8 Bangladesh, Burma and the Rohingya crisis 2 Burma Introduction 11. Up to 2012, DFID’s aid to Burma, in line with many other donor countries, was limited; a response to the nature of the regime in power. After the apparent reforms of 2012, UK aid was swiftly ramped up, rising from £8m in 2007 to the £100m planned for 2018. DFID told us that: For our programme to be successful, Burma must work towards the implementation of inclusive peace agreements, a new political settlement; and the military serving rather than ruling Burma.8 However, we were struck by the view put to us by Burma Campaign UK, echoed by other witnesses, that: British aid to Burma needs to be completely re-evaluated based on the reality that Burma is not in a transition to democracy, the military are an obstacle, not a partner in reform, and that the Aung San Suu Kyi led government does not respect human rights.9 12. In this chapter, therefore, we examine whether Burma is indeed in ‘transition to democracy’, working towards peace, and establishing a new democratic political settlement. In other words, whether (against DFID’s own criteria) the UK’s aid programme in Burma has any chance of success in its current form? DFID’s work in Burma pre-2012 13. Before the suspension of sanctions in 2012, and their abolition in 2013, the UK provided assistance to Burma in line with the EU Common Position, which stated that non-humanitarian (development) aid should be suspended, with exceptions made for: • human rights, democracy, good governance, conflict prevention and building the capacity of civil society; • health and education, poverty alleviation and in particular the provision of basic needs and livelihoods for the poorest and most vulnerable populations; • environmental protection, and in particular programmes addressing the problem of non-sustainable, excessive logging resulting in deforestation. (Article 5).10 14. At this time, DFID’s modest programme in Burma consisted of: 8 9 10 Department for International Development (DBB016) Burma Campaign UK (DBB027) Council Common Position 116/77, 27 April 2006, Article 3.