The Myanmar Peace Center: Its Origins, Activities, and Aspirations

Abstract

The Myanmar Peace Center (MPC) is one of the newest organizations with a focus on peace in Asia. It was initially formed in October 2012 with a core group of 13 members. Since then it has gone on to become a much larger and also much more institutionalized organization. The nature of its work differs from that of most other peace research centers in that it is the organization appointed by the Myanmar President and government to bring an end to ethnic and sectarian conflict in the country. The MPC, unlike other organizations, is actively involved in negotiating peace with the country’s major ethnic insurgent groups, many of which have been fighting the government for almost six decades now. This article traces the origins of the MPC and its mandate within the Myanmar government’s ongoing attempts to sign a nation-wide ceasefire deal to bring closure to the long history of ethnic conflict that has plagued the country. It also identifies the organizational structure of the MPC and the key personnel involved in the ongoing negotiation efforts. The MPC faces a number of obstacles to its ongoing work and these are examined as well, together with a projection of how the institution will evolve as the country heads towards the next parliamentary elections in 2015.