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- Arakan High Court rejects appeal in Taunggup lynching case
- Burmese govt agrees, in principle, to a federal union
- BURMA BUSINESS WEEKLY – 16 AUGUST 2014
- First past the post: the responsible choice for Burma
| Arakan High Court rejects appeal in Taunggup lynching case Posted: 16 Aug 2014 12:08 AM PDT The High Court of Arakan State on Friday rejected an appeal by lawyers of seven men accused of murdering 10 Muslim pilgrims in 2012. The trial will now go ahead as scheduled at Sandoway [Thandwe] District Court. Charged in May with the murder – which involved a Buddhist mob grabbing a group of Muslims from a bus in Taunggup and beating them to death – the seven suspects had appealed against the charges to the regional high court. The appeal was dismissed on 12 August, according to Aye Nu Sein, a lawyer for the accused. “The High Court confirmed the original charges and dismissed our appeal," she said. "If we do not now appeal to a higher court, the trial will go ahead as scheduled at district level." Related StoriesShe confirmed that the only higher authority in the land was the Supreme Court in Naypyidaw, but elaborated no further on whether such an appeal would be launched. Aye Nu Sein said it appears strange that her clients were not residents of Taunggup Township in southern Arakan State, but were from other places. “The accused are not Taunggup locals," she said. "They are all from northern Arakanese towns such as Rathedaung and Mrauk-U. Only one is local. The six who I represent are not. I think this is strange." The 2012 lynching of the 10 pilgrims in Taunggup was a catalytic incident in the wave of mob violence between Buddhists and Muslims that has plagued the western region ever since. |
| Burmese govt agrees, in principle, to a federal union Posted: 15 Aug 2014 11:30 PM PDT Burma's central government agrees to the principle of establishing a federal union in the country, according to officials emerging from negotiations between a government delegation and ethnic leaders in Rangoon on Friday. Speaking at a post-summit press conference, Hla Maung Shwe of the Myanmar Peace Center, which is hosting the two-day peace talks, said, "The proposal raised by the ethnic side was to establish a union based on federalism. The UPWC [government's Union Peacemaking Working Committee] agreed in principle to implement the idea – a state based on federalism." He said that the government advocated that such a federal union would be based on whatever agreements were made during the period of political dialogue, which is due to begin within 90 days of a nationwide ceasefire being signed. "The ethnic leaders accepted this proposal. So it is agreed," he said. "This is the main issue, so I hope most of the other points fall into place." Representing the ethnic alliance Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT), Vice-chairman Nai Hongsa said the UPWC had accepted the principle of establishing a federal union based on democracy, ethnic equality and self-determination. "The government delegation agreed with our proposal that we should establish a federal union in Burma based on ethnic equality, democracy and self-determination, a matter the ethnic side believes is most important," he said. "However, we have not yet reached a stage of agreement on every issue. We have just started discussions and have covered only sections one and two [of the proposed draft for a ceasefire]." In his opening speech at the conference on Friday, UPWC Vice-chairman Aung Min said he hopes the two-day meeting will produce "positive results". Ahead of the summit, Nai Hongsa said the ethnic delegation wished to focus on policy issues rather than the wording of the proposal. "Democracy, ethnic equality and self-determination, these are the important priorities on the agenda," he said. "The formation of a federal army within a federal state is also a necessity for the sustainability of the Union." Negotiations were continuing on Saturday. This round of talks marks the fifth meeting between the NCCT and UPWC since May. Several observers said they view this conference as pivotal in the quest for a nationwide ceasefire. Many of the ethnic representatives at the negotiations represent armed groups that have been involved in a civil conflict against Burmese government forces since the late 1940s. |
| BURMA BUSINESS WEEKLY – 16 AUGUST 2014 Posted: 15 Aug 2014 08:52 PM PDT
Ups and downs The buying rate for Burmese kyat on Friday is 971 to the US dollar, while selling at 972. The price of gold went up from 667,200 kyat per tical this week to 676, 500 kyat. Fuel remained the same as last week: petrol 820 kyat; diesel 950 kyat; and octane 950 kyat per litre. High-quality Pawsanhmwe rice remains at 1,300-1,700 kyat per basket, while low-quality Manawthukha is still set at 900 kyat per basket at most Rangoon markets.
