Title: Inclusive Education Policy for People with Disabilities in Yangon, Myanmar

Author: Nandar Nwe Oo

Year: 2012

Keywords: PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES / SPECIAL NEEDS / INCLUSIVE EDUCATION / MYANMAR

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Abstract:This research is intended to find out the challenges of education for people with disabilities (PWDs) in Myanmar and the factors that undermine the education development opportunity for them in Myanmar. The objectives of this research are to analyze the concept of inclusive education (IE) and its policy framework and implementation in Myanmar, to assess the government's and stakeholders' perceptions on inclusive education, to identify problems of accessibility to education faced by PWDs, and to identify an appropriate design of IE for children with disabilities (CWDs). It was designed to cover all types of CWDs in the primary and lower secondary school level in Yangon Division. This research uses qualitative method in order to understand the actual situations or phenomenon. Primary data was gathered from individual and group interviews with the responsible officers of the concerned departments, teachers from formal and special schools, Non-Governmental Organizations, CWDs and their parents in August, 2012. Secondary data collection includes government's IE policy and the impact of its strategies, and a review of the International norms of IE. The findings of this research exhibit that the IE policy for PWDs does not yield expected results. PWDs only have benefited a little from the policy rhetoric. There are a number of reasons namely societal negative attitudes, trainings for teachers on disability issues, and inaccessible school environment. Particularly, children with intellectual/seeing/hearing disabilities will need individualized and special education designs for which a lot of improvement must be made. This only indicates that the idea of IE, where CWDs learn in the same class as other students, might not be appropriate to Myanmar, where the government cannot support with relevant facilities. In particular, the society where economic vulnerability is still prevailing, 1E has become only rhetoric. Myanmar will have to seek other alternatives that integrate the role of community, family and civil society organizations in appropriate local resources to increase a broader opportunity for basic education for the excluded PWDs.

Contact MAIDS-Chula for more information and full thesis at maidschula@gmail.com

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Title: Disaster Diplomacy: A Case Study of the Tripartite Core Group's Post-Nargis Humanitarian Assistance in Myanmar

Author: Dalina Prasertsri

Year: 2009

Keywords: NARGIS/SANCTIONS/CONSTRUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT/ASEAN/BURMA/MYANMAR/TRIPARTITE CORE GROUP/TCG/UN/ HUMANITARIAN INTERVENTION/DISASTER DIPLOMACY

Download PDF of Abstract: English Thai

Abstract:

On 2 May 2008 the devastating Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar, causing over 140,000 deaths and affecting about 2.4 million people in the country. Despite the desperate situation, the Government of Myanmar refused the humanitarian assistance offered by international development organizations and Western governments. This act caused the international community to formulate unconventional ways in order to bring relief into Myanmar. They attempted to apply the Responsibility to Protect principle but failed, and later on used disaster diplomacy tactics by utilizing ASEAN as a mediating agent to build dialogue between Myanmar and the humanitarian community. This ASEAN-led mechanism was operated under the establishment of the coordinating body called the Tripartite Core Group (TCG) aiming to bring aid into Myanmar.

This thesis uses the disaster diplomacy framework to address the impact of Cyclone Nargis on the two-decades-long tension between the Government of Myanmar and the international community. The TCG, with the mediating support by the ASEAN, was seen by many observers as an opportunity to revitalize and improve this relationship. Apart from facilitating aid, the TCG was expected to help breaking down Myanmar's suspicion about the West's agenda and help the Government of Myanmar realize that the humanitarian community had no hidden political objective on its aid agenda. Beyond evaluating the work of the TCG in the above light, the thesis also aims to examine the achievements of the ASEAN and the UN as to whether they were able to efficiently meet the TCG's objectives regarding humanitarian aid and their ability to change the perception, behavior, approach and objectives of Myanmar. The study also identifies the gaps, challenges and the opportunities faced by the group to provide efficient and meaningful emergency response to Myanmar.

Contact MAIDS-Chula for more information and full thesis at maidschula@gmail.com