Democratic Voice of Burma |
- Bullet Points: 25 September 2014
- Security increased in Rangoon in wake of Al-Qaeda threat
- Burmese waiter sets honest example in Thailand
- Monywa students protest Education Bill
- Ceasefire accord hits barrier on road map to peace
| Bullet Points: 25 September 2014 Posted: 25 Sep 2014 05:38 AM PDT On today's edition of Bullet Points:
You can watch Bullet Points every weeknight on DVB TV after the 7 o'clock news. |
| Security increased in Rangoon in wake of Al-Qaeda threat Posted: 25 Sep 2014 03:25 AM PDT Rangoon Region Border Affairs and Security Ministry said it has beefed up security in Rangoon with CCTV surveillance and patrols at various religious sites and increased monitoring of arrivals at the international airport in the wake of a declaration by Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri that the terror network has expanded its jihad to India, Bangladesh and Burma. Burma's police force said it is seeking help from Interpol with regard to intelligence gathering; meanwhile Rangoon Minister Col. Tin Win has urged citizens to be vigilant and report any suspicious activities in the city. However, several observers have questioned the impact such security measures will play on the civil rights of citizens, particularly towards the Muslim community. Meanwhile, several local Islamic leaders rejected the notion of an extremist element in Burmese society, with the Burmese Muslim Association denouncing Al-Qaeda as "morally repugnant". Speaking to DVB on Wednesday, Kyaw Win from the Burmese Muslim Association noted that despite five decades of persecution, Burma's Muslims have never retaliated by taking up arms. "We believe that violence is not the solution," he said. Several international voices jumped to the defence of Burma's Muslim community and the Rohingyas of Arakan State who have recently been the focus of attacks by extreme nationalists. "It appears that this Al-Qaeda statement is in response to the popularity of IS in the Middle East," said Chris Lewa, director of NGO Arakan Project, which funds Rohingya projects. "There is no evidence that such jihadist movements have ever appealed to Burmese Muslims or Rohingyas." Security Analyst Rahul Bhonsle, from Indian intelligence network Security-risks.com told DVB that, "There is some degree of potential to fan the flames of violence through the Rohingya, as well as through the Muslim and Buddhist divide that has recently surged in the country." However he also expressed doubts over their ability of mass recruitment in Burma, despite oppression. "Rohingyas follow Sufi Sunnism which is anathema to Al-Qaeda, so they will not be able to carry out a mass recruitment programme [in Burma]. Nevertheless, developments have to be watched," he said. Related StoriesFollowing Al-Zawahiri's call to arms, made public on a video on 3 September, the President's Office in Naypyidaw immediately assured the public that there was no reason for panic, saying the security apparatus was in place to defend Burmese citizens. Zaw Htay, the director of the President's Office, cautioned citizens to "handle inflammatory speech cautiously as it could lead to conflicts". However, there is a growing concern among many Burma watchers that new security measures will be used as a tool to harass Muslims. Mathew Smith from Bangkok-based Fortify Rights said, "We’re concerned the state and certain groups of civilians might use this threat to further demonise Muslim populations, which is the wrong tack to take if the objective is peace and security." His sentiment was echoed by David Mathieson, the senior researcher on Burma in the Asia Division of Human Rights Watch. "Residents of Rangoon of all faiths and ethnicities will realise that beefed up security measures under the guise of anti-terrorism imperil all their basic liberties, and the real vigilance of the citizens should be to ensure that the government doesn't misuse them to coerce critics and restrict legitimate peaceful political activities," he said. A Rohingya activist who asked to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the situation, said, "The Burmese government will use any excuse to clamp down further on the rights of Muslims in the country, which is a concern. Such moves will only lead to resentment which could then be exploited." In restive Arakan State however, where anti-Muslim mob violence has been triggered on occasion by seemingly innocuous personal incidents over the past two years, a more vigilant set of values has taken root. Dr. Aye Maung, deputy leader of the Rakhine National Party and an upper house MP, told DVB this week: "Most Arakanese people are afraid of the jihad movement declaration. We [Buddhists] are the minority in the northern part of Arakan, where 98 percent are Muslims." On the question of whether heightened security could be used to silence any one group of people, Aye Maung said that the government has no intention of harassing any particular community. "The government has the right to defend their territory and sovereignty," he said. "Nonetheless, it will go about security procedures in a prescribed manner."
