The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Activists Take to the Streets to Oppose Changing Burma’s Electoral System
• Japanese Donors, Govt, KNU Discuss Aid Projects in Rebel Areas
• Chinese Town Trades Lead Poison Test Results for Milk
• No One Is Above the Law
• Doctors Note Rise in Recurrent Flu Infections in Rangoon
• Group Calls for Release of Rohingya Activist, As Court Extends Detention
• Enlightenment on Canvas
• ‘The Media May Not Have Trust in Me’
• US Looks to Calm South China Sea Tensions
• Japan’s Security Fears Grow as Neighbors Build Up Arms
• Thailand’s Censors Ban ‘Tropico 5’ Computer Game

Activists Take to the Streets to Oppose Changing Burma’s Electoral System Posted: 05 Aug 2014 05:06 AM PDT Activists march near Rangoon's Sule Pagoda to oppose a ruling-party backed proposal to change the way Burma elects its government to proportional representation. (Photo: Sai Zaw / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — More than 100 people gathered in front of Rangoon's City Hall on Tuesday to protest against plans to change the country's electoral system to proportional representation (PR) ahead of all-important polls next year. "PR—we don't want it! Stop the PR system in Parliament!" the activists chanted as they marched from the Maha Bandoola Park area, up Sule Pagoda Road, down Pansodan Street and back to City Hall along Merchant Street. Burma's Upper House of Parliament has already approved switching from first past the post (FPTP) to the PR system for the 2015 election, and the Lower House has just formed a commission to discuss what electoral system the country should use. The ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) has backed the PR proposal—put forward by lawmakers from the small National Democratic Force (NDF) party—which is opposed by the main opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) and ethnic minority parties. "We can't accept the Parliament's decision that was due to oppression by the majority in Parliament, while ethnic minority parties and the NLD oppose it," said Myat Kyaw, spokesman of Mass Movement Acceleration Network, a group leading the protest. He said the PR system would lead to the disintegration of national solidarity since it was opposed by ethnic parties. "We can't say whether the protest will have an affect or not. But we can make people know what PR is, and also at least we can express our voice: that we don't want the PR system. If Parliament respects the desires of the public, they should listen," Myat Kyaw said. He said that activists in Prome Township in Pegu Division also held a protest against the PR system, and another demonstration will be held in Mingala Taungnyunt Township in Rangoon on Saturday. "The authorities refused us permission to protest. We asked for permission to protest in Kyauktada Township, but they asked us to protest in Tamwe Township. They are avoiding giving us permission," he said. "The public does not understand the PR system. I think by using the PR system, the ruling party wants to change the outcome because they don't have much chance of winning the election," Kyi Linn from Mass Movement Acceleration Network, said. Parliamentary elections set to be held at the end of 2015 will be the first nationwide polls that the NLD, the party of Aung San Suu Kyi, will be allowed to contest since the government moved to a nominally democratic form of government. "The USDP want to switch the [electoral] system, in collaboration with the NDF party, so the NLD won't win the 2015 election. So we oppose it," said Than Aung, an NLD member from Hlaing Township. "It will cover up the USDP losing the election, because they can get seats in Parliament in proportion with the number of votes they get, unlike the current FPTP system in which the winning lawmaker in each constituency wins a seat in Parliament." Aung Zin, one of the NDF lawmakers who proposed PR in Parliament, argued that he wanted to change the electoral system in favor of smaller parties. "I proposed the switch to PR system because under the PR system, we can get more minority groups' representatives and voices in Parliament, since the seats are in proportion with the number of votes," he told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday. The post Activists Take to the Streets to Oppose Changing Burma's Electoral System appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Japanese Donors, Govt, KNU Discuss Aid Projects in Rebel Areas Posted: 05 Aug 2014 05:01 AM PDT Government officials, KNU representatives, Japanese aid organizations and MPC members hold a meeting to discuss Japanese funding for KNU-proposed development projects on Tuesday. (Photo: Hla Maung Shwe / Facebook). Japanese government officials and donor organizations met with government advisors, Karen State officials and Karen rebel commanders to discuss the possible implementation of Japanese-funded development projects in rebel-controlled areas during the peace process, a government advisor has said. The meeting