Democratic Voice of Burma

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• UK parliamentarians discuss Rohingya crisis in Burma
• Central Bank VP paints picture of hi-tech Burma
• President nominates military man as Arakan chief minister
• Two Burmese arrested after dead body left in boot of Bangkok taxi
• Kachin IDPs lose hope of returning home
• Chin protestors call for end to sexual violence by Burma army

UK parliamentarians discuss Rohingya crisis in Burma Posted: 26 Jun 2014 04:56 AM PDT UK parliamentarians held a discussion in London's Westminster Hall on Thursday about the ongoing persecution faced by the Rohingyas and other ethnic minorities in Burma and debated what the UK government must do to stem human rights violations in that country. Proposed by David Ward, an MP representing Bradford East – a constituency in Yorkshire, northern England – the discussion centered on human rights violations committed against the Muslim Rohingyas in Arakan [Rakhine] State. While Yorkshire remains very far away from that northern state of Burma, Ward said in the opening of the discussion that this was a matter close to his heart as there are Rohingya refugees living in Bradford who escaped from Burma and Bangladesh. "There is now an important group of people, whom I consider to be Bradfordians and constituents, who regularly raise with me appalling stories of what is happening," Ward said. Quoting from the report of Tomás Ojea Quintana, the former UN special rapporteur for human rights in Burma, Ward said that Quintana "found the practice of separating or segregating communities continues to have a severe impact on the Muslim populations in Rakhine", including the reported incidents of extrajudicial killings, rape and other forms of sexual violence; the lack of due process, fair trial and rights for Rohingyas; and the "deprivation of liberty". "These are not isolated incidents; they are happening in a large scale and are directed, in many cases, against the Rohingya population," Ward said. "They are so serious that they should be referred to the International Criminal Court as crimes against humanity." Besides Ward, four other parliamentarians – David Simpson, Valerie Vaz, Jim Shannon and Kerry McCarthy — brought up other instances of human rights abuses committed not just against the Rohingyas, but also against ethnic minorities, a large percentage of whom are Christians. Also troubling them was legislation pushed through by the Burmese government such as the religious conversion bill, which will prevent interfaith marriage and religious conversion, and is a "serious breach of international human rights", according to parliamentarian McCarthy; and a nationwide census that does not allow for Rohingyas to self-identify as such, instead putting themselves down as "Bengalis". Speaking to Hugh Robertson, a minister from the UK Foreign Office, the parliamentarians questioned how the UK government could do more to push the Burmese government and military – which Ward said are complicit in the atrocities by "turning a blind eye" – to stop the abuses. They also questioned the wisdom in the British Army offering training to the Burmese Army, which parliamentarian Shannon accuses of using "those tactics against their own people"; and they questioned UK funding in aid and other programmes, such as the census which excluded Rohingyas, and how the UK government could use this as leverage to push for more reforms. "The reforms to date are simply a smokescreen and the [Burmese] president is carrying out reforms of a limited nature with a view to try and get the international community to remove the sanctions," Ward said. "We have these continuous good news stories coming out about the progress being made. But on the other side, there is horrendous atrocities and abysmal behavior towards large sections of the ethnic minorities and communities," he continued. "It's almost like two parallel worlds that live alongside each other. While Robertson did not downplay the parliamentarians concerns, he reiterated the need to strike a balance with a country that is "undertaking an extraordinarily complex transition". "There is a classic Foreign Office dilemma here," Robertson said. "I would not for a moment pretend that everything is rosy in this garden and I would not want people to think that we have a rose-tinted view of the matter. We really do not." He responded that the UK government and Foreign Office has consistently raised these issues with the Burmese government, and that they are "deeply disappointed that the Burmese government had simply reneged on their longstanding assurances that all individuals would have the right to self-identify their ethnic origin." Related Stories Rohingyas screened to assess citizenship claims Rain dampens relief efforts as fighting continues in northern Burma DVB Debate: Will foreign aid help or hinder Burma? As for the allegations leveled against the Burmese government and the military, Robertson said that the military, "for better or worse, is a core political force in Burma and will be key to the process of political reform". "Again, it returns to the judgment of whether to stand back and criticise the reform if it does not succeed or to engage with it and try to affect the situation for the better," he continued. "We have tried to do the latter and will continue to use our leverage over the Burmese military to get them to tackle issues, such as child soldiers and to bring sexual violence to an end once and for all." Mark Farmaner, director of human rights NGO Burma Campaign UK, said that Robertson is providing false equivalency when speaking about disengaging with the Burmese government. It does not have to be an all-or-nothing approach, he said in an email to DVB. "No one is proposing disengagement; engagement is essential. But it must be the right kind of engagement. "When the British government, the USA and others had a policy centred on human rights [and] applying pressure of various kinds, we saw the reform process begin, many political prisoners released, and an increase in civil liberties," Farmaner said. "Once the pressure was lifted, aid and other assistance started going to the government, friendly relations were established and policy was centered on trade – we saw the reform process stall: the number of political prisoners start to go back up, arrests of journalists start again, treatment of the Rohingya becomes even worse and [there is] renewed intimidation of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy." Since 2012, more than 130,000 Rohingyas have fled from their homes in Arakan State due to communal violence, while the UN has reported that more than 86,000 people, mostly Rohingyas, have left the state by boat to escape to neighbouring countries.

