Democratic Voice of Burma

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• Bullet Points: 1 September 2014
• KNU suspends membership of ethnic alliance
• Protesting Karenni farmers threatened by army commander
• Over 1,000 in Mandalay protest mining activities
• Burma agrees to repatriate over 2,000 Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh
• Villagers form petition to oppose Rangoon city project
• Burmese beauty stripped of crown, but absconds with tiara

Bullet Points: 1 September 2014 Posted: 01 Sep 2014 05:42 AM PDT On today’s edition of Bullet Points: Burma agrees on Rohingya repatriation. Rift emerges between KNU, ethnic council. Burma to sign rice deal with China.   You can watch Bullet Points every weeknight on DVB TV after the 7 o'clock news.

KNU suspends membership of ethnic alliance Posted: 01 Sep 2014 05:41 AM PDT After walking out on ethnic talks on Sunday, the Karen National Union (KNU) has suspended its membership with the United Nationalities Federal Council. In a statement published on Sunday night, the KNU said they would not be sending a representative to the next summit. KNU leaders have long held high profile positions within the coalition of ethnic armed organisations, which invited Burmese political parties and civil society groups to discuss Burma's possible future as a federal state. Yet the Karen National Union abandoned the talks on Sunday, one day after the UNFC stated that all ethnic groups would work together to see federalism come to pass. KNU commander-in-chief Mutu Say Poe, who lead the dissenting politicians as they left the talks on Sunday, signed his name on a letter to the UNFC that evening. The letter stated that "No KNU representative will be sent for UNFC for coming term," and that "the KNU later will decide in KNU central committee whether KNU will join UNFC or not." The general secretary of Burma's oldest armed resistance group explained DVB that the UNFC was stepping on their toes. “This [UNFC] organisation is costing us our autonomy." Related Stories Bullet Points: 1 September 2014 Burma reveals initial census data Trapped Burmese migrant workers strike in Chiang Mai "It is a top-down structure where we are expected to hand over our fate to the leadership.We cannot accept that." "We must continue to represent the Karen people, and the UNFC is not always considering their best interests." The UNFC conference follows talks in August between its ethnic partners, the National Ceasefire Coordination Team, and government peace negotiators in Rangoon. On that occasion, the government said it agreed – in principle – to the concept of Burmese federalism.

Protesting Karenni farmers threatened by army commander Posted: 01 Sep 2014 04:02 AM PDT Karenni farmers, who sent a letter to Commander-in-chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing asking him to intervene in a local land dispute, say they have now been threatened by local military commanders. According to TuReh, a farmer from So-Lyar-Ku village in Pruso Township, a group of local farmers sent the letter to Burma's military chief in Naypyidaw on 18 August, claiming that the army had seized and confiscated 1,200 acres of land since 1993. He said that in May of this year, more than 200 villagers had taken to campaigning through "plough protests" to draw attention to their plight and to call for the return of the farmland. He said that on 29 August, the Burmese army's regional control commander in Karenni State, Col. Saw Min, called on two representatives of the farmers, Su Reh and Dee De, to his office to meet with local administrative authorities. But when they attended the meeting, the two farmers were told that no land will be returned and that if they attempted to continue their plough protests, they would be charged. Related Stories Land disputes must be solved right and fast: Dr Thaung Htun Landslide devastates Karenni refugee camp: 1 dead, 1 missing Hpa-an farmers march for return of seized lands "The commander said that there was no way the military would hand back the land," said TuReh. "He said that the army could destroy the farmers' crops any time they wanted, so we should be aware that if we continue to protest, they would use force against us." DVB was unable to reach Col. Saw Min for comment. The villagers now say they will continue to fight for their land, and will take the matter to the land seizure investigation committee and the Union parliament. They told DVB on Monday that they had also requested the Karenni National Progressive Party to intervene on their behalf.

