Friday, October 3, 2014

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Govt Plans ‘Visit Myanmar Year’ in 2016, Minister Says

Posted: 03 Oct 2014 06:39 AM PDT

Foreign tourists sightsee at Shwe Indein Pagoda near Shan State's Inle Lake. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy)

Foreign tourists sightsee at Shwe Indein Pagoda near Shan State's Inle Lake. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy)

RANGOON — The government has announced that it plans to make 2016 the "Visit Myanmar Year," in an effort to further boost the country's rapidly growing tourism sector and draw more foreign visitors to Burma.

"Myanmar hopes to celebrate the Visit Myanmar Year … in 2016," Tin Shwe, Deputy Minister for Hotels and Tourism, told lawmakers at the Lower House on Wednesday, according to a transcript of the discussion posted on the Parliament's website.

Tin Shwe said that tourism accommodation was expanding and that there would soon be enough suitable places to stay for foreign tourists. "Now there are around 1,100 hotels in the country, 267 hotels in Rangoon with over 12,000 rooms, so it is not difficult to implement the Visit Myanmar Year [in 2016]," he said.

The minister revealed the plan after Lower House military MP Maj. Aung Kyaw Hnin asked what the government was doing to boost growth of the tourism sector and whether a promotion year was being planned. "[The] tourism sector needs to be promoted more than at present in order to improve foreign income," he said.

Tin Shwe said the planned year-long tourism promotion campaign fits with the Myanmar Tourism Master Plan 2013-2020, a policy developed with support of international donors that sets out a strategy to develop the sector through focusing on areas such as training for tourism sector workers, developing tourism destinations, and addressing problems in connectivity and communication in Burma.

The minister said foreign tourist visitor numbers had been rising sharply, up from 800,000 in 2011 to about 2 million in 2013. He said that by August this year 1.8 million foreigners had come to Burma, adding that he believed the total figure this year could grow to 3 million visitors.

The Tourism Master Plan plans to raise foreign visitor numbers to 3 million by 2015 and 7.5 million by 2020. Under the plan, the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism will coordinate nearly US$500 million in spending on the sector through 2020. In turn, the ministry expects revenue from tourism-related services to rise from $534 million in 2012 to more than $10 billion in 2020.

The opening up of Burma by President Thein Sein's reformist government after decades of isolation under the former military regime has caught the attention of many foreign tourists, who are eager to visit the once-secretive country, which boasts major tourist draws such as the Bagan temple complex.

Tourist number have been steadily rising since 2012, but tourism experts have pointed to problems such as a lack of quality hotels and guesthouses, poor transport and communications infrastructure, the absence of tourist visa-on-arrival, and an underdeveloped domestic air industry with a poor safety record.

Phyo Wai Yar Zar, chairman of Myanmar Tourism Marketing and joint secretary of the Myanmar Tourism Federation, said a tourism promotion year could be a good strategy to boost visitor numbers, but he added that the government should develop a good plan and commit sufficient funding to it.

"If we will do that, the exact budget for that needs to be specified by the government and they have put the focus more on the traditional festivals across the country, and include activities in which everyone can happily participate and promote that through the media," he said.

"Other countries [that had a tourism year], they spent money on producing reports and advertisements that are shown on [foreign] TV—that will be needed too."

In 1996, the then-military regime organized a "Visit Myanmar Year," but the tourism promotion campaign—launched during the depth of political repression in Burma—was met fierce criticism from the international community, the National League for Democracy and political dissidents, who effectively dissuaded foreign visitors from coming.

Until the start of political reforms, Aung San Suu Kyi's party continued to advise foreign tourists against visiting Burma.

Phyo Wai Yar Zar said that in 2016 the time would be ripe for a successful promotion year, adding that he believed that Burma's tourism industry would be ready by then to receive a surge in visitors.

"We did this once before, but at that time it was not as successful as hoped, so it will be the second time in 20 years," he said. "Now, there are hotel rooms enough and they are quickly increasing… also there will be more airlines flying to Myanmar. So if we now implement a Visit Myanmar Year, the tourism sector is more developed."

Additional reporting by Paul Vrieze.

The post Govt Plans 'Visit Myanmar Year' in 2016, Minister Says appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

President Signs Amended Law Barring Non-Citizens From Politics

Posted: 03 Oct 2014 06:01 AM PDT

A man holds up a copy of Burma's original Political Parties Registration Law, enacted in 2010. (Photo: Aung Aung / The Irrawaddy)

A man holds up a copy of Burma's original Political Parties Registration Law, enacted in 2010. (Photo: Aung Aung / The Irrawaddy)

RANGOON — President Thein Sein this week signed into law an amendment to Burma's Political Parties Registration Law, removing the right of temporary citizenship cardholders to form political parties or serve as their members.

The change to the law appears targeted at the country's Rohingya Muslim minority, many of whom hold the so-called "white cards" that grant them status as temporary citizens.

Previously, the law allowed any "citizen, associate citizen, naturalized citizen or temporary certificate holder" to form and join political parties, but the amended legislation restricts that right only to individuals holding full citizenship status.

Hla Maung Cho, deputy director of the Union Election Commission (UEC), said the electoral body would draw up a by-law to accompany the amended legislation, including a determination on how long parties would have to comply with the new restriction.

Political parties will be responsible for vetting their memberships, with the UEC serving as an oversight body to ensure compliance. Asked how many party cadres might be affected by the change to the law, Hla Maung Cho said the UEC did not have an estimate, but had begun the process of scrutinizing party lists.

If a party is competing at the national level, it can be disbanded by the UEC if it fails to achieve a membership of 1,000 people within 90 days of registering as a political party, and a minimum membership of 500 people is required within the same period if it is a regional party.

Khin Maung Myint of the National Democrat Party for Development, one of at least three registered political parties that looks likely to be affected by the amended law, said his party was not worried about coming up short of the membership requirement.