Central Bank VP paints picture of hi-tech Burma Posted: 26 Jun 2014 04:00 AM PDT Satt Aung, the vice-president of the Central Bank of Myanmar, has painted a rosy picture of the not-too-distant future in a modern Burma where mobile banking and electronic transactions will be the norm for shopping, making payments and even paying for taxis. Addressing the Union Parliament on Wednesday on the subject of foreign bank operations and the development of domestic banking, Satt Aung said that Burma's progressively more modern banking technology will soon allow consumers "to shop, buy goods and even pay taxi fares electronically without having to carry a stack of kyat notes around". Several private banks, including the Cooperative Bank, have long urged the Central Bank to adopt a mobile banking system; however, implementation has yet to begin. Cooperatives Bank administrative-director Pe Myint said that even if a system for electronic transactions is applied in Burma, customers will not stop using physical currency. Related Stories Burma's upper house passes bill to control inflation BURMA BUSINESS WEEKLY 30 MAY   Burma Business Weekly "I think the culture of using physical currency will continue to exist – like in Japan or South Korea and such. Maybe we will no longer have to carry stacks of bank notes, but people will still continue to use notes for things like going to a tea shop." Likewise, Than Lwin, vice-president of the Kanbawza Bank, expressed scepticism at Satt Aung's vision. "This is just his dream – and in his dream, the world has changed – the technologies he talked about are far too advanced for Burmese consumers," he said. "Burmese love to physically carry and pay with money. What [Satt Aung] said would make sense if we were a Western nation." He said that reliable mobile communication is a necessity for a mobile banking system, and that regulatory laws would have to be adopted first. "Right now, we don't have enough skilled professionals in the country to implement an efficient mobile banking system, and we have way too many competing communications systems such as CDMA, CWCDMA and GSM, which are hard to connect with each other," he said. "Also we have not yet adopted any legal regulations. In fact, we are very far behind."

President nominates military man as Arakan chief minister Posted: 26 Jun 2014 01:57 AM PDT The Burmese President's Office has nominated Border Affairs Deputy Minister Maj-Gen Maung Maung Ohn as the new chief minister of Arakan State, a position vacated by Minister Hla Maung Tin who resigned last week. Saw Nyein, an MP in the Arakan regional parliament, said a proposal to appoint the senior military serviceman as chief minister of the region was submitted at an Arakan parliamentary session on Wednesday. "A letter from the President's Office nominating Maj-Gen Maung Maung Ohn was announced at the regional parliament today. MPs who disagree with this appointment must submit letters of objection by 27 June," said Saw Nyein on Wednesday, adding that the Constitution made it difficult for MPs to successfully overturn decisions put forward by the president. "Although we are allowed to object, constitutional Article 261(d) states that the regional parliament cannot refuse the president's choice of chief minister unless it can be clearly proved that the person concerned does not meet the qualifications of a chief minister," he said. Meanwhile, the influential Arakan National Party (ANP) – a recent merger of the two previous largest nationalist parties in Arakan State – has released a statement calling for appointment of an ethnic Arakanese as chief minister. Maung Maung Ohn is a Burman. Related Stories Citizenship verification programme pilots in Arakan displacement camps Rights groups call for transparency in Kaladan Project UNICEF blasted for 'humiliating' concession as it tries to mend fences in Arakan ANP regional parliament representative Aung Myat Kyaw said, "Arakanese people believe that the affairs of the state should be led by one of their own. Just as Shan people would want an ethnic Shan heading the state government, we too want a person of our ethnicity in charge." However, Aung Naing Oo, a regional assembly MP representing the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), said the major-general, having previously served in the military in western Burma, would have insight on regional affairs and is a good candidate for the position of chief minister. "Although U Maung Maung Ohn is not a native of this region, we should accept him if he meets the qualifications," he said. "We must consider individuals based on their capacity to bring peace and development to our state." The USDP MP went on to say: "Based on our meeting with the major-general, he is genuinely keen to work for this region. Having served two years in Arakan State, he has insight and knowledge about the area. We don't think it would be a bad idea to appoint him as chief minister. We have confidence in him." The regional parliament resumes on 30 June when it is expected that Maung Maung Ohn's appointment as chief minister will be finalised.

