Democratic Voice of Burma

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• DVB Bulletin: 2 December 2014
• ‘Firm agreement’ made on federal union, says Thein Sein
• Govt ‘doesn’t speak the truth’: Gun Maw
• King Harald reaffirms Norway’s support for Burmese reform
• Mon police bust counterfeit banknote gang
• Koh Tao murders: Indictment awaited

DVB Bulletin: 2 December 2014 Posted: 02 Dec 2014 04:03 AM PST On tonight's bulletin: 'Firm agreement' made on federal union, says Thein Sein Norwegian king speaks at Rangoon University Counterfeit ten thousand Kyat bills seized in Mon State Japanese mission to uncover Burma war dead You can watch DVB Bulletin every weeknight on DVB TV after the 7 o'clock news. The post DVB Bulletin: 2 December 2014 appeared first on DVB Multimedia Group.

‘Firm agreement’ made on federal union, says Thein Sein Posted: 02 Dec 2014 12:22 AM PST In his monthly radio address to the nation on Tuesday, Burma's President Thein Sein said a firm political agreement had been reached with ethnic armed groups to establish a federal union in the country. "As for the peace-building effort, although there have been skirmishes between troops, fundamental agreements with regard to the peace process have been achieved," he said. "All ethnic armed groups have agreed to sign the Nationwide Ceasefire Accord [NCA] and the Union Peace-making Work Committee [UPWC] is continuing negotiations. "A firm political agreement on forming a federal union, which is vital to the peace process, has been reached," the president continued. "Furthermore, an agreement has also been reached to discuss all other issues – except for secession and anything that might harm the sovereignty of the nation." The speech was broadcast across the country on state radio on the morning of 2 December. Related Stories Govt 'doesn't speak the truth': Gun Maw King Harald reaffirms Norway's support for Burmese reform Suu Kyi reiterates call for dialogue after sexpartite talks flounder The government's UPWC and ethnic armed groups' Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) have to date negotiated as far as the third draft of what would be a single-text NCA. However, talks foundered in September when the UPWC suggested revising certain agreements that are already ticked off. The NCCT are UPWC are meeting on Tuesday in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where negotiations will continue. Responding to the president's remarks about a federal union, NCCT spokesperson Hkun Okker said, "If the president's comments can be taken word for word, then we welcome them. However, the wording [in the NCA draft] is a little different from what he apparently said. Therefore we hope the NCA is updated to match the president's announcement." Asked to elaborate, Hkun Okker said, "The NCA includes a clause that all sides agree 'to form a union with a federal system' in accordance with the results of political dialogue. It does not specify a 'federal union', but rather 'to form a union with a federal system'. And it is only a contingency clause." In an interview with DVB this weekend, the Kachin Independence Army's (KIA's) Vice-chief of staff Gen Gun Maw accused the government delegation of backtracking on agreed points and of "not telling the truth" or twisting the truth in its dealings during the peace process. Some days earlier, NCCT Vice-chairman Nai Hongsa said it would now be "completely impossible" to sign a nationwide ceasefire agreement by the end of this year following the Burmese army's deadly assault on a boot camp near Laiza, headquarters of the KIA, which killed 23 cadets. He said the fatal shelling has effectively brought negotiations to a standstill. DVB reported in August that Burma's central government had agreed to the principle of establishing a federal union in the country, citing Hla Maung Shwe of the Myanmar Peace Center, among others, after negotiations in Rangoon. The post 'Firm agreement' made on federal union, says Thein Sein appeared first on DVB Multimedia Group.

Govt ‘doesn’t speak the truth’: Gun Maw Posted: 01 Dec 2014 11:02 PM PST The vice chief of staff of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Gen. Gun Maw, says that the peace process has stalled due to the Burmese government's disingenuous tactics. He pointed to U-turns in talks about disarmament and the recent shelling of a Kachin training camp near Laiza where 23 cadets were killed. "In August, we discussed DDR [Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration] and a programme for reunification with regard to security," he told DVB in an exclusive interview on Saturday. "We agreed that [disarmament] should only be implemented in the final stage, based on results from the political dialogue. "However, a month later, the government delegation suggested such a programme could only be implemented within 90 days after signing a nationwide ceasefire. "This has become a major obstacle in the peace process." The respected Kachin leader went on to say that in order for the peace process to move ahead, all sides "need to engage in the process with genuine will". In doing so, he said, trust is built through dialogue. Incidents such as the deadly shelling of the training camp on 19 November, "seriously erode that trust", he said. "Moreover, there is the question of whether the [government side] is being honest with regard to these incidents," Gun Maw continued. "There is frequently a gap between the information we provide to [government chief negotiator] U Aung Min and how the government announces it. Related Stories 'Firm agreement' made on federal union, says Thein Sein 2014 ceasefire 'impossible', says ethnic leader 56 parties approve framework for political dialogue "It is questionable whether they are telling the truth," he concluded. "The public and the international community may not know this, but ultimately, trust-building is difficult when dealing with a government that does not speak the truth.” Gun Maw's comments come just days after one of his ethnic colleagues, Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) Vice-chairman Nai Hongsa, said it would now be "completely impossible" to sign a nationwide ceasefire agreement by the end of this year following the Burmese army's assault on the boot camp, which was located near Laiza, headquarters of the KIA.         The post Govt 'doesn't speak the truth': Gun Maw appeared first on DVB Multimedia Group.