"We will evaluate this. It's quite early to say whether this is targeting only an ethnic group or a religion," said Khin Maung Myint, joint general secretary of the party, who identifies himself as Rohingya and holds a so-called "Citizenship Scrutiny Card" conferring full citizenship.

The amendment will reduce the rights of the Rohingya minority in Arakan State, many of whom only hold such cards. There are three parties that claim to speak for Rohingya constituencies: the Union Nationals Development Party (UNDP), the National Democratic Party for Development (NDPD) and the Democracy and Human Rights Party (DHRP).

Burma's former military government issued white cards to many of the Rohingya population in northern Arakan State's Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships. The cards were issued to the Muslim group so that they could vote in support of a constitutional referendum in 2008, as well as for the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) in the national elections in 2010. Despite this, the government maintains that the approximately one million-strong minority are not Burmese citizens and officially refers to them as "Bengalis," suggesting they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Recent reports in local media quoted a parliamentary committee as saying that there are some 850,000 white cardholders in Burma.

The law's change could also pose a problem for political dissidents who lack citizenship cards because they lived abroad for decades under the former military regime and have since returned to Burma as the country has undergone democratic reforms.

Aye Maung, chairman of the Arakan National Party, welcomed the restrictive amendment, saying that allowing non-citizens to participate in party politics was "concerned with sovereignty."

The amendment to the law comes as human rights groups condemn a plan that would effectively require Rohingya Muslims in Arakan State to identify as Bengali or risk detention.

About 140,000 Rohingya in Arakan State already live in temporary camps after anti-Muslim violence displaced them from their homes in 2012.

"The long-awaited Rakhine [Arakan] State Action Plan both expands and solidifies the discriminatory and abusive Burmese government policies that underpin the decades-long persecution of the Rohingya," Phil Robertson, Human Rights Watch's deputy Asia director, said in a statement on Friday. "It is nothing less than a blueprint for permanent segregation and statelessness that appears designed to strip the Rohingya of hope and force them to flee the country."

The post President Signs Amended Law Barring Non-Citizens From Politics appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Fighting in Central Shan State Reportedly Kills 5 Soldiers, 2 Rebels

Posted: 03 Oct 2014 04:39 AM PDT

A government soldier stands outside a primary school in Wan Wap village in Kyaethee Township on July 16. Residents have complained that government troops have occupied half the homes on the village. (Photo: Hsenpai News Journal / Facebook)

A government soldier stands outside a primary school in Wan Wap village in Kyaethee Township on July 16. Residents have complained that government troops have occupied half the homes on the village. (Photo: Hsenpai News Journal / Facebook)

RANGOON — Burma Army units have clashed with Shan ethnic rebels in central Shan State's Kyethi Township since Thursday, and bouts of heavy fighting have left five government soldiers dead and about 50 injured, while two rebels were killed and three wounded, according to rebel sources.

Khun Sai, general secretary of the Shan State Progress Party, the political wing of the Shan State Army-North (SSA-North), said the army had repeatedly ordered rebels to abandon a jungle base at Wan Wap village, located about 13 km (8 miles) from Kyethi (Kesi) town, before launching offensive operations in the area.

"Clashes broke out in at least seven places in the area. They used artillery and are still shooting at our fighters," he said on Friday morning. "About 200 local people were displaced and took refuge at a Buddhist monastery."

Khun Sai said that about eight Burma Army battalions under the Northeastern Regional Command, including Light Infantry Battalions 247, 248 and 523, were deployed in operations against the rebels.

He said about 50 government soldiers were injured and five were killed, while 2 Shan rebels were shot dead and three were wounded. Khun Sai added, "It's better if we can solve this political conflict at the negotiating table."

The SSA-North is one the largest rebels groups in Burma and has had a bilateral ceasefire with the central government since 2012, but its officers have reported hundreds of armed skirmishes with government forces since.

All Wan Wap villagers had fled, some to the township capital and some to a neighboring Shan village, according to resident Shwe Thein, who had gone to Kyethi town.

He said that in Kyethi the fighting in the nearby mountains could still be heard. "There is major fighting going on. We could hear gun fire and artillery the whole day yesterday and also this morning," Shwe Thein said. "We saw lot of government troops heading to the fighting area yesterday. The situation in the town is normal."

He said violence had erupted in the area several times in recent months and some 300 Shan villagers had already left the area some time ago to stay at a pagoda elsewhere. Recently, the area appeared to have calmed down, but when the villagers moved back to Wan Wap they found that Burma Army soldiers had occupied about half of the houses.

Shwe Thein said the villagers had collected signatures for a letter to President Thein Sein last month, in which they asked for the army to leave their homes. "They sent it to president, but we did not hear any response from him yet," he said.

The post Fighting in Central Shan State Reportedly Kills 5 Soldiers, 2 Rebels appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Gaming With a Side of Culture? There’s a Burmese App for That

Posted: 03 Oct 2014 03:49 AM PDT

Burmese King Bayintnaung, second left, and the Siamese King Naresuan, right, will feature in 'The Age of Bayintnaung.' (Image courtesy of Total Gameplay Studio)

Burmese King Bayintnaung, second left, and the Siamese King Naresuan, right, will feature in 'The Age of Bayintnaung.' (Image courtesy of Total Gameplay Studio)

A team of Burmese videogame developers has hit upon a novel idea: using technology to help preserve the country's cultural traditions and revive its historical heritage.

Often viewed negatively in relation to its effect on time-honored customs, technology, for this team, is a tool.

"Our main mission is to promote Burmese culture in this age of technology," said Myint Kyaw Thu, chief technical officer at Total Gameplay Studio, an eight-member team of tech-savvy Burmese entrepreneurs who have created more than five videogames and mobile apps, and are in the midst of producing their most ambitious effort yet. "We believe we can maintain the Burmese culture by creating such games for youngsters in the digital age.

"Moreover, we want to create games owned by Burmese, and to distribute these Burmese games to the world," he added.

