Democratic Voice of Burma

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• Journalists slam Public Service Media Law
• Incensed farmers wage war on local fishery
• Burma promotes parboiled rice for local consumption
• NLD moves to Chin State for charter reform rallies
• Bangladesh commander threatens Burma with ‘befitting response’
• Thai junta defend coup in Burma

Journalists slam Public Service Media Law Posted: 03 Jun 2014 04:26 AM PDT Members of Burma's media community on Saturday criticised a proposed law, intended to separate state media from political influence, as "inappropriate" during a government-organised meeting in the Naypyidaw. Drafted by the Ministry of Information, the Public Service Media Law was submitted to the parliament in March and is slated for discussion during the current session. While its original intent was to ensure that independent news organisations receive public funding, the bill is centered on state broadcasters and publications, such as the Mirror and the New Light of Myanmar – widely acknowledged as government mouthpieces. This raises concerns within Burma's community of journalists and representatives from the Interim Press Council (IPC), who gathered on Saturday at a meeting organised by the parliament's Sports, Culture and Public Relations Development Committee. Zaw Thet Htwe, an editor and IPC member, said that he told the meeting's attendants that turning a state-run news agency into a public service outlet that purports a semblance of independence is misleading. "The bill transforms state-run newspapers and broadcasting channels into a public service media, which we find inappropriate," he said to DVB after the meeting. "We also pointed out there is only public broadcasting service in other countries, but no such thing as public service newspapers, so this would be a waste of public funding to run the newspaper." Related Stories Burmese media groups call for Thai junta to release journalists Unity staff divided as verdict nears Censorship in the days of shackles and fetters Using state money for "government propaganda" – when the bill's original objective was to do otherwise – was a typical move from the government, said Pho Thaukkya, a veteran journalist and news editor. "I feel that the government is pulling the same tactic, such as when they drafted and approved the Constitution on their own accord, with other various bills and legislations," Pho Thaukkya said. While the Burmese government has initiated a series of press reforms since June 2011, the past six months have seen at least six members of the media arrested – including DVB video journalist Zaw Pe who was sentenced to one year in April for the crimes of "trespassing" and "disturbing a civil servant on duty" as he attempted to report on a story about a Japanese-funded scholarship programme.

Incensed farmers wage war on local fishery Posted: 03 Jun 2014 04:22 AM PDT Farmers in central Burma’s Madaya have vandalised a local fishery pond in a show of anger over the reluctance of the fishery owners to negotiate a land ownership claim. The destruction of the company's property is the latest of a string of incidents in an on-going land dispute between the farmers and Sanpyo Fisheries. On 1 June, the company's owner failed to attend a scheduled meeting with the farmers, sending a representative in his place. Incensed, the farmers abandoned the meeting and started to demolish the pond's barriers. Residents from four villages in Madaya Township say that 300 acres of land were taken from them by the military in the early 1990's. Sanpyo, who constructed a fish-breeding pond on the disputed grounds, are now leasing that land from the military. Myint Myint Aye, a rights activist from the civil society group Meikhtila Public Assistance Network, has been assisting the farmers in their dispute. She says the company has built on land that was never was part of the initial scheme. "The army had confiscated land in the area, but there are also around 100 acres that were not included in the confiscation scheme. No compensation was paid to the farmers." Related Stories Wanbao employees held hostage in Latpadaung standoff Former British PM accused of secret 'advisory role' in Burma Police assault protestors in Pegu, say witnesses Last month, Madaya police charged six farmers with crimes varying from criminal intimidation to vandalism and trespassing after the protest group broke through the pond's barriers on 8 May. The Madaya farmers stepped up their protests in January, buoyed by the establishment of a parliamentary land commission to compensate or administer the return of land confiscated under the previous military government. But their repeated calls to district authorities have gone unanswered. The farmers have vowed to begin ploughing the land for cultivation if the situation remains unchanged. "We do not want compensation," said farmer Win Maung. "We just want our land back. Our families can then live off it for the rest of their lives."

