Conflict in Myanmar breeds homegrown turmoil in Friends of Burma group

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Tin Maung Htoo’s position as the executive director of the Canadian Friends of Burma is in dispute, as some of the group’s leadership is asking that he resign. He has no plans to leave. He is pictured here at a Carleton University event earlier this year.

Sneh Duggal
Published: Wednesday, 11/21/2012 12:00 am EST
Last Updated: Wednesday, 11/21/2012 11:24 am EST  
Ethnic clashes in Myanmar’s western Rakhine province have stirred up Canada’s NGO community, resulting in a leadership struggle within the Canadian Friends of Burma.
The NGO working to support the pro-democracy movement in Myanmar, also known as Burma, is at a stalemate stemming from disagreement over who is leading the group. One CFOB board member considers the organization to be “defunct” currently.
Some members of the group have called for the resignation of Tin Maung Htoo from his position as executive director and are looking to appoint an interim head. But Mr. Maung has said he has no plans to step down yet, and says he would like to keep the organization alive.
One of the group’s main funders, non-profit group Inter Pares, has decided to temporarily suspend its funding and collaboration with the CFOB until its internal issues are sorted out.
CFOB is well known in NGO and government circles. The group celebrated its 20th anniversary earlier this year. At an anniversary celebration, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said the organization has “been a marvellous Canadian partnership of newcomers...and Canadians who had a heart for the situation of the Burmese people.”
The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights noted that violence between Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state, also know as Arakan state, started after a Rakhine woman was raped and murdered on May 28, according to the UN’s July 27 daily news service update.
“This was followed by the killing of 10 Muslims by an unidentified mob on June 3.” 
The government of Myanmar declared a state of emergency in Rakhine state.
Another wave of violence started in October, and hundreds of homes were reportedly destroyed. More than 110,000 displaced people are in need of shelter, food, and health care, read a Nov. 5 UN news service report.
Since June, UN officials and various governments, including in Canada, have voiced concern about the ongoing clashes. Foreign Minister John Baird said he is “deeply concerned by the latest outbreak of inter-communal violence in Rakhine state” in an Oct. 26 statement.
 
CFOB conflict ‘a real tragedy’
Some volunteers and board members with the CFOB issued a statement on Nov. 19, stating that the “unfortunate situation” with the organization started in June when clashes were occurring in Rakhine state.
“Tin Maung Htoo became understandably distraught about the tragic events that have been taking place there...[but he] reacted in a way that was not appropriate for the director of an organization.”
Kevin McLeod, a board member since 2003 and Nisha Toomey released the statement. Antoine Nouvet, who has also been involved in the group, said he agreed with it.
Mr. Maung said some of the information being disseminated after the clashes didn’t depict what was really happening on the ground, and that it wasn’t just one side attacking the other. Members of the group, meanwhile, say that some of his statements at the time seemed to make assertions against Rohingya Muslims.
The group’s statement alleged that Mr. Maung released a factually flawed press release and other public statements that were not endorsed by CFOB’s board.
Mr. Maung said he didn’t say anything wrong in his initial statement and just included some history on Rohingya Muslims. 
Inter Pares executive director Rita Morbia said that at the time there were some “disturbing comments” coming from CFOB.
Mr. Maung said he changed the press release after Inter Pares asked him to.
He also had a Facebook site, and it was unclear as to which comments represented his personal views and which represented the organization’s views, Ms. Morbia said. 
“I shared some information from both sides on my Facebook,” Mr. Maung said. Currently, his association to CFOB is not listed on his Facebook profile. 
“I’m trying not to side with any group. I am Burmese origin, so I know the situation there very well. This is not the first time this kind of communal conflict [has] happened,” Mr. Maung said. 
He said he respects the “beauty of diversity.”
In a July 26 letter, CFOB board member Toe Kyi outlined that Mr. Maung was born and raised in Rakhine state, and thus has strong personal ties to the region. 
“While [Mr. Maung] recognizes the vulnerability of the Rohingya people based on lack of citizenship and the need to amend their citizenship status for a lasting solution...he no doubt felt very upset to hear about the violence committed by both the Rohingyas and Rakhines against one another.”