AllSBNews: 04/28/16

Thursday, April 28, 2016

The Irrawaddy Magazine

ALP Spokesman: Party Members Threatened With Arrest
Parliament Eyes Revocation of ‘Oppressive’ Security Law
Karen Troops Fight Alongside Arakan Army
Thilawa SEZ Firm’s IPO on Rangoon Bourse Set for May
MPC to Be Renamed ‘National Reconciliation and Peace Center’
Burma’s Serge Pun Says He Takes ‘Red Tape Road’ to Profit
Exiled Tibetans Re-Elect Leader Who Vows to Revive Autonomy Push
Indonesia’s Search for Mass Graves Met With Skepticism
Thai Facebook Group Charged Over ‘Foul Language’ About Draft Constitution
‘Some Truth Is Bitter; Not All Solutions Can Please Both Sides’

ALP Spokesman: Party Members Threatened With Arrest

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 05:36 AM PDT

Soldiers from the Arakan Liberation Army are pictured in Arakan State. (Photo: ALP Community / Facebook)

RANGOON — Central executive committee members of the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP), the political wing of the Arakan Liberation Army, were threatened with arrest by Col. Htein Lin, the security and border affairs minister of Arakan State, ALP spokesman Khine Myo Tun said on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Htein Lin summoned ALP representatives for questioning about a statement from the party on April 24. The statement lodged several allegations against the Burma Army, including accusations of the military having committing war crimes, breaking the Geneva Convention and other aspects of international law, removing locals from their land, forced labor and the capturing and sometimes killing of villagers in conflict zones.

It claims members of the ALP could act as witnesses to the alleged abuses.

Khine Myo Tun told The Irrawaddy that Htein Lin and Arakan State's police chief, Sein Lwin, asked the ALP representatives to provide evidence for their statement because the Burma Army had received criticism from foreign NGOs and governments.

"They told us that if we can't provide concrete evidence, they'll arrest us. We replied that we can substantiate this; that's why we released the statement in the first place. I asked them what they would do if I gave them video footage. Would they take action, without hesitation, to charge the soldiers who've committed these crimes? But they said this will take time," Khine Myo Tun said.

The footage in question is supposedly two files showing murders and more than 20 villagers from various villages being exploited for labor. According to Khine Myo Tun, Htein Lin warned ALP representatives that Friday was their last chance to hand over the footage.

However, a representative of the group said, "We won't deliver [the clips] silently. We will hold a press conference and distribute them to everyone. And we will invite Htein Lin, the chief minister and government officials to take the footage from the press conference," though the date for such a conference has yet to be determined.

The Irrawaddy was unable to reach Htein Lin or Nyi Pu, the National League for Democracy (NLD) chief minister for Arakan State, on Thursday for comment, though Htein Lin's assistant did confirm that the colonel had met with ALP members earlier.

The post ALP Spokesman: Party Members Threatened With Arrest appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Parliament Eyes Revocation of ‘Oppressive’ Security Law

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 05:13 AM PDT

A view of the Union Parliament in Naypyidaw during its opening session on Feb. 8, 2016. (Photo: The Irrawaddy)

RANGOON — A new bill that would rescind Burma's 1975 State Protection Law is likely to be submitted to Parliament after it reconvenes next week, the Lower House's Bill Committee chairman said on Thursday.

The law on the chopping block, also known as "Lower House Parliament Law No. 3, 1975" or the far more verbose "Law to Safeguard the State Against the Dangers of Those Desiring to Cause Subversive Acts," was enacted during the country's socialist era.

The chairman of the Lower House's Bill Committee, Tun Tun Hein, told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that such legislation should be revoked as the law itself violates the fundamental rights of citizens and is not compatible with democratic standards.

"This law was enacted during the socialist era and the situations [of the country] are now different," said Tun Tun Hein of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD), whose party dominates the legislature.

