© koninklijke brill nv, leiden, 2020 | doi:10.1163/1875984X-01201006 global responsibility to protect 12 (2020) 86-114 brill.com/gr2p * My thanks and acknowledgements to the editors and anonymous reviewers for their very helpful comments and to Kimberley Johnson for her research support. This research was The Responsibility to Protect and Infrastructure in Myanmar Emma Palmer Griffith University, Queensland, Australia emma.palmer@griffith.edu.au Abstract The responsibility to protect norm has been associated with prevention activities such as national capacity building. There has also been recognition that social and econom- ic development may have a relationship to this principle. Physical and social infra- structure is said to contribute to development and may be delivered by private actors, including via partnerships between the state and foreign investors, donors and institu- tions. However, the role that private investors play in relation to responsibility to pro- tect activities remains unclear. This article explores the relationship between private actors, infrastructure and the responsibility to protect in the context of Myanmar. It argues that considering these topics together presents opportunities and risks, since infrastructure might help to prevent atrocities, but can also — as in Myanmar — contribute to their commission. Careful planning and consultation are crucial when funding and managing infrastructure projects, supported by laws, guidelines, and the concepts of responsibility and prevention. Keywords responsibility to protect – Myanmar – infrastructure – atrocity crimes – private actors – investment The Responsibility to Protect norm (R2P) promotes state obligations to protect civilians from the commission of crimes against humanity, genocide, ethnic cleansing, and war crimes (atrocity crimes).* When promoting the principle in Downloaded from Brill.com05/05/2020 07:57:16PM via free access