Human Rights, Justice, Democracy in Myanmar

Tea Land Research Centre-SRIPD

[socialscienceresearcher]

Is it Gender Issue? The Livelihood of Ta’ang Women 

Ta’ang women are hardworking and getting busy all the time. They take the responsibilities of household and business works: cooking, washing clothes, cleaning the house, look after the children, working in farmland and tea garden.

As I am a researcher, I have been visited many Ta’ang villages for the purpose of research and data collecting. I found that most of the women are working in tea gardens, tea factories and carry a heavy bag of raw tea leaves.

I also interviewed a Ta’ang woman about the working hours. According to this data, the Ta’ang women start working from 4:30 am to 9:00 pm. So, women wake up early and cook food for the whole family. Then she brings raw tea leaves in front of the house to dry with sun heat.

After that, she prepares breakfast for the whole family. Most of the Ta’ang women do not overeat curries than men because men are dominant persons, and they are the spirit of the house.

After that, the women have to go to the tea gardens for cultivating tea leaves. Most of the tea cultivators are women, and they get at least 15 kilograms per day while men can get 5 kilograms.

My research also found that women are better than men in tea cultivation. Surprisingly, they can also predict tea season, production and growing of tea leaves for a tea garden.

However, most of the Ta’ang women never know that the nature and attitude of men dominate them. They think that they have less and lower power and strength than men. So, the customary practices of Ta’ang cultures are socially and politically discriminate on Ta’ang women.

In this photo of the post, these two Ta’ang women are from Nam Kyam village. It is a big village and located five miles away from Lashio township, northern Shan State. Over half of the people are low, and they have to depend on selling forest vegetables, fruits, honey, mushrooms, bamboo, banana, cucumber, and fishes from a forest stream. They have to walk at least two hours from their village to arrive in Lashio central market.

They still wear their traditional clothes and speak their mother tongue. However, some people do not like Ta’ang people and never buy anything from them because they are dirty and physically impoverished. Many people critics different regarding this people group because I am studying about Ta’ang people and find many issues which irrelevant and inaccurate information.

Written by Stephen Nyein Han Tun

Social Research Institute for Policy Development

[socialscienceresearcher]

Compounded Struggles: From Party Capitalism to Land Politics

(Check Page 240)

https://shapesea.com/publication/southeast-asia-infected-and-interrupted-elevating-critical-voices-on-the-state-of-human-rights-and-peace-in-the-time-of-covid-19/

[socialscienceresearcher]

Teak Trade to China Reopen on 3rd February 2021 After Coup

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Water Access Problem in Ar-Nyar Land, Myanmar

Water is an essential nutrient for human being. Without drinking water for a day, we will face a critical situation for our health. Water is also an essential part of foods. We cannot cook, clean and boil the food. Further water is also the primary resource for agriculture. Thus water access is the fundamental resource for agriculture, health, food and drinking water for our livelihood development.

The word “Ar-Nyar Land” or “Ar-Nyar Myae” refers to low land Burma/Myanmar: Magwe, Yenangyaung, Minhla, Sagaing, Chauk, Salay, Myinchan and Monwya. Along with Ayeyarwady river, the “Ar-Nyar Land” located in the middle of Myanmar map and connected with Mandalay in the north and Yangon in the west area. Many peanuts, varieties of beans, watermelon, tamarind, mango and many vegetables and fruits are growing in Ar-Nyar Land.

In this day, Magwe, Yenangyaung and Minhla regions have faced water crisis for drinking water and water use for the household family. As many big trees are cutting down, many traditional streams and wells become drought in this day. Many villages are relying on both surface and groundwater. However, many wells, natural streams and canals are transforming drought. The local people are also saying that there is low precipitation of rainfall in the rainy season. Thus, many local people are facing difficult situation access to water resource for their daily lives. This is a piece of information on water access and water-supply problem for the people in Ar-Nyar land.

Ar-Nyar land is traditionally popular in Myanmar. There are many natural resources--vegetables, fruits, domestic animals and natural forests-- in Ar-Nyar land. However, the situation is shaped in this day. The academic research needs to focus on what was happening and what is happing in this land, especially water access problem and land-use change.

