Naw Sah Htoo

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Starting Point

Since Ms. Naw Sah Htoo was young, she has been interested in peace-related issues. She joined the youth leadership programmes and attended peace-related training courses. As a civilian representative of the Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC), she participated in and acted as a mediator in peace-related processes. Around the year 2000, while attending the Government Technical Institute (GTI), she participated in a meeting with Kayin elders as a young Kayin representative. During that meeting, the elders discussed the need for peace in Kayin State and the presence of armed groups. She later contributed to peace efforts in Kayin State, supported initiatives, and eventually became involved in peace committees and civil society organisations. She believes that the ongoing conflict should be resolved as soon as possible, and have the peace restored.

Peace Journey

Reflecting on the conflict, she said that conflicts between the military and armed ethnic groups in the past were based on the hopes and political aspirations of the armed ethnic organisations. However, the current state of conflict is different, it is now perceived as a nationwide political conflict. Relevant organisations are currently conducting informal meetings and negotiations among themselves in trying to resolve the conflict. 

Through JMC, she acted as a mediator between armed groups and the military, successfully reducing tensions in conflicts. However, from the list of cases she mediated, she mentioned one particular case. It was when she has facilitated negotiations for a woman who was a survivor of sexual violence. The incident involved a woman from the Kyaikmaraw township in Mon State. She was living with a soldier from an army unit under the South Eastern Command, but her partner refused to take responsibility. The survivor reached out to her for assistance. Ms. Naw Sah Htoo worked with the senior members of the relevant organisation and finally resolved the issue. 

Moreover on her view of women, although she has not personally experienced gender discrimination within her family and her surroundings, she has observed that other women face such issues. She believes that women’s rights should be firmly demanded by women themselves. 

However, there are challenges in making women prioritise themselves. Women have the responsibility to balance their personal work with traditional roles and family duties in Myanmar. Therefore, she stated, understanding and support from their families and communities are essential.

Additionally, it is necessary for women to participate in various areas of the peace process, as progress can only be made when both women and men are involved. Encouragement and advocacy for this participation are also needed. As a woman, she desires to participate and contribute in any capacity or sector she is assigned. As a challenge, during her time in JMC, she experienced discrimination both as a civilian representative and as a woman. She also regreted that there were no specific programmes designated exclusively for women to overcome such discrimination. Whereas, she reckoned that women’s participation in the peace process will offer more chances for a successful outcome.

Success Stories

She believes that her actions have achieved a certain level of success. Her accomplishments include raising awareness about peace among the people in her community and, as a civilian, standing with the public to hold accountable groups who violate the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement Code of Conduct. Through these efforts, she has made a meaningful contribution. As a lesson, she believes building trust based on mutual understanding is crucial for effective engagement. 

Through the arrangements made by the JMC, she also had the opportunity to attend peace-related workshops and discussions in China, the Philippines, and Cambodia. She conducted training sessions to educate civilians about land ownership. She led a team to successfully negotiate with a military unit stationed at a monastery in a village and convinced them that such stationing should not be done.