Thailand's PTTEP to explore gas in Burma PTT Exploration and Production Plc (PTTEP), Thailand's sole listed upstream firm, and its investment partners have signed a production-sharing agreement with Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) for onshore exploration and production rights for the MOGE 3 block. Four exploration wells are planned for MOGE 3 at an initial cost of US$72 million for the first three years, president and chief executive Tevin Vongvanich said in a filing submitted to the Stock Exchange of Thailand this week. PTTEP and its partners won exploration rights in the second round of onshore bidding last year. READ MORE: http://www.dvb.no/news/thailands-pttep-to-explore-gas-in-burma/43125
Burma express Five international express courier services – Magnate Group Logistics, Smart Logistics, Transmarine Logistics Asia, United Courier Services and Myanmar USU Logistics – have each signed agreements to launch operations in Burma. The former three companies were set to begin operations on 8 August while the latter two will start on 1 January. Industry leader EMS is already established in the country, however rival Fedex is not. Previously, customers in Burma had to rely on a government service which was often criticised as expensive and inefficient.
Rangoon to host oil and gas fair in October An oil and gas trade fair will be held at the Myanmar Convention Centre on 15 – 17 October, Nasdaq announced on its news site on Monday. The inaugural event – Oil & Gas Myanmar 2014 – is expected to showcase more than 60 international exhibitors, including strong representation at the Singapore and UK pavilions, the report said. Foreign players such as ConocoPhillips, Royal Dutch Shell and Total all won offshore exploration contracts in March.
Russians signs onshore oil contract with Burma Russia's Bashneft International has signed a production-sharing contract with Myanma Oil & Gas Co and Sun Apex Holdings for inland oil block EP-4 in Pegu Division, according to Burmese state media on Tuesday, reporting that the Russian firm paid a US$4 million signature bonus and that it must conduct environmental and social impact assessments before drilling. Russian state media confirmed the deal, saying Bashneft had signed a three-year contract to investigate the seismicity and drilling of two survey wells.
Air Bagan to offer shares to staff Air Bagan has announced a plan to distribute 40 percent of its more than 30 million shares to staff members for free as it bids to be listed as a public company. The Burmese airline said it had signed all necessary paperwork at the Office of the Registrar of Deeds and Assurances on 16 July. The airline, founded in 2004 by business tycoon Tay Za, is on the US sanctions list.
Power to the people Speaking at a meeting between government officials and World Bank representatives, Burma's Minister of Electric Power Khin Maung Soe said the government has drafted a plan to bring electricity to the entire country by the year 2030. The minister said the plan was drafted with assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, which has already contributed some 5 billion yen (US$50 million) to provide electrical power to 160 villages around the country.
Burmese post and telecoms must improve to compete with foreign firms, says official 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, Telenor and Ooredoo, a senior official in the MPT said on Tuesday. "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," said the principal of the Telecommunications and Postal Training Centre, Kyaw Soe. "For this, we are trying to make our services more convenient and reliable for our customers."
Thai Oil looks to refine operations in Thanlyin Thai Oil and PTT have submitted a proposal to Myanmar Petrochemical Enterprise to upgrade its Thanlyin refinery near Rangoon. The alliance has been on the shortlist, with the result likely to be announced in the fourth quarter. The refinery upgrade is scheduled for 2016, with initial capacity of 15,000 bpd. Burma consumes only 70,000 bpd compared with Thailand’s 850,000 bpd even though the two countries are not far apart in population size.
