Democratic Voice of Burma

---

• Demolition of riverside squats leaves families homeless
• Activists relay worries of draft association law to parliament
• Politician murdered in Taunggyi
• Burma to consider proportional representation
• Word of support from Burma, says Thai army
• HRW calls for ‘genuinely independent’ electoral body

Demolition of riverside squats leaves families homeless Posted: 05 Jun 2014 04:11 AM PDT Local authorities have demolished 50 huts belonging to squatters on the banks of the Irrawaddy in Mandalay Division. The villagers had been forced onto higher ground by rising floodwaters, where they constructed the makeshift dwellings on a stretch of farmland in Kyanikan village. Local authorities deemed the squats illegal and attempted to provide an alternative for the villagers. However that option was not satisfactory, as the land that they were moved to was already occupied. On 3 June, the municipal authorities began evicting the villagers and bulldozing their homes. "We have young students in our families, from eighth grade down to first," said one of the villagers. "It's not very suitable for them to live in homes right next to the river, so we moved up to the embankment." The families said even after their huts have been destroyed, they will have no choice but to just live on the ground, as they have nowhere else to go. "The officials came and told us to leave, but there's nowhere else to go, so we have to stay here." The families marched to the township municipal office in protest, but they were denied a meeting with officials. Related Stories Drugs, land and mining issues plague Shan State Dr Cynthia responds to Thameelay villagers Thameelay villagers stuck for 2 nights at Karen border "They [local government officials] said the land is owned by the Municipal Department and told us to move out at once, accusing us of disturbing their work," said another squatter, Mya Khine. "They said they don't care how we have to live. We begged them, saying we have children and there's nowhere else to go." The tough action is the latest in a series of government demolitions of semi-permanent dwellings, which have left hundreds homeless across Burma. In February, 500 villagers from Hlegu Township in Rangoon Division were forced into the shelter of a monastery after their homes were deemed illegal and torn down. In that case, local well-wishers supported the homeless families with food and other donations. With no government assistance pledged so far, the Mandalay riverside villagers hope they, too, can rely on the kindness of strangers.

Activists relay worries of draft association law to parliament Posted: 05 Jun 2014 04:00 AM PDT Civil society organisations (CSOs) on Wednesday reiterated their worries to the government about a draft law they believe will restrict their freedom of association, and which is currently awaiting passage through the lower house of parliament. Drafted by the Ministry of Home Affairs last July, the legislation was met with vociferous criticisms from Burma's CSO community as its provisions required all organisations to register with the government and to face harsh criminal penalties – including prison time of up to three years – if they were unregistered. The draft law was re-introduced a month later as the draft Association Registration Law, with the obligation to register and the prison term stricken from its text. This passed through the parliament's upper house promptly and is expected to be discussed in the lower house this term. But the new version still carried clauses that CSOs believe could restrict their freedom to operate – such as limits to their activities if they are registered to a township, but not to an administrative region. They urged the parliament's Bill Committee and the Public Affairs Management Committee in a meeting last week to remove these provisions before it passed the lower house. In a press conference on Wednesday, CSO representatives said that if their concerns were not addressed, they would bring the complaint to Burmese President Thein Sein. "The Bill Committee said they have to negotiate with the Home Affairs Ministry and have been trying the best they can with it," said Soe Tun of the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society, an organisation borne out of the 1998 student-led uprising against the government. "We decided to boost our efforts by reaching out to the President's Office since we have tried all we can with our approach to parliament." Related Stories Burma’s draft association law: a smokescreen for further repression? Kyaw Thu, a former actor and film director who is now the founder and president of charity group Free Funeral Service Society, appealed to the government to allow the CSOs' work to continue without complicated restrictions. "Imposing restrictions on CSOs focused on humanitarian work is like shackling the Lord Buddha, who taught us to be kind and humane," Kyaw Thu said, who vowed to continue his group's work even if the law is passed. "The government needs to have some compassion when drafting a law like this," he said.

