MYANMAR (BURMA): Worst army attacks in years displace thousands A profile of the internal displacement situation 10 May, 2006 This Internal Displacement Profile is automatically generated from the online IDP database of the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). It includes an overview of the internal displacement situation in the country prepared by the IDMC, followed by a compilation of excerpts from relevant reports by a variety of different sources. All headlines as well as the bullet point summaries at the beginning of each chapter were added by the IDMC to facilitate navigation through the Profile. Where dates in brackets are added to headlines, they indicate the publication date of the most recent source used in the respective chapter. The views expressed in the reports compiled in this Profile are not necessarily shared by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre. The Profile is also available online at www.internal-displacement.org. About the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, established in 1998 by the Norwegian Refugee Council, is the leading international body monitoring conflict-induced internal displacement worldwide. Through its work, the Centre contributes to improving national and international capacities to protect and assist the millions of people around the globe who have been displaced within their own country as a result of conflicts or human rights violations. At the request of the United Nations, the Geneva-based Centre runs an online database providing comprehensive information and analysis on internal displacement in some 50 countries. Based on its monitoring and data collection activities, the Centre advocates for durable solutions to the plight of the internally displaced in line with international standards. The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre also carries out training activities to enhance the capacity of local actors to respond to the needs of internally displaced people. In its work, the Centre cooperates with and provides support to local and national civil society initiatives. For more information, visit the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre website and the database at www.internal-displacement.org. Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre Norwegian Refugee Council Chemin de Balexert 7-9 1219 Geneva, Switzerland Tel.: +41 22 799 07 00 [email protected] www.internal-displacement.org 2 CONTENTS CONTENTS 3 OVERVIEW 8 BURMA: WORST ARMY ATTACKS IN YEARS DISPLACE THOUSANDS 8 CAUSES AND BACKGROUND 15 POLITICAL BACKGROUND 15 SINCE 1988, THE MYANMAR GOVERNMENT HAS LAUNCHED MASSIVE MILITARY CAMPAIGNS AGAINST ETHNIC INSURGENT GROUPS (JUNE 2005) 15 1990 ONWARDS: THE MILITARY REGIME SEEKS CEASEFIRES, BUT TIGHTENS ITS GRIP (2006) 16 POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS 2003-2005 (FEBRUARY 2006) 19 DEVELOPMENT INDUCED DISPLACEMENT 21 DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS LEAD TO FORCED RELOCATION AND FORCED LABOUR (OCTOBER 2005) 21 MAIN CAUSES OF DISPLACEMENT IN URBAN AREAS 24 PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS FORCE PEOPLE TO RELOCATE (2003) 24 SUBSTANTIAL FORCED RELOCATION OF URBAN POPULATIONS DURING THE EARLY 1990S 25 MAIN CAUSES OF DISPLACEMENT IN THE BORDER AREAS 26 ARMY OFFENSIVES AGAINST ETHNIC OPPOSITION GROUPS HAVE CAUSED MASSIVE DISPLACEMENT OF THE CIVIL POPULATION SINCE THE LATE 1960S (JANUARY 