Librarian's Choice

အဓိကအကြောင်းအရာ

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Title: A Study of the Role of Forest and Forest-Dependent Community in Myanmar
Description/subject: "... This study was intended to find out the benefits of forests, especially for non-wood forest products (NWFPs), to forestdependent local people and the relation to their socio-economic status. Sampling (169 respondents) was chosen to be an equal distribution of household?s economic status. The survey was conducted face to face with structural interviews using both open-and closed-ended questions. The results showed that bamboo and bamboo shoot were considered as the most collected NWFPs in the Bago Yoma region. The average consumptions of NWFPs were 302.50  90.12 viss to 501.27  120.65 viss. Furthermore, the research revealed that the collection of NWFPs showed negative correlation with income availability and livestock possession. The study aims to help provide the necessary information for sustainable forest management..."
Inkyin Khaine, Su Young Woo, Hoduck Kang
Source/publisher: Forest Science and Technology
Date of publication: 2014-04-07
Date of entry/update: 2016-04-16
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 168.64 KB
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Title: A Brief Review of Forest Restoration Programmes in Myanmar
Description/subject: "... Evolution of the Myanmar strategy of forest restoration is reviewed and five types of forest plantations, with different sets of objectives, under different ecological conditions are described. Socio-economic and environmental issues of reforestation through plantation forestry are discussed and technical aspects of site selection, species choice, nursery practice, planting methods and follow-up silvicultural treatments are briefly presented. Use of well-adapted genetic resources; correct site/species matching, good silviculture and sustained protection at all stages from seed collection to harvesting is stressed. Priority areas of further research needs are also indicated..."
Sein Maung Wint
Source/publisher: Forest Resource Environment Development and Conservation Association (FREDA)
Date of publication: 1992-11-30
Date of entry/update: 2016-04-16
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 51.54 KB
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Title: Tin Mining in Myanmar: Production and Potential
Description/subject: "... In 2014, Myanmar(Burma)confounded industry analysts by emerging to become the World?s third biggest tin producer, experiencing a 5-year tin production increase of ca.4900%. This surprise emergence of Myanmar as a major tin producer is a possible Black Swan event that potentially has significant re-percussions both for the future of global tin production, and for the economic development of Myanmar. This is a disruptive event that has likely contributed to a substantial drop in tin prices in 2015. The Myanmar production increase came from a new minesite in Wa State, and not from the traditional tin-producing areas in the South. We discuss tin mining and potential in Myanmar and consider whether it could provide a foundation for the economic rehabilitation of the country..."
Nicholas J. Gardiner, JohnP.Sykes, AllanTrench, LaurenceJ.Robb
Source/publisher: Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford
Date of publication: 2015-10-05
Date of entry/update: 2016-04-15
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 1.95 MB
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Title: People?s War on Drugs in Kachin State: Indication of Failed Policies (English, Burmese မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Description/subject: "Communities in the Kachin State have launched a ?people?s war on drugs?. Known as Pat Jasan (?Prohibit Clear?), a new organisation was formed two years ago to combat the worsening drug problem among the local population. The self-appointed committee decided to take law enforcement into their own hands as they feel the government is not doing enough to stop the flow of harmful drugs into their communities. The Pat Jasan vigilantes, often dressed in military-style uniforms and armed with stick and batons, have arrested and beaten drug users and put them into forced treatment camps, and they have sent teams into opium-growing areas to eradicate poppy fields. The Pat Jasan has been praised by some Kachin activists for finally addressing drug problems, but criticized by others for violating human rights and not providing any services to marginalized communities, including drug users and poppy farmers. Most recently, their poppy eradication efforts led to open conflict with opium farmers and local militia groups. The creation of Pat Jasan and its war on drugs have brought to light a number of key drug-related problems facing not only the Kachin State but also the rest of the country..."
Source/publisher: Transnational Institute (TNI)
Date of publication: 2016-03-16
Date of entry/update: 2016-04-15
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Local URL:
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Title: Gendered Aspects of Land Rights in Myanmar
Description/subject: "... Namati offers this brief in the hope that Myanmar?s national reforms and the implementation of the country?s new National Land Use Policy can grow from the lived experience of ordinary Myanmar citizens. Namati and our partners assist farmers in Myanmar to claim their land rights through a community paralegal approach. Community paralegals are trained in relevant laws, community education, negotiation, and mediation skills to work with farmers to resolve a variety of land rights issues. Dozens of data points are documented as part of each case resolution process that illustrate how the legal framework functions in practice. It is this casework data that underpins this policy brief. Focus groups and interviews with paralegals and clients further provide qualitative context and insights. Namati recommends actions the Myanmar government can take as part of implementing its new National Land Use Policy to help increase women?s engagement in land use management and access to tenure rights. This briefing also provides recommendations for civil society organizations interested in the community paralegal model, and, in particular, in increasing the number of women paralegals in the country as a means of women?s empowerment..."
Source/publisher: NAMATI
Date of publication: 2016-03-31
Date of entry/update: 2016-04-12
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 481.24 KB
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Title: Agrarian Transitions in Two Agroecosystems of Kayah State, Myanmar
Description/subject: "... Located on Myanmar?s eastern border with Thailand, Kayah State has long been isolated because of conflicts between the minority groups there and the Burmese army; as a result, little is known about its agricultural systems. As a preliminary to NGO agricultural development projects, an agrarian diagnosis of two major types of agroecosystems in the state—lowlands alluvial plains and uplands—was conducted. The objective was to identify recent agrarian changes leading to the current presence of different types of farmers in each area and understand their development potential. Both agroecosystems have followed very different evolutionary trajectories, mainly because of politico-historical factors. In the lowlands, farmers with irrigated plots are administratively obliged to grow irrigated rice, while others who are forced to grow flooded rice but unable to irrigate can diversify into vegetable growing. In the uplands, communications infrastructures allowing access to the market are a source of differentiation between villages. Farmers who have this access are growing cash crops such as maize and pigeon peas, while those who do not have access continue with upland rice-based systems. The introduction of perennial crops such as rubber, non-perishable food production in the uplands, and horticultural diversification in the lowlands are waiting for future policies at the national level..."
Audrey Aldebert & Gauvain Meulle
Source/publisher: Mercy Corps
Date of publication: 2013-10-31
Date of entry/update: 2016-04-12
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 1.29 MB
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Title: Myanmar Bio-Physical Characterization: Summary Findings and Issues to Explore
Description/subject: This report provides a summary of key findings from research on food security and the agriculture sector in Myanmar. The focus is on material relevant for a bio-physical characterization of the country. As such, there is little emphasis on material primarily addressing socioeconomic, policy, or institutional aspects of agriculture and food security. This study is based solely on desk research, and it does not involve a field research component. The report is organized by topic, with each section including a bulleted list of significant summary points followed by a brief list of critical gaps or issues to explore during the field mission to Myanmar in November 2012.
Kye Baroang
Source/publisher: Center on Globalization and Sustainable Development, Earth Institute at Columbia University
Date of publication: 2013-04-30
Date of entry/update: 2016-04-12
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 1.84 MB
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Title: United Nations Population Fund - Myanmar (Publications pages)
Description/subject: Numerous publications on the 2014 census, Myanmar?s population etc.