Burma promotes parboiled rice for local consumption Posted: 03 Jun 2014 02:13 AM PDT Burma, also known as Myanmar, is planning to replace white rice with parboiled rice for local consumption citing health and cost benefits of parboiled rice over white rice, according to local sources. The Ministry of Health and Myanmar Rice Millers Association (MRMA) have jointly started a campaign to promote the use of parboiled rice. The Secretary of MRMA noted that parboiled rice is more nutritious and contains vitamin C, adding that it is 15 percent cheaper than white rice. He says since parboiled rice is produced by steaming and drying before being crushed, it yields full nutrition unlike white rice, which has more broken rice content. Also, vitamin B1 content in white rice is reduced when rinsed, but not in parboiled rice, he adds. Already foreign demand for Burma’s parboiled rice is increasing. According to the Myanmar Rice Industry Association (MRIA), Burma’s parboiled rice exports are likely to surge to 300,000 tons in the fiscal year 2014-15 (April – March), up almost nine times from a mere 30,000 tons in 2013-14. The government is keen on increasing market for parboiled rice locally as well. Related Stories DVB Debate: Will the ASEAN chair boost Burma? Electricity price hike impacts households, businesses One group's struggle to modernise Chin State's farming techniques The government is increasing the capacity of parboiled rice in the country to 300,000 tons per annum, according to a board director of Myanmar Agribusiness Public Corporation (MAPC). He noted that the government has completed 90 percent of new parboiled mills’ construction and expects to make them ready before the monsoon harvest. He noted that ten imported steam-rice machines from Japan, which can produce up to 1,800 tons of parboiled rice per day with proper electric supply, are being installed in these mills, adding that parboiled rice mills with smaller capacities of 50-ton and 100-ton per day are also being constructed. Burma’s total rice exports in FY 2013-14 declined about 29 percent to one million tons from previous year because of reduced demand in China and political turmoil in Thailand, according to the MRIA Chairman. He however expects Burma to export up to 1.5 million tons of rice in FY 2014-15. USDA estimates Burma to produce 12.15 million tons rice in MY 2014-15 (January – December) and export 1.3 million tons in 2014. This article was originally published in Oryza on 2 June 2014.

NLD moves to Chin State for charter reform rallies Posted: 03 Jun 2014 01:12 AM PDT Some 300 people attended a rally calling for constitutional reform on Monday in the Chin State capital of Hakha, the latest campaign stop by the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party and the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society (88GPOS). In a bid to push the government of Burma's President Thein Sein towards constitutional reform, the NLD has embarked on a nationwide tour to rally for support. 88GPOS – an organisation formed by students who led the 1988 anti-government uprising – has joined the NLD's cause in recent months, and the two parties have focused their efforts on Article 436. This clause calls for more than 75 percent of the parliament to vote on any constitutional amendments, which is deemed undemocratic by the opposition groups as the Burmese military presently holds 25 percent and thus has veto power over any proposed changes. After moving the rally to the NLD's head office in Hakha – a relocation prompted by the authorities' refusal to allow the event at the town hall – NLD and 88GPOS members took the stage to urge locals to sign a petition to their cause. NLD's regional leader, Zo Bwe, told DVB after the rally that he pointed out the contradictions within the current Constitution, such as Article 4, which states that the sovereign power of the country comes from its citizens, and Article 436, which blocks any amendment attempt without support from the military. Related Stories Charter reform should come after ceasefire agreement: Thein Sein Poets, cartoonists join campaign to overturn Article 436 Peace without constitutional reform is like 'hopping on one leg', says Min Ko Naing "I explained to the crowd that Article 436 is intended to make it far too difficult — near impossible – to enact amendments to the constitution," Zo Bwe said. An amendment to Article 436 could open up the dissolution of Article 59(f), a clause that prevents Burmese citizens with foreign relatives from running for the presidency. Presently, NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was married to a British man and has two children, is effectively banned from running for president in the November 2015 national elections. From Hakha, the NLD and 88GPOS will move to the town of Mindat next week. During the NLD's previous visit to Chin State in January, the ruling party instructed civil servants and students not to attend or publicly support the opposition party.