2005) 26 EASTERN BORDERS: ATTACKS BY THE BURMESE ARMY AND FORCED RELOCATIONS OF ETHNIC MINORITY-POPULATIONS CONTINUE (DECEMBER 2005) 29 FORCED RELOCATION IS CLOSELY LINKED TO FORCED LABOUR (AUGUST 2005) 30 SINCE 1998 ILO HAS DOCUMENTED A PERVASIVE USE OF FORCED LABOUR IN BURMA (SEPTEMBER 2005) 33 FORCED RECRUITMENT OF CHILD SOLDIERS A CAUSE FOR DISPLACEMENT (AUGUST 2005) 37 RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION IN BURMA'S BORDER AREAS ON THE RISE (AUGUST 2005) 38 SHAN STATE 38 SHAN STATE: MASSIVE FORCED RELOCATION DUE TO ARMED STRUGGLE (OCTOBER 2005) 39 SHAN STATE: RESETTLEMENT OF 128,000 WA CAUSED FURTHER DISPLACEMENT (FEBRUARY 2004) 40 SHAN STATE: THOUSANDS DISPLACED DUE TO MILITARY OPERATIONS DURING 2005 (DECEMBER 2005) 42 NEW RELOCATION ORDERS ISSUED IN EASTERN SHAN STATE (MARCH 2006) 43 KAREN STATE 44 KAREN STATE: THE KAREN HAVE BEEN SUBJECT TO REPEATED DISPLACEMENT (JUNE 2005)44 KAREN STATE: THOUSANDS DISPLACED DURING 2004 - 2005 DESPITE INFORMAL CEASEFIRE (DECEMBER 2005) 46 KAREN STATE: REPORTS ABOUT DISPLACEMENT DURING 2006 (APRIL 2006) 49 3 KAREN STATE: DEMANDS FOR FORCED LABOUR HAS INCREASED IN SEVERAL DISTRICTS (JUNE 2005) 52 KARENNI STATE 55 KARENNI STATE: SUBSTANTIAL FORCED RELOCATION IN THE KARENNI (KAYAH) STATE UNTIL LATE 1990S (MARCH 2005) 55 KARENNI STATE: REPORTS OF DISPLACEMENT DURING 2004-2005 57 MON STATE 60 MON STATE: LAND CONFISCATION AND DEMANDS FOR FORCED LABOUR LEAD TO DISPLACEMENT (OCTOBER 2005) 60 MON STATE: HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS CONTINUE UNABATED (DECEMBER 2005) 62 OTHER STATES 63 TENASSERIM (TANINTHARYI) DIVISION: FORCED RELOCATION DURING THE 1990S DIRECTLY LINKED TO CONSTRUCTION OF GAS PIPELINES (OCTOBER 2005) 63 EASTERN PEGU DIVISION: FORCED RELOCATION IS THE MAIN CAUSE OF DISPLACEMENT (OCTOBER 2005) 65 KACHIN STATE: LAND CONFISCATION LEADS TO DISPLACEMENT (JUNE 2005) 66 INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT IN THE CHIN STATE AND NAGALAND (FEBRUARY 2004) 69 RAKHINE STATE: CONFISCATION OF LAND AND ESTABLISHMENT OF "MODEL VILLAGES" LEADS TO NUMEROUS CASES OF FORCED EVICTIONS AND RELOCATIONS (JUNE 2003) 71 RAKHINE (ARAKAN) STATE: HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES AGAINST THE ROHINGYA POPULATION IS INCREASING (DECEMBER 2005) 73 RAKHINE (ARAKAN) STATE: HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES AGAINST THE ROHINGYA POPULATION IS INCREASING (DECEMBER 2005) 76 POPULATION FIGURES AND PROFILE 80 GLOBAL FIGURES 80 THAILAND BURMA BORDER CONSORTIUM ESTIMATES AT LEAST 540,000 IDPS IN EASTERN BURMA AS OF OCTOBER 2005 80 NO NATIONAL ESTIMATE EXISTS FOR THE TOTAL NUMBER OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED IN BURMA (JANUARY 2005) 81 GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION 82 DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF THE INTERNALLY DISPLACED POPULATION IN EASTERN BURMA (OCTOBER 2004) 82 SHAN STATE: AT LEAST 216,000 PEOPLE ARE INTERNALLY DISPLACED IN THE SOUTH (OCTOBER 2005) 83 KARENNI STATE: OVER 88,000 PEOPLE REPORTED INTERNALLY DISPLACED (OCTOBER 2004) 84 KAREN STATE: MASSIVE NEW DISPLACEMENT DURING 2006 (MAY 2006) 85 TENASSERIM DIVISION: 30,000 INTERNALLY DISPLACED BETWEEN 2002-2004 (OCTOBER 2004) 87 MORE THAN 30,000 REPORTED DISPLACED IN THE MON STATE (JANUARY 2005) 87 EASTERN PEGU DIVISION: NUMBER OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED KAREN AS OF OCTOBER 2004 88 PATTERNS OF DISPLACEMENT 89 