Memorandum submitted by the Free Burma
Rangers
The IDPs and villagers in areas under attack
thank the international community, including the British people
and government, for their assistance and for their denouncement
of the actions of the SPDC and its troops against the people of
Burma. We at FBR would also like to thank the people of the UK
for this assistance and encourage those at DFID that their assistance
is effective, needed, and, if increased, will greatly benefit
the displaced people of Burma.
Regarding the particular points of concern to
the International Development Committee, the FBR would like to
give the following input:
(A) THE
PARTICULAR NEEDS
OF IDPS
IN BURMA
AND REFUGEES
IN THAILAND
1. Freedom, Dignity, and Hope—Thousands
of villagers in Burma live under fear of rape, murder, imprisonment,
forced labor, extortion, and numerous other tools of oppression
used by the dictators to control and exploit the people of Burma.
The people of Burma first and foremost need freedom from this
oppression, dignity as humans to care for themselves and their
families, and hope for a better future.
2. Security—The number one cause of
displacement in border areas has been attacks against civilians
by the Burma Army. Unless Burma Army attacks and the increased
militarization of ethnic areas is halted, the displacement of
thousands of civilians into hiding and into neighboring countries
will continue.
3. Food—A shortage of food is the
main reason most people flee to refugee camps or other IDP sites
along the border. Displacement from Burma Army attacks makes it
impossible for many villagers to plant, care for, and harvest
crops, along with the Burma Army's policy of burning down farms,
rice barns, and killing all livestock it finds, thus making it
extremely difficult for villagers to find sufficient food to survive.
4. Medicine—There is a critical need
of medicine for those who are displaced, and for the support of
mobile medical teams: both teams that focus on emergency situations
and teams that focus on systematic and programmed coverage. There
is a need for the support and improvement of existing clinics
and for the development and support of new clinics. The training,
equipping and sustainment of medical personnel are also needed.
5. Shelter, blankets and clothing—Plastic
and nylon sheeting is needed for emergency roofing material, especially
for populations displaced by attacks. In some areas cash assistance
is needed to buy these and other natural roofing materials locally.
Blankets and clothing are needed for most of the population in
affected areas.
6. Education—The support of teachers,
schools, students and school materials is needed. Training programs
and educational materials are needed, especially in the conflict
areas. Education is especially important as it brings a sense
of hope and normalcy for children in these conflict areas.
(B) THE
CHALLENGES FACED
IN DELIVERING
AID AND
ASSISTANCE TO
THESE GROUPS
(NOTE: SUGGESTED
SOLUTIONS FOLLOW
EACH POINT)
In the face of many challenges, cross-border
assistance is proven to work and meets people's critical needs
in an ethical, efficient and practical way. As long as the SPDC
continues to attack its own people, cross-border assistance will
be a humanitarian imperative.
1. Security: The Burma Army and the
dictators of Burma attack the people and attempt to block all
assistance to the IDPs. Relief teams are subject to attack just
as the population is. Security is thus the major challenge to
cross-border assistance.
Solution: Through international negotiation,
incentives, pressure, and direct or indirect intervention, the
attacks on the people of Burma can be stopped. This requires an
acknowledgement that the dehumanization of people in the conflict
areas is wrong and is unacceptable. It will take a concerted international
effort, involving the direct or indirect instruments of diplomatic,
political, economic and, if needed, military pressure. It is hoped
that respect, friendship, reasoning and compromise will bring
the attacks to a halt, but if not, the value of human beings must
be defended.
2. Neighboring countries' policies: The
policies of neighboring countries toward cross-border assistance
hinder the delivery of aid. Aid is deliverable, but because of
policies and varying degrees of enforcement, aid is often slowed
or limited.
Solution: The tandem action of diplomacy
and careful but immediate cross-border assistance by any nation
that has the will to do so is the first step. The next step is
continued diplomacy in the hope that it will be seen by neighboring
countries that it is not only moral to help those in need, but
that it is a also a benefit to those countries. The third step
is the development of partnerships with neighboring countries
to work together to provide relief to people of Burma.
3. Logistics: The transport of relief
supplies faces numerous challenges such as the inability to use
roads and vehicular transport due to Burma Army control. Assistance,
whether it is cash, medicine, clothing, shelter, educational supplies,
etc. is now all carried in on foot and a small number of pack
animals (mules and horses).
Solution: Funding is needed to support an
improved logistics network that includes improvement of the trail
system, further development of the existing pack animal program,
the building of roads and provision of vehicles in certain areas
where this is practical, the provision of boats for water-borne
relief, and support for a light plane service that would provide
emergency medevac as well as rapidly move needed people or supplies.
Each of these aspects of logistics requires the training and sustaining
of logistics personnel and the needed infrastructure, such as
secure storage facilities and supply depots.
4. Communications: Communications are
now through messenger or radio, and coverage is often slow or
incomplete. Also, communication from the areas under attack to
the outside world is often difficult and expensive.
