Democratic Voice of Burma |
- Bullet Points: 1 August 2014
- Burma Business Weekly: 1 August 2014
- Burmese army releases 91 child soldiers: UNICEF
- No Burmese nationals injured in Israel-Palestine conflict: embassy
- President promises mediating role for Press Council
- Bamboo could be Burma’s next big export
- NLD rejects govt travel stipends
- Villagers flee Namhkam after alleged army threats
- British ambassador lauds return of MSF to Arakan
- Eight Chinese ‘militants’ jailed for weapons raid
| Posted: 01 Aug 2014 05:01 AM PDT The Burmese Army releases 91 child soldiers. The Interim Press Council is in Naypyidaw to meet Thein Sein. The NLD fronts the Union Electoral Commission. Burmese environmentalists push bamboo as a sustainable export commodity.
Watch Bullet Points every weeknight on DVB TV after the 7 o'clock news. |
| Burma Business Weekly: 1 August 2014 Posted: 01 Aug 2014 04:45 AM PDT Ups and downs Burmese currency remained stable this week, buying at 969 kyat and selling at 973 kyat per US$1, down one kyat from last week’s prices. Gold prices fell again this week, down 8,600 kyat to 667,200 kyat per tical. Fuel remained the same as last week: petrol 820 kyat; diesel 950 kyat; and octane 950 kyat per litre. High-quality Pawsanhmwe rice is selling at 1,300-1,700 kyat per basket, while low-quality Manawthukha is still set at 900 kyat per basket.
Sumitomo Bank eyes offering loans to Burmese SMEs Japan-based Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) is currently conducting a survey to assess which small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will be eligible for government loans to help their businesses. According to Zaw Min Win, chairman of the Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Committee (SMEPC), these loans will be channelled through the government's Central Bank of Myanmar, and will be disbursed after SMCB have finished the survey. Read more: https://www.dvb.no/news/smes-to-receive-loans-after-eligibility-survey-burma-myanmar/42786
State media to be rebranded in September Burma's state-run English daily will relaunch on 1 September under a new name, Global New Light of Myanmar, the paper announced on Sunday. The newspaper, operated by the Ministry of Information and long known as a conduit for government propaganda, entered a joint venture with a little-known private company, Global Direct Link, last year. The company, which has a 49 percent share in the joint venture, has consigned Japanese news agency Kyodo to "improve the skills" of the paper's employees.
Japanese airline pulls plug on Burma Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) has dropped its plan to buy a 49 percent stake in Burma's Asian Wings Airways, AFP reported on Thursday. In a statement, ANA said rising competition in Burma was one reason for cancelling the deal. ANA Holdings – the airline’s parent company – announced last year that it planned to invest about US$25 million in Asian Wings.
CNPC ranked 4th richest firm in the world China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), which backs the Shwe gas and oil pipelines from the Bay of Bengal to Yunnan, has been named the fourth largest company in the world in the Fortune Global 500 list for 2014. CNPC's annual revenue is reported as US$432.01 billion, narrowly behind another state-owned Chinese oil and gas producer, Sinopec. US retailer Walmart is listed as the richest firm worldwide ($476.3 billion) with Royal Dutch Shell second.
Ooredoo SIM cards sell out in 2 days Mobile phone SIM cards issued by Ooredoo, which went on sale in Mandalay and Naypyidaw on Tuesday for 1,500 kyat (US$1.50) each, have already sold out, the Qatar-based firm says. Promotional benefits also included 900 minutes of free calls, free SMS among Ooredoo phone users, and 20MB internet usage.
Maday islanders complain of broken promises on electricity Residents of Maday – an island off the coast of Kyaukphyu in Arakan State and gateway to China for the Shwe gas and oil pipelines – say that they have not been provided 24-hour electricity service, as promised to them last year. According to civil society group Rakhine Social Network (RSN), Kyaukphyu's local authorities promised the islanders a 24-hour supply of power when the pipelines became operational in July last year. The group said residents were also told that there would be no installation fee, though households on Maday claim that they were asked to pay fees between 100,000 and 200,000 kyat (US$100- $200) for the installation of meter boxes. The group also claims that power is only available four hours a day.