"The Parliament will enact laws that have advantages for the public, will revoke those that oppress its own citizens and will amend those that have flaws," he continued.

The core purpose of the State Protection Law was "to prevent the infringement of the sovereignty and security of the Union of Burma against any threat to the peace of the people, and against the threat of those desiring to commit subversive acts causing the destruction of the country, without impeding citizens' fundamental rights," according to its preamble.

But lawyer Ko Ni, who advises the NLD on legal matters, said the law supported the "one party system" of Burma's socialist government and was used to oppress political activists who did not share the same opinion or vision of the government.

"Such a law is absolutely unnecessary for the current government's multi-party democratic system," he said.

According to Articles 7 and 8 of the law, the ruling cabinet has the right to form a "Central Board" led by the ministers of Home Affairs and Religious Affairs, with the ministers of Defense and Foreign Affairs granted subordinate membership. The law allows the board to pass orders "restricting any fundamental right of any person suspected of having committed or believed to be about to commit, any act which endangers the sovereignty and security of the state or public peace and tranquility."

Zaw Win, a member of the Bill Committee, told The Irrawaddy that the committee is currently in discussions with military officials and hearing their recommendations as the law pertains to the ministers of Home Affairs and Defense, both of whom are directly appointed by the army commander-in-chief.

Ko Ni said many senior figures from the NLD, including Aung San Suu Kyi, Tin Oo and Kyi Maung, were oppressed on multiple occasions by this law during Burma's former military regime.

Despite that fact, the lawyer said he thought the military would find no reason to oppose the new bill revoking the controversial State Protection Law if its leadership genuinely supported the government's pro-democracy agenda.

The law was slightly modified by the military government in 1991. If the new bill wins a majority in Parliament, it would be the second legislative achievement of the body after Suu Kyi's State Counselor Law, which was discussed and approved in early April.

Passing a revocation of the 1975 law could mark the first of a flurry of similar legislative initiatives by Parliament: Following a review, its Legal Affairs and Special Cases Assessment Commission recommended earlier this month that 142 laws currently on the books be abolished, amended or rewritten.

The post Parliament Eyes Revocation of 'Oppressive' Security Law appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Karen Troops Fight Alongside Arakan Army

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 05:01 AM PDT

Karen freedom fighters travel to fight alongside the Arakan Army. (Photo: Saw San Aung/Facebook)

After days of traveling from Karen State, Col. Saw San Aung and dozens of troops arrived in Arakan State last week to help the Arakan Army (AA) fight the Burma Army.

The troops are Karen freedom fighters—a Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) splinter group, and other ethnic armed forces from groups that the Colonel did not specify. He described the fighters as a federal army, formed discreetly by ethnic leaders.

Making pillows of stones and singing to his troops, Col. Saw San Aung attempted to keep morale high for the soldiers he calls "freedom fighters" during the rough trip to western Burma's Arakan State.

"At times, we did not have food and could not sleep, but this is the life of a rebel," he said.

The trip was not smooth, as the troops trekked through the jungle from Taungoo to Pegu Yoma to Arakan Yoma, occasionally using cars and boats, but favoring walking through the jungle in order to bring necessary weapons, he added.

"Fighting in Rakhine [Arakan] was a first step for our federal army," he said.

According to Col. Saw San Aung, whose troops have a history of combat experience in Karen State, joining armed forces in an alliance to fight the military regime was an important and effective strategy.

Fighting recently broke out in Arakan State during the annual water festival, when it was reported that the Burma Army launched a military offensive. Many locals became displaced after the fighting and that was when the Colonel and his troops decided it was time to go and help, he said.

"We should all have equal opportunities for peace. Karen State has peace, but Arakan State does not. This should not happen. We should all have peace together, nationwide peace," he added.

Karen and Arakan troops have joined forces in the past to attack the Burma Army in Mon State's Kyaikmayaw Township, and have also trained together in Karen controlled areas.

