The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Burma’s Ethnic Armed Groups Want Thein Sein in Peace Talks
• Pa-O, Shan Rebels Meet After Clash Over Territory
• Authorities Lift Curfew in Sittwe
• Art for Peace
• Activist’s Prison Term Rises to More Than a Decade
• Burma Must Invest in Education to Boost Growth: ADB
• Royal Thai Film Director Studies Ancient Burmese Battlegrounds
• Philippines Plans to Give Muslims Autonomous Zone 
• China Asserts Paternal Rights Over Hong Kong in Democracy Clash
• Squirrel-like Jurassic Critters Shed Light on Mammal Origins
• Al-Qaeda’s Shadowy New ‘Emir’ in South Asia Handed Tough Job

Burma’s Ethnic Armed Groups Want Thein Sein in Peace Talks Posted: 11 Sep 2014 06:27 AM PDT Burma President Thein during a televised address in March 2013. (Photo: President's Office website) CHIANG MAI — The leaders of Burma's ethnic armed groups want President Thein Sein to get involved in peace talks, as negotiations toward a nationwide ceasefire deal continue. Members of the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT), which includes representatives of 16 rebel groups, are holding discussions this week in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, about the current draft of the long-awaited nationwide ceasefire agreement. Following the meeting, NCCT leaders will meet with the Burmese government delegation, the Union Peacemaking Working Committee (UPWC), on Sept. 22 in Rangoon, where they will present their latest draft of the agreement. Salai Lian Hmong Sakhong, a leading member of the NCCT and leader the Chin National Front, told The Irrawaddy that a new demand of the ethnic leaders was the formation of a "joint committee for union peace negotiation" after the ceasefire agreement is signed. The committee, which would oversee political dialogue following the ceasefire, would include high-ranking government officials including Thein Sein. However, Lian Hmong Sakhong admitted that government negotiators were not keen on the idea. "What we observe is that they don't really want to put the president at the same level as us. So, we have to negotiate on that very seriously," he said. "If they want to end the six-decade-long problem, a body led by key heads is necessary. Without that kind of body, we can do nothing. They need to think about it seriously." He added that Kachin Independence Army Deputy Chief of Staff Gen. Gun Maw would oversee the committee, and two other joint bodies, from the rebel side. The ethnic alliance will also demand the formation of a working committee on military-related issues, and another committee to draw up of a code of conduct for the ceasefire. "It is very dependent on them [the government]. If they agree with what we demand, [there's no reason] why we can't sign a nationwide ceasefire agreement," Lian Hmong Sakhong said. He said that Saw Tah Doh Moo, who is a central executive committee of the Karen National Union (KNU), will be in charge of the code-of-conduct working committee, and Maj. Saw Lo Loh of the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) will be in charge of the "joint monitoring" committee." Thein Sein's government has been pushing to sign a nationwide ceasefire rapidly, but numerous deadlines have already been passed. Saw Tah Doh Moo told The Irrawaddy that the rebels' latest additional proposals were to ensure joint leadership after the nationwide ceasefire agreement, or NCA, is signed. "We believe that ceasefire-related talks, political dialogue and other implementations of the peace process will happen post-NCA. So, it is necessary to set up a mechanism to work in parallel cooperation manner," said Tah Doh Moo. The post Burma's Ethnic Armed Groups Want Thein Sein in Peace Talks appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Pa-O, Shan Rebels Meet After Clash Over Territory Posted: 11 Sep 2014 06:08 AM PDT RCSS soldiers hold flags as they parade in Loi Tai Leng in 2010. (Photo: Reuters) Leaders of two Shan and Pa-O rebel groups that recently clashed because of a territorial dispute, held discussions on Thursday in an effort to resolve the argument, a rebel officer said. The Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) Vice Chairman Gen. Sai Yee met with Pa-O National Liberation Organization (PNLO) Chairman Khun Myint Htun to discuss the firefight in Maukmae Township, southern Shan State, according to RCSS peace team secretary Lt-Col. Sai Ngin. "They agreed to settle the territorial dispute in a peaceful manner," he said, adding that they met at Loi Tai Leng, the RCSS headquarters located on the Burma-Thai border. "We focused on controlling our ground forces so we will not exchange gunfire again," Sai Ngin said, adding that the territorial dispute would be discussed in detail at a further meeting. The meeting comes a week after both sides exchanged fire in a long-disputed area where both sides intend to build bases and homes for their ethnic villagers. Sai Ngin said the firefight had been settled and no causalities had been reported. The RCSS alleged that the PNLO came to build houses in the area and ignored repeated warnings by the RCSS to leave. RCSS troops are still deployed in the disputed area, where it has been providing health and educational supports for Shan villagers. The PNLO claimed that three of its fighters were captured and are being held against their will, but Sai Ngin denied these accusations. "These three soldiers came and joined the RCSS forces, we did not arrest them. If they want to go back home or have a desire to go back to their organization, we are ready to let them go," he said. Representatives of other ethnic armed groups, the Karenni National Progressive Party and Wa National