Democratic Voice of Burma

---

• Aid workers negotiate terms in Arakan
• Labutta locals hold Cyclone Nargis remembrance service
• May Day migrant protesters demand equal rights
• BUSINESS in BURMA THIS WEEK
• NUP elects Than Tin, 88, as chairman
• Burmese govt agrees to peace talks with Kachin rebels
• Orphans of the Storm
• Burmese woodworkers log in to new bidding market
• Villagers flee fighting in northern Shan State

Aid workers negotiate terms in Arakan Posted: 02 May 2014 04:58 AM PDT Representatives from UN agencies and NGOs met with the Arakan State Emergency Coordination Centre (ECC) in Sittwe today, marking the second formal discussion between the government-led body and aid agencies since the suspension of most humanitarian operations in the state in late March. After the previous meeting, which occurred on 23 April, ECC member Than Tun, a leader in the local Arakanese Buddhist community, told the media that humanitarian agencies would require explicit permission from the ECC to operate in the state, and that they would have to inform the centre of their planned activities seven days in advance. Most humanitarian agencies with operations in Arakan have existing memoranda of understanding with "line ministries" in Naypyidaw, which provide a legal basis for their activities. Subjecting them to an additional layer of scrutiny through the mechanism of the ECC has raised fears that agencies will be forced to compromise on principles of humanitarian impartiality in order to be allowed to operate. If the ECC, in its current incarnation, is allowed to have final say over how aid is distributed, it may force agencies to divert aid away from the neediest communities. While many Arakanese Buddhists live in abject poverty and insecurity, most Rohingya Muslims are far more vulnerable, as they are subject to mobility restrictions and confined to camps lacking in basic supplies. At the previous meeting, ECC representatives said that two NGOs that previously operated in the state, MSF-Holland and Malteser International, would not be allowed to resume their activities in the state. Related Stories No relief for Kachin IDPs in China Obama warns against oppression of Burma's Muslims Arakanese conference kicks off in Kyaukphyu The requirement that humanitarian operations receive prior authorisation from the ECC was not originally intended to be part of its mandate. Establishing a humanitarian coordination centre for Arakan was originally proposed by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in 2012 as a way to improve communication between state and union governments and humanitarian practitioners in the wake of anti-Rohingya violence. The formal mechanism was merely intended to keep all stakeholders informed of humanitarian activities permitted under existing memoranda of understanding, not establish new hurdles for humanitarian agencies to clear. Aid agencies operating Arakan State have drawn widespread derision from its Arakanese Buddhist majority, many of whom feel that their provision of aid is unduly biased towards Rohingya Muslims. Two days before Friday's meeting, UNICEF Myanmar organised a press conference in Rangoon outlining its activities in Rakhine, where Bertrand Bainvel, UNICEF's top official in Burma, made an effort to clear up perceptions of biased aid delivery. "UNICEF [follows] the same principles as the United Nations, which are principles of neutrality, impartiality, and dignity. We are providing our support based on needs, not based on ethnicity [or] religion," he said. "Needs are not the same across all communities. Needs are different. If you've been part of a family who's been displaced, who's living in a camp, of course your environment is much more fragile, and you become much more vulnerable." Bainvel emphasised the need for "long-term" development in Arakan, the second-poorest state in Burma, to move past recurring violence. The timing of his comments may have been intended to set a tone for today's talks with the ECC, sending a clear message that UNICEF is unwilling to compromise on the principles of humanitarian neutrality that inform its activities. The perpetually worsening humanitarian situation in Arakan, affecting hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people, has drawn increased attention from the international community. On an official visit to Malaysia last week, US President Barack Obama said that "Myanmar [Burma] won't succeed" if it continues to oppress its Muslim population, and on Friday, Vijay Nambiar, the UN Secretary-General's special advisor on Myanmar, urged Myanmar to redress the Rohingya's lack of citizenship, claiming that a failure to do so would "affect the international reputation of the country."

