Democratic Voice of Burma

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• Ethnic MPs join peace discussions
• Bullet Points
• NLD, 88GPOS conclude nationwide rally for constitutional amendment
• False rape claim caused riots, says ministry
• US, UK express concerns on jailing of Burmese journalists

Ethnic MPs join peace discussions Posted: 21 Jul 2014 04:30 AM PDT Ethnic members of parliament from constituencies in areas of conflict met with Myanmar Peace Centre (MPC) representatives in Naypyidaw on Monday. Head of the MPC, Aung Min led a discussion about the role of ethnic MPs in the peace process. "As preparations are underway to start work on the third-draft of the nationwide ceasefire agreement in the beginning of August, the role of the parliament and MPs is becoming more important," said MPC member Hla Maung Shwe. "We wanted to have a mutual discussion with them on the peace process." The meeting marked the first time that MPs from ethnic areas of conflict have been involved in the peace discussions. A lower house MP from Karen State, Nan Say Awa said she has always wanted to be a part of the peace process and is glad the MPC is now including them in discussions. "The MPC explained the current developments of the peace process to us. They said MPs would also be able to sign the national-level ceasefire agreement and that they are working to implement this as soon as possible. We asked questions and were able to learn about the process so far, for which we are happy," she said. Related Stories Bullet Points Shwe Mann objects to MP calling ethnic armies 'revolutionaries' Ceasefire language must be 'simple and coherent', says Thein Sein Nan Say Awa went on to say that she hopes similar meetings involving ethnic MPs would take place in the future. Around 40 MPs from conflict zones in Kachin, Shan and Karen states joined the meeting and they expressed gratitude that they were finally being included in peace discussions. The meeting comes ahead of ceasefire talks between ethnic groups and government peace negotiators in the Kachin Independence Organisation's headquarters, Laiza in Kachin State on 24 July.

Bullet Points Posted: 21 Jul 2014 04:23 AM PDT On today’s edition of Bullet Points: The All Burma Federation of Students Unions stage a protest in Mandalay against the national draft education bill. The UN rights rapporteur Yanghee Lee visits Kachin State and questions government officials on the use of torture and child soldiers. Ethnic MPs meet with Myanmar Peace Centre (MPC) representatives in Naypyidaw to discuss their role in the peace process. A drop in the price of export rubber has left hundreds of thousands of Burmese farmers out of pocket.   Watch Bullet Points on DVB TV after the 7 o’clock news.   Related Stories Ethnic MPs join peace discussions Bullet Points Bullet Points

NLD, 88GPOS conclude nationwide rally for constitutional amendment Posted: 21 Jul 2014 04:02 AM PDT The opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party and 88 Generation Peace and Open Society (88GPOS) concluded on Saturday a nationwide petition campaign calling for the amendment of constitutional Article 436. In recent months, the NLD, along with the support of activist group 88GPOS – which was formed by the students who led the 1988 uprising against the military regime – travelled across the country to 17 cities to bolster support for the amendment of Article 436, which allows for the military to have automatic veto power over any proposed amendments. Tun Tun Hein, chairperson of the NLD's Constitution Amendment Working Committee, said that the party's headquarters in Rangoon has instructed all its branches to count the total number of signatures they obtained. "We started the campaign across the country, including the 17 cities, from May until 19 July, when we wrapped up the campaign. We have instructed all our branch offices to send over the signatures they have in one week," Tun Tun Hein said. As of 27 June, the NLD and 88GPOS garnered 3.3 million signatures. Tun Tun Hein added that apart from "minor disturbances", the process of gathering the signatures went smoothly. "We can say the campaign generally went safe and sound, apart from minor disturbances in some areas," Tun Tun Hein said. "It was mostly successful." Throughout their nationwide campaign, the NLD and 88GPOS encountered last-minute objections from local authorities who barred them from holding their events, including in Chin and Shan states. In addition, two local NLD officials from Magwe Division and an 88GPOS member are currently legal action from local authorities for using a loudspeaker without first obtaining permission. Related Stories NLD officials, 88GPOS member on trial for using a loudspeaker in Magwe Suu Kyi advises NLD youth members to be true to the party Suu Kyi condemns fake NLD statement, calls for violence in Mandalay to be contained

