| Burma Women Call for Amendment to Constitution Posted: 24 Sep 2013 05:35 AM PDT  Women in Burma are calling for greater legal protections. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — A historic women's forum wrapped up in Rangoon over the weekend, with activists calling for greater legal protections for women and amendments to the country's Constitution. At the Myanmar Women's Forum, a three-day event organized by the Thailand-based Women's League of Burma (WLB) and the Burma-based Women's Organization Network (WON), more than 400 activists and policy makers came to discuss gender equality as well as the role of women in Burma's peace process. "Women have been suffering from sexual harassment and violence at the domestic level, community level and state level," San Nyein Thu, a patron of the WLB, said in a statement on Tuesday. "To ensure promotion of women's life and equality, and to ensure the legal protection of women, the current 2008 constitution needs to be reviewed and amended in accordance with the CEDAW." The CEDAW, or the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, was adopted in 1979 by the United Nations and is described as an international bill of rights for women. Burma has committed to the convention, which defines what constitutes discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for national action to end discrimination. As Burma reforms after nearly half a century of military rule, the women's forum was the first to be organized in cooperation from ethnic women inside and outside the country. Women lawmakers, peace activists and ethnic leaders attended the event, including Susanna Hla Hla Soe of the Karen Women's Action Group (KWAG). "It is important that women take up leadership roles in the peace process. At the same time, there is an urgent need to bring justice to women who suffered from wars and to cure their resulting trauma," she said in the statement. Shwe Shwe Sein Lat of WON added, "In order for women to take political leadership roles, there is a need to put in place specific legal provisions." Participants at the forum have also agreed to send a signed petition to President Thein Sein calling for the immediate and unconditional release of women activists including Naw Ohn Hla, Bau Ja, Mi Mi Khine and Myint Myint Aye. The women's forum comes on the heels of a seminar last week on gender and development organized by the World Bank and co-hosted by Burma's Ministry of Social Welfare and Relief and Resettlement. The World Bank was launching two reports on gender equality and development globally and regionally. "Since these reports explore key gender issues around the world and in the region as well as provides recommendations for policy enhancement, we will make a connection between our current policies and guidelines with these recommendations," Myat Myat Ohn Khin, minster for social welfare, relief and resettlement, said in a statement. The World Bank said a series of reforms were under way by the ministry to empower women in the country. However, it said major challenges remained, including high maternal mortality rates and unequal pay for women, as well as low representation of women in politics. The post Burma Women Call for Amendment to Constitution appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
| Transformation of Cronies Key to Burma’s Development: 88 Leader Posted: 24 Sep 2013 05:24 AM PDT  Ko Ko Gyi, a prominent member of the 88 Generation Students group, speaks with The Irrawaddy on Thursday. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) Leading pro-democracy activist Ko Ko Gyi says a careful transformation of the way that Burma's cronies do business is important for the country's socio-economic development, as their resources can support its fragile democratic and economic transition. 88 Generation Students group leader Ko Ko Gyi wrote in an op-ed for The Irrawaddy's Burmese-language version on Monday that some businessmen could become assets for the country's development if they are willing to be transparent about how they made their fortune under the former military regime. "We need businessmen with international qualifications to compete or cooperate with foreigners [investors] but unfortunately, most of them are close to members of the military regime," he wrote. "So, how to transform them has become a major question." He said that Burma is at a crossroads in terms of political, economic and social changes, and finding a way to transform the cronies' business model and make them support the fragile transition through investment is now a key challenge. In this effort, Ko Ko Gyi said, nationalization of crony properties and taking legal action against them is not a pragmatic approach and will not bring positive results to the state's economic development and reform process. However, there should be transparency regarding the source and size of the cronies' wealth, said the activist leader, who was released from prison in January 2012 and has since met with numerous political, economic and social interests in Burma. Those businessmen who were involved in large-scale land grabbing and forced evictions—a growing and widespread human rights concern in Burma—should provide appropriate compensation to affected