:
2016-07-22
Date of entry/update:
2016-07-22
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
more
Description:
"...Bringing more women into Burma?s peace process and construction of a federal state is crucial, several of the country?s female leaders said during a training tour in Europe last month.
The women have played various roles in Burma?s peace process and were invited to Switzerland and Norway to learn more about federalism, peace and security issues, and women?s empowerment. Both European countries are staunch supporters of conflict resolution in Burma.
The participants reflected on how a political dialogue could be conducted in Burma and how federalism could enrich the country?s young democracy.
Naw Zipporah Sein, the vice chair of the Karen National Union (KNU), an ethnic armed organization that signed the nationwide ceasefire agreement with the government last year, said: ?A federal system is best-suited to Burma to ensure equality and democratic rights.”
?Our public needs to understand how to share power, resources and tax revenue,” she said. ?Participation from the people in these core aspects of the federal state is essential.”
Meanwhile, Burma?s State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi said last Wednesday that the government was planning to hold a 21st century ?Panglong-style” conference within the next two months, referring to a 1947 agreement Suu Kyi?s father, Gen. Aung San, forged with several major ethnic minorities..."
Nyein Nyein
Source/publisher:
"The Irrawaddy"
Date of publication:
2016-05-02
Date of entry/update:
2016-05-02
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Theory and practice of constitutional government, Decentralisation (Decentralization) - international examples, definitions, theory
Language:
English
more
Description:
"Myanmar?s Union government collects much of the trillions of kyat generated by oil, gas, gemstones and other minerals each year, primarily through its state-owned economic enterprises (SEEs).
In the face of such centralized control over revenue, many ethnic groups have long asserted their right to make decisions over resource management in their states. Combatants in areas of active conflict and leaders from several ethnic minority parties—particularly those associated with Kachin, Rakhine and Shan states—have openly called for greater resource revenue sharing. (See map below for more on Myanmar?s extractive geography.)
In response, the newly elected National League for Democracy (NLD) has committed to "work to ensure a fair distribution across the country of the profits from natural resource extraction, in accordance with the principles of a federal union." As such, a resource revenue sharing system will undoubtedly be on the table in the upcoming discussion on federalism.
However, as we have seen in other countries, these systems come with considerable risks. In the most extreme cases, such as Peru, they can actually exacerbate conflict, encouraging local leaders to use violence to compel greater transfers from the central government or gain control over mine sites. While these experiences are atypical, natural resource revenue sharing often leads to financial waste, local inflation, boom-bust cycles and poor public investment decisions.
However, if well designed, resource revenue sharing can: improve development outcomes and the quality of public investment; attract high quality private investors to the sector; and help secure a lasting peace. Sharing the Wealth: A Roadmap for Distributing Myanmar?s Natural Resource Revenues outlines options available under the current legal structure to help the new leadership fulfill its commitment to decentralize natural resource revenues. It is also meant to inform Myanmar?s broader discourse on how best to distribute these revenues.
First, it outlines the current state of fiscal decentralization in Myanmar. Second, it describes the size and location of extractive activities given the limited information currently available. Third, it aims to share good practices for revenue distribution and international experiences. Fourth, it outlines policy options and considerations for policymakers on intergovernmental transfers and addresses the debate on tax assignments..."
Andrew Bauer, Paul Shortell, Lorenzo Delesgues
Source/publisher:
Natural Resource Governance Institute
Date of publication:
2016-02-15
Date of entry/update:
2016-04-06
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Economic oppression, Extortion, Robbery, Natural Resource Use: global and regional, Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Natural Resource Use, Burma/Myanmar - reports, articles etc., Natural Resource Use, Burma/Myanmar - policy and law
Language:
English
Format :
pdf pdf
Size:
2.37 MB 11.6 MB
more
Description:
Summary: "In 2008, Myanmar?s military rulers ratified a new constitution that ensured their continued monopoly of the country?s natural resources. Section 37 (a) states:
?the Union is the ultimate owner ofall lands and all natural resources above and below the ground, above and beneath the water and in the atmosphere”
Under this constitution, the central government in Naypyidaw is not only the owner of all natural resources in the country; it also controls and manages them, enacting ?necessary laws for extraction.” This centralized control has had disastrous effects in widening inequality, fueling a cycle of conflict and violence, and depleting non-renewable resources that could be the basis of a sound economy for future generations.
Arakan State provides a perfect illustration of this and lies at the heart of one of Myanmar?s most sought after resources: natural gas. The Shwe project now produces 500 million cubic feet of natural gas per day, yet none of this is used to provide electricity in Arakan State. While local communities bear livelihood and environmental destruction, human rights abuses and land confiscation, the gas is sold to China and more than one billion USD annually flows to Naypyidaw. There, accounting of the revenues remains opaque and reinvestment in Arakan?s infrastructure, education, and health is practically non-existent. The state is the second poorest in the country
Until now, the military, the central government, and foreign investors have taken advantage of the centralized governance structure and a lack of protection mechanisms to make all the decisions around natural resources and reap most of the benefits. In contrast, devolving the powers to manage resources to lower levels of government will establish political, administrative, and fiscal structures so that decisions around the use of natural resources can be made at local levels with input from affected peoples. This distribution of powers makes natural resource management more accountable to the needs of local communities and will therefore ensure a more sustainable development.
Drawing on the Arakan Oil Watch?s decade-long work with communities affected by natural resource investments and experiences from resource-rich countries around the world, we find six critical components to achieve sustainable natural resource management in Myanmar. They are:
1. Build peace: A moratorium on high-value natural resource extraction until political agreements and new legislation have been finalized will reduce tensions and conflict and allow time for protection laws and institutions to be established. Peace
4
agreements that specify division of powers—such as the one in Papua New Guinea—will help prevent conflicts from re- emerging and enable subnational governments to proceed with establishing their own governance structures.
2. Broaden participation: Engaging people in the process of managing their own resources and ensuring that they receive benefits from their resources will prevent resentment and reduce conflicts. Strengthening formal participation, as is done in Latin America with community referendums, will provide immediate input from affected communities and community- based organizations on natural resource projects as well as on long-term planning decisions.
3. Decentralize governance: Transferring significant powers of authority from Naypyidaw to civilian-led state and regional governments through statutory and constitutional provisions will bring decision-making closer to affected people and make development processes more efficient and equitable.
4. Decentralize ownership of natural resources: Amending Section 37 (a) of the national constitution to enable states and regions to own their natural resources will address longstanding calls for more autonomy from ethnic organizations, contributing to long lasting peace.
5. Decentralize control and management of natural resources: Amending Section 37 (b) of the national constitution so that states and regions can control and manage their lands and natural resources, including the decision whether or not non-renewable resources should be extracted. State and regional governments will also then be able to establish appropriate laws and institutions for economic planning, regulation and monitoring of extractive industries, and rights protection for current and future generations.
6. Decentralize collection of natural resource revenues:
Providing legislative powers for states and regions to collect significant taxes will enable responsive local governments to manage their own budgets and allocate funds according to local plans and needs, reducing time consuming and costly bureaucracy at the national level, and better serving local populations.".....This Burmese version has been drastically reduced using OCR software, resulting in some blurred text and some pages split in half. We will replace this version if/when we get a better one.
Source/publisher:
Arakan Oil Watch
Date of publication:
2016-02-00
Date of entry/update:
2016-03-26
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Format :
pdf pdf pdf pdf
Size:
6.52 MB 129.1 MB 5.77 MB 4.46 MB
more
Description:
Summary: "In 2008, Myanmar?s military rulers ratified a new constitution that ensured their continued monopoly of the country?s natural resources. Section 37 (a) states:
?the Union is the ultimate owner ofall lands and all natural resources above and below the ground, above and beneath the water and in the atmosphere”
Under this constitution, the central government in Naypyidaw is not only the owner of all natural resources in the country; it also controls and manages them, enacting ?necessary laws for extraction.” This centralized control has had disastrous effects in widening inequality, fueling a cycle of conflict and violence, and depleting non-renewable resources that could be the basis of a sound economy for future generations.
Arakan State provides a perfect illustration of this and lies at the heart of one of Myanmar?s most sought after resources: natural gas. The Shwe project now produces 500 million cubic feet of natural gas per day, yet none of this is used to provide electricity in Arakan State. While local communities bear livelihood and environmental destruction, human rights abuses and land confiscation, the gas is sold to China and more than one billion USD annually flows to Naypyidaw. There, accounting of the revenues remains opaque and reinvestment in Arakan?s infrastructure, education, and health is practically non-existent. The state is the second poorest in the country
Until now, the military, the central government, and foreign investors have taken advantage of the centralized governance structure and a lack of protection mechanisms to make all the decisions around natural resources and reap most of the benefits. In contrast, devolving the powers to manage resources to lower levels of government will establish political, administrative, and fiscal structures so that decisions around the use of natural resources can be made at local levels with input from affected peoples. This distribution of powers makes natural resource management more accountable to the needs of local communities and will therefore ensure a more sustainable development.