Source/publisher: United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Date of entry/update: 2016-04-11
Type: Websites/Multiple Documents
Category: 2014 census
Language: English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Local URL:
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Title: CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS (2005-2015)
Description/subject: A chronology of events by year from 2005-2015 summarising: AID... CHILDREN... DEMOCRACY... DISPLACEMENT... DRUGS... ECONOMY... ENVIRONMENT... ETHNIC ISSUES... HEALTH... HUMAN RIGHTS... INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS... LANDMINES, BOMBS... REGIME... WOMEN
Source/publisher: ALTSEAN-Burma
Date of entry/update: 2016-04-11
Type: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
Local URL:
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Title: Rice Productivity Improvement in Myanmar
Description/subject: "... Rice productivity in Myanmar has stagnated in comparison with other rice producers in the region. Once the world’s largest rice exporter, Myanmar is now a relatively minor player exporting an average 631,000 MT annually over th past 4 years. However, the nation’s export potential remains high because of abundant land and water resources, recent indications of progressive policy reforms, increased agricultural investment, and constructive international engagement. Growing global demand for rice, increasing public and private investment in infrastructure, and the potential for significant yield increases, all point to a strong return on investments to improve rice productivity in the country..."
Glenn Denning, Kye Baroang, Tun Min Sandar, other MDRI, MSU colleagues
Source/publisher: Myanmar Development Resource Institute - Centre for Economic and Social Development (MDRI-CESD)
Date of publication: 2013-02-28
Date of entry/update: 2016-04-11
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 710.94 KB
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Title: Food and Nutrition Security in Myanmar
Description/subject: "... This background paper was commissioned by USAID as part of a Strategic Agricultural Sector and Food Security Diagnostic for Myanmar, led by Michigan State University and in partnership with the Myanmar Development Resource Institute ‐ Centre for Economic and Social Development (MDRI‐CESD). The broad objectives of the Diagnostic are to improve USAID?s understanding of the major constraints to agricultural sector performance and to food security of vulnerable households in Myanmar, and to outline core strategies USAID should consider as it designs policies and programs to stimulate broadbased agricultural growth and enhance food security. In support of these aims, this background paper synthesizes the best available data and information on poverty, nutrition, and vulnerability to food insecurity in Myanmar to identify key vulnerable populations, and outlines a set of strategic options to improve the food security of the most vulnerable households. This synthesis is based on a rapid assessment conducted during a three‐week field visit (October 28 to November 17, 2012), and pre‐ and post‐field visit desk research. The research draws from three broad types of information: 1) national surveys on poverty, malnutrition, and health outcomes; 2) food security assessments conducted by UN agencies, donors, and Non‐governmental Organizations (NGOs) in select geographic areas; 3) and semi‐structured qualitative interviews with key stakeholders across seven of the 14 states/regions in Myanmar?s Delta, Dry Zone, and hilly regions that the team accessed during the field visit. Data availability and reliability are major constraints to proper assessment in Myanmar. The Government of Myanmar (GOM) has not conducted a population census since 1983 and this inaction casts doubt on all other survey work since. The world?s longest running civil war and military‐government policies have restricted surveyors? access to many parts of the country; even the two relatively reliable surveys intended to document poverty and nutrition conditions face these limitations. Very few surveys provide sex‐disaggregated data, which limits analysis of gender aspects of poverty and vulnerability. The authors fully recognize this obstacle and yet are in agreement with one long‐time observer of Myanmar; the data may not be rigorous but are ?good enough to program against.” This synthesis therefore intends to provide a broad brush picture of the landscape of poverty, malnutrition, and vulnerability across Myanmar and focuses on providing a typology of vulnerability to inform USAID?s initial dialogue about possible program and policy design to improve household food security..."
Shannon Wilson, Naw Eh Mwee Aye Wai
Source/publisher: Myanmar Development Resource Institute - Centre for Economic and Social Development (MDRI-CESD)
Date of publication: 2013-03-05
Date of entry/update: 2016-04-11
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 1.61 MB
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Title: Current Situation and Future Opportunities in Agricultural Education, Research and Extension in Myanmar
Description/subject: "... Myanmar is an agricultural based country and the agriculture sector is the backbone of its economy. The agriculture sector contributes 34% of GDP, 23% of total export earnings, and employs 63% of the labour force. About 75% of the total population reside in rural areas and are principally employed in the agriculture, livestock and fishery sectors for their livelihood. Rice is the most important dominating crop and is grown in saline area mostly found in lower Myanmar especially in Ayeyarwady, Yangon, Taninthayi Divisions and also in Yakhine and Mon States. Deep-water rice is usually grown in areas of some restricted belts in Ayeyarwady, Bago, Taninthayi Divisions and Rakhine, Mon and Kayin States. Out of the total crop sown area of 10 million hectares, about 13% is under irrigation. The rest of the land has to rely on the rain for crop production. The population will grow to about 60 million by the year 2010 and the demand for local rice consumption alone, will be in the proximate of 20 millions tons. To be able to supply enough food for the increasing population and export the surplus, rice production will have to be increased up to 25 millions tons, by expanding the rice growing area up to 6 millions hectare. This scheme will further be enhanced by the adoption of modern proven technologies and provision of the required inputs in full. The Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation is making all-out efforts for the development of agriculture, taking measures as: efficient utilization of land and water resources; farm mechanization; introduction of new technologies; and supply of farm inputs. Agriculture being the largest economy of the country, the Ministry tries to stimulate public awareness and interest for better participation and investment in the sector. The government of the Union of Myanmar remains committed to the contribution of national as well as world food security. The Agriculture sector in Myanmar occupies a dominant position in the development of the national economy, and has a definite bearing on other socio-economic activities. Because of the high potential of land, water resources, man power resources and other mineral resources, Myanmar has been prominent as an agricultural country for many years and will continue to be so in the future. Given the importance of agriculture in Myanmar, agricultural education, research and extension are important priorities. In the process of developing the agricultural sector, conducting training and offering educational programs of international standard are crucial to the development of human resources..."
Khin Mar Cho
Source/publisher: Myanmar Development Resource Institute - Centre for Economic and Social Development (MDRI-CESD)
Date of publication: 2013-02-28
Date of entry/update: 2016-04-11
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 666.52 KB
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Title: Rapid Value Chain Assessment: Structure and Dynamics of the Rice Value Chain in Myanmar
Description/subject: This Background Paper is an integral part of the Diagnostic Assessment. It involves an assessment of the Myanmar rice value chain within the context of the Myanmar rice industry. Special focus is paid to its structure and performance, dynamics, and future prospects. Also included is a consideration of its weaknesses and constraints that had influenced the development of the industry as well as an evaluation of the prospect of improving the value chain and consequently the industry and suggesting crucial steps that should be taken for the short game and the long game. Basically, the report integrates the findings from intensive literature review and desk research coupled with observations and interviews conducted during field visits in October and November 2012 and supplemented by persona communication with key players in the public and private sectors as well as civil society at various levels of the rice value chain.
