Democratic Voice of Burma

---

• Bullet Points: 14 August 2014
• Curfew lifted in Mandalay, but businesses still suffering
• NLD rejects ‘joint statement’ released by UPWC
• Human rights abuses still ‘rampant’ in Burma: Report
• Families of missing fishermen to receive compensation
• Kanbalu farmers demand release of 57 jailed ‘plough protestors’
• NLD presents petition to parliament calling to amend 436
• MPT needs improvement to keep up with competition, official says

Bullet Points: 14 August 2014 Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:49 AM PDT On today's edition of Bullet Points: 34 seats are up for grabs at this year's by-election. The families of 15 fishermen lost at sea to be paid 1,500 dollars in compensation. Mandalay businesses slowly get back on their feet after curfew ends. Kachin Independence Organisation says it has treated 2,000 drug abusers in its rehabilitation clinic in Laiza. You can watch Bullet Points every weeknight on DVB TV after the 7 o'clock news.

Curfew lifted in Mandalay, but businesses still suffering Posted: 14 Aug 2014 03:56 AM PDT On Monday, a curfew in Mandalay was lifted after 39 days in effect, but business as usual has not been restored in the central Burmese city. Grocery sellers in Mandalay's largest fruit and vegetable market say they are still feeling the effects of the curfew, which was enforced after religious violence racked the city in July. "The riots are over, but the intensity remains," said Tint Tint, a bamboo shoot seller. "Businesses here have become day-markets only. We must work before dawn to get things ready at the market, which we couldn't do while the curfew was in place." The curfew was initially imposed between the hours of 9pm and 5am. This meant that market sellers were forced to change their operations, as they relied on early starts to buy fresh produce and set up their stalls. Market vendor Wai Linn said grocers could operate only during the day, which cost them money. "A lot of grocery sellers operate by day and many had to substantially lower their prices, because otherwise they'll have to throw away their fresh products and lose more business," he said. But the lifting of curfew means other businesses are quickly recovering. Express transportation services will return to regular hours on Friday, as will train schedules from Mandalay's central railway station. For the city's hundreds of motorbike taxis, this is good news. Related Stories Bullet Points: 14 August 2014 Bullet Points: 13 August 2014 School in session for Mandalay street kids "I am delighted. Very happy," said Nyo Par, a moto-taxi driver. "We have been struggling to make a living. If I picked up a passenger around 8:30pm, I had to worry about getting arrested on the way back if it passed the hour of curfew." Two people were killed and 14 injured in the violence, which started on 1 July after rumours circulated on social media websites that the Muslim owners of a teashop had raped a Buddhist maid. In the wake of the riots, more than 1,000 people were arrested for violating curfew. Mandalay's residents hope life will soon return to normal, but for some businesses it will take time.

NLD rejects ‘joint statement’ released by UPWC Posted: 14 Aug 2014 03:56 AM PDT The opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party on Wednesday rejected an earlier statement made by the government-run Union Peace-making Work Committee (UPWC) about pushing forward with the peace process and signing a nationwide ceasefire agreement as soon as possible. After a meeting between the UPWC, NLD and other ethnic parties on Monday at the Myanmar Peace Centre in Rangoon, the UPWC released a statement about developments in the ongoing peace process and urged all parties to take part in future political dialogue. It also called for the signing of a nationwide ceasefire agreement as soon as possible; to adhere to the agreement when discussing a political framework and facilitating the dialogue; and to organise a meeting between the UPWC, ethnic armed groups and political parties as soon as possible. Appearing on the Myanmar Peace Centre's Facebook page, the statement ended by saying that all political parties that attended the meeting had endorsed it. On Wednesday, the NLD released a counter-statement saying that while the UPWC had invited all parties to Monday's meeting as a bid to have a discussion about the peace process, the NLD, ethnic parties and "other parties" did not actually condone the "joint statement" released by the UPWC. While they were one of 66 political parties present during the UPWC meeting, they did not join a meeting on the sidelines, which was where the purported joint statement was drafted. The NLD's two representatives declined to join this meeting because they did not believe it was relevant, the statement said. Related Stories Bullet Points: 12 August 2014 Thousands need water after storms in Mon State Activist sentenced to one year for false claims of NLD coup However, despite not supporting the UPWC statement, the opposition party's announcement failed to clarify its own position on the peace process. The UPWC and ethnic armed groups are scheduled for a meeting on Friday and Saturday to discuss the third draft of the nationwide ceasefire agreement. Ethnic armed groups have expressed that the ceasefire can only succeed if the government guarantees the formation of a genuine federal union. However, the government has been prioritising facilitation of political dialogue after signing the ceasefire agreement. UWPC's leading negotiator Union Minister Aung Min told political party representatives at Monday's meeting that the government is aiming to move forward on political dialogue in the beginning of next year.