E-Visa for tourists to launch in September Foreigners will be able to apply online for a visa to visit Burma in September, according to a report by state-run Myanmar News Agency. Immigration Minister Khin Yi said that the E-visa system will take time to implement because it requires setting up online payment channels for visa fees. In the last year, Burma has received roughly two million tourists, and is expecting the number of foreign visitors to reach around three million this year, a projection that agents think is realistic if online visa service can be implemented.
Japan to help build 'e-villages' across Burma The Myanmar Computer Industry Association aims to set up "e-village" centres in more than 6,000 villages across Burma to provide free Internet access to rural villages, a spokesperson said. Zaw Min Oo, general-secretary of the MCIA, said they hope the plan will improve business and social life; each centre will be equipped with at least six computers and will allow users to access useful information about agriculture and development.
Shwe pipeline transfers 1.87 bcm of gas to China in 1st year China received 1.87 billion cubic metres of gas during the first active year of the Shwe pipeline, according to a statement by China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC). The state-run enterprise owns two parallel pipes — one gas, one oil — running from Burma's Arakan coast to Yunnan, China. The gas pipe came online in July 2013, while the crude line is expected to begin this year. CNPC said that 60 million cubic metres of gas were distributed to Burma. At full capacity, the gas corridor can carry up to 12 billion cubic metres per year.
Viber vies for Burma's new mobile users
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| Burmese army releases 91 child soldiers: UNICEF Posted: 01 Aug 2014 04:40 AM PDT Ninety-one children and persons under the age of 18 were released on Friday from Burma's armed forces, according to a statement by the UN child rights group UNICEF. In a 1 August press release, UNICEF's Burma office said the discharge would allow them to rejoin their families, friends and communities, and that the move demonstrated "the commitment of the Myanmar [Burmese] Government and the Myanmar Armed Forces to end the recruitment and use of children." "The 91 children and young people arrived in Yangon [Rangoon] earlier this week where, for many of them, they met their families for the first time after several years of separation," the UN statement said, adding that the young people were provided with new civil documentation, health checks, and one-to-one psycho-social debriefing sessions with trained social workers to identify their immediate and longer-term needs. The UN said it welcomed the release of the 91 children, one of the largest of such discharges since June 2012, when Naypyidaw committed to ending the recruitment and use of children in its armed forces by signing an Action Plan with the UN. "Today's release of 91 children and young people is an important step in ending the recruitment and use of children in the Myanmar Armed Forces, a practice that takes children away from their families and communities with long lasting, devastating effects on the child," said Shalini Bahuguna, UNICEF's deputy representative to Burma, speaking on behalf of the UN's Country Taskforce on Monitoring and Reporting (CTFMR). "As of today, a total of 364 children and young people have been released since June 2012." In addition to Burma's government forces, the UN said that seven non-state armed groups have consistently been guilty of recruiting and using children: Democratic Karen Benevolent Army; Kachin Independence Army; Karen National Liberation Army; Karen National Liberation Army Peace Council; Karenni Army; Shan State Army- South; and United Wa State Army. However, according to Charu Lata Hogg, the Asia Program Manager for Child Soldiers International, the Burmese military is under pressure to increase troop numbers and that continues to drive under-aged recruitment. "The primary issue that remains outstanding is that children continue to be unlawfully recruited into the ranks of the Tatmadaw [Burmese armed forces]," she told DVB by phone on Friday. "The ILO [International Labour Organization] has received about 340 cases of recruitment between 2013 and 2014, and of these, 48 cases were actually recruited in 2013 and 2014. So we have an ongoing problem. This needs to stop. "[The Burmese army] is under pressure to increase troop numbers and that continues to drive forced under-aged recruitment," she said. "We are calling for an increased prevention drive by the Myanmar military – a reform and strengthening of recruitment processes, age verification processes, accountability and monitoring." She added that Child Soldiers International sees the pattern of recruitment as "largely unchanged". "Increasingly, we're finding that recruitment is taking place around temples. That is a new phenomenon. Recruitment in 2013 and 2014 was largely coerced. There were some cases where children volunteered to join the military but in a large number of cases it was under pressure and coercion. Children were duped, they were tricked into joining. They were offered a job – say, as a bus driver — they were offered training, they were offered education, and before they knew it they were in a recruitment centre or in a battalion." |