took place at the government-affiliated Myanmar Peace Center (MPC) in Rangoon on Tuesday. "We facilitated the meeting between the KNU [Karen National Union] representatives who want to set up small development projects in their respective areas, and [Japanese] donors who are interested in such development projects," Hla Maung Shwe, a senior advisor at the MPC, told The Irrawaddy. Representatives of the Japanese Embassy, the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Nippon Foundation and the Japan Platform held discussions with the MPC, senior Karen State officials, including Karen State Border Security Affairs Minister Col. Aung Lwin, and commanders of KNU brigades 1, 4, 6 and 7. Hla Maung Shwe said Japanese donor organizations were interested in funding projects in KNU-controlled areas and the brigades' representatives had put forth proposals of projects that they would like to develop. "These are not big projects, such as building dams, industrial zones, infrastructure, huge bridges and roads. It is more like small projects, such as schools, student compounds, clinics and health care centers, livestock and agriculture projects," he said. "[Japanese] donors seem interested in funding these projects, they said they will try their best and consider providing funding for the projects," he said, adding that the total costs of the KNU-proposed projects would be between US$4 million and $5 million. Hla Maung Shwe said the MPC wants to encourage development projects in conflict-affected, impoverished ethnic areas now that the KNU has a bilateral ceasefire and nationwide ceasefire negotiations are ongoing. He added that the Japanese organizations were also interested in funding projects in Mon State. In January, the Japanese Ambassador together with influential Japanese charity the Nippon Foundation announced that Tokyo plans to spend $96 million in the next five years in order to improve living standards and promote peace in Burma's war-torn ethnic areas. It was announced that the large sum of aid money would be spent through Japanese donor organizations, but details of the plans were scarce. The Nippon Foundation has long taken an interest in Burma and has become increasingly active in the country following the introduction of reforms and lifting of international sanctions. It has moved in tandem with the Japanese government and businesses, which have been expanding economic and political relations with Naypyidaw. However, opinions differ among KNU brigade leaders and Karen civil society groups on whether to proceed with aid projects and infrastructure and business investments in conflict areas before there is a comprehensive nationwide peace agreement. Commanders of KNU brigades 2, 3 and 5 did not attend the meeting in Rangoon on Tuesday. KNU's Brigade 5 leader Gen. Baw Kyaw Heh, who is deputy commander-in-chief of the KNU's military wing, Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), has previously said he is wary of implementing aid and development projects before a peace agreement is reached as he feared that the government would use the projects to strengthen its presence and influence in Karen areas "It is like a cold war. You turn off your weapons, but you strengthen your control through social developments. So, I'm worried that the conditions here will be like that," he said in January. Karen Environmental and Social Action Network (KESAN), a Thailand-based NGO, has voiced concern over a JICA study released in February that laid out plans to develop a port in Mon State and develop infrastructure links between Burma and Thailand that run through Mon and Karen states. The Japanese agency also suggested constructing free trade zones, industrial estates and urban development in the states, as well as developing infrastructure and basic services in remote, conflict-affected areas. KESAN criticized the JICA plan, saying it lacked transparency and had not consulted Karen communities, who could suffer from a rise in land grabbing as a result of expanding infrastructure links. In Tenasserim Division in southern Burma, new road links connecting Thailand with the Dawei Special Economic Zone project have cut through Karen communities living in the Tennaserim Hills and given rise to a rapid increase in illegal land seizures by businessmen. The post Japanese Donors, Govt, KNU Discuss Aid Projects in Rebel Areas appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Chinese Town Trades Lead Poison Test Results for Milk Posted: 05 Aug 2014 04:36 AM PDT Two-year-old Xu Yilin, whose blood, according to her family, has been shown to have almost three times the national limit for lead exposure in children, stands in a neighbor's house in Dapu, Hunan province, on June 25, 2014. (Photo: Reuters) DAPU, China — After a test showed farmer Zhao Heping's toddler grandson had high levels of lead in his blood two years ago, local officials in China's Hunan Province offered the child medicine, he says—and milk. In return, Zhao says, officials asked that he hand over