Politician murdered in Taunggyi Posted: 05 Jun 2014 02:51 AM PDT An opposition party member in Taunggyi, Shan State, was found dead outside his village on Thursday morning with a gunshot wound to the head. Sai San Tun, 50, was the deputy chair of the National League for Democracy (NLD) offices in Mongpyin Lattat, Hopong Township. He was seen being taken from his home around midnight by two men whose identities are still unknown. "He was found lying face down in the grass just west of the village, with a bullet wound in the back of his head," said Khun Than Lwin, the Taunggyi Township NLD chairman. "There were three bullet casings next to his body." Khun Than Lwin said the party plans to file a case with the police and will demand an investigation. The perpetrators and motivation for the crime are still unknown. The mysterious assault is one of several attacks on NLD members in Taunggyi district to happen over the past few years. In May 2013, a local militia from the Pa-O Self-Administered Zone — within which Hopong lies — allegedly forced 57 members of the NLD to resign at gunpoint after they assisted villagers in a land dispute. In that incident, the NLD was demanding the return of farmlands that they say were commandeered by the armed group.The militia denied involvement in both the land-grab and the sudden mass resignation. Related Stories Burma to consider proportional representation NLD moves to Chin State for charter reform rallies Charter reform should come after ceasefire agreement: Thein Sein

Burma to consider proportional representation Posted: 05 Jun 2014 01:37 AM PDT Burma's upper house of parliament voted on Tuesday to discuss switching to a proportional representation (PR) voting system. The issue is likely to take the floor within the next week during the current session of parliament. The proposal, submitted to parliament by the National Democratic Force (NDF), seeks to reform Burma's electoral system from a first-past-the-post system to a proportional system before general elections scheduled for 2015. Proponents of a PR system argue that it would foster Burma's nascent multi-party democracy and reduce wasted votes. "It will be more suitable to use an electoral system that allows participation from multi-parties," said Khin Waing Kyi, an upper house representative for the NDF. He added that the change could "facilitate more dynamic discussions" in parliament as the country seeks development for its diverse population. Others have greeted the move with scepticism, claiming that it could be a veiled attempt to prevent a landslide victory for the main opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD). "It is too early to introduce such a system to a semi-dictatorship like Burma," said Soe Aung, a spokesperson for the Forum for Democracy in Burma (FDB), explaining that the system could allow for pro-military coalitions to gain seats and weaken the opposition's representation in government. "This move clearly shows that the regime is counting on its allies to stop a possible NLD landslide victory in 2015 general elections," he said. Related Stories Politician murdered in Taunggyi HRW calls for ‘genuinely independent’ electoral body NLD moves to Chin State for charter reform rallies Parliament's decision to open the issue for discussion has already caused controversy; NLD upper house representative Aung Kyi Nyunt has begun preparing a case against PR on the basis that though small ethnic parties have strong support bases, many of the most disadvantaged are spread out in areas with more dominant ethnic groups. He further claimed that electoral reform, at this stage, could cause discord and distract politicians from core issues. "I am personally concerned that changing the electoral system while trying to transform the country into a federal union can divert attention from the latter," said Aung Kyi Nyunt. "We would not want that to happen." Electoral democracy in Burma still suffers from growing pains: In 2010, elections were held for the first time in 20 years. The polls were universally dismissed as illegitimate, and were boycotted by the NLD. In 2012, by-elections were held with some welcome improvements to protocol, and dealt 43 seats to NLD members. While opposition parties have gained some representation over the past two years, recent regulation changes have been said to undermine them in the lead-up to general elections next year. The UEC is currently pushing for new limits on campaign periods and representative campaigning. The commission has also been accused of "intimidating" Aung San Suu Kyi over comments she made about the Burmese military's reluctance to allow constitutional reform. Human Rights Watch suggested on Thursday that the UEC, which was created by the former military regime just prior to the 2010 elections, is not a genuinely independent electoral body and needs further internal reform.