Larry C.Y. Wong, Eh Mywe Aye Wai
Source/publisher: Myanmar Development Resource Institute - Centre for Economic and Social Development (MDRI-CESD)
Date of publication: 2013-02-28
Date of entry/update: 2016-04-11
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 1.74 MB
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Title: 2014 Myanmar Population and Housing Census - Occupation and Industry report (English)
Description/subject: "The 2014 Myanmar Population and Housing Census was conducted in March 2014 by the Ministry of Immigration and Population (MOIP). It was supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and development partners, namely Australia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. This is the first census in over three decades; the last censuses being in 1983 and 1973. This census was undertaken within the provisions of the Population and Housing Census Law enacted in July 2013. Its results are vital to the planning and development of Myanmar. The results will inform on-going reforms, policy making and planning for development at all levels. The results of the 2014 Census have been published so far in three volumes. The first was the Preliminary Results (Census Volume 1), which was released in August 2014. The Census Main Results were launched in May 2015 by H.E. U Thein Sein, the President of the Union of the Republic of Myanmar. These included The Union Report (Census Report Volume 2), Highlights of the Main Results (Census Report Volume 2-A), and the reports of each of the 15 States and Regions (Census Report Volume 3-(1 to 15)). Dissemination of census data is now taking place across the whole country, so that existing and potential users understand how to interpret, use and apply the data in prioritizing needs for planning and services improvement at all administrative levels. These events have involved participation from government, parliamentarians, civil society organizations, political parties, media and leaders of religious, ethnic and communities, among others. The report on Occupation and Industry is now being released as part of the Main Results (Census Report Volume 2-B). In the case of this report, coding of open-ended responses on questions related to occupation and industry was still underway at the time when the main results were published. The Government of Myanmar extends its sincere gratitude and thanks to development partners for providing technical, financial and administrative support throughout the census process. Thanks also go to the MOIP Permanent Secretary and his team, who have authored this report. Last but not least, the people of Myanmar deserve special praise for their participation in the census. It is their answers that form the basis for the data in these reports. The Government as a whole hope that the data contained in the census reports will contribute to improving the welfare of all people in Myanmar...."
Source/publisher: Ministry of Immigration and Population
Date of publication: 2016-02-29
Date of entry/update: 2016-04-08
Type: Individual Documents
Category: 2014 census
Language: pdf (5.4MB)
Format : pdf
Size: 5.4 MB
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Title: Ongoing Underage Recruitment and Use by the Myanmar Military and Non - State Armed Groups
Description/subject: [Briefing for the UN Secretary General?s Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict - March 2016] "Myanmar?s November 2015 Parliamentary election resulted in a sweeping victory for the National League of Democracy (NLD), generating hopes that the new NLD-led government will bring about a demonstrable improvement in the country?s human rights situation. Child Soldiers International has documented the widespread recruitment and use of children as soldiers in Myanmar for over a decade, and believes that the new government needs to make a renewed commitment to ensure that the Tatmadaw Kyi (Myanmar military) becomes a child-free army. Almost four years since the UN and the Myanmar government signed a Joint Action Plan (JAP) to end the recruitment and use of children in June 2012, children continue to be present in the ranks of the Tatmadaw Kyi as well as non-state armed groups (NSAGs), although recent trends indicate that active recruitment of children by the Tatmadaw kyi appears to have significantly reduced. The Tatmadaw Kyi discharged 146 children in three separate releases in 2015, and a further 46 on 12 March 2016, bringing the total number of children discharged since the signing of the JAP to 745. Due to an absence of comprehensive monitoring, it is not currently possible to determine the number of children present in the ranks of the Border Guard Forces (BGF). However, the BGF discharged one child in 2015, indicating that other children may also remain in the ranks. Nonetheless, children continue to be unlawfully recruited into the Tatmadaw Kyi; 210 cases of ?suspected minors” were reported by the Country Task Force for Monitoring and Reporting (CTFMR) for age verification in 2015. The CTFMR received complaints on these cases through its public phone line, the forced labour complaint mechanism of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and community monitoring initiatives. Ongoing armed conflict in Kachin and Shan states, related insecurity and high levels of attrition have ensured that the Tatmadaw Kyi is under pressure to maintain its troop strength, thereby necessitating ongoing recruitment, including of children. Child Soldiers International also received reports of increased recruitment by NSAGs, including of children, in the backdrop of escalating conflict between the Tatmadaw Kyi and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Shan State Progressive Party / Shan State Army North, and the Palaung State Liberation Front / Ta?ang National Liberation Army (TNLA); and between joint Myanmar military-Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army South forces and the TNLA since September 2015. This ?recruitment economy? has contributed to the creation of a network of informal recruitment agents (civilian brokers), who receive payments for delivering new recruits to the Tatmadaw Kyi. Over the course of 2015, the use of civilian brokers continued to be reported with no movement to clarify the legal avenues to hold civilian brokers accountable. It has also generated pressure on 2 recruiting officers to ignore national legal restrictions of the minimum recruitment age, in a context where adults are unwilling to volunteer and where accountability mechanisms designed to deter underage recruitment have been lax. Despite welcome measures to spread greater awareness about the unlawfulness of underage recruitment, including through the operationalising of a more centralised system for recruitment, children continue to be among those forcibly recruited, and remain easier to trick and more susceptible to pressure to enlist than adults. Where children from economically deprived or troubled backgrounds have volunteered for enlistment, the absence of rigorous enforcement of safeguards has facilitated their recruitment..."
Source/publisher: Child Soldiers International
Date of publication: 2016-02-29
Date of entry/update: 2016-04-08
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 217.75 KB
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Title: National League for Democracy (Wikipedia)
Description/subject: "The National League for Democracy (Burmese: အမျိုးသားဒီမိုကရေစီအဖွဲ့ချုပ်, IPA: ...; NLD) is a democratic socialist and liberal democratic political party in Myanmar (Burma), currently serving as the co-ruling party in Parliament alongside the military . Founded on 27 September 1988, it has become one of the most influential parties in Myanmar?s pro-democracy movement. Special Honorary President of the Socialist International and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi serves as its President. The party won a substantial parliamentary majority in the 1990 Burmese general election. However, the ruling military junta refused to recognise the result. On 6 May 2010, the party was declared illegal and ordered to be disbanded by the junta after refusing to register for the elections slated for November 2010. In November 2011, the NLD announced its intention to register as a political party to contend future elections and on 13 December 2011, Burma?s Union Election Commission approved their application for registration. In the 2012 by-elections, the NLD contested 44 of the 45 available seats; winning 43, and losing only one seat to the SNDP. Party leader Aung San Suu Kyi won from the seat of Kawhmu. In the 2015 general election, the NLD won an absolute majority in both houses of the Assembly, possibly paving the way to democracy after decades of military rule."
Source/publisher: Wikipedia
Date of entry/update: 2016-04-07
Type: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
Local URL:
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Title: Sharing the Wealth: A Roadmap for Distributing Myanmar?s Natural Resource Revenues
Description/subject: "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
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf pdf
Size: 2.37 MB 11.6 MB
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Title: Practical steps the NLD-led government can take in its first six months to address human rights violations against the Rohingya
Description/subject: A Briefing by Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK
Source/publisher: Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK)
Date of publication: 2016-01-31
Date of entry/update: 2016-04-06
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 295.61 KB
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Title: Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK)
Description/subject: BROUK was founded on 2nd of January 2005 with seven executive committee members. Organisation is with its written constitution which has set up with core objectives, criteria for membership and EC election process. BROUK is a member of Burma stake holder listed by Foreign and Commonwealth Office UK and European Burma Network (EBN). BROUK objectives are; 1. To promote or carry out various research activities, provide the students with stipends, learning materials and all out assistance for higher education. 2. To promote and publicize the genuine case and cause of the Rohingya people and to monitor the situation human rights of Rohingya and other peoples in Burma. 3. To support and express solidarity with the Rohingya national democratic movement(s), the struggles of all democratic and ethnic forces of Burma. 4. To share information, strengthen friendship and solidarity and understanding with the people of the United Kingdom. To provide advice to the community, to raised funds for the charity and to cooperate with other bodies. BROUK is advocating within UK and Europe in particular spreading message of the plight of Rohingya people and Human right violations in Burma. We are closely working with Rohingya organizations around the world, Burma Campaign UK, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Burmese Democratic groups, Burmese ethnic groups in UK, Euro Burma Office in Brussels and other NGOs.
