Librarian's Choice
အဓိကအကြောင်းအရာ
Description/subject:
"The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly during its 61st session at UN Headquarters in New York City on 13 September 2007.
While as a General Assembly Declaration it is not a legally binding instrument under international law[citation needed], according to a UN press release, it does "represent the dynamic development of international legal norms and it reflects the commitment of the UN?s member states to move in certain directions"; the UN describes it as setting "an important standard for the treatment of indigenous peoples that will undoubtedly be a significant tool towards eliminating human rights violations against the planet?s 370 million indigenous people and assisting them in combating discrimination and marginalisation."..."
Source/publisher:
Wikipedia
Date of publication:
2007-09-13
Date of entry/update:
2015-09-16
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Language:
English
Local URL:
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Description/subject:
Abstract:
"Burmese colonial history suggests that a legal system cannot operate independently from the
felt needs of the people who are supposed to obey the law. Despite a monopoly of force
for many decades, the British failed to create a sustainable legal system in Burma. Colonial
status shifted Burma?s economic role from subsistence agriculture to the generation of
large-scale exports. By undermining the traditional Burmese legal system and substituting
Western international standards of property rights, enforceability of contracts, and an independent judiciary
—
all attributes of what some consider to be the
?Rule of Law”—
the legal
system amplified and channelled destructive economic and social forces rather than containing
them. This paper examines traditional Burmese law, the administration of law in British
Burma, and the consequences of the new legal system for the country and its own stability.
The paper concludes by suggesting lessons for Myanmar today, and for the study of the
?Rule of Law." .....
Keywords: Rule of Law,
colonial law, law and custom, law and development, colonial
administration, Burma, Myanmar
Thomas H. Stanton
Source/publisher:
Asian Journal of Law and Society / FirstView Article / January 2014, pp 1 - 1
Date of publication:
2013-12-31
Date of entry/update:
2015-09-14
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Legal history and philosophy of Burma (texts and commentary), Rule of Law - Burma/Myanmar-specific, British colonial period : Commentary (non-official books, academic papers, articles and reports), Legal Pluralism - Burma/Myanmar-specific
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
251.98 KB
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Description/subject:
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:
2015-06-30
Date of entry/update:
2015-09-13
Type:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
2 MB
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Description/subject:
Executive summary: "The attention on business concessions and economic development in peace negotiations is a highly controversial issue that many believe compromises the core question of political and national identity issues. However it is important to recognise that major grievances that fuel conflict are related to economics, namely negative impacts of development projects on local communities and competition over control of economic resources between local ethnic groups and the central government. Moreover, Non-State Armed Groups (NSAGs) themselves realise that fighting for the rights of their people cannot avoid the question of economics as money and power are inextricably linked. This report explores the economic roots of conflict in an attempt to identify peaceful solutions. It observes six main economic grievances that drive conflict in Myanmar, and tries to analyse the different measures being taken to address each of them. These grievances include increased militarisation of economic projects, lack of ownership and management power over natural resources, land confiscation, environmental and social impact of economic projects, poverty and underdevelopment in ethnic nationality areas. The reformist government has tried to respond to each of these grievances by initiating a multitude of bills, policies, development plans, commissions and committees under the existing constitution. NSAGs have tried to address these issues, sometimes independently, but more often through demands in peace negotiations with the government. Civil society groups also play an active role in voicing local needs and grievances that are important in informing sound decision making for policy solutions. International aid supports these different actors and reforms through financial and technical assistance. Analysing the wide-ranging attempts to address economic grievances reveals an important discovery that the key hindrance to ongoing reforms and implementation of peace agreements is the continued power of the military over the economy and government administrative structure. Its own economic interests and ideologies in dealing with NSAGs inevitably put them in opposition to the government?s plans to change existing power structures. The centralisation of key ownership and management power over natural resources stipulated in the 2008 Constitution also mean that the government?s enthusiasm for decentralisation reforms will not solve the ethnic struggle. The military?s legacy may explain why - despite the many attempted solutions - conflict has not abated and locals have yet to witness major improvements in their lives. Ensuring that these solutions can succeed in achieving real change and sustainable peace will not only rely on great skill but reforming the old powers of the military and transforming it into a professional defence army. Understanding the underlying economic interests of competing groups in Myanmar is therefore critical in achieving the much desired peace and stability."
Source/publisher:
Burma News International
Date of publication:
2013-08-31
Date of entry/update:
2015-09-13
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Peace processes, ceasefires and ceasefire talks (websites, documents, reports and studies)
Language:
Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.96 MB
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Description/subject:
Executive Summary:
"During the year under review, Myanmar?s peace process veered in one direction and then another, swayed by fresh outbreaks of fighting. A commitment to peace by all parties to the conflict and a willingness to compromise would help towards a negotiated settlement. If the two sides can narrow down their demands to the essentials likely to prevent large scale military offensives, they can then move on to discuss political and military issues of a more prickly nature which must be resolved if peace is to be enduring. Both sides have matured during the seventeen months of negotiations necessary to agree a so-called "final draft" of a Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement. However, the draft drawn up conjointly by the Government and Ethnic Armed Organizations drafting teams has yet to be ratified by the assent of the policy-makers of the organizations concerned.
There have been many positive developments. The ethnic armed organizations held the Law Khee Ler Ethnic Conference from 20-25 January, and the Laiza Ethnic Conference from 25-29 July, 2014. They discussed matters specific to the NCA, displayed a sense of unity, and showed a willingness to move the peace process forward. The negotiations with the Government?s drafting team went smoothly until the meeting of 22 September, when the military delegates in the Government team went back on the previous agreement. This very nearly resulted in a still-born Nationwide Ceasefire, and many saw it as an indication that the peace process was regarded lightly. Luckily, leaders from the two negotiating teams were able to resuscitate the talks. The situation improved in early 2015 despite some clashes between government forces and ethnic armed organizations [EAOs], especially in Kachin, Karen and Shan States. The two negotiating teams had many informal and formal meetings, whose tone steadily improved. EAO leaders attended the Independence Day and Union Day celebrations in the capital, Naypyitaw. The KNU, DKBA, KPC and RCSS signed a "commitment to peace and national reconciliation". Subsequent to which, on 31 March of this year, 2015, the negotiators finally agreed the "final draft" of the NCA. Although events that followed showed that it will not in fact be the final text, the negotiation of the terms it contains was, nevertheless, a very great achievement for the two sides, who had never undertaken such a task before. They agreed a "7-Step Roadmap". Many felt the peace process to be on the right path. However, influential people within the ethnic movement pointed out that this was a proposed agreement requiring the assent of the governing bodies of the ethnic organisations: it was not the agreement itself. The UWSA and the KIO then organized, from 1-6 May 2015 at the headquarters of UWSA, the Panghsang Ethnic Conference to thrash out matters relating to the NCA, such as whether or not to sign the existing document. However no agreement was reached on this latter point. Therefore the ethnic armed organizations organized the second Law Khee Ler Conference in a KNU-controlled area. This was held from 2-9 June 2015. They reviewed the "final draft" of the NCA; decided it needed thirteen amendments; and formed the "EAOs High-Level Delegation for the NCA" (also known as the EAOs Senior Delegation) to pursue negotiations with the Government.