Drawing on the Arakan Oil Watch?s decade-long work with communities affected by natural resource investments and experiences from resource-rich countries around the world, we find six critical components to achieve sustainable natural resource management in Myanmar. They are:
1. Build peace: A moratorium on high-value natural resource extraction until political agreements and new legislation have been finalized will reduce tensions and conflict and allow time for protection laws and institutions to be established. Peace
agreements that specify division of powers—such as the one in Papua New Guinea—will help prevent conflicts from re- emerging and enable subnational governments to proceed with establishing their own governance structures...
2. Broaden participation: Engaging people in the process of managing their own resources and ensuring that they receive benefits from their resources will prevent resentment and reduce conflicts. Strengthening formal participation, as is done in Latin America with community referendums, will provide immediate input from affected communities and community- based organizations on natural resource projects as well as on long-term planning decisions...
3. Decentralize governance: Transferring significant powers of authority from Naypyidaw to civilian-led state and regional governments through statutory and constitutional provisions will bring decision-making closer to affected people and make development processes more efficient and equitable.
4. Decentralize ownership of natural resources: Amending Section 37 (a) of the national constitution to enable states and regions to own their natural resources will address longstanding calls for more autonomy from ethnic organizations, contributing to long lasting peace...
5. Decentralize control and management of natural resources: Amending Section 37 (b) of the national constitution so that states and regions can control and manage their lands and natural resources, including the decision whether or not non-renewable resources should be extracted. State and regional governments will also then be able to establish appropriate laws and institutions for economic planning, regulation and monitoring of extractive industries, and rights protection for current and future generations...
6. Decentralize collection of natural resource revenues:
Providing legislative powers for states and regions to collect significant taxes will enable responsive local governments to manage their own budgets and allocate funds according to local plans and needs, reducing time consuming and costly bureaucracy at the national level, and better serving local populations."
Source/publisher:
Arakan Oil Watch
Date of publication:
2016-02-00
Date of entry/update:
2016-03-23
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.24 MB
more
Description:
"The Ta?ang, also known as Palaung, are one of Burma?s myriad ethnic groups who have been fighting for basic human rights and autonomy for decades. Despite the international enthusiasm over Burma?s reform process, the reality in Burma?s ethnic borderlands remains dire, and the Burmese military continues its brutal offensive against ethnic civilians. Tar Aik Bong joined the Ta?ang struggle in 1987, and is now the Chairperson of the Palaung State Liberation Front (PSLF), the Head of military commission of the Ta?ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), as well as a member of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) council and Foreign Affairs Department. The PSLF/TNLA is one of the few prominent ethnic armed groups yet to sign a ceasefire with the Burmese government. The following is Tar Aik Bong?s message to the international community."
Source/publisher:
Burma Link
Date of entry/update:
2016-03-18
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Armed conflict in Shan State - general articles, Armed conflict in Burma - Impact on village life, including health and education, Politics, Government and Governance - Burma/Myanmar - general studies, Non-Ceasefire Groups, Armed conflict and peace-building in Burma - theoretical, strategic and general, Shan State, Dialogue/reform/transition in Burma/Myanmar - analyses and statements, Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar
Language:
English
more
Description:
"Since 2011, Myanmar has embarked on a series of development reforms to promote a more "people centered" and "bottom-up" approach to government planning and budgeting. Inter alia, these reforms have led to the establishment of Local Development Funds (LDFs) to identify and fund community development projects. LDFs in Myanmar, and the government institutions that manage them, are both recently formed and evolving at a rapid pace. To date, little research on these funds has been conducted. The objectives of this study are to: provide a general understanding of international best practice and common uses for LDFs, assess how community needs are identified and aligned with LDFs in Myanmar, provide an overview of the most relevant LDFs in Myanmar, and give some analysis of how these funds impact fiscal decentralization and local development planning."
Bart Robertson, Cindy Joelene, Lauren Dunn
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation, MDRI/CESD
Date of publication:
2016-01-29
Date of entry/update:
2016-03-06
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.41 MB
more
Description:
"Local economic governance is a critical dimension in Myanmar?s drive to reform, decentralize and achieve more inclusive and stable development. How businesses and individuals engage with the government in their income and revenue generation efforts and creating employment in the local communities in the process is pertinent to larger economic reforms that are being implemented and further proposed by government and experts. In the context of a country coming out of decades of military rule, any reform that can lead to greater transparency, fairness, and improved state-society relations will contribute significantly to the country?s long term democratic transition and economic prosperity. More specifically, reforming economic governance at the local level is essential if the benefits of Myanmar?s transition are to reach the majority of the country?s people."
Jared Bissinger
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2016-02-22
Date of entry/update:
2016-03-06
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
(Burmese မန်မာဘာသာ)
Format :
pdf
Size:
3.82 MB
more
Description:
"Local economic governance is a critical dimension in Myanmar?s drive to reform, decentralize and achieve more inclusive and stable development. How businesses and individuals engage with the government in their income and revenue generation efforts and creating employment in the local communities in the process is pertinent to larger economic reforms that are being implemented and further proposed by government and experts. In the context of a country coming out of decades of military rule, any reform that can lead to greater transparency, fairness, and improved state-society relations will contribute significantly to the country?s long term democratic transition and economic prosperity. More specifically, reforming economic governance at the local level is essential if the benefits of Myanmar?s transition are to reach the majority of the country?s people."
Jared Bissinger
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2016-02-22
Date of entry/update:
2016-03-06
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
613.67 KB
more
Description:
"Education and language policies and practices are at the heart of ethnic conflicts in Myanmar. For decades, the state has emphasized a centralized, Myanmar language only education system that many ethnic groups felt provided no place for their own languages to be practiced which by extension, threatened their cultures and ethnic identities. The country?s democratic transition of the past few years, however, has enabled issues of mother tongue-based education (MTB) to be discussed more openly, and growing acceptance of decentralization within the government at all levels and among the wider public is providing an opening for consideration of how MTB education can be productively integrated into the education system. In this context, The Foundation is pleased to present this research report on the state of MTB education in contested areas in Myanmar, specifically in the Kachin, Mon and Karen context, by Ashley South and Marie Lall who have long been engaged in researching this important topic."
Ashley South, Marie Lall
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2016-02-22
Date of entry/update:
2016-03-06
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Education in Burma - several ethnic groups
Language:
Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Format :
pdf
Size:
3.11 MB
Local URL:
more
Description:
"Education and language policies and practices are at the heart of ethnic conflicts in Myanmar. For decades, the state has emphasized a centralized, Myanmar language only education system that many ethnic groups felt provided no place for their own languages to be practiced which by extension, threatened their cultures and ethnic identities. The country?s democratic transition of the past few years, however, has enabled issues of mother tongue-based education (MTB) to be discussed more openly, and growing acceptance of decentralization within the government at all levels and among the wider public is providing an opening for consideration of how MTB education can be productively integrated into the education system. In this context, The Foundation is pleased to present this research report on the state of MTB education in contested areas in Myanmar, specifically in the Kachin, Mon and Karen context, by Ashley South and Marie Lall who have long been engaged in researching this important topic."
Ashley South, Marie Lall
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2016-02-22
Date of entry/update:
2016-03-06
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Education in Burma - several ethnic groups
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.84 MB
Local URL:
more
Description:
Executive Summary: "This report outlines the results of the Local Governance Mapping research conducted by
UNDP in Kayin State. Based on the perceptions of the people and local governance actors,
the mapping has tried to capture some key aspects of the current dynamics of governance
at the frontline of state-citizen interaction and focuses in its analysis on participation in
public sector planning, access to basic services and accountability in local governance.
In consultation with the Kayin State government, it was agreed that the Local Governance
Mapping would be conducted in three townships, namely,
Hlaingbwe, Kawkareik and Hpa-An
between February and June 2014. Three of the more remote and less populated
townships (Myawaddy, Hpapun and Thandaung) have for a long time been partially under
control of the KNU and have been more unstable than the other four townships in Kayin
State during the 65 years of armed conflict. As a result of their remote character, their
low population density and the years of conflict, the availability of basic services and their
governance situation is most likely to be significantly different from the ones included in
this study."