communities before they are allowed to participate in the economy, according to Ko Ko Gyi. "They should also declare their assets within a certain period of time that they are given in order to pay proper taxes, such as property tax and revenue tax to the state," he added. The issue of changing Burma's crony businessmen is also tied to attracting foreign investment, Ko Ko Gyi argues, as international investors will soon have to choose which Burmese firms they are going to partner with. He stressed that the US government needs to carry out careful assessments before it takes any Burmese cronies from its sanction list. "Basically, we need to know if they were involved in illegal activities such as narcotic drugs trade and/or arms smuggling or profiteering such as excavation of gems and other natural resources in different war-torn ethnic areas," Ko Ko Gyi wrote. "We have to object if the United States now lifts economic sanctions it had imposed on them." Ko Ko Gyi's op-ed appears at a time when the Obama administration is seeking to identify a few cronies who can play a more constructive role in rebuilding Burma's underdeveloped economy. Even though many international investors follow global Corporate Social Responsibility standards, Burma should take steps to ensure that international firms spend a certain percentage of their profits on local development projects, he said. Ko Ko Gyi said the government should also put in place laws that prevent large crony-owned firms from obtaining monopoly positions, while labor rights protection should be put in line with international standards. Civil society groups, he added, should be allowed to monitor and address the social and environmental impacts of investment projects. The post Transformation of Cronies Key to Burma's Development: 88 Leader appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
| Thai-Burma Border NGO Prepares for Refugee Return Posted: 24 Sep 2013 04:46 AM PDT  Ban Mai Nai Soi, in Thailand's northwestern province of Mae Hong Son, is the biggest refugee camp in Thailand. (Photo: Echo Hui / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The Border Consortium (TBC), an NGO on the Thai-Burma border, is focusing on preparations for the return to Burma of more than 120,00 refugees in Thailand amid reductions in cross-border funding. In TBC's latest report, published on Tuesday, executive director Sally Thompson said, "The Border Consortium continues to integrate the provision of humanitarian aid to conflict-affected people while prioritizing a focus on preparation for return." As the process of political reform and peace negotiations continue in Burma, TBC is embracing the prospect of refugees returning to their homeland, according to the report. With an invitation from the Burmese President’s Office, TBC has established an office in Rangoon to run its humanitarian operations. "We have also created several new staff positions and added new members to our management team as we continue to reorient all of our programs toward preparation for return," Thompson said in the report. TBC has said it is necessary to ensure a safe return to the country, as clashes continue between the military and rebel armed groups in some ethnic areas. In its report, TBC said it agreed with the Burmese and Thai governments that conditions do not yet exist for the organized return of refugees. "There is still much work to be done before refugees can be assured of voluntary, safe, dignified return. Nonetheless, we are all engaged in a period of transition," said Thompson. While the pace of change has slowed in Burma, it continues to build a sense of cautious optimism in the international and NGO communities. But the uncertainty of what lies ahead can heighten anxieties among conflict-affected communities, said TBC in the report. Recently, TBC announced that it would reduce rice rations to some of the 120,000 refugees it supports as part of its humanitarian work. Rations for adult refugees deemed "self-reliant" will be reduced, as donors redirect funds to programs preparing for the return of refugees to Burma. Mike Bruce, a spokesperson for TBC said, "Funding has been reduced to humanitarian aid as donors are starting to place more funding in programs that prepare the refugee community for return." TBC is a humanitarian organization that has provided humanitarian aid and other supplies to Burmese refugees on the Thai-Burma border, as well as to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in war-affected regions in eastern Burma, for almost 30 years. The post Thai-Burma Border NGO Prepares for Refugee Return appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