Written by Stephen Nyein Han Tun (Tea Land Research and Development Centre-SRIPD) 

[socialscienceresearcher]

Love, Peace and Tolerance

Love your neighbours. Your neighbours can be your siblings, relatives, friends and peoples who might from the same/different ethnicity (races), religions, gender, and sociopolitical beliefs. With these factors, build community and society with peace, tolerance and development.

Photo was taken by a local person. Social Science research fieldwork! 

[socialscienceresearcher]

Contemporary Culture Note: The Impacts on Children

Children are easy to learn the behaviours and attitudes from their parents, elderly peoples and community. If the children are taught well by their social environment, they can accumulate knowledge and grow their behaviours and attitudes. So, they can learn education and try hard in studies as they are young people for the next generation.  

Most of the first world countries are focusing on educational development for children. They invest and nurture the children to be the next generation of the country. Most children can become good politicians, medical scientists, doctors, lawyers, leaders, professors and entrepreneurs. They can also become humanitarian workers, right defenders, volunteers and civil servants.

As I am researching and travelling many places, I found that the children from the conflict regions are threatening and shaping by the changing of community culture. For instance, most of the cultural and traditional festivals are held all the months of the year. In this day, most of the festivals' styles are changing.

When I was young, most of the festivals had video shops, food corners and toy shops. All the toy shops sold baby toys, cars, trains, aeroplane, bus, truck and many simple toys. I was thrilled when my parents bought a truck toy and local snacks. Then many sports and games tournaments were conducted by the leaders of the festivals.

However, there are many toy shops on this day. According to my research note and experience at a famous local festival, I found that 28 shops out of 35 are toy shops. These toy shops are selling toy gun, knives and many fake military items. I also observe that many children are buying these toy guns and playing with their friends. It seems that they are feeling very proud as they have toy guns. Thus, I had walked and observed around the festival and tried to check the children. I found that all the children have toy guns and want to get more toy guns.

Thus, I would say that these children are shaped by local culture's behaviour and attitudes in this day. As they live in armed conflict regions, they learn from their society as many armed people live in their community. They might learn that gunner is a famous person in their society. Being a gunner is the final goal for their lives, and they might think that education and knowledge development are not useful for their future lives.  

These children are threatened and transformed by the community, especially gun culture from armed groups. Thus, the secular education which focus on peace, social cohesion, gender, social harmony and sciences are important for these children. 

Written by Stephen Nyein Han Tun 

[socialscienceresearcher]

Hunger for Peace than Development

As a researcher who lives in fieldwork for a long time, I have been navigating and monitoring the local people's social phenomenon, transition, and perception. 

The way the local people act, speak and experience reflect their attitude and interaction. Thus we can study those kinds of changing and behaviours. Most people from peripheral sites (hill tribe lands) have faced negative experiences by armed conflicts since 1960. Some places are more early than that period. 

Thus, we can say that peace is the most critical issue than development in this day. The reason is that many large-scale investments are operating and implementing different projects (mining, jade, special economic zones, roads, gas and oil pipelines) at the peripheral sites of the country. All these projects are not directly profiting and benefiting the local community. It creates more conflicts and impacts the local people. 

Peace is the most important issue than that kind of development projects. I have asked many local people what is essential for their livelihood security. They said "PEACE," not development projects.

Written by Stephen Nyein Han Tun

[socialscienceresearcher]

Recognition of Customary Tenure is Women Rights Violation

Customary tenure and law violate human rights, especially women rights. Regarding property rights, most of the women from hill-tribe people (indigenous people) community have no rights because they have no chance to own the lands, residential houses and farmlands. These are related to the kinship system and tradition, which is embedded in local spiritual and customary ideologies, tenures, practices and laws.

Men are dominant and powerful and purer than women. That kind of ancient ideology generates inequality for women in this day. 

In this day, most of the hill-tribe community are still practising customary law in the cases of rapes. When a man rapes a girl or young woman, the community use customary law and tenure to decide the case. Thus, this is inequality and injustice for the woman. 

In this day, some of the International organisations are trying to revive the customary tenure and law in land and property. However, engagement is ambiguous and irrelevant to the social community. It generates human rights violation specifically for women if the State policy recognises customary tenure and law.

Recognition of customary lands are acceptable, but recognition of customary laws and tenures are unacceptable.

