Democratic Voice of Burma

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• Bullet Points: 13 August 2014
• School in session for Mandalay street kids
• Federalism on agenda at ethnic leaders’ meeting
• Interim Press Council advises Rangoon newsrooms
• Celebrities, FFSS deliver relief to Hlegu flood victims

Bullet Points: 13 August 2014 Posted: 13 Aug 2014 04:36 AM PDT On today's edition of Bullet Points: More than one thousand villagers turn out in Kanbalu, Sagaing division to call for the release of jailed farmers. The US State Department defends its decision to put John Kerry up at a hotel owned by a blacklisted military crony. Cigarette manufacturing in Burma set to rise by twenty seven percent this financial year. Volunteers step in to provide Mandalay street kids with an education. You can watch Bullet Points every weeknight on DVB TV after the 7 o'clock news.

School in session for Mandalay street kids Posted: 13 Aug 2014 04:05 AM PDT On the streets of Mandalay, groups of children wander between restaurants, teashops and pagodas selling flowers. The bouquets brighten up the days of locals and tourists alike; however it is a tough day's work for these children, many of whom miss out on school. On 25 June, 20 local volunteers got together to give these kids a chance at an education. Taking the lead from the successful Platform Classroom, the volunteers began holding roadside lessons. Within a short time, the project became known as panpyothu doh sarthinwine, literally translated as the "Gardeners' Classroom" in honour of the young flower-sellers. In 2013, the Platform Classroom started up outside Mandalay train station, where similarly, volunteer teachers offer school lessons in the evenings to boys and girls who work in tea shops and other businesses during the day. This year, that initiative caught on in Rangoon, and the organisation began holding classes at the city's central railway station. However the local municipal council shut the school down, believing it to be a nuisance to commuters as they navigate the already busy platform. Mandalay authorities have taken a much different approach, according to Gardener's Classroom volunteer Ko Htet. While he joked about the potential chaos the young larrikins could cause in the confines of a classroom, he praised Mandalay's divisional government for their positive stance in opening the local high school in Chanayetharzan Township in the evenings for the young "gardeners" so they may have a more suitable place to study and learn. Related Stories Bullet Points: 13 August 2014 Mandalay curfew to be lifted Japan pledges 10.5 million yen for Burma's communications network "The government has really stepped in to help us, and we are trying to make Burma a better place," he said. The excitement was shared by fellow volunteer Shwe Moe Thein. "There will be a different atmosphere in the [Chanayetharzan] classroom," she said. "This will give the kids a real sense of going to school." The kids will continue to sell their flowers by day.Working long hours on the busy roads, they remain at risk of injury, heatstroke, violence and abuse. Few would deny that an education could help them on the road to a better life. The safety of the classroom is the perfect setting to set that process in motion.

Federalism on agenda at ethnic leaders’ meeting Posted: 13 Aug 2014 02:46 AM PDT Myanmar Peace Centre (MPC) said it discussed the issue of federalism with the ethnic armed group alliance Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) when they met in Chiang Mai this week. The two delegations sat together in the northern Thai city ahead of a scheduled round of talks on Friday and Saturday in Rangoon aimed at finalising the third draft of the nationwide ceasefire agreement. "We discussed the latest draft of the ceasefire agreement and the NCCT proposed some talking points, including the matter of federalism," said the MPC's Nyo Ohn Myint. Related Stories Aung Min urges MPs to play role in post-ceasefire dialogue Bullet Points: 11 August 2014 Military cannot hold power for eternity: Min Ko Naing He said the Burmese government's chief negotiator and head of the MPC, Aung Min, passed on a message to NCCT leaders pledging to address the concerns of the ethnic armed groups at the upcoming ceasefire talks. "The minister pledged to work to the best of his ability to address the concerns of the ethnic nationalities," said Nyo Ohn Myint. The government and ethnic armed groups have agreed to facilitate political dialogue within 90 days of the signing of a nationwide ceasefire agreement. Minister Aung Min, at a meeting with representatives of Burmese political parties on Monday, urged politicians to take part responsibly in the political dialogue process.

Interim Press Council advises Rangoon newsrooms Posted: 13 Aug 2014 01:58 AM PDT Burma's Interim Press Council has advised journalists and media workers to follow a code of ethics that will safeguard them from government prosecution. Press Council members have been visiting newsrooms and media offices around Rangoon to explain the new media code of ethics. Council member Thiha Saw, who held a talk at the DVB office in Rangoon on Tuesday, said, "The code of ethics is a bulletproof vest that will protect media workers from legal suits 99 percent of the time." Zaw Thet Htwe, another Press Council member said, "The code of ethics aims to offer protection to media workers and has been given the thumbs up by more than 4,500 journalists." The semi-independent Interim Press Council was established as an oversight body in 2012. It began drafting the media code of ethics at the end of 2013, and it was introduced in May. Related Stories Charges reduced in Bi Mon Te Nay trial Bullet Points: 1 August 2014 Burma Business Weekly: 1 August 2014 A Council delegation met with President Thein Sein at the end of July in Naypyidaw, where they agreed to a mandate granting the Council mediation rights over disputes involving the media. The Burmese government has been accused of backsliding on media reform in recent months, and a number of high-profile cases involving the arrest and jailing of journalists have hit the headlines. Last month, a Magwe court sentenced four reporters and the CEO of Unity Weekly journal to ten years in prison with hard labour after being convicted of revealing state secrets.

Celebrities, FFSS deliver relief to Hlegu flood victims Posted: 13 Aug 2014 01:02 AM PDT Burma's Free Funeral Service Society (FFSS) has teamed up with several well-known celebrities to deliver relief supplies to victims of flooding in Hlegu, a town 40km north of Rangoon. Residents in Hlegu's Ngwenantha and Balar villages have been desperately in need of food and fresh water since their neighbourhood was hit by monsoonal storms three weeks ago, inundating hundreds of homes. FFSS founder Kyaw Thu, a former actor and film director, said the humanitarian effort was supported by private philanthropists, actors and celebrities. "Our mission to Hlegu included FFSS volunteers and celebrities including Yadana Khin, Thinzar Wint Kyaw and Khin Wint Wah," he said. "We delivered dry bread, bottled water and instant noodles to some 1,500 people." Related Stories High waters in low-lying Pegu Bullet Points: 7 August 2014 Hlegu village overwhelmed by sustained floods Zaw Sai, an FFSS team member, said locals in Hlegu were delighted to see TV stars visiting them and delivering aid. "As the area is mostly inaccessible by car, the locals came to pick us up us on their tractors," he said. "The floods have not yet subsided and we had to wade through water to deliver the supplies. Most victims are in need of food and drinking water." Charity group FFSS undertook a similar mission on Monday in neighbouring Pegu Division where scores were affected by seasonal floods. The group said it is ready and willing to organise further missions to areas hit by monsoonal floods whenever requested by the local population.

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