CONTEXT
Burma is an ethnically diverse nation with a long history of systematic human rights violations and mass displacement.
The country has endured military dictatorship and civil war for over 60 years. A fragile and flawed experiment with democracy ended with a military coup d’état in 2021. The country has since plunged deeper into civil war, with widespread armed and non-violent resistance.
Amidst the conflict, civil society has provided crucial public services while continuing to organize for a future federal democracy free from military control.
Civil society has also been critical to establishing a cohesive opposition to the junta: through the interim National Unity Government, National Unity Consultative Council and state-level governance bodies, and by supporting long-standing Indigenous governance actors to provide services in their areas of control.
OUR WORK IN BURMA
For 30 years, we have partnered with civil society organizations in Burma and neighbouring countries—India, Thailand, and Bangladesh—to work towards a democratic future.
Through funding, capacity development, learning exchanges, coalition building and advocacy, we strengthen local civil society, for democratic organizing and the provision of public services.
Inter Pares acknowledges Global Affairs Canada for its financial support for our work with counterparts in Burma.
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Meet our counterparts
Our counterparts in Burma have been recognized internationally for peace building, women’s leadership, Indigenous self-determination, environmental protection, independent news reporting and health service provision. We currently support 60 civil society organizations to provide health services, document human rights violations, protect the environment and report on news as independent media.
Doing this work poses an extreme risk to the safety of our counterparts. For this reason, we only name counterparts publicly when it is safe to do so.