Democratic Voice of Burma

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• Karen rebels reject Rangoon bomb plot ‘allegation’
• Foreign tourists cancel trips to Burma after bombings
• Irrawaddy villagers protest over fishing rights
• Thailand must suspend Salween River dams, warn activists
• Suu Kyi heads to Europe amid criticisms of EU Burma policy

Karen rebels reject Rangoon bomb plot ‘allegation’ Posted: 16 Oct 2013 06:02 AM PDT The Karen National Union (KNU) has rejected an AFP news report suggesting that the man detained in connection with the recent bombings in Rangoon is a member of the armed ethnic rebel group. Tuesday's report, citing an unnamed KNU official, said the 26-year-old suspect, identified as Saw Myint Lwin, is a rebel member expressing "dissatisfaction" with its tentative ceasefire deal with the government. Speaking to DVB on Wednesday, Thaw Thi Bwe, joint secretary of the KNU rejected the report, claiming it was "just an allegation" and that nobody within the group was dissatisfied with the peace deal. "There is not a single member within our ranks who does not wish to see the peace for which both our leadership and members have been working together," said Thaw Thi Bwe. Mahn Nyein Maung, Central Executive Committee member of the KNU said the bombings represented a malicious attempt to disturb the ethnic peace process, and pledged to investigate whether its members were involved. "This was not a plan by our leadership – we will carry out investigations to find out whether our members were involved and take necessary actions if they were – we will not allow any harm to our peace process." The KNU signed a tentative ceasefire deal with Naypyidaw in January 2012 after spending decades fighting for greater autonomy and ethnic rights. But violence has continued to flare in KNU-held territories and reports of friction within the group's ranks over the peace process have surfaced. Burma has been struck by a series of coordinated bomb attacks since Friday, claiming two lives and injuring an American woman. The government arrested Saw Myint Lwin on Tuesday after reportedly identifying him using CCTV footage taken at the Traders Hotel in Rangoon shortly before one of its rooms was ripped apart by a home-made time-bomb on Monday. Related Stories Foreign tourists cancel trips to Burma after bombings Thailand must suspend Salween River dams, warn activists One suspect detained after Rangoon hotel blast The government is also looking for another man, identified as Saw Tun Tun, who has been linked to Friday's attack in Taungoo which killed two people. A number of other bombs have also been found across the country. According to ucanews.com, another two suspects carrying Malaysian passports are being held in Mandalay on suspicion of planting an unexploded bomb in the city on Monday. But no group has taken responsibility for the blasts, which have similarities with attacks that took place during military-rule in Burma. In the past, the government has been quick to blame ethnic rebels or exile groups, often taking the opportunity to arrest and jail dissident activists. President Thein Sein, who took office in March 2011, has been credited for pushing democratic reforms in the former pariah state and inking ceasefire deals with most ethnic armed groups. But clashes continue in Burma's volatile border regions, while a wave of Muslim-Buddhist riots has swept the country since last year, even reaching Mandalay and Rangoon. A number of western governments, including the US, the UK, Australia and France, issued travel warnings to their citizens this week, in some cases advising against all but essential travel to parts of the country.

Foreign tourists cancel trips to Burma after bombings Posted: 16 Oct 2013 05:03 AM PDT Travel agencies in Burma are facing losses as many foreign tourists have cancelled their planned visits to the country after a spate of bombings claimed two lives and injured an American woman. It follows reports that a number of western governments, including the US, the UK, Australia and France, have issued travel warnings to their citizens, in some cases advising against all but essential travel. Aye Kyaw, executive director of the Rubyland Tourism Services said many travellers, mostly from European countries, had cancelled their trips to the country citing fears for their safety in the wake of a bomb attack at the prestigious Traders Hotel in downtown Rangoon on Monday. "The problem is the bomb actually went off inside a hotel room which means it's not safe for people to even stay indoors – the issue is becoming significantly pressing," Aye Kyaw told DVB. "When tourists cancel their trips, we have to refund them money but at the same time, we have already paid fees in advance for booking at hotels and airlines and in the end, we are the ones who face the most losses." Aye Kyaw said that the tour operators quite often end up not getting refunds from hotels and airlines and urged the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism to issue directives to facilitate a compromise. The UK government has warned that there is a "high threat from terrorism" in Burma and urged its citizens to avoid travel to any regions affected by ethnic violence, including Arakan, Kachin and Shan states. Meanwhile, the US embassy has urged "caution" but insisted that there was "no indication" that Americans were being specifically targeted. Aye Mra Thar, an official at Myanmar Airways International, said it was too early to tell what kind of impact it could have on their business. "We have not seen much decline in passengers as the [bombing] took place just a couple of days ago – so far our flights are continuing as usual," said Aye Mra Thar. Related Stories Karen rebels reject Rangoon bomb plot 'allegation' One suspect detained after Rangoon hotel blast Bomb explodes in Rangoon's Traders Hotel A senior official at the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism echoed these sentiments. "So far the situation is normal – we haven't heard of any airline flights being cancelled – but we will have to wait and see what the impact will be," said the official. "Also, the culprit for the Traders bombing has [already] been caught – the news will fade away in a matter of time." On Tuesday, police announced that they had arrested a 26-year-old man in connection with the violence, while another is wanted for questioning. But no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, which have targeted locations around the country in a string of low-intensity, home-made bombs since Friday. The Ministry of Hotels and Tourism has previously expressed hopes that around 2 million tourists would come to Burma in 2013, as the country continues to open its doors to foreigners. According to government statistics, some 1.1 million tourists had visited the country as of September this year.