On a negative note, fighting between ethnic armed organizations and government forces have been frequent, with each side blaming the other. Most clashes occurred in Kachin, Karen and Shan States. Although the incidence of armed conflict has diminished over the eighteen months to June 2015, it has produced a growing number of IDPs, especially in the
Kokang area. The EAOs have demanded the cessation of government offensives against their positions, claiming that these make them more wary, are an obstacle to a negotiated settlement, and are clearly not conducive to peace.
However, the KIA and the Kachin State Border Affairs Ministry were able to establish a "Joint Conflict Resolution Committee" to reduce clashes between the two sides. Although ethnic ceasefire groups have liaison offices located in urban centers, these are ineffective in solving problems between EAOs and government forces. Clashes are expected to be reduced when EAOs and the Government sign a mutually-acceptable NCA, form a ?Joint Monitoring Committee?, evolve a ?military code of conduct?, and establish demarcation lines between the opposing forces.
State and Union level bi-lateral agreements, which started to come into effect from late 2011, contain terms intended to reintegrate EAOs into the national patchwork and to assist conflict-affected communities. They have already started making important headway and foster an overall movement towards peace. They do this through legalization of EAOs, trustbuilding, recognition of ethnic rights, and resettlement. Assistance from the international community has played a crucial supporting role in producing these "peace dividends", but it is essential to guard against ignoring the core political issues which continue to promote conflict. The marked improvement in the everyday life of post-conflict communities is a clear sign of the progress being made. However, the absence of efforts to address political issues, such as self-determination and equal political rights, causes many to remain skeptical of the Government?s sincerity and to fear a return of conflict to those areas where it has died down. Major developments in the peace process notwithstanding, the persistently high level of armed conflict in Kachin, Karen and Shan States are a cause for grave concern. It encourages pessimistic cautiousness, and calls into question the Government?s sincerity in pursuing the peace process, suggesting the possibility of a hidden agenda. EAOs have reported that the Myanmar military has not changed its aggressive policy of wiping them out, fueling distrust of the Government and souring the peace process. The ongoing violence related to ethnic and communal conflict has created new IDPs and prevented the return of existing ones; and threatens to slow or even reverse the reforms made in the country as a whole. The international community has criticized the Government?s human rights record and pushed it to respect and promote human rights. The expansion of opium production and trafficking is another contradictory outcome of the peace process which suggests inexplicable and as yet to be identified flaws.
A great deal more must be done to understand and to address the root political causes that drive Myanmar?s long-standing civil war. With its increasing integration into the international community, and as the ASEAN chair in 2014, Myanmar is more enthusiastic than ever to make up for damage done by decades-long conflict and to catch up with global standards. Visits to Myanmar by world leaders have been frequent of late, and both Government and opposition leaders have visited foreign countries. Western countries have removed economic sanctions and kicked off their "engagement policy" to strengthen the reforms and encourage the peace process."
Source/publisher:
Burma News International
Date of publication:
2015-07-31
Date of entry/update:
2015-09-12
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Peace processes, ceasefires and ceasefire talks (websites, documents, reports and studies)
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
3.25 MB
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Description/subject:
Executive Summary: "Myanmar has captured the world?s attention with its transition away from authoritarian military rule
towards democracy. Since 2011, a series of major reforms have seen the country move from a
repressive political system to one that is more focused on people-centered development; from a statedominated
to a market-oriented economy; from decades of ethnic conflict towards a nationwide
ceasefire and political dialogue; and from regional isolation to re-engagement in global affairs.
This process of political and economic transformation has been accompanied by calls for reform of
the public sector in Myanmar from many quarters. Political parties have taken to the streets over
constitutional reform; students have marched to demand changes to the National Education Law;
farmers have protested for land rights; and urban residents have complained about frequent power
outages. Public expectations of government are rising, and demands are more visible, given the
greater space for public expression in recent years.
Outspoken criticism of the public sector, however, has also come from some surprising sources.
President U Thein Sein and his senior ministers have delivered a series of, at times, blistering speeches
calling for a change in the ?mindset? of government officials.."
