Democratic Voice of Burma

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• Burmese women’s football team prepare for 2016 Olympics
• BUSINESS WEEKLY 19 DECEMBER 2014
• Rights groups urge justice for Ja Seng Ing, Brang Shawng
• Suu Kyi still negotiating China visit
• Amnesty Int calls for release of Buddha Bar trio

Burmese women’s football team prepare for 2016 Olympics Posted: 19 Dec 2014 04:20 AM PST The Burmese woman’s football team are gearing up for the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. Expectations are high, but the team still have the momentum which carried them through last year’s SEA Games. In order to make it to the Olympics, the team will have to get through three qualifier stages. The first stage group matches are against, Burma, India, Sri Lanka and Bahrain, and only one team will make it to the second round. Though the SEA tournament ended with a heartbreaking loss to Thailand by sudden death penalties after a 120-minute match, the woman’s football team are looking to make up for this in the Olympic lead-up. The first-stage qualifiers are scheduled to kick off between 9 and 15 March. Related Stories Koh Tao murders: 'accused are innocent' say Burmese investigators Child-trafficking protest forces local officials into action Malaysia to check Burmese migrants for criminal records   The post Burmese women's football team prepare for 2016 Olympics appeared first on DVB Multimedia Group.

BUSINESS WEEKLY 19 DECEMBER 2014 Posted: 19 Dec 2014 02:27 AM PST   Burmese kyat: 1,031/ US dollar Gold: Buying @ 666,550 kyat per tical; Selling @ 667,550   Rich countries must not become 'gated communities', warns UN chief As the world marks Human Rights Day on 10 December, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein warned that the depiction of migrants as "invasive hordes", who are "threatening our way of life" and "jumping the queue" must stop, and States must act with full respect for the human rights of all – including migrants. "Rich countries must not become gated communities, their people averting their eyes from the bloodstains in the driveway," Zeid said.   China completes telecoms cable across Burma State-owned telecoms firm China Unicom has completed construction of a US$50 million optical cable connecting China with Burma and international subsea connections on the Indian Ocean coast. The 1,500km cable, built in cooperation with Myanmar Post and Telecommunications, connects Yunnan province with Ruili, Mandalay, Rangoon and Indian Ocean ports, Xinhua reported. Construction commenced in 2011.   Burma looks to compete as garment maker Burma's Deputy Minister for Trade and Commerce Pwint San is currently in Dhaka trying to promote his country as an effective manufacturer of ready-made garments, Bangladesh's Daily Star reported. Pwint San wants Burma to compete with Bangladesh in the lucrative sector and is attending a conference hosted by the International Chamber of Commerce Bangladesh. Burma's export value of garments rose to US$1.2 billion in 2013, representing more than 10 percent of the country's total exports.   Found in translation: Google adds Burmese language Google's translation tool has added 10 new languages, including Burmese, as an application, meaning Burmese speakers can now translate foreign texts into their own language. Last year, Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt stressed the importance of free speech in Burma and called on the government to refrain from regulating the Internet. Schmidt added that Google's first priority in Burma [Myanmar] is to improve access to information with its search engine and tools such as Google Translate and Maps.   Burmese satellite in orbit within 5 years? Burma's government is working towards sending the country's first satellite into space within five years, according to industry magazine Via Satellite. Deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technology Thaung Tin reportedly said the project was a "national priority" and that "although there is no timeline for the launch of a satellite, the selection process will follow that of the international mobile licenses, with an open, fair and transparent tendering process, followed by public consultation."   Burma near bottom in Internet freedom ranking Burma is one of the worst countries in the world for Internet freedom, listed alongside Yemen and Ethiopia as the most restrictive countries for Internet benefits, according to The World Wide Web Foundation, created by Tim Berners-Lee. Statistics also showed a global increase in moderate-to-extensive censorship, and less countries passing laws to prevent mass surveillance. Berners-Lee maintains that Internet freedom should be a basic human right.   Tenders invited for Rangoon wholesale market Rangoon regional government is inviting tenders from local firms to design and construct a large fruit and vegetable wholesale market in Danyingone, in the city's northeastern Insein Township. The new 34-hectare market will include cold storage facilities and will be implemented under a public-private partnership, according to state media. Closing date for tender bids is 1 January. The new market is part of a broader plan to set up wholesale markets across the country, including at strategic border towns.   Green flag for foreign firms in medical sector Medical production and private hospital construction in Burma is now open for 100 percent foreign investment, Eleven Media reported. The move will allow international pharmaceutical companies to manufacture medicines in Burma, some of which are currently partnered with domestic companies. The law on foreign and local investment in Burma was reformed in 2012. The country remains the second lowest of ASEAN countries for foreign investment.   Burma, Thailand look to jump-start Dawei SEZ Officials from Burma and Thailand will meet next month to approve the framework of the initial phase of the delayed Dawei development project. Arkhom Termpitayapaisith, secretary-general of Thailand's National Economic and Social Development Board, said the two countries had already set up policy committees to oversee the scheme. In October, the Thai and Burmese governments agreed to revitalise the project by letting Thai firms play a bigger role in the much-delayed SEZ when Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha paid an official visit to the country. Read more: http://www.dvb.no/news/burma-thailand-look-to-jump-start-dawei-sez-myanmar/46489   Yoma secures US$100 million for Burmese investments Singapore-listed company Yoma Strategic Holdings have secured a loan from the Asia Development Bank (ADB) for over US$100 million to aid investments in Burma. According to the ADB, the loan is designed to build infrastructure for enhanced connectivity, such as constructing telecommunication towers, and developing transportation links. Burma remains one of the least connected countries in the world in these sectors, according to Yoma's press release. Yoma also has stakes in property, agriculture, tourism, and the automotive and retail industries in Burma.   The post BUSINESS WEEKLY 19 DECEMBER 2014 appeared first on DVB Multimedia Group.

