Burmese Junta Warns INGOs

The relationship between the Burmese government and international health NGOs (INGOs) is like a doctor and “a patient with a tumor,” a government health official told INGOs during a meeting in Naypyidaw.

According to a document obtained by The Irrawaddy recently, the meeting on January 11, chaired by Dr San Shwe Win, the deputy director general of the public heath department, involved the ministry of health and INGOs.

San Shwe Win said that INGOs have to follow four basic principles: “non-political, non-religion, nonprofit and nongovernmental.”

Ministry officials and 14 INGO representatives based in Burma attended the meeting. Three INGO health groups, including Medecins Sans Frontieres—Switzerland, were absent.

One of the central issues was the INGOs use of junta-backed “coordination committees” to channel aid and services into the country.

During the meeting, the government distributed copies of the national planning ministry guidelines on INGOs, which was issued in February 2006.

Members of coordination committees are to be drawn from junta-backed social organizations such as the Union Solidarity and Development Association, the Myanmar National Working Committee for Women Affairs and, at the township level, the Auxiliary Fire Brigades and Veterans Association.
 
The Burmese language version of the guidelines say that one of the duties of a township coordination committee is to monitor project teams and ensure that their activities don’t go beyond the stated scope of their mission.

Ministry officials said NGO staffers can only travel to a field mission with a “travel authorization” from the Ministry of Defense—Army. Applications involve various steps and take time. No permission, no travel, said the guidelines document. 

The Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria cancelled its aid program in Burma in 2005, saying travel regulations prevented it from accomplishing its mission.

INGO workers have to apply for travel authorization two weeks in advance and if a trip is cancelled, it must be reported in advance as well.

No travel permits can be issued for short-term consultants or trainers from abroad, said officials.

INGOs also have to provide specific plans, purposes and the location of activities. Activities such as observation or monitoring will not to be accepted, said ministry officials.    

The document said INGO projects in Burma will be reduced from five years to one year, and INGOs must renew their projects 3 to 6 months in advance because agreements between INGOs and Burmese officials must be approved by the ministry of national planning, ministry of revenue and attorney general of Burma.

All INGOs foreign staff who apply for a visa must indicate the period of time they will stay in the country and a reason.

Ministry officials cautioned INGOs about conducting surveys and research and advised them to keep such work to a minimum, calling it a “very sensitive issue.”

“Encourage utilization of the existing information from other NGOs,” said the document.

San Shwe Win chided some INGOs for what he called a double standard between foreign NGO staffers and ministry liaison officers. He said foreigners sometimes stayed in expensive hotels while liaison officers stayed at more moderate hotels.

“We do not request special facilities for them,” said San Shwe Win, but everyone should stay in the same hotel.