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111. Creating Opportunities for Rohingya Refugees and Hosts Through Forest Landscape Restoration

Author:
Heather Tallis, Cindy Huang, John Herbohn, Karen Holl, Sharif A. Mukul, and Kam Morshed
Publication Date:
07-2019
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Center for Global Development (CGD)
Abstract:
Rohingya refugees began arriving in Bangladesh in August 2017, fleeing atrocities deemed serious crimes under international law by United Nations investigators. Over 740,000 new refugees have settled in two camps in Cox’s Bazar district of Chittagong: Kutupalong-Bulukhali and Naypara-Leda. The number of Rohingya in Cox’s Bazar now stands at around one million, comprising about 30 percent of the population. Kutupalong-Bulukhali is now the largest refugee camp in the world. The influx of Rohingya into Cox’s Bazar has exacerbated deforestation, underdevelopment, and climate vulnerability. Combined, these factors create an urgent need for new strategies and resources to address the increasing stress placed on the environment, and the consequences of this stress for refugee and host communities.
Topic:
Environment, Genocide, Refugees, Humanitarian Crisis, and Forest
Political Geography:
Myanmar

112. Stateless Rohingyas: From Crosshair to Crossroads

Author:
M. Ihsan Qadir, Saif Ur Rehman, and S. M. A. Gardezi
Publication Date:
01-2019
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Journal of Political Studies
Institution:
Department of Political Science, University of the Punjab
Abstract:
The distressing ethno-demographic conflict in Myanmar is a sordid reality of recent human history. The two ethnic groups; Buddhists and Rohingyas (mainly Muslims) living in North Westerly state (Rakhine State) are at daggers drawn with each other since last many decades. History of this intra-state conflict dates back to British colonization of Burma in 1824. The widespread state sponsored persecution of Rohingya community after Myanmar‟s independence in 1948 has created waves of ethnic and political instability one after the other. Few contributory causes of the conflict include; systematic denial of citizenship rights, restrictions on freedom of movement, absence of healthcare facilities and deprivation of education for Rohingya community. The most serious of all is denial of citizen rights which has rendered the community stateless. The prolonged sufferings at the hands of majority population (Buddhists) have forced this stateless community to contemplate carving out a separate autonomous state by seceding from Myanmar. This resulted in creating gulf of distrust between both the parties triggering a major intrastate conflict in South Asia. The conflict lifecycle has witnessed many rounds of violence resulting in huge destruction of life and property. This article examines regional repercussions of recent cycle of violence and suggests few conflict resolution strategies.
Topic:
Demographics, Ethnic Conflict, Secession, and Rohingya
Political Geography:
Southeast Asia and Myanmar

113. Unpacking Decentralization: Improving How States and Regions in Myanmar Issue Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Permits

Author:
Sebastian Sahla and Hosana Chay
Publication Date:
10-2019
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Natural Resource Governance Institute
Abstract:
Recent reforms in Myanmar’s mining sector have given greater powers to states and regions. Following regulatory changes in 2018, the responsibility for issuing permits for artisanal and small-scale mines has shifted from the capital Nay Pyi Taw to state- and region-level boards. Decentralization could be an opportunity to improve governance of Myanmar’s mining sector. Most artisanal and small-scale miners currently operate without permits. By reducing the physical distance that they need to travel to get a permit, decentralization could make it easier to operate legally. Legal title could strengthen livelihoods while helping the government to monitor mining activities. Decentralization in mining is also part of a broader shift to empower subnational stakeholders. It is an important element of Myanmar’s political transition and attempts to end decades of civil conflict. However, there are major challenges around how the government is implementing decentralization. States and regions have new responsibilities but not necessarily the experience and skills to fulfil them effectively. As a result, decentralization could drive mismanagement and corruption, exacerbate environmental and social impacts, and generate conflicts with large-scale mining. The authors of this report find that at present the potential benefits of decentralization could go unrealized.
Topic:
Natural Resources, Mining, and Decentralization
Political Geography:
Southeast Asia and Myanmar

