Democratic Voice of Burma

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• Mandalay villagers stage plough protest for cotton fields
• Student expulsion threat linked to 436 campaign, say activists
• Burmese migrants lie low amid fears of Thai junta crackdown
• Suu Kyi presidency bid in the balance
• Tachilek police find 59kg of ya-ba under car seat
• Fokker worked with four Burmese airlines, US documents reveal

Mandalay villagers stage plough protest for cotton fields Posted: 17 Jun 2014 04:57 AM PDT Local residents in six villages in Mandalay Division's Myittha Township are staging a plough protest to demand the return of farmland that they claim belongs to them. The land — which includes cotton fields around Lonkyaw, Petaw and Daweinn villages – was allegedly seized from the villagers in 1978 under the government of former dictator Gen. Ne Win, and was transferred to the Burmese army. Villagers say that the army were charging local farmers "tenant fees" in order for them to continue growing cotton. Farmer Win Naing Oo said that the army had "tricked" the locals into clearing a section of the land, left unused and covered with wild plants, in exchange for its return. Related Stories Mandalay farmers begin 'plough protest' on 3,000 acres Demolition of riverside squats leaves families homeless Tavoy farmers charged with ‘disturbing’ authorities over disputed land However, despite this promise, the army has not transferred the ownership back to the villagers who originally owned it, according to another local farmer, Khin Tint, who also accused the Burmese Army of selling away their land. "We are staging a plough protest as the Army is ignoring the government's pledge to return the land to us," Khin Tint said. "Moreover, they have been selling portions of the land which we have to buy back from them." Last week in Singtu Township, 800 farmers staged a similar protest to demand the return of 3,000 acres of farmland which was allegedly confiscated 40 years ago by the military junta. This type of demonstration has become increasingly common in Burma since President Thein Sein's quasi-civilian administration came into power in March 2011, highlighting the prevalent problem of extensive land grabs by the government during the decades of military rule.

Student expulsion threat linked to 436 campaign, say activists Posted: 17 Jun 2014 03:42 AM PDT The government's recent warning that politically active students may be subject to expulsion could be linked to a campaign supporting constitutional reform, legal experts and activists said. A statement by Burma's Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), released on 9 June and distributed at some state-operated schools, warned that students who have been convicted on charges related to any political activities that result in "unrest" could be punished with expulsion. Critics have claimed that the vague language of the announcement could lead to abuse by educational administrators, and suggested that the move was meant to preempt involvement in a growing campaign to support amending Article 436 of Burma's military-drafted 2008 Constitution. "We have some questions regarding the definition of 'politically-related offences'. We don't know exactly what that means," said Sithu Aung, a technological university student. "Now it's risky for us to participate in any activities." The concern is exacerbated by a handful of laws that some say have been used to punish activists, such as Section 505(b) of Burma's penal code, which broadly criminalises any activities that could cause "fear or alarm to the public or to any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the State or against the public tranquility." Any court ruling related to such charges would now come with additional academic penalties. Related Stories Charter reform rallies draw ethnic crowds Opposition party claims harassment in Shan State Constitutional reform campaign builds steam An attorney and prominent member of the Myanmar Lawyers Network, Thein Than Oo, said that the ministry could be attempting to divert public attention from an ongoing petition campaign initiated by the main opposition party, the National League for Democracy, and activist group 88 Generation Peace and Open Society (88GPOS). "I think the government probably assumes that announcing these regulations will anger students and draw out groups like the All-Burma Federation of Student Unions, into the streets. It's an indirect attempt to deviate public attention from the campaign to amend Article 436," he said. Nyan Linn, a member of 88GPOS, further argued that it could be meant to intimidate students who might otherwise have joined the movement. "We assume that this is an attempt to scare students away from joining efforts towards constitutional change, despite their fundamental right to do so," said Nyan Linn.

