Democratic Voice of Burma |
- Thousands join NLD, 88 Gen rally for constitutional reform
- Drugs, land and mining issues plague Shan State
- Amending Constitution will ‘hurt the people’, says Thein Sein
- Burma Business Weekly
- EU initiates human rights dialogue with Burma
- A day in the life of a young mahout
| Thousands join NLD, 88 Gen rally for constitutional reform Posted: 17 May 2014 03:40 AM PDT Thousands of supporters turned out at Bo Sein Hman park in Rangoon on Saturday for a rally on constitutional reform organized by the National League for Democracy (NLD) and 88 Generation Peace and Open Society (GPOS), the first time the two pro-democracy forces have joined hands in co-hosting a public event. NLD chairperson Aung San Suu Kyi called on Burma's military leaders to join with the people in supporting amendment of the Constitution. "There is presently no trust between the people and the army," said the daughter of Gen. Aung San, founder of the modern Burmese armed forces. "The army doesn’t trust the people, and the people don’t trust the army. The military uses the Constitution for its own protection. That is not right. Related Stories"But do not worry," she told the crowd. "We shall all move forward together. And together means together. We don’t want to discriminate between the military and the people.” Suu Kyi said her party would like to amend the legal framework of the Constitution, and help Burma become a highly developed political nation. She also spoke of the lack of rule of law in the country. "I want to see rule of law in Burma. If a country has no rule of law, it is not safe for its citizens," she concluded. 88GPOS leader and former political prisoner Min Ko Naing also addressed the crowd, saying the current Constitution was inherited from military dictators. "The president is the highest administrative power in the land," he said. "The Constitution proclaims that he should have military experience. I can say frankly that this Constitution is a bad inheritance from the military dictatorship." Speakers rallied the public for their support in specifically overturning Article 436 of the Constitution, which states that any amendments must have the approval of 75 percent of the representatives in both houses of parliament. NLD central executive committee member Win Myint said that Article 436 is the main clause of the Constitution which must be amended. "If you act to amend other articles but not 436(a) then you will not get the support of the 75 percent that you need," he said. "That’s why it is imperative that this article is prioritized." A similar public rally is scheduled to be held in Mandalay on Sunday. |
| Drugs, land and mining issues plague Shan State Posted: 17 May 2014 01:43 AM PDT A four-day regional development workshop responding to the challenges posed by drugs and environmental degradation— identified by contributors as the main issues plaguing the region – has concluded in Tachileik, eastern Shan State. Villagers from nine local townships attended the meeting, where they were able to voice their own concerns. Nang Leik, of Kengtung, worries that a local Thai-run coal mine will impact heavily on small farmers. "The coal mine will affect our paddy fields," she said. "We can't allow them to continue the project. The areas they are planning to mine are in our paddy fields. When they start, our paddy fields will be destroyed. We will have to move our paddy fields as well as our houses. The township administrator doesn’t take any responsibility, despite the fact that his villages are also affected.” "The operators have ignored the local people in decision making," she added. "We will be forced to demonstrate in public if they continue with the project." Shan National Progressive Party member Thein Aung agrees that land tenure is a pressing concern, but believes that town workshops provide a better alternative to holding demonstrations. "Instead of getting out on the streets to protest issues, we can send the results of these workshops to parliamentarians," he said. "We can discuss and share our views so that the end results are clear. I would like to urge party leaders and NGOs to hold similar workshops in future." "Parliamentarians acknowledge the relationship between illegal drugs and gambling, but there are still many gambling and drug dens in places like Taunggyi, where the government has a strong presence," Ko Moe said. "How can these things be controlled?" he added. "These are the questions for the Ministry of Home Affairs, as well as the State government and Union government." Villagers at the meeting suggested that a lack of government accountability is endemic to the region and contributes to controversy over land ownership. "Mining companies come in and operate in fields belonging to famers who can't necessarily prove their ownership. The government marks such land as vacant, which is not correct." A similar town workshop was held in the first week of May in Lashio. A Shan State-wide workshop will be held in Taunggyi during the last week of this month. |
| Amending Constitution will ‘hurt the people’, says Thein Sein Posted: 17 May 2014 12:10 AM PDT The instability being caused by the ongoing public campaign to amend the Constitution will ultimately hurt the country, Burma's President Thein Sein warned on Thursday. Speaking at a literacy campaign in Mandalay, the president said, "Amending the constitution and holding free and fair elections are our internal affairs. We can perform them under national legislation without damaging our sovereignty. Nobody wants to endure the instability that these issues are causing. It will hurt the people … I would like to urge all people and monks who love this country to protect it from instability." The president's words came ahead of a rally on Saturday organised by the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) and the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society Organization (88GPOS) to garner more public support for amending the Constitution. Related StoriesThe push for amendment has focused particularly on overturning Article 436 which dictates that any proposals to amend clauses of the 2008 Constitution must be approved by 75 percent of representatives in both houses of parliament. As the military holds 25 percent of all seats, it effectively holds veto power over the Constitution, the opposition groups say. NLD Central Executive Committee member Win Mying responded to the president's comment, saying that constitutional reform would not destabilize the country. "We are not trying to create instability," he told DVB on Friday. "The public want to hear about proposals for constitutional reform. We have the right to freely and peacefully express our views about amending the Constitution, and we are doing so in accordance with the law. It is unrelated to the stability of the country." The NLD and 88GPOS have scheduled rallies on Saturday, 17 May, in Rangoon, and on Sunday, 18 May, in Mandalay. Leaders Aung San Suu Kyi and Min Ko Naing will speak on behalf of the respective parties. The NLD has meanwhile instructed its township offices to start collecting signatures of people who support amending the Constitution. |
| Posted: 16 May 2014 11:47 PM PDT
Ups and Downs The Burmese currency has been erratic recently, but finished strong on Friday. The buying rate is currently 959 kyat to the US dollar while the selling rate is 966. The price of gold has stabilised and is selling at 662,700 kyat per tical after a recent high of 674,000. Fuel prices remain unchanged: petrol is 820 kyat per litre; diesel 950 kyat; and octane 920 kyat a litre. Rice also remains constant; good quality Pawhsanmwe rice is selling at 1,300-1,600 kyat per basket while low-quality Manawthukha retails at 900 kyat per basket in most Rangoon marketplaces.