Labutta locals hold Cyclone Nargis remembrance service Posted: 02 May 2014 04:51 AM PDT Activists and locals in the Irrawaddy delta town of Labutta held a multi-faith prayer on Friday in commemoration of the Cyclone Nargis tragedy which ravaged the delta on this day in 2008, leaving up to 140,000 dead and some 2 million homeless. Thet Tun Naing, the Labutta chairman of the Myanmar Youth Organisation, said the prayer session was held at the town's Laymyitna Buddha stupa on Friday afternoon, in remembrance of the thousands of villagers who lost their lives in the cyclone, and also to promote religious tolerance. Related Stories Orphans of the Storm Whirlwind wipes out homes near Inle Lake Awaiting eviction, Dagon Seikkan's denizens have nowhere to go "We are holding a multi-faith prayer session so that people of different religions can participate, and also because we believe that in doing so, we can promote openness and clear up suspicions and doubts between the different communities," he said. "This could help prevent religious riots." A Labutta resident said many of those affected by the cyclone are still unable to get back on their feet six years on. "So many of those who were affected by the cyclone still await assistance – some don't even have a place to live as the houses provided under the rehabilitation scheme were not very durable and there was always favouritism in distributing assistance," said the resident. "In the end, it was only the [government-backed] contractors and NGOs who gained from the disaster." However, Thet Tun Naing said all victims of the cyclone now have returned to their villages. "There are no more refugees," he said.

May Day migrant protesters demand equal rights Posted: 02 May 2014 03:46 AM PDT International Workers' Day celebrations were held all over Rangoon and among migrant communities in Thailand on Thursday. In Rangoon's Hlaing Tharyar, trade union leaders and members, including the director of International Trade Unions Federation (Burma), the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) liaison office and representatives from Myanmar Trade Unions Federation, gathered in a show of unity. "Today we have representatives from the agriculture sector as well as the industrial and transportation sectors together to unite, regardless of differences in their work sectors," said Michael from the Agriculture and Farmers Federation of Myanmar. This is the third year that May Day celebrations could be held publicly in Burma since military rule ended in 2011. "We have government officials also joining the event, including the deputy labour minister, which is really encouraging for us," Michael said. In the Thai border town of Mae Sot, hundreds of Thai and Burmese workers marched through the streets carrying banners and waving flags. Related Stories Burma’s workers rally for rights on May Day 'Boatpeople' story lands Reuters a Pulitzer as local reporters face jail Burmese migrants assume false identities to work in Thailand And in Chiang Mai, 200 Thai and Burmese workers marched to demand better labour rights. Protest leaders read out a ten-point statement, which included equal labour rights for Thai and Burmese workers, and the formation of a committee with both Thai and Burmese speakers, to ensure the minimum wage is paid. Migrant worker, Hein Htet, said more labour officers are needed at the Burmese Embassy to help resolve migrant issues. "There is one labour attaché at the Burmese Embassy tasked to resolve issues with the migrant community across Thailand. This is nowhere near sufficient," Hein Htet said. "We would like the two governments to have a discussion to appoint more labour officers in provinces with large migrant populations." Chiang Mai's provincial governor, Wichian Puttiwinyu, promised to hand their demands to Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