"Arakan and Karen troops are comrades who dare to die fighting," he said. "We have a long friendship in revolution against the military regime. They helped the Karen before, so we came back to help them now."

Arakanese people were happy to see his troops arrive, and local support was important, he said.

He did not give the number of troops, fearing that his enemy would find out. But he said his troops were experienced and were eager to destroy the military regime, alongside the AA.

Col. Saw San Aung believes that the ethnic armed groups will gain equal rights under a federal system through an alliance of armed forces.

"If you want to have a federal union, it's time to join our ethnic federal army," he said, adding that he was happy to hear State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi say she was eager to implement a "Panglong-style" peace conference.

The Panglong Conference was held by her father, Gen. Aung San, and leaders from three of the country's ethnic minority groups prior to Burma's independence, and is held up as a example of cooperation between the Burman majority and ethnic minority groups.

The post Karen Troops Fight Alongside Arakan Army appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Thilawa SEZ Firm’s IPO on Rangoon Bourse Set for May

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 03:39 AM PDT

People work at the site of the Thilawa Special Economic Zone (SEZ) project at Thilawa on May 8, 2015. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters)

RANGOON — Myanmar Thilawa Special Economic Zone Holdings (MTSH) will become the second company to list on the Yangon Stock Exchange (YSX), Maung Maung Thein, chairman of Burma's Securities Exchange Commission, told The Irrawaddy. The company, which has a major stake in the country's largest operational special economic zone (SEZ), will float its shares on May 20.

"The IPO price for Thilawa SEZ will be announced officially in May," Maung Maung Thein said. MTSH follows First Myanmar Investment (FMI), one of the country's major conglomerates, which listed in March.

The company confirmed the date for floating its shares, but did not reveal what the initial offering price would be.

"When we started selling shares through private placements, the price was originally at 10,000 kyats (US$8.55) per share," said Nyan Thit Hlaing, director of MTSH. "But then the price quickly rose to 80,000 kyats due to high demand."

"We still have to finish our valuation for the offering price, however," the director added. "But if the stock is priced well, it should go up on trading."

According to the company, MTSH currently has approximately 20,000 shareholders who own 4 million shares.

"These are the shares which will be offered to the public at the IPO," Nyan Thit Hlaing said. "We are not planning to issue additional stock."

The Thilawa SEZ is located about 20 miles southeast of downtown Rangoon and is home to a car assembly plant, a deep-sea port and other manufacturing operations. MTSH owns 41 percent of the zone, with 10 percent held by the Burmese government, and the remaining 49 percent controlled by a consortium of Japanese investors.

Trading on the new bourse has been bullish so far.

FMI's IPO price was 26,000 kyats, but it quickly rose to over 40,000 kyats before stabilizing at around 30,000 kyats as of Thursday.

Since its IPO on March 25, over 840,000 FMI shares were traded on the YSX, with a transaction volume totaling 30 billion kyats.

Myanmar Citizens' Bank and First Private Bank are expected to follow the Thilawa SEZ listing with IPOs of their own later this year.

"Trading will get livelier on the YSX as more companies list and investors have more options," said Thet Tun Oo, senior manager at the stock exchange. "But that will take time."

The post Thilawa SEZ Firm's IPO on Rangoon Bourse Set for May appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

MPC to Be Renamed ‘National Reconciliation and Peace Center’

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 03:35 AM PDT

Aung San Suu Kyi and the Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committee meet on Wednesday in Naypyidaw. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy)

Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma's state counselor and de facto leader of the new National League for Democracy (NLD) government, has proposed renaming the Myanmar Peace Center (MPC) as the National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC).

The suggestion came as she met with the Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committee (JMC), which includes members of the Burma Army, on Wednesday in Naypyidaw, Gen. Saw Issac Po, vice-chairman of the JMC, told The Irrawaddy.

The JMC is comprised of representatives from the government, the MPC, the Burma military and the eight non-state armed groups that signed the so-called nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) with the former government of President Thein Sein in 2015.

