Background on the Current Conflict and Potential Crisis in Myanmar

Mary Grant submitted the following update on the situation in Myanmar. We thank her for her diligent work.


Over the last few decades, the government of Myanmar has typically responded to peaceful demonstrations with violence, at times with dramatic results. In 1988, thousands of demonstrators were killed, and in 1989 thousands were arrested. To avoid similar human rights violations, the international community must apply pressure on Myanmar to implement a democratic response to the current demonstrations.

As of September 22, 2007 the Burmese monks, in an unprecedented move, denied spiritual service to all military personnel. Twenty thousand monks are leading the largest demonstrations in 20 years. Demonstrations have swelled to over 100,000 people over the past nine days. Protestors are calling for lower prices of basic commodities, improved health care and education, and better utility services.

But what has triggered the current protests, especially when the country has endured incredible oppression under the military junta’s rule for the last 40 years? In September, the government released a long awaited draft constitution that continues to ensure military control of the legislatures and ministries. The controlling military junta is regarded as one of the most “draconian regimes in the world” (Life Under Burma’s Military Regimes, BBC News, June 15, 2006).

Various international agencies, including the Red Cross, have accused the military junta of violating international humanitarian laws. Within Myanmar, the government is in the habit of eliminating all opposition by arresting and sentencing dissenters to lengthy jail terms, hard labor, or death. Citizens claim that everything they do is controlled. Media is heavily censored. Education is geared towards military propaganda. Citizens must ask the government for permission even if they want to have a guest stay overnight.

In 2006, the International Labor Organization sought to bring charges of forced labor against Myanmar in the International Court of Justice, accusing the military of kidnapping villagers, including children. The military allegedly forced those they kidnapped to serve as porters, to lead troops through fields in order to uncover land mines, and to work on construction projects. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime lists Myanmar in the top 45 countries of human trafficking originators, transit points, and final destinations.

The government has poured money into developing the military and building a new capital, but it has done little to improve the country’s standard of living. Consequently, the economy of the Burma has become one of the poorest and most corrupt in Asia. It has the fourth highest inflation level in the world (at 25%), and it is the second largest producer of opium. Their economic growth rate has slowed to 1.5%, and the annual GDP per capita is $1,600. Half of the children under the age of 5 are considered chronically malnourished. Additionally, an estimated 150,000 children under the age of 5 die every year from preventable diseases such as malaria and dysentery.

The economic crisis, which has been looming for years, intensified in 2006 when the military junta authorized increased salaries for all government workers. However, the government did not have the economic means with which to pay these salaries. The result has been a 30-60% increase in the prices of basic commodities.

When considering the economic and social climate, the current protests seem inevitable. The question is how to resolve the conflict. Myanmar has strong economic ties with China. Exports from China to Burma have risen 50% so far this year. As China wants positive international publicity (as it approaches the Beijing Olympics), the international community can apply pressure on China to exert its significant influence over Myanmar in order to initiate a democratic process and resolve the conflicts peacefully. For more ideas on how to resolve the emerging crisis in Myanmar, see the recent media release by the International Crisis Group. http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=5092&l=1

October IPJ Schedule

October is the busiest month of the year at the institute, with numerous Women PeaceMakers events, a series of workshops cosponsored with USD's Social Issues Conference, the Joan B. Kroc Distinguished Lecture Series and special events such as film screenings and book signings. All events are free and open to students and the public unless otherwise specified. Event details and RSVP information are listed below the Events AT A GLANCE.

EVENTS AT A GLANCE

Oct. 2 "Walking Together in Peace" - Thich Nhat Hanh
Oct. 4 "Peace is a Matter of Justice Everywhere" - Women PeaceMakers Panel
Oct. 4 "Peace Building: Both Art and/or Science?" - Dean William Headley, Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies
Oct. 4 "Climate Change and the Responsibility to Protect" - Social Issues Conference Workshop
Oct. 9 "Uniting Women to Overcome Long-standing Inter-tribal Hostilities" - Susana Tenjoh-Okwen from Cameroon
Oct. 11 "Weaving Women's Rights into an Independent Democratic State" - Samia Bamieh from Palestine
Oct. 16 "Liberating Minds Imprisoned by War Trauma and Media Bias" - Irina Yanovskaya from South Ossetia in Georgia
Oct. 18 "Reviving Traditional Law to Transform Contemporary Tribal and Migrant Disputes" - Latifah Anum Siregar, Indonesia