his grandson's blood test results. Zhao was not alone. Eight residents of Dapu, a rural town of about 62,000 dotted with smelters and chemical plants, say families of children diagnosed with lead exposure were offered milk, but only if they surrendered their test results. The milk, residents recall officials saying, would flush the lead out of the children's bodies. "I still give my grandsons milk, but it's useless," said Mao Baozhu, 61, a local resident who says her three grandchildren have all been diagnosed with high lead levels. "Isn't the residents committee just trying to deceive us by distributing milk and saying all the kids have to do is drink it and they'll be cured?" Allegations by villagers of the crude attempts by local officials to cover up the health effects of the environmental damage in Dapu by offering milk for medical records underscores the challenges China faces in waging the "war on pollution" premier Li Keqiang announced in March. Environmental pollution is increasingly a source of social unrest in China. In agricultural areas like Dapu, air, soil and water pollution from local factories can deprive farmers of their livelihoods and rob them of their health. Cancer rates in some polluted villages are so high that they are known as "cancer villages." The belief that milk can treat lead poisoning is widespread in China. The National Health and Family Planning Commission recommends "nutritional intervention" for children exposed to lead because they may have nutritional deficiencies, among other treatments. Better nutrition does not lower lead levels, though, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It recommends eliminating the source of pollution and, in extreme cases, treatment to remove heavy metals from the body. In response to questions from Reuters, the National Health and Family Planning Commission reiterated its nutritional guidance and noted that dairy and bean products could be offered to children suffering from lead exposure. But it added that its guidelines went well beyond nutrition, and it was neither "complete nor correct" to say that milk flushed lead out of the body. It also recommended removing the source of lead pollution and medical treatment in severe cases. A spokeswoman for the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC) said it was not involved in the investigation in Dapu and could not comment. She directed inquiries to local health authorities in Hunan. Local health authorities declined interview requests. One official at a regional information office said she had never heard of anyone distributing milk and collecting blood test results. Slap in the Face Milk has a complicated history in China. In 2008, six children died and hundreds of thousands became sick after milk producers added the chemical melamine to milk powder. Six years on, parents who can afford to still buy imported infant formula, and foreign-made milk is popular in Chinese cities. There is no evidence to suggest officials did not believe that milk was an effective treatment for excessive lead levels, but several villagers in Dapu said they thought it was just a tactic to pacify the public. "They slap you on the face, then they give you candy. That's how the government operates," said Li Wanming, a resident whose grandchildren had elevated blood lead levels. Lead poisoning is among the most serious, if least visible, side effects of China's rapid economic growth. Exposure to lead is particularly dangerous for children: It inhibits intellectual and physical development, and can cause poor concentration, disruptive behavior, even death at high levels. Its effects are irreversible. Local governments often organize medical tests and distribute medicine, vitamins or food in Chinese regions affected by heavy metal pollution, said Liu Jinmei, a lawyer at the Center for Legal Assistance to Pollution Victims in Beijing. Often, local officials would not disclose the results of tests they had organized for villagers, she said. "Mainly this is to prevent the villagers from learning the truth, or to prevent them from passing this information on to people outside the village," Liu said. In a 2011 report on lead poisoning in China, Human Rights Watch also documented how local hospitals in polluted areas withheld and, parents believe, manipulated or falsified test results. There are no national data on lead levels in China. The Capital Institute of Pediatrics in Beijing, which conducted a survey in 15 cities between 2004 and 2008, found 7.6 percent of those surveyed had lead levels above 100 micrograms per liter (ug/L), China's threshold for safe lead exposure. Dapu's lead problem made national headlines in June in an exposé by state broadcaster CCTV, in which the mayor was shown saying children might have raised their own blood levels by chewing on pencils. After the broadcast, which claimed that more than 300 children had high lead levels, officials opened an investigation and Meilun, a local chemical plant and smelter, was forced to stop