Source/publisher:
UNDP Myanmar
Date of publication:
2014-00-00
Date of entry/update:
2016-02-05
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Karen (Kayin) State, Governance in Burma/Myanmar
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
2.21 MB
more
Description:
Executive Summary: "This report outlines the results of the Local Governance Mapping (LGM) conducted by the
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Ministry of
Home Affairs (MoHA) in Kachin State from November 2014 to January 2015. Drawing on
the perceptions of the people and local governance actors, the mapping has captured the
current dynamics of governance at the front line and enables an analysis of the participation,
responsiveness and accountability for local governance and basic service provision.
The report examines processes, mechanisms and the way in which they are functioning
for development planning and participation, people?s access to basic services and the
information, transparency and accountability dimensions of local governance processes in
the four selected townships of Tanai, Putao, Momauk and Myitkyina. While the focus of
the LGM is on local governance institutions, the roles of the State and Union government
authorities and their relationships with the lower levels in a broader governance context are
also relevant and, to some extent, reflected upon in this analysis.
Kachin State occupies the northernmost area of Myanmar bordering India to the west and
China to the north and east. Kachin has the third largest land area of the 14 States and
Regions in Myanmar and has the country?s highest mountain ranges. The people living in
Kachin State belong to various ethnic groups, primarily Kachins, Bamars and Shans. The
four townships of Momauk, Myitkyina, Putao, and Tanai covered under the mapping offer a
variety of examples of issues of access and sophistication of the local economy as well as the
effects of the conflict in the state. Since 2011, Kachin State has seen the most serious of all the
armed confrontations affecting the country, and pending a lasting settlement of the decadesold
conflict, local governance systems and mechanisms will be affected by this state of affairs.
The information collected as part of the mapping and presented in the subsequent sections
must therefore be read and understood as part of the broader geographic, socio-economic,
demographic, historical and political context in which the State finds itself.
The legacies of armed conflict, ethnic mobilization and military rule inform and shape the
efforts, undertaken since 2012, of reintroducing some forms of popular participation at the
local level in Kachin State, in particular the townships and the village tracts and wards. The
degree to which Kachin State will be successful in both reflecting its own ethnic diversity
while at the same time delivering basic services in an equitable and effective manner will
depend largely on the progress made in building local governance institutions and processes
that are inclusive and responsive to the needs of the local population. Given the pending
peace agreement, perceptions of safety are thus more of an indication of relative change
rather than any absolute measure. At the time of the community-level mapping in November
2014 most people felt the security situation had not worsened. The perceptions of this vary
between townships and since conflict has been more evident in Momauk, nearly half the
respondents felt the situation in the township had worsened although most people (76%)
feel secure in their immediate area. Finding a balanced solution to the underlying causes of
this conflict remains an urgent challenge for the people of Kachin State..."
Source/publisher:
UNDP Myanmar
Date of publication:
2014-00-00
Date of entry/update:
2016-02-04
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Kachin State, Governance in Burma/Myanmar
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
5.88 MB
more
Description:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: "This report outlines the results of the Local Governance Mapping conducted by UNDP
in Mandalay Region. Based on the perceptions of the people and local governance actors,
the mapping has captured some key aspects of the current dynamics of governance at the
frontline of state-citizen interaction like participation in local development planning, access
to basic social services and transparency and accountability in local governance.
In consultation with the Mandalay Region government, it was agreed that the Local
Governance Mapping would be conducted in three townships, namely,
Meiktila, Thazi and Thabeikkyin
between August and November 2014."
Source/publisher:
UNDP Myanmar
Date of publication:
2014-00-00
Date of entry/update:
2016-02-04
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Mandalay Division, Governance in Burma/Myanmar
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
3.26 MB
more
Description:
INTRODUCTION: "Crucial functions of policy analysis and policy implementation require concrete information
to inform leadership as they continue to guide the country towards strategic goals. In order
to support this process, the Government of Myanmar and UNDP agreed to conduct a
local governance mapping. This report is the product of this mapping that captured the
extensive input of government officers and staff, committee members, Ward and Village
Tract Administrators, citizens, and service providers at the township level, and CSOs in four
townships in Sagaing Region.
The mapping seeks to examine the perception of governance from a citizen and serviceprovider
perspective. It focussed on participation in public sector planning (how certain
new laws, funds, and structures were addressing citizens and township priorities in priority
areas), access to key basic services and accountability in local governance. Following this
introduction and a brief discussion on methodology1 in chapter 2, the report provides an
overview of governance institutions in Sagaing Region in chapter 3, including the relatively
recent creation of the Naga SAZ and relevant governance and administrative systems.
Chapter 4 provides information on the participating townships and Chapter 5 discusses
planning processes in these townships, with attention to the linkages between communities
and township administrations; the specific opportunities and challenges in the health,
education and water supply sectors; and opportunities and challenges for information
sharing, transparency and accountability. Chapter 6 closes the report with conclusions on
participatory and responsive local governance in Sagaing Region.
As such, the report combines information from both the township and community level,
along with background information related to governance, planning and budgeting systems
critical to inform discussions about identifying priorities and addressing service delivery at
township level."
Source/publisher:
UNDP Myanmar
Date of publication:
2015-00-00
Date of entry/update:
2016-02-04
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Sagaing Division, Governance in Burma/Myanmar
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
3.28 MB
more
Description:
Executive Summary: "The State of Local Governance: Trends in Chin - UNDP Myanmar 2014
This report presents the findings from the Local Governance Mapping conducted in Chin
State between December 2013 and January 2014.
Sharing a long northern border with India and its western front with Bangladesh, Chin State
is the poorest among Myanmar?s state/regions, and among its most diverse. Chin State has
a unique demographic composition, with six main ethnic groups (Asho, Cho, Khum, Laimi,
Mizo and Zomi) and dozens of sub-groups represented in this majority-Chin, predominantly
Christian area of the country. With an estimated population of 465,000 people, Chin State
is the second smallest (by population size) of all states/regions. Widespread poverty, low
population density, challenging mountainous terrain and an underdeveloped infrastructure
are all severe barriers for development. The ceasefire agreement of 2012 between the
Government of Myanmar (GoM) and the Chin National Front (CNF), a non-state armed
group, has removed what was previously a serious bottleneck for development. Recognising
the immense challenges faced by Chin State, the union government has allocated additional
investment funds to the tune of Ks 2 billion in addition to around Ks 1 billion already allocated
to each of the states/regions for regional development and poverty reduction in 2013-14.1
For the Local Governance Mapping in Chin State, three townships in the north (Thantlang,
Falam and Tonzang) and three townships in the south (Mindat, Matupi and Paletwa) were
selected. 576 respondents from 12 villages across these six townships were asked about their
perceptions and experiences related to local governance using a Citizens? Report Card
(CRC).2
Half (49%) of citizens interviewed were between 18-40 years of age. Reflecting the
geographic dynamics of Chin State, the majority of respondents (67%) lived in rural areas.
The vast majority (91%) of those interviewed were of Chin ethnicity, while 8% of respondents
originated from Rakhine.
Alongside the opinions of the people, multi-stakeholder dialogues at the community
(Community Dialogues (CD)) and township (Government Self Assessments (GSA)) levels,
and primary research on the functioning of local governance in three townships (Thantlang,
Tonzang and Mindat), informed the findings from the Local Governance Mapping exercise,
which are structured along the five core principles of good local governance. These form the
basis of the mapping framework and methodology adopted in Myanmar, viz. effectiveness
and efficiency; transparency and rule of law; accountability; participation; and, equity. In
addition, the mapping exercise has also yielded some significant ?process” results, which are
also highlighted below."
Source/publisher:
UNDP Myanmar
Date of publication:
2014-00-00
Date of entry/update:
2016-02-02
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Chin State, Governance in Burma/Myanmar
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.89 MB
more
Description:
Executive Summary: "The State of Local Governance: Trends in Mon - UNDP Myanmar 2014
This report presents the findings from the Local Governance Mapping conducted in Mon
State between December 2013 and January 2014.
With an estimated population of 1.9 million,1
Mon State is one of Myanmar?s most well-
connected and prosperous states/regions. Economic activity is driven by agriculture,
forestry, fishing and mining - the state is a major producer of rice and rubber crop. The
security situation has stabilised following the ratification of a ceasefire agreement between
the Union government and the Mon National Liberation Army - a non-state armed group -
in 2012, and the state is now experiencing a new period of stability and engagement between
government and non-state actors. Still, pockets of volatility remain, and a long-term political
solution towards peace and reconciliation has yet to be achieved.