David Hook, Tin Maung Than, Kim N. B. Ninh
Source/publisher:
Asia Foundation
Date of publication:
2015-05-31
Date of entry/update:
2015-09-11
Type:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
760.87 KB
Local URL:
AF-2015-Public_Sector_Reform-en-red.pdf
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Description/subject:
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:
2015-05-31
Date of entry/update:
2015-09-11
Type:
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
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Description/subject:
ဘေးအန္တရာယ် လျှော့ချရေး လုပ်ငန်းအဖွဲ့ (DRR WG) ကို ၂၀၀၈ခုနှစ် ဆိုင်ကလုန်း နာဂစ် ပြန်လည် ထူထောင်ရေး အစောပိုင်း ကာလ အတွင်း မြန်မာနိုင်ငံတော် အစိုးရနှင့် ရပ်ရွာ လူထု များ၏ ဘေးအန္တရာယ် ဒဏ်ခံနိုင်စွမ်းကို မြှင့်တင် အားပေးရန် အတွက် ဖွဲ့စည်းခဲ့ခြင်း ဖြစ်သည်။ ယင်းအချိန် မှစ၍ DRR WG သည် မြန်မာနိုင်ငံ၏ ကွဲပြား ခြားနား၍ ကျယ်ပြန့် စုံလင်မှု အရှိဆုံး ကွန်ယက်များ အတွင်း တစ်ခု အပါအဝင် ဖြစ်လာခဲ့ပြီး လက်ရှိ အချိန်၌UN၊ နိုင်ငံတကာ NGOs၊ ပြည်တွင်း NGOsနှင့် DRR ကဏ္ဍအတွင်း လုပ်ကိုင် ဆောင်ရွက်လျက် ရှိသည့် ကျွမ်းကျင်ရာ အဖွဲ့အစည်းစုစုပေါင်း (53)ဖွဲ့ခန့် ပါဝင် ဆောင်ရွက်လျက် ရှိသည်။
DRR WG ကို အဖွဲ့ဝင် (၁၁)ဦး ပါဝင်သည့် ကြီးကြပ်ရေး ကော်မတီမှ ဦးစီး ဆောင်ရွက်လျက်ရှိပြီး ယင်းအဖွဲ့ အစည်းများ အတွင်း UN အဖွဲ့အစည်း (၃)ခု၊ နိုင်ငံတကာ NGOs သုံးခု၊ ပြည်တွင်း NGOs သုံးခု၊ မြန်မာနိုင်ငံ ကြက်ခြေနီ အသင်းနှင့် သီးခြား ပညာရှင် အဖွဲ့အစည်း တစ်ရပ်တို့ ပါဝင် လျက်ရှိသည်။ DRR WG ၏ ဥက္ကဋ္ဌကို ကြီးကြပ် ရေး ကော်မတီမှ ရွေးချယ်ခြင်း ဖြစ်ပြီး လက်ရှိ၌ UNDP မှ ဥက္ကဋ္ဌ အဖြစ် ဆောင်ရွက်လျက် ရှိသည်။ ဘေးအန္တရာယ် စီမံခန့်ခွဲရေး ဆိုင်ရာ အဓိက တာဝန်ခံ ဝန်ကြီးဌာန တစ်ခုဖြစ်သော ကယ်ဆယ်ရေး နှင့် ပြန်လည် နေရာချ ထားရေး ဝန်ကြီးဌာန (RRD) ဒါရိုက်တာချုပ် ဖြစ်ပြီး အမျိုးသား ဘေးအန္တရာယ် စီမံခန့်ခွဲရေး လုပ်ငန်း ကော်မတီ (NDMWC) ၏ အတွင်းအရေးမှူး လည်းဖြစ်သူမှ DRR WG ၏ တွဲဘက် အကျိုးဆောင် ဥက္ကဋ္ဌ အဖြစ် ဆောင်ရွက်လျက် ရှိသည်။ DRR လုပ်ငန်း အဖွဲ့ခွဲ (DRR SSWG) ကို RRD နှင့် UNDP တို့မှ တွဲဘက် ဥက္ကဋ္ဌ အဖြစ် ဆောင်ရွက်လျက် ရှိပြီး အဖွဲ့ဝင်များ အတွင်း နိုင်ငံတကာ အဖွဲ့အစည်းမှ အဖွဲ့ဝင် တစ်ဦး၊ ပြည်တွင်း NGO တစ်ခုမှ အဖွဲ့ဝင် တစ်ဦး၊ ပညာရှင် အဖွဲ့အစည်းနှင့် မြန်မာနိုင်ငံ ကြက်ခြေနီ အသင်းမှ အဖွဲ့ဝင် တစ်ဦးကျစီ ပါဝင် လျက်ရှိသည်။ အဆိုပါ ပုဂ္ဂိုလ်များသည် DRR WG ၏ အဖွဲ့ဝင် များလည်း ဖြစ်ကြသည်။
၂၀၁၃ ခုနှစ်တွင် DRR WG မှ ၂၀၁၄-၁၈ မဟာဗျူဟာ မူဘောင်နှင့် စီမံချက်ကို ရေးဆွဲ ဖော်ထုတ်ခဲ့သည်။ အဓိက အနေဖြင့် (၁) DRR ဆိုင်ရာ မူဝါဒနှင့် အဖွဲ့အစည်း ဆိုင်ရာ မူဘောင်များကို အားဖြည့် ကူညီရန်၊ (၂) DRR အကောင်အထည် ဖော်ရန်နှင့် ဖွံ့ဖြိုးရေး လုပ်ငန်း အတွင်း DRR ကိုဖြည့်စွက် အားဖြည့်ရန်အတွက် ဋ္ဌာန ဆိုင်ရာများ၏ စွမ်းဆောင်ရည် များကို မြှင့်တင်ပေးရန်၊ (၃) DRR ဆိုင်ရာ လူထု အမြင်ဖွင့် မဟာဗျူဟာနှင့် ရပ်ရွာ အခြေပြု ဘေးအန္တရာယ် လျှော့ချရေး မူဘောင်ကို ရေးဆွဲ ဖော်ထုတ်ရာ၌အစိုးရအား ကူညီပံ့ပိုးရန်၊ (၄) DRR ကို အလေးပေး ဆောင်ရွက်နေသည့် ပြည်တွင်း NGOs များနှင့် ညှိနှိုင်း ဆောင်ရွက်၍ယင်းတို့၏ စွမ်း ဆောင်ရည်များ တိုးတက်လာအောင် ကူညီ အားဖြည့်ရန်၊ (၅) ပညာရေးနှင့် ပုဂ္ဂလိက ကဏ္ဍများနှင့် မိတ်ဘက်ပြု လက်တွဲ ဆောင်ရွက်ရန်နှင့် (၆) အစိုးရအား ထိထိ ရောက်ရောက် ကူညီ ပံ့ပိုးနိုင်ရန် အတွက် DRR WG အတွင်း ပူးပေါင်း ဆောင်ရွက်မှု အားကောင်း လာအောင် ဆောင်ရွက်ရန် ရည်ရွယ်ခြင်းဖြစ်သည်။ ၂၀၁၄ ခုနှစ် ဇန်နဝါရီတွင် ပြုလုပ်ခဲ့သည့် DRR WG ပြန်လှန် သုံးသပ်ရေး ခရီးစဉ်၌၂၀၁၄ ခုနှစ် လုပ်ငန်း အကောင်အထည် ဖော်မှုအတွက် နှစ်အလိုက် လုပ်ငန်း စီမံချက်များ ရေးဆွဲ ဖော်ထုတ်ရန် DRR WG မှ ဦးစားပေး ဆောင်ရွက်ရမည့် ကဏ္ဍရပ်များ ကို သတ်မှတ် ရွေးချယ်ခဲ့သည်။
Source/publisher:
Myanmar Information Monitoring Unit (MIMU)
Date of entry/update:
2015-09-04
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Category:
Natural Disasters - General
Language:
Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Local URL:
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Description/subject:
"The Agriculture sector encompasses Crop production, Livestock breeding, Fisheries and Agro-Forestry. It contributes 32% of the GDP, 17.5% of the total export earnings and employs 61.2% of the labour force (FAO 2009-2010). As such it is the main source of livelihood and income for the majority of the population in Myanmar. This page contains information on all aspects of agriculture including Fisheries, Livestock breeding and Forestry/Agro-Forestry, including needs and activities across Myanmar. The aim of this page is to provide actors across the sector with information that will enable greater coordination, transparency, and efficiency of operations in agriculture. Information on this page includes situation updates and analysis, information on inter-agency coordination and activities under implementation, relevant thematic maps and publications, and also key technical guidelines and resources related to this sector."
