‘If the Military Really Agree to Have the Genuine Peace Process, Tomorrow We Can Get Peace’: Moon Nay Li, General Sec of KWAT

[are targeted]?” Moon Nay Li says that the international community lacks understanding about the on the ground situation, making it more difficult to do advocacy work internationally. In reality, however, she points out that when comes to the ethnic plight, “Aung San Suu Kyi cannot do nothing. She cannot solve the ethnic problems, because the military has more power than her.” Moon Nay Li also expresses concerns over the U.S. Government lifting sanctions as they are “really important to give pressure to have genuine peace in our country.” Moon Nay Li hopes for an inclusive peace process where women’s voices are also heard. The active advocacy and lobbying for women’s participation by KWAT and other women’s groups resulted in ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) agreeing on at least 30% women’s participation last year, and since then Moon Nay Li has witnessed EAOs bringing more women to negotiations and meetings, saying that “we feel really happy for their [EAOs] recognising and also for inviting the women’s groups.” For the NLD-led Government, Moon Nay Li urges the government to implement an inclusive peace process, continue to support refugees and IDPs, and also to respect human rights in ethnic areas. She also urges the international community to listen to the voices of ethnic people and the ground situation.

 

Q: How do you currently view the peace process and the 21st Century Panglong Conference?

A: The current peace process is I feel that [it is] very fragile in Burma, because they already organised to have the 21^st Century Panglong conference it is the really first. But this first time conference is really good for ethnic people because they can give a lot of information about the real history that’s already long time ago the Burmese military regimes already highlighted, how can I say, behind, beyond and also they already closed everything; they already destroyed the real history.  So this time they were talking and giving awareness not only to the government but also to the people from Burma. It is, we feel that it is good to share about the situation.

But, they have no concrete planning for that peace process and also we feel that they use like divide and rule, because they made two groups among the ethnic armed groups, like [those who] signed NCA and not signed NCA. So it will become a power struggle between the two groups. We heard that in this 21^st Century Panglong Conference, when they discussed the participation for that conference, some of the signed NCA groups, they don’t want to invite the non-signed NCA groups. This situation is… we are really concerned for our long [term] peace process and also we are really worried for our genuine peace in Burma, so [long as] this situation is happening. And on the other hand the military regime, the military side is they don’t want to understand about the ethnic problem. They are just, pushing their issue like in the 2008 constitution and we need to be united and something like that but they never talk about ethnic issues, ethnic problems.

And also they just mention, when ethnic people are talking about the federal democratic country, they say that that 2008 constitution is already written like a federal constitution.  So totally different with what the ethnic people feel and also the military side so this is also dangerous for our peace process. That is the current situation what I see. And also at the same time, however, they are trying to do peace negotiations and for NCA process to happen but on the other hand, they are sending more troops to the Kachin and also to the Shan State, and also they are seriously doing offensives to the Kachin people. And they are targeting the Kachin civilians so it is a big problem. So how can we trust the military as our civilians [are targeted]?  A long time ago, they already committed a lot of human rights violations and they already burned down all the villages and also they destroyed churches and that kind of a lot of human rights violations they did. So we really feel uncomfortable about them.

Now is also, they have two faces. One face is for the international to show that ‘we are already very nice persons and welcoming to have peace in our country’ something like that, but one face is very aggressive and very brutal like this situation [in northern Burma]. So, that’s why we are really, really worried and really concerned about our genuine peace process in the country.

And also international community don’t understand about the on the ground situation. Some people maybe know about the ground situation but they don’t want to listen about the real situation on the ground. So currently, now is more difficult to do the advocacy work, especially to the international community because NLD already have power and also a civilian government in Burma, so that’s why the international community over-trusts Aung San Suu Kyi. Actually Aung San Suu Kyi cannot do nothing. She cannot solve the ethnic problems, because the military has more power than her. Some international community know about that but they don’t want to try to talk back about the ethnic issue and ethnic problem and also fighting and also IDPs, refugees. So that’s why many big international donors are giving pressure to go back home to refugees and IDPS, and they already cut some support to the affected people. So it is a big problem to us.

Actually the ground situation and many donors give pressure to civil society groups, like us, great pressure to move inside Burma, and do advocacy and closely work with the parliament, something like that. Actually, current parliament also cannot do nothing. Why we are talking about amendments and something of 2008 constitution, we cannot pass, you know! Because 25 percent of military are already in there, so how can we pass to have 76 percent, you know? So it is already dangerous for our peace in our country.

Actually it is very easy to solve the problem. It is very [much] depending on the military side. If the military really agree to have the genuine peace process, tomorrow we can get the peace in our country. It is… We are really sorry for the current peace process. Now among the ethnic groups have also misunderstandings between them, especially the leaders, not low level, so they cannot understand each other and they have different ideas to approach a genuine peace. Actually all really want peace, and all really want ethnic equality, all really want self-determination but the approaches and ideas are totally different sometimes. So that’s why current peace process is really dangerous.

