Bangkok/Brussels, 7 May 2003: While the world's attention for the past decade
has focused on the struggle between Myanmar's military government and the political opposition, the
underlying conflicts between the central government and ethnic minority groups perhaps represent a
more fundamental and intractable obstacle to peace, development and democracy.
Myanmar's ethnic minority groups make up about one-third of the population, occupy
roughly half of the land area and have been involved in half a century of civil war. A series of
ceasefires signed with the central government since the late 1980s has brought some relief, but no
real solutions, and some fighting continues. The government's determination to preserve a unified
state remains the main justification for military rule, and armed conflict is a root cause of human
rights abuses and a deepening humanitarian crisis in ethnic minority areas.
The International Crisis Group (ICG) today publishes the report,
Myanmar Backgrounder: Ethnic Minority Politics*, which provides a comprehensive survey of the
key ethnic minority organisations, their grievances and aspirations. It describes the issues that
unite and divide them and their political capacity.
ICG's Asia Program Director Robert Templer said: "The most fundamental grievance
of ethnic minorities in Myanmar is their lack of influence on the political process. However they
also face a major challenge to build political and organisational capacity to ensure that they are
not left out of potential negotiations on the future of the country and can continue to represent the
interests of their communities".
Many ethnic organisations continue to be dominated by soldiers who have little
knowledge of political and social affairs or experience with relevant tools for organisation and
negotiation. Strong hierarchies and top-down approaches mean that links to local communities often
are weak. Politically, the ethnic groups are also divided, and there is a vast gap between the human
and financial resources available and what is needed.
ICG Senior Analyst Morten Pedersen said: "While many ethnic groups originally
fought for independence, today almost all have accepted the Union of Myanmar as fact and merely seek
increased local authority within a new federal state structure. Their strength is no longer measured
in military terms, and their struggle has shifted from the battlefield to the political and
administrative arena. But they must improve political and organisational capacity to ensure that they are
not left out of negotiations on the future of the country”.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Katy Cronin (London) +44-(0)20 7981 0330
email: [email protected]
Francesca Lawe-Davies (Brussels) +32-(0)2-536 00 65
Jennifer Leonard (Washington) +1-202-785 1601
*Read the full ICG report on our website:
www.crisisweb.org