Source/publisher:
Myanmar Information Management Unit (MIMU)
Date of entry/update:
2015-09-04
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Language:
English
Local URL:
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Description/subject:
Responsibilities Within the Family.
Responsibilities Within the Society...
The Buddha delivered many discourses on the life of lay followers. In one of these discourses, which is called the Sigalovada Sutta, the Buddha talked about the roles and responsibilities of members within the family and within the society. He defined the ideal relationships that the lay follower should develop with respect to his family and the society at large. These relationships are based on the acceptance of reciprocal responsibilities between people."
Ven. K. Dhammasiri, Art by K. W. Janaranjara
Source/publisher:
Buddhanet
Date of entry/update:
2015-09-03
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Buddhism and society, Buddhist Ethics, Burmese and general Buddhist teaching, meditation, links, resources, directories
Language:
English
Local URL:
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Description/subject:
"The next round of talks on the nationwide ceasefire agreement have been set for September 9. It seems it may be signed soon. It has been a long process even to get this far. Can you share your opinion?
Well, commentators sometimes refer to this as a peace process, but that?s a misnomer. They?re not talking about peace. They?re talking about the technicalities of the ceasefire agreement. And normally, a ceasefire can just be announced. They stop shooting at each other, they sit down, they talk, you reach a consensus, you sign an agreement on political issues. Here, they?re putting the cart before the horse, and they want to talk about an agreement before they?ve even discussed any political issues. That?s not going to work..."
Aung Zaw + Bertil Lintner
Source/publisher:
"The Irrawaddy"
Date of publication:
2015-09-03
Date of entry/update:
2015-09-03
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Peace processes, ceasefires and ceasefire talks (websites, documents, reports and studies), Individual videos and films on Burma in English and other non-Asian languages
Language:
English
Local URL:
more
Description/subject:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
"Myanmar?s agricultural sector has for long suffered due to multiplicity of laws and regulations, deficient and degraded infrastructure, poor policies and planning, a chronic lack of credit, and an absence of tenure security for cultivators. These woes negate Myanmar?s bountiful natural endowments and immense agricultural potential, pushing its rural populace towards dire poverty.
This review hopes to contribute to the ongoing debate on land issues in Myanmar. It focuses on land tenure issues vis-à-vis rural development and farming communities since reforms in this sector could have a significant impact on farmer innovation and investment in agriculture and livelihood sustainability. Its premise is that land and property rights cannot be understood solely as an administrative or procedural issue, but should be considered part of broader historical, economic, social, and cultural dimensions.
Discussions were conducted with various stakeholders; the government?s inter-ministerial committee mandated to develop the National Action Plan for Agriculture (NAPA) served as the national counterpart. Existing literature was also reviewed. Limitations of the review included:
• maintaining inclusiveness without losing focus of critical aspects such as food security;
• the lack of a detailed discussion on the administration and management of forest land which is outside its purview; and
an evolving regulatory environment with work currently underway on the new draft of the National Land-Use Policy (NLUP) and Land-Use Certificates (LUCs) for farmlands (Phase One work)..."
Shivakumar Srinivas, U Saw Hlaing
Source/publisher:
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Date of publication:
2015-04-30
Date of entry/update:
2015-09-02
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Law and policy on land in Burma/Myanmar, Tenure (national legislation and policies), Tenure insecurity in Burma (including land grabbing), Shifting ("swidden", "jhum", "taungya") cultivation - Burma/Myanmar, Customary tenure (Myanmar)
Language:
English
Format :
pdf pdf
Size:
1.15 MB 7.49 MB
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Description/subject:
"By the end of the 20th century, the dam industry had choked more than half of the Earth?s major rivers with some 50,000 large dams. The consequences of this massive engineering program have been devastating. The world?s large dams have wiped out species; flooded huge areas of wetlands, forests and farmlands; and displaced tens of millions of people. The "one-size-fits-all" approach to meeting the world?s water and energy needs is also outdated: better solutions exist. While not every dam causes huge problems, cumulatively the world?s large dams have replumbed rivers in a massive experiment that has left the planet?s freshwaters in far worse shape than any other major ecosystem type, including tropical rainforests. In response, dam-affected communities in many parts of the world are working to resolve the legacies of poorly planned dams. Elsewhere (and especially in North America), communities are starting to take down dams that have outlived their usefulness, as part of a broader river restoration movement....Dam Basics:-
Frequently Asked Questions:
Watch We All Live Downstream for a visual introduction to dams, rivers and people...
Read 10 Things You Should Know About Dams...
Read "Greenwashing Hydropower": The Problems with Big Dams.....
Watch Hydropower: Not As Clean As You Think for an introduction to why big dams are not the answer to our changing climate....
Fact sheets:
Damned Rivers, Damned Lives: The case against large dams...
A Crisis of Mismanagement: Real solutions to the world?s water problems...
Beyond Hydropower: Energy options for the 21st century...
Warming the Earth: Hydropower threatens efforts to curb climate change...
The Coming Storm: Preparing for a warming water world.....
Latest additions:
Twelve Dams That Changed the World...
The State of the World?s Rivers...
Large Dams Are Uneconomic, Scientific Study Finds...
Hydropower:
WRR Commentary: Know Thy River.