And also now Aung San Suu Kyi went to the U.S. and then she’s talking about 21^st Century [Panglong] Conference and this conference how it is an advantage and how peaceful, and then international community is just ‘oh you can organise this important process’. Actually the ground situation is not changing. So, we are worried that the U.S. government also lifts sanctions on Burma, because those sanctions are really important to give pressure to have genuine peace in our country, we feel and we hope that. So if they lift all sanctions, it will give favor to the military. So it is a very dangerous situation.

And also many investments are coming into not only Kachin but also in all of the ethnic areas, because mostly ethnic areas have natural resources, especially in Kachin. So many foreign investments and Chinese investment and that kind of a lot of investments coming. And now we heard that they have one [new] law; they will prohibit so that local people cannot get benefit from that natural resources, illegal way. So the local people [who] really want to do, they have to register and go through this process. Actually local people have no money [to register], they are so poor! So that means they more give favor and give benefit to the foreign investment and also the bosses and the cronies. They have a lot of money and they are already rich persons. So that is a very dangerous situation in the Kachin area. So a long time ago, the local people had to give up everything, the land and the farm and everything to companies and also military and also the cronies, so they have nothing, so how can they survive in the future and the current situation? It is really bad there.

[…] And also the drug problems, that drug problem is also very related to the peace process. They cannot manage it and they cannot control that drug issue. According to our research, the most of the drug sellers and drug dealers are [government] officers. Some are from the military, some are police officers, and also they are cronies. They have a lot of interest; the government side is involved in that drug distribution.

 

Q: How would you suggest they could achieve genuine peace and solve these problems?

A: The one thing I already mentioned, actually it really depends on the military. So military should listen to what ethnic people, ethnic problems are. That is very based upon the [1947] Panglong Agreement. So the Panglong Agreement is also the one big issue to have the peace in our country. They have to respect and recognise that Panglong Agreement. And also the ethnic side and also the government side including military should sincerely have that kind of peace process. They really should welcome all people and involve them in this peace process. And also women should be involved on every level of peace process because women have a lot of experience on conflict situation, so they can share about their experience and they can give a lot of information to have genuine peace in our country. So that’s why women’s participation is also really important to have genuine peace in country.

 

Q: Has anything changed with women’s participation since last year when they agreed on the minimum 30%?

A: It’s a little bit changing. Because they already passed for at least 30% women’s participation, now they are bringing some women from their groups, every, every, ethnic armed group is bringing their women. And also as WLB, for the first time, they invited women’s participation in their EAO Plenary Meeting in Mai Ja Yang. So they really recognised and we feel really happy for their recognising and also for inviting the women’s groups; it is the first step for women’s participation and in the 21^st Century Panglong Conference also some ethnic armed groups brought their women, so now women are busy and can learn about that political platform. So then, next step, how should they empower the women, for more participation and also talking about their experiences at the table, but mostly [now they are attending] as observers.

 

Q: How do you think it can be improved even more, the women’s participation?

A: As a woman group also we should continue doing lobbying and advocacy for women’s participation. At the same time, we give awareness about every issue, important issues to our women and also give empowerment to the women. At the same time, we have to do both of these important activities or important things. It is the most important to do. And also the government side should point it out about the military situation. They should clearly talk to the military, that they [military] should listen to the ethnic problem and ethnic issues. Because now our government is civilian government, so all people really hope to them.

 

Q: Is there any other message you would like to give to the NLD Government?

A:  To the NLD government, before I already mentioned that they should see directly and criticize about the military situation. And also they should respect human rights, especially in ethnic areas, because of that kind of sending more troops, more human rights violations happen in ethnic areas, so they should recognize about the human rights situation. And also they should recognize about the IDPs and refugees.

At the time, they should allow to support those IDPs both ways cross-border aid and legal way, because especially in the remote areas many NGOs and big donors can’t reach that area. So they have to welcome the humanitarian aid to support those IDPs and refugees. And the refugees in Thailand there are also many difficult situations they already facing because many donors cut a lot of funding than before, and also give pressure to go back to their homeland, and in their homeland is also no security, and also landmines, and that kind of situation in our Kachin area, also many villages and churches the military already destroyed in that area. So who wants to go back, and who dares to go back? So, it is also a problem that’s why the NLD government should consider about that situation and also continue to support IPDs and refugees, and then at the same time they should implement that kind of peace process with equality, it is also really important. Not like a boss system: “Come in, come in, come, we are doing negotiations,” and then it is impossible to get the genuine peace, so we need to have equal speaking; it is also really important.

 

Is there any message you would like to give to the international community?

A: The international community also should listen to the voices of ethnic people and the ground situation, and also they should deal with both the government and also the ethnic armed group leaders. It is also really important. And also give pressure to have genuine peace process in Burma. Don’t do investment and also don’t do big development projects until we can solve the conflict situation.

 

Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?

A: I would like to add one important thing [which] is we really need democracy in Burma, because that is guarantee for ethnic equality and also self-determination. Especially for safe life of women, it is really important to found the federal democratic country of Burma. So we should, everybody should be involved in that peace process. It is very important.

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Moon Nay Li was interviewed at the KWAT office by Burma Link in September 2016.