Democratic Voice of Burma

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• Karen CSOs reject JICA plans
• Bullet Points: 10 September 2014
• Burmese police still torture detainees, UN told
• University Students Union opposes Education Bill
• VP Nyan Htun contemplates Burma’s energy needs
• Two Burmese mountaineers missing on Hkakabo Razi
• Ethnic leaders discuss final ceasefire accord
• Netherlands to help Burma manage water  

Karen CSOs reject JICA plans Posted: 10 Sep 2014 05:38 AM PDT The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has yet again found itself in the midst of controversy with the Karen Peace Support Network (KPSN), a coalition of 28 Karen civil society organisations,  publicly rejecting their development proposal plans, in Rangoon on 9 September. The Japanese International Cooperation Agency is consulting the Burmese government on the development of several industrial parks, dams and agricultural plantations in Mon and Karen states. In February, JICA received flak for suggesting that refugees returning to Burma from Thai displacement camps could potentially provide low cost labour. Gathering in Rangoon on Tuesday, the KPSN accused JICA of preying on the vulnerable. Alex Shwe from KPSN said that "these huge projects neglect the voice of the people and add a lot of confusion to the peace process." Pointing at the ambiguity that surrounds the project he further added that, "there is no clear way for people to complain or demand compensation. There are practical problems for us. That is why we are demanding that mega investment projects be stopped until conflicts are solved.” Two of the dam projects proposed by JICA lie in areas claimed by the Karen National Union and designated by the armed group as nature conservation zones. As a result there has been a hardening of resistance to the economic project, as environmental protectionism blurs with political partisanship. Earlier In June, the first phase of the JICA project was scrutinised for turning a blind eye towards its own social and environmental guidelines, by failing to improve the living conditions of people displaced by JICA supported projects. KPSN insisted that after 60 years of civil war, which has forced as many as 130,000 refugees across the border into Thailand, Karen people should be the beneficiaries of development. The activists say the Karen are being systematically cut out of the planning process. Related Stories Mon govt pressures Thai energy giant BUSINESS WEEKLY – 5 September 2014 Dealers decry lost profit on car imports Susanna Hla Hla Soe said that by opposing the proposals of JICA, they were not opposed to development. "We only want sustainable development. The Karen people have been suffering for 60 years. They have the right to the profits of these projects," she said. Related Stories Mon govt pressures Thai energy giant BUSINESS WEEKLY – 5 September 2014 Dealers decry lost profit on car imports Over the course of this year, JICA has toured all 17 areas affected by the project, conducting surveys. JICA issued a statement saying that their plans entail resettlement of the displaced people and pledged to improve their standard of living. JICA has not provided a time frame or numbers for the repatriation of refugees and say they will reach out to armed groups as they push ahead with the projects.

Bullet Points: 10 September 2014 Posted: 10 Sep 2014 05:16 AM PDT On today's edition of Bullet Points: Two missing on Hkakabo Razi Karen groups hit out at JICA Dutch flood prevention for Burma You can watch Bullet Points every weeknight on DVB TV after the 7 o'clock news.

Burmese police still torture detainees, UN told Posted: 10 Sep 2014 03:43 AM PDT As the 27th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council convened this week, a legal advisory group has warned that Burma's police force still uses torture during interrogations. The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC), a non-governmental organisation that holds general consultative status with the UN, submitted twelve notices to the council on Monday, each pertaining to endemic abuses in various parts of Asia. The group said that they have new documentation of police torture in Burma, and that the country's law enforcement mechanisms are not adequate to solve the problem in a quick enough manner. Protection and support for detainees are also critically weak. "The practice of police torture in Myanmar [Burma] remains unchanged despite the efforts and work of countless individuals across the globe," read the statement, which went on to detail six cases documented since January 2013. The group said that there are "far more incidents" and that "the practice of torture by law enforcement agencies has been standard operating procedure through the interrogation process". One case detailed in the report was of a rickshaw driver arrested in July 2014 on charges of stealing fuel. The man was reportedly tortured in custody as police tried to obtain a confession. Upon his release, he was admitted to hospital and died from his injuries on 7 July. The ALRC said that the man's family was threatened by authorities not to contradict official accounts of the ordeal. Related Stories Number of political prisoners is up, says rights group Senior UN officials head to Arakan Land disputes must be solved right and fast: Dr Thaung Htun "The police often know that the victims of torture are innocent," the report continued. "The police may be acting to protect actual offenders, may not know who the actual offenders are, or do not have the means or inclination to find them within the short time available to solve cases in order to satisfy requirements for administrative efficiency dictated by their superiors." While many officials in Burma still adamantly deny the use of torture during interrogations, some have conceded that it does sometimes occur. Brig-Gen Win Khaung, Burma's national police chief, told DVB that "there are still some officers who want to get the facts fast, or who act compulsively. We cannot say that such offenses are nonexistent." The ALRC recommended that the UN work with the Burmese government to implement counseling, case documentation and awareness programmes for relevant institutions like the police force and the judiciary. Judicial weaknesses are of particular concern, according to Phil Robertson, Asia's deputy director for Human Rights Watch (HRW). "The Burmese judiciary is the Achilles heel of the reform movement because basic issues in enforcing rule of law fall to them – and frankly, the judges are nowhere close to ready to take up that challenge," Robertson told DVB on Tuesday. "Rather than standing up to stop abuses and enforce accountability, the judges shrink away, either because they are corrupt, or they are afraid to make a confrontational ruling, or more likely, a bit of both," he added. Burma is not a signatory to the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, though the Burmese government did show some intention to ratify the agreement during planning discussions earlier this year. Despite that positive signal, the ALRC said that "in practice, there is no change."