Solution: The existing network of radio
and satellite systems needs to be improved and expanded at every
level. This requires training, equipment and sustained support.
5. Capacity: The pro-democracy resistance
groups and different organisations are responsible for the meeting
of many needs. Due to attacks on the population, displacement,
and resulting lack of security, finding and training enough qualified
people is an ongoing challenge. There is a slowly emerging network
of local CBOs (some directly related to pro-democracy resistance
organisations, some independent) that also face the challenge
of capacity-building.
Solution: Existing training programs need
to be expanded and new programs developed for the wide spectrum
of CBOs (and for the pro-democracy resistance organizations),
in order to help develop greater capacity.
6. Donor Restrictions: In some places
donor restrictions make it difficult to provide timely, practical,
and efficient humanitarian relief.
Solution: Donors should not only streamline
their requirements, but also be satisfied that the relief the
donors fund is the relief actually provided and accounted for
in the field. For example, if money is donated for medicine and
is used in total for medicine, with no diversions to other needs,
and with all proper accounting and reporting, this should satisfy
the donor. There should be only the minimal needed restrictions
on how the relief is provided. Transparency, honesty, mutual respect,
gratitude and the best ethical practices should be the ongoing
norm in the relationship between the donors and recipients.
7. Funding: There is not enough funding
to meet all of the needs in affected areas or to overcome the
challenges faced in delivering aid. The low level of funding for
cross-border relief makes every challenge more difficult.
Solution: More funds should be given to
directly help people in need as well as to address each of the
challenges faced. This funding should be channeled more directly
to a wider variety of recipients that are locally led and who
are working cooperatively to address the needs of displaced villagers
inside Burma. This broadening of the existing support will help
to develop a stronger and more diverse grass-roots base, will
help provide a more balanced and wider coverage of assistance,
and will give people at the ground level more control over what
kind of aid is needed and how it is administered. It will also
promote a higher degree of transparency, and if it's done in an
equitable way, will help improve cooperation and will be another
building block of civil society.
8. Regular and Comprehensive Assistance:
Due to the challenges of security, cross-border policies, logistics,
communications, capacity, coordination of effort and donor restrictions,
it is a challenge to provide regular and comprehensive assistance
to every affected area.
Solution: The more the challenges are addressed
and resolved, the more complete and comprehensive the coverage
will be.
(C) HOW
DIFFERENT ETHNIC
GROUPS ARE
AFFECTED BY
DISPLACEMENT
Displacement occurs throughout Burma for a wide
variety of reasons and across all ethnicities. People are displaced
because of military attacks and forced relocation, as well as
other political and economic factors. The types of displacement
currently happening depends largely on where the population is
located.
1. SPDC/Burma Army-controlled areas: face
displacement because of oppressive and corrupt governance as well
as economic reasons.
2. Areas under partial Burma Army control: large-scale
forced relocation as well as displacement because of oppressive
policies, attacks on the populace and economic pressures.
3. Resistance Areas: Displacement because
of direct military attack and forced relocation.
The Burma Army itself recognizes three different
types of areas within Burma: White: areas that are under complete
military control. Brown: areas under control but with the presence
of resistance. Black: areas contested with the resistance and
with some of these areas being under resistance control.
The following are how the major ethnic groups
in Burma are affected by displacement:
Karen, Karenni and Shan: Face the same displacement
patterns as other groups; however, they face a much higher rate
of displacement.
Mon: Earlier faced displacement by direct
attack and now face displacement by SPDC policy, and as a result
of ceasefire agreements between the Mon resistance and the SPDC.
Wa: With SPDC encouragement, displaced over
100,000 of its own people from Northern Shan State to Southern
Shan State to create a southern Wa command and consolidate control
over some border areas.
Kachin: Face displacement as a result of
SPDC policy and the acquiescence of the resistance due to a ceasefire
agreement.
Chin and Arakan: Face a limited amount of displacement
due to direct attacks. Most displacement is a result of SPDC economic
policies.
Types of Displacement:
1. Forced Relocation Site—Those who
have been forced to move to an area under Burma Army control.
2. Running and Hiding after an attack—Those
who are fleeing from or are in hiding from Burma Army attacks.
3. Returned to old village after attacks
are over—Those who have fled an attack and returned to their
old village.
4. Built a new village on the ruins of the
old site or in a new place—Those who have fled and have
returned to a destroyed village where they are rebuilding and
living in temporary shelters.
5. Refugee Camp—Those who have fled
to a refugee camp in a neighboring country.
6. IDP camp—IDPs who are living in
a camp within Burma. Example: Ee Htu Hta IDP camp on the Salween
River.
7. Migrant/Immigrant for economic and political
reasons—Those who have fled Burma to neighboring countries
because of attack or because of political and economic reasons
and are living in another country outside of a refugee camp.