Written by Stephen Nyein Han Tun 

[socialscienceresearcher]

Education and Peace: Livelihood Development of Children

Most of the children from peripheral sites of the country obtain poor education and schooling system. Many responsible actors said that educational development could not build schools and challenging to reach remote areas. 

The armed conflicts are also a severe issue for educational development. Some villages build their schools and find local teachers to teach the children. However, most of the children have limited access to school books and stationaries, which are different from urban areas' children. 

Another problem is that the children have a difficult situation to go to the schools as armed conflicts and militaries are exercising near the villages. Sometimes the schools have to close due to the armed conflicts. 

Some parents send their children to the nunnery and monastic schools in Mandalay, Sagaing, Monwya and Yangon. The reason is that they cannot afford their children's education. Most of the villagers think that the nunnery and monastic schools are safer than the village's school.

However, it discovers that most children from the country's peripheral sites live in the nunnery and monastic schools. Although most children are very young, under eight years old, they have to collect the donation house by house and lane by lane in cities: Mandalay, Sagaing and Yangon. 

As a researcher, I found that many young nuns are walking and collecting donation in the streets of Mandalay. The weather is scorching, and some roads are squalid. However, although they are very young kids, they have to do it as religious responsibilities. During the Coivd-19 pandemic period, many young nuns (female nuns) are collecting donation. 

As children, they want to live with their parents, relatives and peaceful environments at the villages and beautiful lands. They want to eat fruits and vegetables from their villages' forest and celebrate the traditional festivals with their parents and community.  The hopes such as education and village livelihood of the children are not fulfilled because of conflicts and intolerance between powerful actors.

Written by Stephen Nyein Han Tun 

[socialscienceresearcher]

No Electricity and Drinking Water Access for Villagers Near French Hydropower Dams in Northeast Myanmar

In Northeast Myanmar (Northern Shan State), there are many foreign direct investments such as mining (ruby, coal and lead), special economic zones, highway roads and hydropower dams. Most of these large-scale investments emerge since 2008. However, some investments are planned by the military government. 

Geographically, the lands of Northeast Myanmar are located over 3500 and some places have about 6000 sea level, and the soils are suitable for the agribusiness. In Kyautme, Hsiphaw, Mongye and Kongta area, there are many pineapple, orange, lemon, bean, cherry plantation and other fruits. The Duthawadi river is flowing across these areas. Some sub-rivers and streams flow from the mountainous areas such as Namtu, Namhsan, Kyautme (Pansan) and Kutkhai areas. 

The Shweli-river is the main water resource which flows from Ruili township to Mu-se, Namlkham and Mongwi area. Many Shan, Kachin and local Chinese villages are located along this river. 

Shwe-li Hydropower dams are built near Mongwi area. The Shwe-li electricity is connecting to the central low lands, Myanmar. Near the dams, there are many local hill tribe villages. These hill-tribe people (indigenous) are relying on tea and paddy rice plantation. 

They are settling in Mongwi area since the ancient time. There is no free, prior, informed, and consent when the project implementation embarks in these lands. As this French Hydropower Dam has a good connection with State, they did not care about the local situation and the negative impacts of the project in these lands. 

According to the photo and fieldwork data, the villagers from that area have a problematic situation to access electricity and drinking water. In the past, they can fish and bring drinking water from that river. The local villagers can travel in these areas without having any problems. 

However, in this day, many military troops are giving security for these megaprojects and have many checkpoints. 

A local villager said that a person got an electric shock when he went to the farm. Then he has lost his right leg and become a disable person. Regarding this case, the hydropower dam’s companies did not take responsibility for him. In this day, most of the villages have no electricity, and they have to depend on the woods from the forests. In the past they can get water from the river, now they have a problematic situation to access drinking water from the river because some places along the river are built for the dams and military camps.

By Stephen Nyein Han Tun

[socialscienceresearcher]

Uncertain Peace for Uncertain People and Forced Migration 


While many peoples are cerebrating 2021 happy new year event, the hill-tribe people from Northern Shan State are displaced from their villages and lands due to the armed conflicts between different ethnic armed groups. 
A local person said that it has over 800 villagers who move from their villages to the nearest township, Kyautme. These people are agrarian society, and they have to rely on tea cultivation. 

