"Could Natural Resource Revenue Sharing Help Secure Peace in Myanmar?", 27 Aug 2015

Several of [Myanmar's ethnic] groups have stated that natural resource revenue sharing between regions must be included as a topic “for further negotiations” with the government as part of any multilateral ceasefire...[S]oldiers active in conflict areas say that control over natural resource development is a primary shared goal...[R]esource revenue sharing is likely to play a central role in determining whether today’s democratic transition is translated into peace and development in resource-rich regions...[A] number of technocrats and advisors to the government, as well as opposition members, have suggested expanding fiscal decentralization...They argue that decentralization, including decentralization of resource revenues, would improve service delivery to some of the neediest parts of Myanmar and help redress over five decades of perceived marginalization of ethnic minorities. In addition to being a key component of any long-term peace and security strategy, resource revenue sharing could help improve the quality of public investment in Myanmar and attract high-quality investors to the extractive sector...NRGI is currently studying the fiscal decentralization process and how resource revenue sharing...could be implemented...