| SSA-North Says Attacks from Burma Army Frequent Posted: 24 Sep 2013 04:25 AM PDT  SSA-North rebel soldiers take a break in Kutkai Township, northern Shan State, in mid-June. (Photo: Kyaw Kha / The Irrawaddy) The Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army-North's (SSA-North) brigade near Namatu Township in northern Shan State has come under attack more than a dozen times by Burma's government forces this month, according to a spokesman. The armed ethnic group said its brigade No. 1 has been under artillery attack since the beginning of September and that the most recent attack was on Monday this week. The alleged assaults come as talks for a nationwide ceasefire, which the Burmese government hoped to have signed by next month, appear to be in trouble. "Whenever the attacks happen, there are excuses of the government troops that they are clearing the sites," said Major Sai La, spokesman for the SSA-North. "They enter our controlled areas, where our brigades and troops are located." The latest attack on rebel camps near Maiyin village, Namatu Township, was Monday morning from 4:30 to 6:30 a.m. by the Burma Army's Hsipaw-based light infantry battalion No. 503 and Lashio-based infantry battalion No. 68, he said. The Kachin Independence Army and the Ta-ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) also have forces based in the same area. These two armed groups have not yet reached ceasefire agreements with the government despite having meetings with officials. The TNLA also said there were engagements between their troops and the government troops in the past two weeks, resulting in the deaths of a few government soldiers. Although a ceasefire agreement has been signed between the ethnic Shan armed-group and the government-affiliated Myanmar Peace Centre, the SSA-North has faced more than 100 attacks over the 19 month period since it reached a new ceasefire deal, said the SSA-North's Major Sai La. The SSA-North and government agreed to a new ceasefire in January 2012, after a 22-year ceasefire—signed in 1989—broke down in March 2011 when the Burma Army launched a military offensive against the Shan rebels, displacing more than 30,000 civilians. The two sides have since met several times for peace talks despite fighting on ground. The government's chief peace negotiator, the President's Office Minister Aung Min, has said a Nationwide Ceasefire Accord would be signed with the country's ethnic groups in October. Ethnic leaders say frequent re-engagements between the government troops and ethnic armed groups are damaging trust between the parties. "The executive body is planning for making nationwide ceasefire, but there is no guarantee even for each group, which already signed the ceasefire agreements," said Sai La. Previous engagements have taken place at the SSA-North's headquarters in Kehsi, Monghsu and Tangyang townships. Now fighting is breaking out in Namatu Township, west of the Lashio-Muse road, forcing people from their homes in Maiyin village, according to Sai La. The post SSA-North Says Attacks from Burma Army Frequent appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
| Burmese Tycoon Brings Pygmy Man to Rangoon Posted: 24 Sep 2013 04:16 AM PDT  ar Weik, 60, center, stands with mountaineer Namar Gyansen, left, and a representative of the Htoo Foundation in Rangoon. (Photo: Facebook / Htoo Foundation) RANGOON — It is not clear why Tay Za, a well-known Burmese tycoon on the US sanctions list, brought a pygmy man from Burma's Kachin State to Rangoon this week, but some observers suggested that he was trying to promote tourism in the far northern state, where he hopes to set up a mountain resort. Tay Za's Htoo Foundation came to Rangoon over the weekend with Dar Weik, a man from the ethnic Tarong group—a remnant of the only known pygmy tribe of Southeast Asia, with men being less than 4 feet tall. The Tarong have seen their population diminish in Burma, with the Htoo Foundation saying that only three Tarong people now live in Kachin State's Putao District. Tay Za has major business interests in Putao, including a 100 acre logging concession, and he plans to establish a resort in the district on Fukanrazi Mountain. "Our chairman has brought a Tarong short man to visit Rangoon, to relax here," Paw Myint Oo, chief executive of the Htoo Foundation, told The Irrawaddy this week. The Tarong man was introduced to the media at a ceremony organized by the Htoo Foundation. The ceremony also promoted the activities of a team of American and Burmese mountaineers who last month climbed Mount Gamlang Razi, also in Kachin State. The Htoo Foundation announced on its Facebook page that 60-year-old Dar Weik would go on a tour of Rangoon and Naypyidaw to witness the development of the country, to enhance the "national spirit" and to gain general knowledge, in addition to purchasing necessary materials for the development of Putao. Dar Weik is the only male Tarong living in Burma, according to local media. He lives in the remote village of Karong in Putao District and is reportedly in good health. He does not have any children and his wife died 10 years ago. He has an older sister and a younger sister, who married an ethnic Rawan man and gave birth to children of normal height. Wolfgang H. Trost, a German author based in Hong Kong, has written about the Tarong ethnic group and met Dar Weik's family while visiting Kachin State in 2002. "As for Tay Za's motives for bringing [Dar Weik], I can only speculate that it was his way of making a friendly impression on the local people," Trost told The Irrawaddy. "He likes to be seen as close to the mountains and the local people." Trost recalled how Tay Za was stranded on the ice-covered Fukanrazi Mountain for three days in 2011, after his helicopter was forced to land on the mountain due to bad weather. Tay Za had been conducting