BUSINESS in BURMA THIS WEEK Posted: 02 May 2014 03:07 AM PDT   Ups and downs This week has seen very little change in the currency market with the Burmese kyat continuing to sell at 962 to the US dollar while also buying at 962. The price of gold in Burma, which has been roller-coasting up and down lately from a low of 661,900 kyat per tical to a high of 674,200 kyat last week, settled on Friday at a rate of 660,000 kyat per tical. Fuel remains unchanged: petrol is 820 kyat per litre; diesel 950 kyat; and octane 920 kyat a litre. Rice is up: high-quality Pawhsanmwe rice is selling at 1,300-1,600 kyat per basket while low-quality Manawthukha retails at 900 kyat per basket in most Rangoon marketplaces.   Telenor pledges to be a towering success in Burma Norwegian telecoms firm Telenor says it will erect 2,400 communications towers and structures across Burma within the first year of operation in the country, exceeding the number already in service by government-backed Myanmar Post and Telecommunications. A statement issued by the company said two firms – Singapore-based Green Irrawaddy Technology and India's Apollo Tower – have been subcontracted for construction of the towers.   China’s Exim Bank backs southwestern highway China's Exim Bank met with Burma's Minister of Construction Kyaw Lwin to discuss upgrades for the Moulmein-Tavoy-Kawthaung road, ministry sources have confirmed. The road, originally constructed by the military regime, remains rough with frequent landslides and damaged bridges. Private cars currently can't navigate the stretch extending to Kawthaung, on Burma's southern border with Thailand. Chinese companies have also expressed interest in building a proposed highway from Kyaukphyu, Arakan State, to the border towns of Muse and Ruili, but plans have not been finalised.   Traders Hotel rebranded as Sule Shangri-La Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts on 1 May announced that the well-known Traders Hotel in Rangoon has been rebranded to operate as the Sule Shangri-La, following an extensive renovation that took two-and-a-half years to complete. The 484-room hotel, which is positioned on Sule Pagoda Road near the landmark pagoda, first opened in November 1996.   Rangoon govt asked to put brakes on line-car ban Operators of Rangoon's 2,600 "line-cars" have called for an imminent ban on the vehicles to be extended to end of the year. Owners of the ubiquitous pickup trucks, which have been used as buses-cum-taxis around the former Burmese capital for decades, held a press conference on 26 April at which they claimed that the decision by the Rangoon Division government to replace all line-cars with modern minibuses by 30 April is impractical due to the costs involved.   UN offers help on marine product exports The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation will help eight out of 116 marine product processing factories in Burma to process high-quality products for export to European Union and American markets, Tin Hla, adviser to Marine Products Processors and Exporters Association, told local media last week. Twenty out of 116 factories have already got licences to export their products to EU markets, while most of them export to neighbouring China, said Myanmar Business Today. Total proceeds from the export of marine products during the fiscal year ending on 31 March were reportedly US$530 million, despite a target of $700 million. The shortfall was attributed to the depletion of fish stocks in Burmese waters and unsuccessful operations due to lack of commercial viability.   Yoma group announces JV with Mitsubishi Yoma Strategic Holdings Ltd has announced that its subsidiary, Myanmar Motors Pte Ltd, had entered into a joint venture with Japanese auto giant Mitsubishi. In a statement released on 27 April by Yoma CEO Andrew Rickards, the Burmese construction and property development firm said the new JV would be known as First Japan Tire Services Co Ltd, of which Myanmar Motors would hold some 21 percent of shares.   New bus service to launch in Rangoon The Road Transport Administration Department (RTAD) is set to launch in September a new bus service for Rangoon commuters, in partnership with private company Forever Green Rights. The new service will comprise 75 Hyundai CNG buses imported from South Korea. RTAD director Tin Win Aung said that Forever Green Rights is investing 7.4 billion kyat (US$7.4 million) in the partnership, for which it will receive 70 percent of profits, as well as occupying a 2.5-acre plot within the RTAD compound on a 30-year lease.   Timber export ban allows domestic firms chance to bid Domestic Burmese companies can now afford to bid for raw timber since a ban on exporting unprocessed wood came into force on 1 April, according to the Myanmar Timber Merchants Association (MTMA). Bar Bar Cho, secretary of the MTMA, said domestic woodworkers and furniture manufacturers would previously only bid for low-quality raw timber as they could not compete financially with foreign exporters. Read more: http://www.dvb.no/news/burmese-woodworkers-log-in-to-new-bidding-market-burma-myanmar/40171 Related Stories Burmese woodworkers log in to new bidding market Rangoon govt asked to put brakes on line-car ban BURMA BUSINESS THIS WEEK