|
| Burmese waiter sets honest example in Thailand Posted: 25 Sep 2014 01:57 AM PDT He didn't get rich, but a waiter from Burma can at least rest easy knowing he did the honest thing when he returned a bag containing one million baht (US$33,000) to customers at his Chiang Mai restaurant. La Namu, nicknamed Sairin by his Thai co-workers, was clearing a table at Phet Doi Ngam restaurant in Muang district on Tuesday when he found a brown leather bag left by an elderly Thai couple, Khao Sod Online reported on Wednesday. La Namu said he grabbed the bag and tried to run after the couple’s car to alert them, but failed to catch up. He said he didn’t open the bag, but believed it must have contained money and valuables, as it was quite heavy. The waiter then gave the bag to restaurant owner Kaesarapan Petchsri, who opened it to search for the owner’s contact information. But all she found were stacks of banknotes worth more than one million baht. Related StoriesKaesarapan said the couple returned to the restaurant shortly after, looking panicked. But they were very happy after getting their money back. The customers counted the cash and agreed it was all there. They then gave the young waiter a wai [a traditional Thai greeting] to thank him for his honesty. In gratitude for returning much more than what many Burmese nationals can hope to earn in about five years, the wealthy couple gave him 1,000 baht, or one-tenth of 1 percent of the sum returned. Kaesarapan said the couple thanked the restaurant and rushed out, leaving her no time to ask for their names. They only told her they were businesspeople from Bangkok.
This article was originally published in the Bangkok Post on 24 September 2014.
|
| Monywa students protest Education Bill Posted: 25 Sep 2014 01:34 AM PDT Students from Monywa University in Sagaing Division on Wednesday launched a campaign opposing the National Education Bill. The controversial bill, passed by parliament at the end of July, has been a subject of criticism among educators and students alike. Several student protests have been held around the country, claiming that the new bill would centralise decision-making and grant too much power to the Ministry of Education. Around 50 students from the Monywa University Students' Union Network on Wednesday distributed leaflets and spoke to fellow students at the gate to the campus, explaining why they believed the National Education Bill should be rejected. "We demand the abolition of the National Education Commission and the Coordination Committee for Higher Education (CCHE), which both centralise control of our education," said San Wai Phyo, coordinator of the Monywa University Students Union Network. Related Stories"We want to see the inclusion of articles in the bill that allow freedom to students and lecturers to form associations and unions at their campus." The protestors at Monywa University also called for a tri-lingual education system – in Burmese, English, and ethnic languages – which, they said, would promote ethnic unity in the multinational Union of Burma. A clause in chapter four of the draft National Education Bill said centralisation of power would be decreased only if teachers and lecturers "display good conduct and attitude", which students deemed an insult to teachers and education staff. University students across Burma, since March this year, have been campaigning against the bill, even before it was approved by parliament. The CCHE to date has not responded to their calls. San Wai Phyo said the Monywa student protestors will now step up their campaign in solidarity with student associations from other universities. |
| Ceasefire accord hits barrier on road map to peace Posted: 25 Sep 2014 12:34 AM PDT A Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) representative said on Wednesday that the ethnic bloc is unable to reach agreement with the Burmese government on four of the remaining five points of the proposed single-text nationwide ceasefire draft. Speaking to DVB after the third day of negotiations between ethnic and government delegations in Rangoon, NCCT Vice-chairman Nai Hongsa said the sticking points concerned military issues, as well as the "road map" for political dialogue and the issue of how many and which armed groups will join the peace process. The outstanding military matters are thought to involve: troop deployment; a code of conduct for troops; the formation of a ceasefire monitoring joint-committee; and whether or not to prohibit recruitment drives. "We cannot reach agreement on several issues," said Nai Hongsa. "Matters relating to the road map, how many groups will be permitted to take part in political dialogue – the government proposed there should be seven – and also military issues." Senior NCCT member Salai Lian Hmong Sakhong, head of the Chin National Front, said the government negotiators – a delegation known as the Union Peace-making Work Committee, or UPWC, headed by Minister Aung Min – had backtracked on issues that had been discussed at previous meetings. "We discussed several points today [Wednesday], but were unable to reach a tangible agreement," he said. "The UPWC team have backtracked on certain key issues that had already been discussed, such as the road map for political dialogue. We basically had to restart negotiations from scratch." Related StoriesAsked about the potential for progress or accord, the Chin leader said, "It is all taking time." Maj. Zau Tawng, head of strategic command for the Kachin Independence Organisation, which is still involved in an ongoing armed conflict with Burmese government forces, said he came to the Rangoon meeting this week with the express aim of agreeing on terms of troop redeployment in the wake of a ceasefire agreement. "We believe that the deployment of troops is a matter that must be discussed, agreed and included in the NCA [Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement]," he said. This round of talks, the sixth in a series of negotiations aimed ultimately at securing a lasting ceasefire among all the armed groups of Burma, is scheduled to last from 22 to 26 September, but looks set to be extended due to the lack of accord on crucial issues. In an interview with DVB on Monday, following the first day of talks, the NCCT's Nai Hongsa was asked about the degree of progress reached towards concluding a single-text agreement between the two sides. "Almost none," he exclaimed. Meanwhile in Naypyidaw, the lower house of parliament on Wednesday approved a proposal urging the government and ethnic armed groups to work together to agree on a nationwide ceasefire. |
| 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 | |
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.