In 2013, their first effort to bring Burma's traditions to gamers produced "Chinlone," an app allowing users to play a simulated version of the popular pastime that, in real life, involves a simple rattan ball and some deft footwork.

Their "Maung Pein" app, in which gamers play a trishaw driver of the same name as he indulges in Thingyan water festival revelry, has already received many "stars"—in the world of apps, an indicator of popular approval—from users.

The famous Burmese cartoon character Thamain Paw Thut also gets a dedicated app, with users facing down bad guys as the heroic—and sometimes comical—ancient warrior.

Their latest effort, "The Age of Bayintnaung," is a strategy combat game in the mold of genre classics such as "Clash of Clans" and "Age of Empires," and is due out next year. The game will feature one of Burma's most powerful monarchs, King Bayintnaung, and the Siamese King Naresuan, who was taken hostage by Bayintnaung as a boy but would later go on to rule what is modern-day Thailand. Bayintnaung reigned during Burma's Taungoo Dynasty, which established Southeast Asia's largest empire in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Technologically Challenged

For millions of gamers worldwide, the title may appear as just one more addition to a saturated marketplace. But for the developers, the launch of "The Age of Bayintnaung" will mark a major milestone for a team that has for years struggled to program videogames in an unforgiving Burma where limited access to Internet and frequent blackouts pose perennial challenges.

The largely self-taught young developers have been turning out games from their Total Gameplay Studio office in Rangoon, where they acknowledge conditions for techies are not ideal.

"We do not have special equipment and have to work with just ordinary computers. When there was limited access to Internet, it was very difficult for us to find the required technical information for our games, not to mention the blackouts," said Zaw Ye Myint, Total Gameplay Studio's CEO, recalling the days back in 2006 when they created their first ever turn-based strategy game, "The Mastermind."

Members of the team, all graduates with bachelor's degrees in computer science, spent some of the last 10 years learning about traditional arts and designs from veteran Burmese artists, an effort that shows through in the intricately detailed digital renderings of the Taungoo era characters.

"The Age of Bayintnaung" attracted the attention of publishers from Thailand and Malaysia, during gaming conventions in Tokyo earlier this year and Kuala Lumpur last month. According to the team, Thai and Malaysian businessmen have expressed interest and made offers to help promote and distribute the game.

"The foreign developers and businessmen said it was a wonder that we could create these games with just eight developers, right from Yangon [Rangoon]. We are so proud that we made it and we could show off the talent of our Burmese developers," Myint Kyaw Thu said.

Total Gameplay Studio is also in the process of developing "Range of Rama," a multiplayer strategic combat game based on the Hindu epic Ramayana.

All the games that have already been released are available for both iOS and Android mobile operating systems and can be downloaded for free at www.tgpsdownload.com. "Range of Rama" and "The Age of Bayintnaung" will also be available on PlayStation 3.

"We are currently trying to improve 'The Age of Bayintnaung' to get it ready before the launch. We are hoping to expand our market to Southeast Asia as well," said Zaw Ye Myint, the CEO.

"We also want to encourage the Burmese youth who are interested in programming and game developing to work hard and work smartly. If we try without giving up, we can surely take it to the international level," he added.

The post Gaming With a Side of Culture? There's a Burmese App for That appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

El Nino Threatens Export Plans as Burma’s Rice Industry Revs Up

Posted: 03 Oct 2014 02:57 AM PDT

A truck loaded with rice bags drives by a port in Rangoon. (Photo: Reuters / Soe Zeya Tun)

A truck loaded with rice bags drives by a port in Rangoon. (Photo: Reuters / Soe Zeya Tun)

Hopes that Burma's rice exports would reach 2 million tons this year look unlikely to be achieved due to the disruptive weather phenomenon known as El Nino, experts say.

Monsoonal rains needed to boost Burma's late rice crop are expected to be lighter than usual due to the El Nino effect, leading to drier conditions.

Observers of the El Nino weather pattern, which occurs every few years due to warmer air currents generated in the Pacific Ocean, suggest it might be less severe than on previous occasions but could still disrupt various forms of agriculture across Southeast Asia. It could last until June 2015 and some meteorologists have suggested that December might be the worst month affected.

This year's major wet season rice crops across Southeast Asia might escape the worst of El Nino, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s Foreign Service said, "[but] dry season rice and corn crops, as well as palm oil, will become more vulnerable if El Nino develops and persists from October 2014 to April 2015."

Burma exported 1.27 million tons of rice in 2013 and the Burma Rice Federation had said the figure for this year might reach the 2 million tons mark, boosted by higher demand from China and dislocation in the rice industry of rival exporter Thailand. However, even without any El Nino effect, the 2 million tons target is over-optimistic according to estimates made by the USDA.

The US agency predicted that rice production in Burma in 2014-2015 would most likely increase by 1 percent to 12.16 million tons, due to growing area expansion and improved water supply, and that rice exports would also be only marginally higher than last year—up about 1 percent to 1.31 million tons.

Burma's government was "making an effort to provide farmers support in infrastructure development, mechanization [and] technology assistance," the USDA said. But despite support programs, rice farmers in Burma could still not compete with other farmers in the region, including in Thailand and Vietnam, who received government support to compensate for lower prices, the agency said, citing trade sources.

Burma is forecast to be the fifth-largest rice producer in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region in the 2014-15 financial year —behind Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines. But of these four, only Vietnam and Thailand are exporters.

"On the surface, rice markets remain calm and stable, but underlying market sentiments are rapidly changing because of weather disruptions in many rice-growing nations," market watcher and rice scientist Sam Mohanty of the International Rice Research Institute said in a recent assessment.

"The global rice market faces the possibility of a production shortfall in the major rice-growing regions in South and Southeast Asia and also in China because of El Nino events. So far, the market has been quite nonchalant about this possibility because of large buffer stocks in key rice-growing countries."

India, China and Thailand are well stocked with rice to see them through any possible disruptions in supplies, Mohanty said.

