UNDP Access to Justice and Informal Justice Systems Research Rakhine State

UNDP Access to Justice and Informal Justice Systems Research Rakhine State

December 21, 2017

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Myanmar commissioned the access to justice and informal justice systems research in three locations: Rakhine, Kachin and Shan States, which includes specific attention to informal justice systems.

The research sought to answer three main questions:
1. How do people seek access to justice?
2. What are people’s perceptions of, and trust and confidence in, the formal justice system?
3. What is the range of informal justice processes that exist in the local area, and how do they operate?

This report summarises the findings in Rakhine State. It is important to note that the findings are indicative rather than representative, because of the sampling methodology, and cannot be generalised to any wider population.

“Ms. Aye Gets Hurt Twice” is a popular saying in Myanmar to describe a situation where someone endures one instance of injustice after another. In Rakhine State, poverty-stricken people are forced to submit to a demand by one corrupt official, only to find that they have to submit to demands by some other officials later.