Organization, also attended Thursday's meeting in order to help mediate a solution. Karenni National Progressive Party Chairman Abel Tweed said that Burma's different ethnic groups should unite in order to negotiate a peace agreement with the government. He said the groups should live in harmony in areas where they are neighbors, adding, "The dispute could be settled. We cannot push away or reject to the settlement of the ethnics—either Pa-O, Palaung, Shan or Wa—in Shan State." More than a dozen ethnic armed groups in Burma have been fighting a decades-old war with the central government, but clashes between rebels are not uncommon either. In Shan State, the Pa-O have long complained that they are being mistreated by the larger ethnic Shan minority. The post Pa-O, Shan Rebels Meet After Clash Over Territory appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Authorities Lift Curfew in Sittwe Posted: 11 Sep 2014 04:32 AM PDT Policemen stop civilians at one of the road blocks that surround Aung Mingalar, Sittwe's last Muslim quarter, in May 2013. (Photo: Jpaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Burma on Thursday lifted a curfew imposed in June 2012 when clashes between Buddhists and minority Muslims erupted throughout western Arakan State, killing at least 192 people that year. Most victims of the violence were Muslim Rohingya, who live under apartheid-like conditions. The United Nations says almost 140,000 Rohingya remain in camps after being driven from their homes by Buddhist mobs in 2012. Sectarian tension has simmered in Arakan and aid agencies were forced to evacuate the state capital of Sittwe in March when Buddhists attacked their offices after accusing them of favoring Muslims. But state government spokesman Win Myaing said that tension had eased. "The curfew … will be lifted effective today, as the security situation is improving," he told Reuters. Most aid agencies that pulled out of Sittwe in March have resumed at least limited operations, but the government has so far refused to allow the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to return. On Tuesday, MSF said it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Burma’s central government which established "a framework for our medical activities" in five regions, including Arakan. "We hope this measure translates into an early resumption of our activities in Rakhine [Arakan]," MSF said in a statement. The post Authorities Lift Curfew in Sittwe appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Art for Peace Posted: 11 Sep 2014 04:25 AM PDT Standing beside an acrylic painting, titled "For the Peace," a man makes a speech in Rangoon in June at an event to mark the third anniversary of the Kachin conflict. (Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The works of more than 100 artists, including prominent 88 Generation activists Min Ko Naing and Pyone Cho, will be displayed and available for sale as part of a peace-themed exhibit that starts Saturday at a gallery in Rangoon. The exhibit at River Ayeyarwaddy Gallery, called "For the Peace," will run until Sept. 21, the International Day of Peace. Among artists featuring their works are Hsuu Thit Ni, Aung Naing Maung, Lynn Wunna, photographer Soe Win Nyein and cartoonist Walone. One special acrylic painting, which blends the handprints of internally displaced people in Kachin and Shan States onto a canvas, will be auctioned at 5 pm on the final day of the show. "It took about 15 days to make," Phyu Ei Thein, who organized the exhibit, said of the painting, also titled "For the Peace," which was created by the White Holding Hands Group, a Rangoon-based humanitarian group. The proceeds from the auction will go toward IDP camps in Kachin and Shan states, she said. Woven bracelets made by ethnic Kachin IDPs will also be on sale at the exhibition. In addition to paintings, the gallery will feature installation art, performance art, poetry readings and musical performances. The post Art for Peace appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Activist’s Prison Term Rises to More Than a Decade Posted: 11 Sep 2014 04:12 AM PDT Activist Htin Kyaw holds up a sign protesting Burma's government after a hearing earlier this month while supporters give a three-finger salute, a gesture adapted from anti-coup protestors in Thailand. (Photo: Sai Zaw / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — A township court in Rangoon has extended the prison term of democracy activist Htin Kyaw to more than a decade, despite calls for mercy from an international human rights group. During his final hearing at Shwe Pyi Thar Township Court on Thursday, Htin Kyaw, a leader of the Movement for Democracy Current Force (MDCF), was sentenced to two more years in prison under Section 505 (b) of the Penal Code for "public mischief," after he demonstrated against President Thein Sein's government. The prominent activist has staged a series of protests this year condemning the government and calling for respect of land rights. He was arrested in May and has faced charges in 11 townships courts across the city, not only for causing public mischief but also for demonstrating without permission, in violation of the Peaceful Assembly Act. "In total, he has been sentenced to 11 years and four months," his wife, Than Than Maw, told The Irrawaddy. "There are two more trials to face, and we haven't decided yet whether to appeal." Htin Kyaw is currently being held at Insein Prison and is set to stand trial in Kyauktada and Hlaing townships for the same charges. Meanwhile, Amnesty International is urging the government to end its "persecution" of the activist. "The relentless efforts of the [Burmese] authorities to