King Harald reaffirms Norway’s support for Burmese reform Posted: 01 Dec 2014 10:13 PM PST Norway's King Harald V reaffirmed his country's support for Burma's reform process on Monday while engaging in discussions to boost bilateral relations and trade. Burmese President Thein Sein welcomed the Norwegian monarch and his wife, Queen Sonja, with a ceremony on the lawn of the Presidential Palace in Naypyidaw. The king was introduced to Burma's Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin and other senior ministers. The Norwegian delegation reportedly includes 70 representatives from about 40 Norwegian companies, as well as the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Trade and Industry, and the State Secretaries of the Petroleum and Energy Ministry and the Climate and Environmental Ministry. According to Burmese state media, senior officials also discussed Burma's peace process and the rehabilitation of refugees and IDPs in a post-conflict period. Union Minister Dr Kan Zaw and Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende reportedly signed a memorandum of understanding with regard to development projects. Related Stories 'Firm agreement' made on federal union, says Thein Sein Burma's digital present and future Suu Kyi reiterates call for dialogue after sexpartite talks flounder King Harald and Queen Sonja also met with union parliament speaker Shwe Mann at the parliament building and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi at the Park Royal Hotel in Naypyidaw. The king is scheduled to give a speech at Rangoon University on 2 December. The post King Harald reaffirms Norway's support for Burmese reform appeared first on DVB Multimedia Group.

Mon police bust counterfeit banknote gang Posted: 01 Dec 2014 09:27 PM PST Over 90 million kyat ( US$90,000) in counterfeit banknotes was seized by police in Mon State's Thaton district last week. A senior police official who asked not to be named told DVB that, following a tip-off, 9,000 fake 10,000-kyat notes were seized at a restaurant in Bilin Township from four men who had travelled down from Taunggyi in Shan State. "The counterfeit banknotes were produced using colour printers – but they have a longer width and shorter height than real 10,000-kyat bills," he said. "Also, the forged notes do not have watermarks and their serial numbers appeared crooked and blurred." Related Stories Rangoon death sparks allegations of police brutality Suu Kyi writes to Par Gyi's widow Thein Sein orders investigation into Par Gyi's death The four men – named as Thein Zaw, Thet Lwin Oo, Myo Hlaing and Min Htike – were arrested and charged by Bilin Township police under articles 105, 106 and 107 of the Central Bank of Myanmar Law. A fifth man, named as Tint Lwin, who allegedly sold the counterfeit notes to the four for 30 million kyat ($30,000), is still at large and thought to be in hiding in Taunggyi. Police have urged members of the public to carefully inspect banknotes before accepting them, and to inform the nearest authorities if they come across suspicious-looking bills. The post Mon police bust counterfeit banknote gang appeared first on DVB Multimedia Group.

Koh Tao murders: Indictment awaited Posted: 01 Dec 2014 07:17 PM PST Two Burmese men accused of the brutal slayings of a pair of British backpackers on Koh Tao in September could be indicted as soon as Tuesday, after police submitted additional evidence requested by prosecutors. Surat Thani investigative chief Pol Col Wichob Kerdkliang gave prosecutors the requested information on Monday, said Public Prosecution 8 deputy director-general Thawatchai Siangjaew, head of the panel handling the investigation report. The committee will meet Tuesday to review the new evidence and, if prosecutors deem it complete, the indictment order could be issued in the afternoon. If not, the indictment likely would come down later this week, Mr Thawatchai said. Related Stories Koh Tao murders: bail denied for Burmese suspects Koh Tao murders: Thai PM told of Burma’s concerns Koh Tao murders: Burmese legal, forensics teams arrive Prosecutors earlier has ordered police to investigate claims of alleged torture by police against suspects Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo [the latter previously named incorrectly as Win Zaw Htun]. Prosecutors also wanted more details on the examination of material evidence, including DNA samples taken from the victimised bodies of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller. The two Burmese men face possible death sentences for the 15 September slayings of the two Britons on Koh Tao’s Sairee Beach. They also are accused of raping Witheridge, illegal entry, and murder to retain benefits resulting from other crimes. The men initially confessed to the charges, but later retracted their confessions, saying they had been tortured and threatened with death if they didn’t admit to the crimes. If they aren’t indicted tomorrow, prosecutors will need to request from the court a sixth extension of their detention. Both suspects were denied bail last week.   This article was originally published in the Bangkok Post on 1 December 2014. The post Koh Tao murders: Indictment awaited appeared first on DVB Multimedia Group.

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