40 > Next Generation Myanmar Figure 14: Expectations from peace process The people involved in the peace process represent the opinions and interests of the people in Myanmar The peace process in Myanmar will lead to peace within the next five year 0 20 Neither agree nor disagree Do not know Agree Disagree Youth and the peace process Reaching such a Union depends on the success of the peace process, a series of negotiations between the government, the Tatmadaw and ethnic armed groups from across the country. The process is ongoing, but half of youth (49.5 per cent) surveyed agreed that the talks will lead to peace within five years (see Figure 14). When asked if the people involved in the peace process represented the opinions and interest of the people of Myanmar, the response was roughly the same: about half (51.8 per cent) agreed. Youth consulted in this study expressed various criticisms of parties to the peace process, explaining in part why they doubted that each party had the people’s interests in mind. Some youth doubted the civilian government’s ability to negotiate with hard-line ethnic armed groups (EAGs), and many felt that elected officials were distant from issues on the ground. Others explained that the Tatmadaw’s reputation remains poor, particularly in minority-ethnic areas, 40 where youth explained that many associate the military with land confiscation, corruption, human rights abuses and other wrongdoing. Minorityethnic youth also described how the Tatmadaw is associated with Bamar identity in minority areas, leaving them less likely to win minority-ethnic support. It is far from all, however, who view the army critically. After the events in Rakhine, pro-military demonstrations have frequently taken place in Yangon and other cities. EAGs, however, were also not particularly popular. While in some areas EAGs play an important role in service provision, several youth also shared negative experiences with EAGs. They complained that villagers in EAGcontrolled areas were double-taxed, once by an EAG and again by the state, a system they described as enforced through threats of violence. Some made pains to distinguish between EAGs and the ethnicities they claim to represent: as one Shan youth from Kachin State emphasised, ‘we remind our people to 60 80 100 Prefer not to say differentiate between KIA [Kachin Independence Army] and Kachin people. Is the KIA which we hate, not the Kachin. We know that even Kachin people cannot report or complain what they have been suffering from KIA.’ In negotiations, these parties to the peace process discuss high-level constitutional arrangements. Talks are frequently delayed due to disagreements between parties on the terms of a federal union. Despite nearly 80 per cent of youth agreeing that young people’s interests are reflected in the peace process, the peace talks’ focus on high-level political questions may in part explain why only half feel the people’s opinions are reflected in the process. When youth were asked about the importance of federalism to securing lasting peace, 35.4 per cent said federalism was important, while over half (54.3 per cent) disagreed (see Figure 15). Federalism was considered least important among survey respondents among other possible goals.