Suu Kyi's personal physician, Dr. Tin Myo Win, has been tipped to lead the renamed organization. State media on Thursday would concede only that the doctor will assume a prominent role in Burma's peace process: Suu Kyi "announced the appointment of Dr. Tin Myo Win as the peace negotiator for the nationwide ceasefire agreement" at her meeting with the JMC on Wednesday, the Global New Light of Myanmar reported.

Whoever takes on the leadership role in the NRPC would replace Aung Min, who led the peace process under the previous administration.

Lt-Gen Yar Pyae, vice chairman of the JMC, emphasized the need to continue the achievements attained thus far in the peace process.

"At present, we have to work to maintain the current stability based on the understanding and relationships of leaders from both sides," he said. "When there are leadership changes, we have to start from very beginning again."

The lieutenant-general called for the establishment of a systematic mechanism for monitoring the NCA that would function regardless of such changes.

The JMC conducts monitoring at three levels—Union, state and local levels. It is now in need of funds to continue its functions as the funds provided by the former MPC have been exhausted.

Suu Kyi said she would seek international assistance to fund the NRPC and would make sure those funds were used properly, according to Shwe Kha, secretary of the JMC.

"A separate meeting will be held to discuss who should be included in the re-organized MPC. She [Suu Kyi] will make the decision. We'll invite ethnic [representatives] and officials from JMC to the meeting," added Saw Issac Po.

It was not yet clear whether senior peace advisors who played a major role in the MPC would be included in the reorganized body.

The MPC was formed in 2012 and operated with funds from the United Nations, the European Union, Japan and other foreign governments. The grant period for these monies was completed in April.

Translated by Thet Ko Ko.

The post MPC to Be Renamed 'National Reconciliation and Peace Center' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Burma’s Serge Pun Says He Takes ‘Red Tape Road’ to Profit

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 12:21 AM PDT

Serge Pun, chairman of Yoma Strategic Holdings, poses for a photograph in his office in Rangoon on March 24, 2014. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters)

RANGOON — Scaffolding around the 139-year old Burma Railway Headquarters, a red-brick colonial relic at the center of a half billion dollar property development in central Rangoon, hasn't seen much action since the project was announced four years ago.

Serge Pun, the 63-year-old project developer and one of Burma's richest men, says his Landmark development—which includes office, residential and hotel space—has been strangled by red tape and costly delays all because of his adherence to clean business.

It's a frustrating contrast to the luxury and high-end property boom in other parts of the Burma's commercial capital.

"It has been a very long and arduous red tape road," Pun said in an interview.

"Good governance always has a price to pay and the price we are paying is a delay."

Companies and international agencies have long identified corruption and a lack of transparency as major obstacles to doing business in Burma.

Pun's grievances underscore the challenges the newly-elected National League for Democracy (NLD) faces as it seeks global investment for urgent development needs.

And despite his own clean credentials, Burma's complicated business environment means Pun has at times dealt with internationally blacklisted entities with key market positions.

Landmark, a 10-acre development, was first announced in 2012 and is one of the country's most high-profile international investments.

Despite prominent backers—including the International Finance Corporation, a branch of the World Bank that finances private ventures; Asia Development Bank and Mitsubishi Corporation—the project hasn't yet broken ground.

The latest deadline for lease extensions from the Ministry of Rail Transport, which owns the land, was missed at the end of March.

A senior ministry official said refurbishment of the old building is in progress but needed to be carried out "without affecting the heritage values."

The official didn't comment on the status of the lease extensions or explain why it had yet to be granted.

It remains a crucial issue for the project.

"The lease extensions have a significant impact on the project's financial viability both from a debt and equity perspective," said Vikram Kumar, IFC's Burma manager.

For investors keen to break into the frontier market, Pun serves as a go-to partner to help navigate local complexities, notably international sanctions still in place on many Burmese nationals and businesses.