silence a critical voice must end immediately," Rupert Abbott, Amnesty's deputy Asia-Pacific director, said in a statement on Wednesday. "The charges Ko Htin Kyaw is facing … are farcical. He has done nothing but peacefully express his opinions—he is a prisoner of conscience and should be released immediately and unconditionally." Under the former military regime, Htin Kyaw was sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison for protesting against the government's hike in fuel prices. He was freed in an amnesty after Thein Sein's administration took power in 2011. Again, in 2013, he was arrested and sentenced to six months in prison after leading a land rights protest in Mayangone Township, also in Rangoon. He was released under another presidential amnesty four months later. The post Activist's Prison Term Rises to More Than a Decade appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Burma Must Invest in Education to Boost Growth: ADB Posted: 11 Sep 2014 04:05 AM PDT Asian Development Bank Assistant Chief Economist Cyn-Young Park delivers a presentation in Rangoon on Thursday. (Photo: Simon Lewis / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Burma needs to invest more than US$80 billion if the country is to reach its economic potential over the next 15 years, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said in a new report, which highlighted the economic case for boosting funding forschools. The 217-page report—titled "Myanmar: Unlocking the Potential"—was launched in Rangoon on Thursday. The authors analyzed different scenarios for economic growth, concluding that, in the best case, Burma's gross domestic product could grow by an average of 9.5 percent annually, reaching $4,800 per person per year in 2030. The economy grew by 7.5 percent in the last fiscal year, but GDP per capita remains less than $1,000, according to the ADB. To achieve growth, "The main thing is stability," lead author Cyn-Young Park told The Irrawaddy. "Economic, social, political [stability]: those things are really fundamental." "In terms of policy priorities, what comes out [of the analysis] is that the country needs to make a lot of investment—now—for the future. That includes the infrastructure, that includes the human capital and it includes putting business in an investment-friendly [environment]." Park, who is the Manila-based bank's assistant chief economist, said building roads, power infrastructure and mobile phone networks was a priority in the realm of physical infrastructure. But she emphasized the large impact that investing in schools and universities could have on the future of Burma's economy, where employers often complain about low levels of education in the workforce. "Education plays a very big part," she said, adding that a bump of almost 1 percent GDP growth per year could eventually result if schools and universities were improved. "There has been underinvestment for a really long time, which has left a shortage of skilled workers." Burma's education system, once the envy of much of Asia, has been starved of funding by successive governments who prioritized military spending. The proportion of GDP spent on education more than doubled in the two years up to 2013, to 1.7 percent, but today it remains well below that of most other countries in the region. The ADB recommends that the government builds more schools or expands transport in rural areas, while also overhauling curricula and considering cash transfers and scholarships to expand access to higher education. The report estimates that a massive $80.2 billion of investment is needed across the board by 2030, with more of that investment required in the earlier part of the next decade and a half. Public-private partnerships, or PPPs, are seen as an important way to attract funding. However, the ADB report says, "Even with strong emphasis on PPPs, the bulk of infrastructure and social sector investment will likely remain a government responsibility." To find the cash, the government must improve its tax yield, currently only about 5 percent of GDP, the ADB said. "[Officials] have to start mobilizing more actively the domestic resources," said Park. "There are places they can work very hard, like in terms of tax collection, tax administration. They can introduce new taxes. They need to make sure that they get very stable and adequate streams of domestic revenues for that kind of investment. "You cannot spend if you don't have stable sources of income." This would involve capturing more revenues from the exploitation of Burma's natural resources, and reforming state-owned enterprises through corporatization. Winfried Wicklein, the Burma country director for ADB, said the government could also seek outside funding—through development grants from foreign donors, borrowing, or from the private sector. The ADB itself is providing $1.2 billion to Burma from 2013-16, but that includes an initial injection of $512 million to clear the government's historic debts to the bank. "The capital markets have to be fixed first, and the commercial banks are still hesitant and international banks even more so. Generally the financing options are relatively small, and [officials] are working hard to expand them. But the private sector will, no question, play a very important role," Wicklein told The Irrawaddy. "The trick to unleash the power of the private sector is to get the regulatory frameworks right, get the processes right." The post Burma Must Invest in Education to Boost Growth: ADB appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Royal Thai Film Director Studies Ancient Burmese Battlegrounds Posted: 11 Sep 2014 02:23 AM PDT Thai film director Chatrichalerm