The Irrawaddy Magazine |
- Education Reform: Towards an Inclusive Approach
- Land: The Search for Solutions
- The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (Feb. 28, 2015)
- Foreign Tourists Posing Nude at Temples Infuriate Cambodians
| Education Reform: Towards an Inclusive Approach Posted: 27 Feb 2015 05:00 PM PST  Student protestors are pictured at a stop in Kyauk Padaung, Mandalay Division, on Jan. 29, 2015. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) In Burma, one thing people from all walks of life have in common is a desire for education reform. We saw a glimmer of hope after representatives from the government, parliament, the National Network for Education Reform and students held preliminary discussions. But going forward, will our hopes become a reality? Many people have expressed differing views about the 11 proposed amendments to the National Education Law currently under discussion. Some misinterpretations of the bill have also surfaced, leading to unnecessary confusion. At the heart of all this, it is most important to objectively analyze the importance of the proposed amendments, using examples from other countries, so that informed decisions can be made during final discussions. Recently, Johns Hopkins University pulled the pin on its international relations and comparative politics program, housed under the International Center of Excellence at Rangoon University, due to a lack of academic freedom. This is an example of a tertiary institution putting great emphasis on autonomy—a principle included in current discussions on the controversial education bill. If we look at other countries in the region, we can see varying levels of autonomy in the university sector. In Thailand, universities are divided into three categories: autonomous public, public and private. However, academic administration is autonomous under all three categories. The only difference between autonomous and non-autonomous institutions is in terms of personnel and financial administration. In Singapore, not only higher education institutions, including the four public universities, but also some secondary schools enjoy a certain level of autonomy. In Singapore's universities, autonomy is present in areas such as university governance, student admission, intake planning and human resources. Given these regional examples, it seems logical that education institutions in Burma should be given a certain level of autonomy to enable them to respond quickly and creatively to the challenges and opportunities in this dynamic sector. Of course, with autonomy comes accountability. The examples of Thailand and Singapore reveal that autonomy cannot be applied with a "blanket approach" for all institutions. Some may be more ready than others. It is vital to carefully set criteria assessing the readiness of an institution to embrace autonomous status, and the timeline to guide them towards it. Step by step procedures need to be in place for allowing autonomy. In Singapore, universities and secondary schools enjoy autonomous status only after they have been under a centralized system for a certain period of time. Before this, they worked closely with the Ministry of Education to set up governing bodies such as a university council to prepare them for autonomous university governance. Another important factor to analyze is government spending on education. Of course, it would be ideal if 20 percent of the country's national budget was spent on education, as proposed by students and education advocates. Spending on education and health in Burma has long been neglected, eclipsed by funds for defense. But we have to carefully consider whether this 20 percent target is realistic within the time period, what kind of incremental increase would take place from the current budget percentage and how to effectively utilize the allocated funds. It is equally important to focus on quality rather than quantity. Some countries that allocate a higher percentage of GDP for education have not always fared as well in international rankings as those with lower allocations. Increasing the education budget alone does not necessarily equate to success. A detailed and realistic plan, an implementation committee, and monitoring and evaluation procedures need to be put in place. The Singaporean government has recently announced their 2015 budget that includes government grants, study awards and fellowship schemes for its citizens—to encourage lifelong learning and the building of skills in sectors needed for the country's development. Such budget allocation is one example that we can learn to apply in Burma. The existing National Education Law has been criticized for not involving teachers and students in the drafting process. It is a valid criticism as students and teachers are the key stakeholders of any education system. In the case of Finland, they approached education reform from the bottom-up, soliciting the involvement of teachers and students from a range of schools. Such a bottom-up approach may take time but the government needs to demonstrate a sincere commitment to institute education reforms that will benefit its citizens, through an inclusive process. Finnish Ambassador to Thailand, Kirsti Westphalen, said in an interview with the Bangkok Post that reform in Finland's education sector took a number of years. It was important to really analyze what was needed and determine what would best produce results, she said. If Burma's government really hopes to see the country develop, there is no doubt that education is one area in which they should invest. However, any kind of reform needs sincerity and strong commitment, not just superficial or populist policy-making. Is the government ready to prove that they are truly committed to bringing change in education so that Burma can again stand tall in terms of human capacity in the international community? Actions speak louder than words and only time will tell. Khin Hnin Soe is the principal of the Myanmar Metropolitan College. She can be reached at khsoesoe@gmail.com The post Education Reform: Towards an Inclusive Approach appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Land: The Search for Solutions Posted: 27 Feb 2015 04:30 PM PST  Dr. Thaung Htun, director of the Institute for Peace and Social Justice. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) Dr. Thaung Htun is director of the Institute for Peace and Social Justice in Myanmar and a leading advocate for fair land use policies and farmers' rights. A former member of the All Burma Students Democratic Front and UN representative for the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma, he returned to the country in 2013 to help strengthen civil society and share skills and knowledge for a democratic transition. The government introduced two new land laws in 2012—the Farmland Law and the Vacant, Fallow, and Virgin Lands Management Law. Here, Dr. Thaung Htun discusses with The Irrawaddy's Yen Snaing how these have not solved ongoing issues and why he is still working for land policy and law reform. Question: With what expectations and aims did you come back to Myanmar? Answer: I came back to the country in December 2012 with the aim of taking part in strengthening political parties and civil society and to help facilitate discussions on much-needed policy reform in the country. Since 2013, the Institute for Peace and Social Justice (IPSJ) has been helping with capacity building for political parties and civil society groups, and holding policy discussion workshops. We have focused on agricultural reform and land rights. Currently, we are working on the new draft land-use laws, together with international and local experts. In addition to this, IPSJ has facilitated discussions on rule of law, mining law, the conservation of rivers, sustainable community fishery and alternative energy options. We are also providing technical help to assist in forming farmers' organizations. Q: Why did you focus primarily on the agricultural sector? A: My parents come from a farming family and I wanted to contribute something back to poor farmers. And 70 percent of Myanmar's population are farmers. The president has said his priority is to reduce poverty. Without legitimizing land tenure security for small farmers, addressing the issue of landlessness and [prioritizing] rural development, poverty reduction can't succeed. Micro-finance alone is not enough. There are other needs like upgrading agricultural knowledge, financial management skills, market stability for agricultural products and infrastructure in the agricultural sector. Transportation is also key for sending goods to the market. So is electrification. But most important is "social capital"—the culture of collective decision making and implementation in village-level development issues, and rural values like honesty, restricting alcohol consumption and gambling, and neighborly help… Checks and balances within society were ruined under authoritarian rule. People lost self-confidence under poverty. Millions have left for Thailand and Malaysia as undocumented migrant workers. That led to a scarcity of farm workers. Climate change also has an impact. The monsoon comes 15 days late and is gone 15 days earlier. We have seen unusual rain fall due to cyclones in harvesting season. Farmers, individually, cannot resolve all this; it needs to be addressed collectively. Skills and knowledge for farmers, as well as agricultural policy reform is what is needed. Myanmar is behind Thailand and Vietnam in agricultural productivity. Q: What is your organization doing in relation to advocacy on the existing laws? A: What can be achieved is limited. Existing laws include the Farmland Law and the Vacant, Fallow, and Virgin Lands Law. The bylaw for the Protecting Rights and Enhancing Welfare of Farmers Law is not finished yet. But these laws cannot fully solve current land ownership disputes and land confiscation issues. Within limits, farmers can attempt to have their grievances addressed within the framework of the above mentioned laws. To respond to these issues, parliament formed the Farmland Investigation Commission in August 2012. That commission has produced four reports so far which have investigated land confiscation related to: (1) the expansion of urban development; (2) the development of industrial zones; (3) the expansion of military cantonments; (4) national projects such as railways, highways, airports; (5) the building of state factories and plants; (6) the inclusion of existing farmlands in the allocation of land to private agriculture and livestock enterprises. But the administration is working quite slowly in response to the commission's suggestions. Among 6,559 complaint letters to the commission, they could only solve 307 cases—only 4.68 percent. Most of the current land issues arose between 1989 and 2010. Land issues arising after 2010 are quite rare, although they exist. Q: What about other parts of the legal machinery? A: Problems also arise due to weaknesses in the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law. And there are weaknesses in the bureaucracy relating to land records. Q: There are some cases where lands have been acquired but the farmers don't receive fair compensation or land substitutes. Is this another weakness? A: The chapter on land acquisition in the draft National Land Use Policy needs to be more detailed in outlining international best practices. We should take a look at international standards. For example, in India, the land acquisition act enacted during British rule was amended in 2013. They called it The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act. It included the right to compensation, pre-notification and negotiation, and