Burmese migrants lie low amid fears of Thai junta crackdown Posted: 17 Jun 2014 03:08 AM PDT Video by Reuters and DVB Burmese workers are concerned that a crackdown is imminent after the [Thai military junta's] National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) announced it will review policies on the management of migrant labour. Despite the junta’s insistence it has no plan to crack down on undocumented alien labour, tens of thousands of Cambodian workers last week fled the country. So far, there have been no reports of a similar exodus of Burmese workers in Samut Sakhon. "We are afraid. But we do not dare to speak up. We have not had good experiences with authorities," said Samarn, 57, a Burmese worker living at a shrimp factory on Rama II Road. When the Bangkok Post visited the factory, everything appeared normal as more than 100 Burmese workers were busy peeling shrimp, cleaning the factory, and carrying boxes loaded with the seafood. But Samarn revealed that many Burmese workers, especially those without work permits and with underage children, had packed their belongings, in case they were forced to leave the factory in a hurry. After hearing the NCPO would visit Samut Sakhon yesterday [16 June], some of the workers hid in woods near the factory. The NCPO visited the factory to study migrant worker problems and formulate solutions to them. The NCPO was forced last week to deny claims by Cambodian NGOs of brutality, beatings and nine alleged deaths at the hands of troops, and insisted it had no plans to crack down on migrant workers. Instead, it claimed to be planning a review of the regulations and systems involved in managing a large foreign workforce. Burmese labourer Lek, 23, said he heard news of a crackdown from other Cambodians working at the same construction site. They told him their families in Cambodia had urged them to leave Thailand or risk being killed by Thai troops. “I did not leave because it seemed to me that only Cambodians are in trouble and I have to earn money for my family,” he said. “But still, I'm afraid because we are often treated badly. So how do we know whether something bad will not happen to us also?" Lek was speaking from experience. A year ago he and his friends were detained by police officers, who extorted money from them, even though they had work permits. In 2007, Burmese workers in Samut Sakhon experienced a crackdown by police. About 700 of them were arrested and held for not having work permits. “It is still a nightmare for Burmese workers here," said Sompong Sakaew, director of the Labour Rights Promotion Network (LPN). “They've been fed on fear and the NCPO announcement stirs this fear.” The LPN has received phone calls from several frightened Burmese workers. Related Stories Two missing after escape from Thai fishing trawler Thais crack down on illegal Burmese migrants Word of support from Burma, says Thai army The NCPO set up its committee to review immigration policies for foreign workers on 9 June. It comprises representatives of the junta, ministries and government officials, but no civil society representatives. Activists urged the NCPO against a crackdown, saying they had proven ineffective in the past, and only encouraged bribery and human trafficking. Cambodians leaving Thailand now will return via underground smuggling gangs, they said. “The NCPO should crack down on underground smuggling and human trafficking rings," said human rights lawyer Surapong Kongchantuk, from the Lawyers Council of Thailand. “It wouldn't be smart if the NCPO chased away foreign workers because Thailand is being watched by the world for its terrible record of human rights violations," he said. According to Koy Kuong, spokesman for the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 170,000 migrant workers – mostly illegal – have returned from Thailand since early June. The reasons he gave for the mass exodus are that Cambodians heard "rumors" of the Thai military "persecuting" migrants and were afraid; and all private businesses were ordered not to employ any ‪illegal migrant workers, and were letting them go. This article was originally published in the Bangkok Post on 17 June 2014.

Suu Kyi presidency bid in the balance Posted: 16 Jun 2014 11:35 PM PDT For opposition party leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the path to becoming Burma's president was always going to be an uphill battle, but a vote last week by a parliamentary committee deciding against a crucial amendment to the Constitution just made it that much steeper. Set up in February, the parliamentary committee was to discuss reforms to Burma's military-drafted 2008 Constitution, specifically pertaining to Article 59(f), which prohibits any citizen with foreign relatives from becoming president or vice president. Previously married to a British man and the mother of his two children, the National League of Democracy (NLD) leader is effectively barred from running for presidency in the 2015 elections. According to Reuters, the committee voted last week — 26 out of 31 panelists – not to endorse any amendments to Article 59(f), and will provide this recommendation to the parliament. No reasons were given for the rejection. But the NLD party has not lost hope. Speaking to Reuters, Nyan Win, NLD spokesman and senior party official, said this initial announcement does not automatically sound a death knell to Suu Kyi's presidential aspirations. "We can't say Daw Aun San Suu Kyi has no chance of becoming president until the union parliament approves it," Nyan Win said. "We need to wait till the committee submits its final suggestions at the parliament." Suu Kyi, for her part, contends that any changes made to the Constitution must come from the public – and presumably not from a committee that is majority stacked with panelists from the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). "Whether or not I become the president in the future depends on the will of the people, their will with regard to amending the Constitution and their will with regard to whom they wish to choose as president," Suu Kyi said Monday at the end of a four-day visit to Nepal, according to Associated Press. She added that she and the NLD have been focusing their efforts in recent months on amending a clause that calls for more than 75 percent of the parliament to pass any constitutional changes. Article 436 is deemed undemocratic by the NLD as the Burmese military is allocated 25 percent of seats in the parliament – a matter also enshrined as a constitutional article – and therefore has an effective veto over any amendments. Related Stories Charter reform rallies draw ethnic crowds Faith Conversion Law should be ‘scrapped’, say activists Upper house votes for proportional representation "So we want to change it to make it possible for the majority of elected members of the legislature to change whichever part of the Constitution they should think is necessary," Suu Kyi said. For the past months, the NLD has been rallying nationwide for constitutional reform, specifically on changing Article 436. From Sagaing Division to Irrawaddy Division, thousands of supporters have turned up to show public support for the NLD and its platform of constitutional reform. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate's popularity among Burmese is unparalleled, with her party winning the 1990 election by a landslide under her leadership. But the military did not allow the NLD to govern, and put Suu Kyi under house arrest for a total of 15 out of the next 21 years, before her most recent release in November 2010.

