Across the country in areas freed from Burmese military occupation, a bottom-up federal nation is being built, writes Naw Wahkushee, Director of Advance Myanmar’s partner Karen Peace Support Network, for Mizzima. Local people are finally in charge of their land and natural resources, and for the first time have a say in how they will be governed, with new local constitutions being consulted on.
An example of this is highlighted in a new report, ‘Retaking our Eastern Border’ by the Karen Peace Support Network. Local administrations such as the Karen National Union in Kawthoolei [the Karen name for Karen State], which administer areas freed from Burmese military occupation, need international support to provide essential services to local populations and improve governance.
Supporting the development of local administrations free from Burmese military rule is the most effective approach to long term stability in Burma.