AllSBNews: 01/14/16

Thursday, January 14, 2016

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Heavy-Lifting on Peace Process Is Yet to Come: Suu Kyi
3 Nabbed in Mandalay on Suspicion of Trading Uranium
NLD to Slash Ministerial Posts, Senior Party Official Says
Three Firms Win Retendering of Rangoon ‘New City’
Woman Beaten in Mon State After Partisan Dispute Escalates
Restoration of Mandalay’s Famed Teak Monastery to Resume After Setbacks
Talk of Disarmament Will Not Bring Peace, Ethnic Leaders Say
Foreign Ministry Condemns North Korea’s H-Bomb Test
Mandalay Mornings From 800 Feet
Another 14 Burmese Fishermen Returned From Indonesia
New App Helps Foodies on Their Culinary Quests
Blasts, Gunfight in Indonesian Capital; at Least 6 Dead
Suu Kyi Avoids ‘Rocking Boat’ with Military Ahead of Handover
The Origins of Burma Migrant Worker Misery
Haunted by Close Call, Cambodia’s Long-Ruling PM Gears Up for Distant Election
Tu Ja: Lack of Ethnic MPs is ‘Serious Weakness’ in Parliament

Heavy-Lifting on Peace Process Is Yet to Come: Suu Kyi

Posted: 14 Jan 2016 04:41 AM PST

Attendees of the second day of the Union Peace Conference are seen from above in Naypyidaw on Wednesday. (Photo: Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy)

RANGOON — As the five-day Union Peace Conference continued in Naypyidaw this week, Aung San Suu Kyi said the event was held only to "legitimize" a so-called nationwide ceasefire agreement signed in October between eight of more than 20 non-state armed groups and the outgoing government of President Thein Sein.

"What I understand is that this peace conference is something to legitimize what they have done with regard to the NCA [nationwide ceasefire agreement]. The new government will have to carry out a genuine peace conference. How can you end a peace conference in five days?" the National League for Democracy (NLD) chairwoman told Radio Free Asia (RFA) in a story published on Wednesday.

The Union Peace Conference kicked off in Naypyidaw on Tuesday, marking the beginning of a long-sought political dialogue between the Burmese government and several of the country's non-state armed groups. The majority of the country's rebel armies abstained from the deal, however, and while they were invited to attend this week's talks as observers, all of the non-signatories declined.

In her remarks on the conference's opening day, Suu Kyi stressed the importance of national unity despite shortcomings in the current peace agreement, emphasizing that it was important "not to have division between those who signed and those who did not," and suggesting that the framework for political dialogue be "flexible."

The post Heavy-Lifting on Peace Process Is Yet to Come: Suu Kyi appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

3 Nabbed in Mandalay on Suspicion of Trading Uranium

Posted: 14 Jan 2016 04:15 AM PST

An open air uranium mine in Arlit, Niger, September 25, 2013. (Photo: Reuters)

MANDALAY — Police in Mandalay apprehended three ethnic Chin men on Thursday on charges of illegally possessing uranium.

Ram Tham Zam, Lal Lian Zam and Ngun Zarl Htam were in possession of 2.1 kilograms of uranium concentrate powder purchased in India's Mizoram State, according to police.

"They said they bought the powders with 600 million kyats, in India, and wanted to sell them back for profit. So they came to Mandalay," Lt-Col Sein Htun, chief of the Mandalay District police office.

Because the materials originated in India, police said they would seek help from the Indian government to identify the source, who is a resident of the Mizoram capital Aizawl.

Sein Htun said police had received information that the three Chin men were traveling with illegal drugs. Their search instead produced a box labeled "Uranium Corporation of India Ltd. * SHILLONG INDIA * YELLOWCAKE," containing two cans of powder.

"Although the labels on the carton say it's uranium and the men were detained, we are planning to send [the materials] to the lab for further testing," he said.

The anomalous find was first ever of its kind, Sein Htun said, adding, "we may need to open our eyes for further illegal trade."

India has some of the world's largest deposits of uranium, a radioactive element that can be enriched to produce nuclear energy and weapons. Once mined, uranium is ground down, processed, dried and filtered into yellowcake powder before enrichment.

Thursday's seizure was not the first time a uranium find made headlines in Burma, however. Last year, US-blacklisted businessman Tay Za claimed to have purchased uranium samples in northern Burma, vowing to return and search for a deposit.

Tay Za told reporters at the time that he believed he was suffering mild symptoms of radioactive poisoning, and that he hoped Burma's potential wealth of uranium could be harnessed for "national security."

The post 3 Nabbed in Mandalay on Suspicion of Trading Uranium appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

NLD to Slash Ministerial Posts, Senior Party Official Says

Posted: 14 Jan 2016 03:17 AM PST

National League for Democracy chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi, right, and central committee member Win Htein, center, are pictured on June 20, 2015. (Photo: Tin Htet Paing / The Irrawaddy)

RANGOON — Aung San Suu Kyi's government will begin its term with drastic ministerial cutbacks, eliminating at least 10 ministerial posts, according to a senior member of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party.

In an interview with the Burmese-language weekly Popular News, published on Wednesday, Win Htein said some ministries were wholly "unnecessary" and should be dissolved.

"There are 36 ministers right now, and about 100 deputy ministers," Win Htein said, adding that the party is still considering whether or not to eliminate the position of deputy minister altogether.