For the Local Governance Mapping in Mon State, Bilin, Chaungzon, Kyaikmaraw, Paung,
Thanbyuzayat and Ye townships were selected. 576 respondents from 12 villages across these
six townships shared their perceptions and experiences related to local governance.2
Nearly
half of them were between 41-60 years of age - researchers highlighted difficulty in sourcing
younger respondents across all six representative townships, reportedly due to migration
of working-age labour to nearby Thailand and Malaysia. 52% of the randomly selected
respondents were ethnic Bamar, 30% Mon and 10% Kayin.
Alongside the opinions of the people, multi-stakeholder dialogues at the community
and township level and primary research on the functioning of local governance in three
townships (Bilin, Chaungzon, and Ye) informed the findings from the Local Governance
Mapping exercise, which are structured along the five core principles of good local governance.
These form the basis of the mapping framework and methodology adopted in Myanmar, viz.
effectiveness and efficiency; transparency and rule of law; accountability; participation; and,
equity. In addition, the mapping exercise has also yielded some significant ?process” results,
which are also highlighted below."
Source/publisher:
UNDP Myanmar
Date of entry/update:
2016-02-02
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Mon State, Governance in Burma/Myanmar
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.52 MB
more
Description:
Executive Summary: "The State of Local Governance: Trends in Shan - UNDP Myanmar 2015
This report aims to map the state of affairs and the evolution as witnessed over the past
years with regards to governance reforms and service delivery, in particular for the sectors
education, health and water supply, in Shan State. It provides a historical background to
contextualise the present governance situation in Shan, which differs from all other Regions
and States; it provides information on the various recent elections in the State; it seeks
transparency of the State budget, and, against this background, it pays particular attention
to the perceptions of citizens? regarding the changes they have witnessed. It finally tries to
make the link between good local governance and the quality of service delivery, whereby it
looks at aspects of decision-making powers in relation to budget discretion, the availability
of budget envelopes, oversight and accountability.
Shan State takes a special place amongst the fourteen Regions and States in the country as,
in terms of area the biggest of all, covering almost 25% of the entire nation, and in terms
of population by far the biggest of all States. Arguably, Shan State has the largest ethnic
diversity amongst its population of all fourteen Regions and States. Related to this diversity
- its location and the physical features of the terrain making it perfect for a natural border
zone - Shan State has played an important role in the history of Myanmar. As far as the most
recent history is concerned, this starts with the special position that was negotiated in the
Panglong agreement, where Shan State was given the right to exit the Union after a period
of 10 years if it would prefer to do so (and which it did not do).
As much as the recent serious flaring up of fighting (early February 2015) in the Laukkaing
area illustrates that peace and stability cannot yet be taken for granted, the earlier open
conflicts in Shan State, which were as much based on economic interest as ethnic differences,
seemed to have already for some time reached a situation of agreed status quo, amongst
others reflected by the number of Self-Administered Areas as enshrined in the Constitution
of 2008, and which are described as part of the local governance set-up in this report.
Shan State is distinctly different (and also more complicated), as compared to most other
Regions and States, but the mapping of local governance and service delivery also found
a number of similarities with the findings in other areas. Overall, in Shan State, as in all
other Regions and States, people clearly acknowledge the improvements in service delivery,
notably for road infrastructure, education, health and, although to a lesser extent, water
supply. People mentioned access to safe drinking water as the largest challenge in service
delivery and people also asked for enhanced investments in this sector.
As in other Regions and States,* people in Shan ask for more information from government,
whilst they bestow (also in terms of information flow) a pivotal role on the indirectly elected
Ward and Village Tract Administrators (W/VTAs), whom they consider more and more
as a local development change agent. To support this process and to be able honouring
the expectations of W/VTAs as ?intermediary? between the people and the township
administrations, some dedicated capacity development activities may be indicated, both
addressing the W/VTAs as well as the township administrations."
Source/publisher:
UNDP Myanmar
Date of publication:
2014-00-00
Date of entry/update:
2016-02-02
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Shan State, Governance in Burma/Myanmar
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.95 MB
more
Description:
"This report serves as a background and introduction to the 14 State and Region ?State of
Local Governance” reports prepared by UNDP-Myanmar in collaboration with the General
Administration Department (GAD) under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It aims to contextualise
the state- and region-specific information provided in each of the individual reports and
introduces a framework to look at local governance structures in Myanmar. It also aims to look at
local governance comprehensively through various prisms such as historical context and legacies,
the constitutional and legal parameters, and service delivery, participation and accountability. In
addition, this report introduces and briefly describes the main institutions of local governance, as
their specific composition, performance and interrelations are ?mapped? in the State and Region
specific reports.
The overall objective of the Local Governance Mapping is to generate a better understanding
of how governance structures at the local level currently function in Myanmar. It also seeks to
provide more clarity on the nature, scope and role of local agents, with a focus at the township
level, and how the recent reforms have influenced or changed the interactions between citizens
and local authorities. Notwithstanding the absence of an overall strategic or legal framework for
decentralisation, the government has undertaken several initiatives that are trying to increase the
space for citizens in local decision-making. The mapping is an attempt to understand how these
initiatives have been perceived by local citizens and what progress has been made in terms of
improved service delivery, as well as enhanced transparency and accountability..."
Source/publisher:
UNDP MYANMAR
Date of publication:
2015-06-03
Date of entry/update:
2016-02-01
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.62 MB
more
Description:
"This report documents leadership journeys of women in local leadership roles in Myanmar, in
particular of Myanmar?s small cohort of female village tract/ward administrators (VT/WAs).
The
report is based on field interviews with 15 female VT/WAs undertaken in June and July 2015, and data
from the UNDP Myanmar Local Governance Mapping (LGM) conducted between late 2013 and early
2015. Complementing previous studies on social norms and women?s participation in governance in
Myanmar, in this report the lives of a number of existing local female leaders and their experiences
with local election and leadership take center stage, granting insight in how barriers to women?s
participation can be overcome and female local leadership can be expanded..."
Source/publisher:
UNDP Myanmar
Date of publication:
2016-01-30
Date of entry/update:
2016-02-01
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Articles, reports and sites relating to women of Burma
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
2.07 MB
Local URL:
more
Description:
"Since 2011, Myanmar has embarked on a series of development reforms to promote a more "people centered" and "bottom-up" approach to government planning and budgeting. Inter alia, these reforms have led to the establishment of Local Development Funds (LDFs) to identify and fund community development projects. LDFs in Myanmar, and the government institutions that manage them, are both recently formed and evolving at a rapid pace. To date, little research on these funds has been conducted. The objectives of this study are to: provide a general understanding of international best practice and common uses for LDFs, assess how community needs are identified and aligned with LDFs in Myanmar, provide an overview of the most relevant LDFs in Myanmar, and give some analysis of how these funds impact fiscal decentralization and local development planning."
Bart Robertson, Cindy Joelene, Lauren Dunn
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation, MDRI/CESD
Date of publication:
2015-10-27
Date of entry/update:
2015-11-09
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.1 MB
more
Description:
"This paper focuses on understanding the role of state and region governments in relation to Myanmar?s public finances. This has been done to take stock of existing research, better understand the composition of subnational finances, and attempt to address whether, at this point in the fiscal decentralization process, state and region governments have sufficient resources to fulfil their constitutionally delegated responsibilities. Recognizing the complex and varied factors relevant to addressing these questions, a range of qualitative and quantitative approaches were employed, including semi-structured interviews of stakeholders, consultation with sector experts and analysis of published budget and socioeconomic data."
Giles Dickenson-Jones, S Kanay De, Andrea Smurra
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation, MDRI/CESD, IGC
Date of publication:
2015-10-13
Date of entry/update:
2015-11-09
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.85 MB
Local URL:
more
Description:
"This paper focuses on understanding the role of state and region governments in relation to Myanmar?s public finances. This has been done to take stock of existing research, better understand the composition of subnational finances, and attempt to address whether, at this point in the fiscal decentralization process, state and region governments have sufficient resources to fulfil their constitutionally delegated responsibilities. Recognizing the complex and varied factors relevant to addressing these questions, a range of qualitative and quantitative approaches were employed, including semi-structured interviews of stakeholders, consultation with sector experts and analysis of published budget and socioeconomic data."
Giles Dickenson-Jones, S Kanay De, Andrea Smurra September 2015
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation, MDRI/CESD. IGC
Date of publication:
2015-09-00
Date of entry/update:
2015-11-08
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
2.11 MB
Local URL:
more
Description:
"What role for public financial management in deepening
social accountability and promoting legitimate governance?...This discussion paper outlines so me of the challenges and opportunities for public financial management (PFM) reform in contributing to deeper social accountability and legitimate governance in the context of Myanmar?s wider decentralization and peace process. The paper poses a set of key questions for development actors to
consider as they seek to support inclusive reform in Myanmar..."