Over 1,000 in Mandalay protest mining activities Posted: 01 Sep 2014 02:13 AM PDT The mining sector in Burma continues to receive flak, with protestors taking to the streets in Wetthay and Phetshay villages in Thabeikkyin, Mandalay. On 30 August, the villagers protested against the encroaching mining activities on village land and the displacement of more than 150 households. Aimed at gold mining companies such as Myanmar Golden Pwint, Shwe Pyi Thar and Htarwarra, along with other metal mining companies in the region, the protestors condemned the breaching of boundary lines by these companies and expanding mining activities onto legally recognized village land. The Ministry of Home Affairs legally recognised Wethay and Phetshay, along with 22 other areas, as villages on 20 January 2010, "restricting mining activities in these regions." Related Stories The power of protest: Nay Myo Zin Black Lung in the Golden Land Mandalay students protest education bill Local resistance and protests are increasing with the mining industry steadily acquiring a notorious reputation for neglecting and not adhering to agreements. Earlier in May, Yamethin Township witnessed a protest over the Moehti Moemi mines, regarding the arrest of 10 miners. The rally witnessed a clash between security forces and protestors, who expressed dissent against the mining activities that they said, were "illegal, with damaging consequences to the environment in the vicinity." The adverse effects of gold mining in Mandalay are widespread, with serious occupational hazards such as "drillers disease" on the rise . The protest also stems in the face of the Burmese government overlooking the detrimental side of the mining industry. A report published by EarthRights International sheds light on the policy loophole that continues to exist in the mining sector in Burma.

Burma agrees to repatriate over 2,000 Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh Posted: 01 Sep 2014 01:57 AM PDT Burma has agreed to take back more than 2,000 Rohingya refugees from camps in Bangladesh following a bilateral agreement between delegations led by Burmese Deputy Foreign Minister Thant Kyaw and Bangladeshi Foreign Minister M Shahidul Haque in Dhaka on Sunday. According to Burma's Minister of Information and Presidential Spokesman Ye Htut, Bangladesh had requested that Burma repatriate more than 30,000 refugees, but Burma agreed only to take the more than 2,000 who had qualified under the four basic conditions laid down for repatriation. Burma's four basic principles for repatriating refugees are: they can prove they are Burmese citizens; they have evidence that their parents were Burmese citizens; if no such evidence exists, they can supply court documents verifying their Burmese citizenship; and that they are returning to Burma of their own free will. "We told them that we would accept refugees who want to come back of their own free will," Ye Htut told DVB on Monday. "The last time we interviewed these refugees in 2005, they said they didn’t want to come back. That's why we didn’t accept them. Since then, some have died, and some more have been born. We agreed to accept those who meet our four conditions for repatriation. To do that, we will form a bilateral team to review and interview the refugees. The process will take time. We will not be taking them back immediately." Related Stories Bullet Points: 1 September 2014 Burma reveals initial census data Tenasserim to allot land for refugees, officials say The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that there are more than 200,000 Rohingya refugees at two camps near the border in Bangladesh; it says some 30,000 are from Burma. However, Ye Htut said, Burmese authorities could only verify a little more than 2,000 people as Burmese citizens; they did not agree with the figure of 30,000 and would not undertake any further investigation to determine their status. Bangladeshi media quoted Bangladesh's Foreign Secretary Haque as saying the repatriation of 2,415 Rohingya refugees will take place in two months' time. "Foreign Secretary Haque told journalists after the meeting both sides agreed on a number of measures to take the relations forward," Bangladesh's BDNEWS24 reported on Sunday, noting that Haque further said that the meeting was held in an "open, frank, and cordial" manner that indicated "greater understanding between the two countries". "The Rohingya refugee issue has been the main irritant in the relations [between the two countries," the report said. BDNEWS24 also reported that both sides agreed to a prisoner exchange, and discussed Dhaka's desire to be included in the apportioning of gas from the China/ Korea-backed Shwe Gas project in the Bay of Bengal. Haque told reporters that the two delegations had also discussed the ongoing issues of an economic corridor linking India, Bangladesh, Burma and China; and road connectivity between Chittagong and Kunming, capital of China's Yunnan province, through Burma.

