Sunday, January 12, 2014

Democratic Voice of Burma

Democratic Voice of Burma

Norway-backed Burma peace initiative ‘probably’ to end

Posted: 12 Jan 2014 01:10 AM PST

A controversial Burmese peace initiative backed by the Norwegian government is likely to end in the coming months, less than two years after it was launched, a spokesperson has confirmed, although he insisted that it had been a "success".

The Myanmar Peace Support Initiative (MPSI), a multi-million dollar scheme supporting humanitarian and peace efforts in Burma's conflict-torn border areas, is currently undergoing an internal review, which is expected to conclude that there is no "added value" in its work, according to its lead consultant.

"In terms of MPSI we want to make sure whatever we do adds value, and there's a clear sense that if there isn't we won't continue," Charles Petrie told DVB, adding that it was "probably" going to end. He cited "more complex" local circumstances and an influx of other actors as reasons for the decision.

The MPSI, which was formed in March 2012 at the request of the Burmese government, has courted criticisms from the start, with some accusing Norway of jumping into bed with Naypyidaw to secure lucrative business deals.

Thai-based community groups have repeatedly complained about a lack of transparency and local consultation, fearing that the initiative could destabilise the ethnic peace process.

"I take it as a positive step for them to reflect on what has gone wrong so far and find ways to correct or make damage control of this failure." – Khin Ohmar, Burma Partnership 

Many have suggested that the MPSI is prioritising economic and humanitarian development projects ahead of political dialogue in ethnic minority areas, where rebel groups have begun a slow reconciliation process with the central government following decades of civil war.

An internal review document released by MPSI in March 2013 conceded a significant lack of confidence in the peace process and suspicions that the MPSI was trying to "buy peace", along with pressure from Naypyidaw to deliver quick and large-scale "peace-dividends" for ethnic communities.

Khin Ohmar, Coordinator of Burma Partnership, told DVB she would "not" be surprised if they chose to end the initiative, which she sees as a fiasco. "I take it as a positive step for them to reflect on what has gone wrong so far and find ways to correct or make damage control of this failure," she said.

She said that Norway had "rushed" into the process with little understanding of the local challenges, including the "mindset of Burman chauvinism" which ethnic minorities say fuelled decades of conflict with the former military regime.

Ashley South, another consultant for the MPSI, recently acknowledged that most Burmese government officials view the ethnic conflicts as a problem of under-development rather than political rights. In a subsequent op-ed for the Myanmar Times, he accused international donors of carelessly pumping funds through government channels without delivering capacity-building support at the local level.

"We are worried that the government and donors are pushing ahead with their own plans without consulting us – and that the aid agenda is getting ahead of the political agenda," says an ethnic leader, cited in the article.

However, Petrie denied that the MPSI was adding to the problem, saying its financial contribution was "too small" to make a difference. "We provide taxi change to the situation, we don't provide money at all."

But Norway also chairs the Peace Donor Support Group (PDSG) – a consortium of international donors, which has already pledged over US$500 million in development aid to support Burma's peace process.

A spokesperson for the Norwegian government told DVB it would remain "fully committed" to its work with the PDSG, which recently established a secretariat and is poised to take over some of the MPSI's activities.

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"The MPSI was meant to be an immediate response – because of the urgent [need] to support the fragile process – and as well a short term initiative. And it was therefore always meant to be followed by a more long term initiative as the peace process progressed," said Arne Jan Flølo, Norway's Chargé d’Affaires to Burma.

Flølo explained that Norway has not yet determined how much money it will contribute to the PDSG, but projects will be aimed at promoting both political dialogue and socio-economic development, such as the sustainable use of natural resources. He added that the PDSG, whose members include the EU and the World Bank, are committed to "discussing issues of concern" with the local community.

Last week, PDSG member Japan pledged a fresh US$100 million grant to the Burmese government, which has been described by some as an attempt to counter the influence of China while boosting its own investment interests in the resource-rich country. The money will be channeled through the government-backed Myanmar Peace Centre, which also receives funding from the MPSI and has been accused by analysts of "bribing" rebel leaders into ceasefires.

"We knew from the very beginning the kind of danger that big aid money would bring to peace building," said Paul Sein Twa, Executive Director at the Karen Environmental and Social Action Network. "For example, although there is a big decline in armed conflicts, there are more economically driven conflicts as a direct result of land grabs and the extraction of natural resources."

He called on the PDSG to invest more resources into understanding the complex dynamics of ethnic conflicts in Burma, while improving its consultation process and communication strategies. Khin Ohmar added that the transparency and accountability of peace fund activities are pivotal to the outcome of the peace process.

"I can’t imagine how fake the outcome of this government-led peace process would be by now if there had been no consistent and united demands from the ethnic groups throughout 2013," she said.

Ethnic minorities make up roughly 40 percent of the population in Burma, where they have endured decades of political and economic exploitation at the hands of the military junta, which was formally disbanded in 2011.

The MPSI's future is set to be revealed at a workshop in February. But Norway says that existing pilot projects, including an educational project in Chin State and IDP resettlement programme for Karen State, will continue under the management of local stakeholders in any case.

Petrie was adamant that a decision to end the MPSI would not represent a failure, but rather a recognition that the initiative was no longer needed.

"It's not going to have an impact on the peace process at all, because we are not that significant," he said. "The way I see it ending is nobody noticing that MPSI stopped."

Hanna Hindstrom is a freelance journalist covering Burma and Southeast Asia.