Two Burmese arrested after dead body left in boot of Bangkok taxi Posted: 25 Jun 2014 11:04 PM PDT Two Burmese men were arrested on Thursday for the alleged murder of a friend whose body was then abandoned in a bin left in the boot of a taxi by a passenger early on Tuesday. Police later identified the the dead man as a Burmese national, Tun Naibut, and located and went to his rented house in tambon Bang Nam Jued of Samut Sakhon's Muang district. There they found blood stains and signs of fighting. Police later arrested Chit San Muang at a house in Nonthaburi's Bang Yai distirct and then another man, an accomplice identified only as Tajee who lived in the same house as the dead man. They also seized a steel bar and wire as evidence. Pol Maj Gen Wittaya Prayongphun, deputy commissioner of provincial police region 7, said the two men confessed to killing Tun Naibut. They said they had been drinking alcohol together and got into an argument in which Tajee accused Naibut of stealing 17,000 baht (US$530). They hit Naibut with a steel bar and stabbed him with a piece of heavy gauge steel wire until he was dead. Related Stories Human trafficking bust in Bangkok: Burmese children forced to sell flowers to tourists Kachin family call for Rule of Law, refuse blood money from Burmese commander Arbitrary arrests of Burmese migrants continue in Chiang Mai They then called another friend, known only as Fujee, to ride a motorcycle to get a taxi. The two men helped stuff the body in a black bin and put it in the taxi's boot. Fujee then went in the taxi to the Rama 2 area, where he paid the bill, got out and walked away, leaving the body behind early Tuesday morning. Police said the two men would be charged with murder, and they would try to track down the taxi “passenger”. Cab driver Uthai Phetseekaew reported to police about 1am on Tuesday that he had found a body stuffed in a bin left in his taxi’s boot after he picked up a man in the Bang Nam Jued area. The passenger directed him to the Rama 2 area, paid the meter fare and walked away. He realised the man had forgotten his baggage so he returned to look for him, without success. The driver decided to check out what was left in the boot, and found a dead body in the bin. He went to the police.   This article was originally published in the Bangkok Post on 26 June 2014.

Kachin IDPs lose hope of returning home Posted: 25 Jun 2014 10:19 PM PDT Refugees sheltering in displacement camps in Kachin and northern Shan states have all but given up hope of going home any time soon. Battles continue to rage in the region between Burmese government forces and ethnic armed groups. DVB spoke to residents living in Man Wain Gyi camp near Mansi Towsnhip. "I don't think we’ll have the chance to go home. Burmese troops are still stationed in our village. So it's unlikely we’ll be going home any time soon," said one displaced woman. "We heard more fighting last night," said another young woman. She said she heard gunfire. A young student said the refugees are constantly scared that fighting will spill over into the camp. "I always feel afraid every time there is a clash," she said. This month marked the third anniversary of renewed conflict in Kachin State, after a 17-year ceasefire between the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) and the Burmese government broke down. Since 2011, more than 100,000 civilians have been displaced by the fighting. Peace talks between ethnic rebel groups and government peace negotiators have been ongoing, and in May the two sides agreed to establish a joint peace-keeping commission. Related Stories Ethnic political parties promise mass protest if PR system passes Angelina Jolie visits refugee camp at Thai-Burmese border Kachin family call for Rule of Law, refuse blood money from Burmese commander But many civilians are disillusioned with the talks as whatever progress is made at the negotiation table ultimately fails to end the fighting. "I wish they would speed up the peace talks so we can live in peace. We all just want to live in peace," said a displaced man living in Man Wain Gyi camp. Man Wain Gyi is a government-controlled town in Mansi Township, which lies between China and northern Shan State. After fighting between the KIA and government troops erupted near the town in April, over 3,000 people were forced to flee their homes. Many came to the camps around Man Waing Gyi, while others fled to China. Despite calls from President Thein Sein for a nationwide ceasefire, armed clashes continue to break out in the northern border regions and thousands of IDPs continue to worry that they’ll never be able to go home.

Chin protestors call for end to sexual violence by Burma army Posted: 25 Jun 2014 07:47 PM PDT Hundreds of people staged separate peaceful protests in Rezua and Matupi, Chin State, on Monday and Tuesday, calling for an immediate end to sexual violence against ethnic women. About 400 protesters in Rezua and over 200 in Matupi participated in the events, prompted by the attempted rape of a 40-year-old woman by a Burma Army soldier early this month. Some of the placards read: "Stop raping; We are humans, not animals. We are humans, not property." Pi Ngun Chin Par, a leader of Rezua women’s organization, said that there had to be justice and that soldiers had to be properly controlled through strict discipline in order to ensure security for women. Event organizing leaders from Rezua and Matupi women’s organizations said that they had applied for official permission to hold a demonstration in advance but the authorities didn’t give it. Related Stories Kachin family call for Rule of Law, refuse blood money from Burmese commander New approaches needed to help survivors of rape in Burma Rape summit aims to 'shatter impunity' “We were not given permission but we went ahead with our plans although we faced some threats from local authorities. We did this only to express our voices in ensuring safety and security for women,” added Par. On Wednesday last week, some women leaders were summoned to the Rezua Sub-township Administration Office and threatened that the authorities would not be responsible for any problems relating to the events. As of today, no action has been taken against Private Myo Thura Kyaw, from Burma Army Light Infantry Battalion No. 269, for the attempted rape of the local woman.   This article was originally published in Chinland Guardian on 23 June 2014.

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