There is confusion indeed over the promulgation of new guidelines for all international organisations in Burma. Do any of the international staff of these organisations read Burmese?

Confusion over Burma's new UN and NGO guidelines
Jessicah Curtis
Mizzima News
13 February 2005

Confusion has spread among United Nations and international humanitarian
aid groups in Burma over new operational guidelines released by the
Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development.

The government released the first formal set of guidelines for
humanitarian operations in Burma last Tuesday during a meeting with
international organisations in Rangoon.

While an English-language document handed out by officials in the meeting
contained few changes to operational requirements, the Burmese-language
version of the same document detailed several serious new restrictions on
the way organisations would be expected to operate.

In a further twist, a draft English-version of the official document was
leaked to the UN weeks before the meeting, containing many of the
restrictions cited in the official Burmese version.

But most of those changes to operational rules were omitted in the
official English version leaving UN and NGO workers unsure of which
document to believe.

All three documents, which have been obtained by Mizzima, are different.

The more serious restrictions listed in the Burmese-language and draft
English versions would heavily impact on international aid operations.

The documents said groups would be forced to choose Burmese staff from
military-prepared lists and that operations would be overseen by
committees made up of civil groups including the state-backed Union
Solidarity and Development Association and Women's Affairs association.

When international staff first saw the leaked draft English version of the
guidelines, they said they were gravely concerned over the new
restrictions. After the meeting, when the softer English version was
handed out, aid workers said they were relieved.

"News was definitely not as bad as we had feared. There had been rumors –
based on an initial draft document that was circulating – that all future
staff in UN agencies and INGOs would have to be hired from a shortlist of
candidates provided by the Government . . . Fortunately, this possibility
has not reared its ugly head," one humanitarian worker told Mizzima after
the meeting.

But a high-level international aid worker told Mizzima the fact that the
Burmese language version of the document contained the same restrictions
as the previously leaked version – plus a stipulation that all
international field workers would have to be accompanied by a government
official during in-country visits or inspections – showed the government
did plan to impose the new rules.

The worker said the rules were worrying and that they would have a serious
impact on international aid operations in Burma.

"The restrictions if imposed as they stand will have serious repercussions
on our activities. Greatly reducing them as we would have difficulty
operating within the parameters of the humanitarian principles to which we
must all comply. Donors would be more hesitant to support operations in
[Burma]," the high-level worker said.

The recent insistence by the military that USDA members accompany
International Committee of the Red Cross workers on prison visits –
causing the group to halt inspections – was seen by some aid workers as
evidence the military planned to enforce the new restrictions.

UN and INGO workers have expressed concern that if the new restrictions
were enforced some groups would be forced to cease operations in the
country.

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria withdrew US $98
million worth of funding from Burma last year, citing unreasonable
restrictions on the operations of recipient organisations.

International humanitarian organisations are known to be requesting a
second meeting with military officials to clarify the matter.

"I haven't heard anyone here speaking of some of the more draconian
measures in the original document being imposed. Maybe they will be. Maybe
they won't. Nothing more than guess work at this point . . .," one aid
worker said.

http://www.mizzima.com/mizzima/archives/news-in-2006/news-in-Feb/13-Feb-06-36.htm