KEY DEVELOPMENTS
· In late May, the GoB and the KIO agreed to a preliminary ceasefire, according to international media. Through a seven-point plan, the two groups agreed to establish political dialogue and begin discussions regarding the resettlement of the approximately 100,000 people displaced in Kachin and northern Shan states since fighting began in June 2011. The peace talks were held in Myitkyina, Kachin State’s capital city, marking the first time the GoB and KIO have met in a GoB-controlled area, indicating improving relations between the two parties.
· In mid-May, Tropical Cyclone Mahasen developed in the Indian Ocean, with forecasts indicating a potential for storm impacts in Burma’s Rakhine State, where an estimated 68,000 IDPs reside in makeshift or inadequate shelters along coastal areas. In advance of the storm, the GoB evacuated approximately 120,000 people from 14 at-risk townships to safer locations. The storm made landfall northwest of Chittagong city, Bangladesh, with minimal impact in Burma. In preparation for the cyclone, USAID/OFDA deployed two regional advisors to Rakhine to monitor evacuations, conduct assessments, and coordinate with humanitarian organizations.