a survey prior to a mountaineering trip in the area. "In any case, he has large plans for 'mountain/ski tourism' in the Putao region," Trost said, adding that the tycoon also had interests in logging. Tay Za was recently granted a 100,000 acre (40,000 hectare) logging concession in Putao by the Burma government, allowing him to access a large stretch of pristine teak forests. The tycoon's firm has also reportedly requested a concession to 600,000 acres for gold mining. Trost said these business plans were the most interesting possible motivation for Tay Za to bring his "new friend" to Rangoon. "All the press, and it's good PR for himself, as for [Dar Weik]. Yes, he is surely the only remaining and pure-blooded Tarong man. The other two are very fragile old ladies—that's the way they looked to me, even when I saw them in 2002," he said. Rangoon University's department of anthropology researched the Tarong ethnic community in the early 2000s, and said at the time that about five Tarong people remained in Kachin State. The Tarong are a remnant of the only known pygmy tribe of Southeast Asia, and in the absence of a written history, their origin is somewhat obscure. But it is widely accepted that they are a people of Mongolian stock who, together with other regional ethnic groups, migrated south and settled in the upper reaches of the sources of the Irrawaddy River. The original Tarong settlers in Burma came from the village of Longdammarea, and the reasons for their migration are not entirely clear, although according to local legend, they left their home in the course of violent conflict with their Tibetan neighbors. In addition to Dar Weik, the Htoo Foundation brought to Rangoon the first Burmese national to reach the summit of Mount Khakaborazi, the country's highest mountain. The climber, Namar Gyansen, is also a guide for trekking groups on Mount Gamlang Razi. The post Burmese Tycoon Brings Pygmy Man to Rangoon appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
| Rains to Hit Tenasserim; Ease Up in Rangoon, Mon State and Karen State Posted: 24 Sep 2013 04:08 AM PDT  People push a car out of flood waters in front of downtown Rangoon's City Hall in August. (Photo: Emily Zin / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The Department of Meteorology and Hydrology on Tuesday warned of more heavy rains in southern Burma's Tenasserim Division, but said other parts of the country where there have been fears of flooding, including Rangoon, will be dryer in coming days. Than Naing, a staff officer at the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, said heavy monsoon rains will begin to subside in northern parts of lower Burma on Wednesday. "There have been heavy rains at some places in the Irrawaddy delta as the monsoon has been strong in Andaman Sea," Than Naing said. "Tenasserim Division will have heavy rain tomorrow [Wednesday], while in Mon State, Karen State and Rangoon, the rain will be less heavy," said Than Naing. "Sea waves [in the Andaman Sea] will be moderate to big and the wind force will be between 35 and 40 mph." The monsoon season in Burma, which peaks in August, runs from June to September. But the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology has warned of heavy rains in the final days of this month. In Rangoon, weekend rain and a thunder storm Monday night have left water levels high in some of the streets of Burma's commercial capital, blocking the passage of commuters and leading to traffic backlogs. "Today there were bad traffic jams," U Kayin, a taxi driver in Rangoon, said Tuesday. "Usually, I drive for 15 minutes to travel from 8 mile bus stop to Hledan Market, it took one-and-a-half hours today." In the north of Burma this month, flooding displaced more than 500 households in Mandalay and Sagaing divisions. Than Naing said there would be more rain coming in upper Sagaing Divison and Kachin State. In August, over 37,000 people were affected and at least three were killed during flooding in Karen and Mon States. Myawaddy, on the Burma-Thailand border, was among the worst-affected areas. Some 4,000 were affected in Mon State's Belin Township. The post Rains to Hit Tenasserim; Ease Up in Rangoon, Mon State and Karen State appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
| Burma’s Suu Kyi Looks to Singapore as Model – Minus the Materialism Posted: 24 Sep 2013 03:45 AM PDT  Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, second right, waits to speak to the Burmese community living in Singapore on the city-state's island of Sentosa on Sept. 22, 2013. (Photo: Reuters / Edgar Su) SINGAPORE — Burma opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi cemented Singapore's role as a major economic partner and model for her country on a five-day trip to the island, taking home what she said were valuable lessons on education policy and anti-graft measures. But her endorsement of the wealthy city-state came with a caveat—Burma could do without the materialistic and high-pressure society that has accompanied Singapore's decades-long transformation from tropical backwater to economic powerhouse. "I want to learn a lot from the standards that Singapore has been able to achieve, but I wonder whether we don't want something more for our