The NLD, which secured a landslide victory in a Nov. 8 general election and is set to form the new government in late March, alluded to the plan in its party manifesto, pledging to cut ministries to reduce government expenditure and "establish a lean and efficient government."

While some positions will be eliminated, Win Htein said the administration intends to reassign government employees to other more relevant responsibilities without cutting staff.

Most of the ministers under the current administration of President Thein Sein are retired military personnel. Ministers are appointed by the president, except for three—Border Affairs, Defense and Home Affairs—that are selected by the commander-in-chief.

Shortly after her party's win, NLD chairwoman Suu Kyi said in the capital that employees of the current government would not be discriminated against by her administration.

"Employees do not need to be worried," she said. "Slashing the workforce is not our policy—even if you are incompetent, we will help you improve."

The post NLD to Slash Ministerial Posts, Senior Party Official Says appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Three Firms Win Retendering of Rangoon ‘New City’

Posted: 14 Jan 2016 02:46 AM PST

A house in Twante Township's Ta Man Gyi village, which lies west of the Rangoon River and would be part of an expansion plan for the commercial capital. (Photo: Sai Zaw / The Irrawaddy)

RANGOON — Three local companies have been awarded a multi-billion dollar contract for a city expansion project southwest of the former capital Rangoon that was shelved more than a year ago after prompting outcry over a lack of transparency in its tendering.

According to a source close to the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity, one of the winners, Yangon South West Development Public Company, is run by the same owners of Myanmar Say Ta Nar Myothit, the firm that was originally awarded the tender to implement the project in August 2014. The latter is run by two low-profile Chinese businessmen, Xiao Feng and Xiao Sen, who are said to have a close relationship with Rangoon Chief Minister Myint Swe.

The source told The Irrawaddy that Myint Swe had a meeting with representatives from the three companies recently and told them to "collaborate with each other to develop the project" and "report back with detailed plans."

As originally envisioned, the Rangoon expansion plan would see the city's official limits expanded by some 30,000 acres, into Kyimyindaing, Seikgyikanaungto and Twante townships, west across the Rangoon River. The expansion would include the construction of apartments, a school for 1,000 students, a home for the aged and five six-lane bridges.

The plan was first mooted in August 2014 by Myint Swe and Rangoon Mayor Hla Myint. It was shelved the following month, in anticipation of a new public tender, after allegations that developer Myanmar Say Ta Nar Myothit was given the project based on its leadership's close ties to Myint Swe.

Soe Kyi, a local representative from Yangon South West Development for Kha Lauk Gaint village, part of the project area, confirmed on Wednesday that his company was among the winners, along with Business Capital City Development Ltd., owned by Maung Weik, a prominent businessman in the construction and development sectors. The third company, according to Soe Kyi, is Shwe Popa International Construction Company, a branch of Shwe Thanlwin, a large domestic conglomerate.

"As far as I'm concerned, we have been told to work together but still haven't gotten any greenlight to start our work," he added.

In July 2015, when a new tender for the project was announced, only these three companies were able to meet the deadline to declare bids, according to Soe Kyi. The tender announcement last year said the required, refundable deposit for each company was 5 billion kyats (US$3.8 million).

Soe Kyi denied, however, that his company had any connection to Myanmar Say Ta Nar Myothit.

"We have nothing to do with it," he said. "Our company is made up of 150 people, mostly residents of the project area."

According to Nyo Nyo Thin, a lawmaker in the Rangoon divisional legislature who attended a preliminary tender evaluation at the divisional government office in September, said Yangon South West Development had proposed investing a whopping US$15 billion in the project.

"All three companies made presentations about their proposals but they didn't mention who their directors are," she said.

Khin Maung Thant, community secretary for Yangon South West Development, told The Irrawaddy that due to the size of the project, the company had asked the government to find a private partner to help carry out its $15 billion ambitions. He added, however, that the government had remained silent on the matter to date.

"Whoever they pick up, we will work with them as long as it is good for the local people," he said, when asked by The Irrawaddy if the company would be open to bringing Myanmar Say Ta Nar Myothit back on board for the project.

The post Three Firms Win Retendering of Rangoon 'New City' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Woman Beaten in Mon State After Partisan Dispute Escalates

Posted: 14 Jan 2016 01:13 AM PST

Mi Aye, left, is pictured in hospital in Moulmein, Mon State. (Photo: Facebook / Aung Naing Oo)

RANGOON — A female member of an ethnic Mon political party was assaulted by 10 other women from the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) in Chaungzon Township, Mon State, in a dispute that reportedly erupted on Wednesday over the result of a local election held last week.

Mi Aye was beaten during a morning visit to the Kon Yeik village market, according to a monk who lives in the village, Zaw Latt. He said the altercation began when one of the women with USDP loyalties taunted the victim, a member of the All Mon Region Democracy Party (AMDP), which saw its candidate for village administrator lose to a USDP rival in a Jan. 8 election.

Zaw Latt, who is also known as Ashin Oak-kan-sa, said the dispute then escalated and the two women began slapping each other, which prompted the other USDP women to join in the confrontation.

Aung Naing Oo, an incumbent AMDP lawmaker representing a Chaungzon Township constituency in the state legislature, confirmed the incident.

"She has many wounds on her body," he said of Mi Aye. "Ten people dragged her and beat her at the market. First, we sent her to the township hospital, but she was transferred to Moulmein hospital."

