International Community needs to focus on Burma’s ethnic conflicts

Posted on December 18, 2009
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Karen refugees in Thailand

Refugees International (RI) says countries looking to engage with Burma’s ruling military junta, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) need to make resolving the country’s ethnic conflicts a priority. RI has been working with Holland’s Transnational Institute to raise awareness of the subject among policy makers in Washington.
In an article on their web site, RI note, “Both TNI and RI have long believed that in order to truly address conflict and displacement in Burma, the state must come to permanent peace arrangements with the wide range of ethnic minorities in the country.”

With over 160 recognized ethnic groups, making up 40 percent of the population, Burma is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world. While twenty different armed ethnic groups have signed ceasefire agreements with the SPDC, others, like the Karen national Union (KNU) continue to fight, a conflict that goes back over 60 years.
Over 100,000 refugees have already fled to neighbouring countries to escape Burma’s ethnic conflicts. And tens of thousands more have been forced to flee their homes as the SPDC purses a scorched earth policy in dealing with armed ethnic groups.

With the SPDC planning on holding elections next year, RI argues ceasefire agreements need to be negotiated with the remaining ethnic groups, to allow them to participate in the elections.
RI notes, “Many ethnic minority groups are now in the process of deciding whether or not to participate in the 2010 elections.”
“While there are valid arguments that participating in the process will add legitimacy to what are likely to be flawed elections under a flawed constitution, others argue that the elections are the only game in town. To not participate would be to lose a potential opportunity to move out of the current stalemate that has dominated ethnic-Burman relations for the past decade. “
However, the KNU has already rejected the elections as not being democratic. They even called them a threat to ethnic diversity in Burma (see: KNU dismisses planned elections)
However, RI argues, “The possible opportunities for progress lie not only in the elections, but in the period after a new government takes office.”
Following the elections, RI warns, the ethnic minorities constitute the only real challenge to the authority of the Burmese government. “With armies, political demands, and control of territory, they are the main obstacle to the Burmese goal of a unified state. “
“A new government under international pressure to democratize may find it more appealing to negotiate with ethnic groups than it would with the National League for Democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi’s political party, which poses opposition from within the Burmese ethnic majority. “
RI wants the international community to work with the ethnic minorities to help clarify their demands for a potential negotiation with the Burmese government, and also to advise them on how to negotiate those demands.
They add, Finally, the international community should look at providing serious mediation to any negotiations that would happen.”
They warn, “Working on all of these issues will take time to set up. But if the international community is serious about engaging the Burmese government on a range of issues, the resolution of ethnic conflict in the country should be at the top of the list.”