Myanmar COI Compilation 7 October 2011 ACCORD is co-funded by the European Refugee Fund, UNHCR and the Ministry of the Interior, Austria. Commissioned by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Division of International Protection. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author. ACCORD - Austrian Centre for Country of Origin & Asylum Research and Documentation Myanmar COI Compilation 7 October 2011 (as of 5 September 2011) This report serves the specific purpose of collating legally relevant information on conditions in countries of origin pertinent to the assessment of claims for asylum. It is not intended to be a general report on human rights conditions. The report is prepared on the basis of publicly available information, studies and commentaries within a specified time frame. All sources are cited and fully referenced. This report is not, and does not purport to be, either exhaustive with regard to conditions in the country surveyed, or conclusive as to the merits of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Every effort has been made to compile information from reliable sources; users should refer to the full text of documents cited and assess the credibility, relevance and timeliness of source material with reference to the specific research concerns arising from individual applications. Author: Daisuke Yoshimura (ACCORD) © Austrian Red Cross/ACCORD An electronic version of this report is available on www.ecoi.net. Austrian Red Cross/ACCORD Wiedner Hauptstraße 32 A- 1040 Vienna, Austria Phone: +43 1 58 900 – 582 E-Mail: [email protected] Web: http://www.redcross.at/accord ACCORD is co-funded by the European Refugee Fund, UNHCR and the Ministry of the Interior, Austria. Table of Contents 1 Political Developments ...................................................................................................................................................... 7 1.1 The SPDC Roadmap to Democracy .............................................................................................................. 7 1.2 The May 2008 Referendum .............................................................................................................................. 8 1.3 The new Constitution (2008) ......................................................................................................................... 10 1.3.1 General overview ....................................................................................................................................... 10 1.3.2 The role of the National Defence and Security Council (NDSC) ...................................... 15 1.4 The November 2010 general elections ..................................................................................................... 18 1.5 The post-election situation .............................................................................................................................. 24 1.6 New administrative structures at township and village level .................................................... 26 2 Security Situation/Developments ............................................................................................................................. 29 2.1 Background ............................................................................................................................................................. 29 2.2 Human Rights Issues .......................................................................................................................................... 32 2.2.1 Physical violence ......................................................................................................................................... 34 2.2.2 Forced labour and portering ............................................................................................................... 35 2.2.3 Extortion, exploitation, land confiscations, arbitrary taxation, forced relocation . 36 2.2.4 Human trafficking ...................................................................................................................................... 38 2.3 Chin State ................................................................................................................................................................ 38 2.4 Kachin State ........................................................................................................................................................... 39 2.5 Kayin (Karen) State ............................................................................................................................................. 41 2.6 Kayah (Karenni) State ...................................................................................................................................... 44 2.7 Mon State ................................................................................................................................................................ 44 2.8 Rakhine (Arakan) State ................................................................................................................................... 45 2.9 Shan State ............................................................................................................................................................... 46 2.10 Irrawaddy Region (formerly Division) ...................................................................................................... 46 2.11 Bago (Pegu) Region (formerly Division) .................................................................................................. 46 2.12 Magway (Magwe) Region (formerly Division) ..................................................................................... 47 2.13 Mandalay Region (formerly Mandalay Division) ................................................................................ 47 2.14 Yangon Division .................................................................................................................................................... 47 2.15 Sagaing Region (formerly Division) ........................................................................................................... 48 2.16 Tanintharyi (Tenessarim) Region (formerly Division) ...................................................................... 48 3 Security Forces/Military Service/Armed ethnic minority groups ........................................................... 49 3.1 Domestic legal framework .............................................................................................................................. 49 3.1.1 Legal provisions pertaining to military draft/service ............................................................ 49 3.2 Myanmar security forces ................................................................................................................................. 52 3.2.1 Police ................................................................................................................................................................. 52 3.2.2 Armed forces (Tatmadaw) .................................................................................................................... 52 3.2.3 Other armed government forces: village militia/paramilitary ......................................... 53 3.2.4 Independence of police vis à vis the military ............................................................................. 55 3.3 Armed opposition groups (Ceasefire and non-ceasefire groups)............................................. 56 3.3.1 Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and New Democratic Army-Kachin (NDA-K) .... 56 2 3.3.2 United Wa State Army (UWSA)....................................................................................................... 58 3.3.3 Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (Kokang Army)....................................... 59 3.3.4 Shan State Army – North (SSA-N) ................................................................................................. 60 3.3.5 Shan State Army – South (SSA-S) ................................................................................................... 61 3.3.6 Shan State National Army (SSNA) .................................................................................................. 61 3.3.7 Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) ....................................................................................... 61 3.3.8 Karenni Army (KA) ................................................................................................................................... 62 3.3.9 All Burma Student Democratic Front (ABSDF) .......................................................................... 62 3.3.10 Mon National Liberation Army (MNLA) ........................................................................................ 63 3.3.11 Border Guard Forces (BGF) ................................................................................................................ 64 3.3.12 United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) ............................................................................. 65 3.3.13 Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) ................................................................................... 66 3.3.14 Pa-O National Liberation Army (PNLA) ........................................................................................ 68 3.3.15 Palaung State Liberation Army (PSLA)