USAID/OTI BURMA TRANSITION INITIATIVE – SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT

The program, also known as "Kann Let," has a ceiling of $28.7 million and is three years in length, running through March 2019. The Kann Let program works closely with stakeholders in the political and reform process, including local civil society organizations, grassroots organizations, local and national government, and media groups, to advance peace and democratic reforms. The program's objectives are to enhance the ability of key stakeholders to engage in the peace process, strengthen engagement on areas affecting fundamental freedoms, and reduce the influence of drivers of inter-communal conflict and strengthen the capacity to promote inter-communal harmony. The program's strategy is consistent with the U.S. Government's Principled Engagement policy and the Integrated Country Strategy approved in January 2014. During the reporting period, from April 1 to September 31 2018, Burma faced continuing challenges in its attempts to address issues in Rakhine State. The national government has fallen consistently short of its initial targets for the repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Rakhine State from camps in Bangladesh. The military's razing of large swathes of land formerly occupied by Rohingya residents has made it difficult to guarantee the security and sustainability of repatriation plans. The government of Burma was in the process of reviewing the first list of 8,000 potential returnees sent by Bangladesh in September. The UN-commissioned Independent International Fact-finding Mission on Burma released a report in August, detailing the mass human rights violations committed by the Tatmadaw against the Rohingya in Rakhine State, and against ethnic minority groups in other parts of the country. The report calls for the dismantling of the Tatmadaw and the prosecution of Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing and other top military leaders involved in orchestrating the violence. The government rejected the findings of the report, and the International Criminal Court (ICC) judges authorized a prosecutor to begin a preliminary investigation into the forced deportation of Rohingya Muslims into Bangladesh. However, the newly elected President Win Myint stated that Burma is not obligated to respect the rulings of the ICC since it is a non-signatory to its charter. In July, the national Buddhist clerics authority banned the Buddha Dhamma Parahita Foundation for spreading discord and promoting violent nationalist sentiment across Myanmar. The Kann Let program has implemented various activities to support its objectives, including enhancing the ability of key stakeholders to engage in the peace process, strengthening engagement on areas affecting fundamental freedoms, and reducing the influence of drivers of inter-communal conflict. The program has worked closely with local partners and stakeholders to advance peace and democratic reforms in Burma. The program's budget for the reporting period was $5.3 million, with a total of 24 activities implemented. The program has also conducted a Rolling Assessment in January 2018 to refine its sub-objectives in light of USAID/OTI strategic priorities for the final year of implementation. The program's updated objectives are to enhance the ability of key stakeholders to engage in the peace process, strengthen engagement on areas affecting fundamental freedoms, and reduce the influence of drivers of inter-communal conflict and strengthen the capacity to promote inter-communal harmony. The program's activities have included supporting local civil society organizations, grassroots organizations, and media groups to advance peace and democratic reforms. The program has also worked with the Government of Burma to strengthen its capacity to promote inter-communal harmony and reduce the influence of drivers of inter-communal conflict. The program's activities have been implemented in various regions of Burma, including Rakhine State, Shan State, and Kachin State. The program's progress has been monitored and evaluated through regular reporting and assessments. The program's achievements have included enhancing the ability of key stakeholders to engage in the peace process, strengthening engagement on areas affecting fundamental freedoms, and reducing the influence of drivers of inter-communal conflict. The program's challenges have included the ongoing conflict in Rakhine State and the difficulty in guaranteeing the security and sustainability of repatriation plans for Rohingya refugees.