Source/publisher:
OXFAM
Date of publication:
2015-09-00
Date of entry/update:
2015-10-10
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Economy: general, analytical, statistical (various sources), Dialogue/reform/transition in Burma/Myanmar - analyses and statements, Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Rural development in Burma/Myanmar
Language:
English
more
Description:
Executive Summary:
"Myanmar is undergoing governance reforms of historic significance, resulting in changes to
subnational and local governance, decentralization, and the nature of central-local relations.
Traditionally, Myanmar has been an agrarian society but urban areas are increasingly important—with
almost a third of the population now residing in cities and towns. In this context, municipal governance
is assuming greater importance to the country?s development and political transition. While the 2008
Constitution and subsequent reforms have delegated some functions to the 14 newly-established
state and region governments and established new mechanisms at the township level, Myanmar
remains a highly centralized state. However, municipal governance is a nascent exception to this. All
of Myanmar?s townships now have Development Affairs Organizations (DAOs) (si-bin tha-ya-ye apwe
in the Myanmar language) which are important urban agencies with responsibilities for providing a
significant range of social services and for overseeing local economic governance.
The key characteristics of DAOs are as follows:
* They are the only fully decentralized government agencies under the control of state and region
governments.
* They are unique as they are fully self-funded, must use their revenues in the township where they
were collected, and they have significant discretion over revenue use. Every other subnational
governance actor receives its budget one way or another from the Union Government.
* They are major social service providers, providing services that range from urban water, sewage,
garbage collection, roads and bridges, to street lighting and drainage, and they also oversee local
economic governance through issuing licenses and permits to local businesses, collecting taxes
and fees, and holding auctions to operate local ferries and toll roads.
* They are the only local government actors overseen by a dedicated local committee—the
Township Development Affairs Committee (TDAC)—which has decision-making power and the
majority of its members are elected by the community..."
Matthew Arnold, Ye Thu Aung, Susanne Kempel, Kyi Pyar Chit Saw
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation, MDRI-CESD (Myanmar Development Resource Institute ? Centre for Economic and Social Development)
Date of publication:
2015-07-00
Date of entry/update:
2015-09-13
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
2 MB
more
Description:
Executive Summary:
"Rural and mountainous areas across many of Myanmar?s non-Bamar regions are contested by multiple
governance actors with overlapping claims to territory, including: the Myanmar government and
armed forces, countless state-backed ethnic militia, and dozens of opposition ethnic armed groups.
Many of the varied ethnic armed actors have much deeper relations with local communities than the
state does,1
and in numerous cases, have been the only administrative authorities of these regions in
the country?s history. Very few of their territories have clearly agreed borders, and none are
sanctioned officially by law or in the constitution.
While, out of necessity, successive governments have continued to tolerate or even accommodate the
role of ethnic armed actors in subnational administration, they have persisted in attempts to design
the state around their particular ideal vision of ?the Union”, rather than in coordination and
compromise with subnational actors. This has resulted in an ongoing failure to establish constitutional
arrangements that truly reflect power relations and political realities on the ground. One of the key
challenges that must be addressed in the current peace process, therefore, is the nature of
subnational administration in these contest areas.
Given this challenging environment, The Asia Foundation carried out research in 2015 to examine and
compare de jure and de facto administration systems in Myanmar?s conflict-affected areas, and how
they relate to longstanding disputes over constitutional arrangements for subnational governance.
This report seeks to provide a better understanding of the complex political geography in contested
areas, and highlights how challenging it will be to achieve a political solution to conflict. This is of
particular importance to international actors, given the heightened interest in supporting the peace
process and increasing levels of humanitarian and development assistance to conflict-affected areas..."
Kim Jolliffe
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2015-06-00
Date of entry/update:
2015-09-11
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Armed conflict, adminstration, development and investment, Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Dialogue/reform/transition in Burma/Myanmar - analyses and statements
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
3.21 MB
more
Description:
Executive Summary: "Kayah State has experienced some important changes over the last few years that have a direct impact
on the livelihood situation of its people. Since 2011, the hostilities between the Karenni National
Progressive Party and its Karenni Army on the one hand and the Government of Myanmar on the
other hand have gradually subsided, resulting in a cease fire agreement that was signed in June 2013
between the two parties. This contributed to a more peaceful situation in the State and led to an
intensification of both economic activities and social services provided by the Government. During
the same period the Government of Myanmar has made a start with its administrative reform with
the objective of improving service delivery, engaging people more actively in governance processes and
becoming a ?cleaner” government.
This report outlines the results of the Local Governance Mapping conducted by UNDP in Kayah State.
Based on the perceptions of the people and local governance actors, the mapping has tried to capture
some key aspects of the current dynamics of governance at the frontline of state-citizen interaction
and focuses in its analysis on participation in public sector planning, access to basic services and
accountability in local governance.
In consultation with the Kayah State government, it was agreed that the Local Governance Mapping
would be conducted in three townships, namely, Loikaw, Hpruso and Mese between April and August
2014. Together, these three townships are representative for the diversity in economic activities and
living conditions found in Kayah State. Loikaw is the capital Township of Kayah. It is more urban in
character, it has by far the largest population of all townships in Kayah State, hosts most State government
institutions, and is economically the best developed township in the State. Hpruso Township has a
more rural character, is less populated as Loikaw, but since it is easy to reach and close to Loikaw it is
relatively prosperous, and basic social services are still easily available. Mese Township finally is the
most remote and smallest township in the State with a traditional rural character and a low population
density. It has experienced more than any of the other townships the negative impact of the armed
conflict in the past and has a result been rather isolated and experienced a backlog in services provided
by government, which it is now trying to catch up on..."
Source/publisher:
UNDP Myanmar
Date of publication:
2014-12-00
Date of entry/update:
2015-02-02
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Karenni (Kayah) State, Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Governance in Burma/Myanmar
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
2 MB
Local URL:
more
Description:
"Basic administration in Myanmar is provided by the General Administration Department (GAD) of the Ministry of Home Affairs. GAD administrators manage subnational administrative structures stretching from states and regions down to districts, townships and all of the country?s approximately 16,700 wards and village tracts. Although the GAD is exceptionally important to governance in Myanmar, particularly at subnational levels, it is also poorly understood, and indeed, rather enigmatic. As the Myanmar government works to implement public sector reform, a better understanding of the GAD is imperative. This paper accordingly details the origins of the GAD and then details its mandates, structures and working processes.
The Myanmar Development Resource Institute?s Centre for Economic and Social Development (MDRI-CESD) and The Asia Foundation are pleased to present this sixth volume in the Subnational Governance in Myanmar Discussion Paper Series..."
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2014-10-00
Date of entry/update:
2015-01-05
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
Burmese/ မြန်မာဘာသာ (Metadata: English)
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.24 MB
Local URL:
more
Description:
"...The General Administration Department (GAD) of the Ministry of Home Affairs is critically important to
subnational governance in Myanmar. The GAD acts as the civil service for the new state and region
governments and provides the administration for the country?s districts and townships. Given its
pervasive importance as the bureaucratic backbone of the country and its impact on the lives of citizens,
it is also surprising that there is little information on how the GAD is organized, its roles and functions,
and how it has evolved over time. A more systematic understanding of the GAD by all stakeholders in
government and civil society as well as development partners is essential to effectively advance reforms,
particularly as they relate to administrative decentralization, local governance, social service provision,
but also the relationship between the state and citizens.
To address this significant information gap, this research report provides an extensive overview to the
GAD based on literature review and a series of in-depth interviews. The report first outlines the historic
evolution of ?general administration” in Myanmar, followed by a detailed mapping of the roles, structures
and functions of the GAD at the Union level. The paper then methodically defines the roles, structures
and functions of the GAD at the state and region, district, township and ward and village tract levels of
government, and the extent to which they have been redefined in recent years as the country embarked
on political and administrative reforms..."
Kyi Pyar Chit Saw, Matthew Arnold
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2014-10-00
Date of entry/update:
2015-01-05
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.53 MB
Local URL:
more
Description:
"...The 2008 Myanmar Constitution introduced a degree of fiscal decentralization of budgeting and planning functions from the Union government to states and regions. State and region governments now prepare their own budgets and have some authority to collect revenues locally. The total budgets of states and regions has risen accordingly, from less than 4 percent of public spending in the 2013-2014 financial year to nearly 12 percent in 2014-15.