False rape claim caused riots, says ministry Posted: 21 Jul 2014 01:53 AM PDT A rape case believed to have sparked recent riots in central Burma's Mandalay was fabricated, according to an investigation carried out by the Ministry of Home Affairs. State media published the ministry's findings on Sunday, revealing what the government maintains is an elaborate plot of false, revenge-inspired allegations. On the evening of 1 July, hundreds of Buddhists gathered in Chan Aye Tharzan Township — a majority Muslim area in Burma's second largest city, Mandalay – after rumours circulated that two Muslim brothers who owned a teashop had raped their Buddhist maid. Riots soon ensued, which lasted for several days and left at least two people dead. About 20 others were injured. The ministry's report claimed that the woman who was believed to have been raped was promised payment of one million kyat (US$1,000) to make the allegations against them. According to the ministry, the woman was in debt after her husband was jailed on drug charges. The report said that two people assisting her husband's case offered her the money to falsely accuse the brothers because of a personal dispute. Related Stories Women’s rights activists stand trial in Chin State for protesting against army rape Curfew in Mandalay disrupts business as usual Lawyers appeal murder charges in case of Muslim pilgrims lynching The ministry said that forensic tests performed on the accuser showed "no indication of rape and no external injuries", and that the woman and the two people allegedly behind the plot are currently in police custody. The report further stated that the pair were behind another rape allegation brought against a Mandalay court official. The ministry maintained that this accusation was also fabricated. The plaintiff in that case, according to the ministry, is related to the woman who claimed to be raped by the teashop owners. Allegations against the teashop owners were largely considered the catalyst for the riots that took place the first week of July in Mandalay, which were the latest in a string of communal violence between Buddhists and Muslims that has accelerated since mid-2012. A pattern has emerged over the past two years of local disputes, such as sexual abuse or even arguments, igniting long-existing tensions between the country's majority Buddhists and minority Muslims. Riots have erupted in several parts of the country, and have resulted in more than 200 deaths and the displacement of about 180,000 people. Muslim communities have suffered most of the damages, though this months' riots in Mandalay left one casualty on either side of the conflict.

US, UK express concerns on jailing of Burmese journalists Posted: 20 Jul 2014 10:47 PM PDT The US and UK governments have expressed concerns over the recent jailing of the Unity Weekly journalists, reiterating that press freedom is vital to the democratic transition that Burma has pledged to undertake. Four reporters and the CEO of Unity Weekly news journal were sentenced to ten years in prison with hard labour on 10 July under the Official Secrets Act after they published a story about an alleged chemical weapons factory in Magwe Division. Since the verdict was announced, local and international media and press advocacy groups have roundly condemned the sentencing, saying that the court's verdict is a clear sign that Burma is backtracking on its promised democratic reforms. Jen Psaki, a spokeswoman for the US State Department, said on Friday during a press briefing in Washington D.C. that the sentence sends "the wrong message about Burma's commitment to freedom of expression". "The Burmese government has made tremendous progress in the last three years working to develop an environment conducive to free, fair, independent media," Psaki said. "This is a critical element of a vibrant and well-functioning democracy, and we urge the government of Burma to continue that trend and respect the right of all journalists." Her comments came two days after the Associated Press reported that Assistant US Secretary of State Tom Malinowski said that while concerns over journalistic ethics and irresponsible reporting in a fledging media environment like Burma's is a legitimate issue, "the way to deal with those problems is not through the tactics of a police state". "If your response is to arrest journalists, we are going to go back to the kind of relationship between Burma and the rest of the world that is not in your interests," he warned. The British ambassador to Burma, Andrew Patrick, took a softer approach on 16 July during a speech at the launch of the British Chamber of Commerce, choosing instead to stress the importance of media freedom. "Freedom of the media is an absolutely essential part of democratisation and an essential part of democracy, and I know that all of this country's friends abroad watch very closely on the developments on media freedom," Patrick said. "I just wanted to take the opportunity today to say I know a lot of them and I myself are concerned about the recent developments that have been, and we are going to continue to follow this very, very closely." Related Stories Burmese newspaper publisher arrested in Thailand Irrawaddy journalists hold mass prayer for reporters facing legal action British Chamber of Commerce launched in Rangoon In a 19 July statement, the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party condemned the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party for the sentencing, as well as the government's increased scrutiny towards the media. Recently, the police's Special Branch department have visited and interrogated private news organisations on their finances, an act that most media outlets consider to be a tactic of intimidation. In addition, five journalists from Bi-Mon Te Nay journal have been charged with causing public alarm for a recent story falsely reporting that NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi and ethnic leaders were appointed to an interim government, while more than 50 journalists face charges of demonstrating without permission when they decided not to cover a recent event attended by Burmese President Thein Sein. The NLD news and information department spokesman Monywa Aung Shin said that these actions by the government show that the ruling party is intensifying suppression of the media ahead of the 2015 national elections.

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