MASTER THESIS ORAL EXAM PRESENTATION

The Impact of Self-administered Areas

on
the National Reconciliation Process in Myanmar

EXAMINER : PROF. KYOHEI YAMADA

SUPERVISOR: PROF. MAUNG AUNG MYOE

19 MAY 2017 Myo Min Thein (1B 5092)

 Presentation Agenda
1. Introduction
2. Objective and Scope of the Study
3. Literature Review
4. Research Questions
5. Methodology
6. Governance practice, Regulation and Self-administered Areas
7. Decentralization and Geopolitical dimension
8. Recent and ongoing national reconciliation process
9. Analysis
10. Policy Implication
11. Conclusion
2

Introduction >>>
 1. Introduction
Myanmar holds the record for the worlds longest ongoing civil war.
Since the end of 2011,the Union Government has started peace talks with all Ethnic Armed
Organizations (EAOs).
The National Reconciliation Process (NRP) has been becoming more consideration in the
country.
the Union Government and 17 EAOs participated and only 8 EAOs signed the Nationwide
Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) on 15 October 2015.
Since the end of 2011, the renewed armed conflicts were obviously started in Myanmar.

Introduction >>>
1. Introduction (cont.)
The armed conflicts have also increased and notably in the Palaung self-administered zone
and also in the Kokang Self-administered Zone.
The EAOs and beliefs of the leaders of Self-administered Areas are willing to build both
Federal Union and Federal Union Army
Demanded for getting the division of power and self-determination in the negotiation.

Significance of the study

Several other challenges emerged from the negotiation
Renewing armed conflicts in the Self-administered Areas (SAAs).
Territorial disputing among the ethnic minority areas.
Due to the geopolitical circumstances and rearranging action of the EAOs, the present status
of the SAAs causes an impact on the Myanmars peace and reconciliation efforts.
4

Objective and scope of the Study >>>

 2. Objective and Scope of the Study
Objectives
To evaluate the impact of the Self-administered Areas on the National Reconciliation
Process (NRP)
To support the process of national reconciliation and union peace effectively.

Scope
This study provides a more comprehensive understanding of the problem of the SAAs
and how they relate to the National Reconciliation Process (NRP) within 2011 to 2016.
This study concerns with the governance practice, regulation, decentralization,
geopolitical dimension and its consequences for the both the national reconciliation
process and the SAAs in Myanmar. 5

Literature Review >>>

 3. Literature Review
Myanmar has been facing a complex diversity of challenges in the peace process. However, if
there is any single issue, which is become both the key to the political failure of the past and an
essential priority for the progressive future. Thus, it become a question of national
reconciliation as well as ethnic inclusiveness in the process of Myanmars democratic reform
Martin Smith, , 2006,p. 39
There is no universal formula for reconciliation and we need more discussion on how to
resolve these problems realistically with a common vision.
Yoichi Funabachi, 2003, p. 178

Literature Review >>>

3. Literature Review (cont.)

The recognizing and protecting ethnic land rights are important elements to solving the
countrys decades-old civil war, and discussions and agreements on ethnic land rights
should be key components of the peace process
Tom Kramer, 2015,p. 355
federal political system is an instrument for the division of power usually through
exclusive or concurrent lists of subjects together with a concept of residual power.
Martin Dent, 2002, p. 128

Literature Review >>>

3. Literature Review (cont.)

A country without a strategic and well-measured approach to affecting change in the

conflict-affected area, such domestic and international actors face abundant risks and
challenges
Kim Joliffe, 2015,p. 91

According to the role of Tatmadaw, which must be a strong, highly capable and
modern force and still involving in restoring and maintaining internal security and
suppressing insurgency.
Maung Aung Myoe, 2009, p. 193

Research Questions and Hypothesis >>>

 4. Research Questions and Hypothesis
Research
Question
How does SAAs support the national reconciliation in Myanmar?
1. Could the constitution structure of the SAAs address the fundamental and legitimate
concern of ethnic minority people?
2. What is the role of the SAAs in both Myanmar democratization and National
Reconciliation Process?
3. How does relation between the EAOs and the beliefs of the Leading Body of the
SAAs?
4. What is the current national reconciliation arrangement of Myanmar?
Hypothesis
If the Myanmars NRP would be affected by the existing state of SAAs, the impact of the 9
SAAs is failing to support the NRP in Myanmar.