NUP elects Than Tin, 88, as chairman Posted: 02 May 2014 01:02 AM PDT The National Unity Party (NUP) has appointed 88-year-old retired Brig-Gen Than Tin as its new chairman to replace Lt-Gen Tun Yi, who passed away last month. The NUP was formed by the former ruling military junta in 1988 from the remnants of former dictator Ne Win's Burmese Socialist Programme Party (BSPP). It won ten constituencies in the 1990 general election and 64 seats in 2010 polls. NUP spokesman Han Shwe said the party's executive committee unanimously decided to name Than Tin as the party's new chairman at a meeting on 30 April. He cited Than Tin's prior position as party general-secretary, his experience in the Burmese independence movement in colonial days, and his role as a minister in the BSPP government in the late 1970s. Than Tin was also a member of the government committee that drafted the 1974 Constitution. Related Stories Motion picture association chairman steps down Election Commission curbs Suu Kyi's campaign trail Last of the 30 Comrades dies "We appoint our leaders considering criteria based on their political history – they took part in the independence movement against the British rulers and the anti-fascist resistance, and they have shared their experiences with the following generations," said Han Shwe. "U Than Tin is a very well-experienced man – he is a retired serviceman who took part in the anti-colonial and anti-fascist movements for Burma's independence and we believe that he is very capable of assuming the party's leadership role." Than Tin becomes the third person to take the party's chair after Thaw Kyaw and Tun Yi. The party has announced that it plans to contest 18 of the 30 vacated seats in by-elections scheduled for later this year.

Burmese govt agrees to peace talks with Kachin rebels Posted: 02 May 2014 12:08 AM PDT Burmese officials have accepted an invitation by the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) to resume peace negotiations with rebels in the troubled northern state. The government's Union Peace-making Work Committee (UPWC) said it will speak with members of the KIO to try to resolve the ongoing conflict in Kachin and northern Shan states, which has displaced thousands of civilians and killed at least 22 soldiers since early April. On Tuesday, the KIO sent a letter to the UPWC requesting that the two sides meet on 10 May in the Kachin State capital Myitkyina. The KIO's vice-chief of staff, Maj-Gen Gun Maw, has warned that the conflict could "create more tensions in the nationwide ceasefire talks". The letter also requested the presence of several third-party observers including the UN Special Advisor Vijay Nambiar, Chinese envoy Wan Yingfan, and representatives of other ethnic armed groups. Related Stories Villagers flee fighting in northern Shan State No relief for Kachin IDPs in China KNU, UWSA slam conflict in northern Burma "The UPWC has responded to the KIO but has yet to decide on a date," said Hla Maung Shwe, a representative of the Myanmar Peace Centre (MPC). He added that the meeting will likely be held in advance of nationwide ceasefire talks planned for 19-20 May. The MPC is a government-backed initiative established to mediate between the UPWC — the Union's peace negotiation body — and the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT), which represents 13 ethnic armed groups in the peace process. Combat resumed between the Burmese army and the KIO's armed wing, the Kachin Independence Army, in early April, shortly after the UPWC and NCCT agreed on a long-awaited outline for a nationwide ceasefire agreement. Ethnic voices and pro-democracy leaders have resoundingly chided the violence as a threat to the nation's historic yet protracted peace process; members of the Karen National Union, the United Wa State Army and the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society (88GPOS) have all made public appeals for an immediate political solution. "The government needs to be honest about whether they genuinely want a democratic federal union or not," said Mya Aye of 88GPOS. "I believe that more openness from the government will ease up doubts from the ethnic groups."

Orphans of the Storm Posted: 01 May 2014 10:25 PM PDT   On this day six years ago, Cyclone Nargis devastated Burma’s Irrawaddy Delta region. It was the worst disaster in the county’s recorded history, killing 140,000 people and leaving at least 2 million homeless. “Orphans of the Storm” is a documentary produced by Quicksilver Media for C4 Dispatches. The film follows the plight of children orphaned by Cyclone Nargis. "Orphans of the Storm" was filmed undercover by DVB cameramen, directed and produced by Jeremy Williams and Evan Williams, the executive producer was Siobhan Sinnerton. edited by Paul Carlin, with music by Samuel Sim. The film won the One World Media Children’s Rights Award in 2010, the Rory Peck Award in 2009 and was runner-up as Best Documentary at the Association of International Broadcaster awards in 2009.     Related Stories Labutta locals hold Cyclone Nargis remembrance service Whirlwind wipes out homes near Inle Lake The naked truth of Myanmar, a portrait of U Win Tin