production. Bao Zhu, a member of the local residents' committee—typically the lowest level of local government—confirmed the distribution of milk to children with elevated lead levels, but refused to answer any more questions. A woman at the Hengdong information office who would only give her surname, Tan, said the county was only now testing children for lead exposure so it was impossible to say how many children had been exposed. She said she had not heard of anyone distributing milk and collecting test results. Growth vs. Health Hunan has significant deposits of lead, zinc, mercury, antimony and tungsten but is also the country's largest producer of rice. In 2003, Dapu officials set up an industrial zone which, by 2013, had expanded to include at least 12 smelting factories producing tungsten, copper, lead and zinc. An April study of the area by environmental advocacy group Greenpeace found high levels of cadmium and lead in local rice samples, some as much as 22 times the national standard. "The water and soil here are ruined. We don't farm anymore," said Li Wanming. Residents said they brought their concerns about lead pollution to local officials, submitting a petition in late 2012. They said milk had been distributed by the residents' committee or the local branch of the CCDC to people with excessive lead blood levels three times since 2012, most recently in June. Only residents who turned in their blood test results received milk and only those that provided the originals—rather than a copy—would be reimbursed for costs of the tests, said Mao Baozhu, the grandmother of three sick children. Many handed in their test results in order to be reimbursed and get the free milk, residents said. When asked, two said they had not considered consulting a lawyer because they couldn't afford one. Mao said subsequent tests showed one of her grandson's levels are down from three times the national limit for lead exposure in children to twice that level; another is often dizzy and complains of stomach pains. Farmer Li Laiyin, 64, broke into tears describing his two grandchildren, who tested at nearly five times the Chinese national threshold for safe lead exposure two years ago. They are thin, with little appetite. They can't sit still or sleep, or concentrate long enough to finish their homework. "I worry about their future. What if they develop more symptoms later?" he asked. A version of this story appeared in the August 2014 print edition of The Irrawaddy magazine. The post Chinese Town Trades Lead Poison Test Results for Milk appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

No One Is Above the Law Posted: 05 Aug 2014 02:34 AM PDT No One Is Above the Law The post No One Is Above the Law appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Doctors Note Rise in Recurrent Flu Infections in Rangoon Posted: 05 Aug 2014 12:42 AM PDT Patients wait at a clinic during rainy season in Rangoon. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Doctors in Rangoon are concerned about an apparently unexplained increase in recurrent influenza infections this rainy season. Seasonal flu is widespread in the city during the transitions between seasons, but those who are infected develop some immunity, reducing the chance of re-infection in the same year. This rainy season, however, doctors say that more patients than usual are returning with flu—although with slightly different symptoms—a second time or more. "I have patients who are going through their fourth time getting sick from flu this year," said Dr. Sein Sein, who runs a clinic in Hledan Township. A primary care doctor for more than 25 years, she said she has not experienced this kind of recurrent flu before. Patients infected with the recurrent flu show different symptoms from those getting sick for the first time in the season. A person infected with the common seasonal flu will experience sneezing, coughing, headaches and muscle pain. "The people who are sick for the second, third or fourth time may still have slight headaches, but mostly, their main complaint is a severe sore throat," Dr. Sein Sein said. Myo Myo Khine, a 28-year-old clothing shop salesperson, who has had flu twice this year said, "I can come to work now, but I cannot eat lunch easily because my throat hurts a lot. "So I only eat porridge these days. I also haven't been able to fall asleep at night because of my sore throat." The reason behind the sudden emergence of the recurrent influenza is unknown. Dr. Thant Syn, a primary care physician in Rangoon, suggested two possible reasons: "It might be because the immunity is only partially developed by the body as a natural defense to invading organisms. So people who have contracted flu are still liable to re-infection. "Another possible cause, though less likely, might be that the people are infected again by different strains of influenza. Because the immunity imparted by the body's defense mechanism is specific to each strain of influenza, a person can get infected again if his body is invaded by a different strain of flu." Those with recurrent flu are advised to rest well, avoid crowded places and eat bland food. Dr. Thant Syn said that a less orthodox remedy employing vinegar also appeared to work. "Gurgling with vinegar and drinking boiled ginger water have produced visible improvements in my patients," Dr. Thant Syn said. The post Doctors Note Rise in Recurrent Flu Infections in Rangoon appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Group Calls for Release of Rohingya Activist, As Court Extends Detention Posted: 04 Aug 2014 11:06 PM PDT Policemen move towards burning houses during fighting between Buddhist Rakhine and Muslim Rohingya communities in Sittwe in 2012. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — A Sittwe District Court in Arakan State on Monday extended the detention of Rohingya activist Kyaw Hla Aung, who has now spent 13 months in Sittwe Prison and is accused of multiple criminal charges, human rights group Fortify Rights said. Kyaw Hla Aung is considered a political prisoner by the UN human rights rapporteur and international rights groups. The rapporteur has said he is one of six Rohingya activists being detained on political grounds, while another four men who worked for international aid groups are also being arbitrarily detained. Fortify Rights called for Kyaw Hla Aung's unconditional release in a statement released on Tuesday, saying that he is being arbitrarily detained and that the prosecution has failed to produce any witnesses in his case. "The case against him is completely without merit. His ongoing detention violates his basic human rights and is an affront to the rule of law," Matthew Smith, executive director of the Bangkok-based group said, adding that there an "urgent need for the central government to intervene to free him." Kyaw Hla Aung, 74, is a Rohingya community leader and rights activist who has worked for the stateless Muslim minority in northern Arakan State for decades. He has worked as an administrator for Médicine Sans Frontièrs (MSF) in Burma, served as a clerk at Sittwe District Civil Court and ran for political office in the early 1990s. He has been targeted by authorities and was repeatedly imprisoned during the past three decades. Currently, he is facing six charges under the Penal Code and could be sentenced to 20 years in prison, Fortify Rights said. Kyaw Hla Aung was reportedly detained after he attempted to intervene when a government operation to verify the citizenship status of Rohingya population in July 2013 caused tensions because authorities insisted on registering the group as "Bengalis," to suggest that they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Fortify Rights said it believes that "authorities targeted Kyaw Hla Aung because he is a well-educated Rohingya with connections to the international community and an ability to communicate to a wider audience about the situation in [Arakan] State, where severe human rights violations persist against Rohingya Muslims." The Burmese government does not recognize the citizenship of the approximately 1 million Rohingya in Arakan State, which has been wracked by recurrent outbreaks of inter-communal violence between Buddhist Arakanese majority and the Rohingya since 2012. Since 2012, authorities have arrested hundreds of Rohingya men and boys, according to rights groups, who allege that many are being arbitrarily detained or held in indefinite pre-trial detention. The post Group Calls for Release of Rohingya Activist, As Court Extends Detention appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Enlightenment on Canvas Posted: 04 Aug 2014 05:30 PM PDT A painting by Moat Thone at the Lokanat Gallery of Art in Rangoon. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The last time that contemporary Burmese artist Moat Thone had a solo show was three years ago. Not only famous for a body of work appearing as book cover illustrations and in magazines, the 58-year-old is also well-known for his watercolor sketch paintings. Hailing from the upcountry town of Pakokku, Moat Thone says he struggled for two years to create the 12 watercolor paintings that comprise his new exhibition at Rangoon's Lokanat Gallery of Art this month. The theme of his ninth solo show is "The Buddha and Mara, the Archangel of Evil." As the title suggests, viewers are treated to watercolor sketches of not only the enlightened one, but also paintings depicting the Buddha's life story. The exhibition places an emphasis on scenes in which Mara tempted the Buddha-to-be Siddhartha, challenging his right to become the founder of the faith. Moat Thone says his latest exhibition is inspired by a giant Buddha statue he encountered [nggallery id=441 during a trip outside Rangoon. He also admits that the designs of some stone animal sculptures at the Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon helped to make the Buddha and Mara depictions livelier. But Moat Thone insists his interest in the subjects is not too profoundly spiritual. "I'm obsessed with lines," he says. "I love to draw them. I just put subjects like Buddha and other related figures to make those lines meaningful." The exhibition runs Aug. 4-9, from 9 am to 5 pm. The post Enlightenment on Canvas appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