| No Burmese nationals injured in Israel-Palestine conflict: embassy Posted: 01 Aug 2014 04:29 AM PDT No Burmese nationals are known to have been injured since hostilities erupted between Israel and Palestine last month, according to Myint Soe, the minister counsellor for the embassy in Tel Aviv. "So far, everyone is safe," he told DVB on Thursday. He said around 25 Burmese have reported to the embassy, among them Christian nuns who work at churches and hospitals, nurses, waiters and cooks. "We had a group of Burmese students attending an agriculture training course, but most went home when the course ended at the end of June and early July," said Myint Soe. "Only 24 trainees are still in Israel; 18 are due to leave on 18 August and the remaining six on 20 August." He said the embassy had heard that a Thai worker was killed by an artillery shell, and that both the Thai and Burmese embassies in Tel Aviv had issued warnings to their citizens to evacuate to bomb shelters when they hear sirens. "There are only four personnel at the embassy including the ambassador," the minister counsellor said. "There is a bomb shelter in our office building and we hide there whenever we hear a siren." Related StoriesLast week in Rangoon, the Israeli ambassador to Burma, Hagay Moshe Behar, called a press conference at which he invited eight reporters from various Burmese newspapers. He appealed to the journalists not to report the conflict in terms of casualties, and laid the blame for Israel's land, sea and air assault on Gaza – Operation Protective Edge – on Hamas, the elected government of the tiny strip of land bordering Egypt. "Israel didn't seek this escalation, Hamas forced it on us," Ambassador Behar told reporters, "and Israel cannot accept a situation in which Israeli citizens are under a threat of rockets and underground tunnels aimed at crossing the border and reaching an innocent civilian population." The Israeli ambassador also sent a stern letter to the Myanmar Times, criticising it for running an Agence France-Presse (AFP) article on page 35 of its July 21-27 English-language edition, which he deemed "unbalanced". According to Myint Kaw of the Myanmar Journalist Network, the Israeli ambassador's criticism of Burmese media coverage was "inappropriate" as there were no Burmese reporters in the conflict zone, and newspapers were only covering the conflict through subscriptions to international news outlets such as AFP. With more than 1,450 civilian Palestinian deaths – among them hundreds of women and children – Israel is finding it increasingly difficult to convince the world of their victimhood. Even the USA, Israel's closest ally and backer, has expressed disappointment over what is widely seen as continuous assaults on civilian and humanitarian targets, including schools, hospitals and UN shelters. Following a missile strike on a UN school on Wednesday that killed 15, Washington issued its strongest and most explicit condemnation of the Netanyahu government since the Gaza conflict began. President Barack Obama’s press secretary on Thursday called the attack “totally unacceptable” and “totally indefensible”. The EU released a similar statement, while UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the attack was “outrageous and unjustifiable” and demanded “accountability and justice”. The UN said its officials had repeatedly given details of the school and its refugee population to Israel. The governments of Israel and Gaza announced an unconditional 72-hour humanitarian ceasefire on Friday morning. |
| President promises mediating role for Press Council Posted: 01 Aug 2014 04:26 AM PDT Burma's Interim Press Council, a semi-independent oversight body established in 2012, met with President Thein Sein on Friday in Naypyidaw, where they agreed to a mandate granting the council mediation rights over disputes involving the media. "We reached an agreement for the government and President Thein Sein to recognise the Press Council as a mediation body that will communicate with concerned ministries regarding issues with the media," said Kyaw Min Swe, secretary of the Press Council. Regarding recent judicial cases that resulted in what many see as disproportionately harsh sentences for journalists, he added that "we looked into the issues and the ways we can prevent them from happening again. These issues arise because there is no mediation body." The meeting, held at Thein Sein's presidential ranch, was arranged at the request of the Interim Press Council because of its growing concern over the government's jailing of journalists. Kyaw Min Swe said that the president promised to do "as best he can within the boundaries of the law" to assist those media