Oct. 23 "Peacemaking: Persevering in the Face of Violence" - Women PeaceMakers Summit Panel
Oct. 23 "Seeking Human Security: Crossing Conflict Lines" - Women PeaceMakers Summit Panel
Oct. 23 West Coast Launch of Women Building Peace: What They Do, Why It Matters - Book Launch
Oct. 23 "International Strides for Inclusive Peacebuilding" - Joan B. Kroc Distinguished Lecture Series Panel
Oct. 24 "Peacebuilding: Fostering Civic Trust" - Women PeaceMakers Summit Panel
Oct. 24 "Media as A Tool for Peacebuilding" - Women PeaceMakers Summit Workshop
Oct. 24 "The Faith Club" - Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver, Priscilla Warner
Nov. 2 "Peace in Southern Sudan: The Role of Civil Society" - Beth Rogers-Witte
Nov. 9 Registration Deadline for "Negotiation and Communication Mastery for Leaders"
Nov. 14 "The Israelis and Palestinians: Prospects for Peace" - Marcia Freedman

EVENT CALENDAR

Tuesday, Oct. 2, 7 p.m.
Jenny Craig Pavilion
Special Event
"Walking Together in Peace"
Thich Nhat Hanh, Buddhist monk, author and activist, is the keynote speaker for the 18th Annual Social Issues Conference and the Center for Christian Spirituality. He has spent his life advocating peace and nonviolence. His protest of the Vietnam War compelled Martin Luther King Jr. to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize. Cosponsored by USD's Social Issues Conference, the Center for Christian Spirituality, the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice and other USD and community organizations. The talk will be preceded by a walking meditation from the Hahn University Center to the Jenny Craig Pavilion from 5:30 to 6:15, and a guided meditation and chant at the Jenny Craig Pavilion from 6:30 to 7. General Admission: $10, Students: free. To register, go to www.sandiego.edu/socialissues call (619) 260-4798.

Thursday, Oct. 4, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Peace & Justice Theatre
IPJ Women PeaceMakers Program
"Peace is a Matter of Justice Everywhere" - Women PeaceMakers Panel
Spanning the globe from state conflicts to tribal wars, from a former Soviet province to a Pacific island, from a Middle East hotspot to a little known African conflict, four women from very different parts of the world will address the challenges and hopes of achieving peace with justice. The recognized peacemakers and justice advocates are Samia Bamieh from Palestine, Latifah Anum Siregar from Indonesia, Susana Tenjoh-Okwen from Cameroon and Irina Yanovskaya from South Ossetia in Georgia.

Thursday, Oct. 4, 12:15 to 2 p.m.
Hahn University Center, Forum A - B
Special Event
"Peace Building: Both Art and/or Science?"
Dean William Headley, C.S.Sp., founding dean of USD's Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, keynote speaker for the 18th Annual Social Issues Conference luncheon. Dean Headley will examine the dynamic tension between academic theoretical approaches to peacebuilding and the intuitive, creative methods used by people in conflict areas. Lunch is free but registration is required. To register, go to www.sandiego.edu/socialissues call (619) 260-4798.

Thursday, Oct. 4, 10:45 a.m. to noon
Hahn University Center Room 103
Social Issues Conference Workshop
"Climate Change and the Responsibility to Protect"
This panel will examine whether the newly enshrined concept of the "responsibility to protect," originally designed to protect populations from atrocities like genocide and crimes against humanity, may be combined with the concept of "sustainable development" to protect populations against the injurious effects of climate change. The session will report on the recent 60th Annual Department of Public Information/Nongovernmental Organizations conference at the United Nations, entitled "Climate Change: How it Impacts Us All." Panelists: Karla Alvarez, USD '07, Program Coordinator, Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice; Lesley K. McAllister, Associate Professor, USD School of Law; and Elena McCollim, Program Officer, Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice. To register, go to http://home.sandiego.edu/~jrivera/cgi/s18form3.html.

Tuesday, Oct. 9, 12:30 to 2 p.m.
Peace & Justice Theatre
IPJ Women PeaceMakers Program
"Uniting Women to Overcome Long-standing Inter-tribal Hostilities"
A Conversation with Woman PeaceMaker Susana Tenjoh-Okwen from Cameroon. Tenjoh-Okwen, mother, professor, community peace mediator and respected gender activist from Bamenda in the northwest of Cameroon, will share her story.