Villagers form petition to oppose Rangoon city project Posted: 31 Aug 2014 08:30 PM PDT A group of rural villagers living west of Rangoon said they are forming a petition to protest plans to build an extensive residential and commercial development on 30,000 acres (121 sq.km) of land in their area. Local residents of Ton Tay Township told DVB that they will send their petition to the Burmese president. "They will destroy the paddy fields and we will have rice shortages," said local farmer Aung Pe. "Many of the people here know only about farming. They have no other livelihood. I think that some rich people are buying out the farmers. It is completely unacceptable, We are forming a petition among all the villagers who disagree with this new city project and will send it to President Thein Sein." Since the announcement by Rangoon's divisional parliament on 22 August of the plan to build a massive project in the rural area immediately west of Rangoon, land prices have skyrocketed in areas earmarked for development. Related Stories US to build two solar energy plants in Burma 12 Foreign companies await results on Kyaukphyu SEZ Land prices skyrocket after unveiling of Rangoon development plan Locals also complain that brokers and investors have descended upon the villages in question – especially Kyi-Myin-Taing, Seik-Gyi-Kha-Naung-To and Ton Tay, all located five to 15km southwest and west of the Rangoon River – offering cash sums to farmers to sell their land. But many of the farmers are worried that selling out will leave them jobless. "I work part-time on a farm," said Khin May, a villager from nearby Than Phyu Yon. "This is the only job I can get. If they sell their farms, I will have no employment. Now all the prices are going up and up. Soon all the farmland will be gone." A Rangoon broker told DVB last week that plots of land have increased more than tenfold since the plan was unveiled. The value of land situated close to the Twante main road has hit highs of 100 million baht (US$100,000) per acre. Criticism has also been directed at the divisional authorities for a lack of transparency and for not disclosing details of the proposal for the development earlier. Rangoon divisional government announced on 28 August that it would call for tender bids for the project, following media reports that the development project had already been contracted to Myanma Setana Myothit Public Company. In 2008, DVB reported that some 600 families in Ton Tay township had been ordered to move out so that their properties could be demolished and the land used for new homes for cyclone victims.

Burmese beauty stripped of crown, but absconds with tiara Posted: 31 Aug 2014 12:44 AM PDT Following an announcement by the Miss Asia Pacific World Committee last week that its 2014 winner, May Myat Noe, had been stripped of the title, reports have circulated in international media that the Burmese beauty queen has absconded with the tiara, said to worth up to US$100,000. Associated Press (AP) cited David Kim, director of media for the Seoul-based pageant, saying that the 18-year-old was a "disappointment from the start", and that she had been "rude and dishonest" with pageant officials. An announcement from Miss Asia Pacific World Committee last week said that May Myat Noe had been "dethroned" and ordered to give back the crown and any accompanying benefits. However, although the committee arranged a return flight to Rangoon for May Myat Noe, the deposed beauty allegedly did not show up at the airport and has since vanished with the tiara. Another "benefit" that the Burmese allegedly ran off with was the gift of silicon breasts that the organisers had paid to have implanted. According to AP, the organisers said they were arranging singing and video deals for her. Kim reportedly said they wanted to change the teenager’s looks as well. “We thought she should be more beautiful … so as soon as she arrived we sent her to the hospital to operate on her breasts,” he said. Related Stories Miss Myanmar aims to learn from past contestants Burmese beauty queen arrives home after victory in Seoul Burmese belle wins beauty prize in Belarus “It’s our responsibility,” he said, adding that sponsors picked up the tab, which came to the equivalent of [$10,000], as they have for past winners. “If she has no good nose, then maybe, if she likes, we can operate on her nose. If it’s breasts, then breasts.” May Myat Noe has reportedly denied any wrong-doing. Although she has not addressed the matter publicly, she has said via social media that she will explain everything soon and urged the public not to judge her before hearing her side of the story. Hundreds of Burmese have already taken to Facebook and Twitter to voice support for May Myat Noe, condemning the organisers – and Kim in particular – for insensitivity. One social media user called Kim's comments "ridiculous", and suggested that he was the one who needs part of his body modified. In the meantime, the pageant committee has said it will appoint a new Miss Asia Pacific World.

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