New Electricity Bill stresses environmental protection

Posted: 11 Jan 2014 09:38 PM PST

A new draft of Burma's Electricity Bill is under final revision by relevant ministers and the lower house Natural Resources and Environmental Preservation Committee (NREPC), before submission to the ninth session of parliament this week. The bill is set to replace Burma's 1984 Electricity Law.

The NREPC convened on Thursday with members of the Bill Committee, the Attorney General's Office and ministers of energy, environmental preservation and forestry, to discuss clauses for the prevention of environmental damage.

Environmentalists have persistently requested that new laws adopt consistent policies on extraction and preservation. Min Thu, a member of the NREPC, told DVB that the bill was drafted to align Burma's energy production and distribution with current international standards.

Win Myo Thu, director of the environmental group Eco Dev, said that regulating the production of coal-fire energy is a priority, as it can lead to severe dangers to both health and the environment.

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"We would like to see complete regulation of electricity generation from coal," he said. "Respiratory diseases are the most common cause of death among children under age five – what we cannot prevent with coal power generation is a high rate of carbon emission."

As of 2010, hydropower accounted for nearly 70 percent of domestic electricity, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). As domestic demand and capacity increase, Burma seeks to diversify its power sources to rely more heavily on gas and coal-fire power.

According the latest World Bank figures, only about 16 percent of Burma's population is connected to the national grid. Because of this low percentage, figures on overall nationwide power access vary; many villages use independently provided power from diesel generators, often supplied at extremely inflated prices.

The most commonly cited figure estimates that around 70 percent of Burma's population does not have electrical access.

While a vast majority of the country sill lives in darkness, rapid investment reform and the lifting of most international sanctions has led to a steep rise in foreign energy production within Burma.

Research from Harvard's Ash Center published in 2012 estimated more than 10 percent of energy produced is exported annually, a number likely to increase as Burma's extractive sector develops.

Furthermore, of unrefined materials like natural gas and petroleum, the EIA estimated that over 75 percent of resources produced in Burma were being exported as of March 2013, largely to Thailand. Resource exports are currently higher as the Shwe gas pipeline, which ships natural gas from Burma's western coast to Yunnan, China, has since become operational.

Win Myo Thu insists that in the flurry of growth to meet both foreign and domestic demand, legislators cannot let the environment fall by the wayside. While Burma is said to be drafting legislation that will require companies to perform thorough Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs), there is currently no mandate. Projects that have undergone ESIA were largely prompted by community rights groups, and many have been denounced as insufficient or inaccurate.

"We need to have better regulations," he said.

 

Prepping for the Para Games

Posted: 11 Jan 2014 07:02 PM PST

After the success of the SEA Games, Burma is now preparing to host the ASEAN Para Games for the first time ever.

With only a few days until the opening ceremony in Naypyidaw, the teams were more than ready.

"We have no experience with international matches prior to this, but we are determined to win by using all the strength we have, and this keeps us in high-spirits", said Aung Ko Ko, a wheelchair basketball player.

This is the 7th edition of the Para Games, a multi-sports championship for people with disabilities.

The Myanmar ASEAN Para Games Organising Committee is coordinating the games, under guidance of the ASEAN Para Sports Federation.

"As a former para athlete, I have competed in the Para Games myself back under the [Burmese Socialist Programme Party] ruling – we used to have remarkable support from the government who organised games every year", said Aung Myint Tun, from the Myanmar Para Sports Federation.

1,500 athletes with physical disabilities will take part in 12 sporting events, such as basketball, futsal and chess. And the players are aiming for gold.

"I won medals in the Mon State Blind Chess Championship from 1973 to 1979", said competitor Aye Lwin. "I am determined to win all gold medals in the 7th ASEAN Para Games this year."

According to Aung Myint Tun, Burmese athletes are generally good at sports such as swimming, track and field and volleyball. The goal is to score between 40-50 gold medals this year.

The selling of tickets for the opening ceremony started on the 1st of January. Each person can buy a maximum of 2 tickets, as long as they can present a citizenship scrutiny card.

As during the SEA Games late last year, the athletes will be staying at the Athlete's village, built especially for the occasion.

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Though the athletes are determined to succeed, they feel that public support for the Para Games is not as strong as it was for the SEA Games.

"As the SEA Games is very high profile, a lot of people follow the event, but I feel as if they are not very supportive of the para games", said Ken Demo, blind goalball player.

"We are doing well and aiming to win some medals; if possible, we would like to win gold", said Nan Win Win Than, sitting volleyball player. "But we are only participating for the first time this year we are not expecting a lot."

"I would like the media and the country leaders to know – I have played about 10 international matches but we are still not treated as worthy human beings", said Zaw Moe Aung, blind goalball player. "The amount of bonuses we are given is not much compared to normal athletes, we are only awarded about 200,000-300,000 Kyat per match – in many matches regardless of the effort we made and to this day, we are still struggling to survive. We wish the country's leaders and the public knew this and would pay us more attention".

However, the athletes keep their spirits up as the opening of the games draws closer.

"We wish to see the same kind of support from the people as towards the SEA Games", said weightlifter Than Aung. "Compared to the SEA Games, we are very slow-paced, as we have physical disabilities. Despite that, we are keeping our spirits strong, looking to play our best and would like to urge the people to support us the same way they did for the national teams in the SEA Games."

The opening ceremony, as well as the majority of the sporting events, will take place on 14 January at Wunna Theikdi Stadium, the main venue of the SEA Games. The Para Games will go on until the 21st of January.

 
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