Yukol and his team survey the old city wall and moat of Toungoo, Bago Division. (Photo: Mya Thaung) CHIANG MAI, Thailand — A film director from Thailand's royal family has visited Burma for pre-production research before shooting the latest in a film series about an ancient Thai king. "The Legend of King Naresuan Part VI," which will be filmed in Thailand, will feature a re-enactment of the Thai king's attack on Toungoo, now in Burma's Bago Division. The director, Chatrichalerm Yukol, came to Burma last weekend to study the historic battlegrounds for two days, according to historian Mya Thaung, who guided the film crew around the city. "They already built a set for the film. They came here to study the terrain of the major battlegrounds where King Naresuan launched the attack," the historian told The Irrawaddy. "They took photographs and drew sketches to help them create the set back in Thailand." Naresuan ruled the Ayutthaya kingdom from 1590 until his death in 1605. The film crew studied the area near Kywemagu and Yenwe creeks, where Narusuan stationed his troops, and along Sittaung River, where the troops marched on their way to Toungoo. The crew also examined old Kaytumati City and its moat and conduit, while the director, Chatrichalerm Yukol, visited towns that were satellite suburbs of Toungoo during the Toungoo dynasty. Though he is a member of the royal family, Chatrichalerm Yukol reportedly does not plan to approach the film series with the nationalistic fervor that other Thai directors have shown. The plot begins as a Burmese king, Bayinnaung, takes 9-year-old Naresuan hostage to Hanthawaddy, the capital of the Burmese kingdom by the same name, in a bid to keep Naresuan's Ayutthaya kingdom subservient. In captivity, Prince Naresuan learns military and leadership skills at a Burmese monastery. After the Burmese king passes away, Naresuan unifies the Thai people and in 1584 he fights back against the king's successor, Nanda, for independence. Burmese historical records say Narusean stationed his troops at Kywemagu Kyunchaung and attempted to enter Hanthawaddy by draining water from Kaytumati Moat through Ayutthaya conduit to Sittaung River. But the Thai vessels that were carrying food supplies came under attack and the soldiers were forced to withdraw. During the subsequent reign of Burmese King Anaukpetlun in Inwa in Mandalay Division, Narusean died of what is believed to have been smallpox on his march to Shan State through the Thai city of Chiang Mai, according to historical records. Last June, "The Legend of King Narusean Part V" was shown at cinemas across Thailand by the Thai government in an attempt to boost nationalism.   The post Royal Thai Film Director Studies Ancient Burmese Battlegrounds appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Philippines Plans to Give Muslims Autonomous Zone  Posted: 10 Sep 2014 10:26 PM PDT Philippine President Benigno Aquino (C) applauds as Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal (2nd L) shakes hands with Senate President Franklin Drilon (2nd R) during the turnover ceremony of the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law Wednesday. (Photo: Reuters) MANILA — The president of the overwhelmingly Catholic Philippines proposed Wednesday to give Muslims in the south the ability to run their own government under their own flag, part of a peace plan aimed at ending a four-decade rebellion that has killed 150,000 people. The draft law submitted by President Benigno Aquino III to Congress fleshes out a peace deal signed in March by the country’s largest Muslim insurgent group, the 11,000-strong Moro Islamic Liberation Front. The autonomous region in the southern island of Mindanao, to be called Bangsamoro, would get its own 60-member parliament that would wield exclusive power over such areas as agriculture, trade, tourism and education. Under the proposal, Islamic Shariah law would apply to Muslims in the region, but the country’s justice system would continue to apply to non-Muslims. The Moro group has renounced the terrorist acts of extremist groups, including the Islamic State, which seeks to impose a harsh version of Shariah law in areas under its control in Syria and Iraq. But at least three smaller Muslim rebel groups in the southern Philippines oppose the autonomy deal and have vowed to continue fighting for a separate Muslim homeland. The autonomous zone, which generally covers five provinces, would replace an existing one, seen as a dismal failure. The new plan grants much more autonomy to the region, and Aquino’s government also has promised to pour 17 billion pesos ($389 million) in special development funds over the next five years into the region, which has been stunted economically by the long-drawn conflict. The new region will also get larger revenue shares, including 75 percent of national taxes, fees and charges collected by the government in Bangsamoro. The current Muslim region gets 70 percent of those taxes. The rebels have been fighting since the 1970s for Muslim self-rule in Mindanao in an insurrection that has killed about 150,000 combatants and civilians. The United States and other Western governments have backed the autonomy deal partly to prevent the insurgency from breeding extremists who could threaten their countries. The peace accord and the draft law came after 13 years of tough negotiations. "This is the farthest distance we have reached in our peace journey with the MILF," presidential adviser Teresita Deles said in a statement. "Every word, line, and provision shall be subjected to the sunshine of democratic debate, where all voices will be heard, with our constitution as the guiding light." The Moro rebel group’s