Source/publisher:
International Rivers
Date of entry/update:
2015-09-02
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Language:
English
Local URL:
more
Description/subject:
"Those seeking to support democratisation in Myanmar?s political transition would do well to remember that political and democratic thinking does not only come from the West. A recent New York Times article by Thomas Fuller lamented the difficulty in translating key political words ? like ?democracy”, ?rule of law” or ?institutions” ? from English into the Myanmar language....The political realm in Myanmar is not an empty vessel into which new Western democratic terms need to be poured. Rather it has its own rich, evolving and contested traditions of political thought. These should be valued as resources and not ignored simply because they do not exactly reflect the tenets of Western liberal democracy."
Tamas Wells, Matthew J Walton
Source/publisher:
"Myanmar Times"
Date of publication:
2015-09-01
Date of entry/update:
2015-09-01
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Languages of Burma - general
Language:
English
Local URL:
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Description/subject:
"Linking Burma-Myanmar communities with global resources".....Key programme areas:-
Community Development...
The Rule of Law...
Education...
Leadership Development...
Women?s Rights & Gender Issues...
Peace Building.
Source/publisher:
Partners Asia
Date of entry/update:
2015-09-01
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Category:
Education by International and Local NGOs, International non-governmental organisations (INGOs) present in Burma
Language:
English
Local URL:
more
Description/subject:
Large collection of legal and other documents on statelessness from UNHCR and other sources.
Source/publisher:
UNHCR
Date of entry/update:
2015-08-25
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Language:
English
Local URL:
more
Description/subject:
"Practically isolated from the global market for 50 years, Myanmar is still largely dependent on agriculture. But the country is one of the most at risk from climate change and no one feels these pressures more than the rural smallholder farmers who make up the backbone of its food system and rural economy.
Shorter monsoons and rising temperatures mean severe droughts have become more frequent in recent decades. This has led to higher levels of saltwater intrusion in important rice growing territories and an increase in the risk of complete crop failure.
Proximity Designs is a social enterprise which was founded to provide farmers with low-cost, low-tech equipment to help them adapt and thrive in their changing environment.
They ensure their products are both affordable and suitable by employing a team of data-gatherers to conduct thorough research within the farming communities. And thanks to a network of some 900 scooter-driving "field agents", their products can even find their way to the most remote parts of the country.
Russell Beard travels to Myanmar to meet the innovators behind Proximity Designs and to see how their products and expertise are helping farmers stay one step ahead in a changing world."
Russell Beard
Source/publisher:
Al Jazeera (Earthrise)
Date of publication:
2015-05-04
Date of entry/update:
2015-08-24
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Sustainable/alternative development in and for Burma, Roots and Resources - global and regional experience and analysis, Smallholder farming and farmers in Burma/Myanmar, Individual videos and films on Burma in English and other non-Asian languages
Language:
English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Local URL:
more
Description/subject:
Reports of the 2015 floods plus other disasters as well as other political and economic events
Source/publisher:
ReliefWeb
Date of entry/update:
2015-08-21
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Category:
Floods of 2015 - UN and other reports
Language:
English
Local URL:
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Description/subject:
"Thukhuma explores art, culture, education and politics in Myanmar. Online, it presents the work of contemporary painters, and provides a forum for analysis and debate. Offline, it makes available its entire collection for display in public spaces. Thukhuma actively seeks to loan or donate paintings to museums, galleries, universities, schools, hospitals and other public institutions.
About the collection"...
"The thukhuma collection is personal and partial. It does not display the full range of paintings now being produced by Myanmar artists, and certainly there are major gaps. The guiding principle is to present multiple artistic perspectives on a society in transition. Most of the paintings thus date from the past few years."...
Source/publisher:
Thukhuma
Date of entry/update:
2015-08-17
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Category:
Painting
Language:
English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Local URL:
more
Description/subject:
Articles on the peace process from late 2013
Source/publisher:
Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB)
Date of entry/update:
2015-08-12
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Category:
Peace processes, ceasefires and ceasefire talks (websites, documents, reports and studies)
Language:
English
Local URL:
more
Description/subject:
Abstract:
"This article argues that attempts to buy insurgency out of violence can achieve temporary stability but risk producing new conflict. While co-optation with economic incentives might work in parts of a movement, it can spark ripple effects in others. These unanticipated developments result from the interactions of differently situated elite and non-elite actors, which can create a momentum of their own in driving collective behaviour. This article develops this argument by analysing the re-escalation of armed conflict between the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) and Myanmar?s armed forces after a 17-year-long ceasefire broke down in 2011. After years of mutual enrichment and collaboration between rebel and state elites and near organisational collapse, the insurgency?s new-found resolve and capacity is particularly puzzling. Based on extensive field research, this article explains why and how the state?s attempt to co-opt rebel leaders with economic incentives resulted in group fragmentation, loss of leadership legitimacy, increased factional contestation, growing resentment among local communities and the movement?s rank and file and ultimately the rebuilding of popular resistance from within."
David Brenner
Source/publisher:
"Conflict, Security & Development"
Date of publication:
2015-08-03
Date of entry/update:
2015-08-11
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Peace processes, ceasefires and ceasefire talks (websites, documents, reports and studies)
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
162.31 KB
Local URL:
Brenner-2015-08-03-Conflict-Kachin.pdf
Brenner-2015-08-03-Conflict-Kachin.pdf more
Description/subject:
"Once in the Jurassic about 150 million years ago,
the Great Sun Buddha in this corner of the Infinite
Void gave a Discourse to all the assembled elements
and energies: to the standing beings, the walking beings,
the flying beings, and the sitting beings -- even grasses,
to the number of thirteen billion, each one born from a
seed, assembled there: a Discourse concerning
Enlightenment on the planet Earth..."
Gary Snyder
Source/publisher:
Gary Snyder
Date of publication:
1968-11-30
Date of entry/update:
2015-08-09
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Buddhism and society, Buddhist Ethics, International organisations, movements, conferences, publications and resources related to the global environment
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
45.79 KB
Local URL:
Smokey_the_Bear_Sutra.pdf
Smokey_the_Bear_Sutra.pdf more
Description/subject:
"...In summary, the return of the MNDAA to
the Kokang region is a result of the failed
policies of the past and set in motion a series
of unprecedented events. These include
a deterioration in relations with China
which, as a result, has become more focal
in Myanmar?s peace process, and a hastily-
arranged ethnic summit at the headquarters
of the UWSA, the country?s largest armed
opposition group, which until now had shied
away from becoming involved in alliance
political affairs.