‘The Media May Not Have Trust in Me’ Posted: 04 Aug 2014 05:00 PM PDT Burma's new Information Minister Ye Htut. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) Presidential spokesman Ye Htut took the reins of Burma's Ministry of Information last week, succeeding former Information Minister Aung Kyi, who resigned from the post on July 29. Previously serving as deputy information minister in addition to his role as presidential spokesman, Ye Htut spoke to The Irrawaddy's Htet Naing Zaw about his approach to conflicts between media and the government, his growing cabinet workload and future plans as Burma's new information minister. Question: How will you handle the current tensions between media and the government? What strengths and weaknesses do you bring to the ministerial post compared with your predecessors? Answer: The major cause of confrontation between the government and the media is a relationship problem. I'll try to build a relationship between government and media based on ethics and mutual understanding. I have been working at the Information Ministry and taking part in media reforms since 2005, and therefore I know the strong and weak points on both sides. I understand what is required to build a good relationship between the two. On the other hand, since I have been working long at the Information Ministry, the media may not have trust in me. Q: The president has claimed that religious violence in Burma has been caused by the media. Why did he say that? Does the President's Office have information about which media outlets were responsible for instigating unrest? A: The president doesn't mean all media; he was just referring to some irresponsible media. We have studied which media outlets have done so. Q: With your appointment as information minister, will you continue to be the president's spokesperson? What difficulties will you face in handling these two roles? A: I have been assigned to remain as the president's spokesperson. I have to give more time for these two duties and I will not be able to respond on all the functions of the ministry as I did in the past. I will only be able to answer policy questions. Q: You have frequently called on the media to observe ethics. Does the media deserve to be harshly punished simply for making mistakes? If so, what about the government, which has faced criticism that the scope of its reforms remains too limited? A: We are not imposing harsh penalties whenever they make a mistake. The government has never prosecuted journalists for criticizing the president or the government or for disrespecting the government. I would like The Irrawaddy to study how many cases of defamation lawsuits media outlets have filed against each other. However, [laws are enforced] not only on journalists—even if I wrote an article that instigates [by falsely reporting on] the formation of an interim government, or I secretly entered a defense facility under a false identity, I'd be handed severe penalties. On the other hand, I have a plan to organize seminars in cooperation with the Press Council to avoid situations where journalists break the law because they don't know the law. I'll also arrange seminars together with the Press Council to help government departments understand more about the nature of media. Comparing the situations in 2010 and 2014, you can know how far the democratic reforms of the government have come. You can also compare the progress of reforms in respective sectors during the first three years of democratic transition in our country and that of Asian and African countries that have also undergone democratic transition. Then, you will know how far we have come. Q: Can reforms under President Thein Sein be successful just by dismissing or retiring ministers? A: The changing of ministers is a normal procedure of democratic governments. This brings about the required impetus and leadership for departmental reforms and is a key to the success of the reform process. The post 'The Media May Not Have Trust in Me' appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