Irrawaddy villagers protest over fishing rights Posted: 16 Oct 2013 02:45 AM PDT Some 150 villagers gathered on Tuesday morning in central Burma's Irrawaddy division to protest a government scheme they say is preventing them from fishing in local ponds to earn a livelihood. The villagers from Ma-ubin, some 25 miles west of Rangoon, are demanding the right to fish freely in local ponds which have been auctioned off to private operators, driving up the prices of fishing permits. The protestors, from seven villages in Ma-ubin, are threatening legal action against a local operator near Kansu village. The operator reportedly leased the pond from the government for 2.1 million kyat (US$2,150) annually and subsequently doubled prices, earning a total 4.8 million kyat (US$4,920) by renting out permits to local fishermen. "We are calling for the immediately return of fishing ponds leased out by the Fisheries Department and the District Administration to the public," protest organiser Kyaw Min from Kangon village told DVB. Kyaw Min said the villagers have been living in hardship for over 30 years due to wealthy private operators monopolising their fishing ponds, and pledged to continue protesting. They say they have repeatedly raised the issue with the local authorities, the Fisheries Department and parliamentary representatives – and have staged a total of five legal protests across 30 villages in Ma-ubin over the past year — but it has been fruitless. Sein Win, Ma-ubin's lower house representative for the National League for Democracy said all pleas with authorities to resolve the dispute had fallen on deaf ears. "Due to monopolistic expansion by operators, local villagers can now only watch the ponds from afar but cannot afford to fish and thus end up poor," he told DVB. Related Stories Two Arakan locals jailed for protesting Rohingya resettlement Govt says it's working to return confiscated lands to farmers Burmese navy opened fire on fishing boat, claims Thailand "Since we ran in the by-elections [in April 2012] we have been calling [on the government] to give locals the right to fish in their local ponds while declaring natural creeks as communal fishing spots, but the way things are handled on the ground has yet to change." According to Kyaw Thet Oo of the Human Rights Defenders and Promoters Network, there are around 15 square miles of fishing ponds in the township and the villagers have been calling for some of them to be made communal. Tensions between private operators and local fishermen in Irrawaddy division have been on the rise for months, with the former claiming to be losing money as more and more villagers want free access to their ponds. In September last year, two men were shot dead by local police in Kyonpyaw township during an altercation over illegal fishing. Under Burmese law, fishermen are obligated to obtain licences to access all fishing ponds, even those which are deemed to be "communal" by the government.