transformation has reaped praise amid worldwide alarm over the rise of the Islamic State group, which has been condemned for acts of brutality, including mass killings and beheadings. The United Nations office in the Philippines praised the development as a "critical milestone" and "a crucial achievement in ensuring lasting peace and sustainable development in Mindanao and in the wider Philippines." The broader autonomy given to the Muslim rebels mirrors the enhanced power, larger resources and other concessions granted by neighboring Indonesia to Muslim separatist rebels in its Aceh province under a 2005 peace deal. That peace pact has held. The Philippine autonomy bill is expected to come under intense scrutiny in Congress, but it is eventually expected to pass given that both the Senate and House of Representatives are dominated by Aquino’s allies. The bill may face legal challenges from Christian politicians and groups, which are wary of ceding territory, power and influence to Muslims. In 2008, the government and the rebels were close to signing a preliminary peace deal but Christian politicians questioned the legality of the pact, which eventually fell apart, igniting rebel attacks. Fighting resumed, killing scores of people and displacing tens of thousands of villagers. Filipinos have grown exasperated with the fighting in the south, so some politicians are reluctant to be seen opposing the plan, said Ramon Casiple, head of the independent Institute for Political and Electoral Reform. "This isn’t a partisan issue," Casiple said. "If you go around saying you’ll block this, a stance the public fears would lead to war, I don’t think you’ll get support from the people." The post Philippines Plans to Give Muslims Autonomous Zone  appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

China Asserts Paternal Rights Over Hong Kong in Democracy Clash Posted: 10 Sep 2014 10:19 PM PDT Founders of the Occupy Central civil disobedience movement (from L to R) academic Chan Kin-man, academic Benny Tai and Reverend Chu Yiu-ming pose for pictures after shaving their heads during a protest to call for people to join them for a rally in Hong Kong on Wednesday. (Photo: Reuters) HONG KONG — Just days before China was set to deliver its edict on electoral reform in Hong Kong, Beijing’s most senior official in the city held a rare meeting with several local lawmakers whose determined push for full democracy had incensed Beijing’s Communist leaders. The setting at the Aug. 19 meeting was calm: A room with plush cream carpets, Chinese ink brush landscape paintings and a vase of purple orchids. The political mood outside, however, was fraught. Democratic protesters were threatening to shut down the global financial hub with an "Occupy Central" sit-in if Beijing refused to allow the city to freely elect its next leader. After the formal smiles and handshakes with Zhang Xiaoming, the head of China’s Liaison Office in Hong Kong, the mood soured. Pro-democracy lawmaker Leung Yiu-chung asked Zhang whether Beijing would allow any democrat to run for the city’s highest office. Zhang, 51, dressed in a black suit and a navy blue striped tie, delivered a blunt response. "The fact that you are allowed to stay alive, already shows the country’s inclusiveness," he answered, according to two people in the room who declined to be named. Zhang’s office did not respond to several faxed requests for comment. Visions of Chaos Zhang’s remarks stripped away any pretense China could find common ground with Hong Kong’s democracy camp. The two sides have been wrangling over what it means to have "one country, two systems" for the past 30 years – China stressing "one country" and democrats in the former British colony the "two systems". For Beijing, Western-style democracy conjures up visions of "color revolutions" and the "Arab Spring", of chaos and instability that could pose a mortal threat to the ruling Communist Party. For many Hong Kong residents, free elections means preserving the British-instituted rule of law, accountability of leaders, and multi-party politics as a check on government powers. At the Aug. 19 meeting, Zhang said Beijing had been generous even allowing democrats such as Leung to run for legislative seats. He insisted that the next leader had to be a "patriot". "We were shocked," said one person who attended the meeting. "But Zhang Xiaoming is only an agent who delivered the stance of the central government without trying to polish it." Few were surprised, though, when China’s highest lawmaking body, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPCSC), announced an electoral package on Aug. 31 that said any candidate for Hong Kong’s chief executive in the 2017 election had to first get majority support from a 1,200-person nominating panel – likely to be stacked with pro-Beijing loyalists. Democrats say the decision spelled out China’s bottom line on political reform: A direct vote will be allowed, but only if Beijing vets the candidates. Yet the pro-democracy movement is vowing to press on with its campaign of civil disobedience. It is threatening to lock down Hong Kong’s main business district with sit-ins in October, protesting what they call "fake" Chinese-style democracy. Students plan to boycott university classes later this month. And the city’s 27 pro-democracy lawmakers have threatened to block Beijing’s 2017 electoral package in the legislature, where they hold nearly one-third of the seats – enough to veto the law and block future government policies. Benny Tai, one of the movement’s three leaders, takes a longer-term view. "I call this a process of democratic baptism … by participating, people will be baptized by democratic ideals," Tai told Reuters. "So it is not the end of the movement, it’s the beginning of the movement, the beginning of a disobedience age." 