A study of the government’s challenges for internally displaced persons (IDPS) resettlement in the Kachin state of Myanmar

Abstract

There are millions of people around the world without a home. Amongthem, some are Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in many developing countries whowere forced to leave their homes due to armed conflicts and natural disasters and havebeen living in a dire situation for a long time without enough essential services.Likewise, Myanmar has hundreds of thousands of decades-long armed conflict-induced IDPs who have been living in overcrowded camps with insufficient basicservices for decades. This research is designed to identify and analyse the specific challenges faced by the government when dealing with seeking durable solutions forIDPs in the Kachin state of Myanmar during the last three years (2018-2020). The research uses a qualitative method to analyse primary data, including open questions and semi-structured interviews with different stakeholders from the capital city ofKachin state. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and political turmoil, all interviews were conducted online using a safe application.According to the findings, the government failed to guarantee IDPs' physical safety and security for resettling them in designated villages or places of origin and failed to provide the restitution rights of IDPs, which are paramount for a durable solution. The research additionally identified the underlying causes of the failure of the government, such as the failure to bring a ceasefire agreement between Myanmar’s military and ethnic armed groups, the government’s limitation of power to influence over the military, the military’s involvement in IDP resettlement process, and the impunity of military members for previous sexual violence on IDPs during the conflicts.Therefore, the government faced many different challenges when it attempted to resettle them, which ultimately led to the failure to seek a durable solution for IDPs. IMPLICATION OF THESIS. Amid the deadlock barriers in resolving the armed conflicts and bringing a peace deal, the government’s immature plan for IDP resettlement has not been achieved as it was not in line with a rights-based approach where the rights of IDPs are respected, fulfilled, and protected. Following the military coup in Myanmar, theexpectation of IDPs of going back home has turned into an uncertain future. Thus, thethesis has implications for both academic and practical matters. This research aims tounderstand the context of IDP protection in Myanmar using the case in Kachin State,as well as the IDP families’ experiences. It will show how well they fare if thegovernment provides the necessary safeguards. Secondly, policymakers, scholars, researchers, and human rights policy advocacy practitioners can use this research to understand the vast implications of IDP protection and help provide information for policy formulations regarding internal displacement and resettlement in Myanmar.