Burma's rice federation sees China as offering the best market for expanding Burmese exports in coming years. About half of Burma's rice exports went to China in 2013, despite the fact that the exports are technically illegal as there is not yet a health standards agreement on rice in place between the two countries.

The post El Nino Threatens Export Plans as Burma's Rice Industry Revs Up appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

3 Arrested, 200Kg Heroin Seized in Shan State Drugs Bust

Posted: 03 Oct 2014 02:49 AM PDT

Police photos show how the drugs were hidden, the haul of weapons and heroin seized, along with the three suspects who were detained. (Photos:Tachilek Township Anti-Drug Squad No. 30)

Police photos show how the drugs were hidden, the haul of weapons and heroin seized, along with the three suspects who were detained. (Photos:Tachilek Township Anti-Drug Squad No. 30)

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — Burmese authorities in the Shan State border town of Tachilek seized about 200 kilograms of heroin along with a number of firearms on Tuesday, before it was about to get smuggled into to northern Thailand, police said, adding that three suspects had been detained.

Anti-Drug Force No. 30 Police Capt. Phone Kyaw Oo told The Irrawaddy that the squad had received a tip about a 10-wheeler truck that was arriving from Mong Hsat Township and due to cross the border.

He said his officers brought the truck to a halt on Tuesday and the drugs and guns were found in a hidden compartment under the truck's flatbed area that was carrying cement bags.

A total of 665 heroin blocks weighing 199.5 kilos worth about US$3 million were seized, along with two .38 handguns, two magazines, 18 bullets, one shotgun, 45 Remington bullets, and one unnumbered M-79 grenade launcher with 10 grenades, according to Phone Kyaw Oo.

"We are still questioning the three detainees about where it [drugs and arms] would have been sent to and who the owner is," the police captain said, adding that the truck's driver Ai Than was detained along with his colleagues Ai Sai and Ai Su.

A news report in Thai newspaper The Nation, published earlier this week said the operation had been conducted in cooperation with Thai authorities.

Tuesday's operation is the latest in a number of large drugs busts carried by authorities along the Burma-Thai border in recent months.

In mid-September, a vehicle was seized carrying chemical fluids used as precursor drugs for producing methamphetamine on the Tachilek-Mong Hsat road. Several suspects reportedly fled after an exchange of fire with officers.

In July, Burmese police seized more than US$2.3 million worth of opium and several automatic weapons in Tachileik. In Burma's south, in Tenasserim Division, authorities seized about 2.4 million Ecstasy pills valued at more than $17 million in August, in what is believed to be the largest drug bust in the country's history.

A Tachilek resident said the busts had become more frequent in recent months but doubted that the actions would stem the drugs trade as the ring leaders and major drug producers were not being targeted.

"[The forces] have seized drugs many times, but the main producers still can't be found," he told The Irrawaddy, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear for retribution.

"As far as I know, the large seizures of drugs mostly come from People's Militias, which are under the control of government. Most of the times, arms were seized along with drugs. But they [authorities] do not inform the public about follow-up actions," he said.

"Both the police and the army know who are producing heroin and where it is produced. They just did not take actions. They just started these arrests this year. However, they do not arrest drug barons. It seems that only those who carry drugs will be prosecuted," the man said.

Opium and meth have long been produced in northern Burma, where the trade is directly tied to the country's decades-old ethnic conflict, which continues to fester in many parts of Shan and Kachin states.

Ethnic rebel groups, criminal gangs, pro-government militias and local authorities are said to benefit from the lucrative trade, either by producing and smuggling the drugs into Thailand and China, or by taking bribes.

The post 3 Arrested, 200Kg Heroin Seized in Shan State Drugs Bust appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Tourism’s New Trails

Posted: 02 Oct 2014 05:00 PM PDT

U Phyo Wai Yar Zar is the chairman of Myanmar Tourism Marketing and joint secretary of the Myanmar Tourism Federation. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy)

U Phyo Wai Yar Zar is the chairman of Myanmar Tourism Marketing and joint secretary of the Myanmar Tourism Federation. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy)

YANGON —The government expects some 3 million tourist arrivals this year and is targeting 5 million for 2015. However, many ongoing issues continue to hamper the local industry. The Irrawaddy spoke with U Phyo Wai Yar Zar, chairman of All Asia Exclusive Travel, as well as chairman of Myanmar Tourism Marketing and Joint Secretary of the Myanmar Tourism Federation, on the recent rise of the tourism industry.

Question: What were the difficulties when you first started?

Answer: I've always believed these are not difficulties, these are challenges. If you can pass over these challenges, you will be able to reach the next stage. The first challenge was in getting customers in that period. And then, poor communication [infrastructure] in Myanmar created further challenges even after we got customers. The Internet connection was very slow. We've now tried to upgrade our own website to promote the company and seek new customers. The big challenge was how to receive payment from customers as we didn't have foreign bank accounts here. Myanmar companies were facing problems regarding payment by foreign customers due to US sanctions at that time. So the options were that we received payment when the customers were in Yangon or by using our relatives and colleagues' bank accounts. It was no issue for joint-venture companies, but for small companies, we faced this problem. After three or four years, hotels and airlines started to know what we were doing. The relationship with them has become stronger.

Q: Where were the main tourist destinations at that time? Have any destinations changed?

A: Major destinations have not yet changed. [They still include] Bagan, Inle Lake, Mandalay, Ngapali Beach, Ngwe Saung beach and Kyite Htee Yoe in Mawlamyine. After the country has fully opened and we have ceasefire agreements with armed groups, there will be many new potential destinations in Karen State and Mon State. There are no big difficulties in developing new tourist attractions there. For example, Myawaddy on the Thai-Myanmar border is very easy to access for tourists. There are no restrictions at all now. [In the past] we had to obtain permission to enter from the local authorities.

Q: Has the government's decision to open more border checkpoints helped increase tourist arrivals in Myanmar?