'Lead China Forward' As a colonial power, Britain appointed Hong Kong’s governors and never encouraged democratic development for almost all of the 156 years it ruled the colony. It was only when Britain and China broadly agreed on how to hand over the colony to China, beginning with a "Joint Declaration" in 1984, that a blueprint for democracy was envisioned. It led to the signing of the "Basic Law" in 1990, which said the city could keep its wide-ranging freedoms and autonomy, and for the first time stated universal suffrage as "the ultimate aim", while ensuring China still had ample levers to ensure its influence over the city. Martin Lee, a founder of the city’s main opposition Democratic Party who helped draft the Basic Law, recalls meeting late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People on April 16, 1987. "He said many things. But one of them was if 50 years should prove not enough for you, you can have another 50 years," Lee said, referring to China’s pledge not to change anything in Hong Kong until 2047. China’s 1989 crackdown on the protests around Tiananmen Square was a watershed for both sides on how democracy might evolve. After mass demonstrations erupted in Beijing, new democratic groups sprouted up in Hong Kong. China began to see Hong Kong as a potential national security threat. "When Deng formulated ‘one country, two systems’, I suppose he didn’t anticipate there would be the June 4 massacre which caused Hong Kong people so much anger against the Communists," Lee said in his law office, which contains a bronze bust of Winston Churchill and a picture of a June 4 candle-light vigil in the city. "He thought he could win us over." Fear and anxiety mounted instead. The years leading up to the actual handover of the city to Beijing in 1997 saw a wave of people and businesses emigrating abroad, fearful of the imminent handover to China. Dismembered by 'Black Hands' Chinese officials rankle at current-day comparisons to British rule, pointing out that Britain never brought democracy to Hong Kong during a century and a half of colonial rule. “Hong Kong people did not stand up to demand democracy," said a person with ties to the leadership in Beijing. "This is a big improvement compared with the British. Still, some people do not see it as the glass half full, but half empty." Any criticism of China’s handling of Hong Kong by countries like Britain and the United States also draws claims of foreign intervention from Beijing. China, ever mindful of how it was carved up in the 19th century by foreign powers, fears the democracy movement in Hong Kong could precipitate another break-up, said a source in Beijing close to the Chinese leadership. "When there is chaos in Hong Kong, they will push for Hong Kong to become independent," said a second source with leadership ties, referring to meddling by "black hands," or foreign agents. These forces "want to influence the mainland to become a democracy and be dismembered like the Soviet Union." In the years after 1997, Beijing seemed content to stay at arm’s length from Hong Kong. Former president Jiang Zemin made reunification with Taiwan a top priority and so it was important for China that the "one country, two systems" formula was seen as successful. Beijing also hoped that people in Hong Kong would slowly begin to identify with the Chinese nation over time, especially younger generations schooled under a post-colonial system. But a series of opinion polls taken every six months since the 1997 handover tells a different story. The number of respondents in the University of Hong Kong survey expressing confidence in China’s future has fallen steadily from 75 percent in 1997 to 50 percent in June. Moreover, the survey showed the younger the respondent, the less proud they were of becoming a Chinese national citizen. China’s current unbending line on Hong Kong also has to do with its emergence as a power on the world stage and is in line with a more assertive posture adopted by President Xi Jinping. When Jiang negotiated the territory’s future in 1997, China’s gross domestic product was US$0.95 trillion (7.9 trillion yuan). Today it is US$9.4 trillion, making it the world’s second-biggest economy. "[Beijing] was poor, tolerant and made concessions then to [try to] win the hearts of Hong Kong people," said the first source with ties to the leadership, referring to China’s more conciliatory approach under Deng and his successors. It may also have to do with internal Chinese politics. Xi’s uncompromising line on Hong Kong may be an effort to protect his flank as he pushes ahead with economic reforms and a far-reaching anti-corruption campaign that has targeted powerful figures in the Communist Party. "China needs to draw lessons from the achievements of foreign politics, but the foundations of our system should absolutely not be given up," Xi said in a September 5 speech in Beijing. Peace and Love "The Occupy Central with Love and Peace" movement coalesced in January 2013 after Benny Tai, a law professor at the University of Hong Kong, wrote a newspaper column proposing a Gandhi-like civil disobedience movement – an escalation from the usual marches and candlelight vigils – to press for universal suffrage. The movement got an indication of Beijing’s bottom line on democratic reform in June when the Chinese government issued a "White Paper" that reminded Hong Kong residents that it wields supreme authority in the city. Hong Kong administrators, including judges, had to "love the country" as a basic requirement to hold office, it