Rights groups urge justice for Ja Seng Ing, Brang Shawng Posted: 18 Dec 2014 11:20 PM PST Six leading international human rights groups have called on the Burmese government to drop all charges against a Kachin man who faces prison for alleging the Burmese army caused the death of his daughter. In an open letter to Burmese President Thein Sein, the six organisations on Thursday jointly focused on the case of Brang Shawng, whose 14-year-old daughter was killed in Kachin State during clashes between Burmese government forces and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). "The criminal prosecution of Brang Shawng highlights a culture of disregard for human rights within Myanmar's military, judiciary, and human rights commission," said Matthew Smith, executive director of Fortify Rights. "The authorities should punish soldiers who commit crimes, not retaliate against individuals like Brang Shawng who seek truth and justice." Fourteen-year-old Ja Seng Ing sustained a fatal gunshot wound when she was shot on 13 September 2012 in the jade-mining town of Hpakant. Her father, Brang Shawng, filed a complaint with the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (MNHRC), claiming a Burmese government soldier was responsible for the shooting. However after submitting the complaint, Brang Shawng was prosecuted under Article 211 of the Burmese Penal Code, under the crime of "making false charges". If convicted, he could face "two or more years in prison". Phil Robertson, the Deputy Director of Human Rights Watch, Asia Division, discussing Brang Shawng's criminal case and the Myanmar Human Rights Commission (MNHRC). On December 8, Fortify Rights, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Physicians for Human Rights, the International Commission of Jurists, and the Harvard Law School International Human Rights Clinic sent a four-page open letter to President Thein Sein, which was published on 18 December. The letter advised the Burmse government to "investigate Ja Seng Ing's death, hold perpetrators accountable, and take measures to ensure that Burma's courts and the MNHRC appropriately handle such cases in the future," according to the press release. There have been several investigations into the death of Ja Seng Ing, including one detailed in a 41-page report written by ten Kachin community-based organisations. "The nature of Ja Seng Ing's injury and her reported physical position at the time of being wounded are inconsistent with the Myanmar Army's assertions in documents filed with the court that a KIA mine killed her," according to the Fortify Rights press release. "Moreover, eyewitnesses interviewed by Fortify Rights claim to have seen two Myanmar Army soldiers loading their weapons approximately 30 feet from where a group of six women and girls, including Ja Seng Ing, were hiding. This was followed by gunfire aimed in the direction of those in hiding. Fortify Rights believes it is likely that one of the two soldiers fired the shot that killed Ja Seng Ing." Earlier in December, the family of Ja Seng Ing also called on the Burmese government to investigate her death. Related Stories Amnesty Int calls for release of Buddha Bar trio Arakan State celebrates 40 years Two injured as Latpadaung protestors clash with police The post Rights groups urge justice for Ja Seng Ing, Brang Shawng appeared first on DVB Multimedia Group.