While states and regions have full statutory authority to determine budgeting priorities, spending discretion is limited in practice by the Union-level Financial Commission, which ultimately decides how much budget support each state and region will receive from the Union fund through a process that is neither transparent nor based on objective criteria. The overall process of policy-setting, levying, and collecting of revenues is not yet well developed and leaves considerable room for improvement. States and regions may also request additional monies through supplementary budget allocations, a practice which
impedes sound budget planning. The benefit of participatory mechanisms on the planning and budgeting process remains limited..."
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2014-11-00
Date of entry/update:
2015-01-05
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
973.63 KB
Local URL:
more
Description:
With development aid commitments on the rise, Myanmar has the potential to greatly strengthen the delivery of health, education, and other social services. However, while it is established practice for aid agencies to back state-led development strategies, this presents complications in some of Myanmar?s conflict affected areas where ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) and associated networks have been the primary social service providers for decades. This study explores the significance of collaboration between the state and EAOs to peacebuilding and provides broad guidance on how international aid agencies can effectively direct social service spending to help build trust and support the peace process, and avoid further exacerbating conflicts.
Kim Jolliffe
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2014-09-02
Date of entry/update:
2014-10-12
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
Burmese/ မြန်မာဘာသာ
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.25 MB
more
Description:
With development aid commitments on the rise, Myanmar has the potential to greatly strengthen the delivery of health, education, and other social services. However, while it is established practice for aid agencies to back state-led development strategies, this presents complications in some of Myanmar?s conflict affected areas where ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) and associated networks have been the primary social service providers for decades. This study explores the significance of collaboration between the state and EAOs to peacebuilding and provides broad guidance on how international aid agencies can effectively direct social service spending to help build trust and support the peace process, and avoid further exacerbating conflicts.
Kim Jolliffe
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2014-06-17
Date of entry/update:
2014-10-12
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
3.14 MB
more
Description:
မြန်မာနှိုင်ငံရ ှိ
ပြည်နယ်န င့်တှိုင်းဒေသကြ းမ ား၏
ဖ ံ့ဖြှိ းတှိုးတက်မှုကှို
အထောက်အကူပေးခြင်း
နှို
င်ငံတော်
န င့်
က
ဏ္ဍ
ဆှိုင်ရာ
မူဝါဒ
တှို့န
င့်
ဒေသန
ရလှို
အင်မ ားအား
ခ ှိန်ညှိ ြ
ခင်း
က ှိ း
စိုကဲအင်နားဒ
....Abstract: "This paper aims to extract lessons from development partners? engagement in Myanmar to offer suggestions for improved subnational governance and balanced regional development. The analysis in this paper is based on literature that describes and evaluates past and on - going regional development interventions in Myanmar by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). These interventions were all in fields of critical importance to Myanmar?s sustainable growth — agriculture and rural development, health, and infrastructure. The lessons summarized in this paper imply that decentralization needs to be carefully designed to strike the right balance between local preferences and national/sector policy for regional development. These lessons suggest th ree tasks that could be the key to finding the appropriate formula for balanced regional development: 1) developing a mechanism for integrating ?top - down? and ?bottom - up? priorities, 2) deepening the process of centralizing information in order to continuo usly adjust strategic plans to match the needs evolving on the ground, and 3) making the best use of existing institutions at all levels of the government."
Kyosuke Inada
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2014-09-16
Date of entry/update:
2014-10-02
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
Burmese/ မြန်မာဘာသာ
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.41 MB
more
Description:
Abstract:
"This paper aims to extract lessons from development partners? engagement in Myanmar to offer suggestions
for improved subnational governance and balanced regional development. The analysis in this paper is based
on literature that describes and
evaluates past and on
-
going regional development interventions in Myanmar
by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). These interventions were all in fields of critical
importance to Myanmar?s sustainable growth
—
agriculture and rural development,
health, and infrastructure.
The lessons summarized in this paper imply that decentralization needs to be carefully designed to strike the
right balance between local preferences and national/sector policy for regional development. These lessons
suggest th
ree tasks that could be the key to finding the appropriate formula for balanced regional
development: 1) developing a mechanism for integrating ?top
-
down? and ?bottom
-
up? priorities, 2) deepening
the process of centralizing information in order to continuo
usly adjust strategic plans to match the needs
evolving on the ground, and 3) making the best use of existing institutions at all levels of the government."
Kyosuke Inada
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2014-08-00
Date of entry/update:
2014-10-02
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
2.09 MB
more
Description:
"The peace process in Myanmar remains the best opportunity in many decades to address the political, social and economic issues that have long driven armed conflict. Although negotiations between the government and ethnic armed groups have struggled to reach agreement on a number of key issues, there is still the prospect of negotiating a nationwide ceasefire accord in the next few months. Already, significant progress has been made both on the substance of negotiations and in bringing key actors to the table. However, continued military clashes in northern Myanmar have damaged confidence in the peace process, while progress in the talks has been slow due to different conceptions regarding the structure and legitimacy of the state, and of its challengers..."
Ashley South
Source/publisher:
"Myanmar Times" 23 June 2014
Date of publication:
2014-06-23
Date of entry/update:
2014-07-06
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Peace processes, ceasefires and ceasefire talks (websites, documents, reports and studies)
Language:
Burmese/ မြန်မာဘာသာ
Format :
pdf
Size:
78.63 KB
more
Description:
"THE peace process in Myanmar remains the best opportunity in many decades to address the political,
social and economic issues that have long driven armed conflict. Although negotiations between the
government and ethnic armed groups have struggled to reach agreement on a number of key issues,
there is still the prospect of negotiating a nationwide ceasefire accord in the next few months.
Already, significant progress has been made both on the substance of negotiations and in bringing key
actors to the table. However, continued military clashes in northern Myanmar have damaged
confidence in the peace process, while progress in the talks has been slow due to different conceptions
regarding the structure and legitimacy of the state, and of its challengers..."
Ashley South
Source/publisher:
"Myanmar Times" 23 June 2014
Date of publication:
2014-06-23
Date of entry/update:
2014-07-06
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Peace processes, ceasefires and ceasefire talks (websites, documents, reports and studies)
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
58.77 KB
more
Description:
"...Subnational governance institutions and central-local relations are critical to the future of Myanmar, and they are undergoing significant change. This report aims to inform policy-makers, political actors, donors, and other stakeholders about the new state and region structures created under the 2008 Constitution, and their relationship with broader governance, peace and decentralization processes."
Hamish Nixon, Cindy Joelene, Kyi Pyar Chit Saw, Thet Aung Lynn, Matthew Arnold
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation, MDRI-CESD
Date of publication:
2013-12-16
Date of entry/update:
2014-07-05
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Region and State Government - analysis, Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar
Language:
Burmese/ မြန်မာဘာသာ
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.6 MB
more
Description:
"...Economic growth inMyanmar has been strong over the past few years, with the International Monetary Fund predicting a 7.5% growth rate for 2014. Creating a conducive business environment for increased foreign direct investment as well as a vibrant domestic private sector is a key element in generating strong and sustainable economic growth. At the local level, the important role of small- and medium-sized businesses, which constitute the vast majority of businesses in the country, to provide employment and services to communities, to generate much needed revenues for local governments to finance social services and development initiatives, and to participate effectively in the emerging production chains as part of Myanmar?s regional and global integration must be highlighted. Encouraging these local agents of growth is dependent on both furthering national reforms but also on strengthening the support of local governments at the state and region levels and below. The research presented in this discussion paper by Jared Bissinger and Linn Maung Maung analyzes the role that local government institutions play in economic governance and how this affects small- and medium-sized businesses. Intended to reach a general readership, the paper provides the relevant history, policy structures and overarching reform context. Moreover, using data collected through field work carried out in Mon State and Sagaing Region, the authors illustrate and analyze local economic governance trends and the subsequent business environment for small- and medium-sized businesses. The paper concludes with key policy considerations by the authors..."
Jared Bissinger, Linn Maung Maung
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation, MDRI-CESD
Date of publication:
2014-04-10
Date of entry/update:
2014-07-05
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
Burmese/ မြန်မာဘာသာ
Format :
pdf
Size:
813.77 KB
more
Description:
"...Economic growth inMyanmar has been strong over the past few years, with the International
Monetary Fund predicting a 7.5% growth rate for 2014. Creating a conducive business
environment for increased foreign direct investment as well as a vibrant domestic private
sector is a key element in generating strong and sustainable economic growth. At the local
level, the important role of small- and medium-sized businesses, which constitute the vast
majority of businesses in the country, to provide employment and services to communities,
to generate much needed revenues for local governments to finance social services and
development initiatives, and to participate effectively in the emerging production chains as
part of Myanmar?s regional and global integration must be highlighted. Encouraging these
local agents of growth is dependent on both furthering national reforms but also on
strengthening the support of local governments at the state and region levels and below.