said. Undeterred, the Occupy movement organized an unofficial referendum on universal suffrage at the end of June that drew 800,000 ballots calling for free elections. Then, on July 1, nearly half a million protesters marched to the financial district. Over 500 were arrested after activists staged an overnight sit-in. That sparked consternation in Beijing. It was a reminder of a mass protest in 2003 when half a million people poured onto the streets of Hong Kong to protest an anti-subversion bill by the territory’s legislature – the biggest anti-government protest on Chinese soil since the demonstrations in Tiananmen Square. "When they saw the Democrats attending these rallies, they just drew the line and treated us as enemies," said Martin Lee. Pro-Beijing groups countered in August with a mass demonstration of their own at which they warned of public disorder and the perils of antagonizing China. Jasper Tsang, one of the founders of the pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, the city’s largest political party, said China’s leaders never promised full democracy. "I would think if the Basic Law were written in the last five years, it would be very likely that we would leave out the words ‘universal suffrage’", Tsang said. Between Father and Son Protest leader Benny Tai counsels patience. He says a time will come when China is truly ready for political reform. When it does, "Hong Kong naturally will be chosen as the experimental ground for democratic reform in mainland China," he says. "I still have confidence in the long run. We may be able to win the war, even if we lose this battle." The view in Beijing is less accommodating. "The mainland has been too nice to Hong Kong," said the first source with leadership ties. "The relationship between the center and Hong Kong is not one between brothers, but between father and son. The son has to listen to the father." The post China Asserts Paternal Rights Over Hong Kong in Democracy Clash appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Squirrel-like Jurassic Critters Shed Light on Mammal Origins Posted: 10 Sep 2014 09:57 PM PDT An employee works near dinosaur fossils at an archaeological site in Chuxiong, Yunnan province, in April 2008. (Photo: Reuters) WASHINGTON — It may not have been the friendliest place for furry little creatures, but three newly identified squirrel-like mammals thrived in the trees of the Jurassic Period, with dinosaurs walking below and flying reptiles soaring above. Scientists announced on Wednesday the discovery in China of fossils belonging to three critters in a find that sheds light on a poorly understood collection of ancient mammals, and indicates that mammals as a group appeared earlier than some experts thought. The three species come from a group called haramiyids that previously had been known only from isolated teeth and fragmented jaws. Scientists had not even been sure they were mammals at all. The nicely preserved fossils from Liaoning Province in northeastern China proved definitively they were mammals, in part because of the presence of three bones of the middle ear characteristic of all mammals from shrews to whales to people. The three species—whose scientific names are Shenshou lui, Xianshou linglong and Xianshou songae—date from about 160 million years ago, a time when dinosaurs ruled the land. But a number of recent fossil discoveries have shown that mammals were far more diverse during that period than previously recognized. The three species likely looked like small squirrels, with slim bodies and elongated fingers in the hands and feet, indicating they were dedicated tree dwellers. They had long and probably prehensile, or grasping, tails, another feature that helped them stay in the tree branches. "I would predict that they spent even more time in the trees than squirrels," said Jin Meng, a vertebrate paleontologist at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, who led the study published in the journal Nature. Based on the shape of their teeth, they probably were omnivorous, eating insects, nuts and fruit, Meng said. The remains were so well preserved that they showed more than just the hard parts such as teeth and bones that commonly fossilize, but also soft parts such as fur and the animal's guts, he added. The three species had an estimated weight ranging from about that of a mouse, one ounce, to that of a small squirrel, about 10 ounces. While they may have looked and acted like today's squirrels, they were only very distantly related to them. The researchers said these fossils, along with other evidence, suggests that the first true mammals that evolved from mammal-like ancestors appeared perhaps 208 million years ago during the Triassic Period. Some scientists have contended that mammals entered the picture millions of years later than that. The post Squirrel-like Jurassic Critters Shed Light on Mammal Origins appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Al-Qaeda’s Shadowy New ‘Emir’ in South Asia Handed Tough Job Posted: 10 Sep 2014 05:00 PM PDT Kashmiri men shout slogans praising the late al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden after funeral prayers for him in Srinagar May 6, 2011. (Photo: Reuters) MULTAN, Pakistan/ISLAMABAD — Pakistani militant Asim Umar has been handed a very tough job. Thrust into the limelight after being named leader of al-Qaeda's newly created South Asian wing, he has been entrusted with reviving the network's fortunes at a time when Islamic State is generating grisly headlines and luring recruits. Little is known about the man whose thinking was shaped in radicalized seminaries and madrassas of Pakistan and who will now spearhead al-Qaeda's