Tension between two parties' members have remained since the local election, according to Aung Naing Oo, who said he had told party cadres to adopt tolerant mindsets and refrain from retaliating if verbally or physically attacked.

The state lawmaker said he went to police on Wednesday and urged them to take action against the 10 women accused of beating the victim.

"I opened a criminal case at the police station yesterday," Aung Naing Oo said on Thursday. "The police told me they will take action on those 10 people within the law. We will do our best to help our member [Mi Aye]."

Zaw Latt, the monk, said the AMDP planned to hold a meeting on Thursday to address tension between the two parties that has lingered locally.

Police in Chaungzon Township declined to speak when contacted by The Irrawaddy on Thursday.

The post Woman Beaten in Mon State After Partisan Dispute Escalates appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Restoration of Mandalay’s Famed Teak Monastery to Resume After Setbacks

Posted: 14 Jan 2016 01:07 AM PST

The US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation is working with Burma's Ministry of Culture to preserve the centuries-old monastery. (Photo: Tay Za Hlaing / The Irrawaddy)

MANDALAY — An ambitious restoration of Mandalay's Shwe Nan Daw Kyaung Monastery looks set to resume in February, following lengthy delays in the supply of teak pillars needed to repair the building's terrace.

The project, which was initially supposed to take two years to complete, began in February 2014 as a collaboration between Burma's Ministry of Culture, the US Embassy and US-based NGO World Monuments Fund (WMF).

Jeff Allen, a program director at WMF told The Irrawaddy that the estimated 30 teak logs have been "made available," and the group will retrieve them from Loikaw, in Karenni State, this weekend. The delays will have a minor impact on the project timeline, he added.

Allen said the full extent of the work has yet to be fully assessed, making a completion date difficult to estimate. Some parts of the structure will need to be replaced completely, while others simply need repair.

"We don't know exactly how many pillars have decayed yet," he said."Moreover, most of the staircases are full of termites and we still don't know if they will need to be replaced."

Allen said a team has already begun working on pest control, improving the drainage system and reinforcing masonry on the stairwells of the ancient monastery.

The Shwe Nan Daw Kyaung Monastery, also known as the Golden Palace Monastery, was originally a royal chamber of Burma's King Mindon and was first located inside the Mandalay Palace compound. It was originally covered with gold leaf, inside and out, with glass mosaics inside. Wood carvings illustrating Buddhist myths stretched from ceiling to floor.

After King Mindon passed away, his son, King Thibaw, moved it out of the palace compound to become a monastery. It is the only apartment of the royal palace to survive the aerial bombardment of Mandalay during World War II, when most of the historic buildings of Mandalay Palace were razed to the ground.

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Talk of Disarmament Will Not Bring Peace, Ethnic Leaders Say

Posted: 14 Jan 2016 12:59 AM PST

Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi with Khun Htun Oo of the SNLD and activists including Aung Din, Dr. Cynthia Maung and Kyaw Thu in Washington in 2012. (Photo: Reuters)

RANGOON — Ethnic leaders have criticized the five-day Union Peace Conference in Naypyidaw, deeming it mere political posturing by President Thein Sein's government.

On the first day of the dialogue, kicked off by the outgoing administration on Tuesday and intended to quell tensions between the Burmese government and ethnic armed groups, Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing urged armed groups to drop their weapons.

Khun Htun Oo, leader of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), said that he was disappointed in the army chief's message, commenting that the deep distrust felt by many ethnic groups should be a red flag that "it's too early for disarmament."

Only eight of Burma's more than 20 non-state armed groups signed a so-called "nationwide" ceasefire agreement (NCA) on Oct. 15, with many objecting to the fact that other groups were barred from participating. Earlier this month, an alliance of armed groups that did not sign the October agreement announced that they will boycott the current dialogue.

"They always say, 'put down your weapons, form a political party, contest elections and discuss ethnic affairs in Parliament.' But I guarantee that will never work if the government doesn't try to talk with ethnic armed groups first," said Khun Htun Oo, adding that failure to do so would only dim the prospects of generating peace in the long run.

He also recalled what happened in 1990, when two ethnic parties and the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) trounced opponents at the ballot box but were denied power. The aftermath of that election might have been different if political parties and armed groups had come together against former junta leader Snr-Gen Than Shwe, Khun Htun Oo said.

Aye Tha Aung, a central committee member of the Arakan National Party (ANP), contended that the government has been attempting to stomp out ethnic armed groups since Burma gained independence from British colonial rule in 1948, arguing that if the government actually wanted peace, it would have made provisions for ethnic self-determination, seen by many as code for federalism, in Burma's 2008 Constitution.

"Discussion of disarmament won't lead to sustainable peace," he said.

The conference will run from Jan. 12 to 16 and is expected to attract some 700 representatives of non-state armed groups and the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC).

The post Talk of Disarmament Will Not Bring Peace, Ethnic Leaders Say appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Foreign Ministry Condemns North Korea’s H-Bomb Test

Posted: 14 Jan 2016 12:42 AM PST

North Koreans dance to celebrate what the country claims was a "successful hydrogen bomb" test at Kim Il Sung square in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this photo released by Kyodo January 8, 2016. (Photo: Reuters)

RANGOON — Burma's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday expressed concern over North Korea's claim that it successfully tested a hydrogen bomb on Jan. 6.

