Democratic Voice of Burma

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• Irrawaddy riverbank squatters return after eviction
• Kachin IDPs wait for aid as winter sets in
• Rangoon minister vows tough action against massage parlours
• Taunggyi trial: Muslims complain of threats
• SNLD claims 5,000 defectors have joined party

Irrawaddy riverbank squatters return after eviction Posted: 10 Dec 2014 03:40 AM PST Squatters have rebuilt their camp on the Irrawaddy riverbank after being evicted before King Harald and Queen Sonya of Norway sailed the Mandalay stretch of the river. Over 400 families residing in the makeshift campsite were forcibly removed and their houses bulldozed as local officials claimed the squatters would have been an ‘eyesore’ for visiting royals. Norwegian officials and King Herald expressed their regret at the move, and claimed they had not been informed the local government had planned the eviction. Related Stories Modern trams to follow historical route Burma ratifies biological weapons treaty Burma one of most corrupt countries in world: report The post Irrawaddy riverbank squatters return after eviction appeared first on DVB Multimedia Group.

Kachin IDPs wait for aid as winter sets in Posted: 10 Dec 2014 03:16 AM PST Thousands of refugees at displacement camps in northern Kachin State are facing food shortages after the state government stopped aid deliveries to the camps, said an NGO spokesman on Tuesday. "The latest shipment of aid was due to arrive on 27 October, but it was delayed five or six times," said Doi Pyi Sa, chairman of the Kachin Refugee Committee (KRC). "We were finally told it would be allowed through on 3 December – but it wasn't." Doi Pyi Sa said the state authorities in Myitkyina had not given permission for the humanitarian supplies to be transported to the camps, which have been routinely been provided monthly shipments of humanitarian aid and rations by UNHCR, WFP and UNICEF. "Now food is running out in the camps are we are having to look at new avenues for food or ways to improvise," the KRC chairman said. Pierre Péron, a spokesperson for UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Rangoon, said that around half of aid allocated to the Internally Displaced Persons [IDP] camps required approval from both the state government and the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO), and that international agencies such as the UN rely on local NGOs to ensure supplies are delivered. "About half of the estimated 99,000 people displaced by conflict in Kachin and northern Shan States are in areas beyond [Burmese] government control, where international organisations have had limited humanitarian access since 2011," he told DVB by email. "Local NGOs have been, and will continue to be, central to the humanitarian response in Kachin and northern Shan states. Related Stories UN calls on all sides to protect civilians in Kachin State Eighty child soldiers released from Burmese army KIA forced recruitment continues amid desertions "International organizations support and supplement the activities of local NGOs by providing assistance and technical support through cross-line convoys. These cross-line convoys are cleared through administrative procedures involving both the Myanmar authorities and the KIO, and we are currently waiting for the finalisation of this process. "The last cross-line convoy was in September 2014, but aid continues to be provided by local NGOs across these areas with the support of international organisations," Péron said. "The UN is working closely with the authorities and local NGOs to find solutions to ensure that aid reaches all people in need, whether in camps or in host communities." Aye Win, the UN information officer in Rangoon, said the IDPs – especially children and the elderly – are also in need of warm clothing and blankets as the cold winter has arrived. "As the cold season sets in, it is important to urgently deliver winter clothing as well as food to the IDPs," he said. "We are currently negotiating with the state government to get the green light to transport supplies." Much of Kachin and northern Shan states is mountainous and many camps are situated at high altitude. Temperatures frequently fall to below freezing in wintertime. However, Kachin State government spokesperson Zaw Thein denied the government is stopping the aid convoys. "We have not blocked access to any aid," he told DVB. "We let it flow as long as the union government approves it." Almost 100,000 villagers have been forced out of their homes and into displacement camps since a ceasefire broke between government forces and Kachin rebels three years ago. The post Kachin IDPs wait for aid as winter sets in appeared first on DVB Multimedia Group.

Rangoon minister vows tough action against massage parlours Posted: 10 Dec 2014 01:42 AM PST The Rangoon Division government has taken action against 43 illegal massage parlours so far this year, according to the regional Border and Security Affairs Minister Col. Tin Win. Responding to a question by Yankin Township MP Myo Khin about whether massage parlours can legally register as businesses, Tin Win said this is not the case and that authority had been passed down to local police to clamp down on any such establishment. "We learnt that certain illegal massage parlours are operating as KTVs [karaoke bars] or beauty parlours," he said in parliament on Tuesday. "When we obtain solid information regarding such as establishment, we take action in accordance with Article 188* of the Penal Code. "Between January and November 2014, 43 massage parlours were identified and action was taken upon them." The minister said illegal massage parlours, when found to be providing sex services, are closed down for one year and six months; while those only providing massage are closed for one year. Related Stories Rangoon govt to debate legalising sex work venues Rangoon death sparks allegations of police brutality Latpadaung mine 'must be halted' pending EIA, says Amnesty On Monday, Thaung Kyaw another MP from Yankin Township, which is located in central Rangoon east of Inya Lake, motioned in the regional parliament to officially licence and regulate massage parlours. The assembly is scheduled to debate the proposal on 12 December. Union Home Affairs Deputy Minister Brig-Gen Kyaw Zan Myint previously told the lower house in Naypyidaw that the government in 2012 took action against 61 illegal massage parlour operations involving 511 defendants; with another 78 cases involving 790 defendants in 2013; and, between January and June 2014, 66 cases nationwide involving 424 defendants. *Article 188: Disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant. The post Rangoon minister vows tough action against massage parlours appeared first on DVB Multimedia Group.