In Kyautme region, many tea farmers harvest tea in this season, from November to January, and sell their raw tea leaves to the local tea traders in Kyautme town. However, the tea economy is not going well since 2008 when the tea market is declined in Myanmar. This is a threat to this tea community. Another threat is armed conflicts between State and ethnic armed groups as well as inter-ethnic armed conflicts. 

Many local people expect peace and sustainable development in this day as Covid-19 Pandemic is transforming this society. As the tea economy and armed conflicts impact their livelihood, they cannot rely on their traditional economy. So, they cannot send their children to schools, and they have to eat low-priced food. Thus, the economic crisis, poor education and armed conflicts generate an uncertain future for these people. 
Although different political parties do many election campaigns, the arts of peace and tolerance are unprioritised and introduced by politicians.


The assassination culture is still practised by the powerful actors in this region- Northern Shan State/Northeast Myanmar. Finally, the uncertain people are displaced as the 2021 politics are not seriously tackling and it results as uncertain peace.

Written by Stephen Nyein Han Tun 

#Peace #Tolerance #Human Rights

[socialscienceresearcher]

Happy Ta’ang New Year! Greetings from Livelihood, Land and Forest Research Myanmar

[socialscienceresearcher]

Happy Ta’ang New Year! 

We are greetings from Livelihood, Land and Forest Research Myanmar Team! 

[socialscienceresearcher]

What is Child Rights for them? 

Tears, fears, sufferings, starving, anxieties, getting rapes and worries from children are neglected and marginalised because of power and resources conflicts. So the innocent people group's livelihood, properties, human rights and dignity are unprioritised and peacebuilding is also not giving much attention by powerful actors. 

The children from the photos are from hill tribe ethnic lands and IDP Camp in Northeast Myanmar. A mother is watching her elder child dead-body and carrying her youngest kid who gets lost his right leg.

The children's voices are not considered and advocated by the local civil society and media institutions in Northeast Myanmar. I observe that most of these institutions work when the fund and project are available for them. There is no volunteering engagement to raise the voices of children well and marginalised peoples. 

So, what is Child Rights for the children who are living in conflictive lands? Responsibility, accountability and bringing the children's rights are needed as Covid-19 Pandemic are also striking and giving negative impacts for the people and economy in this region.

Written by Stephen Nyein Han Tun 

[socialscienceresearcher]

Land of Wa State: Highland Ethnic Community and Covid-19 Pandemic 

Wa State is a beautiful land with full of hills, streams, organic patty farms, tea gardens and deep forests. Further, many mining are also located in Namtid and Panglong, Hopan region, Wa State. 

Mongmaw is the central Wa Administration's capital, and Pangsang is the important city for Wa economy while Mongla is an essential city in Southern Wa region. 

Wa hill tribe is an ancient ethnic-indigenous people. 30 % of Wa people are Christian, 25 % are Buddhist, and over 40 % are animism, known as Wa customary religion. Most Wa people are living in villages and still practising their customary rule and culture. 

Although the Covid-19 pandemic started in the early period of 2020 in Myanmar, the Land of Wa State and most of the hill tribe community in borderland areas are not impacting Covid-19 transmission. 

The people from Wa State (Northern Wa region) have communication and connection with Mongtain city, Lancang province, China. However, the Covid-19 transmission is not coming from China site. According to Wa State TV, the two persons from Wa region immigrated in Monglin town, China, and tested Covid-19 positive. It happened 14th and 16th December 2020. 

On 17 December, the two cases were found in Mongpouk town. From that time onward, the Wa State government build quarantine centres and investigate the contact persons. Regarding Covid-19 pandemic, the Wa State government announced 15 policies/statements to prevent the local transmission. Amongst them, I would like to point out the statement which relates to food. 

The Wa State government said that the local stores, companies and food industries could not increase the food prices. If the people are not following the rules, they will be in charge according to the regulation. 

From 5th to 25 December 2020, the total tested people have 4063, and 27 cases are found. They are from Mongpock town and Pangsang city according to the report of the Wa Covid-19 Prevention Committee. 

Photo credit# U N Rang and WSTV 

Written by Stephen Nyein Han Tun 

Social Science Researcher 

[socialscienceresearcher]

[socialscienceresearcher]

Merry Christmas! We are greeting from Livelihood, Land and Forest Research Myanmar Team.