A: There is no disadvantage by opening border checkpoints. We were only selling Myanmar packages before but now we can sell package tours to Myanmar and Thailand's north and west together. We can also sell tour packages to Muse [in Shan State] and Shwe Li [in China] areas. There are some restrictions on the China side, but the Myanmar side is ready.

There are many new tourist destinations in Myanmar and we have more than 130 ethnic groups living here. There are very big changes in cities like Mandalay, with some people saying that it has become a Chinese city. It has become popular with foreign visitors. If the transportation infrastructures get better, we can reach many new destinations. A new Loikaw [Kayah State] to Mae Hong Son [Thailand] road will open in the coming peak season. The road to Dawei from Thailand's Kanchanaburi Province will also boost tourism, although we will have to wait for better road conditions.

Q: Can you see any other new potential destinations in Myanmar for the future?

A: The Myeik Archipelago is also a potential tourist site. Many foreign investors are quite interested to invest there. There are many places to visit in Dawei city too. With better road conditions in this area, tourists can go through Thailand from Mawlamyine [Mon State] within one day.

Q: How important is the role of State and Regional governments to improve the tourism industry in Myanmar?

A: We need their involvement. I heard that they have been given authorization by the Union Ministry to improve the tourism industry. Many State chief ministers are very eager to promote tourism in their region. Kayah Chief Minister U Khin Maung Oo and Karen State Minister U Zaw Min are very willing to promote tourism in their areas. There will be a workshop for tourism and the peace process in Kayah State next month. In Chin State also, there are many potential tourist sites and their chief minister is also very willing to promote the region.

Q: How have the conflicts in northern Kachin State and western Rakhine State impacted the tourism industry?

A: Security and tourism are directly related. Local or foreign visitors won't go to such conflict areas. As I am chairman of the Myanmar Tourism Marketing, I have to lobby my industry to other people too. When I met British Ambassador Andrew Patrick last week, I informed him on the current situation. Some countries have told their citizens which places they shouldn't visit. In Mrauk U, Rakhine State, there is no more conflict but they will have to pass through from Sittwe where there is still some conflict. So I requested that the ambassador reduce some warnings telling their citizens not to go there. He said he would like to do it, but it depends on the political situation here, and he has a responsibility to his country's citizens. He said there were no changes to warnings for British citizens to avoid Rakhine State. The conflict in Rakhine State is still hard to solve, it will take time. Kachin State is not worse than Rakhine State, because conflict is not happening in city areas.

Q: Do you agree that air safety in Myanmar is an issue for foreign visitors?

A: My view on the air industry is that there will be internal and external factors that impact it. What I see in this sector is the impact of external factors. Internal factors, such as regulations by the Ministry of Transport, are not the issue. There are no restrictive rules for the air industry; they can buy new aircrafts freely. But regarding external factors, travel insurance for travelers, life insurance and flight insurance are still causing difficulties. Some local airlines are trying their best, but I understand that some are still having problems. So I see growth happening in some years.

Q: Do you think the government is going to allow homestay services for foreigners? What about the bed & breakfast program that the government is going to initiate?

A: The government definitely won't allow homestay for foreigners. Homestay means visitors can be living in local people's houses. [Although] before hotels and guest houses, visitors stayed in their houses in the past. I expect that the government is going to enact a policy for Bed and Breakfast services soon. When that happens, small enterprises will grow, as well as many job opportunities for local people. The tourism industry will also grow.

The post Tourism's New Trails appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

UN Concerned About Burma’s Ethnic, Religious Tensions

Posted: 02 Oct 2014 10:21 PM PDT

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, left, talks to Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen, right, while Burma's President Thein Sein looks on at the 5th Asean-UN Summit in Bandar Seri Begawan in October 2013. (Photo: Reuters)

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, left, talks to Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen, right, while Burma's President Thein Sein looks on at the 5th Asean-UN Summit in Bandar Seri Begawan in October 2013. (Photo: Reuters)

UNITED NATIONS — UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's latest report on Burma raises serious concerns about ethnic and religious tensions that have led to violence against Rohingya Muslims, though he praises the government's attempts to press ahead with democratic reforms.

The situation is especially worrying in Arakan State, Ban said, where deep rifts between the Buddhist and Muslim communities have widened and the conditions at camps for internally displaced persons have deteriorated.

"The deep-seated inter-ethnic and inter-religious tensions that have re-emerged around the country have given rise to further violence, loss of life, displacement of populations and destruction of property," the UN chief said in his annual report to the General Assembly's Third Committee.

The Third Committee, which focuses on human rights, will be discussing Ban's report on Burma in the weeks ahead. It is also expected to adopt a resolution about its concerns—an annual ritual to which Iran, North Korea and Syria are also subjected.

"The situation in Rakhine [Arakan] State continues to cause widespread concern and alarm both domestically and internationally," Ban said.

Most of Burma's 1.1 million Rohingya Muslims are stateless and live in Apartheid-like conditions in Arakan State on the western coast of the predominantly Buddhist country. Almost 140,000 Rohingya remain displaced after deadly clashes with ethnic Arakanese Buddhists in 2012.

Condemnations from Burma's leaders have not improved the situation, Ban said.

"While the government of Myanmar has repeatedly made strong statements of actions to be taken against perpetrators of violence, these have not been conveyed with sufficient firmness to the local level," the report said.

He also praised the administration of President Thein Sein for the progress it has made on democratization, national reconciliation and economic development over the past three years.

Ban suggested he was concerned about the 2015 general election, in which Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who spent nearly two decades under house arrest for her efforts to promote democracy, is barred from running for president.

"Addressing the legitimate concerns of various political parties about the restrictions and conditionalities imposed by the [Union] Election Commission will be important," the report said.

Next year's parliamentary elections will be the first since Thein Sein embarked on landmark reforms in 2011, dismantling the control of the military, which had ruled since seizing power in a 1962 coup.