Taunggyi trial: Muslims complain of threats Posted: 09 Dec 2014 10:37 PM PST A group of 20 Muslims on trial for undermining state security in Shan State capital Taunggyi are being constantly threatened and harassed by Buddhist monks and local Swan Arr Shin members, says their lawyer. Defence lawyer Khin Moh Moh, who is also the local chairwomen of the National League for Democracy, said, "A group of monks have been showing up outside the court house when the hearings have been taking place. They initially distributed leaflets. Then a bunch of Swan Arr Shin members joined in and began verbally harassing the families of the defendants." Swan Arr Shin is a civic paramilitary group, renowned for bully-boy tactics and thuggish attacks, allegedly at the bidding of the military. Four months ago, 14 Muslims from Taunggyi and Kyaukse in Mandalay Division, were detained at a military checkpoint while apparently en route to a wedding in Kunhein, some 100km northeast of Taunggyi. They were accused of having connections with a terrorist organisation. Soon after, six more Muslims, including the groom and bride-to-be were also arrested. The 20 were subsequently charged with the articles 5(j) and (l) of the 1950 Emergency Provision Act, for: undermining security of the state; and arms or explosives offences, respectively. Their lawyer told DVB that the 20 have been slandered online via a social media campaign to smear their names and label them as "terrorists". "We have received threats. They have also been openly smearing the defendants on Facebook warning that they are monitoring the trial that is about to be concluded in December and will riots if the sentences are light." Related Stories Four terror suspects arrested in Lashio District Murder suspect shot dead by police in Shan State No significant progress at Shan ceasefire talks The trial has regular court hearings on Monday and Thursday weekly. However, the Taunggyi police denied any mobs had assembled in front of the courthouse during trials, and insisted the situation had remained calm. On condition of anonymity, the father of one of the defendants said he was not allowed to see his son for one month until he was brought to a court hearing. He also explained the difficulty in finding a lawyer for the group, as was most lawyers were too afraid of repercussion from Buddhists. "When I saw my son I cried and begged for a lawyer, but everyone was too afraid to defend them," said the father. "In the end, I reached out to Daw Khin Moh Moh and she agreed to help. "The truth is that there is no evidence to support the accusation against them. Plaintiff Capt. Zeyar Linn's testimony confirms there was no paper evidence or weapons seized from them. So the charges against them are rather unfitting and we are calling for these charges be changed to appropriate ones or be dropped entirely." The post Taunggyi trial: Muslims complain of threats appeared first on DVB Multimedia Group.

SNLD claims 5,000 defectors have joined party Posted: 09 Dec 2014 08:55 PM PST More than 5,000 members of the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP), have defected to the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) since the beginning of this year. The defectors include 12 MPs. According to SNLD spokesperson Sai Lek, nine SNDP MPs and more than 2,000 party members have switched sides since 30 November when the SNLD launched a tour of Shan State. "The aim of our campaign is to launch party offices in Mongnawng (northern Shan), Wan Chin and Tangyan townships," he told DVB. "But we are not purposefully lobbying SNDP members to defect. "We hold public meetings to inform local residents about our policies and goals, and among the audience have been many members from other parties." Earlier this year, some 3,000 SNDP members from Mongton (southern Shan), Kyaukme, Mongyai, Nansang, Laihka, Mongkaung and Kehsi townships and three MPs defected to the SNLD. Of the 12 MPs who have joined the SNLD, nine of them are in the regional parliament while the other three – representing Tangyang (eastern Shan), Mongkaung and Kehsi – have seats in the union parliament's lower house. Related Stories DVB Roadshow: The magic of Inle Lake Cautious optimism ahead of "sexpartite" talks Is Suu Kyi admitting defeat? Sai Win Myat Oo, a former SNDP regional MP representing Mongton, said his defection was intended as part of a concerted campaign to pressure both parties into a merger. "I was an SNLD member back at the time of the 1990 elections, but joined the SNDP for the 2010 elections as the SNLD did not run," he said. "So essentially I'm switching back to my roots. My decision is based on the desire to see both parties merge and also signifies my support to the SNLD's eight units policy." DVB reported in November 2013 that both parties were considering forming a coalition under one banner in time to fight the 2015 general election. The SNLD, led by Hkun Htun Oo, came second in the 1990 elections and is closely associated with Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy. The party was revived following Hkun Htun Oo's release from prison in 2012. It says it is looking to field 40 candidates in the 2015 elections. The SNDP, also known as the White Tiger party, is headed by Chairman Sai Ai Pao. It contested the 2010 elections when it won three seats in the upper house and 18 in the lower house of parliament. The post SNLD claims 5,000 defectors have joined party appeared first on DVB Multimedia Group.

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