The renewed hostilities have also negatively
impacted on prospects for the signing of a
nationwide ceasefire agreement. Excluding
some groups from an NCA and future
political dialogue is a high-risk strategy. It
will continue divisive, and unsuccessful,
practices from the past whereby some
nationality forces have ceasefires with the
government, while the Tatmadaw pursues
military tactics against others. As Myanmar?s
tragic experience since independence has
frequently warned, conflict in any part of
the country can quickly lead to national
instability. Therefore, at a time of critical political
transition in the country, failure to address
the root causes of armed conflict and to
create an inclusive political process to solve
nationality grievances is only likely to have
a very detrimental impact on the prospects
for peace, democracy and development. If
the government is serious and determined
to bring peace to all Myanmar?s peoples,
military solutions to ethnic conflict must no
longer be pursued, and an inclusive political
dialogue should start as soon as possible.
Experiences from other countries entangled
in decades of civil war around the world have
long shown that ceasefires are not a necessary
precondition to start political negotiations.
Peace in Myanmar needs to move from
arguments about process to agreements about
delivery. In short, it is time to end military
confrontation and to start political dialogue."
Source/publisher:
Transnational Institute (TNI)
Date of publication:
2015-07-17
Date of entry/update:
2015-08-07
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Peace processes, ceasefires and ceasefire talks (websites, documents, reports and studies), TNI-BCN Project on Ethnic Conflict in Burma, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army-MNDAA (Kokang)
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
755.82 KB
more
Description/subject:
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY:
"Myanmar is emerging from decades of military rule, central planning and economic isolation as it implements
political and economic reforms and, as a result, faces fewer international sanctions. The country has great
potential for rapid development due to its vast natural resources, abundant labour force and geostrategic location.
1
Capitalizing on these assets to achieve its goal requires well-implemented regulatory and institutional reform.
To assist in these efforts, ESCAP and OECD conducted a multi-dimensional policy review of Myanmar from
the end of 2012 in coordination with the Government of Myanmar.
2
During the policy review, the lack of
information on the business conditions on the ground was found to be a serious impediment to the development
of appropriate polices. To address this issue, ESCAP and OECD carried out a business survey jointly with
the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI).
The survey provides a rich dataset of more than 3 000 firms in all sectors and geographic regions to help in
understanding the characteristics of firms on the ground, their business environment and the challenges they
face. This publication explores the survey results in depth, in order to develop policies that address these
challenges and promote private sector development in Myanmar.
The survey results are discussed from various key perspectives of businesses in order to identify effective
policy prescriptions. They include the business environment, market conditions, innovation, human resources,
access to finance, productivity, corruption, agribusiness and food industries, which are briefly summarized below..."
Aaron Soans, Masato Abe
Source/publisher:
UNESCAP
Date of publication:
2015-07-23
Date of entry/update:
2015-08-06
Type:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
6.58 MB
more
Description/subject:
"Customary communal tenure is characteristic of many local shifting cultivation upland communities in S.E. Asia. These communities have strong ancestral relationships to their land, which has never been held under individual rights, but considered common property of the village. Communal tenure has been the norm and land has never been a commodity..."
Kirsten Ewers Andersen
Source/publisher:
Chiangmai University Conference: "Burma/Myanmar in Transition"
Date of publication:
2015-07-26
Date of entry/update:
2015-08-06
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Customary tenure (Myanmar), Shifting ("swidden", "jhum", "taungya") cultivation - Burma/Myanmar, Law and policy on land in Burma/Myanmar, International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies (ICBMS) 23-26 July, 2015
Language:
English
Format :
pptx
Size:
1.06 MB
Local URL:
more
Description/subject:
High-quality speakers and panels. From 2009. Some of the meetings have recorded webcasts available online.
Source/publisher:
Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI)
Date of entry/update:
2015-08-06
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Category:
Climate Change policy - global ( statements, studies, conferences etc.), Forests and forest people - Alliances, support groups, conferences and other resources, International resources on land rights and tenure
Language:
English
Local URL:
more
Description/subject:
A video recording of a whole-day conference held on 18 June 2015. The page begins with text presentations. For the video recordings of the event, scroll down to Webcasts....."Co-Organized by RRI and IUCN, in partnership with the Embassy of France in Washington, DC...
Recent years have seen increased global attention and commitment to forest landscape restoration (FLR) as a strategy to mitigate climate change, enhance ecological services, and create new economic opportunities in rural areas. Initiatives such as the Bonn Challenge, calling for the restoration of 150 million hectares of deforested and degraded lands by 2020, and forest restoration commitments within the New York Declaration on Forests demonstrate the significant global momentum behind forest restoration as a ?nature-based” solution. Some countries have made FLR a major component of their green growth strategies, indicating the potential of these efforts to garner significant economic benefits beyond climate mitigation.
Increasingly, experience and evidence show that forest governance and tenure reforms supporting the rights of local communities and indigenous peoples are key factors in the success of forest restoration initiatives. Recognizing rights of indigenous peoples and local communities to forests creates incentives for long-term investments in forest restoration and management, enables communities to share in benefits generated from restoration activities, and provides the basis for forest-based enterprises and rural economic growth. Secure tenure is also necessary to unlock locally-driven solutions and ensure that forest restoration initiatives do not contribute to ?land grabbing” and increased conflict over land use in forest areas.
As forest restoration initiatives scale up around the world ? an area the size of France has been restored in the last three years ? it is especially important to highlight the challenges and opportunities of advancing forest restoration in a socially inclusive manner, respecting and promoting tenure rights and ensuring that local communities join in the design and benefits of restoration initiatives.
Gathering prominent national and international decision makers, experts and key representatives of indigenous peoples, local communities, governments, and civil society organizations, this Dialogue built a common understanding of the links among forest tenure, restoration and green growth, and share lessons from local experience on ways to strengthen these links. It also identified policy opportunities and distilled key messages to inform relevant policy discussions including the UNFCCC Conference of Parties meeting in Paris later in the year, the various REDD+ initiatives, as well as the Green Climate Fund."
Source/publisher:
Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI)
Date of publication:
2015-06-18
Date of entry/update:
2015-08-06
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Category:
Forests and forest people - Alliances, support groups, conferences and other resources, International resources on land rights and tenure, Videos and films on global issues, Climate change-related playlists, webcasts and articles
Language:
English
Local URL:
more
Description/subject:
Replaces "New Frontiers" (1999-2009) ..... "This bi-monthly newsletter takes a critical look at tourism policies and practices in Southeast Asia as well as in southern China. It particularly highlights people-centred perspectives aimed to advance civil rights, social and economic equity, cultural integrity, ecological sustainability and climate justice."