transparency in land acquisition and resettlement plans in accordance with current living standards. Some [project owners] have said they have compensated farmers 30 lakh [3,000,000 kyat] for an acre of land. But farmers only know how to farm and have no idea how to invest in a business. That money will quickly run out. There are also many problems concerning land valuation and the policy framework needs to be more specific here too. The most important thing is having a pro-poor land use policy framework and amending existing laws: the Farmland Law; the Vacant, Fallow and Virgin Land Law; the Forest Law; investment laws; the Mining Law; environmental laws and the Land Acquisition Law in line with that policy framework. Indonesia and Cambodia have included land redistribution in their recent land policy frameworks in addition to land administration and land management. Industrial countries like Japan, South Korea and Taiwan rebuilt their economies with an emphasis on land reform, land redistribution and legitimizing land tenure security for small farmers. These reform initiatives motivated small farmers to work hard on their land to improve agricultural output. They believed in farming and their governments lent money and helped improve techniques. From there, they started small and medium sized agro-based industries in rural areas. Production increased in rural areas and the accumulation of capital and business management experience helped create a strong foundation for these countries to transform into industrialized countries. Q: What's your outlook for the future? A: It depends on the political will of those in power. According to some statistics, around 46 percent of the population is landless. We need to create land for them. Their way out now is to go to Yangon and work at Hlaing Tharyar Industrial Zone, or go to Malaysia and Thailand. In some rural areas, there are no youths anymore. How can we handle this? How are we going to handle unused land? How can the government distribute vacant land and turn it into farmland? What is happening now is that vacant land is given to those who have money. Look at land around Hlaing Tharyar and Shwepyithar, which used to be farmland. It is neither used for agriculture or industry now. Why? Because a minority holds on to that land, to sell on the market as a commodity. Our land costs are the highest in Southeast Asia. When garment industries come here from abroad, let's say if they bring US$500,000, they have to spend 80 percent of it on renting land; how can they do business? Without punishing land speculation and land monopolies according to the law, there will be lots of problems in industrial growth, agricultural development and poverty reduction. Current land policy cannot stop this. Policy change is the way forward. The post Land: The Search for Solutions appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (Feb. 28, 2015) Posted: 27 Feb 2015 04:00 PM PST  Striking garment factory workers in Rangoon's Shwepyithar Industrial Zone encamp outside their place of employment. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) Garment Producers Ask Burma's Government to Intervene in Strikes Japanese and South Korean owners of garment factories affected by strikes in northern Rangoon's Shwepyithar Industrial Zone have asked the Burmese government to use the law to protect their businesses, according to state-run media. Sit-in strikes involving hundreds of workers continued this week, with laborers demanding that their wages be raised to the equivalent of about US$80 per month. Burma's government passed a Minimum Wage Law in 2013, but the details of a basic salary for workers are still being worked out. On Monday, the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security issued a statement saying it was overseeing negotiations to end the strike, the Global New Light of Myanmar reported. The ministry's statement also warned that any workers who block factories and prevent them from operating would face legal action. "The statement released by the ministry Monday also mentioned that employers have demanded the government to provide protection of law to their factories so that they can continue to run their businesses at peace as blocking businessmen, staff and sales agents in the factories and blocking the entrance of the factories by striking workers reached above the existing law," the newspaper reported. Production in some factories had been stopped for two weeks, it said, insisting that the majority of workers had agreed to terms with the owners and were being prevented from returning to work by a disruptive minority. The garment industry has rebounded significantly in recent years after it was hit by sanctions imposed on Burma's former military government by the West. The sector now employs an estimated 200,000 workers, and exports were valued at about $1.6 billion in 2014, compared with $1.2 billion the previous year, according to the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association (MGMA). China EximBank to Loan $300m in Agriculture-Related Microfinance Loans worth $300 million from the Export-Import Bank of China will be handed to rural Burmese families in the form of microfinance loans, according to state media. The Global New Light of Myanmar on Wednesday reported that Thein Sein had sent a message to the Union Parliament about the loan, and quoted Cooperatives Minister Kyaw Hsan explaining how it would be disbursed. The minister said the cash from the bank, known as EximBank, "will be used for microfinance loans, agricultural items, tools for fishing farms and improvement of cooperative groups," the report said. A loan program lending 100,000 kyats, or about $100, to rural families would cover 23,451 of the country's more than 60,000 villages, it said. "Cooperatives Union Minister [Kyaw Hsan] said the loans from Exim will