country," the Nobel Peace laureate told reporters on Monday evening as she prepared to return home. She added: "Perhaps Singapore could learn from us a more relaxed way of life." Despite that reservation, Suu Kyi's first visit to Singapore is seen as affirming Burma's close ties with the city-state as it seeks investments and aims to tap technocratic expertise to help its transformation to democracy from dictatorship. Suu Kyi, 68, met Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, chief executives from some of the world's biggest companies, and visited Singapore's successful anti-corruption bureau. She was able to see the fruits of the island's success at two of its universities and also took in a Formula 1 race on Sunday. Suu Kyi, the daughter of the hero of Burma's campaign for independence from Britain, has shifted from democracy icon to opposition boss in the country's parliament after her party won a landslide in by-elections last year. She had been kept under house arrest for 15 out of 20 years after the junta ignored the results of a 1990 election won by her party. She said many of her country's people believe Singapore could provide them with the key planks of their development model as it grapples with huge challenges, ranging from decrepit infrastructure to ethnic violence. "A lot of Burmese look to Singapore when they think of economic reforms in our country because they see the success of Singapore, and many of our young people are getting their education here so these are the sectors where many of our people feel they can learn from," she said, referring to Singapore's education and anti-corruption policies in particular. Singapore was a major proponent of maintaining diplomatic relations and providing humanitarian aid to Burma under the military junta that was shunned and sanctioned by the West. In 2001, it established a center in the commercial capital Rangoon to provide education for public servants, giving them training in English, trade, finance and information technology. Now it is reaping the benefits of those close ties as the country of about 60 million opens up to investors after a quasi-civilian government took power in 2011. Singapore Firms Leverage Close Ties Singapore trade agency International Enterprise (IE) opened an office in Rangoon last year to help companies from the city-state invest in the country. Singapore is Burma's third-largest trading partner, with trade between the two countries reaching S$1.8 billion (US$1.44 billion) in 2012. All three of Singapore's banks—DBS Group Holdings Ltd, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Ltd and United Overseas Bank Ltd—have had representative offices in Burma since the 1990s, while Singapore-listed Yoma Strategic Holdings is aiming to become one of the country's biggest conglomerates by opening department stores, importing trucks and developing plantations. "Many Singaporean firms are certainly rushing into Myanmar with foreign investment rising sharply in recent months," said Kevin McGahan, a political science lecturer at the National University of Singapore. Burma officials have also shown interest in transplanting Singapore's bureaucratic and governance expertise. In 2012, Singapore committed to a more substantial co-operation program, pledging to provide courses to Burmese nationals in law, banking and finance as well as sharing with the country its expertise in trade, tourism and town planning. A group of 25 Burmese parliamentarians visited Singapore in May to look at the city-state's governance model, which has won a reputation for efficiency and zero-tolerance for corruption, albeit with a strong authoritarian streak. Suu Kyi, who plans to run for Burma's presidency in 2015 if the Constitution allows, is looking for more than just capital inflows and training courses from Singapore, urging an estimated 150,000 Burmese nationals living there to support their homeland and use their skills to develop the country. On Sunday morning, more than 5,000 members of the Burmese community packed into a ballroom in one of Singapore's casino resorts to hear her deliver that message. "She has asked us to help and I will, I want to contribute what I learn to my country," said Chit Lin Su, 23, who is studying computer science at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, during Sunday's event. The post Burma's Suu Kyi Looks to Singapore as Model – Minus the Materialism appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