The annual scrutiny to which Burma is subjected at the Third Committee and at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva has long annoyed Burma's leaders. They have insisted they be dropped from the bodies' agendas, a demand Burma's foreign minister reiterated last week in his address to the UN General Assembly.

"All major concerns related to human rights have been addressed to a larger extent in the new Myanmar," Wunna Maung Lwin said. "Therefore we are now fully convinced that Myanmar should no longer remain on the agendas of the Human Rights Council and the Third Committee of the General Assembly."

Western diplomats say their governments and delegations from over 50 Muslim countries agree that Burma should remain under UN scrutiny for the foreseeable future.

The post UN Concerned About Burma's Ethnic, Religious Tensions appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Thai Police: 2 Burmese Men Admit Killing British Tourists

Posted: 02 Oct 2014 10:18 PM PDT

Thai police take sample for DNA testing as data is collected from people who work near the spot where bodies of two killed British tourists were found, on the island of Koh Tao on Sept 19. (Photo: Reuters) September 19, 2014. 

Thai police take sample for DNA testing as data is collected from people who work near the spot where bodies of two killed British tourists were found, on the island of Koh Tao on Sept 19. (Photo: Reuters) September 19, 2014.

BANGKOK — Two workers from Burma have confessed to killing a pair of British tourists whose battered bodies were found on a beach in southern Thailand last month, and police said Friday that the suspects’ DNA matched that collected from one of the victims.

The news followed weeks of pressure on police to solve a case that has threatened to damage the country’s tourism industry, which has been struggling to recover since the army staged a coup and imposed martial law in May.

Police Maj. Gen. Kiattipong Khawsamang said that three Burmese workers were detained and questioned by police, and two of them had admitted murdering Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24. He said the other worker denied involvement in the attack on the island of Koh Tao, which is renowned for its quiet beaches and popular diving sites.

"We are interrogating them. So far, accounts from the two men matched and they confessed they killed the tourists," Kiattipong said by telephone on Thursday.

Police have so far declined to provide details on the identities of the migrants, but 2.5 million people from Burmar work in this Southeast Asian country, most as domestic servants or in low-skilled manual labor industries like construction, fisheries or the garment sector.

On Friday, regional police commissioner Maj. Gen. Decha Budnampetch told AP that DNA samples collected from the two suspects matched evidence taken from Witheridge’s body. Both men are in custody and a court is expected to issue formal arrest warrants before charges are issued.

"Together with other evidence and [testimony from witnesses] that we have collected thoroughly throughout the investigation, we are convinced that these two migrant workers were the killers," Decha said.

The bodies of the two tourists were discovered on Sept. 15 in a rocky alcove along the shore close to the hotel where both were staying. Autopsies showed that Witheridge died from head wounds while Miller suffered severe blows to the head and drowned in the surf.

It is still unclear what prompted the killings.

Thai police had searched for clues and collected DNA samples from more than 100 men on the island in the Gulf of Thailand.

Two of the Burmese workers were detained on Koh Tao and the other in mainland Surat Thani province.

Koh Tao, about 410 kilometers (250 miles) south of Bangkok, is a quiet, small island a short boat ride from Koh Samui and Koh Phangan. The latter is known for raucous "full moon" parties that attract young foreigners and Thais.

The post Thai Police: 2 Burmese Men Admit Killing British Tourists appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

US Eases Ban on Lethal Arms Sales to Vietnam 

Posted: 02 Oct 2014 10:09 PM PDT

US Secretary of State John Kerry, right, shakes hands with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh in Washington on Oct. 2, 2014. (Photo: Reuters / Yuri Gripas)

US Secretary of State John Kerry, right, shakes hands with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh in Washington on Oct. 2, 2014. (Photo: Reuters / Yuri Gripas)

WASHINGTON — The United States announced Thursday it was partially lifting its ban on sales of weaponry to Vietnam to help its maritime security in a sign of deepening ties between the former enemies.

The move is intended to support Vietnam's ability to defend itself in the South China Sea, where it is among Asian nations facing an increasingly assertive China.

Secretary of State John Kerry informed Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh of the US decision as they met in Washington.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters the United States will now allow sales of lethal maritime security capabilities and for surveillance on a case-by-case basis.

US officials said it could include both boats and air assets, subject to discussion with Vietnam and evaluation of its needs, particularly its coast guard.

Psaki said the decision was not directed at China, which is likely to be irritated by the move. Beijing eyes increased US military engagement in Asia as an attempt to contain its rise.

US officials said the easing of the ban recognized improvements by Vietnam's authoritarian government on human rights, including the release of 11 prisoners of conscience this year and progress on religious freedom, but the move was primarily driven by America's national security interests.

Human Rights Watch objected to the easing of the ban, saying Vietnam had not earned it. Spokesman John Sifton said Vietnam's record on political prisoners is "bad and getting worse." He said numerous churches are still unable to officially register and remain illegal.

Vietnam is a one-party state that squelches dissent, and Amnesty International says scores are still being detained for exercising their right to freedom of expression.

Psaki said Vietnam needs to do more on human rights, and the United States continues to evaluate its security relationship with Hanoi.

The United States has not transferred lethal arms to Vietnam since communists took power at the end of the Vietnam War. A 1984 embargo prohibited arms sales because of concern over the authoritarian government's human rights record.

Relations between the United States and Vietnam were normalized in 1995, some 20 years after the war's end. Washington approved non-lethal arms sales in 2006, and ties have since deepened further, particularly as the Obama administration has sought to expand US engagement in Asia.

The State Department characterized Thursday's move as part of a broader effort to help countries in the region boost their maritime security.

Last December, during a visit to the Southeast Asian nation, Kerry announced US$18 million in assistance to Vietnam to provide its coast guard with five, unarmed fast patrol boats. The United States is also striving to build the capabilities of another South China Sea claimant, the Philippines, to patrol and monitor its waters.

Despite fraternal ties between the ruling parties of Vietnam and China, tensions spiked this year after China deployed a deep-sea oil rig near the disputed Paracel islands. Vessels from the two sides repeatedly rammed each other near the rig. The standoff triggered deadly anti-China protests and riots in Vietnam.

