Democratic Voice of Burma

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• Bullet Points: 9 September 2014
• Mon govt pressures Thai energy giant
• One dead in Shan drug-bust shootout
• Rescue team on stand-by as Himalayan radio silence puts nerves on edge
• Number of political prisoners is up, says rights group
• USDP denies role in cancelling by-elections
• DVB talks to corporate consultant Romain Caillaud
• Senior UN officials head to Arakan

Bullet Points: 9 September 2014 Posted: 09 Sep 2014 04:47 AM PDT On today's edition of Bullet Points: Shot fired in Myawaddy stand-off Burmese political prisoners remain behind bars Mon govt pressures Thai energy giant  You can watch Bullet Points every weeknight on DVB TV after the 7 o'clock news.

Mon govt pressures Thai energy giant Posted: 09 Sep 2014 04:42 AM PDT The government of Mon State has requested that energy giants Toyo-Thai produce a long overdue feasibility study. They are responsible for the planned construction of a one thousand two hundred and eighty megawatt coal fired powerplant set to cost two point seven billion dollars. Toyo-Thai says construction is set for 2015, on 500 acres of land in An-Din village of Ye township outside the Moulmein metropolitan area. Yet the Mon State government are concerned that building work has begun, under the guise of compiling the report. Mon State administrators say now is the time for environmentalists to make their claim. Zaw Linn Htun, Secretary for Mon State, says the massive project is not yet sure of coming to fruition. "We have not yet fully approved the coal fired power plant. We just needed the survey to determine whether it is possible to go ahead with it,” he told DVB "The will of the people is also very important. If people don't agree, [the company] cannot continue. So we asked them to stop. We were worried that they were carrying on with the project while saying that they were just conducting a survey.” The project has drawn the ire of local environmentalists, who warn that it could devastate the natural environment. Mon State boasts a vast, rich coastline, relied upon by fisherman and agriculturalists. Local activists have been circulating a petition this week, and distributing pamphlets against the project. They plan to submit their complaint to the Ministry of Energy, which signed off on the project last year. Related Stories DVB talks to corporate consultant Romain Caillaud Picking on the little guys: Phuketwan Thein Sein chases German investment Local activist Aung Naing Win remains on his guard. “The letter from the government to the company said the survey is overdue. This doesn’t mean that they will stop the project. So we will keep on collecting signatures for our petition, as the fight is ongoing.” On completion, the plant will burn coal imported from Australia, South Africa and Indonesia, with some power set to be sold back to Burma by the Thai company.

One dead in Shan drug-bust shootout Posted: 09 Sep 2014 04:09 AM PDT A drug-related shootout in eastern Burma left one dead and another injured on Monday, according to a local administrator. A group of villagers were buying and selling drugs in Nammatu Township, northern Shan State, on 8 September when they were approached by the local military patrol column, under Military Command 77, resulting in a deadly exchange. Sai Ba Aung, a village administrator in Mansan, where the incident took place, said that a villager fired a shotgun at the soldiers when he realised they'd been discovered in the midst of illicit activities. "Some villagers were secretly using drugs near the entrance to the village. The army column unexpectedly found them. One villager shot at them with a shotgun and the military column shot back at them," he said. "One was hit in the abdomen and died. Another one is Mansan villager. He was shot in the chest and has been taken to the Lashio hospital. We don’t know his condition yet." Sai Ba Aung said that six villagers, all presumed to be drug addicts, have been detained at the Nammatu police station. Local sources said that drug addiction is an enormous problem in the area, with users of all ages starting from about 12 years old. One villager told DVB that the man who fired the first shot was acting as a guard for the transaction. Gun-related crime is not common in most parts of Burma. Related Stories Thousands protest against mines in Namhkam Ethnic bloc hopeful of KNU return Fighting breaks out between Pa-O and Shan armies Sai Ba Aung said that an area just outside Mansan, which is in central Shan State between Lashio and Pyin Oo Lwin, has become a trading hub for drugs, and many people have become addicts. The spot was raided three times this year, but vendors kept changing location. A police sergeant working for the drug control force in Lashio, Tin Win Shwe, told DVB that the area is very difficult to control. Officers can't access the area unless they are escorted by local militiamen, and they need military approval from both local and district command centres. "The security around there is not good. Our police force can only succeed in arrests when we work together with a militia, and after we have received a tip off," he said. Tin Win Shwe said that the area hosts several militias and also has a strong presence of Shan State Army – North and Kachin Independence Army soldiers.   Burma is the world's second largest producer of opiates, accounting for about 18 percent of production worldwide. Recent years have also seen a rise in demand for synthetic drugs like ya-ba, a pill-form methamphetamine. The Burmese government recently signed a new four-year agreement with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime geared towards tackling the country's rampant drug-related problems.