The research presented in this discussion paper by Jared Bissinger and Linn Maung Maung
analyzes the role that local government institutions play in economic governance and how
this affects small- and medium-sized businesses. Intended to reach a general readership, the
paper provides the relevant history, policy structures and overarching reform context.
Moreover, using data collected through field work carried out in Mon State and Sagaing
Region, the authors illustrate and analyze local economic governance trends and the
subsequent business environment for small- and medium-sized businesses. The paper
concludes with key policy considerations by the authors..."
Jared Bissinger, Linn Maung Maung
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation, MDRI-CESD
Date of publication:
2014-02-00
Date of entry/update:
2014-07-05
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
601.95 KB
more
Description:
"...Fiscal decentralization forms the backbone of Myanmar?s efforts to strengthen public
services, encourage development across the country, and secure peace and stability.
The country has made important first steps in the decentralization process, but as yet
these do not form a consistent framework for distributing budgetary resources. This
discussion paper by Hamish Nixon and Cindy Joelene intends to inform the wider
discussion about how best to proceed with fiscal decentralization in Myanmar. Its goal
is to inform policy makers, civil society, political parties, and international
development partners of principles and processes to guide fiscal decentralization
policy. The paper presents ideas for a fiscal decentralization roadmap that are
grounded in the country?s context, and that build on existing structures and reforms
while leaving space for the longer‐term evolution of the decentralization process..."
Hamish Nixon, Cindy Joelene
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation, MDRI-CESD
Date of publication:
2014-07-01
Date of entry/update:
2014-07-04
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.06 MB
more
Description:
"The Myanmar Development Resource Institute?s Centre for Economic and Social Development (MDRI-CESD) and The Asia Foundation are pleased to present this fourth volume in the Subnational Governance in Myanmar Discussion Paper Series.
Myanmar?s government has announced a commitment to both greater transparency in natural resource sectors and to further fiscal decentralization. There has also been increasing discussion of sharing natural resource revenues in the contexts of economic restructuring, constitutional reform, and the peace process. However, there is not yet consensus on what is to be shared, between which entities, how, or why.
This discussion paper is intended to provide an overview of the current unknown and known elements of the resource governance system in Myanmar in order to inform future analysis of the potential risks and benefits of changes to the role of subnational governments."
Thet Aung Lynn, Mari Oye
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation, MDRI-CESD
Date of publication:
2014-06-16
Date of entry/update:
2014-07-04
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Armed conflict, adminstration, development and investment, Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Natural Resource Use, Burma/Myanmar - reports, articles etc.
Language:
Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.42 MB
more
Description:
"This discussion paper examines decentralization within the formal education system in Myanmar in Yangon Region and Mon State. The aspects of decentralization considered include arrangements between the central government and the states for the management of education, including budgets, human resources, curriculum, policy frameworks, and overall decision-making authority..."
Brooke Zobrist, Patrick McCormick
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation, MDRI-CESD
Date of publication:
2013-12-00
Date of entry/update:
2014-07-04
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
Burmese/ မြန်မာဘာသာ
Format :
pdf
Size:
613.63 KB
more
Description:
"This discussion paper examines decentralization within the formal education system in Myanmar in Yangon Region and Mon State. The aspects of decentralization considered include arrangements between the central government and the states for the management of education, including budgets, human resources, curriculum, policy frameworks, and overall decision-making authority..."
Brooke Zobrist, Patrick McCormick
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation, MDRI-CESD ( No. 1)Discussion Papaer
Date of publication:
2013-12-00
Date of entry/update:
2014-07-04
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
619.39 KB
more
Description:
"...Women?s participation in the political life of Myanmar is gaining attention from policy makers and researchers but systematic data remains lacking. Analytical work done in other parts the world has shown that increased women?s participation in political, social and economic life of a country can lead to significant improvements in equity and effectiveness of policies to the benefits of all stakeholders. As greater authority is being transferred to subnational governments in Myanmar leading to an expansion of roles of local authorities and decisionmaking, understanding the nature of women?s participation in subnational governance institutions and processes is essential. This paper outlines women?s participation in the various forms of subnational governance in Myanmar, discuss why women?s participation matters, and identifies the barriers and enabling factors to their participation. The findings are intended to inform discussion on this issue among the government, civil society, political parties, and development partners. The paper also highlights avenues for future research..."
Paul Minoletti
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation, MDRI-CESD
Date of publication:
2014-06-16
Date of entry/update:
2014-07-04
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
Burmese/ မြန်မာဘာသာ
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.07 MB
Local URL:
more
Description:
"...Women?s participation in the political life of Myanmar is gaining attention from policy makers
and researchers but systematic data remains lacking. Analytical work done in other parts the
world has shown that increased women?s participation in political, social and economic life of
a country can lead to significant improvements in equity and effectiveness of policies to the
benefits of all stakeholders. As greater authority is being transferred to subnational
governments in Myanmar leading to an expansion of roles of local authorities and decisionmaking,
understanding the nature of women?s participation in subnational governance
institutions and processes is essential.
This paper outlines women?s participation in the various forms of subnational governance in
Myanmar, discuss why women?s participation matters, and identifies the barriers and
enabling factors to their participation. The findings are intended to inform discussion on this
issue among the government, civil society, political parties, and development partners. The
paper also highlights avenues for future research..."
Paul Minoletti
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation, MDRI-CESD
Date of publication:
2014-06-16
Date of entry/update:
2014-07-04
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
744.88 KB
more
Description:
"...The research presented in this discussion paper
by Thet Aung Lynn and Mari Oye provides an
overview of the current role of subnational government in natural resource management and
revenue collection in Myanmar. Natural resources provide a large share of government revenue, and
there is potential for growth in these sectors in coming years. The government under President
Thein Sein has made reform of
the
natural resource management system a
priority, and the topic
remains the subject of great interest among the wider public and civil society.
In addition, natural
resource management and revenue collection has long been a contentious issue in the country?s
numerous ethnic conflicts and will need to be fully considered in the political dialogue.
As discussion
of potential future reforms takes place, an overview of the current laws, systems, and practices
surrounding these areas is intended to lay the groundwork for future research and inform policy
debate..."
Thet Aung Lynn, Mari Oye
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2014-06-16
Date of entry/update:
2014-07-03
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Armed conflict, adminstration, development and investment, Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar, Natural Resource Use, Burma/Myanmar - reports, articles etc.
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.22 MB
more
Description:
Executive Summary: "Subnational governance institutions and central-local relations are critical to the
future of Myanmar, and they are undergoing significant change. This report aims to
inform policy-makers, political actors, donors, and other stakeholders about the new
state and region structures created under the 2008 Constitution, and their
relationship with broader governance, peace and decentralization processes.1 These
new subnational governments have started to open political space, but they face
significant limitations. While the presence of partially-elected bodies at this level is a
major reform, they face capacity constraints. The executive at state and region level
is still dominated by a top-down appointment process, and ministers have little
control over the administrative apparatus, limiting the effectiveness of the new
governments. State and region budgets are as yet small, and prepared in a way that
reinforces central influence. Further reforms are needed to align the new political
structures with administrative and fiscal arrangements, broaden the scope of
decentralization to more significant areas, and link it with wider democratization,
peace and public administration reform processes...The
study
aims
to
answer
three
broad
questions:
* What
is
the
constitutional,
legal
and
institutional
framework
for
state
and
region
government,
and
what
is
the
policy
direction
of
decentralization
reform?
* What
are
the
outcomes
of
these
reforms
in
the
states
and
regions,
and
how
do
they
vary?
* What
challenges,
opportunities
and
ways
forward
are
there
to
improve
subnational
statebuilding,
service
delivery
and
conflict
management?".....Table of Contents:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...
A NOTE ON NAMES...
GLOSSARY...
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...
ONE: INTRODUCTION:
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES;
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK;
RESEARCH METHODS...
TWO: THE STATE AND REGION GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK:
MYANMAR?S SUBNATIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE;
STRUCTURE OF STATE AND REGION GOVERNMENTS UNDER THE 2008 CONSTITUTION;
INTERPRETING STATE AND REGION GOVERNMENT STRUCTURES;
THE SUBNATIONAL GOVERNANCE REFORM ENVIRONMENT ...
THREE: THE ADMINISTRATIVE DIMENSION:
STATE/REGION DEPARTMENTS ;
UNION MINISTRY OFFICES AT STATE AND REGION LEVEL ;
MYANMAR?S ADMINISTRATIVE BACKBONE: THE GENERAL ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT...