Date of publication: 2005-01-02
Date of entry/update: 2016-04-06
Type: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Local URL:
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Title: Situation of Freedom of Religion and Belief in Myanmar "မြန်မာနိုင်ငံအတွင်းရှိ လွတ်လပ်စွာယုံကြည်ကိုးကွယ်ခွင့်အစီရင်ခံစာ"
Description/subject: "မြန်မာနိုင်ငံအတွင်းရှိ လွတ်လပ်စွာယုံကြည်ကိုးကွယ်ခွင့်အခြေအနေသုံးသပ်ချက် အစီရင်ခံစာ" "ဤသုံးသပ်ချက်အစီရင်ခံစာကို ညီမျှခြင်းမြန်မာ အဖွဲ့က ပြုစုရေးသားထားခြင်းဖြစ်သည်။ ညီမျှခြင်းမြန်မာ (ယခင်လူ့အခွင့်အရေးပညာပေးရေးဌာန - မြန်မာနိုင်ငံ) သည် အစိုးရ မဟုတ်သောအဖွ့အဲစည်းတစ်ခုဖြစ်ပြီး လူ့အခွင့်အရေး ပညာပေးခြင်းနှင့် စည်းရုံးလှုံ့ဆော် ရေးလုပ်ငန်းများကို ကျယ်ကျယ်ပြန့်ပြန့်လုပ်ဆောင်လျက်ရှိပါသည်။ ညီမျှခြင်းမြန်မာကို လူ့အခွင့်အရေးယဉ်ကျေးမှုမြှင့်တင်ရန်နှင့် ပြည်သူလူထုအား လူမှုအသွင်ကူးပြောင်းမှုများတွင် ပူးပေါင်းပါဝင်လာအောင် ခွန်အားပေးရန် ရည်ရွယ်ချက်ဖြင့် ၂၀၀၀ ခုနှစ်တွင် စတင်တည်ထောင် ခဲ့ပါသည်။ ညီမျှခြင်းမြန်မာသည် ငြိမ်းချမ်းသော၊ သည်းခံမှုရှိသော၊ လူသားအားလုံး၏ လူ့အခွင့်အရေးနှင့် လူ့ဂုဏ်သိက္ခာကိုလေးစားမှုရှိပြီး ဒီမိုကရေစီနည်းလမ်းကျသော လူမှုအသိုင်း အဝိုင်းကို တည်ဆောက်ရန် မျှော်မှန်းပါသည်။ ဤသုံးသပ်ချက်အစီရင်ခံစာထဲတွင် မြန်မာနိုင်ငံအတွင်းရှိ လွတ်လပ်စွာကိုးကွယ်ယုံကြည်ခွင့် အခြေအနေအပေါ်ခြုံငုံလေ့လာချက်များနှင့် အသေးစိတ်သုံးသပ်ချက်များပါဝင်သည်။ အစီရင်ခံစာ ထဲတွင် ဒေါ်အောင်ဆန်းစုကြည် ဦးဆောင်သည့် အမျိုးသားဒီမိုကရေစီအဖွဲ့ချုပ် (NLD) အပြတ်အသက်အနိုင်ရရှိခဲ့သော ၂၀၁၅ ခုနှစ် နိုဝင်ဘာလ (၈)ရက် ရွေးကောက်ပွဲ အလွန်ကာလ နိုင်ငံရေးအခြေအနေကို ကနဦးသုံးသပ်မှုများပြုလုပ်ပြီးနောက် ၂၀၁၅ ခုနှစ် ဒုတိယနှစ်ဝက်တွင် ထွက်ရှိလာသော အငြင်းပွားဖွယ်ရာဥပဒေ (၄)ခုတွဲကို လွတ်လပ်စွာ ကိုးကွယ်ယုံကြည်ခွင့်ဆိုင်ရာ နိုင်ငံတကာ လူ့အခွင့်အရေးဥပဒေများနှင့် နှိုင်းယှဉ်လေ့လာဆန်းစစ်ထားပါသည်။ ပြဋ္ဌာန်းလိုက် သော ဥပဒေသစ်များအပြင် လွတ်လပ်စွာကိုးကွယ်ယုံကြည်ခွင့်ကို အခြားနည်းလမ်းများဖြင့် ချိုးဖောက်ခံနေရမှုများရှိကြောင်း မြန်မာနိုင်ငံအတွင်းရှိ ဖြစ်ပျက်ခဲ့သော ဖြစ်စဉ်အချို့ကို သုံးသပ်ကာ သာဓကပြုဖော်ပြထားပါသည်။ တူညီဖြစ်စဉ်များ၊ ပါဝင်သူများ၊ ရည်ရွယ်ချက်များနှင့် နည်းဗျူဟာများကို အစီရင်ခံစာထဲတွင် သုံးသပ်မှုများပြုလုပ်ပြီးနောက် လက်ရှိအခြေအနေ အတိုင်း ဆက်သွားပါက ကြုံတွေ့ရနိုင်သည့် အန္တရာယ်များကို ထောက်ပြထားပါသည်။ နိဂုံးချုပ်အနေဖြင့် သက်ဆိုင်ရာအဖွဲ့အစည်းများ၊ ပါဝင်သူများထံသို့ တင်ပြထားသော အကြံပြုတိုက်တွန်းချက်များကို ဖော်ပြထားပြီး ကျယ်ပြန့်သော မြန်မာနိုင်ငံ၏ နိုင်ငံရေး ပြုပြင်ပြောင်းလဲမှု အခင်းအကျင်းအောက်ရှိ လွတ်လပ်စွာကိုးကွယ်ယုံကြည်ခွင့် အခြေအနေကို တင်ပြထားပါသည်။..."
Source/publisher: Equality Myanmar
Date of publication: 2016-01-31
Date of entry/update: 2016-04-05
Type: Individual Documents
Language: Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ), English
Format : pdf pdf
Size: 1.16 MB 1.51 MB
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Title: Situation of Freedom of Religion and Belief in Myanmar (English)
Description/subject: "This Briefing Paper is written by Equality Myanmar. Equality Myanmar (formerly ?HREIB”) is a non-governmental organization (?NGO”) which facilitates a broad range of human rights education and advocacy programs. It was founded in 2000 with the goal of empowering the people of Myanmar through human rights education to engage in social transformation and promote a culture of human rights. Equality Myanmar envisions a peaceful, tolerant and democratic society built on respect for dignity and human rights for all. This Briefing Paper provides an overview and in-depth analysis of the current situation of freedom of religion and belief in Myanmar. After an initial review of the political landscape in the country following the parliamentary elections on 8 November 2015 and the landslide victory of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi?s National League for Democracy (the ?NLD”), it analyzes a controversial package of four repressive laws that were introduced during the second half of 2015, and contrasts them with international human rights laws on freedom of religion and belief. It goes on to examine some pertinent case studies from across the country, which demonstrate how the right to freedom of religion and belief is already being violated regardless of the new laws. After analyzing the trends, actors, motives and strategies at play, this Briefing Paper looks at the potential risks for Myanmar if it continues down its current path. It concludes by making a range of recommendations to relevant institutions and stakeholders, and by placing the situation of freedom of religion and belief in the wider context of Myanmar?s nascent political reforms..."