Burmese woodworkers log in to new bidding market Posted: 01 May 2014 08:00 PM PDT Domestic Burmese companies can now afford to bid for raw timber since a ban on exporting wood came into force on 1 April, according to the Myanmar Timber Merchants Association (MTMA). Bar Bar Cho, secretary of the MTMA, said domestic woodworkers and furniture manufacturers would previously only bid for low-quality raw timber as they could not compete financially with foreign exporters. "Previously, Burmese wood craftsmen and manufacturers could only afford to bid for low-quality wood, but since the export ban was brought in, they have greater access to quality raw materials," said Bar Bar Cho, adding that Burma's wood and timber industries still have "much room to grow". Burmese forestry expert Kevin Woods was somewhat sceptical about the announcement. "I would be surprised if this effect is already in place in such a short period – in particular because it has been reported that the government would not cancel orders that have already been placed by foreign investors before the log export ban. Therefore, it would seem more plausible that there is not immediately available export-quality timber for the domestic timber processing industry," said Woods, a researcher for the environmental rights group Forest Trends. The Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry, since 1 April, has approved permission to a foreign wood veneer manufacturer to invest in Burma and looks set to approve more companies in the future. For more background: http://www.dvb.no/analysis/will-burma-timber-ban-entrench-corruption-myanmar/39222 http://www.dvb.no/dvb-video/dvb-debate-timber-burma-myanmar/39252 http://www.dvb.no/news/timber-ban-effective-in-april-leads-to-wood-export-rush/37575 http://www.dvb.no/dvb-video/ministry-may-cut-deal-for-woodworkers-burma-myanmar/35896] Related Stories BUSINESS in BURMA THIS WEEK Will Burma’s timber ban curb or entrench corruption? Life among the logs

Villagers flee fighting in northern Shan State Posted: 01 May 2014 07:25 PM PDT Local aid workers say fighting has continued between Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and Burmese army troops at Upper Kawng Kha since Wednesday morning at around 8 am. Kawng Kha is located near Nam Tau village in Pangsai Township in northern Shan State. Local residents who were frightened by ongoing violence have been seen fleeing in all directions, said a local aid worker. He said, "We do not yet have detailed information about villagers, we are concerned about the villagers' security and safety, and following the situation closely with KBC, Metta, WPN and UNHCR." Aid workers say additional displaced persons will further deteriorate the conditions, already worsened by poor living conditions and Burmese army troops threatening villagers to move out of temporary camps and go back to their own villages where frequent skirmishes have been going on for weeks. Related Stories Burmese govt agrees to peace talks with Kachin rebels No relief for Kachin IDPs in China KNU, UWSA slam conflict in northern Burma On 10 April, three 25 mm mortar shells fired by Burmese government troops fell on Lagat Yang IDP camp, located near Man Win village in Mansi Township. No casualties were reported as most IDPs had moved to Man Win Camp and those who were left in the camp narrowly escaped the mortar attack. A KLN source says Colonel Kyaw Hsan of 88th Light Infantry Division previously threatened Lagat Yang camp officials and IDPs to move out of the temporary camp or face artillery bombardment. Burmese government troops have entered IDP camps at night and conducted surprise checks on IDP lists, said the source. Col Kyaw Hsan reportedly asked IDPs who were forced to flee their homes leaving behind almost everything they possess to legally acquire land in Lagat Yang by either buying or requesting local government officials. Local villagers from several villages affected by recent war have been living in at least four camps managed by Kachin Baptist Convention, Karuna Social Services, and other local NGOs.   This article was first published in Kachinland News on 30 April 2014.

You are subscribed to email updates from DVB Multimedia Group | DVB Multimedia Group To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610