be used $220 [million] for members of cooperatives who have not received loans and $50 million for those who have got loans, plus over $30 million for installment sales of agricultural machines," the report said, adding that it was hoped the cash would help reduce poverty. No details were given on the time period of the loan. State-owned export-import banks are normally used by governments to aid their own companies wanting to increase their business overseas. Both the United States and India's EximBanks have also announced plans in Burma. In February 2014, the US export-import lender announced that it would provide short- and medium-term credit to finance the sale of US exports. India's counterpart has pledged to disburse $800 million in Burma. Yetagun Gas Project Reportedly Up for Review As Burma concludes deals with foreign firms to open up new offshore oil and gas discoveries, a report suggests that the global slump in the price of oil could see one of the country's existing offshore projects ended. A report on the Southeast Asia-focused maritime news website SeaShip News this week said the Yetagun project in the Andaman Sea was up for review. The project is operated by Malaysian state oil company Petronas, and began producing natural gas, most of which is exported to Thailand, in 2000. "Its production rates over the 15 years it has been producing have slipped to 360m cu ft [million cubic feet] per day, far less than the 400m it is meant to be supplying to Thailand every day," the report said, linking the review to historically low oil prices on global markets. "Yetagun currently has 14 wells in operation and its reserves are thought to be around 60% used up." Yetagun was the second of four offshore gas projects in Burmese waters to be established. The government in March last year announced the companies selected to explore 20 offshore blocks following a competitive tender. Exploration and production sharing contracts (PSC) have been signed with a handful of the winners, including Royal Dutch Shell and Mitsui Oil Exploration, who announced earlier this month that they would jointly explore three deep-water blocks. Eleven Media this week cited information from the Energy Ministry saying Shell would spend $1.2 billion on exploration, and that a signing bonus of $61 million would be paid to the state-run Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE). In a response issued through global public relations firm Ogilvy, Shell declined to confirm or deny the report. "The terms of PSCs are confidential. We don't comment on the economics of individual projects," the response to The Irrawaddy said. Investors 'Silent or Evasive' on Human Rights Commitments Fewer than a quarter of companies approached by researchers were able to point to human rights policies relating to investment in Burma, according to a recent announcement by the Business & Human Rights Resource Center. The London- and New York-based group said it had reached out to 108 companies operating in Burma as part of its ongoing Myanmar Foreign Investment Tracking Project. Most were "silent or evasive when asked about their human rights commitments," the group said in a statement. Only 57 bothered to respond at all, and only 24 companies were able to "point to substantive actions" on human rights. "These findings echo concerns raised by local communities and human rights organizations that human rights issues are not being adequately addressed as foreign companies invest in the resource-rich country," the statement said. A handful of companies—oil and gas firm BG Group, Coca-Cola and Telenor—were praised for their responses, which showed they were "leading in the area of human rights due diligence in Myanmar, and have provided useful guidance for other companies," it said. The Business & Human Rights Resource Center also said it was "disappointing" that some large firms working in Burma did not respond, singling out hydropower firm Andritz Hydro and Chinese state-owned telecommunications giant Huawei. Among the foreign companies approached from sectors including the extractive industries, manufacturing and tourism, the group noted that Western firms were more likely to respond than investors in the region. "The response rate of companies with headquarters in Europe [and] the Americas is over 65%, while that of companies headquartered in Asia and the Pacific is 35%," it said. Hanthawaddy Airport Won't Be Ready Until 2020 The project to build a new airport serving Rangoon will not be completed until 2020, a year later than was originally planned, theGlobal New Light of Myanmar reported. The contract to build Hanthawaddy International Airport in Pegu Division has now been awarded to a Japanese and Singaporean consortium comprising Yongnam, Changi Airport Planners and Engineers and JGC Corporation. The project has faced delays before work has even begun due to uncertainty about how the estimated $1.4 billion in costs would be met. A report in the state-run newspaper on Thursday quoted Department of Civil Aviation Director-General Win Swe Tun confirming the delayed completion date for the project, and explaining the new financing arrangements. "Myanmar will borrow ODA [overseas development assistance] loan from Japan for the project in Bago Region [Pegu Division] and the ODA loan with low interest rate from Japan is estimated to be around US$700 million, which is equivalent to about 50 percent of the value of the project," the director general was paraphrased as saying. "Besides, loans from development banks will also be injected in the project," he added. The airport is to be built on the site of an airfield built by the occupying Japanese army in Pegu Division during World War II. The location is some 48 miles from Rangoon, and although a high-speed rail link has been touted, specific plans have not been announced for how passengers traveling