Source/publisher: Equality Myanmar
Date of publication: 2016-01-31
Date of entry/update: 2016-04-05
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Format : pdf pdf
Size: 1.51 MB 1.16 MB
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Title: Facing 377: Discrimination and Human Rights Abuses Against Transgender, Gay and Bisexual Men in Myanmar
Description/subject: ?Following military coups in 1962 and 1988, multiple military regimes have ruled over Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). Widespread human rights abuses conducted by police and military against the general public and ethnic minorities are well known and documented. The year 2008 saw the creation and adoption of a new constitution through a controversial referendum followed by a flawed parliamentary election held in 2010. By-elections held in 2012 saw the opposition party, the National League of Democracy (NLD), enter Parliament for the first time, though with continued reports of election irregularities. Despite significant political change in Myanmar, legal reform, especially in the sectors of human rights protection and limits to police and military power, has been slow in development and implementation. Legal reform, judicial review, and military and police limitations on power and authority have yet to occur in a systematic and comprehensive way. As a result of slow reform, entrenched homophobic social attitudes, and unrestrained police authority to arbitrarily arrest and detain, members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community human rights abuses and discrimination are rampant..? Article 377 of the Penal Code deals with "Unnatural Offences"
Source/publisher: Colors Rainbow
Date of publication: 2016-02-23
Date of entry/update: 2016-04-05
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 15 MB
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Title: SAVE THE NAMTU RIVER - Impacts of the Upper Yeywa and other planned dams on the Namtu in Shan State (Burmese - မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Description/subject: ၂၀၁၆ ခုနှစ်ဇန်နဝါရီလတွင် မြန်မာနိုင်ငံ သတင်းဌာနမှသတင်းထဲတွင် နေပြည်တော်သည် ရေကာတာ ရေအားလျှပ်စစ်စီမံကိန်း ၄ ခု ကို နမ္မတူ( မြစ်ငယ် (သို့) ဒုဋ္ဌဝတီ )မြစ်ပေါ်တွင် တည်ဆောက်ရန်စီစဉ်လျှက်ရှိကြောင်း၊ ၎င်းအနက် ရေကာတာ (၃)ခုသည် ယခု ရှမ်းပြည်နယ် ပဋိပက္ခ ဖြစ်ရာနေရာအတွင်းတွင်ဖြစ်နေသည်။ ၎င်းရေကာတာသစ်များ နှင့် ရဲရွာရေကာတာတို့သည် မြစ်ကြောင်းတခုလုံး၏ထက်ဝက်ကိုပိတ်ဆို့လိုက်ရမည်ဖြစ်သည်။ ဆောက်လုပ်ဆဲအထက်ရဲရွာရေကာတာသည်နောင်ချိုမြို့နယ်တွင်ရှိပြီးဗမာစစ်အစိုး ရက၂၀၀၈ခုနှစ်မှစ၍တည်ဆောက်ခဲ့သည်၊၂၀၁၈ခုနှစ်တွင်ပြီးရန်ခန့်မှန်းထားသည်။ တည်ဆောက်မည့်ရေလှောင်ကန်သည် အကျယ်အဝန်း (၆၀) ကီလိုမီတာ ရှိသည်။လူဦးရေ (၅၀၀)ခန့်နေထိုင်သည့် ရှမ်းရွာကြီး ဖြစ်သော တာလုံရွာသည် ရေအောက်လုံးဝမြုပ်သွားပြီးသီပေါမြို့ ၏တစ်စိတ်တပိုင်းတို့မှာ လည်း ရေအောက်မြှပ်သွားနိုင်သည်။ တာလုံ ၏အဓိပ္ပါယ်မှာ (ဆိပ်ကမ်းကြီး)ဟုဆိုသည်၊စည်ကားသာယာသည်။ ရှမ်းပြည်နယ်- မြောက်ပိုင်းတွက် အော်ဂင်းနစ် သဘာဝလိမ္မော်သီး၊ ကျွဲကောသီးတို့မှာ နမ္မတူမြစ်ကမ်း တစ်လျှေက်တွင် စိုက်ပျိုးကြ၍ လူသိများသည်။ နှစ်ပေါင်းတစ်ရာကျော် ရှေးပဝေသဏီ ကတည်းက တည်ထားကိုးကွယ်သော စေတီပုထိုးများလည်းရှိသည်။ ရေကာတာ မတည် ဆောက်မှီကတည်းက တာလုံရွာသားတို့အား အကြောင်းကြားခြင်း မရှိသည့်ပြင် ညှိနှိုင်း တိုင်ပင်မှုများမရှိခဲ့ပေ။ သဘာဝနှင့် လူမှုဝန်းကျင်ထိခိုက်မှု အကဲခတ်အဖွဲ့ (ESIA) Environment and Social Impact Assessment တို့က၂၀၁၄ ခုနှစ်မှသာ စလုပ်ဆောင်လာသဖြင့် ရေကာတာစဆောက်ပြီး(၆) နှစ်မှ ရောက်လာခဲ့ခြင်းဖြစ်သည်။(ESIA)လုပ်နေစဉ်တွင်လည်း တာလုံရွာမှ ဒေသခံပြည်သူလူထုတို့မှာ ပြောင်းရွှေ့မှုကို မလိုလားကြကြောင်း ရှင်းရှင်းဖေါ်ပြကြသည်။ သို့သော်လည်း ဒီရေကာတာတည်ဆောက်မှုကို တရုတ်အရင်းအနှီး နှင့်ဆက်လက် လုပ်ဆောင်နေပြီး တရုတ်၊ဂျပန်၊ဂျာမန် နှင့် ဆွစ်ကုမ္မဏီ တို့လည်းပါဝင်ပတ်သက်နေသည် ရေလွှဲပေါက်ဥမင်လိုဏ်ခေါင်း မှ ပြီးစီးနေပြီဖြစ်ပြီး ရေကာတာ၏ အဓိကနံရံကို၂၀၁၆ ခုနှစ် အစောပိုင်းတွင်တည် ဆောက်သွားမည်ဖြစ်သည်။ ရှမ်းပြည်နယ် နမ္မတူ မြစ်ပေါ်တွင်တည်ဆောက်မည့် အခြားသော ရေကာတာ စီမံကိန်းများမှာ နောင်ချိုမြို့နယ် တည်ဆောက်နေသော အလယ်ရဲရွာ ရေကာတာစီမံကိန်းသည် နော်ဝေနိုင်ငံပိုင် အက်စ် အင်န်ပါဝါ ( SN Power) တာဝန်ယူတည်ဆောက်သည်။ သီပေါမြို့နယ်ရှိ နမ္မတူမြစ် ပေါ်တည်ဆောက်နေသည့် ရေကာတာလည်း ပွင့်လင်းမြင်သာမှုမရှိသလို ထိခိုက်နစ်နာမည့်လူထူကို ဆွေးနွေးအကြောင်းကြားခြင်းမရှိပေ။ ၎င်းရေကာတာ များ၏ အဆင့်များကြောင့် မြစ်ချောင်းပေါ်ရှိ သဘာဝဂေဟ စံနစ်ကို ပြင်းထန်စွာ ထိခိုက်နိုင်သည်။ငါးများသွားလာကျက်စားရာကို အနှောက်အယှက်ဖြစ်စေသဖြင့် သီပေါမြို့မှ ထောင်ပေါင်းသော ရပ်သူ၊ရွာသားအများ မှီခိုစားသောက်ရသော ငါးများ ထိခိုက်နစ်နာနိုင်သည်။ အထက်တွင်ရှိ သတ္တုတူးဖေါ်သည့် လုပ်ငန်းများကြောင့် ရေလှောင်ကန်များ အဆိပ်သင့်ရကာ ငါးတွေနှင့် အမှီပြုသည်သူများ၏ကျန်းမာလည်း ထိခိုက်နိုင်သည်။ သဘာဝပေါက်ပင်များ ရေဠေယင်ကန်တွင် ပုပ်သိုးပြီးမီသိန်းဓါတ်များထုတ်လွှတ်သဖြင့်ကမ္ဘာကြီးကိုပိုမိုပူနွေးလာမှု ကို ပိုဖြစ်စေသည်။ အခြားသောစိုးရိမ်ပူပန်မှုမှာ သီပေါမြို့နယ် နမ္မတူရေကာတာ စီမံကိန်းအောက်ပိုင်းတွင် နေသောသူများသည်ရေကာတာလုပ်ငန်း၏ ရေအတက်အကျကိုမခန့်မှန်းနိုင်ရကာမြစ်ကမ်း တစ်လျှောက်တွင် ရုတ်တရက်တစ်ရှိန်ထိုးရေကြီးလာနိုင်သော အန္တရာယ်များ ကြုံနိုင်သည်။အကယ်၍ မိုးသည်းထန်စွာရွာသွန်းပါက ကြီးမားသောရေထုထည်ကိုရေဂါတာ က လွှတ်ချမည်ဖြစ်သဖြင့် မြစ်အောက်ပိုင်းတွ?