US Looks to Calm South China Sea Tensions Posted: 04 Aug 2014 10:54 PM PDT US Secretary of State John Kerry speaks at a meeting of Asean Foreign Ministers during the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Sept. 27, 2013. (Photo: Reuters / Carlo Allegri) WASHINGTON — The United States will be looking to calm tensions stoked by recent Chinese oil drilling in disputed waters of the South China Sea at an upcoming meeting of the region's foreign ministers, a senior US official said Monday. Although the United States claims neutrality in the disputes, China is unlikely to respond favorably. US Secretary of State John Kerry's trip in Burma, starting Saturday, comes after China angered Vietnam by deploying a deep-sea oil rig for two months near islands claimed by both countries. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel told reporters that China's withdrawal of the rig in mid-July had removed an irritant but left a legacy of anger and strained relations with Vietnam and likely raised serious questions among China's other neighbors about its long-term strategy. "China as a large and powerful nation has a special responsibility to show restraint. There is a big footprint that comes with military strength and it warrants setting your foot very, very carefully and treading very gingerly when you are in a sensitive area," said Russel, the top US diplomat for East Asia. At the meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in the Burmese capital, Naypyidaw, Washington will be proposing that South China Sea claimants take voluntary steps to reduce tensions. The United States suggests freezing actions that change the status quo, such as seizing unoccupied islands and land reclamation. Chinese officials have already made clear they don't support the proposal. China says it has a historical right to most of the South China Sea and resents what it sees as US meddling, viewing it as an attempt to contain its growing power. The other claimants include the Philippines, which is a US treaty ally, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei. Russel said all the claimants, including Vietnam, can do more to clarify what they say is theirs in accordance with international law. He said the United States would also urge conclusion of a long-delayed code of conduct—another initiative China is unenthusiastic about. Separately, while in Burma, Kerry will be pressing the country's leaders to apply greater safeguards for human rights. Kerry will also be gauging the former pariah nation's preparations for 2015 elections, Russel said. Last week, more than 70 US lawmakers warned of worsening conditions in Burma, including anti-Muslim discrimination and violence, and urged the Obama administration to sanction those complicit in abuses and atrocities. The lawmakers also urged Obama not to make further concessions to the reformist government unless there's significant progress. After Burma, Kerry will travel to Australia to join Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Australian officials for security talks. The post US Looks to Calm South China Sea Tensions appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Japan’s Security Fears Grow as Neighbors Build Up Arms Posted: 04 Aug 2014 10:49 PM PDT A view of a multiple rocket launcher during an exercise in this undated photo released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang July 15, 2014. (Credit: Reuters) TOKYO — Japan finds itself surrounded by a worsening security environment as North Korea pushes forward with missile development and China and Russia step up military activity in the region, Japan's Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. The ministry's annual white paper comes after intermittent testing by North Korea of ballistic missiles in defiance of a UN ban, and a record number of scrambles by Japanese fighter jets in April-June due to increased flights by Chinese and Russian planes close to Japan's air space. "With a trend toward arms buildup and modernization, and brisker military activity by neighboring countries getting prominent, security challenges and destabilizing factors for Japan and the rest of the Asia-Pacific are becoming more serious," the ministry said in the paper. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe returned to power in December 2012 intent on easing the limits of the post-war pacifist constitution on the military to let Japan play a bigger global security role. Abe's government this year took some historic steps away from Japan's post-war pacifism by easing weapons export restrictions and ending a ban that has kept the military from fighting abroad. The moves have been viewed warily elsewhere in Asia, in particular in China. Ties between China and Japan were already strained by a territorial dispute over a group of tiny East China Sea isles as well as rows over the legacy of Japan's wartime aggression. Patrol ships from both countries routinely shadow each other near the islands, stoking fear of clashes. Recently, however, Abe has renewed a call for a bilateral summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The two governments are trying to arrange a summit on the sidelines of a Pacific Rim conference in Beijing in November, the Nikkei newspaper said on Monday. The ministry's report described China's action in maritime disputes with other countries as "high-handed" and called on China to observe international norms. In November, China launched an air defense identification zone covering a swath of the East China Sea, including the disputed isles, and warned it would take "defensive emergency measures" against aircraft that failed to identify themselves. "These are very dangerous measures that could lead to the unilateral change of the status quo in the East China Sea, escalation of the situation, and some unexpected development," the ministry said. "We are deeply concerned." China's defense budget soared fourfold over the past decade to 808 billion yuan ($131 billion), while Japan's defense spending dipped by 1.9 percent over the same period to 4.78 trillion yen ($47 billion), the ministry said. Japan and the United States are set to revise cooperation guidelines by the end of the year to reflect the changing security environment and better respond to threats in such areas as space and cyber space. 