Source/publisher:
Third World Network
Date of entry/update:
2015-08-05
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Category:
Tourism in SE Asia, Tourism in Burma - critical
Language:
English
Local URL:
more
Description/subject:
Press Releases, UN reports and actions and other documents and updates from 2003 on children and armed conflict in Myanmar...includes links to Security Council material
Source/publisher:
Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict
Date of publication:
2013-05-01
Date of entry/update:
2015-08-04
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Category:
Children and armed conflict, Children, Children's rights: reports of violations in Burma against more than one ethnic group
Language:
English, Burmese/ မြန်မာဘာသာ
Local URL:
more
Description/subject:
Abstract: "This report provides a baseline institutional and regulatory assessment of the oil and gas, mining (including jade and gemstones) and the hydropower sectors in Myanmar. As such the report is an input to Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) in Myanmar. However, it is not exhaustive with respect to all the sectors that may be considered under a scoping study for EITI .This report is the first in-depth study of the context within which EITI will be implemented in Myanmar, and can inform broader efforts to improve natural resource governance. This includes support for developing natural resource policy, law and regulations, fiscal regime design, tax administration (including support to the Large Tax Payers Office on the extractive industries sector), license management and cadaster systems, community development agreements, strategic environmental and social mitigation and management, training needs assessments and capacity building. The follow-up to this baseline assessment is a scoping study, which will determine which companies should be included within the first MEITI report and what payment flows they will need to report on.".....Since the 167-page English ofiginal is 92MB, OBL produced various smaller versions - though not all equally crisp.
Source/publisher:
World Bank
Date of publication:
2015-05-12
Date of entry/update:
2015-08-03
Type:
Individual Documents
Language:
English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Format :
pdf pdf pdf
Size:
5.41 MB 9.83 MB 5.51 MB
more
Description/subject:
Documents from from 1948. 511 Google search results for Myanmar, August 2015; 588 on March 2016; 885 on December 2017. Project descriptions, sector reports, environmental assessments, working papers, main reports.....This link has the documents organised by reverse chronology, but users can also click on "Document Type" to group them by category such as Environmental Assessment. Most documents are in English with a few in Burmese....If the search times out, put Myanmar in the search box top right and click on Go.
Source/publisher:
World Bank
Date of entry/update:
2015-08-03
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Category:
World Bank and its Watchers
Language:
English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Local URL:
more
Description/subject:
Abstract:
"Swiddening is a traditional and widespread agricultural system in mountainous regions of Southeast Asia. It is prevalent in Myanmar?s hilly border region. However, economic, political, demographic, social and technological drivers in this region are causing this form of land use to undergo significant transition. This transition is affecting the customary land use rights of swidden farmers.
Throughout Myanmar?s tumultuous history, customary land management systems and the state land management system have been poorly integrated. This has led to customary land use rights receiving little formal recognition and left customary right-holders vulnerable to exploitation.
Recent political and economic developments within Myanmar have prompted changes to the state land management system. The Myanmar government introduced the Farmland Law 2012 and the Vacant Fallow and Virgin Lands Management Law 2012 which significantly altered how agricultural land is managed. However, these laws also contain minimal interaction with customary land management systems. In relation to swidden cultivation, the legislation is unclear how land under customary tenure is identified, how communally-held land is recognised and what swidden practices are legally permitted.
The draft National Land Use Policy released in late 2014 reveals progress in addressing these issues. However, greater clarity is needed with regard to how the policy is implemented. Many lessons may also be derived from the experiences of surrounding Southeast Asian countries, such as the Philippines and Cambodia, in the way customary land use rights are incorporated into state legislation.
The goal of this thesis is to propose how customary land management systems may be integrated into the state land management system in order for customary land use rights over swidden land to be recognised as comprehensively as possible by the state. The legislative framework should also allow sufficient flexibility for local farmers to adapt to changing circumstances. The identification of swidden land will be considered in the context of producing maps of customary land use, the management of swidden land under collective land-holding structures will be discussed with regard to pressures to individualise landholding and the use of swidden cultivation practices will be considered in light of proposed development projects.
The current political and economic climate in Myanmar indicates some willingness to acknowledge and address these issues. There is hope that customary land management systems and the state land management system will begin to complement, instead of conflict with, each other in order to enable swidden farmers to access their customarily held land into the future."
Subjects and Topics:
Formalisation, Customary land tenure, Swidden, Myanmar, Southeast Asia,
Jim David Ennion
Source/publisher:
Victoria University of Wellington (Master of Laws thesis)
Date of publication:
2014-11-30
Date of entry/update:
2015-08-01
Type:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.24 MB
more
Description/subject:
Objectives... Basic Principles... Land Use Administration... Formation of the National Land Use Council... Determination of Land Types and Land Classifications... Land Information Management... Planning and Changing Land Use... Planning and Drawing Land Use Map... Zoning and Changing Land Use... Changing Land Use by Individual Application... Grants and Leases of Land at the Disposal of Government Procedures related to Land Acquisition, Relocation, Compensation... Part-VI Land Dispute Resolution and Appeal... Land Disputes Resolution... Appeal... Assessment and Collection of Land Tax, Land Transfer Fee and Stamp Duties... Land Use Rights of the Ethnic Nationalities... Equal Rights of Men and Women... Harmonization of Laws and Enacting New Law... Monitoring and Evaluation... Research and Development...Miscellaneous .
Source/publisher:
Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar
Date of publication:
2015-04-30
Date of entry/update:
2015-07-30
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Law and policy on land in Burma/Myanmar, Shifting ("swidden", "jhum", "taungya") cultivation - Burma/Myanmar, Agricultural policy, Customary tenure (Myanmar)
Language:
Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Format :
pdf
Size:
488.79 KB
Local URL:
NLUP_6th_draft2015-06-bu.pdf
NLUP_6th_draft2015-06-bu.pdf more
Description/subject:
Objectives...
Basic Principles...
Land Use Administration...
Formation of the National Land Use Council...
Determination of Land Types and Land
Classifications...
Land Information Management...
Planning and Changing Land Use...
Planning and Drawing Land Use Map...
Zoning and Changing Land Use...
Changing Land Use by Individual Application...