The United States says it has a national interest in peace and stability, and the diplomatic resolution of territorial disputes in the South China Sea, a major conduit for world trade.

Vietnam has been vying for the lifting on the US ban. Last week, Minh, who is also Vietnam's foreign minister, said it's been nearly 20 years since Washington and Hanoi normalized relations, and so it's "abnormal" to retain the ban.

"If we do not buy weapons from the United States, we [would] still buy from other countries," Minh said at the Asia Society in New York. "Why should China bother about that?"

Russia is currently Vietnam's main source of armaments. Vietnam has earmarked hundreds of millions of dollars to build more vessels to improve its maritime capability.

Associated Press writer Lara Jakes contributed to this report.

The post US Eases Ban on Lethal Arms Sales to Vietnam  appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

North Korea Envoy Says Door Is Open on Nuclear Issues, Rights, Abductees

Posted: 02 Oct 2014 10:03 PM PDT

North Korea's Ambassador to the United Nations So Se Pyong smiles during an interview with Reuters at the Permanent Mission of North Korea in Geneva on Oct. 2, 2014. (Photo: Reuters / Denis Balibouse)

North Korea's Ambassador to the United Nations So Se Pyong smiles during an interview with Reuters at the Permanent Mission of North Korea in Geneva on Oct. 2, 2014. (Photo: Reuters / Denis Balibouse)

GENEVA — North Korea is ready to resume six-party talks on its nuclear program but must maintain its readiness in the face of joint US-South Korean military exercises, a senior envoy in Geneva said on Thursday.

So Se Pyong, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, told Reuters that his country was not planning a nuclear or missile test.

In a wide-ranging interview, he said that reports about the ill health of its leader Kim Jong-un were "fabricated rumors" and that it was not clear whether the United States was willing to negotiate the release of three detained Americans.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after talks with North Korea's foreign minister in Moscow on Wednesday that he saw a possibility that stalled talks on Pyongyang's nuclear program could resume, but it would take time.

"For the six-party talks we are ready, and as far as I think, China and Russia and the DPRK are ready," So said in the rare interview in the DPRK's mission overlooking Lake Geneva.

"But America, they don't like that kind of talks right now. Because America does not like that, so that's why the countries like South Korea, Japan also are not ready for those talks."

North Korea promised to abandon its nuclear program in 2005 but appeared to renege on the agreement when it tested nuclear devices in 2006 and 2009.

Already heavily sanctioned by the world body for its missile and nuclear tests, it has completed a major overhaul of its rocket launch site, a US think tank said on Thursday, enabling it to fire larger, longer-range rockets.

So, without being specific, linked North Korea's military preparations to "very serious" US-South Korean exercises earlier this year that he said had deployed nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, submarines and B-52 bombers.

"We have to be alert also, we have to be prepared to make counter measures against that military exercise which are against us."

Asked specifically whether North Korea was preparing a nuclear test or to fire a missile, he replied: "No, no.

"In case, in case, if they do that kind of joint military exercise, the joint nuclear military exercise against my country continuously, we have to, also."

North Korea's nuclear weapons program protected it from the United States, So said.

"In case if we give [the weapons] up like other countries, then of course I think they would have attacked us already," he said.

North Korea is not believed to have mastered the technology to miniaturize a nuclear warhead small enough for any of its existing rockets, although analysts say subsequent nuclear tests increase the chance of refining its existing nuclear technology.

It has previously threatened to turn Seoul and Washington into a "sea of flames."

'Party Policy'

Asked whether North Korea's leader Kim was committed to denuclearization, So said: "It is the party's policy."

Kim failed to appear at the Supreme People's Assembly last month and state media said he was suffering from "discomfort." He had been seen walking with a limp since an event in July.

Asked about the nature of his ailment, So said: "That is rumors, fabricated rumors."

He said that media reports Kim may have had surgery on his ankles were wrong.

Three Americans are currently being held in North Korea on charges of crimes against the state. A pro-North Korean daily published in Japan on Thursday quoted one of them appealing to the US government to help to secure their freedom.

"It is true that three Americans are detained in my country now … They came into my country illegally and also they committed some crimes against my country, that is why they are on trial and then they were sentenced," So said.

He added: "I was told that they asked for the government of America to have negotiations on those problems, but I don't know whether America is ready or not to release them or have some understandings or the recognition of those crimes they made."

US special representative for North Korean policy Glyn Davies said on Monday that North Korea has rejected US efforts to discuss the detentions, adding that the secretive state was missing a chance to build relations with Washington.

So disclosed that North Korea has sought closer cooperation on human rights, first with the United Nations for technical assistance, and also through dialogue with the European Union.

"Actually we just gave a hint to have that kind of dialogue to one of the EU member countries, but still they don't give us any feedback, any answer," So said, noting that the EU has taken the lead in criticizing North Korea at UN rights forums.

A report by UN investigators this year denounced its system of labor camps holding political prisoners. US Secretary of State John Kerry, speaking in New York last week, called on North Korea to close its camps.

"Of course every country has prisons. That is true. We have also prisons. But not labor camps they are talking about," So said. "That is a totally fabricated discrimination."

On the politically charged issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea over the years, So said that he did not know how many abductees there had been, but noted there had been recent contacts on the issue.

"Whether it is a hundred, or 200 or 500, I don't know exactly. We don't know the exact numbers, those are very difficult problems there," So said.

In 2002, North Korea admitted kidnapping 13 Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s to help train spies. Five abductees and their families later returned to Japan.

Officials from North Korea and Japan have met in China on the issue, and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has made resolution of the dispute a top priority, said this week that North Korea had invited Japanese representatives to Pyongyang.

So said he did not know if a trip would take place.

"I was told also there were some more contact last week," So said. "So anyway, we are ready to solve that problem because we are very frank."

