Democratic Voice of Burma

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• Arakan govt invites MSF and others to resume aid
• Chin activists found guilty of illegal protest against rape
• Bullet Points: 24 July 2014
• DVB Debate: Systematic rape is used as a weapon of war
• Parliament approves vote, sans ethnic MPs, to debate new electoral system
• UN rapporteur meets peace-keepers in Mandalay

Arakan govt invites MSF and others to resume aid Posted: 24 Jul 2014 07:11 AM PDT The Arakan State government has invited international aid organisations — including  Médecins Sans Frontières, which was dramatically expelled from the state nearly five months ago — to continue operations in the troubled region. In an announcement published by state media on Thursday, Arakan leadership said that 24 specified organisations and other agencies are invited "to participate in development, humanitarian, education, and healthcare programs in accordance with the wishes of the Rakhine [Arakanese] people." The announcement said that state politicians met in late June with members of the Myanmar Peace Centre, the Emergency Coordination Centre, civil society and the United Nations to discuss implementation of an "Action Plan for Peace, Stability and Development". Arakan State, home to an estimated 3.8 million people, is one of the poorest parts of Burma. Several bouts of deadly violence have erupted over the past two years between the state's Buddhist and Muslim communities, worsening already dire conditions in the geographically isolated region. Related Stories UN rights official arrives in war-torn northern Burma Govt attempts to restart railway project through Mrauk-U Kyaukphyu SEZ construction undergoing bidding process What began in mid-2012 as a conflict between Arakanese Buddhists and the stateless Rohingya Muslim minority soon evolved into a broader dispute between the two faiths. Since June 2012, an estimated 140,000 people have been displaced and more than 200 have died as a result of the conflict. Most of the damages fell upon Muslim communities; many are still living in isolated and severely under-resourced displacement camps suffering shortages of food, medicine and clean water. International observers, including representatives of the United Nations, have stated the belief that crimes against humanity may have been committed against the Rohingya community in Arakan State, and rights groups have accused the government of official complicity in anti-Muslim pogroms. In February of this year, the government declined to renew an agreement with frontline health respondents  Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), effectively barring them from the state. The decision followed shortly after MSF staff reported that they had treated 22 Muslim patients just after an alleged massacre in the state's northern Maungdaw Township, an event that the government denies. The decision is believed to have been based on a perception that the organisation was biased in favour of Muslims. The move sparked international outrage as fears of a humanitarian crisis grew. In March, perceptions of pro-Muslim bias among foreign aid workers swelled again; mobs of angry Buddhists ravaged the homes and offices of aid workers in the state capital, Sittwe, leading to a sudden exodus of humanitarian assistance from which the state has yet to recover. The move to restore aid and development work follows a recent and abrupt political shuffle in the troubled region. The state's Chief Minister, Hla Maung Tin, resigned in mid-June and was replaced by the government a week later with Major General Maung Maung Ohn, former border affairs deputy minister. Thursday’s announcement did not specify the extent of allowable operations or a time-frame for restarting stalled or stunted programmes.

Chin activists found guilty of illegal protest against rape Posted: 24 Jul 2014 04:31 AM PDT Eight women's rights activists were found guilty of unlawful assembly in Chin State, western Burma, on Wednesday for their participation in a demonstration against sexual violence. The activists — Ngun Chin Par, Sui Sui Kyi, Kaw Htwe, Khin Khin Zi, Thang Zing, Khin Thluai Par, Maung Han and Tei Maung — were ordered to either pay a 30,000 kyat (US$30) fine or serve one-month prison sentences. "A guilty verdict on the defendants was passed by the court on 23 July, with a sentence of either one month in prison or 30,000 kyat fine," said Mai T Sui Leng, the director of Women's Hand Myanmar Foundation, an NGO that has been assisting the group throughout their trial. "Our foundation has offered to pay the fines for each of them." While her foundation has pledged financial support to avoid the prison sentences, Mai T Sui Leng stressed that they are very disappointed with the courts for targeting activists instead of sexual offenders. "We want to see effective legal action against the soldier who committed violence against a woman," she said. On 24 June, two demonstrations were held in Chin State in response to the alleged attempted rape of a 55-year-old woman by a Burma Army soldier from Light Infantry Battalion No. 269. About 400 people were said to have turned out in Rezua, while another 200 gathered in Matupi. Related Stories Bullet Points: 24 July 2014 DVB Debate: Systematic rape is used as a weapon of war Bullet Points Authorities in both towns denied requests for permission to hold demonstrations, and the organisers — four from Rezua and four from Matupi — were subsequently charged for the violation of Burma's controversial Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Processions Act, which contains provisions criminalising unauthorised gatherings. Rights groups have condemned the charges from the outset, urging the government to immediately drop the case and investigate sexual war crimes. The Chin Human Rights Organisation said that they have documented multiple cases of sexual violence committed in the remote state since President Thein Sein took power in 2011. The group said that the frequency and severity of abuses warrants an international investigation "in order to deter further violations and help end the culture of impunity." Similarly, Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged the international community to put pressure on the Burmese government to acquit the demonstrators and take meaningful action towards ending military impunity. "The military has long frowned on the citizenry calling for transparent justice, particularly in a case they'd rather sweep under the rug," HRW said in a 9 July press statement. While commending the government for signing onto a UN commitment to ending sexual crimes in conflict, the group said that the country’s leaders will need a "change of mindset" to make that promise a reality. The first step, said Mai T Sui Leng, is to make the justice system more transparent. Crimes allegedly committed by soldiers are brought to military trials, which some say offers inherent protection to the accused. "We would like the trial to be conducted at a civilian court rather than military trial," Mai T Sui Leng said of the accused officer. "We want to know how he will be punished."