Methodology >>>
 5. Methodology
Data and Method
Qualitative analysis based on the secondary
Conceptual Framework
data
Defined Conceptual framework with five
factors.
Secondary sources of the data such as book,
journal, articles, reports, newspapers, and
official website of government and
organizations
The most reliable data obtained from the
documents of the governments national
reconciliation reports. 10

Governance practice, regulation and Self-administered Areas >>>

 6. Governance practice, Regulation and
Self-administered Areas

Governance Practice
President U Thein Seins Government (2011-15) SAAs Act has presented in
Non-disintegration of the Union. the 2008 Constitution.
Non-disintegration of national sovereignty Self-administered Areas
Participation of the Tatmataw in the leading role of national politics in the
state.
To ensure towards a peaceful Union through solidarity with all ethnic groups.
President U Htin Kyaws Government (2016 onward)
To ensure national reconciliation, internal peace, the rule of law, amendments to
the constitution.
To amend the constitution as the constitution needs to be one that will give birth
to a Genuine Federal Democratic Union.
To reduce the power of military members of parliament, who are appointed to a
quarter of the bodys seats and hold veto power over proposed constitutional
changes. 11
To establish a Genuine Federal Democratic Union.
Source: Myanmar Information Management Unit, 2013.

Governance practice, regulation and Self-administered Areas >>>

6. Governance practice, Regulation and SAAs (cont.)
The Self-administered Areas (SAAs) Presence of the government practice
1. Naga Self-administered Zone Government persuades them to improve
2. Danu Self-administered Zone satisfaction and to be engaged in their
3. Pa Laung Self-administered Zone existing administrative activities.
4. Pa-O Self-administered Zone
5. Kokang Self-administered Zone
6. Wa Self-administered Division
Keys Governance Practice of the SAAs Presence of the SAAs
Leading Body (LB-SAAs) is partially-elected. the SAAs role is restricted in some areas of
It is something similar to executive committee. governance.
Secretary of the Leading Body is General LB-SAAs not enjoyed as their insufficient
Administration Department (GAD) official authorities and power in the governance.
The LB-SAAs has some executive authority
and legislative powers.
Members of the Tatmadaw are also appointed
12
25% of the body.

Governance practice, regulation and Self-administered Areas >>>

6. Governance practice, regulation and SAAs (cont.)
Regulation
Section 196 and Schedule 3 have supported
legislative power.
Section 198 has supported Residual power.
regulating does not fully match with the
constitution.
General Administration Department (GAD)
held all public service delivery.
Presence of the SAAs
It ultimately depends on both of the GAD and
the State government.
Most of the villages in the SAAs are typically
governed entirely by EAOs .
They provide basic services with their own
regulation.
Some leaders of EAOs are demanded equality
of rights, self-administration, full autonomy
Proposed a resource sharing issue.
EAOs having the benefit from the SAAs, the
armed conflict has continued since 2011
Some LB-SAAs benefited from their illegal
business such as poppy cultivation, and drugs
trafficking.
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Decentralization and Geopolitical dimension >>>
 7. Decentralization and Geopolitical
Decentralization dimension
Political
It has been limited.
Legislative power has narrow
range
25 % of MPs are nominated
by the military
Administrative
Presence of GAD Administrative
Decentralization
Source: MOHA, GAD, 2011.
SAAs are nominally under the
authority of LB-SAAs.
Service provision has been quite
limited in practice.
Administrative authority
overlapped among SAAs leading
body and the GADs street level
bureaucrats.
Fiscal
As of the 2008 Constitution
It could collect little revenue.
Spend only a small portion of total
public expenditure
highly reliant on financial transfers
from the Union government
Share of the Union budget to State/Region budgets (FY
2013-14)
Source: Ministry of Finance of 14
Myanmar, 2013.
Decentralization and Geopolitical dimension >>>
7. Decentralization and Geopolitical dimension (conts.)
Geopolitical Dimension
Location with the political Demography with the political Resources with the political
perspective perspective perspective
China is a crucial player in the Yunnan Province have very close Bilateral trade between Myanmar and
countrys ethnic politics connections with the ethnic groups China is heavily dependent on border
As a major player in several Wa SAD , Kokang SAZ and Mong La trade.
fields such as energy sector regions are probably better connected 7 out of 11 major border gates are
projects, banking, finance and to Yunnan controlled by ethnic minorities.
trading of Myanmar. Trading is conducted in Chinese Kokang and Wa SAAs have strong
Ethnic armed conflicts act as currency economic links with Yunnan Province.
a barrier to Chinas strategic Major language of these regions is Increased Drug trafficking and illegal
ambition. Chinese trade.
Chinas Border Trade with Myanmar
Chinese authorities allowed MNDAA 6000