through the new hub will reach Burma's commercial capital. The post The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (Feb. 28, 2015) appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Foreign Tourists Posing Nude at Temples Infuriate Cambodians Posted: 27 Feb 2015 03:30 PM PST  Visitors pose for photographs near the Angkor Wat temple in the northern province of Siem Reap, Cambodia, August 31, 2010. (Photo: Reuters) SIEM REAP, Cambodia — Cambodia's most popular tourist attraction—the complex of ancient temples that includes Angkor Wat — is suffering from a form of overexposure: At least five foreign visitors have been arrested and deported this year for taking nude photos at the sacred sites. Authorities have no tolerance for people stripping down at Angkor Archaeological Park, a sprawling, centuries-old UNESCO World Heritage Site that drew 2 million visitors last year. The incidents are also upsetting to ordinary Cambodians, for whom the Khmer-era complex holds enormous spiritual and historical significance. "Angkor Wat is the most famous sacred… temple in Cambodia, where everyone—not only tourists but also Cambodians themselves—has to pay respect," said Rattanak Te, an administrative assistant who lives in Phnom Penh, the capital. "It definitely upsets me and all Cambodians, because outsiders will think we—Cambodian people—are careless and do not take good care of this World Heritage [site] by allowing these tourists to do such an unacceptable act." This month, guards arrested two American sisters after seeing them snap photos of each other's naked backsides in the temple of Preah Khan, said Kerya Chau Sun, spokeswoman for the Apsara Authority, which manages the temple complex in Siem Reap, in northwestern Cambodia. Lindsey Adams, 22, and Leslie Adams, 20, both of Prescott, Arizona, were each sentenced to a six-month suspended sentence, a fine of 1 million riel ($250), deportation and a four-year ban from the country. In January, three French men in their 20s were deported after they were caught taking nude photographs at Angkor complex. Another photo showing a topless woman at the site has circulated on social media, but officials believe it is fake, according to Chau Sun. Three tourists were also caught riding a motorbike naked near Phnom Penh in January, according to local media. Reached via email, one of the Frenchmen, Rodolphe Fourgeot, said he did not want to talk about the case. He said it demonstrates "endemic corruption" in Cambodia but did not elaborate. A message on a cell phone listed for Lindsey Adams said the voicemail was full and not accepting messages. She also didn't respond to a Facebook message. A message was left on a cell phone number listed for the sisters' mother. This year's incidents were not firsts for the Angkor temples, but Chau Sun said earlier attempts by tourists to get naked were thwarted. Signs at the temples and ticketing booths urge visitors to behave respectfully, and Chau Sun said the Apsara Authority plans to add posters warning them that taking nude photographs can lead to arrest and deportation. "As a Cambodian, I am hurt… I think especially to the poor Cambodians saving to be able to come across the country to pray at Angkor," she said. "They don't understand why people could behave like that." Angkor Archaeological Park is the biggest tourist draw for this Southeast Asian country, which still feels the effects of the Khmer Rouge, the fanatical communist regime behind a reign of terror that left an estimated 1.7 million people dead from 1975 to 1979. The massive Angkor complex is in a sense a proud counterpoint to that painful legacy. It contains the remains of capitals of the Khmer Empire, which existed from the 9th to the 15th centuries and at its peak controlled most of Southeast Asia. For a time, Angkor was among the world's biggest cities. The temples are renowned for their architecture and art, with countless intricate carvings, including semi-nude spirits known as apsaras. Angkor Wat is the largest and best preserved of the structures. The temples are much more than stone ruins for most Cambodians, said Trevor Sofield, a professor of Tourism at the University of Tasmania in Australia. They are places of Buddhist worship as well as a symbol of the Khmer heritage, he said. He added that the Apsara Authority and UNESCO should focus on educating the public about the living sacred nature of the site in addition to its historical characteristics. Angkor is not the only world-renowned site that has had to deal with nude tourists. In 2014, officials at Peru's Machu Picchu said they were increasing surveillance after visitors were caught taking nude photographs or running through the ancient site naked. Amichay Rab, a 32-year-old accountant from Tel Aviv, Israel, was one of those tourists who posed in the buff. Rab documented his nude escapades while on a nine-month trip through Central and South America on his blog. Many of the photos were taken early in the morning before there were crowds, he said, and local residents often snapped the photos for him. "I was anxious sometimes but was never afraid [of] getting in trouble as I was very discreet," he said. "I was waiting for the right moment in order to avoid hurting someone's feelings." Cambodian Mollyda Keo said people there recognize that different cultures and societies have differing views on the body and what is deemed acceptable. Cambodian women, for example, will only swim in a T-shirt and shorts but are used to seeing Western women in bikinis, she said. She said posing naked at the temples crosses the line. "I just feel they don't respect the culture," she said. "You come from another culture. You should respect ours." The post Foreign Tourists Posing Nude at Temples Infuriate Cambodians appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
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