Thailand must suspend Salween River dams, warn activists Posted: 16 Oct 2013 12:12 AM PDT Environmental activists on Tuesday called on Thailand to suspend two controversial dam projects in Burma's conflict-torn border regions until the country's ethnic conflicts are resolved. A coalition of ethnic groups gathered in Bangkok to warn the Thai government, which is the second largest investor in Burma after China, that new large-scale development projects are likely to fuel conflict and human rights abuses at a precarious time in the peace process. "We are calling to suspend large investment projects, such as dam constructions and mining operations, to help the peace process," Sai Khur Hseng of the Shan Sapawa Environmental Organisation told DVB. "Otherwise it will lead to [stakeholders] prioritising discussions on matters relating to these projects, creating more arguments and thus violence." Earlier this year, Naypyidaw gave the formal go-ahead to six new dam projects on the SalweenRiver, which flows from China's Yunnan province to southern Burma's Mon state, lacerating ethnic territories on the way. Two of them, Mai Tong in southern Shan state and the controversial Hatgyi dam in Karen state will export electricity to Thailand. The Hatgyi dam was temporarily suspended after repeated clashes with the Karen National Union (KNU), a long-time opponent of the project, in nearby territories. Earlier this month, the Thai government pressured Burma to speed up construction on the US$12-billion Mai Tong project in order to secure 10,000 megawatts of electricity for the Kingdom. Development on the project, previously known as the Tasang dam, has stalled since 2007 amid escalating fighting with Shan rebels, but was recently re-opened under a new name. Related Stories Karen rebels reject Rangoon bomb plot 'allegation' Kachin rebels and govt reach preliminary peace deal KNU is ready to sign nationwide ceasefire, says CEC member According to the NGO Salween Watch, the Mai Tong project, which at 228 metres will be the tallest dam in Southeast Asia, will submerge 900 square kilometres of land, including the homes and farmlands of over 12,000 people. Activists say the Burmese army has boosted its troop numbers in areas near Thai-owned dam projects, despite reaching ceasefire agreements with armed groups in several ethnic regions. "Disputes over natural resources are a key driver of ethnic conflict in Burma, but Thailand is rushing to buy our river before this issue has even been brought to the negotiation table. This will only stoke further war," said Nang Kham Leng of the Love Salween Group. "If the Salween dams go ahead, not only will refugees not be able to go back home, but more refugees will be fleeing to Thailand," she said. President Thein Sein has been credited with introducing democratic reforms in Burma and signing tentative peace deals with 10 out of 11 major armed ethnic groups, but fighting continues in many border regions. The army's exploitation of natural resource wealth in ethnic minority territories has fuelled conflict and distrust for decades. In late April, government forces ordered another Karen militia, the Democratic Karen Benevolent (formerly Buddhist) Army, to evacuate an area near the Hatgyi dam or risk a fresh bout of clashes. Similar orders were reportedly also issued near a Chinese-backed hydro-power project in territory held by the Shan State Army west of the Salween River.

Suu Kyi heads to Europe amid criticisms of EU Burma policy Posted: 15 Oct 2013 10:04 PM PDT Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is set to meet European Union leaders this weekend before heading to Luxembourg for talks with EU foreign ministers and to Strasbourg to pick up a prize she won 23 years ago. At a ceremony at the European Parliament in Strasbourg next Tuesday, Suu Kyi will finally receive the Sakharov human rights prize she won in 1990 at the height of the Burma military crackdown. The ceremony will be preceded by talks with EU leaders on a joint EU-Burma  Task Force due to meet in mid-November which will explore ways that Europe can help Burma, an EU diplomat said. It comes amid growing pressure from human rights groups who say the EU must continue to push for democratic reforms and accountability in the former military dictatorship. On Tuesday, a coalition of NGOs penned an open letter to the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton accusing the bloc of failing to meet its commitments to boost civil society participation in Burma. "At present the EU is seen as prioritising normalisation of relations with the Burmese government, above and beyond its commitment to civil society," reads the letter to Ashton. "This perception, fair or otherwise, undermines EU policies in the country, keeps civil society away from policy processes, and ultimately weakens the prospects of transition." The letter noted that the EU has pledged to include all voices in their task force, including that of the Muslim Rohingya minority which is denied citizenship and heavily persecuted in Burma. Related Stories Ninety percent of Karen locals want constitution changed: survey Suu Kyi wishes Burmese to be 'rich in hope' Suu Kyi: I cannot personally stop anti-Muslim violence in Burma Suu Kyi will also hold talks with the European Union’s 28 foreign ministers over a luncheon in Luxembourg on Monday, EU sources said. She will meet European Council president Herman Van Rompuy on Sunday in Brussels for face-to-face talks. The Nobel laureate, now leader of the opposition in Burma and aiming to run in presidential polls in 2015, was under house arrest for long periods and only freed in 2010. But since taking a seat in parliament, she has come under scrutiny for a perceived failure to condemn ongoing rights abuses in Burma, especially those targeting its ethnic minority populations. In July, the EU formally reinstated preferential trade terms for Burma in recognition of the country’s efforts to improve the political situation as well as its labour and social systems. Six months ago, EU foreign ministers agreed to lift the last of the bloc’s trade, economic and individual sanctions against Burma, hailing “a new chapter” with the once pariah state. The bloc had begun to ease sanctions in 2012 as the military, in power for decades, progressively ceded power to civilians and implemented wholesale reforms of the economy.

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