SHAN STATE NEEDS ASSESSMENT May 2018 Financed by: Conducted by: Shan State Needs Assessment TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................... iii Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose of the research ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Historical and regional context ........................................................................................................................ 1 Methodology and sample description ............................................................................................................. 3 Part 1: Building a Democratic and Peaceful Shan State ............................................................... 7 Section 1: Access to information ..................................................................................................................... 7 Section 2: Political and social participation .................................................................................................... 8 Section 3: Women’s participation .................................................................................................................... 9 Part 2: Humanitarian Needs ........................................................................................................ 12 Section 1: Displacement and migration ........................................................................................................ 12 Section 2: Safety and security issues .............................................................................................................. 14 Section 3: Drugs as a humanitarian problem ............................................................................................... 16 Section 4: Natural disasters and Disaster Risks Reduction (DRR) ........................................................... 18 Part 3: Development ..................................................................................................................... 19 Section 1: An economic perspective ............................................................................................................. 19 Section 2: A basic needs approach ................................................................................................................ 27 Part 4: Development and humanitarian actors – access, implementation, safety and stakeholders ................................................................................................................................. 36 Section 1: Access to and implementation of projects ................................................................................. 36 Section 2: Safety and security of development and humanitarian actors ................................................. 36 Section 3: Stakeholder analysis ....................................................................................................................... 37 Part 5: Discussions on the Shan State Needs Assessment findings ........................................... 40 Recommendations ....................................................................................................................... 46 Appendix 1: Historical and Regional Context ............................................................................ 58 Appendix 2: Shan South .............................................................................................................. 65 Appendix 3: Description of the sample (tables and figures) ....................................................... 71 Appendix 4: Questionnaires ........................................................................................................ 75 Appendix 5: Analysis of 2015 and 2017 election results in Shan State ........................................ 100 Appendix 6: Additional charts .................................................................................................... 105 i Shan State Needs Assessment ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS AA Arakan Army CBO Community-based organisation CSO Civil society organisation CSSU Committee for Shan State Unity DRR Disaster risk reduction EAO Ethnic armed organisation FGD Focus group discussion GAD General Administration Department IDHAA International development and humanitarian assistance actors IDP Internally displaced person INGO International non-governmental organisation KIA/KIO Kachin Independence Army/Organisation KII Key informant interview KNLP Kayan New Land Party MMK Myanmar Kyats MNDAA Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army MOAI Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation MOU Memorandum of understanding MP Member of Parliament, includes members of any of the Hluttaws (State or Union level) NCA Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement NGO Non-governmental organisation NLD National League for Democracy NRPC National Reconciliation and Peace Centre RCSS Restoration Council of Shan State SAZ Self-Administered Zone SNDP Shan Nationalities Democratic Party SNLD Shan National League for Democracy SSA/SSPP Shan State Army/Shan State Progressive Party (the political wing of the SSA) TNLA Ta’ang National Liberation Army TYT Taing-Yin-Tha, the 135 recognized national ethnic races USDP Union Solidarity and Development Party UWSA United Wa State Army ii Shan State Needs Assessment Executive Summary Shan State is the biggest of Myanmar’s administrative units. For convenience, this territory is divided into three areas (Shan East, Shan North and Shan South). Building a Democratic and Peaceful Shan State Despite a high turnout for the 2015 general election, political participation and involvement with public affairs is low, perhaps due to the need to focus on day-to-day survival. This focus on immediate needs is also reflected in the higher level of participation in local level cooperatives and communal activities. There is a perception that men and women are treated equally, but objective indicators such as the number of women in leadership roles suggest otherwise. Entrenched gender norms contribute to the lack of representation and to the underreporting of discrimination, as well as underreporting and lack of adequate follow-up on gender-based and domestic violence. There are however active women’s organisations and wide-spread awareness of the need for more gender equality training. Humanitarian issues in Shan State Shan State is not at present facing an acute humanitarian crises, but there are a number of chronic issues, including lack of preparedness for natural disasters, the impact of fighting and issues relating to drug use and the drug trade. Ongoing fighting in Shan North is a major cause of lack of security and instability. On the other hand, responses from Shan South and East suggest that ceasefires between government and EAOs have a positive effect. However, even in ceasefire areas, remnants of conflict, particularly landmines, have an ongoing impact on the safety of the population. There is also an urgent need to address the psychological impact of the conflict and for trauma healing in all sections of the population. Long and short-term conflict related displacement continues to be an issue in both Shan North and South. In all parts of the State, there are also populations who have been trapped in their villages by the fighting and suffered deprivation as a result. Formerly displaced persons who have returned to their villages may also need assistance while rebuilding their livelihoods. Drug use has reached epidemic proportions across Shan State. The causes of this are complex, but include the drug trade, the lack of good job opportunities, insecurity (both a cause in itself and due to its psychological impact), displacement, injury and involuntary exposure to drugs. In turn drug use has an impact on productivity, health and security. Drug use cannot, in this context, be separated from the drug trade, which itself is intricately linked to conflict and security (as both cause and consequence). Respondents consistently identified drug addiction as the biggest social problem currently facing Shan State. Government attempts to address the drug trade have not had notable successes. There are rehabilitation centres, but these cannot meet the needs of the population. Development in Shan State Economic Perspectives There are three closely linked (and mutually reinforcing) challenges for economic development in Shan State: low skill levels and lack of skilled workers; lack of economic opportunities; and extensive economic migration (primarily to China and Thailand). The lack of economic opportunities in Shan State drives migration abroad, while the lack of skilled workers impacts the State’s economic development (and encourages employers to look elsewhere to fill skilled positions). Simultaneously, the lack of skilled positions and the fact that better educated employees are not noticeably better off means that there are few incentives to continue in education or invest in developing skills. Land grabbing, both by private mining companies and for governmental development projects, also poses a threat to livelihoods, while poor infrastructure (particularly a lack of rural to urban roads and low levels of access to electricity) impact all economic sectors. Agriculture is the largest economic sector in Shan State, even in