Source/publisher: Shan Human Rights Foundation, Shan State Farmers? Network, Shan Sapawa Environmental Organization
Date of publication: 2016-02-29
Date of entry/update: 2016-04-03
Type: Individual Documents
Language: Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Format : pdf
Size: 1.41 MB
Local URL: PDF icon Namtu-Burmese.pdf
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Title: Myanmar: Briefing Paper on Criminal Defamation Laws - Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Description/subject: "Myanmar?s Parliament must abolish or extensively amend its criminal defamation laws to ensure the protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, said the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) today. Criminal defamation laws in Myanmar impose harsh sanctions, such as imprisonment, to punish free expression. The prospect of arrests, detentions, criminal trials and prison time could chill the exercise of free expression of opinions and exchange of information. The ICJ, the United Nations Human Rights Committee (which monitors and supervises States? compliance with their international human rights obligations), the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression and other international human rights authorities and an increasing number of governments consider that criminal defamation laws should be abolished, as they are incompatible with the right to freedom of expression and opinion. Myanmar?s 2008 Constitution provides for the protection of freedom of expression,1 but sets out broad and ambiguous restrictions that limit the enjoyment of these rights. In addition, the judiciary of Myanmar currently struggles to adjudicate such criminal defamation cases with impartiality and competence.2 The result is that enforcement of the defamation laws can result in violations of a number of international laws and standards protecting human rights, and also could have an overall chilling effect on the freedom of opinion and expression in the country. Just last month, three people faced criminal defamation charges and were detained pending trial for posting material on Facebook that allegedly defame either the Myanmar army or a political leader. • Kachin activist Patrick Kum Jaa Lee was arrested in Yangon for allegedly posting a Facebook post showing someone stepping on a photo of an army Commander-in-Chief Senior General; 1 Article 354, 2008 Constitution of Myanmar, limits the freedom of expression to the extent that it is ?not contrary to the laws, enacted for the Union security, prevalence of law and order, community peace and tranquility or public order and morality.” http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs09/Myanmar_Constitution-2008(en&bu)-red.pdf 2 International Commission of Jurists, The Right to Counsel: Independence of Lawyers in Myanmar: http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs16/ICJ-MYANMAR-Right-to-Counselen- red.pdf 2 • Chaw Sandi Tun was arrested for a Facebook post pointing out that an army official was wearing clothes of a similar colour to those of then opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi; and • Maung Saungkha was arrested for allegedly posting a poem on Facebook he had written about having a tattoo of the President on his penis. His next hearing at Shwepyithar Township has been scheduled for tomorrow. The ICJ is monitoring some of these trials to assess their compliance with international laws and standards. In one such trial, involving Patrick Kum Jaa Lee, the accused has been denied bail for the fifth time this week despite his ailing health. The laws used to charge and detain the accused are the Electronic Transaction Law, specifically under provision 34(d), the Myanmar Telecommunications Law, specifically under provision 66(d), and Article 500 of the Penal Code. Each of these laws is detailed below..."
Source/publisher: International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)
Date of publication: 2015-11-26
Date of entry/update: 2016-03-31
Type: Individual Documents
Language: Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Format : pdf
Size: 102.89 KB
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Title: Myanmar: Briefing Paper on Criminal Defamation Laws (English)
Description/subject: "Myanmar?s Parliament must abolish or extensively amend its criminal defamation laws to ensure the protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, said the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) today. Criminal defamation laws in Myanmar impose harsh sanctions, such as imprisonment, to punish free expression. The prospect of arrests, detentions, criminal trials and prison time could chill the exercise of free expression of opinions and exchange of information. The ICJ, the United Nations Human Rights Committee (which monitors and supervises States? compliance with their international human rights obligations), the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression and other international human rights authorities and an increasing number of governments consider that criminal defamation laws should be abolished, as they are incompatible with the right to freedom of expression and opinion. Myanmar?s 2008 Constitution provides for the protection of freedom of expression,1 but sets out broad and ambiguous restrictions that limit the enjoyment of these rights. In addition, the judiciary of Myanmar currently struggles to adjudicate such criminal defamation cases with impartiality and competence.2 The result is that enforcement of the defamation laws can result in violations of a number of international laws and standards protecting human rights, and also could have an overall chilling effect on the freedom of opinion and expression in the country. Just last month, three people faced criminal defamation charges and were detained pending trial for posting material on Facebook that allegedly defame either the Myanmar army or a political leader. • Kachin activist Patrick Kum Jaa Lee was arrested in Yangon for allegedly posting a Facebook post showing someone stepping on a photo of an army Commander-in-Chief Senior General; 1 Article 354, 2008 Constitution of Myanmar, limits the freedom of expression to the extent that it is ?not contrary to the laws, enacted for the Union security, prevalence of law and order, community peace and tranquility or public order and morality.” http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs09/Myanmar_Constitution-2008(en&bu)-red.pdf 2 International Commission of Jurists, The Right to Counsel: Independence of Lawyers in Myanmar: http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs16/ICJ-MYANMAR-Right-to-Counselen- red.pdf 2 • Chaw Sandi Tun was arrested for a Facebook post pointing out that an army official was wearing clothes of a similar colour to those of then opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi; and • Maung Saungkha was arrested for allegedly posting a poem on Facebook he had written about having a tattoo of the President on his penis. His next hearing at Shwepyithar Township has been scheduled for tomorrow. The ICJ is monitoring some of these trials to assess their compliance with international laws and standards. In one such trial, involving Patrick Kum Jaa Lee, the accused has been denied bail for the fifth time this week despite his ailing health. The laws used to charge and detain the accused are the Electronic Transaction Law, specifically under provision 34(d), the Myanmar Telecommunications Law, specifically under provision 66(d), and Article 500 of the Penal Code. Each of these laws is detailed below..."
Source/publisher: International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)
Date of publication: 2015-11-26
Date of entry/update: 2016-03-31
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 77.17 KB
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Title: Breaking the Curse - Decentralizing Natural Resource Management in Myanmar (Burmese မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Description/subject: 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: 2016-01-31
Date of entry/update: 2016-03-26
Type: Individual Documents
Language: Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Format : pdf pdf pdf pdf
Size: 6.52 MB 129.1 MB 5.77 MB 4.46 MB
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Title: Myanmar: New expression meets old repression: Ending the cycle of political arrests and imprisonment in Myanmar
Description/subject: "Since it came to power in March 2011, the government in Myanmar has embarked on a major transition from five decades of authoritarian military rule towards a more open political system. However, despite these reforms, activists continue to face arrest, prosecution and imprisonment for their peaceful activities. This report highlights the pattern of politically motivated arrest and imprisonment since the start of 2014. It offers concrete recommendations to the new government to respect the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, and to put an end to the repressive practices which fuel arbitrary arrests and imprisonment."