Suu Kyi still negotiating China visit Posted: 18 Dec 2014 09:11 PM PST Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is still discussing an itinerary for her planned visit to China this month. Suu Kyi's spokesperson Phyo Zayar Thaw, himself an MP for the National League for Democracy (NLD), said: "Arrangements are still being discussed with Chinese officials. She won't be leaving anytime soon." NLD's central executive committee member Win Htein told DVB last month that the NLD leader would make a trip to China in December, when she was expected to meet senior officials. The news of Suu Kyi's trip was initially revealed by Ai Ping, China's deputy foreign affairs minister and a member of the Communist Party of China's (CPC) powerful central committee. Ai Ping visited NLD headquarters on 26 February for a meeting with two party leaders during which they agreed to enhance relations between the NLD and the CPC. Related Stories Mekong bloc unites to fight drug trafficking 2015 election: NLD vows 'Campaign Year' Two injured as Latpadaung protestors clash with police China's Ambassador to Burma, Yang Houlan, also mentioned during an interview with the Sunday Morning Post in January that China would officially invite Suu Kyi for a visit. The NLD has sent four delegations of MPs on goodwill visits to China, however Nobel laureate Suu Kyi never traveled with the group. Suu Kyi was an outspoken critic of the Myitsone dam project, which is backed by China, and which was scheduled to transfer the majority of its electrical power to Yunnan and western China. The project was suspended by President Thein Sein in 2011 due to public opposition to the 3,600MW mega-dam project. However, at another Chinese state-backed project in Burma, the Latpadaung copper mine in Sagaing division, Suu Kyi was appointed as head of a committee to investigate the viability of the enterprise in the wake of a brutal crackdown on protestors at the site. To the surprise of many, Suu Kyi publically put her support behind the controversial mining project, drawing the ire of local villagers and activists. The post Suu Kyi still negotiating China visit appeared first on DVB Multimedia Group.

Amnesty Int calls for release of Buddha Bar trio Posted: 18 Dec 2014 07:24 PM PST Amnesty International has called on Burma's authorities to immediately and unconditionally release three restaurant managers charged with insulting the Buddhist religion. The managers of VGastro Bar in Rangoon's Bahan Township were arrested and charged last week after the newly opened bar-restaurant posted online an advert for a promotional event, using an animated image of the Buddha wearing headphones. The picture prompted an instant backlash among many Buddhists who claimed the image was offensive. The three – New Zealander Phil Blackwood, and Burmese Tun Thurein and Htut Ko Ko Lwin – are currently detained in Insein Prison and due to face trial in Rangoon, beginning on 26 December. "The charges should be dropped and all three men should be immediately and unconditionally released," said Rupert Abbott, Amnesty International's research director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, speaking to DVB on Friday. "While international human rights law and standards permit certain restrictions to the right to freedom of expression, these restrictions are clearly defined and limited in scope. There is no way that the charges and prosecution in this case can meet the narrow human rights criteria for restricting the right to freedom expression, and therefore Myanmar is clearly violating this right. "Pending their release, they must be granted full and unhindered access to their families and lawyers of their choosing and, where required, an interpreter," he added. The sentiment was backed by Phil Robertson, the deputy-director of Human Rights Watch's Asia Division, who slammed the verdict and called into question the "lynch mob mentality" that provoked the charges. "Demanding respect for religion doesn't justify criminalising free speech or abusing other rights, and it certainly doesn't vindicate the apparent lynch mob mentality that the Ma-Ba-Tha [hardline Buddhist group] have towards these three persons," he told DVB. "The provisions of the penal code they are charged under are overly broad and essentially allow the authorities to criminalise speech about religion without effective restriction — when what is really needed here is a reasoned discussion about freedom of expression and religion. Related Stories Rights groups urge justice for Ja Seng Ing, Brang Shawng Buddha Bar storm: charges upheld, trial set for 26 Dec Two injured as Latpadaung protestors clash with police "All three should be immediately released on bail and allowed to defend themselves against these charges – and the fact that they immediately apologised and withdrew the offending materials should be considered sympathetically and taken into account." Mark Farmaner, the director of Burma Campaign UK, said, "It is bizarre to be targeting men working in a small bar for insulting Buddhism, rather than targeting those responsible for shooting at monks and raiding monasteries to crush the uprising in 2007.” The offending image was quickly taken down from the VGastro Bar Facebook page when the staff realised the negative impact it had caused. A profuse apology was offered by the management and the event that was being promoted cancelled. Although many hardline Buddhists have called for severe punishments to be meted out to the three defendants, other monks have now stood up to call for forgiveness in view of the circumstances, saying that the offending material was clearly not meant to be insulting and the fact that the bar managers issued a full apology. Ashin Sopaka, a highly revered monk and writer based in Monywa, called for the trio to be released in the spirit of Buddhist tolerance and forgiveness. "I was thinking what would The Buddha say in this issue, and he would say: 'It’s no problem, I forgive you, but please do not make such a mistake again',” he wrote. The post Amnesty Int calls for release of Buddha Bar trio appeared first on DVB Multimedia Group.

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