Attachments
Executive summary
The normalisation of Burma/Myanmar’s international relations reached new heights in November 2014 with foreign leaders coming to Naypyidaw for the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit. The democratic transition appears to be on track for national elections to be held in the last quarter of 2015. However, the reform process seems increasingly fragile on a number of fronts.
As negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar’s Union-level Peace Working Group (UPWG) and the ethnic armed groups’ National Ceasefire Coordinating Team (NCCT) stalled, the complexity of reaching a Nationwide Ceasefire Accord (NCA) was heightened. While significant progress has been reported, issues such as ceasefire monitoring protocols, a code of conduct for armed personnel, and interim arrangements for the demarcation of territory and administration of services remain in dispute. Human Rights Watch documented an increase in repression of the rights to freedom of assembly, association and expression. Dozens of people were arrested during December alone for their involvement in separate peaceful protests relating to land grabbing.
While preliminary ceasefire agreements have led to a reduction in fighting in S.E. Burma/Myanmar, there has been no respite from militarisation. TBC’s survey documented similar or increased troop strength for both Tatmadaw and ethnic armed groups across 70% of village tracts in 2014 compared to before the bilateral ceasefire agreements. Restrictions on movement have eased and the prevalence of forced labour has decreased, but land grabbing has become more pervasive.
TBC estimated in 2012 that there were at least 400,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) spread across 36 townships in S.E. Burma/Myanmar. The 2014 survey was more precise and covered 222 village tracts across 23 townships. The survey estimated 110,000 IDPs, which is proportionate to the smaller geographic reach and suggests a similar overall scale of displacement to 2012.
Discussions were ongoing between Thailand’s General Prayuth and the Myanmar military on future return of refugees. Both governments remain committed to international principles for a voluntary return in safety and dignity.
In Thailand the military administration under the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) continued and martial law remained in operation throughout most of the country. There was no change in refugee policy, but there were significant changes on the ground as the military continued to enforce restrictions on movement in and out of camps and ordered ad hoc headcounts during the period in an effort to maintain more control of population movements. This served to raise anxiety and feelings of insecurity particularly amongst the unregistered population and reinforced pressures to remain inside the camps.
The camp population continued to decrease. At the end of December there were 110,094 refugees verified as living in the camps. This was a 7.6% decrease in the population since December 2013 and similar to the trend over the last four years. While it had been anticipated that the rate of spontaneous returns would increase over 2014, this did not turn out to be the case and figures were similar to 2013.
TBC continued to develop programmes and activities in both Thailand and Burma/Myanmar. During the period there was an enhanced focus on the integration of programmes. During 2014 an increased number of the camp population, including youth, were involved in livelihood activities with the dual aim of coping with the reduction of food rations and preparing for potential return. The shelter programme broadened its focus to include settlements, and the nutrition programme launched new initiatives to address the nutritional status in the camps.
Income for 2014 was 924M baht. The actual expenses for 2014 totalled 893M baht, 6% lower than the operating budget for the year. This also represents a reduction in expenses of 82M baht from 2013 levels reflecting the efforts made to rein in spending in a climate of reducing funds. The operating budget for 2015 is 834M baht (26M USD). The total income estimated for 2015 is around 765M baht (24M USD). This represents a decrease of 17% from 2014 levels. This is a substantial reduction that has required an in depth look at planned expenditures for the coming year. Obtaining the necesary funds for 2015 will continue to be a challenge.
On behalf of the communities TBC would like to thank all donors for their generous support. We need your ongoing cooperation to ensure a sustainable future for all.