Source/publisher: Amnesty International
Date of publication: 2016-03-24
Date of entry/update: 2016-03-25
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English and Burmese
Format : pdf pdf
Size: 889.54 KB 1.21 MB
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Title: Breaking the Curse - Decentralizing Natural Resource Management in Myanmar (English)
Description/subject: 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: 2016-01-31
Date of entry/update: 2016-03-23
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 1.24 MB
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Title: Broken Promises - Deadly Gold Mining Continues in Mong Len (Shan, English, Burmese)
Description/subject: "In response to strong community resistance to gold mining in Mong Len, eastern Shan State, the Shan State Mining Minister ordered the mining to stop in July 2014. Despite this, mining is ongoing in this area till today, with permission from Naypyidaw, and is continuing to have grave impacts on the health and livelihoods of local villagers. This booklet documents the struggle of the villagers to hold the mining companies accountable, and the failure of companies and government officials to protect local communities? rights. The booklet is dedicated to Loong Sarm, a villager from Na Hai Long, Mong Len, who was shot and killed by Burmese government soldiers on October 13, 2015, when he went with a group of villagers to monitor the gold mining in the hills above his village. The soldiers were providing security for the mining operations..."
Source/publisher: Shan State Farmers? Network (SSFN)
Date of publication: 2015-12-07
Date of entry/update: 2016-03-19
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ), Shan
Format : pdf pdf pdf
Size: 412.04 KB 423.71 KB 415.29 KB
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Title: The Generation to Enjoy Peace? English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Description/subject: "We are at a critical juncture in our history, more promising than at any time in recent memory. The country will have a civilian-majority government that came to office through the votes of a multitude of smaller nationality groups for a pan-national party promising political change. If this political transition is to succeed, poverty must be alleviated, corruption curtailed, drug abuse radically reduced, and a host of other social crises addressed that have long blighted our country. At the beginning of the year my son came to the Kachin state with his newly-wed bride to receive our blessings for his marriage. For the first time I began to think about becoming a grandmother, holding a tiny grandchild and then actually thinking that, at some time in the future, I would welcome a granddaughter or grandson to our home for another happy wedding. What can I pass on to this future generation? What will unfold before their eyes? Snow-capped mountains and orchids hidden in deep forests? Streams rushing downhill to join the great Irrawaddy? Flourishing farmlands? I had a vision of reforested hills in Hpakant, travellers gathering pleasure from the peaceful countryside where camps for internally-displaced persons now dot the hills. I saw organic farmers, where today great swathes of monocultures for export have now displaced the original owners. And I could imagine thriving universities, where drug-addicted young people presently waste away their lives. These reflections are not simply personal, but concerns that every parent has in our country today. We are now at a critical juncture in our history, more promising than at any time in recent memory. For the first time since the 1950s, the country will have a civilian-majority government that came to office through the votes of a multitude of smaller nationality groups for a pan-national party promising political change. For non-Burman peoples, however, an underlying question remains, as it has in every political era since independence in 1948: can a multi-ethnic country of such cultural vibrancy and diversity be governed by a party that appears to be led by one majority group?..."
Lahpai Seng Raw
Source/publisher: Transnational Institute (TNI)
Date of publication: 2016-03-17
Date of entry/update: 2016-03-18
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Local URL:
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Title: Mangroves as protection from storm surges in a changing climate (English)
Description/subject: Abstract: "Adaptation to climate change includes addressing sea level rise and increased storm surges in many coastal areas. Mangroves can substantially reduce the vulnerability of the adjacent coastal land from inundation and erosion. However, climate change poses a large threat to mangroves. This paper quantifies the coastal protection provided by mangroves for 42 developing countries in the current climate, and a future climate change scenario with a one-meter sea level rise and 10 percent intensification of storms. The benefits of the coastal protection provided by mangroves are measured in terms of population and gross domestic product at a reduced risk from inundation; the loss of benefits under climate change is measured as the increased population and gross domestic product at risk. The findings demonstrate that although sea level rise and increased storm intensity would increase storm surge areas and the amounts of built resources at risk, the greatest impact is the expected loss of mangroves. Under current climate and mangrove coverage, 3.5 million people and roughly $400 million in gross domestic product of are at risk. In the future climate change scenario, the vulnerable population and gross domestic product at risk would increase by 103 and 233 percent, respectively. The greatest risk is in East Asia, especially in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Myanmar"
Author Blankespoor, Brian; Dasgupta, Susmita; Lange, Glenn-Marie;
Source/publisher: World Bank
Date of publication: 2016-03-14
Date of entry/update: 2016-03-17
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 849.24 KB
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Title: Lives on the Line: Voices for Change from the Thailand-Burma Border, in English and Burmese.
Description/subject: "Lives on the Line: Voices for Change from the Thailand-Burma Border, in English and Burmese. The book brings stories of Burma?s ethnic nationalities from diverse backgrounds to international audiences as well as into book shops inside the country. The stories in the book were collected by Burma Link through qualitative life story interviews between 2013 and 2015. The book features ten stories of refugees, women and youth activists, jungle medics, military leaders, and freedom fighters; a collection of the most inspiring, haunting, and incredible life stories that Burma Link has had the privilege to document and transform into written narratives..."......Book sales...
Source/publisher: Burmalink
Date of entry/update: 2016-03-16
Type: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Format : pdf
Size: 452.68 KB
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Title: The Border Consortium (TBC) Annual Report, January-December 2015
Description/subject: Executive Summary: "This report covers January to December 2015 and thus becomes the first annual report on the TBC Programme. It outlines progress towards achieving the outcomes, which are delineated in the TBC log frame and based on its Strategic Directions for Thailand and Burma/ Myanmar 2013-2017. The total reach of TBC?s programmes in 2015 included approximately 211,000 men, women, and children - 103,00 in nine refugee camps in Thailand, and 108,000 in 24 townships in SE Burma/Myanmar. In Burma/Myanmar during 2015, two major events took place - the signing of the National Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) in October and the national elections in November. The NCA was widely welcomed as an important step towards ending decades of civil war despite the fact that not all groups were included in the agreement. The election process was largely free of violence and intimidation even though approximately one million people were denied the right to vote. Ultimately, the NLD won a landslide victory with 79% of the elected seats across both houses of parliament. In SE Burma/Myanmar, instances of new displacement remained sporadic but widespread. Preparations to launch the Asia Highway officially highlighted the lack of agreement about taxation revenue in contested areas and led to armed conflict in some cases. It is not envisioned that State and Regional Chief Ministers will be appointed until April 2016, which could affect the process of IDP and refugee return. In Thailand, military rule continued under the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) and elections were postponed until 2017. Refugee policy of encampment continued to be enforced, but the government?s focus was mainly on migration and irregular movement in border areas. Due to delays caused by elections in Burma/Myanmar, the dialogue between the two countries on refugee return did not progress. While the RTG continues their commitment to voluntary return, there is an expectation on UNHCR and CCSDPT agencies in the camps to have a plan ready for when people may choose to return. There is still a steady flow of migrants from Burma/ Myanmar, but the Thai authorities launched a sweeping campaign against the people-smugglers and traffickers. This crackdown has not completely closed down the operations. Hundreds of people remain in detention centres and shelters in Thailand..... TBC?s Strategic Directions: Readiness, Economic and Social Development, Humanitarian Support, Participation and Governance, and Organisational Development are integrated over all programmes to ensure that results are achieved for the refugee and conflict-affected communities. In Thailand in 2015, TBC moved, as much as possible, from a participation to an empowerment model to ensure that the refugees not only have the skills necessary to relocate across the border but also the practical experience in decision-making, management, land use planning, sustainable agriculture, and small business development. A number of lessons have been learned in the various Programmes throughout the year. The overarching lesson is clear: Refugees are prepared, willing, and capable of leading the process of managing their day- to-day lives whilst TBC can now take on the role of mentor/coach. They now actively seeking information on potential areas of future return and engaging with local authorities and host communities to inform community-led planning processes..... Looking forward to 2016, TBC anticipates small group returns will commence and TBC stands ready to respond to their needs in coordination with UNHCR and other agencies.TBC will further increase both the organisation?s and the refugee?s readiness for repatriation and will continue activities and programmes that support the achievement of the Strategic Directions. TBC is committed to maintaining the current food ration and therefore will take on some new initiatives to enhance innovation and cost efficiencies informed by the lessons learned. In terms of finance, ninety percent of TBC?s income comes from government-backed grants. The actual expenses for the full year 2015 totalled THB 793 M. This is compared to a budget of THB 834 M; it reflects various downsizing/cost cutting measures (including partial ration cuts to rice and charcoal) that have been implemented by TBC during the course of the year. In addition commodity prices for all food supplied was less than expected in the operating budget. Staff headcount at the end of the year was 102 versus 113 at the start, again reflecting downsizing initiatives. TBC?s operating budget for 2016 is THB 755 M (USD 21 M)..."