'Global Issue' The Defense Ministry called North Korea's missile and nuclear programs a "grave destabilizing factor" and warned that progress in the projects could embolden the North to resort to more provocation. "If North Korea extends the range of ballistic missiles further, reduces the size of nuclear arms and turns them into warheads, the country could come to believe it has secured strategic deterrence against the United States," it said. There is a possibility that the advanced version of North Korea's Taepodong-2 ballistic missiles, when fitted with a warhead weighing less than one ton, could have a range of more than 10,000 km (6,200 miles), covering part of the continental United States, the ministry said. Japan is also keeping a wary eye on Russia's involvement in turmoil in Ukraine, where Moscow annexed the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea in March. "This change to the status quo by Russia, with force in the background, is a global issue that affects the entire international society," it said. Any attempt to change the status quo by force makes Japan nervous as China challenges Japan's control over the East China Sea islets, known as the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. The ministry also touched upon another set of small islands, controlled by South Korea but claimed by Japan, saying they were Japan's inherent territory. The islets are called the Takeshima in Japanese and Dokdo in Korean. The position drew a quick angry reaction from South Korea, which called the claim "preposterous." Its defense ministry summoned the Japanese embassy military attaché to protest. "The Japanese government should bear in mind that as long as it continues its unjust claim over Dokdo, the road to improving ties between the two countries can only be a long one," South Korea's foreign ministry said in a statement. The post Japan's Security Fears Grow as Neighbors Build Up Arms appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Thailand’s Censors Ban ‘Tropico 5’ Computer Game Posted: 04 Aug 2014 10:37 PM PDT A screenshot shows an image from the computer game "Tropico 5," which has been banned in Thailand because of fears it "might affect peace and order in the country." (Photo: Kalypso Media) BANGKOK — Censors under Thailand's military junta have banned a city-building simulation computer game, saying it could hurt the country's security, a video game distributor said on Monday. The film and video censorship office blocked sales of "Tropico 5" because they feared "some part of its content might affect peace and order in the country," New Era Thailand marketing manager Nonglak Sahavattanapong said. She said the office, part of the Culture Ministry's cultural promotion department, did not provide any further explanation in a written statement received by the distributor on Monday. The office did not immediately reply to a request from The Associated Press for comment. "Tropico 5" is the latest version of a game released by Kalypso Media. It allows players to play the role of a president of a tropical island, draft a constitution and manage the country, with the option of controlling the media and ruling as an iron-fisted dictator. Thailand has been under a military dictatorship since May 22, when soldiers overthrew a civilian government in a coup. The junta has issued several edicts that critics say infringe on media freedom and free speech. "Actually it's a good game with positive reviews. We've had licenses to distribute Tropico 3 and 4 before, but in the fifth installment, the story line has developed further and there might be some part of it that's not appropriate in the current situation" in Thailand, Nonglak said. She said the company will not appeal the decision. Thailand's censors target a wide range of political and social issues. They blur out cigarettes and alcohol on television and crack down on scenes deemed immoral, pornographic, or critical of the monarchy. Last year, the film board banned a documentary about the country's long-running border dispute with neighboring Cambodia as a threat to national security. In 2012, it banned a Thai adaptation of Shakespeare's "Macbeth," saying it could cause divisiveness among the people. The post Thailand's Censors Ban 'Tropico 5' Computer Game appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

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