| Ethnic Minorities Stress Trust-Building, Agree to 5-Point Peace Plan Posted: 24 Sep 2013 03:29 AM PDT  The chairman of the Arakan League for Democracy, Aye Thar Aung, center, is seen at a trust-building conference of ethnic minority groups in Taunggyi, Shan State. (Photo: Facebook / Shan News) Ethnic leaders have concluded a conference on trust-building with a five-point agreement aimed at helping to end more than six decades of civil war and ethnic strife in Burma. More than 300 participants took part in the three-day conference in Taunggyi, the capital of Shan State, which ended on Monday with an emphasis on the need to build mutual trust among the country's ethnic groups, the military and Burma's nominally civilian government. The parties involved in the conference, including many ethnic minority groups, outlined five objectives that they said would further the peace process: to reach a nationwide ceasefire agreement; abolish undemocratic or otherwise problematic laws including the Unlawful Association Law; establish a federal union that guarantees equality and a measure of autonomy for the country's ethnic groups; hold a Panglong-like conference; and amend or redraft the 2008 Constitution. The Panglong Conference was convened in 1947 by Gen Aung San, and resulted in an agreement among some of Burma's ethnic minority groups and the majority ethnic Burman interim government that would have granted significant autonomy to the country's ethnic minorities. Aung San was assassinated shortly after the Panglong Agreement was signed, ethnic rebellion in Karen State and elsewhere erupted, and the accord's provisions have not been honored to this day. Sai Nyunt Lwin, the secretary of the Shan National League for Democracy (SNLD), told The Irrawaddy on Monday that the five-point accord reflected the collective views of conference participants. The SNLD initiated the Taunggyi meeting, working together with ethnic Mon and Karenni (Kayah) groups. Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Monday, Aye Thar Aung, the chairman of the Arakan League for Democracy, said trust-building was key to a lasting peace and national reconciliation in the country. "The cause of the [military] re-engagement in the ceasefire regions is due to the lack of trust between the government, its army and the ethnic armed groups," he said, referring to sporadic fighting that has occurred between government troops and ethnic militias in several parts of Burma over the last few months. "When we talk about peace, it comes together with ethnic equality and autonomy and the issue of federal union. The Panglong Agreement cannot be left out." Echoing a call made by many groups inside Burma and abroad, the ethnic leaders said the military-backed 2008 Constitution must be amended, as it leaves no possibility for a federal political system. Burma recently formed a parliamentary committee to review the Constitution and it will issue a report on its findings by the end of the year. "It would be faster to redraft the Constitution than to amend the current one," Aye Thar Aung said. The ethnic conference in Shan State comes ahead of government plans to hold a ceremony next month at which a nationwide ceasefire agreement would be signed. The opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party, and the smaller National Democratic Force, attended the conference along with 19 other ethnic political parties and three government ministers. In addition, 17 ethnic armed groups, leaders from the 88 Generation Students group, Myanmar Peace Center (MPC) representatives and other civil society representatives joined the discussion. President's Office Minister Aung Min, the head of the government-affiliated MPC, attended the first day of the conference and called for all parties to work together for ethnic equality under a federal system. "Talking about federalism is no longer a dangerous thing, as it was in the past, but we will have to see the approach taken to a federal policy and the implementation," said Sai Nyunt Lwin. Burma's ethnic groups have long raised the issue of creating a federal state with a devolved power structure, but only since the government of President Thein Sein took office in 2011 has the issue been openly discussed by senior cabinet officials, lawmakers and the president himself. Aung Min said in Saturday's opening address that a nationwide ceasefire, followed by the convening of a national dialogue, would take place soon. He said government negotiations with the Kachin Independent Army (KIA) and the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) were proceeding, with the government having already signed ceasefire agreements with 14 of the nation's armed rebel groups. The minister's optimistic timetable runs counter to an appraisal offered earlier this month by the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), an alliance of 11 of Burma's armed ethnic groups. Following a meeting with Aung Min and the government peace team in Thailand, a UNFC spokesman told The Irrawaddy that he doubted an October ceasefire signing would be possible, saying the ethnic alliance had remaining disagreements with some of the government's conditions for a deal. The KIA and its political wing, the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), constitute the largest rebel group in the country's north and were not invited to the Taunggyi conference. Ethnic Kachin peace brokers who claim to be independent of the KIO and the government were invited. Sai Nyunt Lwin, the SNLD spokesperson, said conference organizers did not invite KIO/KIA representatives because the group has yet to sign a ceasefire agreement with the government. He cited the fact that the absence of a ceasefire allowed for the potential arrest of KIO/KIA members, who are deemed participants of an "unlawful group" under Article 17/1 of the Unlawful Association Law. Aye Thar Aung, however, expressed concern over the exclusion. "It is important to include all ethnicities of Burma, including the KIO/KIA, in the nationwide [reconciliation] process," he said. The post Ethnic Minorities Stress Trust-Building, Agree to 5-Point Peace Plan appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
