The Kyauk Kyi Pilot Project is the first pilot project that was initiated under the Myanmar Peace Support Initiative (MPSI), aiming to provide much needed assistance to conflict-affected Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). The project is funded by the Norwegian Government and the Australian Government.
Based on consultation with the Karen National Union (KNU) and the Myanmar Government, the project focuses on the Ker Der Village Tract, a remote area in the jungle twenty miles east of Kyauk Kyi on the road to the Thai Border in eastern Bago division.
The Myanmar government has allowed international organizations such as Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) and the ILO into the area to conduct needs assessments and consultations, and to plan aid programs. Similarly, the government has also accepted Committee for Internally Displaced Karen People (CIDKP) as a legitimate implementing partner in the project. They are now able to set up a monitoring office in Kyauk Kyi and a bank account.
In addition, the MPSI has helped bring together the various stakeholders affected by conflict to discuss the project. This intervention has provided the space and opportunity to build trust and dialogue between: the displaced villagers themselves, the Myanmar government and military and the KNU/KNDO (local armed wing of the KNU).
To date, the pilot has been funded by the Norwegian Government and the Australian Government. It has offered an opportunity to gain important understanding of the context, the needs, and the sensitivities of engaging in conflict-affected areas.