Thursday, Oct. 11, 12:30 to 2 p.m.
Peace & Justice Theatre
IPJ Women PeaceMakers Program
"Weaving Women's Rights into an Independent Democratic State"
A Conversation with Woman PeaceMaker Samia Bamieh from Palestine. Bamieh, mother, founding member of the International Women's Commission for a Just and Sustainable Palestinian-Israeli Peace and committee member assigned to draft a Palestinian constitution, will share her story.

Tuesday, Oct. 16, 12:30 to 2 p.m.
Peace & Justice Theatre
IPJ Women PeaceMakers Program
"Liberating Minds Imprisoned by War Trauma and Media Bias"
A Conversation with Woman PeaceMaker Irina Yanovskaya from South Ossetia in Georgia. Yanovskaya, mother, journalist, lawyer, chair of the Journalists for Human Rights and one of the 1,000 women nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005, will share her story.

Thursday, Oct. 18, 12:30 to 2 p.m.
Peace & Justice Theatre
IPJ Women PeaceMakers Program
"Reviving Traditional Law to Transform Contemporary Tribal and Migrant Disputes"
A Conversation with Woman PeaceMaker Latifah Anum Siregar from Indonesia. Siregar, human rights lawyer, chair of the Alliance for Democracy in Papua and advocate for peace working in the complex tribal and migrant conflicts in Papua communities, will share her story.

"Is Peace Possible? A Summit of Women PeaceMakers on Today's Frontlines"
The Women PeaceMakers Program at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice (IPJ) is celebrating its fifth anniversary with a series of public panel presentations and interactions. As the IPJ welcomes four new peacemakers in 2007, it is also hosting previous women peacemakers for a two-day summit. The women will update us on their work and share how they are handling some of the treacherous obstacles to peace.

Tuesday, Oct. 23, 9:30 a.m. to noon
Peace & Justice Theatre
IPJ Women PeaceMakers Summit
"Peacemaking: Persevering in the Face of Violence"
Panelists will present the complexities of real-world conflict mitigation and peace negotiations in their respective countries. Reflecting on the current obstacles to their past initiatives to cross conflict lines and create the conditions for peace, women on the frontlines will share their perspectives and updates on the recurring challenges and possible improvements in their work.

Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2 to 4 p.m.
Peace & Justice Theatre
IPJ Women PeaceMakers Summit
"Seeking Human Security: Crossing Conflict Lines"
In entrenched conflicts, dehumanizing perceptions of the "other" must be called into question. These speakers will discuss their on-the-ground work to dispel politically-motivated myths through education, policymaking, grassroots activism and cross-border communication. By working across conflict lines these women demonstrate and model methods to achieve and foster inclusive human security in communities, nations and regions scarred by ethnic conflict, identity politics and discrimination.

Tuesday, Oct. 23, 4 to 4:30 p.m.
Peace & Justice Theatre
IPJ Women PeaceMakers Summit
"West Coast Launch of Women Building Peace: What They Do, Why It Matters"
How and why do women's contributions matter in peace and security processes? Why should women's activities in this sphere be explored separately from peacebuilding efforts in general? Sanam Anderlini offers a comprehensive, cross-regional analysis of women's peacebuilding initiatives around the world. Anderlini also traces the evolution of international policies in this arena and highlights the endemic problems that stunt progress. Her analysis, based on extensive research and field experience, demonstrates how gender sensitivity in programming can be a catalytic component in the complex task of building sustainable peace, and provides concrete examples of how to draw on women's untapped potential.

Tuesday, Oct. 23, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Peace & Justice Theatre
Joan B. Kroc Distinguished Lecture Series (not in bold)
"International Strides for Inclusive Peacebuilding"
International policymakers and experts will highlight gender concerns and inclusion in conflict resolution, peacekeeping operations and long-term peacebuilding efforts such as reconciliation and accountability for war crimes, particularly gender-based human rights violations. Speakers include former Ugandan parliamentarian Winnie Byanyima, gender advisor to the United Nations Development Programme; Priscilla Hayner, director of the Peace and Justice Program at the International Center for Transitional Justice; and Lt. Gen. Joseph Owonibi, former force commander of U.N. peacekeeping operations in Liberia. RSVP by Oct. 12 to http://peace.sandiego.edu or call (619) 260-4236. A reception will follow the lecture.