Burma needs infrastructure, skilled workers, says economist Despite an influx of foreign investment and large resource base, Burma's exponential growth in gross domestic product could be held back by inadequate basic infrastructure and a lack of skilled workers, says Rangoon-based business adviser, Jean-Pierre Verbiest. "The constraints to Burmese growth are a lack of necessary infrastructure, especially in the energy sector, and skilled workers," he said. "The difficulty in finding skilled and manager-level workers in Burma is because there are not that many of them. However, Burma still has one of the lowest wage costs, which is ideal for labour-intensive industries." Read more: https://www.dvb.no/news/infrastructure-skilled-workforce-are-keys-to-burmese-economic-growth/40539
Western Union expands in Burma's banks Western Union has announced that it is expanding operations in Burma with nine local banks, namely Ayeyarwady Bank, Co-operative Bank, First Private Bank, Kanbawza Bank, Myanmar Apex Bank, Myanmar Treasure Bank, Myanmar Oriental Bank, United Amara Bank and Yoma Bank. Western Union currently operates within 250 bank branches in Burma, but plans to expand that number to 460. International money transfers are an important service for Burma's estimated three to four million migrants around the world.
Rangoon to host auto show this weekend An auto show exhibiting cars and motoring products from over 100 companies will be held in Rangoon's Tatmadaw Hall from 16 – 19 May. The Modern Living Expo and Car Show, sponsored by Smart Business Group, will feature various automobile-related exhibitions including car accessories, audio systems and auto-parts.
78 percent of all FDI pledges materialise: DICA Some 78 percent of all proposals for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Burma have come to fruition, while 22 percent did not materialise for various reasons, said the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA). Data released by DICA shows a total of US$46.4 billion pledged by foreign firms, although only $36.4 billion came through. China, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand are currently the top investors in Burma.
Burma's stock exchange will launch with just five firms The Ministry of Finance has announced that it will nominate five of the strongest Burmese companies to float on the stock market when it opens later this year. It did not name the public limited companies (PLCs) nor say whether they had already been selected. Deputy Finance Minister Maung Maung Thein said it would be ideal to launch the stock exchange with many PLCs but the decision was made to start with just five as most firms in Burma are not yet strong enough.
Malaysian trade minister urges investment in Burma Malaysia's International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed has urged Malaysian companies and businessmen to look towards Burma as their next destination for investment amid policy changes by that country's government signalling it was serious in attracting foreign investors, the Star Online reported. The minister said 200 Malaysian companies are currently invested in Burma.
Singapore– Mandalay flights take off in June SilkAir, a subsidiary of Singapore's national carrier Singapore Airlines, will begin flights on 10 June connecting Singapore to Mandalay in central Burma, priced at US$460 round-trip. SilkAir already runs a service to Rangoon with flights priced at $430 return. But not such good news for Shwe (Golden) Myanmar Airlines which has been forced to suspend its only international flight – to Bangkok – following an incident at Rangoon International last month when one of its two planes crashed into another aircraft while taxiing on the runway. The airline says it will focus on domestic flights in the meantime.
