Democratic Voice of Burma

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• Bullet Points: 11 August 2014
• China defends position on sea dispute
• Mandalay curfew to be lifted
• Elderly Michaungkan protestor dies after 138-day vigil
• Japan pledges 10.5 million yen for Burma’s communications network
• Kerry urges Burma to speed up reforms

Bullet Points: 11 August 2014 Posted: 11 Aug 2014 05:09 AM PDT On today's edition of Bullet Points: US Secretary of State John Kerry calls on Burma to speed up reforms. An exodus of hundreds of party members cripples the Shan Nationalities Development Party. The Burmese government's Union Peace Working Committee meets with representatives from 66 political parties in Rangoon. Hindus walk on fire during ceremonies in Rangoon and Mandalay. You can watch Bullet Points every weeknight on DVB TV after the 7 o'clock news.

China defends position on sea dispute Posted: 11 Aug 2014 03:25 AM PDT Speaking on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Summit in Naypyidaw on Saturday, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that the country is willing to listen to suggestions regarding the South China Sea dispute, but reiterated that their position is "firm and unshakable". The minister's statements, issued by the Chinese embassy on 11 August, insisted that China and ASEAN are capable of handling "the so-called tensions", stating that "the overall situation in the South China Sea is stable and there is no problem with freedom of navigation in the South China Sea". Following the ASEAN Regional Summit held in the capital from 8-10 August during Burma's first ever chairmanship of the regional bloc, the group's ten member nations released a statement stressing the urgency of resolving the maritime dispute, which "emphasized the need for the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct… and early conclusion of a Code of Conduct". Wang also met with US Secretary of State John Kerry in a closed-door meeting on Saturday to discuss relations between the two superpowers, which he described as stable and improving. Related Stories Bullet Points: 11 August 2014 Japan pledges 10.5 million yen for Burma's communications network Kerry urges Burma to speed up reforms The US, which co-chairs a regional maritime security board, "will continue to encourage greater multilateral cooperation through increased transparency and confidence building", according to the State Department. “I expressed the concerns of many, which are shared, about the rise in tensions that have occurred," Kerry said in a press briefing on Sunday. He emphasised the need for a quickly-implemented, legally-binding code that adheres to international standards. “And I stressed the importance of everybody clarifying claims under international law and proceeding under the legal process through the law, through arbitration, and also through bilateral relationships,” he continued. A statement by the Chinese Embassy in Rangoon said Kerry assured Wang that "the US will not take sides on the issue of the South China Sea". The disputed area is claimed in part by four Southeast Asian countries – Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei – as well as China and Taiwan. Controversy intensified earlier this year when a Chinese oil rig was positioned in disputed waters near Vietnam. While the US is not directly involved in the South China Sea dispute, it advocates for a clear and speedy resolution between the claimants, for fear of issues of freedom of navigation in the disputed waters.

Mandalay curfew to be lifted Posted: 11 Aug 2014 02:45 AM PDT Mandalay regional government said it will imminently lift a curfew that was imposed in seven townships across the city at the beginning of July following deadly communal mob violence. "A formal announcement will follow soon," said regional government secretary Ohn Lwin. "It has been sent to the relative government officials for approval." The curfew is to be revoked as stability and calm have returned to the city, he added, referring to two nights of violence when two persons – one Buddhist, one Muslim – were killed. The curfew was initially imposed on 3 July between 9pm and 5am in six Mandalay townships. The following day, it was extended to one more township. On 21 July, authorities reduced the curfew hours from 9pm to 3am. It was further relaxed on 28 July, from 10pm to 3am. Related Stories Japan pledges 10.5 million yen for Burma's communications network Bullet Points: 6 August 2014 The roots of intolerance and prejudice in Buddhism The violence kicked off after a blogger, who writes under the name Thit Htoo Lwin, posted an article on 30 June accusing two Muslim owners of a teashop in the city's Chan Aye Tharzan Township of raping a Buddhist woman, who he said was their maid. The story was picked up by several websites, and nationalist monk Wirathu posted it to his Facebook page. The post was hastily removed, and later proved to be false. However, on the evening of 1 July, a gang of local Buddhist men carrying makeshift weapons – and accompanied by monks – ran riot through the neighbourhood on motorbikes, attacking properties, businesses and vehicles they presumed to be Muslim-owned. On 3 July, a Muslim man on this way to morning prayers was attacked by a mob and killed. A revenge attack by a Muslim mob followed, leaving a Buddhist man dead.