Bangladesh commander threatens Burma with ‘befitting response’ Posted: 02 Jun 2014 11:19 PM PDT As the body of slain Bangladeshi soldier Nayek Mizanur Rahman was being transported home after an autopsy on Monday, a Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) commander issued a statement warning Burma it would be dealt a "befitting response" if such an incident takes place in the future. According to Dhaka-based Daily Star, tension is still running high at the Bangladesh-Burma border after a clash occurred – an "unprovoked attack", according to the Bangladeshis – between the two sides last week, resulting in the death of the 43-year-old Bangladeshi corporal. "We want a friendly relationship with all bordering countries. But if the Myanmar Border Guard Police attack again, BGB will give a befitting response immediately," the BGB’s Chittagong regional commander Brig-Gen Syed Ahmed Ali was quoted as saying at a press briefing on Monday. Related Stories Burma plays diplomatic card to diffuse Bangladesh dispute Tensions flare at Burma-Bangladesh border Building barriers: Fencing off the Bangladesh border The Chittagong commander's comments continue a war of words between the neighbouring countries, with each side blaming the other for an incident on 28 May when a Burmese border patrol opened fire on their Bangladeshi counterparts, killing Corp Mizanur. Bangladesh maintains that the exchange of gunfire took place on Bangladeshi soil, between boundary markers 51-mile and 52-mile. Burma's Ministry of Foreign Affairs claims that two men in unmarked camouflage uniform encroached onto Burmese territory, and were assumed to be members of the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO) insurgency group. However, according to Rohingya activist Aung Win, who is based in Sittwe, the RSO are not active in that area, and the Burmese accusations are "nothing but propaganda". "Any remaining members of the RSO are located in Bangladesh's hill-tracts," he told DVB on Tuesday. And as the funeral for Corp. Mizanur was being held on Tuesday at his home town in Comilla, 100km southeast of capital Dhaka, the Daily Star reported that a similar but unrelated incident had happened at the country's Indian border where Indian border guards had shot and killed a 26-year Bangladeshi cattle trader. For more background: https://www.dvb.no/news/burma-plays-diplomatic-card-to-resolve-bangladesh-clashes-myanmar/41137 https://www.dvb.no/news/tensions-flare-at-burma-bangladesh-border-myanmar/41125

Thai junta defend coup in Burma Posted: 02 Jun 2014 08:32 PM PDT Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ permanent secretary has made Burma the first stop on a mission to defend the coup. Sihasak Phuangketkeow met Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin in Burma on 2 June, according to Thailand's Department of Information head, Sek Wannameetee. Mr Sihasak explained to Burma’s foreign minister the three-stage plan set out by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), which it hopes will return democracy to Thailand. As this year’s chair of ASEAN, Burma could use its position to help explain the ”truth” behind the recent coup to other ASEAN members, Mr Sek said. He admitted that ASEAN members have growing concerns about the coup, as they see Thailand as a major player in the region. “With the second biggest economy in ASEAN, many fear the situation in Thailand could have regional repercussions,” Mr Sek said. Related Stories China, SE Asian govts pledge renewed support for anti-drug efforts Burmese media groups call for Thai junta to release journalists DVB Debate: Will the ASEAN chair boost Burma? “Thailand has reassured Myanmar [Burma] it will continue to pursue its role in the community, and advance foreign policy,” he added. Mr Sek said ASEAN is unlikely to call a meeting to discuss the coup. “Such a meeting would be unprecedented, and ASEAN will stick by its principles of not interfering with the internal affairs of its members,” he said. The ministry said after the meeting last night that Burma’s foreign minister understood the situation, and hoped the junta would stick to its three-stage plan. Meanwhile, Mr Sek also addressed the outcome of the Shangri La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday. At the annual summit, Mr Sihasak and NCPO members discussed Thailand’s political stability. Thai delegates at the meeting informed their counterparts that many of the rules which infringe on people's rights and liberties had been relaxed, such as changing curfew hours. Mr Sek said the ministry had issued Gen Prayuth's three-stage plan for democracy to every Thai embassy and consulate. Each Thai embassy has been asked to present the plan to their respective host governments. Informing international organisations in Thailand is also a priority, he said.   This article was originally published in the Bangkok Post on 3 June 2014.

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