Myanmar

Please provide us with your views on the state of peace in the country you will represent at the One Young World Summit

Myanmar has experienced civil war communal problems since independence. When political reforms that came into being in 2011 ended the military rule in Myanmar, there emerged a ray of hope for peace in Myanmar. As the government and more than 60 percent of ethnic armed organizations managed to sign bilateral preliminary ceasefire agreements, many ethnic areas became quite peaceful. While there still is a long way to go before Myanmar can achieve a sustainable peace, the government has moved ahead with the national peace conference to address grievances of ethnic minority groups and to develop a political system that can ensure durable peace in Myanmar. The dedication all stakeholders have had for the peace process has almost ensured that there is no turning back in the peace process. On the other hand, however, little attention was given to finding durable solution for communal problems between Buddhists and Muslims in Myanmar. It was because of the mutual suspicion and the unwillingness to value diversity among many communities and the problem with law enforcement in the country. All stakeholders must work hard to promote acceptance of diversity and the rule of law to bring social harmony into Myanmar.

How do you think your work and/or activism contribute to a sustainable peace?

In the last five years or so, I have worked for four different organizations that tried to bring peace and social harmony into Myanmar. In 2012, I joined the Inquiry Commission on Sectarian Violence in Rakhine State as a research assistant. I contributed to formulating recommendations on brining peace and normalcy into Rakhine State. In mid-2013, I joined the Myanmar Peace Center and worked on drafting the peace dialogue framework, a step to achieve a sustainable peace in Myanmar. In 2015, I joined the Center for Diversity and National Harmony, a center that focuses on promoting social harmon in Myanmar. I was involved in organizing trainings, forums, campaigns and meetings that were designed to promote acceptance of diversity and social harmony. I was also involved in the research projects on the state of social harmony in Myanmar, and the communal problems in Rakhine State. The findings of the research projects were used by stakeholders in developing policies on managing communal problems in Myanmar. In mid-2016, I joined the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State led by former UN Secretary General Mr Kofi Annan. I helped the commission to prepare a report with recommendations to end problems in Rakhine State.