activities from Afghanistan to Burma. In a video address aired last week, the group's chief, Ayman al-Zawahri, named him as the "emir" of a new branch of the network that masterminded the 2001 attacks on the United States. Interviews with militant and intelligence sources reveal that Umar, thought to be in his mid-forties, has a reputation as an Islamist ideologue rather than a fighter, and is known in South and Central Asian Islamist circles as an intellectual and excellent orator. One jihadist source in Pakistan's lawless tribal areas on the Afghan border who knew Umar personally said that Zawahri first caught sight of his talents around the time of the death of Osama bin Laden in a secret US raid in 2011. "After the killing of Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda's new chief al-Zawahri started the reorganization of al-Qaeda, with its main focus on South Asia," the source said. "Al Qaeda started recruiting and training fighters in Afghanistan and now Maulana Asim Umar has been appointed as South Asia chief. … He has strong connections with Islamic seminaries in Pakistan, Iraq and Afghanistan." Illustrating Umar's close ties to the top al-Qaeda command, the source said it was Umar who facilitated bin Laden's move to a safehouse in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad, where he lived undetected for years before US forces finally detected him. Competing Movements Zawahri's announcement was widely interpreted as an attempt to seize back the initiative from militant group Islamic State, which has swept across swathes of Syria and Iraq. That movement has galvanized young followers around the world, using brutal methods including crucifixions and beheadings, some of which have been filmed in propaganda videos. In contrast, Zawahri delivered his latest message via a lengthy speech directed at the camera. Al-Qaeda does have close ties to the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban, meaning it has a deep presence in South Asia. Observers say it may seek to broaden that reach as most of the US-led foreign forces in Afghanistan prepare to leave at the end of the year, freeing up fighters to move elsewhere. But until now there has been no evidence that the group has a presence in India, home to around 175 million Muslims. Islamic State, meanwhile, has begun to make inroads into the region—its supporters have been spotted distributing leaflets in the Pakistani city of Peshawar and its flags have been seen fluttering at anti-India rallies in Indian-held Kashmir. Al-Qaeda's announcement last week prompted India to put several provinces on high alert and rattled nerves in a region already destabilized by a persistent Taliban insurgency and sectarian strife. Deep Convictions, "Can Deliver" Sources familiar with Umar speak of a man with deep Islamist convictions who has written at least four books promoting jihad. One of the books, about US private security firm Blackwater, is titled "The Army of Anti-Christ." He has had his eyes on the Indian subcontinent for many years, issuing a number of video appeals to Kashmiri Muslims to join militant battlefields and fight "infidels." In one video released in June last year, Umar reminded his viewers of India's past glories under the Islamic Mughal empire, which ruled parts of India for centuries. "From the land of Afghanistan, a caravan is heading toward India," said Umar, who spent at least 16 years in Afghanistan, according to Pakistani sources. "Not on someone's directive. Not on the basis of some governmental policy. But simply on the basis of abiding by God's command." Umar first appeared on the global jihadist radar when he studied at Jamia Uloom-e-Islamia, a Pakistani seminary in the teeming port city of Karachi. One of its top clerics, Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai, was a supporter of the Taliban who called for jihad after US-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and urged Muslims to target foreigners. He was assassinated as he drove to his madrassa in Karachi in May 2004. Umar also studied at Darul Aloom Haqqania, a huge Islamist madrassa in northwest Pakistan run by Maulana Sami-ul Haq, known as the "father of the Taliban" as many top Taliban commanders studied under his wing, according to militant sources. Celebrated for his exceptional language skills, Umar translated his books into several languages including Pashto, Uzbek and Arabic. "He is said to be a good writer and orator," said one source. Later, like many other graduates of Darul Aloom Haqqania, he travelled to Afghanistan where he is said to have met bin Laden, and then joined forces with Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI), a radical group with branches across South Asia, to fight against Indian forces in Kashmir. Known mainly for his propagandist work and fiery speeches, it is unclear how much he was involved in actual fighting. But after HUJI fell apart following the demise of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, its former leader Ilyas Kashmiri joined ranks with al-Qaeda and Pakistani Taliban commanders holed up in the lawless areas between Afghanistan and Pakistan. "The purpose of bringing him as the head of al Qaeda in South Asia is to strengthen the terror network in India, Bangladesh and Myanmar [Burma]," said the militant source. "Since Asim's mother organization, HUJI, used to run branches in Myanmar and Kashmir, he already has strong links over there and can deliver for Zawahri." Umar's current whereabouts are not known. The post Al-Qaeda's Shadowy New 'Emir' in South Asia Handed Tough Job appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

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