| Photo of the Week 15 Posted: 23 Sep 2013 11:26 PM PDT |
| Filipino Rebels Free Hostages Seized in Attack Posted: 23 Sep 2013 10:50 PM PDT  Police and military bomb experts search for fragments and residue after a bomb exploded and ripped through a passenger bus, killing three people on Friday night, in the coastal village in Zamboanga City, southern Philippines September 21, 2013. (Photo: Reuters) MANILA — Muslim rebels opposed to peace talks with the Philippine government released nine teachers and four village officials Tuesday, a day after taking hostages in an attack on a southern town that killed 10 people, including a civilian who was decapitated, officials said. This week's violence came as government troops battled the last few dozen gunmen from another Muslim rebel group, the Moro National Liberation Front, which on Sept. 9 took more than 100 civilians hostage and occupied areas of Zamboanga city. About 40 Moro rebels holding around 20 hostages are still holed up in Zamboanga, military spokesman Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said. It was not known if the two attacks were related but the leaders of the two groups have met at least once and both oppose the peace talks involving the 11,000-strong Moro Islamic Liberation Front. In the latest attack Monday, fighters of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters assaulted an outpost of unarmed government militiamen in Midsayap town in North Cotabato province and seized more than a dozen hostages. As army troops closed in, clashes broke out and the rebels used their captives as human shields, said regional military spokesmen Col. Dickson Hermoso said. Four soldiers and four rebels were killed, he said. Troops on Tuesday recovered the bodies of two civilians, one of whom was decapitated and another shot in the head, said another military spokesman, Col. Dickson Hermoso. Some hostages later escaped or were freed by the troops, while the remaining nine teachers and four officials were set free at 4:45 a.m. Tuesday, the military said. "The rebels suddenly arrived there. Some were not even wearing their uniforms and just changed into their uniforms there," Loreto Cabaya, a member of the North Cotabato provincial board, told GMA News TV network. The Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters is a faction of the larger Moro Islamic Liberation Front, now the dominant Muslim rebel group engaged in peace talks for a new autonomy deal for minority Muslims in the south of the predominantly Roman Catholic nation. The post Filipino Rebels Free Hostages Seized in Attack appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
| Interpol Laud Singapore’s Capture of Football Match-Fixing Mastermind Posted: 23 Sep 2013 10:46 PM PDT  This July 2010 Interpol photo shows betting records and cash that were seized in Singapore during an operation targeting illegal soccer gambling in Asia during the World Cup. (Photo: Reuters) SINGAPORE — Law enforcement agency Interpol lauded the work of Singapore authorities on Monday for arresting the ‘mastermind’ of the world’s largest football match-fixing syndicate thought to be worth millions of dollars. Interpol secretary general Ron Noble did not reveal the identity of the ringleader arrested by Singapore’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) last Tuesday but it is believed to be Singaporean Tan Seet Eng. Italian prosecutors have accused Tan, also known as Dan Tan, of heading an organization to fix football matches worldwide and Italian police issued an arrest warrant for him earlier this year. "I’m confident that Singapore law enforcement authorities have arrested the mastermind and leader of the world’s most notorious match-fixing syndicate," Noble told reporters in Singapore. "It is significant because this syndicate is considered the world's largest and most aggressive match-fixing syndicate with tentacles reaching every continent and the mastermind was someone many believed was untouchable." The ‘mastermind’ was one of 14 people arrested, 12 men and two women, and investigated under the Prevention of Corruption Act on suspicion of being part of an organized crime group involved with match-fixing. On Monday, the ministry of Home Affairs said nine of the 14 had been released on bail while the other five were still being questioned. The five, who could not be named, can be held for a maximum of 16 days from arrest, according to section 44 of the Criminal law (Temporary Provisions) Act. European police shone a spotlight on Southeast Asia in February when they announced a Singapore-based syndicate had directed match-fixing for at least 380 football games in Europe alone, making at least eight million euros. A further 300 suspicious matches were identified in Africa, Asia and Latin America including qualifying games for the World Cup and European Championships, and the Champions League for top European club sides. Singapore was criticized for failing to hand over Tan to Italian prosecutors earlier this year but the Southeast Asian city state does not hold an extradition treaty with