[{"bbox": [96, 152, 1135, 525], "category": "Text", "text": "Eight regions and states are particularly impacted by the resulting violence⁴, which amounts to two-thirds of the country being affected, with one-third of townships under Martial Law and the other third affected by some type of conflict. Myanmar ranked second in terms of fatalities from political violence (over 20,000) in 2022 - just behind Ukraine - and topped the global list in terms of “weighted severity”⁵ According to the figures provided by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), over 22,624 people have been arrested since the coup, with more than 18,407 still incarcerated and over 3,580 civilians killed⁶. In July 2022, the military junta executed four political prisoners, the first executions in over 30 years. The Humanitarian Needs Overview of OCHA⁷ 2023estimates that 17.6 million people (52 percent women, 32 percent children and 13 percent with disability) are in need of immediate humanitarian assistance requiring 768 million USD. Almost 50 percent of the population is estimated to be living in poverty in 2023, wiping out the gains made since 2005. The number of children and their families displaced by the conflict has increased by 60 per cent since December 2021 to more than 1.4 million people, including the 330,400 who had been living in protracted displacement prior to the coup. In addition, UNHCR counts 1.2 million refugees outside the country, mostly Royingha in Bangladesh. It is estimated that millions of Myanmar citizens have fled to Thailand and other countries in the last 2 years."}, {"bbox": [96, 550, 593, 578], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## Peace and democracy stakeholders remain divided"}, {"bbox": [96, 602, 1135, 817], "category": "Text", "text": "The stakeholders of sustainable peace in Myanmar and their respective agendas are complex and diverse. A fundamental faultline is between the SAC and those opposing it and seeking, amongst other things, the removal of the military from political power in Myanmar. However, there are also divisions within the broad spectrum of groups and actors positioned in opposition to the SAC about what a federal democratic state should look like. Faultlines within the SAC and its allies are also visible. While a united opposition front that agrees on a unified shared vision for the country remains far from reality and the conditions for a national dialogue and reconciliation process are not currently in place, there is a need to forge alliances and if possible create a common vision for an inclusive pathway to peace."}, {"bbox": [96, 841, 1135, 1028], "category": "Text", "text": "Alongside this political process, the people of Myanmar also have a role to play and as such are key stakeholders in the process. They have been subjected to authoritarian rule, which normalised an exclusionary national identity based on a singular ethno-religious foundation that has ignored the needs and concerns of Myanmar's diverse population. Following the 2021 coup, it has become clear that achieving a lasting, positive peace requires supporting the people of Myanmar to develop a new social contract that redefines the role of the Myanmar military, reimagines a more inclusive national identity, and rebuilds Myanmar's institutions to be more participatory, transparent and accountable."}, {"bbox": [96, 1053, 424, 1081], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## Civil society faces new challenges"}, {"bbox": [96, 1106, 1135, 1348], "category": "Text", "text": "Civil society is facing a number of challenges related to a continuous shrinking of the space in which they operate. The main difficulties they are facing concern security and safety of their staff, registration requirements to operate, control of their accounts, access to cash and overall control of their movements and activities. Women Rights Organizations (WROs) working on issues related to gender-based violence face particular challenges due to the sensitive nature of their work. The military junta has taken a number of steps towards using legislation for further tightening its control on CSOs and ostracizing the political opposition. On 28th October 2022, the new Registration of Associations Law was enacted, imposing additional pressure and control on the capacity of international and domestic CSOs to operate in Myanmar. By criminalizing noncompliance with a set of cumbersome and costly administrative procedures, the military junta introduced a new layer of scrutiny with damaging consequences⁸."}, {"bbox": [85, 1380, 1140, 1430], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁴ The 8 conflict zones are the following: Chin State, Magway/Sagaing regions, Kachin State, North Shan State, East Shan State Kayah State/South Shan State, Kayin State, Mon State and East Bago region, Tanintharyi region (NRM Car Facility)."}, {"bbox": [85, 1429, 966, 1454], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁵ Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) https://acleddata.com/conflict-severity-index/."}, {"bbox": [85, 1453, 1143, 1503], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁶ https://aappb.org/. Figures from 22 May 2023. AAPP political prisoner definition to be found here: https://aappb.org/?page_id=5830."}, {"bbox": [85, 1502, 911, 1526], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁷ https://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/myanmar-humanitarian-needs-overview-2023-january-2023."}, {"bbox": [85, 1525, 1143, 1647], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁸ Despite the possible severe impact on civil society of the new Registration of Associations Law, a recent survey by the international non-governmental organization (INGO) Forum with 60 INGOs confirmed that INGOs are exploring a range of registration options and operational modalities and most INGOs remain committed to stay and deliver with less than 2 percent of respondents considering ceasing or suspending all their operations in-country. About 57 percent responded that they will pursue registration under the new Registration of Associations Law while other options include registration under the Directorate"}, {"bbox": [1037, 1681, 1143, 1707], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 5 of 27"}]