FOUR: THE FISCAL DIMENSION:
STATE AND REGION BUDGETING;
POVERTY REDUCTION FUND;
STATE AND REGION REVENUES;
ASSESSING FISCAL DECENTRALIZATION...
FIVE: THE POLITICAL DIMENSION:
CHIEFMINISTERS;
STATE AND REGION CABINET MINISTERS;
STATE AND REGION HLUTTAWS;
PUBLIC OUTREACH BY STATE/REGION GOVERNMENTS AND HLUTTAWS;
POLITICAL PARTIES AT REGION AND STATE LEVEL...
SIX: CONCLUSIONS AND THE ROAD AHEAD:
ASSESSING DECENTRALIZATION TOMYANMAR?S STATES AND REGIONS TO DATE;
DECENTRALIZATION AND THE PEACE PROCESS;
DECENTRALIZATION AND DEMOCRACY;
TOWARDS A STATE AND REGION GOVERNANCE REFORM ROADMAP?;
NAVIGATING THE POLITICS OF REFORM...
ANNEX I: REGION OR STATE LEGISLATIVE LIST (SCHEDULE TWO)...
ANNEX II: STATE AND REGION LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY...
ANNEX III: TAXES COLLECTED BY REGION OR STATES (SCHEDULE FIVE).
Hamish Nixon, Cindy Joelene, Kyi Pyar Chit Saw, Thet Aung Lynn, Matthew Arnold
Source/publisher:
The Asia Foundation, Centre for Economic and Social Development of the Myanmar Development Resource Institute (MDRI-CESD)
Date of publication:
2013-09-09
Date of entry/update:
2013-09-16
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Region and State Government - analysis, Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.9 MB
more
Description:
Abstract: "Since the beginning, in 1961 at the Taungyi Conference, the ?Federal Movement?, which would eventually result in a military coup in 1962, the ethnic nationalities in Burma have all been consistently demanding the rebuilding of the Union of Burma based on the spirit of Panglong and the principles of democracy, political equality and internal self-determination. They have further argued that the constitution of the Union should be formed in accordance with the principles of federalism and democratic decentralization, which would guarantee the democratic rights of citizens of Burma including the principles contained in the United Nation?s declaration of universal human rights. On the formation of a genuine Federal Union, ethnic nationalities demand that all member states of the Union have their separate constitutions, their own organs of state, that is, State Legislative Assembly, State Government and State Supreme Court. In their proposal, the ethnic nationalities demanded that the Union Assembly should be a bicameral legislature consisting of a Chamber of Nationalities (Upper House) and a Chamber of Deputies (Lower House), and each member state of the Union should send an equal number of representatives to the Upper House regardless of its population or size. They also demand that the Union of Burma be composed of National States; and all National States of the Union be constituted in terms of ethnicity or historic ethnic homelands, rather than geographical areas. Moreover, the residual powers, that is, all powers, except those given by member states to the federal center, or the Union, must be vested in the Legislative Assembly of the National State. In this way, the Union Constitution automatically allocates political authority of legislative, judicial, and administrative powers to the Ethnic National States. Thus, all member states of the Union would be able to exercise the right of self-determination freely through the right of self-government within their respective National States. When the military regime, which traditionally was the strongest opponent of the ethnic nationalities? demands, adopted a new constitution in 2008 it contained certain Author I Lian H. Sakhong elements of federalism. These included a bicameral legislature consisting of a Amyotha Hlutdaw and a Pyituh Hlutdaw, equal representation from each state at a Chamber of Nationalities, and all member states of the Union having their own separate State Assemblies and State governments. This paper will address to what extent the 2008 Constitution satisfies the aspirations of various the Ethnic Nationalities in Burma. I shall, however, limit myself in this paper within the constitutional framework of the ?form of state? - that is, how the Union is structured and how much power and status is given to member states of the Union."
Source/publisher:
Burma Centre for Ethnic Studies (Analysis Paper No. 5)
Date of publication:
2012-10-00
Date of entry/update:
2012-10-23
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Centre for Development and Ethnic Studies (CDES), Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar
Language:
Burmese/ မြန်မာဘာသာ
Format :
pdf
Size:
197.09 KB
Local URL:
more
Description:
Abstract:
"Since the beginning, in 1961 at the Taungyi Conference, the ?Federal Movement?, which would eventually result in a military coup in 1962, the ethnic nationalities in Burma have all been consistently demanding the rebuilding of the Union of Burma based on the spirit of Panglong and the principles of democracy, political equality and internal self-determination. They have further argued that the constitution of the Union should be formed in accordance with the principles of federalism and democratic decentralization, which would guarantee the democratic rights of citizens of Burma including the principles contained in the United Nation?s declaration of universal human rights. On the formation of a genuine Federal Union, ethnic nationalities demand that all member states of the Union have their separate constitutions, their own organs of state, that is, State Legislative Assembly, State Government and State Supreme Court.
In their proposal, the ethnic nationalities demanded that the Union Assembly should be a bicameral legislature consisting of a Chamber of Nationalities (Upper House) and a Chamber of Deputies (Lower House), and each member state of the Union should send an equal number of representatives to the Upper House regardless of its population or size. They also demand that the Union of Burma be composed of National States; and all National States of the Union be constituted in terms of ethnicity or historic ethnic homelands, rather than geographical areas. Moreover, the residual powers, that is, all powers, except those given by member states to the federal center, or the Union, must be vested in the Legislative Assembly of the National State. In this way, the Union Constitution automatically allocates political authority of legislative, judicial, and administrative powers to the Ethnic National States. Thus, all member states of the Union would be able to exercise the right of self-determination freely through the right of self-government within their respective National States.
When the military regime, which traditionally was the strongest opponent of the ethnic nationalities? demands, adopted a new constitution in 2008 it contained certain
Author I Lian H. Sakhong
elements of federalism. These included a bicameral legislature consisting of a Amyotha Hlutdaw and a Pyituh Hlutdaw, equal representation from each state at a Chamber of Nationalities, and all member states of the Union having their own separate State Assemblies and State governments.
This paper will address to what extent the 2008 Constitution satisfies the aspirations of various the Ethnic Nationalities in Burma. I shall, however, limit myself in this paper within the constitutional framework of the ?form of state? - that is, how the Union is structured and how much power and status is given to member states of the Union."
Source/publisher:
Burma Centre for Ethnic Studies (Analysis Paper No. 5)
Date of publication:
2012-10-00
Date of entry/update:
2012-10-22
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Centre for Development and Ethnic Studies (CDES), Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
196.29 KB
Local URL:
more
Description:
"... The fact that many pro-democracy leaders in Burma now recognize the importance of ethnic issues
and have developed working relationships with ethnic leaders offers hope that ethnic political
demands will ultimately be resolved at the negotiating table. However, such a resolution is unlikely
to be implemented by the military regime, which rejects decentralization and power-sharing. The
ongoing civil war, population relocations, and religious persecution, compounded by appeals to
narrow nationalism on all sides, have caused much damage. Without visionary leadership, a
commitment to dialogue, and the emergence of a culture of tolerance, lasting peace will continue to
elude Burma..."
Christina Fink
Source/publisher:
"Cultural Survival Quarterly" Issue 24.3
Date of publication:
2000-10-31
Date of entry/update:
2010-12-14
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Political analysis of Burma and the region, Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar
Language:
English
more
Description:
Official English translation
Source/publisher:
SPDC via Network Myanmar
Date of publication:
2010-03-08
Date of entry/update:
2010-04-12
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
7-Step Roadmap (Step 5): Holding of free and fair elections for Pyithu Hluttaws (Legislative bodies) according to the new constitution (texts), Laws, decrees and regulations relating to the 2010 Elections (texts), Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar
Language:
English
more
Description:
No English translation available yet
Source/publisher:
SPDC via Network Myanmar
Date of publication:
2010-03-17
Date of entry/update:
2010-03-23
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
7-Step Roadmap (Step 5): Holding of free and fair elections for Pyithu Hluttaws (Legislative bodies) according to the new constitution (texts), Laws, decrees and regulations relating to the 2010 Elections (texts), Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar
Language:
Burmese (ျမန္မာဘာသာ)
more
Source/publisher:
SPDC via Network Myanmar
Date of publication:
2010-03-08
Date of entry/update:
2010-03-13
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
7-Step Roadmap (Step 5): Holding of free and fair elections for Pyithu Hluttaws (Legislative bodies) according to the new constitution (texts), Laws, decrees and regulations relating to the 2010 Elections (texts), Decentralisation (Decentralization) in Burma/Myanmar
Language:
Burmese (ျမန္မာဘာသာ)
more