professionals currently serving lengthy prison terms. Both parties agreed to hold regular, quadripartite meetings that would bring the country's "four estates" to the table; meetings will include executive, judicial, legislative and media representatives. The meeting was attended by eight members of the council — Deputy-chairman Pho Thaukkyar, Secretary Kyaw Min Swe, Joint-Secretary Nan Kalyar and members Khin Maung Htay, Pe Myint, Thiha Saw, Ye Min Oo and Zaw Thet Htwe — and five members of the government. President Thein Sein was joined by Aung Min, Tin Naing Thein and Khin Yi, as well as the freshly appointed Minister of Information Ye Htut. Formerly deputy information minister and the president's spokesperson, Ye Htut was sworn in as information minister on Friday morning during the last day of the current parliamentary session. He was appointed by the president on Wednesday after his predecessor, Aung Kyi, was "allowed" to resign in the latest in a trend of sudden and politically jarring ministerial shake-ups. Speaking to DVB by phone on Friday, Ye Htut said of his new responsibilities that, "we will try to resolve issues with the media through the Press Council. But the problem is, no matter how much the government relies on the Press Council, the plan will not work if media workers themselves do not respect the council's role." Friday's meeting was the third ever held between the president and the Interim Press Council since its formation two years ago. |
| Bamboo could be Burma’s next big export Posted: 01 Aug 2014 03:28 AM PDT Burma's vast bamboo forests have great potential to produce a sustainable crop that could be sold worldwide, according to a group of environmentalists. The Bamboo Lovers Network believes that with a little technical help, Burma's bamboo is good enough to be the country’s next major export. The country has the third-largest reserve of bamboo forests in the world, and domestically it is an important raw material. Bamboo is used in everyday life for construction and housing, as well as for mats, hats, toys, tools, and food. But the Bamboo Lovers Network said they see the commercial potential in bamboo as a product that could be sold all over the world. In Rangoon, the group has been conducting workshops to teach farmers how to cultivate sustainable bamboo plantations. "Bamboo growers in Burma, unlike those in other countries, don't have advanced growing and production techniques. So they haven’t yet realised the value of bamboo," said Dewi Thant Sin of the Bamboo Lovers Network. "While we have many bamboo forests across the country, it is essential that we maintain high standards of quality." She went on to say that Burma's bamboo forests have been mostly uncared for and poorly protected. Officials collect taxes from the private sector for cutting the shoots down, and there have been limited conservation efforts. Burma currently exports finished bamboo products to other countries in the region, but not on a large-scale. Sustainable management of the forests is key to producing high-quality bamboo products, and could be the gateway for a huge export opportunity. |
| NLD rejects govt travel stipends Posted: 01 Aug 2014 12:00 AM PDT Burma's main opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), on Thursday turned down a 400,000 kyat (US$400) travel stipend provided by the legislature. The lower house of parliament announced on 30 July that MPs would be allowed to draw an advance allowance for work-related visits to their constituencies during the forthcoming parliamentary session break, which will begin on 2 August. The allowance has been accorded under articles six to ten of the Law Relating to Emoluments and Allowances of the Representatives of the Pyithu Hluttaw (lower house), chapter three: Allowance for Accommodation and Other Expenses. "The stipend, which is provided by lower house funds, comes with instructions that usage will be subject to auditing. MPs are to return leftover money. We decided not to accept the money as there is no law specifying these procedures," said Min Thu, a lower house MP representing the NLD for a constituency in Naypyidaw. He added that MPs are free to accept or reject the funds at their discretion. "Most MPs, with the exception of the NLD representatives, took the stipend," he said. Among those who accepted were some ethnic MPs, who say they will need the funds for field visits, and that they are confident that extant regulations will be sufficient. "While there is currently no law specifically for regulation of the stipend, the lower house has provided regulations for use," said Ye Tun, a member of the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party representing Hsipaw. "We took the stipend because we need it to study developments in our constituencies." Since Burma's parliament first convened three years ago, Wednesday's announcement was the first time such assistance had been offered to lower house members. No indication has been given about whether similar stipends will be offered to the upper house of parliament.