Wednesday, Oct. 24, 10 a.m. to noon
Peace & Justice Theatre
IPJ Women PeaceMakers Summit
"Peacebuilding: Fostering Civic Trust"
Steps toward peace and security remain tentative without gender-inclusive governance and policies. With a stable peace on the horizon, a range of issues must be addressed at each level in society following periods of mass atrocity and gross human rights violations. Women are often at the forefront of these efforts, whether at the grassroots level to restore relations or in the national arena to create a climate in which institutions are reformed. From building the capacity of civil society to ensuring good governance, women have a key role to play.

Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2 to 3:30 p.m.
Peace & Justice Theatre
IPJ Women PeaceMakers Summit
"Media as A Tool for Peacebuilding"
Today's emerging information and communication technologies have the potential to connect the world as never before. New media tools can enable us to share peacebuilding solutions, strengthen cultures, educate communities (no matter the level of literacy), monitor peace processes, promote civic empowerment and create new levels of accountability and transparency in governments and corporations around the world.

Wednesday, Oct. 24, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Peace & Justice Theatre
IPJ Special Event
"The Faith Club"
The Faith Club is a book written by three women of three different faiths - Christianity, Islam and Judaism - searching for understanding and peace amongst diversity. At this special panel presentation with authors Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver and Priscilla Warner, they will describe the journey of their post-9/11 interfaith dialogue, including their personal stereotypes and misunderstandings about one another and the issues that divide and ultimately unite them. They will also speak on how to start a faith club to experience an enriched personal faith and understanding of people from any faith. A book signing will follow the lecture. RSVP by Oct. 17 at http://peace.sandiego.edu or (619) 260-4236.

Friday, Nov. 2, 12:30 to 2 p.m.
IPJ Rooms E/F
IPJ Daylight Series
"Peace in Southern Sudan: The Role of Civil Society"
Beth Rogers-Witte, USD '02, will speak on the role that civil society has played in maintaining peace in southern Sudan after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005. Specific examples will be given from a project implemented by the international nongovernmental organization, Mercy Corps, where Ms. Rogers-Witte currently works as a deputy program manager, based in southern Sudan. Attendees are free to bring a lunch. Beverages will be provided.

Friday, Nov. 9
Registration Deadline for Negotiations Event
"Negotiation and Communication Mastery for Leaders" will bring together high-level professionals in the private and public sectors including business executives, government staff and military officials to hone negotiation and communication techniques for leadership success in conflict management in a four-day negotiations event Jan. 15-18, 2008. Participants will learn how to negotiate durable agreements and develop an integrated approach to goal setting, planning and conduct of critical interactions. This event is convened by CMPartners, a global leader in strategic conflict management advising and training and the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice (IPJ) at the University of San Diego. Proceeds will support the IPJ Nepal Project working for peace and democracy and CMPartners' public sector projects in Burundi, Kashmir, the Middle East and Nepal. Register by Nov. 9 at http://peace.sandiego.edu/events/leaders/registration.php. For more information, contact Laura Taylor at laurataylor@sandiego.edu, or call (619) 260-7807.

Wednesday, Nov. 14, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Peace & Justice Theatre
IPJ Speaker Series
"The Israelis and Palestinians: Prospects for Peace"
Marcia Freedman, founding president of Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, and a member of the Knesset from 1973 through 1977, will speak. Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace, seeks to educate and mobilize American Jews in support of a negotiated two-state resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This event is co-sponsored by Brit Tzedek v'Shalom/The Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace and the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice. RSVP by Nov. 9 at http://peace.sandiego.edu.

For event additions, changes and directions go to http://peace.sandiego.edu or call 619-260-7509. USD students are encouraged to attend all IPJ events. Events fill up quickly, so professors are encouraged to make reservations in advance for any classes that will be attending as a group.

Work-Study Position at the IPJ!

The Distinguished Lecture Series at the Institute for Peace and Justice is looking for a work study student. The position pays $12-13 per hour and you get to do research on all these really interesting human rights events, speakers, and organizations. The woman who runs the program is Diana Kutlow. She is a super nice lady. Brett worked there last year and Kevin worked there the year before. If you are interested, talk to Brett or Kevin or go to the IPJ and check it out for yourself.