"The test is in violation of the relevant United nations security Council Resolutions and undermines the international non-proliferation regime and increases tension in the Korean Peninsula," the ministry said in a statement.

Burma is a member state of the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ), and as such expressed its commitment to nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Burma and North Korea officially restored diplomatic ties in 2007, followed shortly by a visit from then-Foreign Minister Nyan Win in 2008. Relations had been severed since a 1983 bombing in Rangoon by North Korean agents, which killed 21 people including four South Korean cabinet members.

In February 2014, North Korea's Ambassador to Burma met with Vice President Sai Mauk Kham to discuss "mutual amity and development, according to reports in state media. Just two months later, a delegation representing North Korea's Foreign Ministry reportedly met with their Burmese counterparts to discuss improving diplomatic ties.

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Mandalay Mornings From 800 Feet

Posted: 14 Jan 2016 12:30 AM PST

Click to view slideshow.

MANDALAY HILL — Located to the northeast of Mandalay's moat, this eponymous hill is a famous viewpoint for tourists and photographers hoping to capture daybreak over Burma's last royal capital.

The Irrawaddy's photographer Zaw Zaw got to the top of Mandalay Hill early on Tuesday morning to await the rising sun. At a cool 12° Celsius, weather and location were perfect to capture the moment as the sun's rays broke through Mandalay's morning mist.

But sightseers be warned: You'll have to get to the top before 6:00 am if you want to take in the full breadth of these misty memories.

The post Mandalay Mornings From 800 Feet appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Another 14 Burmese Fishermen Returned From Indonesia

Posted: 14 Jan 2016 12:15 AM PST

Burmese nationals employed in the fishing industry in Indonesia are greeted upon their return to Burma at Rangoon International Airport. (Photo: Zaw Gyi – Panita / Global New Light of Myanmar)

RANGOON — Fourteen Burmese fishermen rescued from Indonesia's Ambon Island were returned to Rangoon on Tuesday, state-run media reported.

Police Col. Ye Win Aung of the Rangoon Division Anti-Trafficking Police Force was quoted as saying the fishermen had "faced difficulties with some brokers after they left to work in Thailand," with the officer adding that authorities would investigate whether the men were victims of human trafficking.

The fishermen are from several states and divisions across Burma, and are now being sheltered at the Social Welfare Department in Rangoon's Mayangone Township. Authorities are arranging for their return home.

According to state media, a total of 1,010 Burmese fishermen were rescued from Indonesia in 2015. So far this year, 28 Burmese nationals have been returned, between Tuesday's arrivals and a similar repatriation on Jan. 5.

The plight of many of these returnees, who often faced exploitive working conditions for little or no pay on Thai-owned fishing trawlers, was first documented in an investigative report by The Associated Press in March 2015.

The post Another 14 Burmese Fishermen Returned From Indonesia appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

New App Helps Foodies on Their Culinary Quests

Posted: 13 Jan 2016 10:28 PM PST

"Foodie Myanmar" lists some 700 restaurants in Rangoon.

RANGOON — Fresh out of ideas for Rangoon eateries? Don't worry, there's an app for that.

"Foodie Myanmar" lists some 700 restaurants in Rangoon, complete with location, menu, specialties and average prices. Bet you didn't even know there were 700 restaurants here.

The free app was created by local tech startup Motive Drive, and launched last December. Android users can download it at the Google Play Store, but iOS users will have to wait until next month.

Eateries are searchable by cuisine, type of venue, township or GPS location. It can also be used as a social platform, where food-lovers can connect with each other and share their experiences, photos and ratings. The app also offers a food diary, so users can keep track of their culinary adventures.

Foodie Myanmar will also keep you updated about special events at restaurants, promotions and food fairs. Tips on Burma's favorite street-side snacks will come later, as will info about flavorful finds in other cities throughout the country.

For more info visit Foodie Myanmar's website. Downloads are available here.

The post New App Helps Foodies on Their Culinary Quests appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Blasts, Gunfight in Indonesian Capital; at Least 6 Dead

Posted: 13 Jan 2016 10:22 PM PST

Dead bodies are seen as Indonesian police hold rifles while walking behind a car for protection in Jakarta on Jan. 14, 2016. (Photo: Reuters)

JAKARTA — Militants launched a gun and bomb assault killing at least six people in the center of the Indonesian capital on Thursday, police said, in an attack that followed a threat by Islamic State fighters to put the country in their "spotlight."

Media said six bombs went off and a Reuters witness saw three dead people and a gunfight going on. One blast was in a Starbucks cafe and security forces were later seen entering the building.

Police said they suspected a suicide bomber was responsible for at least one of the blasts and up to 14 militant gunmen were involved in the attack, Metro TV reported.

"The Starbucks cafe windows are blown out. I see three dead people on the road. There has been a lull in the shooting but someone is on the roof of the building and police are aiming their guns at him," said a Reuters photographer.

Indonesia has been on edge in recent weeks over the threat posed by Islamist militants and counter-terrorism police have launched a crackdown on people with suspected links to Islamic State.

According to the official Jakarta police Twitter account, one explosion went off in front of a shopping center called the Sarinah mall, on a main city avenue. Media said a police post outside the mall was blown up.

"We have previously received a threat from Islamic State that Indonesia will be the spotlight," police spokesman Anton Charliyan told reporters. But he said police did not know who was responsible.

He said three policemen and three civilians had been killed.

"I saw a police officer shot right in front of me," one witness told TV One.