University Students Union opposes Education Bill Posted: 10 Sep 2014 02:57 AM PDT The University Students Union released a statement on Wednesday denouncing the National Education Bill; at the same time it launched an awareness campaign in front of the University for Computer Studies, 25km north of Rangoon. A spokesperson for the students' union, commonly known in Burma as the ta-ka-tha, said the event was not a demonstration but rather "a gathering to raise awareness about the weaknesses of the education bill", and that they had timed it to meet students who were entering the campus to sit for exams on Wednesday morning. The draft National Education Bill awaits the president's signature since being approved by both houses of parliament in late July. Controversial from the outset, the bill's detractors claim that it was drafted unilaterally and without enough transparency. Last month, a group of almost 100 students gathered at Mandalay's Yadanabon University to voice opposition to certain aspects of the bill, claiming that it creates excessive restrictions on the formation of student unions and centralises Burma's education system. Related Stories Burma ranks near bottom in global competitiveness report Sagaing students protest controversial Education Bill Mandalay students protest education bill The All Burma Federation of Students Unions, or ba-ka-tha, has also released statements opposing the current draft of the Education Bill, as has the National Network for Education Reform, an independent oversight body. Burma has a high literacy rate – 93 percent, according to World Bank data released in 2012. However, the country's education system was stymied under decades of military rule, and remains sorely short of highly-skilled instructors. The budget allocated for education in Burma is under six percent of national spending.

VP Nyan Htun contemplates Burma’s energy needs Posted: 10 Sep 2014 02:07 AM PDT Burmese Vice- President Nyan Htun has raised concerns about energy consumption in Burma. At the National Energy Management Committee meeting in Naypyidaw on Tuesday, he pointed out that Burma still derives 76 percent of its energy from non-renewable resources such as wood and charcoal. The vice-president added that Burma's energy consumption is much less when compared to neighbouring countries. This, he said, is indicative of the poverty existing within the country. Nyan Htun also said that the government is unable to provide people with their basic needs due to the lack of energy access. Related Stories A sight for sore eyes Public ‘misinterpreted’ poverty statement, says Ye Htut Burma's education policy under fire from academics In the past, the Burmese government has been accused of supporting foreign energy investment deals in Burma, while neglecting the needs of its own population. Burma has abundant reserves of oil, gas and electricity, resources that form the backbone of major foreign investments in the country. While these resources are exploited for export rather than domestic use, Burma continues to rely heavily upon non-renewable fuels for its energy provision. A United Nations Development Project report in May 2013 identified a large potential of commercial-scale renewable energy in Burma, such as hydroelectricity, wind energy, biofuels and geothermal energy, which has yet not been tapped into. The report also listed hindrances such as policy fragmentation, conflicting priorities of the government, and a lack of resources as some of the challenges that hinder access to energy within Burma. Of late, the Burmese government has welcomed foreign investments to harness energy for local consumption. USA has invested in a solar energy project which will contribute 12 percent of Burma's electricity demand

