COMPLETION REPORT
Japan's Official Development Assistance to Myanmar: Role of Japanese International Corporations
Agency and NIPPON FOUNDATION in Post 2010 Peace Process in Myanmar
Dr.Khenn Suan KhaiLecturer
School of Social Innoviation,
Mae Fah Luang University, Thailand
In terms of official development assistance to Myanmar, Japan has been focusing more on “proactivepacifism”, which based more on human security and hard infrastructure assistance. Besides, Japan official
development assistance to Myanmar is not only solely intended to be charity or philanthropy activities but also
secure diplomatic environment favorable to Japan. One of the political incentives for increasing Japanese ODA toMyanmar is hedging against Chinese influence in Southeast Asia. A special significant difference approach toMyanmar in terms of its’ transition is that while many of other third parties donors from Western take a
democracy-first approach to Myanmar, Japan prioritizes development - human security and hard infrastructureassistance. Democratization and economic development are the main objectives of Japan’s Myanmar policy, but
the issue of ethnic nationalities is also high on its agenda. In post 2012, through Japan International Corporation
Agency, Japan has proposed “to promote peace through development” and encourages development activities tobe conducted “in parallel” with political dialogue in Myanmar.
In most of the projects of JICA, it fails to adequately describe the projects; has not based on adequate
consultation with the public or affected communities; do not fully analyze the project’s power supply; do notproperly consider resettlement and livelihood issues especially in the case of return Karen refugees and Thilawa
Special Economic Zone A and B. JICA has to focus on participatory development so that people will not take theprojects as structural passion for people in Myanmar have been facing repression of dissent under successive
military regimes and the lasting impacts of this repression. JICA should closely follow the compensation process
when it has mega project in Thilawa SEZ which required resettlement of local residents. The resettlement site stilllacks adequate infrastructure, such as sewage and water drainage, and is prone to flooding even in the dry season.
None of the compensation provided— for homes, crops, and animals—replaces the value of what was lost by thedisplaced residents of Thilawa. As a result, residents have become impoverished, with many taking loans to makeends meet.
In many Japanese related projects in Myanmar, Japan has focus much on government sectors and hardly
have a direct open space connection with local people who should be the real benefiters. It is crucial that recipient
governments bear the ultimate responsibility for the environmental and social considerations of projects but ODA
projects also should acquire ground context, people’s voice, and respect and protect human rights, and beresponsible also for environmental. It is important for JICA to work along with recipient governments, to preventand redress human rights concerns. Interactions with recipient government for ODA is essential but it is even moreimperative spend enough time consulting with local people, civil societies, and a broader public who are the targetof development projects. In many projects in Myanmar, both outcomes and processes are monitored and evaluatedonly by JICA’s elected intellectuals but not by neutral local and international experts.
1/2

It is important that Japan implement ODA to strengthen the capacity of local communities throughhuman resource development and external assistance for protection and empowerment of individuals considering
not only for global, regional and national perspectives, but also for human security with focus on individual. It isvital to take step to assure fairness for the breach between the rights holders and duty bearers as well as the gap
between various regions in Myanmar.
Publication of the Results of Research Project:
Verbal Presentation (Date, Venue, Name of Conference, Title of Presentation, Presenter, etc.)-No presentation yet as the research it finished in June 2016

Thesis (Name of Journal and its Date, Title and Author of Thesis, etc.)-I send my abstract to some academic journals for publication, but there is no acknowledgement andacceptance yet.

Book (Publisher and Date of the Book, Title and Author of the Book, etc.)-No2/2