One explosion went off in front of a shopping center called the Sarinah mall, on a main avenue. Media said a police post outside the mall was blown up.

Police snipers were deployed among hundreds of other security officers.

A UN building near the scene was in lock-down with no one allowed in or out, a witness said. Some other buildings in the area were evacuated.

Indonesia's central bank is located in the same area, and a spokesman for the bank said a policy meeting would go ahead as planned later in the day.

A separate explosion was heard in the western suburb of Palmerah, according to a domestic media tweet, but police said they could not confirm a blast there..

Indonesia has the world's largest Muslim population, the vast majority of whom practice a moderate form of the religion.

The country saw a spate of militant attacks in the 2000s, the deadliest of which was a nightclub bombing on the holiday island of Bali that killed 202 people, most of them tourists.

Police have been largely successful in destroying domestic militant cells since then, but officials have more recently been worrying about a resurgence inspired by groups such as Islamic State and Indonesians who return after fighting with the group.

The last major militant attacks in Jakarta were in July 2009, with bombs at the JW Marriott and Ritz Carlton hotels.

The post Blasts, Gunfight in Indonesian Capital; at Least 6 Dead appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Suu Kyi Avoids ‘Rocking Boat’ with Military Ahead of Handover

Posted: 13 Jan 2016 10:07 PM PST

Aung San Suu Kyi in Naypyidaw, January 12, 2016. (Photo: Reuters)

NAYPYIDAW — Burma election winner Aung San Suu Kyi will not press for an immediate change to the constitution that bars her from becoming president, and will instead appoint a ceremonial head of state, a senior official in her party said on Wednesday.

She will also include in the new cabinet at least one member of the military-linked Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), which was trounced in the November vote, as well as technocrats from ethnic minorities who have long complained of being sidelined from power.

The democracy champion is keen to avoid open confrontation with the powerful military, perhaps wary that the last time she triumphed at the ballot box in 1990, the army kept her under house arrest for years and refused to surrender power.

That does not mean Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party has given up on its overarching goal of amending the constitution, the party official told Reuters, but the issue has not been discussed yet between the sides in recent weeks.

"Our choice of president will be only ceremonial and the decisions will be made only by Aung San Suu Kyi," said the official, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of negotiations on how the country will be run following the NLD's landslide election victory.

He reiterated Suu Kyi's assertion that she would stay "above the president."

But by appointing a figurehead president, the NLD aims to "show the people this ridiculous constitution must be amended."

Suu Kyi has discussed aspects of the transition with the army chief at "a few," previously unreported, closed-door meetings since the elections, he said.

She has also appointed NLD liaisons who are in regular contact with the army, part of intensifying efforts to build trust between the party and its former enemies.

Last month Suu Kyi met the former head of the junta that ruled the country for 49 years, Than Shwe, pledging the NLD wanted work for the "brighter future" and not focus on the past.

Pragmatism Trumps the Past

The Nobel laureate's conciliatory steps towards the army reflect a pragmatic approach to transition from semi-civilian rule in place since 2011, and see Suu Kyi's image as a democracy icon blur with that of a political operator.

That pragmatism has drawn criticism in the recent past.

One issue Suu Kyi largely avoided during election campaigning, for example, was the plight of Burma's persecuted Rohingya Muslims, a silence that was frowned upon by some international observers.

As far as political transition is concerned, however, experts said the 70-year-old's willingness to do business with the former military dictatorship was unavoidable.

"Her priority… is not to get rid of the military or to diminish it, but to bring it under civilian control, and I think that's understood by everyone to be a gradual process," said Richard Horsey, a respected Rangoon-based analyst and former senior United Nations official in Burma.

"It's not going to happen overnight and it can only happen if the military accepts to be brought under civilian control, given … its de facto authority and power."

Burma's existing constitution, drawn up by the junta, guarantees the military a quarter of seats in parliament, control of three security ministries and a constitutional veto.

Rocking the Boat

NLD representatives were meeting or calling army officers "two or three times" a week, the official said. Both mid- and high-ranking party members were involved in the talks.

"They [the military] are nervous. They want to know that we won't rock the boat," said the official.

Zaw Htay, a senior official in the president's office, supported the dialogue.

"Trust and cooperation are based on understanding. So both sides need to talk to each other directly without using a third person," he said.

Suu Kyi's new cabinet will be streamlined to include less than 25 ministries from 36 now, according to the NLD source.

Ministerial and presidential candidates, still under debate among top NLD leaders, will be announced just before the start of the new parliament on Feb. 1, he added.

The NLD does not plan to retain any ministers from the current administration due to political opposition, although the relative lack of experience in government among the NLD leadership is a cause for concern.

"We are worried that our people have little or no experience in actual governance," said the official.

The government will include at least one member of the USDP, however, a move welcomed by the office of President Thein Sein, who has led Burma since 2011 and introduced a series of reforms.

"It's a good thing," said Zaw Htay. "The NLD is the winner, but they do not want to take it all. It's a positive step for national reconciliation."