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| Villagers flee Namhkam after alleged army threats Posted: 31 Jul 2014 10:50 PM PDT A village in northern Shan State has been almost entirely evacuated following threats by the Burmese military, according to a local who claims he was tortured by soldiers in the village earlier this week. Sai Hseng Saw, one of five people allegedly tortured during an interrogation, said that nearly all of the residents of Naungmata village in Namhkam fled out of fear that the Burmese military would burn down their homes. Neither the township administrator nor the battalion’s commander were available for comment. On Tuesday, the bodies of two missing Burmese soldiers — a captain and a corporal of the Burmese army's 16th Battalion, 88th division — were found dead about half a mile away from Naungmata. After the bodies were discovered, the battalion summoned the village chairman, secretary and three community leaders for interrogation. Sai Hseng Saw said that the five were brutally tortured over the course of 48 hours.
"The battalion officers said that each of the dead soldiers' lives was worth 100 of ours," he said. "Then they threatened to burn down our village. They said they will shoot and kill women and children, and won't even spare dogs." He said that the five were beaten under the supervision of the battalion's commander and deputy commander, and were eventually released at around 3am on 21 July. The officers made an appointment for additional interrogation sessions to resume after dawn, he said, but villagers had already begun fleeing the area the previous day. Sai Tin Oo, an MP representing the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP) in Namhkam, said that when the party learned of the interrogation they immediately contacted the 88th division commander, Col. Thet Tun Oo. Sai Tin Oo said that when the SNDP spoke with him on 30 July, the commander promised to halt the interrogation and prevent further abuse. "The villagers called us for help so we made a request to the army division's commander and the township administrator – the commander promised to prevent the beatings as much as he could," he said. Local residents estimate that the village has a population of about 500, most of whom have fled to villages near the border with China, where many of their relatives already reside. The incident is the second murder case in the town in recent weeks; on 23 July, a young man was shot to death by unknown assailants in the town's Naungzan ward. Such cases are not uncommon in the area, which is highly militarised. Several armed groups are known to be active in the area, including Burmese government forces, Ta-ang National Liberation Army, Shan State Army-North and the Kachin Independence Army.