Pun built his conglomerate, Yoma Strategic Holdings, from scratch and his business empire includes real estate, banking, aviation and cars.

Over three decades, he has become one of Asia's richest men while cultivating a reputation as "Mr. Clean" in a country long known as anything but. Neither he nor his companies have been subject to international sanctions.

Companies from American fast-food chain KFC to Indonesian healthcare operator Lippo Group have partnered with him.

However, the business reality in Burma means some otherwise straightforward business ventures run through blacklisted companies.

One of KFC's Burma outlets, for example, is at the new Rangoon airport terminal, which was built and run by businessman Steven Law, who is on the US sanctions list.

Pun said that the deal doesn't violate sanctions because it was done through Yoma, not KFC, and that it complies with Yoma's code of conduct. US-based Yum! Brands, which owns KFC, did not respond to emailed requests for comment.

US Treasury said it doesn't comment on the "existence or possibility of sanctions violations."

The NLD is yet to release a plan addressing remaining sanctions, but recently slapped curbs on the value of gifts officials can accept, a small step to fulfilling its pledge to eliminate graft.

For now, US sanctions still create headaches, often indirectly tying up Burma-related bank transfers, even if they don't involve blacklisted entities.

"When you actually try to do business, everybody doesn't understand whether you are a jade miner or not—they just say it is too troublesome to transact your fund remittance," Pun said.

The post Burma's Serge Pun Says He Takes 'Red Tape Road' to Profit appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Exiled Tibetans Re-Elect Leader Who Vows to Revive Autonomy Push

Posted: 27 Apr 2016 11:49 PM PDT

Lobsang Sangay, the new Kalon Tripa, or Tibetan prime minister-in-exile, speaks to reporters at the International Campaign for Tibet building in Washington on April 27, 2011. (Photo: Reuters)

DHARAMSALA, India — The political leader of Tibetans in exile, Lobsang Sangay, vowed after being re-elected on Wednesday to convince the international community to renew its interest in his people's plight and back his campaign for China to grant Tibet autonomy.

Sangay, who has led the 150,000-odd Tibetan worldwide diaspora since religious leader the Dalai Lama gave up political power in 2011, won 57 percent of nearly 60,000 votes cast, Tibetan officials said in the Indian hill town of Dharamsala.

Speaking to Reuters after the election results were announced, Sangay said Tibet's struggle for autonomy was "not talked about as much" as a few years ago in Western countries now preoccupied with a raging war in Syria and a refugee crisis in Europe.

"With the economic growth of China, they [Chinese leaders] have become politically and diplomatically more powerful," he told Reuters at his office overlooking the Himalayas in Dharamsala, where the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) is based. No country recognizes the body, and China has declined to talk to it.

"Human rights are secondary to investment [in the West]. I will be traveling more to promote awareness about Tibet," he said, seated below a framed photo of the Dalai Lama and an image of Sangay superimposed below him. Sangay said the picture was made and framed in Tibet, and then smuggled to him.

Beijing's growing economic might has slowly pushed the Tibetan cause out of the international limelight. The Dalai Lama has been denied audiences with several world leaders in recent years, including the Pope.

The Dalai Lama, 81, has sought to build a democratic system of government for exiled Tibetans strong enough to hold the community together and negotiate with China after his death.

Competing assertions over who will succeed the Dalai Lama once he dies have reinforced the need for a leader with democratic legitimacy.

No Sign of China Softening

Sangay, who will head the CTA for a second five-year term, triumphed after a campaign that was marked by bitter rivalry between the candidates, which earned rare rebukes from the Dalai Lama who refused to meet with the main contenders while the mudslinging went on.

"I voted for him [Sangay] because of his educated background," said Choezin, a 53-year-old crimson-robed monk who fled Tibet in 1985 to settle in Dharamsala, the exiled government's base.

"His Holiness wants somebody who can continue the work he has done. He has said Sangay is the right man."