GENERAL 89 4 TWO THIRDS OF THE DISPLACED ARE UNABLE TO FIND A DURABLE SOLUTION (OCTOBER 2005) 89 CEASEFIRE AREAS HOST THE BIGGEST NUMBER OF IDPS (OCTOBER 2005) 89 AN ESTIMATED 92,000 CIVILIANS ARE HIDING IN FORESTS AND MOUNTAIN AREAS (OCTOBER 2005) 90 MORE THAN 100,000 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DISPLACED TO RELOCATION SITES (OCTOBER 2005) 90 DISPLACEMENT PATTERNS BY STATE OR DIVISION 93 PATTERNS OF DISPLACEMENT IN THE KAREN STATE (DECEMBER 2005) 93 PHYSICAL SECURITY & FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT 96 PROTECTION NEEDS OF CIVILIANS IN CONFLICT AREAS 96 LANDMINES ARE USED EXTENSIVELY BOTH BY THE BURMESE ARMY AND INSURGENT ARMIES (NOVEMBER 2005) 96 DISPLACED WOMEN SUFFER FROM ARMY'S WIDESPREAD USE OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN THE SHAN STATE AND OTHER CONFLICT AREAS (OCTOBER 2005) 98 DELIBERATE VIOLENCE AGAINST CIVILIANS REMAINS A SERIOUS THREAT IN CONFLICT ZONES (OCTOBER 2005) 101 MILITARY RECRUITMENT IS THE BIGGEST RISK FACING CHILDREN IN CONFLICT AREAS (OCTOBER 2005) 101 REPORTS DOCUMENT HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN RELOCATION SITES (AUGUST 2003) 101 LACK OF PROTECTION FOR RETURNING REFUGEES 102 CONCERNS OVER SAFETY OF REFUGEES FORCIBLY REPATRIATED FROM THAILAND (MARCH 2003) 103 VOLATILE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION FACING RETURNING ROHINGYAS IN THE RAKHINE (ARAKAN) STATE (JUNE 2003) 104 SUBSISTENCE NEEDS 105 GENERAL 105 FIELD VISITS DOCUMENT THAT INTERNALLY DISPLACED IN HIDING SITES SUFFER FROM SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS AND HUNGER (APRIL 2004) 105 INTERNALLY DISPLACED IN EASTERN BURMA ARE EXTREMELY VULNERABLE (OCTOBER 2004) 106 KAREN DISPLACED DURING ARMY ATTACKS IN NOVEMBER- DECEMBER 2004, FACED DIRE HUMANITARIAN CONDITIONS (DECEMBER 2004) 106 HEALTH 107 THE HEALTH SITUATION IS CATASTROPHIC FOR MANY INTERNALLY DISPLACED (APRIL 2004) 107 HIV/AIDS PARTICULARLY AFFECTS THE CONFLICT ZONES (OCTOBER 2005) 108 THE SITUATION FOR INTERNALLY DISPLACED AFTER ARMY OFFENSIVE IN DECEMBER 2003 REPORTED TO BE CRITICAL (MARCH 2004) 109 LIMITED CAPACITY TO RESPOND TO POOR HEALTH SITUATION FACING KAREN IDPS (APRIL 2003) 109 NUTRITION AND FOOD 111 POOR NUTRITION STATUS AMONG DISPLACED CHILDREN AND WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE (OCTOBER 2003) 111 INTERNALLY DISPLACED SURVIVE BY HIDING FOOD (MAY 2004) 112 5 FOOD SCARCITY ON THE INCREASE - LACK OF FOOD MAKES KAREN IDPS VULNERABLE TO DISEASES (FEBRUARY 2006) 113 KARENNI IDPS IN RELOCATION SITES HAVE INADEQUATE ACCESS TO FOOD (MAY 2003) 114 IN THE SHAN STATE IDPS BOTH IN HIDING AND IN THE RELOCATION SITES HAVE INADEQUATE ACCESS TO FOOD (JANUARY 2004) 116 DESTRUCTION OF AGRICULTURE REPORTED IN SHAN STATE (JANUARY 2006) 117 INTERNALLY DISPLACED MON FACE SERIOUS FOOD SHORTAGE (OCTOBER 2003) 117 SHELTER 118 THE UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR SAYS MINIMAL PREPARATIONS WERE MADE IN ADVANCE OF THE ARRIVAL OF IDPS IN RELOCATION SITES (OCTOBER 1999) 118 MON STATE: SHELTER NOT ADEQUATE FOR DISPLACEMENT DURING THE RAINY SEASON (OCTOBER 2003) 118 ACCESS TO EDUCATION 120 GENERAL 120 CONFLICT, POVERTY AND LANGUAGE DIFFERENCES BEHIND LOW SCHOOL ATTENDANCE IN THE ETHNIC STATES (MARCH 2003) 120 DISPLACED CHILDREN HAVE LIMITED ACCESS TO EDUCATION (JUNE 2004) 121 ISSUES OF SELF-RELIANCE AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 125 LIVELIHOOD OPPORTUNITIES