Tea industry in decline Tea-leaf producers in Namhsan, northern Shan State, are struggling to stay in business due to labour shortages and a surge in untaxed tea from neighbouring China. "Internationally, tea leaf is regarded as a high-value export product, but local producers in Burma are hit hard by imports from China that evade commercial taxes," said Tun Myaing, chairman of the Palaung Tea Growers and Producers Association. "This hampers local production and the government must take action," he added, calling on the government to impose tax regulations specifically for Chinese teas. Read more: https://www.dvb.no/news/tea-industry-in-steep-decline-burma-myanmar/40652
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| EU initiates human rights dialogue with Burma Posted: 16 May 2014 09:27 PM PDT The Council of the European Union (EU) has initiated a plan for regular human rights dialogue between the bloc and Burma. In a statement on Monday, EU foreign ministers endorsed a framework which will include the provision of EU support, "including through technical, financial and other expertise and assistance". "The dialogue will be held on an annual basis through face to face meetings, in principle alternating between European Union and Myanmar/Burma at senior official level. The EU will be represented by the European External Action Service (EEAS) and Myanmar/Burma by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant stakeholders," the EU said. The EU foreign ministers laid out a list of 21 "benchmarks" which it expects the Burmese authorities to fulfill, including: cooperation with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and UN human rights special procedures; the release of all political prisoners; the strengthening of rule of law; greater media freedom; and "effective measures to combat intolerance, communal violence and hate speech". But while the latter clause clearly alludes to the waves of anti-Muslim sentiment that have racked many parts of Burma, no mention was made in the report about the dire conditions facing the Rohingya/ Bengali community in Arakan State – a situation the UN's Special Rapporteur Tómas Ojea Quintana and others warn is sliding towards a humanitarian disaster. Related Stories"I have continued to receive allegations of serious human rights violations being committed during this police operation [in Duchiran Dan], which also involved Rakhine [Arakanese] mobs, including allegations of the brutal killing of men, women and children, sexual violence against women, and the looting and burning of properties," Quintana said in February, addressing reporters at Rangoon airport for the final time during his tenure as the UN's special rapporteur. Speaking to DVB on Wednesday, Phil Robertson, the deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Asia division, said, "The EU has obviously decided to make its benchmarks neutral from an ethnic perspective, focusing instead on 'addressing concerns' about discrimination, and stopping the problems of communal violence and hate speech – both of which encompass at least some of the issues facing the Rohingya. Given the ethnic diversity of Burma and the serious problems with the census, it's really unfortunate that the EU neglected to establish a benchmark to address statelessness and citizenship issues. That's a big oversight that the EU officials in the dialogue will have to make up for." The director of Burma Campaign UK, Mark Farmaner, also voiced skepticism. "Burma Campaign UK welcomes human rights dialogue taking place but only if it is robust and time bound," he told DVB. "The danger with this dialogue is that the EU will see the process itself as success, rather than human rights improvements, and also that they will tread very softly in the dialogue, fearing that if they push too hard the Burmese government will pull out." However, according to a spokesperson for the EEAS, a department which essentially serves as the EU's foreign office, the Europeans’ proposal will pave the way for greater communication about the human rights issues facing Burma. “The 21 benchmarks provide a comprehensive list of human rights issues which allow a deep discussion about the situation in Rakhine State and elsewhere in the country,” he said. Asked what the dialogue would do for the thousands of refugees and IDPs in ethnic areas, the EEAS said, "The EU follows very closely the evolution of the humanitarian and human rights situation in Myanmar, including the situation in IDP camps. We have called for unhindered access for humanitarian assistance to IDPs and all those affected by conflict and violence. The EU has actively advocated the full resumption of humanitarian assistance in Rakhine State which was suspended in March." Burmese President's Office spokesman Ye Htut said he welcomed the initiative. "President [Thein Sein] decided to improve the Myanmar human rights situation since he took office. For the last three years, there has been much tangible progress in the human rights situation. But we still have some challenges and we will cooperate with our international partners to overcome these. So we welcome the EU proposal for human rights dialogue," he told DVB this week. An EU delegation led by the bloc's ambassador to Burma, Roland Koria, is currently touring the country ahead of the first EU-Myanmar Human Rights Dialogue meeting since the framework was announced – due to take place on 20 May and to be co-hosted by EU Special Representative for Human Rights Stavros Lambrinidis and Burma's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Thant Kyaw. "While a dialogue is important, it will ultimately be judged by its outcomes," concluded HRW's Phil Robertson. "There are many rights issues in Burma that the EU should press hard on, and they will need to also be totally honest on what progress they make and transparent about what obstacles they encounter from the Burmese government. |
| A day in the life of a young mahout Posted: 16 May 2014 08:20 PM PDT Eleven-year old Nga Sint prides himself on being a mahout, or ‘oozie’. He thinks he could be the youngest mahout in Burma. There are about 5,000 elephants living in captivity in the country. Most of them work in the logging industry but many are used for ordination ceremonies and religious festivals. In Asia, elephants hold symbolic importance and, in particular, the albino white elephant is a symbol of peace, power and prosperity. But pachyderm numbers in the wild are dropping dramatically in Burma. DVB spent a day with Nga Sint and his grandfather's two Asian elephants and watched as he gathered enough bananas for their meals and had fun bathing and splashing the elephants in the water.
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