(D) THE
LIKELY TRENDS
IN THE
REGION IN
TERMS OF
DISPLACEMENT, AND
DEVELOPMENT AND
HUMANITARIAN NEEDS
Displacement will continue as the SPDC tries to
dominate, control, assimilate and exploit the people of Burma.
The SPDC imprisons, kills, or chases out those who resist its
will.
1. Displacement: There are currently
more than 1 million people within Burma who have been displaced
by the attacks and oppression of the dictators since they took
power. Millions have also fled to neighboring countries because
of these attacks, as well as the dictators' destructive social,
political and economic policies. This displacement is almost certainly
likely to continue unless the SPDC radically changes its policies
and the Burma Army halts all attacks.
25,000 villagers fled attacks in 2006 in northern
Karen State alone, and it is possible that this many again will
flee in 2007 if the recent military preparations by the Burma
Army develop into full-scale attacks. The number could be much
higher if Burma Army attacks also expand into areas of Karenni
and Shan States. It is likely that thousands more will be displaced
because of food shortage, extrajudicial punishment, forced relocation,
economic instability, and numerous other difficulties faced by
the people of Burma resulting from the dictators' rule.
2. Development: In areas under attack,
development is non-existent and is in fact regressing. Hundreds
of villages have been destroyed or abandoned, thousands of farms
have been abandoned, schools have been destroyed, and many areas
are now inaccessible because of the thousands of landmines placed
by the Burma Army.
In ethnic areas where the Burma Army has significant
military control over the population, the development taking place
is often in the form of roads and military camps. These areas
benefit only the Burma Army, as the camps entrench military rule,
serve as bases from which to attack and oppress the local populations.
Furthermore, forced civilian labor is the main source of labor
used in their construction.
3. Humanitarian Needs: If attacks and
displacement increase, humanitarian needs will also increase.
Refer to section A for details about humanitarian needs.
(E) HOW
DONORS CAN
ASSIST IDPS
IN BURMA
AND REFUGEES
IN THAILAND
MOST EFFECTIVELY
1. The most effective way to help IDPs in
Burma now is to support the organisations already on the ground
assisting those who have been displaced. There are many groups
currently working along the border and inside Burma who have been
providing humanitarian assistance, health care, and supporting
development and education programs. Inside the Karen State, the
main group providing relief to villagers under attack is the local
villagers themselves.
Villagers throughout Karen State cooperate to
provide needed food and other assistance to those who have been
forced to flee their homes and farms. Groups such as the Karen
Office for Relief and Development (KORD), the Committee for Internally
Displaced Karen People (CIDKP), the Free Burma Rangers (FBR),
and Backpack Health Worker Teams (BHWT) also provide significant
assistance in the form of food, health care, shelter, clothing,
and educational materials to those under attack. Along with these
groups, numerous mobile clinics, which are supported by a wide
range of international organisations, exist throughout Karen State
and provide much-needed health care to villagers and IDPs alike.
There are also a large number of training programs
that occur every year to support relief and development operations
and these can use both funding and expertise.
Similar organisations exist in Karenni and Shan
States, although they currently operate on a much smaller scale.
(F) THE
ADVANTAGES AND
DISADVANTAGES OF
CROSS-BORDER
ASSISTANCE COMPARED
TO OTHER
WAYS OF
ASSISTING IDPS
IN BURMA
While cross-border assistance faces many challenges,
it is currently the only way to provide needed and often life-saving
help to those people under attack by the Burma Army. Cross-border
assistance has proven to be practical and to meet a wide variety
of human needs.
Advantages:
1. Cross-border assistance meets people's
basic needs, including, in some cases, helping to save their lives.
2. It is a humanitarian imperative to help
people in need, and in the conflict areas, cross-border assistance
is the only way to do this.
3. It has proven to work well in addressing
a wide variety of needs, whereas attempts to help IDPs through
the SPDC have failed.
4. Cross-border assistance works through
existing indigenous organisations on the ground and is thus the
most efficient and cost-effective means of meeting the needs.
5. In working through indigenous organizations
capacity is built, civil society is strengthened and good governance
is supported.
6. It affirms that despite the power of
the dictatorship, the international community stands with those
who are oppressed.
7. All aspects of relief have been and are
well monitored and evaluated, and have the highest level of accountability.
8. Relief is well managed, with funds being
used for assistance as per donor intentions.
9. Organised cross-border assistance has
been ongoing for more than 10 years, and has resulted in organisations
that can accurately assess and meet needs, as well as provide
regular reporting, accounting, and positive evidence that the
assistance has not only gone where intended, but that its made
a difference in peoples' lives.
DISADVANTAGES:
The disadvantages are the challenges faced in
providing needed relief to people under attack.
(G) IMPACT
OF DFID'S
POLICIES TOWARDS
BURMA'S
IDPS AND
REFUGEES
DFID has been a great support for refugees and
others in need. If DFID decides to contribute to cross-border
assistance in the conflict areas, this will be a tremendous help
to people in distress. People's survival, their human rights,
and human dignity are at stake.
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