Human rights abuses still ‘rampant’ in Burma: Report Posted: 14 Aug 2014 03:43 AM PDT An alliance of rights groups revealed on Thursday that they have documented 103 cases of human rights abuse in Burma since the start of 2014. A 21-page report by the Network for Human Rights Documentation-Burma (ND-Burma), released on Thursday, claimed that violations are still "rampant" in conflict areas as well as in territories currently under ceasefire agreements. Among the documented violations, which the group said are "just a fraction of the true number of human rights abuses", are cases of rape, land confiscation, human trafficking and torture. ND-Burma is a 12-member alliance of rights organisations from all over the country, some still working in exile in neighbouring Thailand. The group, which has operated as a rights watchdog for Burmese citizens since 2004, collected information from fieldworkers in eight of the country's 14 administrative divisions from January to June 2014. The most frequent abuses documented, the report says, were unlawful land acquisitions in ethnic areas. Thirty-six cases of land-grabbing were reported, a number that the group said is "almost certainly a low estimate". Fourteen killings and 14 instances of torture were also reported. Related Stories Kanbalu farmers demand release of 57 jailed ‘plough protestors’ Thousands need water after storms in Mon State Mae La Refugees, On The Edge Sexual assault committed by the Burmese military remains a serious concern in many of Burma's ethnic areas despite progress towards achieving a nationwide peace deal, the report said. In Mon State, eastern Burma, local researchers reported that an ethnic Mon woman was abducted and beaten by a Burmese army corporal in early January — just weeks after another woman was assaulted by a soldier in the same township. The report said that the woman bit her attacker's arm when he attempted to rape her. The corporal then "retaliated by severely beating the woman", leaving her with injuries to the face, neck, chest, back and hands. Her current condition was described as "critical" and she is still in need of surgery, nearly eight months after the incident. While some improvements have been observed in the remote and vulnerable territories across Burma, which are historically prone and geographically amenable for undocumented rights violations, the group claims that violations still happen regularly and enormous obstacles remain for rights workers. Laws targeting activists, arbitrary arrests and limitations on press freedom are recurring threats for rights defenders, the group said. The first of ND-Burma's 2014 bi-annual rights reports shows little improvement from 2013, when 253 cases were reported throughout the course of the entire year.

Families of missing fishermen to receive compensation Posted: 14 Aug 2014 01:35 AM PDT The families of 15 people lost at sea after a fishing boat capsized in early August will receive 1.5 million kyat (US$1,500) each for their losses, according to a spokesperson of the boat operator. Maung Maung Shwe, a representative of the Shwe Aw Gyi company, confirmed that the firm will dispense the funds, but did not specify a date. "The company is preparing to provide a 1.5m kyat handout to each of the families of the missing crewmembers, but we don't know when it will happen," he said. The privately owned and operated fishing boat, Arawar Minn No 9, was carrying 21 people when it capsized off the coast of Arakan State, western Burma, on 2 August. Six people were rescued by other boats after swimming and staying afloat for some 14 hours. When the survivors reached shore, 19 people were reported missing, as crew members offered conflicting accounts of how many people manned the ship. The company maintains that the crew had 21 members, 15 of whom are still missing and presumed dead. "Right now, the company is having a hard time breaking it to the families that their loved ones may be dead," said Maung Maung Shwe. "Many of the family members are in denial." He said the six surviving crew members, who were hospitalised in Kyaukphyu for exhaustion, were given 300,000 kyat each for travel expenses so that they can return to Rangoon. Maung Maung added that they have all decided to continue working with the company. An extensive land sweep of the nearby islands and a six-ship search-and-rescue mission are still underway in hopes of finding the missing fishermen.   Related Stories Bullet Points: 13 August 2014 Bullet Points: 12 August 2014 Karen honour fallen leader on Martyrs’ Day

Kanbalu farmers demand release of 57 jailed ‘plough protestors’ Posted: 13 Aug 2014 11:28 PM PDT Some 1,500 farmers rallied for the release of 57 jailed land rights activists in central Burma's Sagaing Division on Wednesday. The demonstrators, who received permission from local authorities, have submitted their demands to Burma's president and other relevant officials. "These are our demands: the return of all farmland confiscated by the military; the release of farmers jailed for previous land rights protests; the dismissal of all outstanding trials related to land protests; and an immediate halt to the destruction of crops being carried out by the military," said Mar Swe, a resident of Ngapyawdine village in Kanbalu, where locals have been protesting for months over land they say was seized by the military in the late 1990s. "We have sent letters to the president and relevant government departments calling for mediation, but they have not done anything about it," she added. Hundreds of farmers currently face charges for participating in a "plough protest" on the disputed land in March. In the newly popular form of protest, farmers re-occupy and work lands that were unlawfully acquired by the military. Related Stories Human rights abuses still 'rampant' in Burma: Report Bullet Points: 13 August 2014 Kanbalu villagers say they'll get some land back from military Villagers said that thousands acres of land were seized in Kanbalu in 1997, and the regime later hired tenant farmers to cultivate sugar cane. On Monday, several locals told DVB that they had reached an agreement with the Burmese military to return a small portion of the disputed property, but added that they do not believe they will ever be fully recompensed. Of those farmers charged for the March protest, 57 have already been convicted and at least 20 have been transferred to prisons far from their homes and families. Ko Gyi, the coordinator of a farmers' assistance group, said that optimism is fading. "Judging by the situation right now, it's unlikely that things will turn out how we want," he said. "We have demanded the release of the farmers who were jailed, and also for the army to stop bulldozing the farmland. "I don't think these demands will be met," he said, "but we will continue to do whatever we can."