Rescue team on stand-by as Himalayan radio silence puts nerves on edge Posted: 09 Sep 2014 01:20 AM PDT A rescue helicopter is on standby at the foot of Burma’s Himalayan glaciers, after a climbing team lost contact with base camp and has not been heard from for a week. The expedition is the first all-Burmese mission to successfully scale the summit of Hkakabo Razi, the highest mountain in Southeast Asia, standing at over 19,000 feet. But despite the silence, the sponsors of the expedition have emphasised that there is no need to panic, and have said that faulty satellite phones or a lack of battery power are most likely the reason why the team has been incommunicado. Myo Thant is chairman of Thabawa Khawthan, or Nature’s Call Foundation, which sponsored the expedition. He said it is still too early to panic. "Some people were worried after we lost contact with them," he told DVB on Monday. "But the local authorities have all been watching the situation, including the regional military command which has sent a helicopter in case of emergency." Related Stories Base camp loses contact with Burmese mountaineers Burmese mountaineers scale Hkakabo Razi Burma prepares for ASEAN foreign ministers' summit His comments came in response to several media reports suggesting that some tragedy had befallen the climbers as they descended the 5,881m Himalayan peak, situated in northern Kachin State at the tri-border between Burma, China and India. "A total of eight climbers plus a guide made the ascent," Myo Thant said on Monday. "But only two of them climbed to the peak. The back-up team was camped some 7,000 feet below. They would have known if anything was amiss." Although they may not be able to contact base camp, the team can still communicate with each other via walkie-talkie, he added. The eight-man expedition was expected to arrive at a mountain checkpoint on Monday, but didn't turn up. Having reached the peak of Hkakabo Razi on 31 August, the team began descending immediately and are scheduled to reach a base camp on the Tibetan side of the mountain on 13 September. "They set off from Putao on 31 July and reached the summit exactly one month later," said Myo Thant. "But the descent was only expected to take 20 days." He confirmed that a rescue team is at the ready in the northern Kachin town of Putao. The Burmese army's northern command has prepared an aerial search party, should the radio silence continue.

Number of political prisoners is up, says rights group Posted: 08 Sep 2014 11:13 PM PDT Despite the president's promise to rid Burma's jails of political prisoners by the end of 2013, a leading advocacy group claims that the number of prisoners of conscience has increased over the past year. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners in Burma (AAPP-B) said in a statement on Monday that there are currently 84 political prisoners in the country, while another 122 activists are facing what many believe to be politically motivated charges. The statement, which is based on data received up until the end of August, predicted that " the number of political prisoners is likely to continue to increase throughout the remainder of 2014". The group said that the rise in political incarcerations is largely attributable to the use of Burma's controversial Section 18, part of the Right to Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Act, to convict activists. Despite having been amended in June, rights defenders still say that the law grants too much leeway for authorities. AAPP-B said that they have documented 28 cases of politically related charges in August, while one political prisoner was released and five were said to have been tortured.   A spokesperson for the group, Khin Cho Myint, told DVB that they hope to see President Thein Sein make good on his promises about prisoners of conscience.   "The president promised to release all of them. He said there would be no political prisoners by the end of 2013. It has been eight months since he said that they all would be freed, but the number is only going up," she said. Related Stories Thein Sein chases German investment Bullet Points: 2 September 2014 President Thein Sein embarks for Europe "We want to see this promise implemented.” In addition to those that are either in jail or on trial for charges related to activism or other political activity, thousands of farmers nationwide could face charges for land rights demonstrations. Burma has a rich history of jailing its dissidents. The AAPP-B was formed in 2000 to keep track of and provide assistance to political prisoners and their families, while Burma was still under the heavy handed rule of the military junta. Following reforms initiated in 2011, President Thein Sein vowed to free all prisoners of conscience, and a series of presidential pardons saw the release of about 1,300 people. The AAPP-B has pointed out, however, that many of those granted amnesty were shortly re-arrested. Members of the AAPP-B and other government-appointed figures were chosen to lead a Committee to Verify Remaining Political Prisoners, which identifies those eligible for amnesty. The committee, which was meant to be dissolved after all political prisoners had been released, decided earlier this year that they had not yet fulfilled their mandate.

