PEACEWORKS 92 Corruption in government, military, and business activities remains problematic, although the new press freedoms are already appearing to limit some corrupt behavior. press their identities. The post-2008 reform processes are making impressive progress on these fronts, but there remains much to do. In the transition period, citizen protest has manifested in demonstrations for peace in Kachin State in September 2012; reactions to unpopular development projects, such as the Myitsone Dam; and demonstrations at the Leptadaung copper mine in 2013 (which sparked an aggressive response from police). Although the security forces are working hard to pro­ fessionalize and recalibrate their responses to meet the requirements of a modern, civilian police service, the potential for public discontent to turn violent remains high. In many cases, Myanmar’s citizens still lack any institutionalized means of holding political or business leaders accountable. Although the legislature has made impressive progress in the transition period,2 the judiciary is not entirely independent, and the capacity of the legal system is limited. As a result, many people do not have reliable access to justice, and the value of any new legislation remains limited by the capacity of the institutions required to implement and uphold it. Corruption in government, military, and business activities remains problematic, although the new press freedoms are already appearing to limit some corrupt behavior. The promise of the governance and institution-building work conducted thus far by the government of Myanmar is laudable, but it will be some time before Myanmar’s citizens trust institutions and believe they can rely on them for justice, accountability, or a fair deal. The Myanmar Police Force and the military (Tatmadaw) are tasked with ensuring national security and unity but are also not trusted by sections of the population. For citizens living in non-Bamar ethnic or conflict-affected areas, as well as for those who have experienced crackdowns firsthand, the Tatmadaw is associated with repression and abuses. At times, nonstate armed groups (NSAGs) have also preyed on the communities they claim to protect, extracting taxes and punishing those deemed disloyal to their causes. Rather than feeling safe in the presence of security forces and NSAGs, many still fear them. Several interviewees suggested that fear also exists among those who control Myanmar’s security forces, in terms of the potential loss of power, resources, sovereignty, and national unity. Interviewees in urban areas expressed renewed confidence in democratic institutions and rule of law to protect them, though this perspective was usually not shared by rural and nonBamar participants. Many citizens remain unconvinced that the peace process or the ballot box will deliver on their aspirations. Exacerbating this outlook is that few mechanisms for meaningful engagement between civil society and government have developed since 2010. Because of the lack of means to relay concerns and engage with government authorities to help resolve community needs, citizens resort to agitator activities—including mass protests—against the government. Referring back to the KAB framework that formed the methodological basis of this study, it is encouraging that Myanmar’s leaders have already taken important steps to transform what people know, the attitudes they hold, and the way they behave in relation to state-society conflict. Indeed, the resolution of state-society tensions in Myanmar is perhaps the most advanced among the three conflicts explored. Flaws in governance are understood by leaders, the democratization and governance reform process is advancing, and nascent efforts to improve rule of law are under way. New freedoms are already enabling the media to play its part in holding the government and security forces accountable. As one media group owner noted, “We all feel that we have a responsibility to the society to be the fourth estate.” Unpopular development projects and policies, such as the Printers and Publishers Regulation Bill or the flawed Vacant Land and Fallow Land Act, have been widely criticized. Human rights abuses by state security 8  USIP.ORG