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The Origins of Burma Migrant Worker Misery

Posted: 13 Jan 2016 09:53 PM PST

Protesters hold posters and shout as they protest in support of Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, two migrant workers in Thailand, in front of the Thai embassy in Rangoon, December 25, 2015. (Photo: Reuters)

The death sentences handed down to two migrant workers from Burma by a Thai court on Christmas Eve ignited widespread condemnation in Burma. Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, both 22, were convicted of the murder of British tourists David Miller and Hannah Witheridge on the Thai resort island of Koh Tao in September 2014. The police investigation and proceedings were widely criticized for serious shortcomings, including allegations of police torture to extract initial confessions which the Thai authorities refused to investigate seriously. Forensic experts from Thailand and Australia have raised serious questions about DNA evidence linked to the rape of Witheridge, on which the prosecution heavily relied. Defense lawyers have said they will appeal the decision.

The verdict sparked calls for a review of the case by senior officials in Burma, including by the military commander in chief Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing and Burma's ambassador in Bangkok. Protests in Burma quickly grew outside the Thai embassy in Rangoon, where a petition of 25,000 signatures was presented last week, and at protests at major land border-crossings between the two countries. Anger at the verdict spread throughout social media, and the ultra-nationalist Buddhist group Ma Ba Tha staged anti-Thailand protests in Yangon.

The case has highlighted the poor treatment faced by the over two million migrant workers from Burma living in Thailand, an issue that has been a source of frequent tensions between the two neighbors. Thai police, government officials and employers have been implicated in a system of pervasive abuse that includes killings, beatings, human trafficking and mistreatment of workers in the offshore fishing industry, food processing factories, plantations and farms, garment and other light industry factories, and even the lucrative tourism sector. These abuses have been documented by Human Rights Watch and others for decades.

But why in the midst of Burma's "economic boom" are workers still migrating to work in dangerous conditions in Thailand? Abuses of labor rights, and lack of decent wages and working conditions across many parts of Burma are partly responsible. Working conditions and the lack of economic opportunities are particularly dire in Burma's western Arakan State, where the two convicted men hail from. The state has suffered more than most other areas under decades of military mismanagement and a dearth of basic social and community services. Workers migrate to earn money to remit to their families, while local residents see few jobs and other economic benefits trickle down from major oil and gas projects granted in the state to Chinese firms. At the same time as the Koh Tao verdict was being handed down, Burma's Parliament approved a massive special economic zone and deep-sea port of 4,000 acres in Kyaukphyu in Arakan State for Chinese and Thai firms to develop, which does not auger well for the protection of worker's rights, assuming there are jobs for local people in the project.

The international community has looked in anguish at the desperate plight of ethnic Rohingya Muslims leaving Burma and Bangladesh on rickety boats to Malaysia. But another dimension to the communal violence in Arakan State is that economically deprived Arakanese Buddhists are also prey for trafficking gangs and unscrupulous migrant worker brokers as they travel to Thailand for work and face abusive conditions. Many Arakanese nurse deep grievances towards the Bamar-dominated central state for the poverty produced by military rule.

Profligate land grabs in eastern and northern Burma also continue to deprive rural families of their livelihoods, causing them to send their sons and daughters across the border to work in Thailand. Increased landlessness and displacement due to natural resource extraction is generating rural unrest and protests against companies and the Burmese military who are often implicated in these land grabs, as extensive research by Global Witness documented. In visiting farming communities around Hpa-an in Kayin State in 2015, I frequently came across people in their twenties who had sought work in Thailand because of land grabs at home, often by state or military authorities who utilize unfair laws, bureaucratic opacity, and intimidation including arrests of critics, to avert compensation. Far from people returning from Thailand to take advantage of Burma's opening, a new generation of people are heading east to earn a livelihood because their lives have either not improved or even worsened since the quasi-civilian government came to power in 2011.

Continued armed conflict in Shan State, which has displaced more than 10,000 civilians in recent months, is also causing many to flee and seek work in northern Thailand, joining tens of thousands of ethnic Shan who have fled these conflict zones since the 1980s. Despite the air of calm and talk of nationwide ceasefires, active armed conflict throughout Burma has increased since 2011, including intensive fighting in Kachin State that displaced over 130,000 civilians, providing another push factor for people inside Burma to migrate for work to its neighbors.

It is certainly understandable that many inside Burma are shocked at the Koh Tao murder case verdict and angry about the widespread mistreatment of migrant workers from Burma in Thailand. But while correctly demanding that Thailand end its rights abuses against migrants, the incoming National League for Democracy government also needs to urgently address the structural inequalities and abuses that have driven people from Burma to work and live outside their country for many years. Burma can hardly be considered as a future economic treasure trove when the benefits of its natural resources and its growing economy are not shared broadly with the rural poor, whose livelihoods continue to be insecure.

David Scott Mathieson is a Senior Researcher in the Asia Division of Human Rights Watch.

The post The Origins of Burma Migrant Worker Misery appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Haunted by Close Call, Cambodia’s Long-Ruling PM Gears Up for Distant Election

Posted: 13 Jan 2016 09:01 PM PST

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, left, greets supporters before a ceremony at his political party's headquarters to mark the 37th anniversary of the toppling of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge regime, in Phnom Penh, on Jan. 7, 2016. (Photo: Reuters)

PHNOM PENH — Cambodia won't hold a general election for another two years. But look at Prime Minister Hun Sen, its long-ruling and mercurial strongman, and you'd think one was imminent.

Hun Sen's party narrowly won the last election in 2013 after losing seats to a resurgent opposition that shook his decades-long grip on power.

Now, with a familiar mix of guile and ruthlessness, Hun Sen is stepping up attempts to boost his popularity, blunt the opposition and avert a potential disaster in 2018, say analysts.