Two Burmese mountaineers missing on Hkakabo Razi Posted: 10 Sep 2014 01:14 AM PDT Two members of the all-Burmese expedition that scaled Southeast Asia's highest summit last week have been declared missing, according to an official from the Universities Hiking and Mountaineering Club which organised the climb. The official, who asked not to be named, said that the six other mountaineers had reached the town of Tha-hong-tan at the foot of the mountain at 7pm on Tuesday, and are in good health. He said that the missing men – team leader Aung Myint Myat, 32, and team manager Wai Yan Min Thu, 28 – were the only two who had reached the ice-capped peak on 31 August. The other six members waited behind for them, but lost contact with the pair on their descent due to what is assumed to be faulty communications equipment. The official said that it is possible that Aung Myint Myat and Wai Yan Min Thu are still descending the mountain. Helicopters have reportedly been deployed and other mountaineers were preparing to leave Rangoon on Wednesday to assist with the rescue effort. Adviser and sponsor Tay Za is also involved in the search, the mountaineering club said on its website. Related Stories Rescue team on stand-by as Himalayan radio silence puts nerves on edge Base camp loses contact with Burmese mountaineers Burmese mountaineers scale Hkakabo Razi Myo Thant, the Universities Hiking and Mountaineering Club chairman and spokesperson for the sponsors of the expedition, Nature's Call, also left for the Kachin town of Putao in northernmost Burma on Wednesday. The mountain is enveloped in a light rain but weather conditions are "not that bad", said the official. The Associated Press on Wednesday cited Myo Thant saying that five helicopters were to begin a search over Hkakabo Razi, part of the lower Himalayan range, which at 5,881m stands at the tri-border between Burma, China and India. The six team members who have descended successfully are: Han Lyinn Tun, 26, medic; Maung Maung Pyae Sone, 22, logistics; Myo Nyunt Than, 43, logistics; Zay Yar Tun, 32, geologist; Kyaw Htoo Naing, 24, documentarian; and Zaw Zin Khine, 28, cook.

Ethnic leaders discuss final ceasefire accord Posted: 09 Sep 2014 11:01 PM PDT Ethnic stakeholders convened in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on Tuesday to discuss the third and perhaps final draft of a nationwide ceasefire agreement, which is expected to be reached in September. The Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT), a 16-member group of ethnic peace negotiators, began their three-day congress shortly after a heated meeting of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), a coalition of ethnic armed groups, shook up the peace process last week. Col. Khun Okkar, an NCCT spokesperson, told DVB that despite setbacks, negotiators are well on the way towards reaching an agreement. "This is the last draft of the agreement that needs to be approved. We just need to polish it," he said. "We worked out the problems during the Laiza ethnic summit and our meeting in Rangoon. We will polish the agreement based upon the points of contention raised in those meetings.” NCCT leaders met in late July at the headquarters of the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) in Laiza, near Burma's border with China. After reaching some agreement on the second draft, the NCCT met with the government's negotiating team, the Union Peace-making Work Committee (UPWC) in Rangoon in August. Related Stories Mon govt pressures Thai energy giant Hardliner announces ABSDF split Culture ministry to protect buildings, nature Some NCCT members said the August meetings were positive and that the two sides had "managed to reach agreement on terms that we could not agree on previously", notably the government's announcement that they would be open to implementing federalism. Burma's peace process has had ups and downs over the past three years as negotiators try to end decades of civil war between the central government and the country's myriad ethnic armed groups. A meeting of the UNFC in Chiang Mai on 31 August ended with one of the biggest ethnic armed organisations, the Karen National Union, walking out and suspending their membership of the alliance. While government-backed facilitators have expressed optimism that a nationwide ceasefire agreement will be reached in September, some ethnic stakeholders still have hold-ups. The nationwide accord, once signed by negotiators, will be submitted to parliament and signed into law. Those armed groups unwilling to sign the agreement will be given the option to ratify at any later date as they see fit.

Netherlands to help Burma manage water   Posted: 09 Sep 2014 08:57 PM PDT During the last day of Burmese President Thein Sein's ten-day tour through Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands, the Dutch government announced support for water management projects in Burma with a commitment of three million euros (US$3.9 million). The Burmese delegation met with Prime Minister Mark Rutte, several Ministers, CEO's and the Dutch royal couple on 9 September. The first formal visit to the Netherlands by a Burmese President didn't generate much public attention, however. While journalists were offered a quick photo op, questions were not permitted and no press conference was held. Trade relations between the two states aren't as extensive as those with Europe's main economies (the United Kingdom, France and Germany), but they have potential. Several Dutch corporate giants like Shell, Heineken and Unilever are planning more investments in Burma. The two countries also have a major common enemy: water. The Netherlands, much like many parts of Burma, is low-lying and flood prone. A third of the Dutch lowlands are situated several metres below sea level, and the Dutch have specialised in protecting their land with a maze of dikes and pumps. Dutch leadership has pledged to share this expertise by training Burmese water managers to prevent future flooding in the Irrawaddy Delta. The aid is not unconditional, however. Dutch Minister of Trade and Development Lilianne Ploumen emphasised in a press statement that, "Myanmar [Burma] has shown a quick and impressive development from dictatorship to democracy. But it’s an early start. It is important that the government involves all groups in the process and protects the rights of minorities".   Related Stories Number of political prisoners is up, says rights group Village near Bagan evacuated as Irrawaddy floods Thein Sein chases German investment

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