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| British ambassador lauds return of MSF to Arakan Posted: 31 Jul 2014 09:21 PM PDT The return to Arakan State of international aid agencies such as M̩decins Sans Fronti̬res (MSF) is essential for health services in the region at a time when there is a "massive need" for development in both the Buddhist and Muslim communities, British Ambassador to Burma Andrew Patrick told DVB on Thursday. "The responsibility for health and education in Rakhine [Arakan] State is the government's responsibility, and the way to facilitate aid is through INGOs. The plan to allow MSF back should improve health services," he added. The British ambassador was speaking after returning from a two-day visit earlier this week to state capital Sittwe alongside his US counterpart, Ambassador Derek Mitchell. A delegation led by the US and UK ambassadors to Burma met on Sunday and Monday with local MPs and community leaders in Sittwe, and were accompanied by Immigration Minister Khin Yi and President's Office Minister Soe Thein. Patrick noted that he had paid a visit to the Muslim neighbourhood of Aung Mingalar in Sittwe, which is barricaded into segregation from the rest of the volatile city where tensions between Muslims and Buddhists have resulted in bloodshed on several occasions over the past two years. The British ambassador described the mood in the Muslim enclave as "depressing", noting that the residents have "no opportunity to move, to leave or to work" outside the restricted area. He said the impact of the isolation had been "quite severe". Related StoriesThar Pwint, a community leader who sat at a meeting in the Sittwe Hotel on Sunday, said the ambassadors urged Arakanese leaders to focus on human rights, equality and harmony between the different communities, regardless of racial identity. "They were here to talk about human rights," said Thar Pwint. "We, too, support human rights, but they came here saying things like 'Everyone is a human being, and all human beings are equal'. We told them that this will only be realistic when the whole world is under one government." He said the US ambassador urged the Arakanese community to recognise the Rohingya as an ethnicity in Burma, as they face expulsion from the country if they agree to list themselves as 'Bengali' in a newly implemented citizenship verification programme. Thar Pwint said that the community leaders in turn explained the country's citizenship law to him, and told him that people of any race can become citizens of Burma if they meet the criteria. While not addressing Ambassador Mitchell's comments about the status of the Rohingya, the US embassy in Rangoon said, "The delegation consulted with local communities to discuss their concerns and vision for the urgent and long-term priorities of Rakhine State. One clear message from these communities is that more outreach, communication, and transparency from both the government and the international community concerning any plans or activities in Rakhine State is needed to prevent misunderstandings and build confidence for the future." On the question of Rohingya citizenship, British Ambassador Patrick said the UK "supports every group's right to self-identify". He acknowledged that it was a divisive issue in the region, and one which the Arakanese Buddhist population sees as a "direct challenge". On Monday, the delegation met with leaders of the Rakhine National Party (RNP) at the party's headquarters in Sittwe. Central committee member Khin Maung Gree said they discussed the resumption of operations by MSF in the region. "We stressed that MSF must change their ways and ensure transparency, while at the same time respecting our culture and the traits of the Arakanese," said Khin Maung Gree, adding that the US ambassador promised to monitor MSF operations. The MSF Рafter more than 20 years of providing humanitarian aid, healthcare and medical services in Arakan State Рwas forced to suspend operations in the region after being targeted with hostility by Arakanese Buddhist locals who accused the organisation of bias towards the Muslim minority, and attacked its office last year. Last week, the Ministry of Health and the Arakan State government released a joint-statement inviting MSF to resume operations. While the move was welcome by international observers, Sittwe-based nationalist group Arakan Social Network released a statement on Sunday insisting that the people of Arakan do not wish for MSF to return. On 25 July, MSF said in a statement that they "welcomed" the call from the Arakan State government to resume its operations but remained "cautious".
This article was edited on 1 August 2014 to correct the following: MSF has operated in Arakan State since 1994 — for the past 20 years – not, as previously reported, for the past ten years. |
| Eight Chinese ‘militants’ jailed for weapons raid Posted: 31 Jul 2014 07:47 PM PDT Eight Chinese nationals were sentenced to jail terms of up to 13 years after being found guilty of weapons possession, illegal entry into Burma, and illegal possession of radio communication devices. However, the men were not charged with murder, despite having confessed to killing their military trainer in northern Shan State's Kokang region. The group were caught in April after a dramatic high-velocity car chase in Tamu, near the Indian border, after they sped through a checkpoint. Related StoriesAccording to state media, the occupants of the pick-up truck were eventually caught in possession of eight small arms, 1,860 bullets, 31 grenades, five walkie-talkies, a Burmese map labelled in Chinese, three combat knives, four mobile phones, eight military uniforms, and binoculars. One of the suspects apparently confessed they had received military training in Kokang region, but killed an officer and drove off in his car. Burmese police chief Brig-Gen Win Khaung said the eight were sentenced on 4 July by Sagaing division's Monywa district court. "The group were jailed on the following charges: under the Immigration Act, for illegally entering Burma; weapons possession; and also under the Communications Act for the illegal possession of radio communication devices," he said. "Seven of them were sentenced to 13 years each in prison, while the remaining man received 10 years." |
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