USDP denies role in cancelling by-elections Posted: 08 Sep 2014 10:40 PM PDT A spokesman for the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) has rejected reports that Burma's ruling party was involved in axing this year's by-elections, but said that he believes the decision to cancel polling was "sensible". "The reasons Union Election Commission [UEC] Chairman U Tin Aye gave for cancelling the by-elections were sensible," said USDP central committee member Thar Win. "Nonetheless, we wanted to contest the polls and had been preparing for the campaign. We believe the by-elections would have been beneficial for us. We wanted to use this year's polls as a learning curve for the 2015 general election." Thar Win told DVB the USDP conceded that the term of any elected candidates in the by-election would only last a year, and therefore the time spent campaigning would be uneconomical. But he rejected claims that the polls, which were to be slated for November or December, had been cancelled due to pressure from the USDP. "We had prepared vigorously for these by-elections," he said. "But our preparations will not be wasted as we have national elections coming soon." Thirty-five vacant seats remain in the upper and lower houses of parliament, as well as state and divisional assemblies. The opposition National League for Democracy, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, won 43 seats of 46 seats at the last by-elections in April 2012. It too said it accepted the decision of the UEC to cancel this year's polls. Related Stories Burmese MPs react differently to cancellation of by-elections By-elections cancelled New parties not contesting by-elections could be dissolved, says EC

DVB talks to corporate consultant Romain Caillaud Posted: 08 Sep 2014 09:25 PM PDT DVB Interview International spoke to Romain Caillaud, managing director of the recently opened Rangoon office of Southeast Asia-focused corporate advisory firm Vriens and Partners. Caillaud told to DVB about the nature of economic development in Burma and who it might be benefiting. "There seems to be an economic boom," he said. "But how much of that is being felt outside of Yangon [Rangoon], or the main cities, in the rural areas, remains to be seen." "One could look at data or one could look at people and ask their opinion. My impression is that for most persons who actually rely on the land, on agriculture, they are still yet to see a difference in their life.” DVB asked Caillaud how Burma would manage to build the skilled workforce it needs to underpin economic development. He responded that in a country where the education system has suffered from under-funding and neglect, training a workforce would take time. He did suggest that there is an alternative. "An opportunity for Myanmar [Burma] is to attract back some of its citizens who moved abroad over the last decades. In Thailand or Malaysia for manual workers, in Singapore for technicians and people who work in the financial sector, and beyond in the UK, the US, in Australia, so that's also a pool of qualified workers originally from Myanmar who could come back here and help support the economy." Caillaud said that foreign companies, particularly those that have experience operating in emerging markets, have a pivotal role to play in the training of local workers. The training and exposure that foreign firms provide Burmese workers is where those companies will provide value to the country. DVB asked how and why companies are making the leap into Burma as the economy rapidly expands. Caillaud responded that while we are seeing a lot of companies venturing into Burma, each business programme is tailored not only to opportunities in Burma, but how the plan would fit into overall regional strategies. "Many majors of big oil and gas companies from around the world participated in the recent offshore gas tender, but for example BP — a very prominent British company — did not. That's because it is tied up in other countries and has other concerns or issues to deal with. So just because there are opportunities in one sector doesn't mean the opportunity is of interest to any company." On the issue of responsible investment, Caillaud believes that while doing business in Burma might have risks, they are not unique and many foreign firms have experience working in the developing world. "Often these large companies have processes in place and have experience dealing with such issues in other countries," he said. What these companies need, he said, is "an understanding of local context, an understanding of what the people and the government of Myanmar want from them and what will be their expectations." He says hiring locally is the best way to gain those insights, to "localise" their responsible practices. Related Stories Mon govt pressures Thai energy giant Thein Sein chases German investment BURMA BUSINESS WEEKLY – 29 August 2014 Asked about the Rangoon Stock Exchange due to launch in 2015, Caillaud joked that we’re unlikely to see the "Wolf of Yangon" emerging any time soon. He believes that the deadline for the stock exchange is overly ambitious, but that a stock exchange would be a significant boost for companies looking to raise profits. Of those companies, their profits and their dealings with the government, Caillaud believes that Burma is becoming a more transparent place for business, but that there’s still a lot of work to do. He says that Naypyidaw has made positive moves to "route out the system which is at the core of corruption”, but that  "overall, Myanmar does not perform so badly compared to its ASEAN neighbours." "It is important to ask Myanmar to meet performance standards that it can achieve, in a realistic manner, you can't ask Myanmar to be Switzerland, or Norway, in the coming two years."