Bullet Points: 24 July 2014 Posted: 24 Jul 2014 04:04 AM PDT On today’s edition of Bullet Points: Ethnic leaders have high expectations for Laiza ceasefire talks, as they prepare for the NCCT meeting on Thusday. The lower house of Burma's parliament accepted a proposal on Thursday to formally debate changing the country's current electoral system to a proportional representation (PR) system, but several ethnic MPs boycotted the discussion. Chin women’s rights activists have been found guilty of protesting without permission and fined US$30. A team of Burmese mountaineers is preparing to scale Southeast Asia's highest peak, Hkakabo Razi.   You can watch Bullet Points live on DVB TV after the 7 o’clock news.    Related Stories Chin activists found guilty of illegal protest against rape Parliament approves vote, sans ethnic MPs, to debate new electoral system Bullet Points: 23 July 2014

DVB Debate: Systematic rape is used as a weapon of war Posted: 24 Jul 2014 03:17 AM PDT In conflict, it is often the most vulnerable that become the victims. Burma has been engaged in civil war for more than 60 years, and throughout that time there have been consistent reports of abuses against women and children committed by the military. In part two of a special DVB Debate show, panellists discussed the widespread use of sexual violence in conflict. In 2014, the Women's League of Burma released a report that documented more than 100 victims of sexual violence at the hands of the Burmese Army since Thein Sein's government took power. Panellists discussed whether sexual violence is used as a strategy by the military. "People are questioning whether there is a hidden policy behind this," said Dr Sui Khar, joint general secretary of the Chin National Front. "I would say there is." Arr Khon, from the Kachin Women's Peace Network believes rape is use systematically by the Burmese military as a weapon of war. "This is systematic rape. It is a systematic strategy to create a war mentality amongst the ethnic people and instigate war," she said. "Whether it is systematic rape or a non-systematic rape, it is a violation of human rights. There is no reason to accept it," said Mi Mi Thin Aung, Gender Based Violence National Coordinator at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Rape is prohibited under domestic law, yet seemingly systematic rape in conflict areas continues across the country, and perpetrators are rarely punished. Under Burma's 2008 constitution, any crimes committed by military personnel are to be tried by a military court, granting almost complete impunity to the armed forces. Panellists discussed whether rape in conflict violates international law, and debated whether something should be done on an international level. "Can we only end the abuse of women if we have signed these conventions or treaties?" asked May Sabae Phyu from the Gender Equality Network. Law professor Myat Min Zan argued that signing an international convention is not the most effective way to end sexual violence in conflict. Related Stories Chin activists found guilty of illegal protest against rape False rape claim caused riots, says ministry Women’s rights activists stand trial in Chin State for protesting against army rape "I don't mean that these cases can only be solved if the treaties are signed. What I mean is that it is almost impossible to report systematic rape as a war crime in the International Criminal Court. I am saying we need to face reality," he said. Mi Mi Thin Aung said that no one knows the extent of sexual violence in Burma, but argued that now is the time to act. "The cases [from the Women's League of Burma report] are just the tip of the iceberg, underneath this goes many miles deeper and we still can't reach the deepest point, so we don't need to wait until thousands of cases have been reported," she said. In June 2014, Burma signed the Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Conflict. The international agreement is a commitment to end the use of rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war. The studio argued about how to make that happen, and what needs to change to stop these atrocities. "In the conflict areas, there is only the rule of soldiers. There is no rule of law at all. Those who have the weapons can do whatever they want. Human rights are being violated and the government needs to acknowledge that this is happening and be willing to solve these problems," said Thin Thin Aung. The studio also discussed increasing awareness about rape in conflict areas so that victims can be better protected, and generally agreed that there should be more pressure on the perpetrators. "We need to educate our society. If there is a rape, the society doesn't blame the rapist, it blames the woman who is raped," said Nyein Chan May, Vice-President at Rangoon University of Foreign Language Students' Union. Thin Thin Aung said current campaigns to raise awareness are not effective. She said the onus is placed on women not to get raped, rather than telling men and boys not to rape. "Some billboards posted by the police force say, 'to prevent women from being raped, please be careful what you wear, don't go out at night, don't let your daughter go out with strangers'. These campaigns are putting responsibility on the women. The campaign should be targeted at the criminals and the emphasis should be on not committing this crime," she said. May Sabae Phyu noted that because soldiers are among the main perpetrators of sexual violence, the campaigns should be aimed at them. "The awareness training is only given to ordinary citizens. Shouldn't we educate the soldiers that this is a war crime and they will be seriously punished if they commit these crimes?" Guests in the studio agreed that perpetrators of sexual violence need to be punished, and that military impunity must be addressed to stop sexual crimes in Burma's conflict zones.