Word of support from Burma, says Thai army Posted: 04 Jun 2014 11:16 PM PDT Thailand’s National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) spokesperson Yongyuth Mayalarp said that Thailand has received a word of support from Burma over the political situation in the country. The Thai permanent secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sihasak Puangketkaew met with Burma's Foreign Minister Wanna Muang Lwin in Burma on Wednesday. Yongyuth said that Sihasak’s trip was intended to explain to Burma, who is this year’s ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) chair, the military council’s roadmap to bring Thailand back to normalcy. “The Burmesegovernment has kept a close monitoring of the situation in Thailand because Thailand is a close neighbour and is important to Burma," Yongyuth said. "Burma has confidence in Thailand and is willing to support the country, especially in the framework of ASEAN and relations with other ASEAN member countries." China and Vietnam have also expressed support for Thailand’s new military government, authorities said on Wednesday. The NCPO spokesman said that various international military exercises and training with Thailand remain unchanged, with the exception of the United States and Australia. The US scrapped joint military programmes with Thailand days after the coup on 22 May while the European Union has urged the military to free political detainees and end censorship. Australia downgraded its ties with Thailand on Saturday, imposed a travel ban on junta leaders and cut defence cooperation, the toughest measures taken by a foreign government since the change of regime. Related Stories Thai junta defend coup in Burma Burmese media groups call for Thai junta to release journalists Burmese border situation undisturbed by Thai coup Bangkok residents against the military coup gave flowers to officials outside the Australian embassy. “Thank you so much for helping democracy,” said a man who refused to be named citing security concerns. “I feel it’s dangerous for us, people who need democracy,” said another unidentified woman. The coup was the latest convulsion in a decade-long conflict between the Bangkok-based royalist establishment, dominated by the military, old-money families and the bureaucracy, and supporters of Yingluck and her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, who are adored by the poor in the north and northeast. On Tuesday, the head of Thailand's Department of Information, Sek Wannameetee, said that as Burma was this years' chair of ASEAN, the neighbouring country could use its position explain the "truth" behind the recent coup to other ASEAN members.

HRW calls for ‘genuinely independent’ electoral body Posted: 04 Jun 2014 10:55 PM PDT Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday slammed Burma's electoral body for "intimidating" the opposition National League of Democracy (NLD) party and called for reforms within the body to ensure that future elections will be free and fair. After NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi made public comments last month challenging Burma's military to "prove that they are in politics not because they crave power", the Union Electoral Commission (UEC) issued a rebuke, warning her that her statements were unconstitutional and could put her party's registration for this year's by-elections in jeopardy. The NLD responded by saying that Suu Kyi's comments were in line with the Constitution guaranteeing freedom of speech. "The electoral commission should immediately stop intimidating opposition parties and threatening free expression in Burma," the New York-based rights organisation said in the statement. Additionally, HRW is concerned about recent draft regulations proposed by the UEC chairman, former army general Tin Aye, which would restrict the original three-month campaign period for political parties to 30 days. Another draft regulation would also restrict party members from campaigning on a candidate's behalf. Tin Aye also defended in April a constitutional provision that guarantees 25 percent of the parliamentary seats to military officers, said HRW. Related Stories Burma to consider proportional representation Electoral commission seeks assistance for political parties Suu Kyi rebuked for 'challenge' to military David Mathieson, a senior researcher on Burma for HRW, said that based on these statements, Tin Aye has demonstrated that he is pro-military, which would raise serious questions about the electoral body's independence. "I think it indicates that [Tin Aye] is looking to limit the participation of political parties in the election and ensure a victory for the pro-military government and the ruling party, the USDP [Union Solidarity and Development Party]," Mathieson said, adding that the government needs to ensure that an independent commission oversees all future elections. "The first thing that the government needs is to construct and support a genuinely independent Union Electoral Commission," Mathieson said. "It would raise serious concerns about the integrity of these elections if the body that is set up to ensure that they are free and fair does any kind of interruption or meddling."

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