Source/publisher: The BorderConsortium (TBC)
Date of publication: 2016-02-29
Date of entry/update: 2016-03-15
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 4.43 MB
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Title: "Everywhere is Trouble” - A Briefing on the Situation of Rohingya Refugees from Myanmar in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia
Description/subject: Summary: "In May 2015, human trafficking syndicates abandoned boats of thousands of Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals coming from Myanmar?s Rakhine State and Bangladesh, leaving them adrift in the Andaman Sea. Instead of initiating search and rescue efforts, key countries in the region reinforced their borders and some intercepted and towed stranded boats farther out to sea. Following international outcry, some member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed to allow disembarkation and provide temporary shelter to survivors. The failure of ASEAN to immediately prioritize the protection of survivors led to an unknown loss of life at sea. Almost ten months later, the Burmese Rohingya Organization UK (BROUK) and Fortify Rights traveled to Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia from February 15 to March 9 to assess the situation of Rohingya refugees in each country. Representatives from the organizations met with government officials, United Nations officials, and nongovernmental organizations; visited immigration detention facilities, government- operated shelters, and refugee camps; and conducted interviews with Rohingya refugees and survivors of human trafficking. This briefing is based on those meetings and interviews. Rohingya refugees continue to lack access to basic protections in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. As a result, thousands of Rohingya refugees in Southeast Asia are subject to abuse, exploitation, human trafficking, protracted and indefinite detention, and refoulement. In Thailand, BROUK and Fortify Rights are gravely concerned about the protracted detention of hundreds of Rohingya refugees in Immigration Detention Centers (IDCs) and government- run shelters..."
Source/publisher: Fortify Rights, Burmese Rohingya Organization UK
Date of publication: 2016-03-11
Date of entry/update: 2016-03-11
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 776.62 KB
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Title: Environmental Conservation Rules
Description/subject: "...The Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry, in exercise of power conferred under sub-section (a) of section 42 of the Environmental Conservation Law, hereby issues the following rules with the approval of the Union Government..."
Source/publisher: Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry (MOECAF)
Date of publication: 2014-06-05
Date of entry/update: 2016-03-09
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 339.49 KB
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Title: RETURNS OF GRABBED LAND IN MYANMAR: PROGRESS AFTER 2 YEARS (English, Burmese မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Description/subject: "Namati submits this briefing paper to assist the government of Myanmar and other interested parties in efforts to ensure the implementation of the 2013 recommendations of Parliament?s Farmland Investigation Commission. The commission is tasked with scrutinizing land grab cases and to promote justice for Myanmar?s citizens whose land was taken without due process or compensation. According to the Secretary General of the Farmland Investigation Commission, as of June 2015, approximately 30,000 cases have been submitted to the Commission, of which about 20,000 have been heard. Of those, a small number of cases (882 or 4%) have been found justified to receive compensation. Many of these are collective cases, and according to the 2015 report, the Commission has returned about 335,000 acres of urban and farmland to benefit 33,608 families. Namati?s own experience suggests that the number of cases justified to receive compensation or return of land should be much higher. We further recommend actions the government can take to help streamline the return and compensation of grabbed land and improve the likelihood that outcomes are fair and equitable. This briefing draws on Namati?s experience using a network of community paralegals trained to use administrative procedures to resolve land grab cases in Ayeyarwaddy, Southern Shan, Sagaing, Magwe, and Bago between 2013 and 2015..."
Source/publisher: Namati
Date of publication: 2015-11-30
Date of entry/update: 2016-03-07
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Format : pdf pdf
Size: 1.99 MB 430.17 KB
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Title: Namati - Innovations in Legal Empowermnent
Description/subject: Very rich site with many resources..."In a world where billions of people live outside the protection of the law, Namati is building a global movement of grassroots legal advocates who work with communities to advance justice. These advocates are solving problems on the front lines to ensure that people can protect their land, access essential services, and take part in the decisions that govern their lives..."
Source/publisher: Namati
Date of entry/update: 2016-03-07
Type: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
Local URL:
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Title: Community Land Protection Facilitators Guide
Description/subject: "This Facilitators Guide describes Namati?s approach to community land protection in detail. Each chapter suggests various strategies and practices that facilitators can use as they support communities to protect their land claims. it is accompanied by short animated videos that demonstrate the community land protection process visually, available at http://namati.org/ourwork/communityland. this Guide is intended for the directors and staff of local, community-based organizations, national civil society organizations, faith-based organizations, government actors, and other community land protection advocates and activists. the Guide refers to these groups as ?facilitating organizations,” and their field staff as ?facilitators.” We recommend reading the entire Guide at least once before beginning community land protection efforts. Facilitators can then review specific sections of the Guide as they support communities to move through the process. However, because all the activities within each ?step” are inter-related, it is best to be familiar with all the land protection activities before beginning facilitation. to support the adaptation and re-ordering of community land protection activities, this Guide has been designed to be printed as a binder so that facilitators can easily move chapters around, or replace chapters with more updated versions that reflect emerging learnings and strategies. to access the most recent versions of the Guide and connect with Namati, visit namati.org/communityland.
Rachel Knight, Marlena Brinkhurst, Jaron Vogelsang
Source/publisher: Namati
Date of publication: 2016-02-23
Date of entry/update: 2016-03-07
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 4.86 MB
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Title: Local Development Funds in Myanmar (Burmese မန်မာဘာသာ)
Description/subject: "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
Type: Individual Documents
Language: Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Format : pdf
Size: 1.41 MB
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Title: Local Economic Governance in Myanmar (Burmese မန်မာဘာသာ)
Description/subject: "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
Type: Individual Documents
Language: (Burmese မန်မာဘာသာ)
Format : pdf
Size: 3.82 MB
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