The post North Korea Envoy Says Door Is Open on Nuclear Issues, Rights, Abductees appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Hong Kong Leader Refuses to Resign But Offers Talks With Protesters

Posted: 02 Oct 2014 10:00 PM PDT

Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying waves to onlookers as he attends a flag raising ceremony in Hong Kong on Octo. 1, 2014. (Photo: Reuters / Bobby Yip)

Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying waves to onlookers as he attends a flag raising ceremony in Hong Kong on Octo. 1, 2014. (Photo: Reuters / Bobby Yip)

HONG KONG — Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying defied pro-democracy protesters' demands to step down by Friday, with pressure also increasing from Leung's backers in Beijing over one of the most serious political challenges they have faced in decades.

Leung refused to bow to an ultimatum from protesters to resign and repeated police warnings of serious consequences should they try to block off or occupy government buildings.

He told reporters just minutes before the ultimatum expired at midnight that Chief Secretary Carrie Lam would meet students soon to discuss political reforms, but gave no timeframe.

Tens of thousands have taken to Hong Kong's streets in the past week to demand full democracy, including a free voting system when they come to choose a new leader in 2017.

The protests have ebbed and flowed in the days since police used pepper spray, tear gas and baton charges last Sunday to break up the biggest demonstrations seen since the former British colony was handed back to Chinese rule in 1997.

China rules Hong Kong through a "one country, two systems" formula underpinned by a "Basic Law," which accords Hong Kong some autonomy and freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland and with universal suffrage as an eventual goal.

Beijing, however, decreed on Aug. 31 that it would vet candidates who want to run for chief executive at an election in 2017, angering democracy activists who took to the streets.

While Leung made an apparent concession by offering talks, Beijing restated its resolute opposition to the protests and a completely free vote in Hong Kong.

"For a few consecutive days, some people have been making trouble in Hong Kong, stirring up illegal assemblies in the name of seeking 'real universal suffrage,'" China's official People's Daily said in a front-page commentary on Friday.

"Such acts have outrightly violated the Basic Law, Hong Kong's law, as well as the principle of the rule of law, and they are doomed to fail," the commentary warned.

Thousands of protesters had gathered outside Leung's office in central Hong Kong in anticipation of the ultimatum, but were disappointed when Leung stood firm.

Their numbers fell to hundreds as the sun rose on Friday and Hong Kongers prepared to go back to work after the two-day National Day holiday, although there were tense moments with about 100 police guarding the building.

Protesters refused to allow two trucks carrying supplies for police guarding Leung's office through their lines, although the stand-off remained peaceful.

But there were signs of tension between public employees trying to go back to work and the protesters who have barricaded the area outside Leung's office.

"I need to go to work. I'm a cleaner. Why do you have to block me from going to work?" said one woman as she quarreled with protesters. "You don't need to earn a living but I do."

Other government workers milled around outside the building, waiting for instructions before the government later declared its main office building would remain closed for the day, with workers to go to secondary sites.

Other protest sites in the Central business district, the luxury shopping area of Causeway Bay and in the densely populated residential Mong Kok district of Kowloon were quiet.

Disappointment, Suspicion

Some protesters now suspect authorities are trying to buy time with their offer of talks while they wait for demonstrations to dwindle.

"The government already has an answer in its heart. They will not let us have real universal suffrage," said Isaac Chan, a 22-year-old private music tutor.

"We think this is a tactic being used to cool the crowd because [Friday] is a work day, not a holiday," he said.

The protests so far have been an amalgam of students, activists from the "Occupy" movement and ordinary Hong Kongers, under the "Umbrella Revolution" banner adopted after many protesters used umbrellas to ward off pepper spray used by police almost a week ago.

Some now fear that the lack of any clear leadership could prove to be a telling weakness for the disparate groups.

"We are not worrying about excessive violence from police, as we don't expect they will repeat it again when the whole world is watching," said Kenneth Mok, 22, a civil engineering graduate, at the Admiralty protest site near Central.

"We are worrying the movement will lose steam without a clear leader leading. We are worrying that people will go back to normal like nothing has happened," he said.

Student groups welcomed the offer of talks, but they urged followers to stay where they were to keep up the pressure on the government. The "Occupy Central with Love and Peace" movement reiterated its demand that Leung step aside.

The protests have brought parts of the Asian trading hub to a standstill. ANZ economists sent out a research note on Friday estimating that the protests may have cost retailers HK$2.2 billion ($283.5 million) so far, with retailers of luxury goods, cosmetics and consumer durables hardest hit.

Leung's widely anticipated refusal to resign underlined that both sides appear to have dug in for a protracted stand-off.

"In any place in the world, if there are any protesters that surround, attack, or occupy government buildings like police headquarters or the chief executive's office … the consequences are serious," Leung said, echoing warnings from the police that their response to any such action would be robust.

The "Occupy Central" movement presents one of the biggest political challenges for Beijing since it violently crushed pro-democracy protests in and around Tiananmen Square in 1989.

Cracking down too hard could shake confidence in market-driven Hong Kong, which has a separate legal system from the rest of the country, but not reacting firmly enough could embolden dissidents in mainland China.

China's ambassador to Germany, Shi Mingde, told Reuters in Berlin that the protests could tarnish Hong Kong's image as one of the world's leading financial centers if they continued for a prolonged period.

Hong Kong's benchmark share index, the Hang Seng, plunged 7.3 percent in September, in part because of the uncertainty surrounding the protests. It was down 1 percent Friday morning, echoing falls in global markets. Spooked by the protests, some banks and other financial firms have begun moving staff to back-up premises on the outskirts of the city.

Additional reporting by John Ruwitch, Charlie Zhu, Yimou Lee, James Pomfret, Irene Jay Liu, Farah Master, Diana Chan, Twinnie Siu, Kinling Lo, Diana Chan and Jason Subler in Hong Kong.

The post Hong Kong Leader Refuses to Resign But Offers Talks With Protesters appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)