That election will be closely watched as Hun Sen, one of China's closest allies in Southeast Asia, fights to extend his rule. Only Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe and a handful of other autocrats have held power for longer.

In an internal report circulated at the weekend, Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party (CPP) said it had fired or hired hundreds of officials in reforms aimed at regaining the "warmth and trust" of the people.

Hun Sen recently gave salary bumps to civil servants and workers in the politically sensitive garment sector, and relaxed unpopular laws relating to motorbike licenses and inheritance tax.

He has also turned up the heat on his long-time political foe Sam Rainsy, a leader of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP).

Sam Rainsy fled to France in November to avoid arrest for an old defamation case that critics say was revived at Hun Sen's bidding.

The prime minister has also begun to harness the power of the Internet to soften his ferocious image and reach the youthful voters who deserted him in 2013.

A late adopter of social media, Hun Sen is now locked in a closely watched popularity contest with Sam Rainsy on Facebook. Latest score: The prime minister's page has 1.8 million "likes," his rival's has 2 million.

Hun Sen recently launched a slick personal website and even his own cellphone app.

But some analysts question whether any of this will be enough to dispel widespread disenchantment with Hun Sen's iron-fisted rule.

The beating of lawmakers from Sam Rainsy's party by Hun Sen loyalists in October suggested a return to form for a man who, in a televised speech in 2005, told political opponents to "prepare coffins and say their wills to their wives."

Other opposition politicians have been jailed, while protests—including one by garment workers last month—violently dispersed.

Hun Sen's strategy is to squeeze the opposition and recast himself as a reformer who is doing "something good for the people," said Koul Panha of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia, an election watchdog based in the capital Phnom Penh.

"But his leadership style is still about fear and coercing voters—no change there," he added.

The Burma Effect

Analysts said Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party (CPP) was rattled by November's historic election in Burma, where an authoritarian incumbent was trounced by a long-persecuted democratic opposition with a charismatic leader.

The scale of the victory of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) over its army-backed rival surprised many pollsters.

The Burma result was "a welcome development," CPP member of parliament Suos Yara told Reuters, and it confirmed his party's long-held belief that "the only way to win election is to make sure that people from all political backgrounds can have a better life."

Hun Sen's attempts to reform his party and image were neither credible nor effective, Sam Rainsy told Reuters by email.

Any genuine reform of the CPP would undermine the cronyism and corruption upon which the party was founded, he said.

"The CPP has become more and more anachronistic," he said.

A former finance minister, Sam Rainsy has twice returned from self-imposed exile to fight general elections after Hun Sen signed royal pardons clearing him of charges.

The prime minister vowed in December to "cut off my right arm" rather than sign another one.

Even so, says analyst Koul Panha, Sam Rainsy's return is likely, because an election fought without the opposition leader won't have the legitimacy the CPP craves.

"Hun Sen needs Sam Rainsy to come back," he said.

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Tu Ja: Lack of Ethnic MPs is ‘Serious Weakness’ in Parliament

Posted: 13 Jan 2016 06:30 PM PST

Dr. Manam Tu Ja, former vice-chairman of KIO and now the leader of the Kachin State Democratic Party which won four seats in the Nov. 8 elections, at his home on Jan 6, 2016. (PHOTO: Thin Lei Win / Myanmar Now)

MYITKYINA, Kachin State — Manam Tu Ja is a well-known Kachin leader, who served 34 years in the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), the political wing of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). He led the KIO delegation that participated in the military-run National Convention, a controversial process that resulted in the drafting of the 2008 constitution.

The 70-year-old was vice-president of KIO when he left the organization in 2009 to enter the world of party politics, but his Kachin State Progressive Party (KSPP) was barred from registering for the flawed 2010 general elections. Ahead of the historic 2015 vote, the trained dentist formed the Kachin State Democracy Party (KSDP), which fielded 55 candidates, ultimately winning four seats, including one in national Parliament. He lost his race in Myitkyina constituency.

During the Nov. 8 elections, Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won by a landslide, crushing the army-linked Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and surprising many by also winning big in ethnic minority-dominated areas where ethnic political parties had expected to do well. In Kachin State, two Kachin parties, including the KSDP, only managed to win a total of five seats.

Myanmar Now chief correspondent Thin Lei Win spoke to Dr. Tu Ja at his home in Myitkyina about the future of the peace process, the continued fighting in Kachin State, and what the election results mean for ethnic parties such as KSDP and their demands for federalism.

What are your thoughts on the results of the Nov. 8 election?

The National League for Democracy (NLD) is the only party, among the big ones, that could bring about change on a national scale. And there's only [one] Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. That's why everyone voted for them.

We are heading toward a federal union. The president said it in his Independence Day speech recently. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has also mentioned this. The only question is what kind of federalism this is going to be. The meaning of "federal" concerns self-administration, equality, power-sharing and resource-sharing. If we are going in this direction, in the states, ethic leaders will have to manage their states. But Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has said that the first priority of their party is to achieve peace, then a federal union. Now, the NLD has just swept to power, but once they have settled down, I believe the NLD will share power between the state level and the central level. We will still be in this transition process for four to five years.

We pay proper regard to NLD, but they should also understand that after they have formed a government and embarked on program, they should not ignore ethnic parties or capable persons from ethnic groups. The main thing is to form a strong and stable government led by the NLD and staffed with capable people.

