Arakan's Development: Breaking Free from the Chains of Control

By Khai Moung, GAN

Shortread: Opinions                                                                                      February 8, 2025

A View in Rathedaung, Arakan (photocrd)

Community development, at its heart, is about empowerment – individuals uniting to tackle shared challenges and shape their own destinies. It thrives on collaboration and local ownership, encompassing everything from bolstering education to fighting for social justice. But in Arakan, this fundamental principle has been systematically undermined, shackled by a history of control and exploitation.

Arakan's past is marked by a complex interplay of traditional social structures, the intrusion of Western development models during British rule, and the enduring legacy of centralized power. While mutual aid flourished within villages and religious institutions, the colonial era, focused primarily on resource extraction, hampered the emergence of truly independent development initiatives. This pattern of top-down control, coupled with the suppression of nationalist movements, stunted the growth of local organizations and created a developmental deficit that continues to plague the region.

Since independence, Myanmar's political landscape has been marred by instability, ethnic conflict, and economic stagnation, all rooted in an exploitative political system. Successive regimes, echoing the colonial playbook, have consistently prioritized national security over genuine development, using it as a convenient justification for restricting progress. Economic growth, with its potential to empower civil society and fuel demands for political reform, is viewed with suspicion by those in power. The junta’s grip on the nation's natural resources further incentivizes this status quo, ensuring their continued control over lucrative revenue streams.

The junta's iron fist has crushed civil society, suffocating the very lifeblood of community development. Even humanitarian aid, a lifeline for vulnerable populations, has been ruthlessly politicized, funneled through a government perceived as illegitimate and incapable of equitable distribution. Aid agencies have been forced to navigate a labyrinth of restrictions, severely hampering their ability to respond effectively to crises and exacerbating the suffering of those most in need. The movement of development and aid organizations, particularly in areas inhabited by the most vulnerable, has been heavily curtailed, with aid organizations and community-based groups operating under constant surveillance.

Arakanese Women Working on the Fields (photocrd)

For Arakan to experience genuine and sustainable development, a radical shift in approach is imperative. The government should actively nurture the growth of civil society organizations, providing them with the space, resources, and legal framework necessary to flourish. Furthermore, a robust regulatory system should be established to facilitate the upward flow of diverse views from these empowered communities and civil society organizations, through local and regional levels, and up the policy-making hierarchy to inform national-level decisions. This system should include mechanisms for consultation, feedback, and participatory planning, ensuring that local voices are not only heard but also meaningfully incorporated into policy formulation and implementation.

A future government in Arakan should prioritize local needs and interests by fostering a culture of dialogue, collaboration, and mutual respect. This approach will empower communities to take ownership of their development, build a brighter future, and break free from the constraints that have long hindered their progress. This will require a commitment to accountability and responsibility at all levels of government and society, ensuring that everyone is held responsible for their actions and that decisions are made in the best interests of the community. By working together in a spirit of subsidiarity, where decisions are made at the lowest possible level of government, the people of Arakan can create a more just and prosperous future for themselves.