Burma: Lifting Constraints through Coordination

On March 20, Refugees International decided to hold an informal briefing on our recent mission to Burma for colleagues of fellow non-governmental organizations (NGOs). One of the main reasons we wanted to hold this briefing was because of the lack of information about the actual working conditions for non-governmental aid agencies and the UN inside the country. The briefing has reinforced the idea that more work needs to be done to share what’s going on inside the country.

When Refugees International was in Burma, we were surprised to see the broad range of work being done inside Burma, including basic health support in clinics around the country, feeding programs for the neediest, and NGO capacity-building programs that teach local organizations how to function more efficiently. We also saw efforts to train a new generation of civil society activists, to find ways to break the political logjam with indigenous solutions, and other, subtle political work that showed a much more vibrant civil society than Burma gets credit for.

Over the course of the talk here in Washington, we realized that many of the organizations around the table are in various stages of exploring the possibility of operating inside Burma. Some are interested in learning more about the operating environment, others have sent quick missions to examine the reality on the ground, some are moving ahead with Memoranda of Understanding with the government, and one agency has been operating in Burma for decades.

Unlike other issues within the NGO community, most if not all of the agencies around the table were relatively unaware of what others were doing. Despite the success of coordinating organizations like InterAction and informal coalitions around scores of issues, the U.S. offices of agencies working in Burma (or considering working in Burma) work in relative isolation from each other. In large part, this also reflects the isolation of actors inside of Burma, who often communicate informally, bilaterally and cautiously with each other.

Inside Burma, you don’t want to let someone know what you’re doing, because you don’t know who they’ll tell. And if your operations exceed the terms of your agreement with the government, letting others know what you’re doing could result in a curtailment of your work. Despite these obstacles, NGOs inside Burma have recently banded together to start discussing their concerns and to consider organizing a common agenda for discussions with the government.

In the US, there is a similar hesitation to speak out. Refugees International has heard from two organizations that tried to speak publicly about their work and their interest in seeing more humanitarian assistance inside Burma. They faced vehement opposition from other organizations, congressional staff, and the Administration who feel that any engagement with Burma constitutes collaboration with the enemy. Eventually, both organizations decided it was best to pursue their work quietly and drop the Washington-focused agenda.

The March 20 meeting makes us believe that mechanisms do need to be established here in the US to discuss Burma, to share information about how to best operate inside the country, and to pursue advocacy goals related to humanitarian assistance.