Are there any contacts between Kachin leaders and the NLD? Any plans for discussions?

They are very busy at the moment. Their senior members, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, have said they have plans to hold discussions with ethnic parties and to include other parties in their government. But there have not been any discussions as yet. The election results show that the number of ethnic candidates in Parliament is very low. There are ethnic candidates from the NLD in Parliament but we'd like to see more candidates from the ethnic parties there. Except for [MPs from] Rakhine [Arakan] and Shan states, there are very few. This would lead to serious weaknesses when discussing ethnic affairs. Ethnic affairs play a crucial role in the peace-making process in Myanmar. There would be peace only when this issue is discussed in detail and solutions are found.

Do you think vote-splitting was the reason for the failure of ethnic political parties during the elections, or was it because voters only looked at the national rivalry between NLD and USDP?

One thing that is different in Kachin compared to Rakhine, Shan, Pa-O and Palaung areas is that [the Kachin] have more separate political parties and also [groups] of different faiths [Buddhist, Baptist, Catholic, etc]. Some are biased and only favor their own religion. No matter how much we urged the voters to vote based on people's capabilities and to not have any party or religious biases, some didn't accept it. We need to take lessons from this for the next 2020 general elections. The parties need to be united, and educate the voters to avoid religious bias.

Do you think the results will make it easier to merge ethnic political parties for the 2020 vote?

There are many who are suggesting Kachin parties should be united. We can't continue in this vein in 2020.

Do you feel any frustration or dissatisfaction that your party won in only four constituencies?

I have to say it's fortunate that we at least won four seats. In truth, we should have won more seats. In Rakhine, parties urged voters to vote for NLD at the central level, but to vote for Rakhine parties at the state level and that worked very well. Here, the NLD swept all the seats.

How important is the Union Peace Conference that is being held from Jan. 12 with the ethnic armed groups that signed the so-called nationwide ceasefire accord?

This conference is metaphorically dubbed as the second Panglong Conference because it includes ethnic armed groups, political parties, the government, members of Parliament, the military, ethnic representatives and experts from various sectors. Only eight ethnic armed groups signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement. There are still 13 armed groups that have yet to sign. These groups would have to hold discussions with the upcoming NLD government and sign the NCA before attending the conference. It will happen this year. Everything would be resolved and the conference would be a success when all the relevant stakeholders from all the ethnic groups could participate. [Editor's note: the Kachin Independence Army did not sign the NCA.]

Some have criticized the KIO for not signing the NCA and said its inflexibility is the reason why fighting has not stopped. What do you say to that?

It was agreed that the parties would meet in Naypyidaw on Sept. 9 to embark on concrete steps to sign the NCA. Both the president and the army chief were to be present, as well as the chairman, or vice chairman, of the ethnic armed groups. The first disappointment arose when the army chief Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing went on a trip instead. The government's peace negotiator U Aung Min explained afterwards that the military chief's tour was already scheduled. But KIO felt they were not welcomed, that the military doesn't buy into this [process].

Another factor was that the government wanted to sign the ceasefire deal only with the big ethnic armed groups whereas the ethnic groups wanted everyone to sign at the same time regardless of size. Thirdly, the KIO asked for cessation of the ongoing military offensive but the request was refused. I'm just being open here, I am not blaming anybody.

What should be done to raise trust between the two sides?

At first, President Thein Sein proposed separate talks with individual ethnic armed groups. But the other side wanted a meeting involving all the stakeholders. The government finally accepted it. The first breakthrough over trust was when the president also accepted that political means are required to resolve political problems. No previous governments had done so. This was the first step of gaining trust [between the two sides]. But somehow, when the time came, it did not result in signing [the ceasefire deal]. It's like you've already built a new house, and then demolishing it just before house warming. Both sides did not want to give in. We have to take that as a lesson.

Some have criticized the lack of women involved in the peace process. What do you think?

They have to be involved. Our party prioritizes women and we don't discriminate against them. But this process is new so it may be that they have little interest or perhaps their qualification is weak, and that's why the numbers are low. But their participation is increasing daily. They should be involved in both the political dialogue and Parliament. The women asked for a 30 percent quota in drafting political framework. I suggested it should be "at least 30 percent," otherwise it could be seen that you can't go beyond 30 percent.

Kachin is suffering from the consequences of natural resources extraction. What measures should be taken to tackle it?

Resources-sharing and power-sharing are very important. The main issue is the authority of the state governments—how much power do the state governments have. At the moment, everything is controlled by the central government. It's a central monopoly. The rule of law is weak and that's why the situation is as it is. Kachin people are the owners of the natural resources in Kachin State. Yet they haven't seen the benefits of the resources. Instead the resources are almost depleted after being exploited by people who only have their self-interest, working with the authorities. Kachin State is rich in natural resources, but its people are poor. This is because the system is bad.

How long do you think it would take for Burma to achieve peace, both in Kachin and beyond?

It will not happen overnight. It is likely to take 5 to 10 years. Even the current [peace] conference could be organized only after four or five years of negotiations. This would be held every four months and under the agreement there are many topics to discuss. You'd have to discuss this for three or four years to reach a union-level accord. Then you still have to implement agreements on politics and military affairs. It might not even happen by 2020.

Before, when people said it might take 5 to 10 years I used to think it's because they are dragging their heels. We are impatient, you see. But look at it now—that's really how long it takes.

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