114. How and Why the Myanmar Government Should Publish Petroleum and Mining Contracts

Author:
Sebastian Sahla, Hosana Chay, and Robert Pitman
Publication Date:
05-2019
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Natural Resource Governance Institute
Abstract:
Contract disclosure is a growing global norm. The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) board agreed to require all member governments to disclose the contracts they sign with oil, gas and mining companies beginning in January 2021. Around the world governments, companies and civil society are increasingly advocating for disclosure. In Myanmar, progress has been extremely slow. Despite civil society activists and several major investors supporting reforms, the government has not disclosed any petroleum or mining contracts so far. With new licenses expected to be issued in the petroleum, minerals and gemstone sectors, the Myanmar government should act now to keep pace with a global trend.
Topic:
Corruption, Natural Resources, Regulation, Negotiation, Legislation, Transparency, and Contracts
Political Geography:
Afghanistan, Mongolia, Asia, Sierra Leone, Mexico, Myanmar, and Cameroon

115. Considerations for Taxing Myanmar’s Large-scale Mining Companies

Author:
David Manley, Sebastian Sahla, Ko Ko Lwin, and Khin Saw Htay
Publication Date:
09-2019
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Natural Resource Governance Institute
Abstract:
Despite geological potential, Myanmar's mining sector has attracted few large-scale companies to date and the sector generates little government revenue. The authors of this briefing present the challenges the Myanmar government has faced in designing an effective mining tax regime. They suggest three ways in which the government could attract greater investment and allow the people of Myanmar to maximize benefits from the potentially significant mineral wealth of their country. The briefing is informed by the Natural Resource Governance Institute’s engagement with Myanmar’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MONREC), helping the ministry implement strategic reforms.
Topic:
Natural Resources, Tax Systems, Mining, Private Sector, and Revenue Management
Political Geography:
Southeast Asia and Myanmar

116. Delivering Healthcare amid Crisis: The Humanitarian Response in Myanmar

Author:
Alice Debarre
Publication Date:
02-2019
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
International Peace Institute (IPI)
Abstract:
Myanmar simultaneously faces multiple armed conflicts and crises, each with its own challenges. In Rakhine state, the government’s persecution of the Rohingya people has led to massive displacement, as have decades of armed conflict in Kachin and northern Shan states. Combined with chronic underdevelopment, these humanitarian crises have left people without access to adequate healthcare, leading international humanitarian actors to step in. The public health system in Myanmar is generally poor, and government funding for health services is among the lowest in the world. There are wide discrepancies in health services between rural and urban populations and between central and peripheral states. In Rakhine, there are only nine public health workers per 10,000 people, and access to secondary and tertiary healthcare is limited. Community-based or ethnic health organizations provide primary healthcare in many areas without government facilities. In crisis-affected areas, UN agencies and international and local NGOs play an important part in providing healthcare services. However, international action can be unbalanced both regionally and medically. In many areas, health actors have focused on responding to diseases like malaria, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis, leaving a critical gap in mental health services and clinical health responses to sexual and gender-based violence. Likewise, funding has been imbalanced, with Rakhine state receiving more funding than Kachin or northern Shan. This paper looks at the state of healthcare in Rakhine, Kachin, and northern Shan states, the role of humanitarian actors in the provision of health services, and the trends and challenges affecting the humanitarian health response. It provides several recommendations for improving the humanitarian health response in Myanmar, including: 1. Adjust the scope of the humanitarian response; 2. Advocate for better humanitarian access; 3. Strengthen local capacities, and; 4. Address the dilemmas inherent in providing aid amid a development and human rights crisis.
Topic:
Health, Crisis Management, Public Health, and Humanitarian Crisis
Political Geography:
Southeast Asia and Myanmar