NLD presents petition to parliament calling to amend 436 Posted: 13 Aug 2014 08:56 PM PDT The National League for Democracy (NLD) and 88 Generation Peace and Open Society (88GPOS) on Tuesday handed over a petition to parliament with nearly five million signatures calling for an amendment to Article 436 of the Burmese Constitution. NLD spokesperson Han Thar Myint said the opposition party and 88GPOS members had conducted a campaign launched at the end of May and concluded on 19 July in more than 300 townships across the country, and had collected 4,953,093 signatures. He said the petition represented not only their supporters but people from all sectors. "We want to convince the government in power and the military that it is not only the NLD that wants to change the Constitution, but all people in the country," he told DVB on Thursday. The NLD says it has enough public support for amending Article 436, which stipulates that any constitutional amendment requires the approval of 75 percent of parliament. The two groups say that the clause is undemocratic because it provides the military – which is appointed 25 percent of parliamentary seats – veto power on any proposed amendments. Han Thar Myint confirmed that the petition was filed with parliamentary House Speaker Shwe Mann on Tuesday. Related Stories Bullet Points: 12 August 2014 Bullet Points: 11 August 2014 Military cannot hold power for eternity: Min Ko Naing At a press conference, House Speaker Shwe Mann, who is also chairman of the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party, offered unexpected encouragement for the NLD's constitutional reform campaign. "The parliament represents the people's voice, and it respects the people's wishes," he told reporters on Tuesday. "The parliament shares the same hopes as the people. This is relevant to constitutional change. Parliament listens to the people, and that could have significance when it comes to constitutional reform." In late June, NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi reiterated how the Constitution, as it currently stands, allows the military an inordinate amount of power. "If we don't change 436, it means that the military has virtual veto power over what can or cannot be changed within the Constitution, and I think it should be the elected representatives of the people who decide whether or not the Constitution should be changed," she was quoted by Reuters as saying. Amending Article 436 would also open the door to amending other constitutional articles, particularly one that directly concerns Suu Kyi's ability to run for president in next year's general elections — Article 59(f), which stipulates that anyone whose spouse or children are foreign-born is prohibited to run for president or vice president. Suu Kyi was married to a British national and has two children by him. But Suu Kyi said that her party's focus has always been on Article 436. "We were never focused on 59(f). It was others who were focused on it," she said. "We always knew that the key one was 436."

MPT needs improvement to keep up with competition, official says Posted: 13 Aug 2014 07:46 PM PDT Customers in Burma say that state-run Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications' (MPT) service is unsatisfactory and needs to improve now that the telecoms market has two new foreign-owned entries, a senior official in the MPT said on Tuesday. Kyaw Soe, principal of the ministry's Telecommunications and Postal Training Centre, said that once the telecoms operations of two foreign-owned companies – Telenor and Ooredoo – is established, the state-run company will begin to lose market shares due to the competition. "At the moment, MPT dominates most of the market, but we do foresee that we will begin to lose market shares in the long term," Kyaw Soe said. "For this, we are trying to make our services more convenient and reliable for our customers." Related Stories Japan pledges 10.5 million yen for Burma's communications network Bullet Points: 5 August 2014 Black market boom in cheap Ooredoo SIMs "We all agree that the quality of our services is unsatisfactory in the public's eye," he added. "So we will keep working to provide better service and be number one among all the operators." Since Qatar-based Ooredoo launched last week, they have promised that their call rates will start at 25 kyat a minute, while Ooredoo SIM cards will be sold for 1,500 kyat (US$1.50). In previous years, the cost of a SIM card with MPT has ranged from $50 to $500, rendering mobile communications an economically unfeasible prospect for the average person in Burma. Khun Kyaw Zin Tun, a resident in Shan State capital Taunggyi, said that the service from MPT is spotty and unreliable. "MPT's phone signal in town is not good. One has to practice great patience to use the Internet, even in locations that are close to their towers," he said. "We are envious of those in Rangoon, Mandalay and Naypyidaw, who can now enjoy a service by international operators. We want to see how different their service will be from MPT." Norway-based telecoms company Telenor, the second company that won a license to operate in Burma, will began selling SIM cards next month. The Norwegian firm has said that they expect to offer network coverage to 90 percent of Burma's population within five years.

You are subscribed to email updates from DVB Multimedia Group | DVB Multimedia Group To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610