Grants and Leases of Land at the Disposal of
Government
Procedures related to Land Acquisition, Relocation,
Compensation...
Part-VI Land Dispute Resolution and Appeal...
Land Disputes Resolution...
Appeal...
Assessment and Collection of Land Tax, Land
Transfer Fee and Stamp Duties...
Land Use Rights of the Ethnic Nationalities...
Equal Rights of Men and Women...
Harmonization of Laws and Enacting New Law...
Monitoring and Evaluation...
Research and Development...
Miscellaneous .
Source/publisher:
Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar
Date of publication:
2015-04-30
Date of entry/update:
2015-07-30
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Law and policy on land in Burma/Myanmar, Shifting ("swidden", "jhum", "taungya") cultivation - Burma/Myanmar, Agricultural policy
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
278.78 KB
Local URL:
NLUP_6th_draft2015-06-en.pdf
NLUP_6th_draft2015-06-en.pdf more
Description/subject:
"IDLO is the only intergovernmental organization exclusively devoted to promoting the rule of law. Governments, multilateral organizations, private foundations and the private sector support our work. We are headquartered in Rome, where we were first founded, and where we continue to enjoy strong support from the Italian government. We are present in The Hague, a city whose hospitality connects us with an unrivaled legal tradition. And we are represented at the United Nations in New York and Geneva, where we help shape the debate about human rights and development."
Source/publisher:
International Development Law Organization
Date of entry/update:
2015-07-28
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Language:
English
Local URL:
more
Description/subject:
"...the premise that customary justice systems are the preferred choice
of users is grounded in salient practical and social rationale. Their speed, accessibility and cost-effectiveness
make them a natural partner for disputants based in rural settings and isolated from the
state system. Moreover, their focus on consensus-based decisions and the restoration of community
harmony seems to respond to the needs of tightly knit communities whose members share close
bonds of social and economic dependency..."...This is Chapter 1 of "Customary Justice:
From Program Design to Impact Evaluation".
Erica Harper
Source/publisher:
International Development Law Organization (IDLO)
Date of publication:
2010-11-30
Date of entry/update:
2015-07-27
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Legal Pluralism - global and regional
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
114.11 KB
more
Description/subject:
"...Informal or non-state justice systems are umbrella terms often used to describe mechanisms of
justice and conflict resolution that operate outside the bounds of a formal, state-based legal system.
These may include, but are not limited to, indigenous, customary and religious legal orders,
alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and popular justice forums.
This book is concerned primarily with customary justice systems, sometimes also referred to as
?traditional justice systems?. While the diversity of such systems makes generalization difficult, for
the purposes of this book, ?customary justice? refers to a system of customs, norms and practices
that are repeated by members of a particular group for such an extent of time that they consider
them to be mandatory. Customary systems tend to draw their authority from cultural, customary
or religious beliefs and ideas, rather than the political or legal authority of the state. As such,
provided that it has not been incorporated into state law, customary law is only law to the extent that
the people who follow it, voluntarily or otherwise, consider it to have the status of law.
Customary justice systems are as much social or political orders as they are legal orders; customary
law generally comprises descriptions of what a community does as well as prescriptions as to what
its members should do. These norms and rules are actively produced, enforced and recreated
through processes of participation and contestation. Customary law can therefore be dynamic,
adaptable and flexible, and any written version of it is likely to become quickly outdated. Factors as
diverse as ecology, socio-economics, proximity to the state system, and religious beliefs all
contribute to the development of customary law. These factors explain why the precepts of
customary justice systems can differ greatly over small distances, and why there may be several
versions of customary law co-existing in one place, in competition with each other as well as the
state system..."
Erica Harper
Source/publisher:
International Development Law Organization (IDLO)
Date of publication:
2010-11-30
Date of entry/update:
2015-07-27
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Legal Pluralism - global and regional
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.13 MB
more
Description/subject:
"For half a century, Burma was so cut off from the outside world, people were jailed for owning an unauthorised fax machine. As the rest of the world was hurtling into the information age, the strict censorship of publications, limited access to global media and creaking connections to the internet stunted the evolution of the Burmese language, leaving it without many words that are elsewhere deemed essential parts of the modern political and technical vocabulary.
Today, as Burma embraces change, many foreign words are being imported wholesale, but their meanings are getting lost in translation. The English word democracy was subsumed into the Burmese language decades ago ? it is pronounced dee-mock-rah-SEE ? but for many Burmese it remains a foreign and somewhat abstract concept. No native words exist for other common ideas like racism, federal or globalisation..."
Thomas Fuller
Source/publisher:
"The Irish Times"
Date of publication:
2015-07-21
Date of entry/update:
2015-07-21
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Languages of Burma - general
Language:
English
Local URL:
more
Description/subject:
"Villagers in Karen areas of southeast Myanmar continue to face widespread land confiscation at the hands of a multiplicity of actors. Much of this can be attributed to the rapid expansion of domestic and international commercial interest and investment in southeast Myanmar since the January 2012 preliminary ceasefire between the Karen National Union (KNU) and the Myanmar government. KHRG first documented this in a 2013 report entitled ?Losing Ground?, which documented cases of land confiscation between January 2011 and November 2012. This report, ?With only our voices, what can we do??, is a follow up to that analysis and highlights continued issue areas while identifying newly documented trends. The present analysis assesses land confiscation according to a number of different factors, including: land use type; geographic distribution across KHRG?s seven research areas; perpetrators involved; whether or not compensation and/or consultation occurred; and the effects that confiscation had on local villagers. This report also seeks to highlight local responses to land confiscation, emphasising the agency that individuals and communities in southeast Myanmar already possess and the obstacles that they face when attempting to protect their own human rights. By focusing on local perspectives and giving priority to villagers? voices, this report aims to provide local, national, and international actors with a resource that will allow them to base policy and programmatic decisions that will impact communities in southeast Myanmar more closely on the experiences and concerns of the people living there..."
Source/publisher:
Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG)
Date of publication:
2015-06-30
Date of entry/update:
2015-07-15
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Land confiscation for military, commercial and other purposes, Videos and multimedia on Burma in Burmese, Karen and other languages of Burma, most with English subtitles.
Language:
Burmese, Karen, English subtitles
Local URL:
more
Description/subject:
From September 2010...Link to the original source at the foot of each article
Source/publisher:
Various sources via Burmanet News
Date of entry/update:
2015-07-14
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Language:
English
Local URL:
more