State-Centric Development v. Civil Society Resistance: The Belt and Road Initiative’s Contested Role in Post-Conflict Reconstruction

Abstract

The development of infrastructure under the Belt and Road Initiative has had a significant impact on post-conflict reconstruction in Asia and Africa. However, the Initiative’s reliance on bilateral government-to-government agreements has had the effect of marginalising affected communities from project governance. This paper explores how a state-centric model engenders governance distortions in fragile institutional environments. It draws evidence from the Thar coalfield development in Pakistan, the Kyaukpyu port project in Myanmar, the Standard Gauge Railway in Kenya, and Hambantota port in Sri Lanka to support this investigation. Each case demonstrates that rapid infrastructure deployment without meaningful community consultation produces displacement, environmental degradation, and erosion of citizen trust in state institutions. It also examines civil society responses across three areas: domestic litigation that challenges procedural deficiencies in environmental and land acquisition processes; transnational advocacy campaigns that link local grievances to international human rights discourse; and mobilisation strategies rooted in culturally specific claims to territory and belonging. An analysis of the African Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations reveals that neither organisation has successfully transitioned from facilitating dialogue among member states to establishing enforceable standards governing infrastructure investment. Four reforms are proposed: the institutionalisation of community voice through tripartite project committees, the mandating of cultural heritage assessments alongside environmental review, the development of regional investment protocols with accessible grievance mechanisms, and the embedding of conflict sensitivity into project design where historical injustices shape contemporary land tenure.

Keywords

• Belt and Road Initiative
• Post-Conflict Reconstruction
• Civil Society
• Participatory Governance
• International Development Law
• Infrastructure Investment
• Cultural Impact Assessment
• Transitional Justice

Devlet Merkezli Kalkınma mı, Sivil Toplum Direnişi mi: Kuşak ve Yol Girişimi’nin Çatışma Sonrası Yeniden Yapılanmadaki Tartışmalı Rolü

Abstract

Kuşak ve Yol Girişimi kapsamında altyapı geliştirme çalışmaları, Asya ve Afrika'daki çatışma sonrası yeniden yapılanma üzerinde önemli bir etki yaratmıştır. Bununla birlikte, Girişimin ikili hükümetler arası anlaşmalara dayanması, etkilenen toplulukları proje yönetiminden dışlamıştır. Bu makale, devlet merkezli bir modelin kırılgan kurumsal ortamlarda nasıl yönetim bozulmalarına yol açtığını incelemektedir. Bu araştırmayı desteklemek için Pakistan'daki Thar kömür madeni geliştirme projesi, Myanmar'daki Kyaukpyu liman projesi, Kenya'daki Standart Hatlı Demiryolu ve Sri Lanka'daki Hambantota limanından kanıtlar sunmaktadır. Her bir örnek, anlamlı topluluk istişaresi olmadan hızlı altyapı geliştirmenin yerinden edilmeye, çevresel bozulmaya ve vatandaşların devlet kurumlarına olan güveninin aşınmasına yol açtığını göstermektedir. Ayrıca, sivil toplumun üç alandaki tepkilerini de incelemektedir: çevre ve arazi edinme süreçlerindeki usulsüzlükleri sorgulayan yerel davalar; yerel şikayetleri uluslararası insan hakları söylemine bağlayan uluslararası savunuculuk kampanyaları; ve kültürel olarak özgün toprak ve aidiyet iddialarına dayanan seferberlik stratejileri. Afrika Birliği ve Güneydoğu Asya Ülkeleri Birliği'nin (ASEAN) analizi, her iki örgütün de üye devletler arasında diyaloğu kolaylaştırmaktan, altyapı yatırımlarını düzenleyen uygulanabilir standartlar oluşturmaya başarılı bir şekilde geçiş yapamadığını ortaya koymaktadır. Dört reform önerilmektedir: üçlü proje komiteleri aracılığıyla topluluk sesinin kurumsallaştırılması, çevresel incelemenin yanı sıra kültürel miras değerlendirmelerinin zorunlu hale getirilmesi, erişilebilir şikayet mekanizmalarına sahip bölgesel yatırım protokollerinin geliştirilmesi ve tarihsel adaletsizliklerin çağdaş arazi mülkiyetini şekillendirdiği proje tasarımına çatışma duyarlılığının entegre edilmesi.

Keywords

• Kuşak ve Yol Girişimi;
• Çatışma Sonrası Yeniden Yapılanma;
• Sivil Toplum; Katılımcı Yönetişim;
• Uluslararası Kalkınma Hukuku;
• Altyapı Yatırımı;
• Kültürel Etki Değerlendirmesi;
• Geçiş Dönemi Adaleti

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