Elderly Michaungkan protestor dies after 138-day vigil Posted: 11 Aug 2014 02:41 AM PDT Seventy-six-year-old activist Thaung Nyunt had campaigned relentlessly against the confiscation of her land and that of her community, right up until her death on Friday. She was taking part in a sit-in outside Rangoon City Hall, which was organised by the Michaungkan protestors and had been living in cramped conditions in the protest camp out in the elements, for 138 days. Her fellow protestors told DVB that after living rough on the pavement for so long, she had gotten ill, but had not told anyone about it as she had not wanted to be sent home. "It was the 138th day of our sit-in on Friday and during this time she never went home. She must have been putting up with this illness for so long," said one Michaungkan protestor. "But she started looking visibly ill so we suggested that she go home. We called her family and they came and took her to hospital. But she died at 5:27 in the afternoon." Thaung Nyunt and 150 other residents from Michaungkan ward in Rangoon's suburbs of Thinganyun Township, have been demanding the return of their land, which was allegedly taken from them by the military in 1990. The group has staged a series of protests including three sit-ins in front of City Hall. They say they will keep demonstrating until their land is given back. In March, negotiations with the parliamentary Farmland Investigation Commission broke down and the group set up their camp once more. But police dispersed the site a week later. They restarted their current sit-in on 23 March and have been camped there for the past 141 days. Related Stories Five opposition party members charged for protest against PR system Debating the right to gather Bullet Points: 5 August 2014 There are 20 people over the age of 70 living in the camp, where the space is cramped and prone to the elements, especially the heavy monsoon rains. Many are shocked by Thaung Nyunt's sudden passing. "It is very sad, very sad indeed. I pray that her next life will be better," said a fellow protestor and friend. In a tone of defiance and endurance, the Michaungkan protestors say that nothing will make them leave, not even death.

Japan pledges 10.5 million yen for Burma’s communications network Posted: 10 Aug 2014 11:57 PM PDT Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida pledged 10.5 billion yen (US$102 million) in loans to his Burmese counterpart, Wunna Maung Lwin, on Saturday to improve the country's communications infrastructure. According to Japanese news agency Kyodo, the low-interest loan will be aimed at developing a communications network linking three major cities – Rangoon, Mandalay and Naypyidaw – which will meet the country's growing demand for mobile phones and Internet connectivity. Japanese media reports also said that the two officials discussed improving bilateral cooperation between the two countries, strengthening economic ties, and making visa applications more convenient for Japanese businessmen. Japan has a long history of providing aid and investment to Burma. According to Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua, Burma received the largest amount of aid from Japan during the second half of the fiscal year 2013 to 2014. In recent years, the number of Internet users in Burma has grown exponentially, jumping from 66,000 users in fiscal year 2011 to 2012 to 2.5 million users in 2013-2014 fiscal year. With the entrance of Norwegian communications firm Telenor and Qatar-based Ooredoo into Burma's mobile communications sector, the number of mobile users is expected to jump significantly. Ooredoo expects to cover 25 million people by the end of this year, and to reach 97 percent of Burma's population within five years.   Related Stories China defends position on sea dispute Mandalay curfew to be lifted Kerry urges Burma to speed up reforms

Kerry urges Burma to speed up reforms Posted: 10 Aug 2014 11:46 PM PDT The United States Secretary of State John Kerry called on Burma's leaders to move ahead with reforms as he concluded his two-day visit to the country. In a press conference on Sunday in Naypyidaw, Kerry raised concerns that the reform process still had a long way to go. He noted the lack of media freedom, ongoing ethnic wars, communal violence in Arakan State, and land rights issues that continue to mar the transition period, and that have caused some in Washington to suggest Burma is backsliding on reforms. "The serious crises in Rakhine [Arakan] State and elsewhere, profound development challenges to raise the country's standard of living, ethnic and religious violence that still exists, fundamental questions regarding constitutional reform, and of course the role of the military, all of these remain significant challenges on the road ahead," he said. Kerry went on to say that the people of Burma have continued to struggle for a free and fair democratic society. "The Burmese people have made a very clear statement about their desire to build a democratic, peaceful, and economically vibrant country. And many have struggled and sacrificed in order to reach this stage. But I do want to emphasise, despite the progress, there is still obviously a lot of work yet to be done, and the leaders I met with acknowledge that." In the Presidential Palace on Saturday, Thein Sein assured Kerry that Burma is not backsliding on reforms. At a press conference outside the meeting, newly appointed Minister for Information Ye Htut relayed the president's message. "In the meeting, the president pledged that there will be no backtracking with the reforms being carried out in Burma. It will only move forward. He also stated that cooperation from the international community including the United States is necessary for this," he said. Related Stories Bullet Points: 11 August 2014 China defends position on sea dispute Japan pledges 10.5 million yen for Burma's communications network At the meeting, Ye Htut said the two discussed stepping up bilateral relations, an increase in technical support to Burma, and trade and investments, as well as human rights issues and media freedom. Kerry was in town, in part, to attend the ASEAN Regional Forum and meeting of foreign ministers of ASEAN in the Burmese capital, where he underscored an American-backed South China Sea initiative. To round up his trip, Kerry visited Burma’s opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi at her home in Rangoon on Sunday evening. Kerry said Burma could still count on the US’s help during it’s transition to democracy, but his message was clear: Burma must speed up reforms.

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