Tachilek police find 59kg of ya-ba under car seat Posted: 16 Jun 2014 11:18 PM PDT A truckload of methamphetamine tablets, commonly known by the Thai word ya-ba, was seized near the Shan State border town of Tachilek on Friday. Local police told DVB that about 59 kilograms of the drug, valued at about 1.5 billion kyat (US$1.5 million) were hidden underneath the seat of an Isuzu pickup truck en route to Wanpong village in the Golden Triangle, a mountainous area known for extensive drug production and trafficking. Police Lance-Corp Toe Myint Aung, a member of Tachilek's Anti-Narcotics Task Force, said that a combined unit of police, army and paramilitary personnel intercepted the truck at a checkpoint near Pakhok village following an anonymous tip. The vehicle's 19-year-old driver has been charged under Burma's Narcotics Law. "The bags of ya-ba were wrapped in paper and hidden in a compartment underneath the passenger seat. There were 94 bags each containing 6,000 pills, six bags with 4,000 each and one bag with 2,000," said Toe Myint Aung. The driver admitted that drug manufacturers promised him 50,000 Thai baht (US$1,500) to deliver the load from Weilelang village, near Tachilek district, to Wanpong. Police said there have been at least ten other drug busts in the area this year, with Friday's being the largest yet. On 14 June, the Anti-Narcotic Task Force seized a batch of raw opium valued at 1.5 million kyat at a checkpoint near Tachilek. Related Stories Opposition party claims harassment in Shan State Mae Sot 'hundi' operator arrested for links to drug trade Border demarcations leave Shan farmers on Chinese soil

Fokker worked with four Burmese airlines, US documents reveal Posted: 16 Jun 2014 08:27 PM PDT Hit with a hefty US$21 million fine from the US government for violating trade sanctions, Dutch aerospace company Fokker Services (FSBV) was working with four airlines in Burma — one of which is owned by a Burmese tycoon with close links to the military junta. According to a complaint submitted to the US Department of Justice, Fokker Services – a Dutch firm that provides aerospace technologies and services to airlines worldwide – worked with four Burmese airlines: Myanma Airways, Air Mandalay, Yangon Airways and Air Bagan. The company also violated sanctions with Iran and Sudan. A total of 1,153 shipments were made to the three countries during the period of 2005 to 2010, bringing in revenues of approximately $21 million. Burmese tycoon Tay Za, who has close ties to the former military junta, is the owner of Air Bagan; and Yangon Airways is owned by Aik Hauk, the son-in-law of Bao Youxiang, leader of the United Wa State Army (UWSA) – Burma's largest ethnic armed group, which the US government in 2005 identified as the largest drug-producing organisation in Southeast Asia. Both Tay Za and Aik Hauk – along with Air Bagan and Yangon Airways – remain on the US Specially Designated Nationals list, while Myanma Airways and Air Mandalay are currently not restricted entities since sanctions were eased in 2012. A representative for PR company Hill+Knowlton Strategies, which was contracted by Fokker, said that the Dutch company no longer works with any airlines or companies in any of the three countries where violations were committed. "Fokker ceased all business with sanctioned countries since 2010," Frans van der Grint, a Hill+Knowlton representative, said in an email. Related Stories US aims to boost investment in Burma US govt fines Fokker $21 m for violating sanctions Burma Business Weekly He added that he could not comment on any future investment plans that Fokker might have with the other two Burmese airlines not facing targeted US sanctions. At present, only Myanma Airlines carries a Fokker aircraft in its fleet. The other three airlines overwhelmingly employ aircraft by French-Italian manufacturer ATR — an aircraft that Fokker Services in Singapore is able to perform service checks and maintenance updates on, according to the company website. Win Myint, head of the maintenance and engineering department at Air Mandalay, confirmed that Air Mandalay no longer does business with Fokker Services – though he said it was due to the company's high costs, and not because of US trade sanctions. "It's too expensive to check [do maintenance work] with [Fokker Services]," Win Myint said by phone. "We send them to Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand engineers. Some aircrafts, we send to France, like the ATRs." Half of Fokker's $21 million penalty will be forfeited as a claim settlement to the US Department of Justice, while the other half will be paid out to the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the US Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). But according to US Treasury documents, the penalty for Fokker's legal transgressions should have been much more, if not for the fact that the company came forward to disclose the violations in June 2010 to the BIS. The potential civil liability is about $51 million, but OFAC settled with Fokker because of its "acceptance of responsibility", such as carrying out an internal investigation into the company's violations and adopting "new and more effective internal controls and procedures." Despite having to pay only a fraction of what they could have been penalised for, Sean Turnell, a Burma economics expert from Australia's Macquarie University, believes that the US government's settlement with Fokker sends a "clear" message that trade sanctions should be taken seriously. Turnell added that it is likely Fokker has plans for Burma's aviation sector, given its immense potential. "Under-resourced and under-capitalised, it requires immense investment to bring it up to regional standards," Turnell said in an email to DVB. "But such investment offers potential great pay-offs. "Myanmar is a country of dispersed population centres separated by long distances and terrible ground transportation infrastructure. Then factor in likely high tourist growth, growing business traffic, and a market that is under-served – and the recipe is for strong sector growth," he said.

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