Senior UN officials head to Arakan Posted: 08 Sep 2014 08:06 PM PDT A senior United Nations delegation departed for the Arakan State capital of Sittwe on Monday to "take stock of the ongoing humanitarian and development situation in Rakhine [Arakan] State and review priorities for the UN system," according to a statement. Assistant Secretary-General Haoliang Xu, who is also the assistant administrator for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and its regional director for Asia and the Pacific, is accompanied by John Ging, the director of the Coordination and Response Division of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA). The visit is part of a weeklong visit to the country, Xu's first in his official capacity. Xu and Ging will subsequently meet with Burma's vice president, Dr. Sai Mauk Kham, and other senior ministers in Naypyidaw later this week. The pair will depart Burma on Friday. The visit will focus on the implementation of the UN's development and humanitarian assistance programmes in the restive state, which has witnessed a surge of communal violence since 2012. In recent months, Arakanese Buddhist nationalists have voiced significant opposition to the activities of UN agencies and international NGOs in the state, which they claim are biased towards Muslims. "The UN is looking at Rakhine in a more holistic manner," said Pierre Peron, UNOCHA's public information officer in Burma. "It's one of the poorest states in the country." Related Stories Arakan officials snub OIC offers of help Population shortfall forces rethink Bullet Points: 1 September 2014 In late July, the regional government invited NGOs and UN agencies to help implement an "Action Plan for Peace, Stability and Development in Rakhine State." Formulated with input from NGOs, UN agencies, civil society actors and foreign diplomats, it is expected to address issues surrounding humanitarian aid, the resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs), and the government's development priorities, but its contents have not been made publicly available. A controversial cornerstone of the government's new strategy in Arakan is a "citizenship verification" programme launched in June, intended to give stateless individuals – primarily Rohingya Muslims – the chance to acquire citizenship. But the programme compels individuals who identify as Rohingya to register as "Bengalis," nomenclature that implies "alien" origins in neighbouring Bangladesh. It is a designation rejected by the vast majority of Rohingya, whose presence in the restive region dates back generations. Many Rohingya were stripped of their citizenship under Burma's restrictive 1982 Citizenship Law, which allows individuals to become "naturalised citizens" if they can prove their ancestors resided in Burma prior to independence in 1948. The burden of proof for "full" citizenship is higher, with a cutoff date of 1823, the beginning of British colonial rule in Arakan. For most Rohingya, their family histories are difficult to document, owing to a lack of a paper trail befitting the government's exacting requirements. Last Thursday, a delegation led by Sai Mauk Kham, which included government ministers, INGO officials, and the ambassadors of Turkey and Brunei, visited two IDP camps near Sittwe. He was quoted in state media as saying that IDPs should be relocated to areas close to where they were displaced from, and that the "initial step" for resettlement would be "when the two communities can accept the same conditions for stability and the citizenship scrutiny measures being taken by the government." But the notion that citizenship should be contingent on the rejection of Rohingya identity earned the government's policies a stern rebuke from the newly-appointed UN special rapporteur on human rights, Yanghee Lee. In July, she asserted that, under the principles of international law, minorities have the right "to self-identify on the basis of their national, ethnic, religious and linguistic characteristics." She criticised the 1982 Citizenship Law, claiming that it should not "be an exception" immune from amendment during Burma's current process of legislative reform, despite the substantial level of domestic support the law enjoys.

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