Working Inside the Triangles: Engaging with Locally Led Peace Initiatives in Myanmar

This paper does not provide an in-depth analysis of the country’s current context or a detailed history of how it got to where it is now. Many other excellent papers exist that serve that purpose. Also it is written from the subjective viewpoint of an outsider who can never know or understand the whole story. At the same time, my distance from the day to day, puts me in a position to stand back and consider the big picture in a way that those who are down in the trenches may not have the luxury to do. Thus, this paper is intended as a quick snapshot taken at a moment in time. Its purpose is to communicate to the reader some of the concerns and challenges that friends and colleagues shared, as well as insights into the exciting and innovative approaches that are being carried forward by local actors to address those challenges; I want to share how those approaches, informed by an in-depth understanding of the context that can come only from local actors, offer lessons to long-term peacebuilding work. My goal is to also share this snapshot so that it might raise awareness among international actors as they think about their own engagement in a highly complex conflict situation, and the potential that their interventions have for either making the situation worse or

supporting long-term peacebuilding.

You can download the complete version of the book at this link 

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About the Author

Sarah Clarke is a member of the Board of Directors of the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies. In New York, she works on peacebuilding and peacemaking issues at the UN. She has also worked with a wide variety of NGOs in Southeast Asia, and with policy advisors and academics in China.

Naturalized Citizenship for Rohingya, Why?

Even though Myanmar government is talking with ethnic arm groups to get peace in Burma,Rohingyas are not included there. The future of Rohingya’s is uncertain. Violence against Muslim is still happening with total impunity. Humanitarian aids are still blocked for Rohingya IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) camps. People are starving and dying every day in the camps. Many Rohingya have to flee from their country. Now it is appearing as a regional problem.Some refugee in Rakhine state  are forcibly move to new shelters which is even worse than previous camps near the sea where is the cyclone effected area aiming to settle permanently them. They are facing total annihilation in their own land.It is almost one and half year now, until today we don’t see any step to taking by the government to give security, to access education, health and livelihood and resettlement for the IDPs.

Nowadays the Burmease government has suggested that they might allow Rohingya to apply for naturalized citizenship under the 1982 citizenship law, which is contrary with universality of Human rights,to satisfy the foreign pressure .And also some countries have said that they could support this plan. When we spoke to representatives from the USA, Britain, France and, even EU office from Yangon they agree with that. They tried to encourage Rohingya to accept naturalized citizen.

That is not the right solution because they had been already full citizen of Burma with the status of indigenous. This citizen was stripped of after 1982 citizenship law was enacted. Again Naturalization under 1982 citizenship law in Myanmar is not the same naturalization with other countries like other countries have. Naturalization in Myanmar does not have the same right with birth citizens. They are restricted in political rights, economic rights, property rights and socio cultural rights. And also it can be revoke any time by the state. Naturalized citizens are like second class citizen. By categorizing Rohingya in this way it would contribute to even more discrimination, formalize Rohingya reduced status in society leading more violence in the future. ***

Author: Ma Wai Wai, is an activist and professional who lead young women network (Arakan). She has been concerned on women and justice for many years.