The first time I heard about Internally Displaced People (IDP) was the day I opened a job portal to look job opportunities across Myanmar. Kudos to my lack of knowledge about the things happening in different states across Myanmar indeed!
A 17 year long ceasefire between KIA and the government broke overnight in June 2011, leaving around 100000 people displaced from their homes to live in different camps across Kachin State: some in governmental control area (GCA) and others in non-governmental controlled area (NGCA). The NGCA, of course, is controlled by the KIA.
Now, what caused the displacement?
There are a number of factors that probably lead to the breaking of this agreement staring from KIA’s refusal to act as a border guard, disagreements over natural resource extraction (Jade, Amber, Timber, Hydropower – you name it!) in the state and the Government’s refusal to register Kachin State Progressive party in the by-election. Last but not least, the feeling of exclusion, lack of equality and the dominance of Bamar majority in the government caused more friction and later, triggering the civil war and leading to this displacement of civilians in the area.
There is no place like home
The IDPs have now been living in the Camps for more than six years in a small hut provided by UN agencies and other NGOs, longing to go back to their homes in the beautiful mountains and spend the rest of their lives peacefully as farmers. “Our lives have turned upside down” expressed one individual. “We used to have enough paddy for home consumption and we could even sell the remaining. In addition, we could grow all the vegetables we wanted to eat and had chicken, pigs, crows – everything around us. But now, we don’t even have enough rice to eat” he continues with a shaky voice.
Image: Current living conditions in IDPs.
To have a glimpse of their houses some have even risked and tried to sneak to their villages, facing mines while others were driven out. “Burmese speaking people were allowed in the village to take all the fruits we sow and reap all the paddy we grew but we- villagers are not allowed in the village. Is it because we are Kachin? How are we different from the Burmese? I don’t know if we just have an extra horn that makes us different from these people who are allowed in and take all our things although they are not villagers” expressed another. Devastated, Angry and Shattered are the only words that could be used to describe the feelings of the IDPs.
Once rich farmers, the IDPs now work as carpenters and masons in the cities but their lack of experience and expertise resulted in a pay way less than their counterparts in the host communities.
Yet, the hope to go back to their homes, away from these cramped camps of around 1000 people is not lost. All they ask everyday to the NGOs is that “Why do you want to help us with money and food? Please just help us by stopping the civil war so that we can go back home and we don’t need to bother anyone to help us.”
They just want to do farming
Could NGOs not work with the government to provide space and land for these people rather than spending millions on giving them trainings in things they don’t enjoy doing or giving them money for food assistance while they could grow their own food and vegetables if they have their own land? These things are complicated but millions of dollars have been spent over the years to assistant the IDPs by different local and international NGOs and still, the IDPs feel lost and helpless in terms of their livelihood situations. Of course, one cannot deny that without the NGOs, life would have been close to hell for these people with no home to live in and no food to eat, but of course, there is always room for improvement, policy change and coordination amongst NGOs is essential. The current system of donors’ assistance makes it more complicated. Different NGOs are funded by different donors with different restrictions, making them very hard to coordinate although they might want to.
Image: Help received from NGOs – success stories.
The government’s role
Government’s participation is key. If they government cannot bring peace yet, there are lot of other things that the government can do for it’s citizens. This is the real chance for the government to show that the Kachin ethnic groups are not ignored and the current government is the government of people of different races and religion. Although a few projects have be thrown here and there like providing IDPs with piglets and giving basic vocational training for IDPs to kick start a new way of life, better/stronger vocational training centers for both IDP and non-IDPs thorough needs assessment is the real need in Kachin state. Instead of spending money on erecting the Statue of Bojoke Aung San for Martyr’s day and taking out all the flowers sowed by the local students on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s birthday (in the same park – great way to say Thank you right?), it is important for the government to make some rational decisions.
The government has a chance to prove and should not let its people down who have voted for NLD instead of their ethnic parties. Rather than erecting the image of Bojoke Aung San, could the government not find a respected Kachin National hero for the city center park? Maybe that would make the Kachin majority more proud and make them feel more inclusive? A federal system is what the ethnic minorities are longing for right now to avoid all the conflicts and misunderstandings and this government has a chance to make things right and patch things up with ethnic parties who have been their side during the elections. Now it is in the hands of the government to decide which cards they want to play.
With the understanding that issues relating to peace and displacement are easier said that done, it is important for the government to try and have an in-depth understanding first about it’s people and make sure that they feel that Myanmar is theirs and that they are cared for an look after and not neglected by the rest of the country and the government.
Myanmar Economist 