Parliament approves vote, sans ethnic MPs, to debate new electoral system Posted: 24 Jul 2014 02:54 AM PDT The lower house of Burma's parliament accepted a proposal on Thursday to formally debate changing the country's current electoral system to a proportional representation (PR) system, which proponents say will better reflect Burma's ethnic diversity. However, several ethnic political parties are staunchly against switching the current first-past-the-post system (FPTP) and dozens of parliamentarians boycotted Thursday's session by not attending. The Nationalities Brotherhood Federation (NBF), an alliance of 11 ethnic political parties, had previously voiced strong objections against the PR system, believing that it would disadvantage ethnic political parties, as they will not be able to feasibly win support from all over the country. With many of its opponents absent from Thursday's session, the lower house approved a formal debate for a PR electoral system. Only 45 parliamentarians present voted against the proposal. Before the parliament went into session on Thursday, Sai Thiha Kyaw, a lower house MP from the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP) and a member of the NBF, said that all 20 SNDP parliamentarians abstained from attending. "We, the [ethnic] political parties, have objected to the PR system both vocally and via press statements, because it is still too early for our country to use the system, and that even if it is to go ahead, it should not be employed in ethnic minority areas," Sai Thiha Kyaw said. "Despite our objections, we are seeing a relentless effort to push it through the parliament. In a show of our objection, many ethnic MPs are choosing not to attend the session today." He added that MPs from other NBF members — including from Chin, Arakan, Karen and Mon parties – also did not attend the session. Related Stories Bullet Points: 24 July 2014 Shwe Mann objects to MP calling ethnic armies 'revolutionaries' Mandalay's parliament discusses tattoos of Burma's map Sai Pao Nat, an upper house parliamentarian from the Wa Democratic Party, said that should the PR system be approved by the bicameral parliament, real issues faced by Burma's vast ethnic populations will never see the light of day. "There will be so many disadvantages for us. If the PR system goes through, voices from our ethnic populations will never reach the parliament," said Sai Pao Nat. "No one will ever hear about the issues and developments from the Wa region." The opposition National League for Democracy party are also against switching the country to a PR electoral system, arguing that such a voting process is "not currently relevant" in the political arena.

UN rapporteur meets peace-keepers in Mandalay Posted: 24 Jul 2014 01:32 AM PDT The UN's Special Rapporteur on Human Rights to Burma, Yanghee Lee, was presented with findings from an inquiry into Mandalay's communal violence, as she visited the city on Wednesday. In the morning, Lee visited the site of the unrest that shook the city on 1 July. Violence broke out between Muslim and Buddhist populations after a rumour spread throughout the town that the Muslim owner of a teashop had raped a Buddhist woman. Two people were killed and around 20 injured in the ensuing days of violence. After visiting Mandalay’s Chan Aye Tharzan Township, Lee met with several local government officials, NGOs and religious leaders. During a meeting with the Mandalay City Peace-keeping Committee (MCPC), an independent multi-faith group established in the wake of the riots, representatives share their findings with the rapporteur. The findings, which have not been publicly disclosed, were gathered through independent, non-governmental inquiries into the events. "The UN delegation promised that they will cooperate with us and that they will forward our findings to the government, the United Nations and international governments," said Thein Than Oo, a supreme court lawyer and member of the MCPC. Related Stories UN rights official arrives in war-torn northern Burma Curfew in Mandalay townships eased after three weeks Bullet Points "We will cooperate with any organisation, including the government and people of any religion to maintain tranquility in the city," he added. Lee's ten day trip has taken her from Rangoon, where she met with members of Burma's National Human Rights Commission and visited Insein prison, to Arakan and Kachin states, where she visited displacement camps. Lee arrived in Naypyidaw on Thursday.

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