WE WANT GENUINE PEACE Voices of communities from Myanmar’s ceasefire areas 2015 The Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Embassy of Finland in Thailand that has made this book possible. December 2013 Layout by: Boonruang Song-Ngam Photos by: James O’Keefe and Doug Hostetter WE WANT GENUINE PEACE Voices of communities from Myanmar’s ceasefire areas 2015 1 Listening Methodology Development by: Amie Kirkham, Soth Plai Ngarm Project Implementation by: Quinn Davis, Raymond Hyma, Amie Kirkham, Suyheang Kry, Melissa Martin Writing by: Raymond Hyma, Karen Simbulan Editing by: Tengku Shahpur, Laurens Visser Copy-editing by: Eddy McCall, Sue Williams Layout by: Boonruang Song-ngam Published by: The Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (CPCS), 2016 Funding Support by: Trocaire Peace Support Fund Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) ISBN - 13: 978 999 63 856 3 6 2 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (CPCS) would like to thank community members from Kachin State, Northern Shan State, Southern Shan State, Kayah State, Kayin State and Mon State who shared their opinions, experiences, knowledge, concerns and hopes for the future. Thank you for your candour and openness, as well as for trusting us with your voices. We are grateful to all our local partner non-government organisations that provided invaluable assistance in the implementation of the listening activities. Thank you for connecting us with our listeners, for all your logistical support, and for all the information that you willingly shared with us. We could not have done this without you. We also want to express our gratitude to the individuals who assisted us as listeners. Thank you for your time and willingness to travel to various remote townships and villages, as well as for sharing your insights and observations. We are grateful for your commitment and dedication. Finally, we would like to thank Trocaire, Peace Support Fund and the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for their support throughout the project. 3 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements .......................................................................................... 3 List of Tables ..................................................................................................... 6 List of Maps ...................................................................................................... 6 Abbreviations and Acronyms ........................................................................... 8 Chapter 1: InTroDuction ........................................................................... 9 Main Themes Across All States ................................................................ 13 Main Themes in Each State ..................................................................... 22 recommendations ................................................................................... 35 Chapter 2: MeThoDoloGy .......................................................................... 39 Chapter 3: ListenInG AS A TrAnSFormative Tool ................................. 51 Chapter 4: KachIn State ............................................................................. 59 Key Demographics .................................................................................... 63 Main Themes ........................................................................................... 66 Chapter 5: norThern ShAn State ............................................................. 77 Key Demographics ................................................................................... 81 Main Themes ........................................................................................... 84 Chapter 6: SouThern ShAn State .............................................................. 99 Key Demographics ................................................................................. 103 Main Themes ......................................................................................... 106 Chapter 7: KAyAh State ............................................................................ 121 Key Demographics ................................................................................. 125 Main Themes ......................................................................................... 127 Chapter 8: KAyIn State ............................................................................. 143 Key Demographics ................................................................................. 148 Main Themes ......................................................................................... 150 Chapter 9: Mon State .............................................................................. 163 Key Demographics ................................................................................. 169 Main Themes ......................................................................................... 171 ANNEXes ...................................................................................................... 184 5 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. List of Guide Questions .............................................................. 43 Table 2. Locations Covered and number of Participants ........................ 45 Table 3. Gender of Participants ............................................................... 46 Table 4. Ethnicity of Participants ............................................................. 46 Table 5. Age range of Participants ........................................................... 47 Table 6. Kachin State Demographics: ethnicity ........................................ 64 Table 7. Kachin State Demographics: livelihoods .................................... 65 Table 8. Northern Shan State Demographics: ethnicity ........................... 82 Table 9. Northern Shan State Demographics: livelihoods ....................... 83 Table 12. Kayah State Demographics: ethnicity ....................................... 125 Table 13. Kayah State Demographics: livelihoods ................................... 126 Table 14. Kayin State Demographics: ethnicity ........................................ 148 Table 15. Kayin State Demographics: livelihoods .................................... 149 Table 16. Mon State Demographics: ethnicity ......................................... 169 Table 17. Mon State Demographics: livelihoods ..................................... 170 Table 18. Ceasefire agreements with nSAGs .......................................... 184 Table 19. Most Commonly heard Themes Across all States: ................... uncategorised .......................................................................... 186 Table 20. Kachin State Most Commonly heard Themes: uncategorised .. 187 Table 21. Kachin State Most Commonly heard Themes under each Guide Question .................................................................................. 188 Table 22. northern Shan State Most Commonly heard Themes: uncategorised .......................................................................... 191 Table 23. northern Shan State Most Commonly heard Themes under each Guide Question ........................................................................ 192 Table 24. Southern Shan State Most Commonly heard Themes: uncategorised ......................................................................... 198 Table 25. Southern Shan State Most Commonly heard Themes under each Guide Question ........................................................................ 199 6 Table 26. Kayah State Most Commonly Heard Themes: Uncategorised .. 201 Table 27. Kayah State Most Commonly Heard Themes Under Each Guide Question .................................................................................. 202 Table 28. Kayin State Most Commonly Heard Themes: Uncategorised ... 204 Table 29. Kayin State Most Commonly Heard Themes Under Each Guide Question .................................................................................. 205 Table 30. Mon State Most Commonly Heard Themes: Uncategorised ..... 207 Table 31. Mon State Most Commonly Heard Themes Under Each Guide Question .................................................................................. 208 LIST OF MAPS Map of Myanmar ............................................................................................12 Map of Kachin State .......................................................................................60 Map of Northern Shan State ..........................................................................78 Map of Southern Shan State ........................................................................100 Map of Kayah State .......................................................................................122 Map of Kayin State .......................................................................................144 Map of Mon State .........................................................................................164 7 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS AA Arakan Army BGF Border Guard Force CPB Communist Party of Burma DKBA Democratic Karen Benevolent Army hrP/MrP Hongsawatoi restoration Party/Mon restoration Party IDPs Internally displaced persons KIo Kachin Independence organisation KIA Kachin Independence Army Knu Karen national union KnPP Karenni national Progressive Party KnPlF Karenni nationalities People’s liberation Front KnG Kayan national Guard KnlP Kayan new land Party MAMD