to open a bank account in Beijing

5000

4000

UWSA has at least two weapons 3000

Million US$

15
factories based on Chinese models. 2000

1000

0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

exports to Myanmar Imports from Myanmar

Decentralization and Geopolitical dimension >>>

7. Decentralization and Geopolitical dimension
Geopolitical Dimension
Chinas Policy on the NRP and the SAAs
Chinas official policy is persuading for peace and facilitating dialogues.
In the case of any incident in china, it policy is firm and decisive action.
Chinese city on the border (Ruili) has also been an important venue for several
meetings (the EAOs coalition group and Myanmar governments peace team)
Chinas attitude has been more ambiguous in practice.

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Recent and ongoing national reconciliation process >>>

 8. Recent and Ongoing National
Armed Conflicts
Reconciliation Process Significant of SAAs and relation with ethnic armed actors

Armed clashes was a gradually increased.

the percentage of armed clashes are radically
increased
ration in Myanmar, 2015,in the SAAs .
p.52.

the SAAs are still as a critical area (financial

opportunity and obtainable human resource)
for the strengthening of the EAOs.
Territorial Administration in Myanmar,56-58.
Armed Clashes between EAOs and Tatmataw (2013-2016)
80
EAOs expansions (2011 2016)
60
40
20
0

3% 17
32% 21%
Others Others Others
52% 48%
In SAAs In SAAs In SAAs
68%
79% Others
97%

2013
In SAAs Recent and ongoing national reconciliation process >>>
2014 2015 2016
8. Recent and Ongoing National Reconciliation Process (Conts.)
Recent and Ongoing National Reconciliation Process
Union Government
In 2009, demanded EAOs turn into
BGF.
In 2011,the Government has started
peace talks with all EAOs.
In 2015, 8 EAOs signed the
Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement
(NCA)
Government engaged with non-
signatories EAOs to bring them into
the process.
In 2016, UPC (21st Century
Panglong) was held.
It has been an incredibly complex
It is still running to finalize the
elusive single text agreement.
Tatmadaw
Holds Six-point peace agenda
give up arms absolutely and come
under the institutional arrangements
of the 2008 Constitution
Plays a decisive role in the peace
process.
Demand of EAOs was directly
effected on the Tatmadaws
structural integrity.
It would not allow the existence of
any other armed force.
Recent and ongoing national reconciliation process >>>
EAOs Coalition
United Nationalities Federal Council
(UNFC) was founded in 2011.
Demanded Federal Union and Federal
Union Army
to get a high level of authority and
autonomy with their own government
and legislature.
To join Tatmadaw without losing their
identity and control of their troops.
4 meeting of EAOs held in the Wa
SAD.
2 meeting of EAOs held in the one of
the UNFC members headquarter.
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8. Recent and Ongoing National Reconciliation Process (Conts.)
Influencing at the SAAs and Response to NRP by the EAOs

Non-signatories EAOs concrete

holding the concept of the Federal
Union and Army.

Increased their strength.

closely interrelated with the LB-

SAAs.

Ethnic summits frequently made.

still unaccepted the government NCA

and peace process.

NRP has been an incredibly complex.

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Analysis >>>
 9. Analysis
Main research question How does SAAs support the national reconciliation in Myanmar?

Hypothesis If the Myanmars NRP would be affected by the existing state of SAAs,
the impact of the SAAs is failing to support the NRP.

Conceptual Framework

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Analysis >>>
9. Analysis (cont.)
1. Could the constitution structure of the SAAs address the fundamental and legitimate concern of ethnic
minority people?
2. What is the role of the SAAs in both Myanmar democratization and National Reconciliation Process?
Governance Practice
Power sharing is limited.
legislature is hardly workable.
Tatmadaw used military action in the some SAAs.
the SAAs are likely as a vulnerable area for strengthening the EAOs.

Regulation
Limited capacity in Law enactment and GAD highly influences administrative tasks.
Government and the Tatmadaw also unwilling to change the constitution until national
reconciliation is achieved.
LB-SAAs might benefit from their illegal business such as poppy cultivation, and drugs 21
trafficking as well as it is likely to support the improvement of financial development in
their relevant EAOs. Analysis >>>
9. Analysis (cont.)
2. What is the role of the SAAs in both Myanmar democratization and National Reconciliation Process?
2.1 How does current decentralization process effect on the SAAs?