Italy. Noble defended Singapore, which jailed three Lebanese match officials for attempting to fix a regional match in June, and cited the need for lengthy communications and translations for the delay. "I was very, very proud of Singapore because for so many years Singapore has been criticized for not investigating when in fact the evidence wasn’t sure with Singapore because of the ongoing criminal investigations in Europe," he said. "I was really proud that Singapore conducted this investigation on its soil, using its own laws and resources and we were able to bring some of the people to justice." Other Scandals Last week’s arrests came a day after another match-fixing scandal hit the world’s most popular sport, with Australian police smashing a multi-million dollar fixing ring centered on a second tier domestic league. Australian police charged six men and said the operation, which embroiled the head coach and a number of players at Victoria Premier League team Southern Stars, had links with syndicates in Malaysia and Hungary. Elsewhere, El Salvador banned 14 internationals for life for match-fixing on Saturday, including some of their best known and most experienced players. "There isn’t a country or region that is immune from it," Noble said. "You are seeing more and more investigations being broken around the world and I believe what we are going to do is we are going to find out that other people talked about this syndicate being important, was important, we will be taking on other syndicates around the world. "Syndicates that are doing business to the tune of $1 or 2 billion a year in terms of illegal betting and or match-fixing." Noble, who was in Singapore to check on progress of the building of the Interpol Global Complex for Innovation in Singapore which will be completed next year, said the work of smashing these multi-million dollar syndicates was never ending. "I believe that fighting match-fixing and corruption in sports is a lifelong battle and just because you don’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t going on," he said. "It is the kind of crime that if you don’t investigate it all of the time it will just blow up in your face and it is never going to go away." The post Interpol Laud Singapore's Capture of Football Match-Fixing Mastermind appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
| India Upset Over UN Security Council Paralysis Posted: 23 Sep 2013 10:35 PM PDT  Pakistan's Ambassador Abdullah Hussain Haroon, top left, speaks to India's delegate Hardeep Singh Puri, bottom center, during a UN Security Council meeting. (Photo: Reuters / Allison Joyce) UNITED NATIONS — India says frustration is building among UN member states over paralysis in the Security Council and its inability to respond to international crises. The South Asian nation is promoting its years-long effort for expansion of the UN's most powerful body during the annual gathering of world leaders this week. India, Brazil, Germany and Japan all want to become permanent council members and are pushing for a reform proposal that world leaders can consider in 2015, when the UN holds its 70th anniversary summit. The council currently has five permanent members. India's ambassador to the UN, Asoke Mukerji, told reporters Monday that more than 120 of 193 UN member states support changes to the current structure. And India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to address the issue in his speech Saturday before the General Assembly. Since 1979, the UN has been talking about expanding the council to reflect the changing world, not the global power structure after World War II when the United Nations was founded. But every proposal has been rejected, primarily because of rivalries between countries and regions more concerned about their own self-interests than the improved functioning of the UN. "I think the frustration is being felt now by the international community because they find that the Security Council is completely paralyzed. It does not respond in time to various crises," Mukerji said. He said the council is unrepresentative and so can't carry out its mandate in maintaining international peace and security. Permanent members Russia and China have been at odds with Britain, France and the United States over whether a resolution on destroying Syria's chemical weapons should be backed up by a threat of force. The diplomatic wrangling over how to respond to the two-year civil war in Syria is the latest international crisis to put a spotlight on the division among the five veto-wielding members of the council. Disagreements are typically over how threatening and interventionist the world body should be. The council's 10 nonpermanent members, which are elected for two-year terms, do not have veto power. How an expanded council would operate more smoothly if the original permanent members retain veto power is unclear. There have been nine rounds of inter-governmental negotiations on Security Council reform since the world body mandated a review in 2005, and Mukerji said a 10th round will be held in mid-October. The post India Upset Over UN Security Council Paralysis appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine. |
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