Resource information
The plight of Burma's internally displaced persons has largely been overlooked by the
international community and the Burmese government itself. Villagers in the country's war
zones nevertheless have suffered for decades the adverse effects of conflict. For some,
displacement has become a way of life and a multi-generational phenomenon.
Displacement wherever it occurs profoundly changes the persons forced to move. People
lose belongings, jobs, and loved ones. The case of the internally displaced in southern Shan
State is no different.
In this report, the Humanitarian Affairs Research Project documents the impact displacement
has had on civilians in southern Shan State and the living conditions in the various places to
which they fled. The report builds successfully on the work of other local research groups
and adds updated information and perspective to the study of Burma's internally displaced. It
will be a valuable addition to policy makers, academics, and anyone concerned about the fate
of the people of Shan State.
One lesson clearly emerging from the report is that the IDPs in southern Shan State clearly
are in need of protection and assistance. More needs to be done and it needs to be done now.
The Burmese government as well as other domestic and international actors should consider
carefully the ways in which this important goal can be accomplished. This report offers some
recommendations that can help to set the actors on the right path..."....This document contains a Shan version of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. Since this is an image file of almost 2MB, OBL has produced the whole document, with GP; the Guiding Principles as a separate document; and the English text without GP.