Decentralization

The leading body of SAAs could not fully be linked up with the achievement of the
delivery of better public services.
the less capacity and unwillingness condition to follow the countrys political reform.
SAAs are not yet ready to set up with the government decentralization process.
It will become fuel for armed conflict and civil war.

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Analysis >>>
9. Analysis (cont.)

4. What is the current national reconciliation arrangement of Myanmar?

4.1 what are Chinas politic and practice on the Myanmars National Reconciliation Process (NRP) and
the SAAs ?

Geopolitical Dimension

China will be remaining as an integral player in the NRP.

Chinas role is complex as the behavior of Chinese interest groups.
Weapon used by TNLA and MNDAA are coming from Was arms factory as
well as from some Chinese interest groups in the Yunan Province of China.
Producing small weaponry applying technology illegally transfer from China.

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Analysis >>>
9. Analysis (cont.)
3. How does relation between the EAOs and the beliefs of the Leading Body of the SAAs?
4. What is the current national reconciliation arrangement of Myanmar?

Armed conflicts
EAOs coalition (FUA) used military pressure to the Tatmadaw in the some SAAs.
The SAAs has been situating as an advantage area for the non-signatories EAOs.
The SAAs are still as a vulnerability point for the ceasefire.

National Reconciliation Process

National reconciliation roadmap could not be achieved because it needs to sign

union agreement inclusively.
NRP is necessities more conciliatory approach by focusing on building trust and
mutual respect on both desire. 24

Analysis >>>
9. Analysis (cont.)
This study has supported the hypothesis.
The Impact of SAAs on the NRP
It is very likely that the implementation of the NRPs Roadmap might delay.
Achieving all-inclusiveness might be challenging.

Ongoing National Reconciliation Process

All Impacts of the SAAs

Leading Body is partially-elected and legislature is
Naga
hardly workable
Limited capacity in Law enactment
Danu
GDA highly influences administrative tasks
Power sharing is limited
Limited revenue and less authority on the allocation of Pa O Poppy firming is growing
expenditure
Limited capacity on collecting revenues Pa-Laung
Still active NCA non-
In a state of underdeveloped conflicts signatories
Kokang Highly influenced by
Language barrier EAOs has been
Yunnan Province of China
Undeveloped education influencing
Wa Increased Drugs trafficking
Not devolution and just deconcentrating Tension Coalition of
and illegal trade
Diverse geography and less socio-economic condition has been EAOs has been 25
MNDAA and UWSA
The above factors turns the SAAs into a heaven for increasing increasing
strengthened their strength
EAOs
Governance, regulation, and decentralization Geopolitical dimension State of NRP
 10. Policy Implication
The government should find the answer correctly based on the root of the countrys problem
and in consideration of the aspirations and true attitude of the ethnic nationalities.
For providing the institutional requirements of federalism and power sharing among the union,
state and regional governments and SAAs, the decentralization system should be restructured
based on previous lessons.
the limitation of the capacity of the SAA leading bodies as well as other States and Region
legislatures has caused the legislative tasks of the respective governing bodies and it leads to
the lack of laws which could allow them to collect taxes and revenues.
The government should consider adopting a less rigid timeframe and less unilateral approach
and take steps to ensure it has the necessary support capacity in place.
Myanmar National Reconciliation Process necessities a more inclusive political process. 26

Policy Implication >>>

 10. Policy Implication
It would be better if the decentralization of the Myanmar government is in line with proper
administrative and fiscal arrangements which has associated with the aspiration of the ethnic
minorities in the SAAs as well as the countrys political transaction.
Using a policy of active engagement with China is needed to more secure peace and stable.
It is a necessity to reconsider on both Governments policies and the aspirations of Myanmars
national minorities for achieving a suitable federal model with greatest satisfying of all citizens.

27

Conclusion >>>
 11. Conclusion
Result
This study has supported the hypothesis.
The NRPs Roadmap might delay.
Achieving all-inclusiveness might be challenging.

Limitation
It should involve more factors in the conceptual framework.
Geopolitical dimension, it only emphasized on the official relations between China and
Myanmar, and if more data could be collected, the result would be somehow different from the
existing conclusion.
Field study and personal interviews with the prominent actors could not be conducted
the classified document of both the government and the ethnic armed groups were not able to
28
access.

Conclusion >>>
11. Conclusion (cont.)

Further study
It should seek to produce greater insight into the triangle relations between and among
the Leading body of SAAs,
actors of Ethnic Armed Organizations and
ethnic political actors and
those actors how support the ongoing political negotiations and the building of trust which are
also crucial parts of the National Reconciliation Process (NRP) in Myanmar.

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