117. Guatemala’s Achilles’ Heel: The 2030 Agenda and the Fight against Corruption

Author:
Jimena Leiva Roesch
Publication Date:
05-2019
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
International Peace Institute (IPI)
Abstract:
In late 2015, momentum toward implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was steadily building in Guatemala. This momentum was driven by the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) and protesters in the streets demanding action against corruption. Since 2017, however, a political standoff in Guatemala has started reversing these gains. A sustained reversal would undermine efforts to address the country’s longstanding socioeconomic needs. This study analyzes recent gains and setbacks in Guatemala’s efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda and provides recommendations for ways the country can fight corruption and securitization to sustain peace and promote sustainable development. It suggests better communicating the 2030 Agenda through multi-stakeholder outreach, improving monitoring or progress, aligning international aid with local objectives, and continuing to engage with the private sector. This issue brief is part of the International Peace Institute’s (IPI) SDGs4Peace project, which seeks to understand how the 2030 Agenda is being rooted at the national and local levels and to support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. The project focuses on five case studies: Guatemala, the Gambia, Greece, Lebanon, and Myanmar. Implementation of the 2030 Agenda provides each of these countries an opportunity not only to buttress existing aspirations but also to build new partnerships that transcend traditional approaches.
Topic:
Corruption, Development, Sustainable Development Goals, and Peace
Political Geography:
Greece, South America, Lebanon, Guatemala, Myanmar, and Gambia

118. Mapping conditions in Rakhine State

Author:
Elise Thomas, Nathan Ruser, and Mali Walker
Publication Date:
07-2019
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI)
Abstract:
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute's International Cyber Policy Centre has combined open-source data with the collection and analysis of new satellite imagery to assess the current status of settlements in northern Rakhine State, Myanmar, which were burned, damaged or destroyed in 2017. As part of this research project, we have also mapped potential repatriation camps and military bases constructed on the sites of former Rohingya settlements. Our research does not support assertions that conditions are in place to support a safe, dignified and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees to Rakhine State. Satellite analysis shows minimal preparation for a return of half a million refugees. The preparations that are being made raise significant concerns about the conditions under which returning Rohingya would be expected to live. Ongoing violence, instability, disruptions to internet and communications technologies and the lack of information about the security situation in Rakhine add to those concerns. This research seeks to add to the evidence base available to policymakers and relevant stakeholders about conditions in northern Rakhine, and Rakhine State more broadly. It also seeks to contribute to informed discussions about the best path towards a safe, dignified and sustainable future for the Rohingya refugees.
Topic:
Cybersecurity, Refugees, Ethnic Cleansing, and Mapping
Political Geography:
Asia, Southeast Asia, and Myanmar

119. Disinformation Goes South: Political technologies threaten developing countries

Author:
Adam Moe Fejerskov and Flemming Splidsboel Hansen
Publication Date:
07-2019
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS)
Abstract:
Political technologies executed from within the digital domain are increasingly deployed in the Global South. Here, social media monopolies and an upsurge in the number of new digital media users allow information operations to reach millions and affect important political developments. The consequences can be fatal, as seen in Myanmar. Recommendations Be prepared for a rapid transfer of the political technology of contemporary information operations to political actors in the Global South ■ Anticipate information operations, including the use of disinformation, that exploit the combination of social media monopolies and an upsurge in the number of new digital media users ■ Invest in digital media literacy and social media accountability mechanisms in states that have recently been affected by media disruption
Topic:
Security, Development, Science and Technology, and Fragile States
Political Geography:
Southeast Asia and Myanmar

120. International Criminal Liability in the Age of Social Media: Facebook's Role in Myanmar

Author:
Isabella Banks
Publication Date:
02-2019
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Public International Law Policy Group
Abstract:
Criminal liability in international law is unique from that of most national legal systems in that it extends to those physically distant from the crime. International law’s expanded notions of criminal liability and commission are what have made it possible for justice institutions – first the Nuremberg International Military Tribunal (IMT) in 1945 and now the International Criminal Court (ICC) – to hold high-level perpetrators who order, plan, coordinate, or facilitate mass atrocities from afar accountable for their actions. A question that international legal authorities have largely left unanswered is how this expanded notion of criminal liability might be applied in the age of global online networks and in particular, social media. There is mounting evidence that in addition to helping us stay connected and “bring the world closer together,” social media platforms are being used to proliferate ideas that result in real-world violence.
Topic:
Crime, International Cooperation, Violence, and International Criminal Court (ICC)
Political Geography:
Myanmar and Global Focus