Ceasefire Capitalism - by Francis Wade

In early November, negotiators from the Burmese government
traveled to the northern town of Myitkyina to confer with representatives from
a conglomeration of ethnic rebel groups. It was the first time in decades of
warfare that government officials sat down with the combined leadership of
Burma's rebel movements, inspiring praise from
the United Nations.

COMMENTS (0)

SHARE:





More...

But the optimistic news
coverage neglected to question the presence of another
interest group at the meeting: the Chinese. With billions of dollars invested
in energy, mining, and logging projects in Kachin state, China has a lot at
stake in the outcome of this conflict, which has threatened its access to the
area's abundant resources. Its involvement served as a palpable reminder (as if
anyone needed it) that peace talks between the government and ethnic rebels
aren't just about political differences. They're also very much about business.

That's a hard truth that's all too often neglected in
coverage of the continuing efforts to find a practical agenda for peace. China
is but one of many players in the scramble to capitalize on the fantastically
abundant natural resources in Burma's border regions, which run the gamut from
teak to minerals to hydropower, not to mention Kachin state's $8 billion
jade industry. The Burmese government used past ceasefires as an opportunity to
plunder areas inhabited by local ethnic groups, prompting additional armed
conflict while complicating efforts to resolve it. Indeed, the government's
recent reform push may be attempting to do the same thing. All signs suggest
that the government is hoping to exploit the bounty of Burma's periphery as it
opens to foreign investment.

More from Democracy Lab

• Libya's Army Finally Fights Back


• The Curse of Low Expectations


• The Grassroots Are Growing

This issue is one of the primary irritants underlying the
government's fight with the rebels in Kachin state. Among Burma's many ethnic
groups, the Kachin have particular experience with the Burmese government's
malformed "peace." In 1994, the government managed to broker a peace
agreement that ended decades of civil war. But the ceasefire did not mean that
the regime began to take the Kachin's interests into consideration. During the
17-year ceasefire period, the Kachin watched as their state was carved up and
sold to regime-aligned corporations -- usually with little benefit to the
people who lived there.

Following the 1994 deal, Burmese and Chinese firms moved in
to control the local economy, whittling small businesses down to nothing, and
bringing in thousands of migrant workers who forced the Kachin out of jobs. The
influx of migrant workers and rising poverty rates had a corrosive effect on
Kachin society. At the same time, the Kachin's land was cordoned off for
corporate exploitation. Nearly 20 percent of the state's land was allocated for
mining, while nearly 200,000 acres of land in the Hukawng
Valley Tiger Reserve were set aside for biofuel crops. Shortly after
the 1994 agreement, the government rolled out plans to build seven dams along
the N'Mai and Mali Rivers to be financed by China. When they are completed,
most of the output will go to China, ignoring local energy needs. This will
only ramp up anti-business feelings among the Kachin.

And in 1994, the exploitation of the ceasefire didn't stop
at business. The Burmese army used the ceasefire period to bolster its presence
in Kachin state. This meant that when the Burmese troops launched an assault on
Kachin rebels in June 2011 -- intentionally rekindling the war -- they had a
strategic advantage. Battalions were already stationed en masse across the
state, ready to widen the conflict. Moreover, because the ceasefire had blurred
territorial boundaries, government troops were able to block fleeing civilians
reentering rebel-controlled areas. In the face of violent conflict, these
civilians could not get home. This nightmare scenario continues today, as
evidenced by the thousands of civilians who fled after fresh clashes broke
out less than a fortnight ago. Conversely then, the ceasefire period
allowed greater militarization of the region, and eroded the security of its
people.

123NEXT Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2013/11/30/ceasefire-capitalism-by-francis-wade/