Burma's fish stock in severe decline The Myanmar Fish Farmers Association (MFFA) has called for a national-level workshop to discuss the decline of fish stocks. Over the past few years, fish populations in Burmese waters have fallen dramatically due to over-fishing and pollution. The Myanmar Fisheries Federation (MFF) echoed the MFFA in saying that the decline is serious and said it wants to step up efforts to replenish fish stocks. "In 2012-13, around 150,000 tonnes of fish were caught. But from 2010 to 2014 the number gradually declined," said Han Tun, vice-chairman of MFF, adding that since 2010 fish stocks off Burmese waters had almost halved. READ MORE: http://www.dvb.no/dvb-video/action-needed-over-fish-stock-decline-burma-myanmar/43287 |
| First past the post: the responsible choice for Burma Posted: 15 Aug 2014 08:17 PM PDT Burma's relatively new, quasi-civilian leadership has yet to prove that it is responsible and accountable to the country's citizens, who, for the first time after decades under an oppressive military regime, have been given the promise of representation. But the problems in Burma that most affect the lives of its people are rarely reaching parliament, which has chosen instead to focus on convoluted political shuffles and superficial reforms. One lively debate has come out of parliament recently, however. A proposal to adopt a proportional representation (PR) electoral system has sparked heated discussion about how best to bring Burma's marginalised peoples into the political arena. With by-elections expected to be held later this year and a monumental general election slated for 2015, electoral procedures have become one of the most important political issues in Burma. Members of the international community have repeatedly warned that they will be watching to see how Burma performs come election time. Failure to hold free and fair elections could bring big consequences from Western governments that are both eager to invest and apprehensive about Burma's reforms. The PR system, first proposed to parliament by the National Democratic Front (NDF) earlier this year, is an alternative to Burma's current "first past the post" (FPTP) system, which grants representation on a "winner takes all" basis. The proposal was immediately divisive; Burma's main opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), staunchly rejected the idea, while the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) all got behind it. The position of the military on this issue is still unclear. The NLD rejected the proposal on the grounds that the current Constitution does not allow for the introduction of a new electoral system. While the military-drafted charter is largely contested and viewed by many as an illegitimate document in dire need of revision, Burma's politicians are keenly aware that they have to play by the rules. Related StoriesProponents of PR argue that the system would empower small parties that represent minorities because it would reduce "wasted votes" and ensure a more diverse parliament. Detractors, however, view the switch as an attempt to weaken the opposition's power by splitting it up into disparate factions. While Burma is known as an incredibly diverse country – populated by people of many ethnicities, faiths and cultures — many of the country's minority groups have allegiances to each other. The PR system, some analysts say, would weaken this unity and create competition among minorities which could do more harm than good. Ensuring diversity and inclusivity in the political and social spheres is necessary as the country moves towards achieving democracy. That said, the idea of "diversity and inclusivity" should not be manipulated to overwhelm the legislature and flummox the general public, who, more than anything, crave unity. National policies cannot be "diversely" implemented. If Burma's parliament attempts to establish such a system, a party run by cronies or by Buddhists could create self-serving policies, the opposition's policies will compete with each other, and the legislature will stagnate. Attempting to suddenly diversify the parliament will not actually bring about legal protections for the country's diverse population. Diversity can only be maintained on a personal level, through one's own moral conviction. It is not a collective mandate. The principle of maintaining diversity suits smaller units of governance, such as village or township committees, but it would be preposterous to make diversity the top priority when electing union-level legislators. The most important quality for a political assembly in any democratic system is the ability to compromise. This is what we should look for in our leaders, and we should create a system that allows them to do that successfully in a way that meets the diverse needs of the country. “A PR system, at this point in Burma's transition, would further institutionalise already strong interest groups like Buddhists, cronies and veterans… These interest groups do not seek compromise, they seek power”Some people assume that a FPTP system is unfair because of its winner-take-all nature. This assumption is wrong; in a vibrant, competitive and fair election, the candidate who wins is the one most favoured by voters. It is the minority votes that tend to break ties in close, competitive races. They are the voters that swing elections, they choose the candidate best able to compromise on their behalf. A PR system, at this point in Burma's transition, would further institutionalise already strong interest groups like Buddhists, cronies and veterans by ensuring their place in parliament while weakening their opponents. These interest groups do not seek compromise, they seek power. Benefitting them through electoral reform would contradict a fundamental ethic of law-making; laws exist to protect the weak from the powerful. Laws pave the way for preserving the common interests of the people. In free and fair contests, legislators are elected because people trust their judgment and ability to make decisions that will benefit the community. Choosing leaders based on specific interests, a likely outcome of the PR system, could fracture those communities. Acknowledging the views of minorities is crucial to democracy, but allowing those views to be overpowered by other interest groups that are sure to be supported is unacceptable. The PR system will entrench special interests in the parliament and create a political impasse, at the very moment when the nation needs general consensus to keep reforms moving quickly and smoothly. In Burma, where many of those interests — namely, faith-based, economic and military — are closely related to each other, they could become an overpowering political presence in the government, leaving the nation's people stranded. The PR system is representative, but FPTP is responsible. The FPTP system elects the candidate that appeals to the broadest spectrum of voters, special interests aside. Proportional representation, at this point in time for Burma, runs the risk of empowering extremists and opportunists. Keeping Burma's reforms on track will require the critical capacity to choose leaders based on the common sense and common interest of the majority.
Dr Nyo Tun has worked as an international consultant for the EU, USAID and Gates Foundation-funded study projects which analyse strategies for national and global health issues. Prior to his international consultancy work, he led public health initiatives for providing health care to marginalised populations in various regions of Burma. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not reflect DVB’s editorial policy.
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