Sangay, like the Dalai Lama and most Tibetans, backs the so-called middle way that seeks autonomy within China. But in his first term he made no headway convincing the Chinese to talk.

On Wednesday, Sangay said he saw "no new signals" from the Chinese that they would soften their approach to Tibet.

Formal negotiations between China and the Dalai Lama's representatives broke down in 2010, and the stalemate since has cast a pall over Tibetans in exile.

China describes the incorporation of Tibet into its territory in 1951 as a "peaceful liberation," and says it has brought development to what was a backward region.

Exile groups say they seek genuine autonomy for Tibet, rather than independence. China says Tibet already has genuine autonomy, and that exile groups seek to split the country.

Tibetans accuse China of eroding their deeply Buddhist culture and flooding the region with ethnic Han Chinese.

Tibetan Buddhism holds that the soul of a senior lama is reincarnated in the body of a child after he dies. China says it must sign off on the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, who fled to India in 1959 after a failed uprising.

The post Exiled Tibetans Re-Elect Leader Who Vows to Revive Autonomy Push appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Indonesia’s Search for Mass Graves Met With Skepticism

Posted: 27 Apr 2016 10:17 PM PDT

Bejo Untung, a survivor of the anti-communist massacre, heads YPKP 65, or the Research Foundation for 1965 Murder Victims. (Photo: Reuters)

JAKARTA — The Indonesian government's decision to investigate anti-communist massacres in 1965 is being met with wariness by rights groups, some of which are reluctant to share information about mass graves until the government shows how it will conduct the probe.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo instructed Security Minister Luhut Pandjaitan this week to investigate the killings by the military and religious groups and gather information about mass graves. His directive followed a conference earlier this month that broke a half-century taboo on public discussion of an atrocity that historians say killed half a million people.

But Pandjaitan, a retired army general, has not instilled confidence that a genuine investigation will take place, saying the government would never apologize and that the death toll is wildly exaggerated, and demanding that advocacy groups prove that mass graves exist.

Haris Azhar of advocacy group Kontras said Wednesday he was involved in mapping 16 burial sites nearly a decade ago, mainly in central Java, and at the time had information about hundreds of other sites including on Bali, now Indonesia's top tourist island, and Sulawesi.

But he said for his group to share its information, the government must announce a clear and highly specific plan for the investigation. Thirty to 40 groups throughout Indonesia have information about graves, Azhar said.

"From our side, we decided not to give it to them if there's no clear agenda on what they will do with the data," he said.

The killings began in October 1965, shortly after an apparent failed coup in which six right-wing generals were killed. The dictator Suharto, a largely unknown major general at the time, filled the power vacuum and blamed the assassinations on Indonesia's Communist Party, which was then the largest outside the Soviet Union and China, with 3 million members.

Within Indonesia, widely accepted accounts of the era portray the events as a heroic uprising against communism and gloss over the deaths. Today, millions of descendants of Communist Party members remain stigmatized and face legal discrimination that prevents them from holding government jobs.

A four-year investigation released in 2012 by Indonesia's human rights commission described the killings as violence on a "truly massive scale" and called for the prosecution of perpetrators still living, but was ignored by the government of then President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Despite doubts over Pandjaitan's role, the government's tentative step toward a reckoning with one of the worst atrocities of the last century has been welcomed by rights groups and survivors.

"This is a very important step for the future of Indonesia," said Andreas Harsono, Indonesia researcher for Human Rights Watch. "It's just the opening battle."

Bedjo Untung, a survivor of the massacre and head of YPKP 65, or the Research Foundation for 1965 Murder Victims, said his group will soon hand over its information to the government.

"We already have evidence and records of mass graves in various places in Java and Sumatra," Bedjo said. "We will show evidence that an incredible crime against humanity occurred in 1965."

The post Indonesia's Search for Mass Graves Met With Skepticism appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Thai Facebook Group Charged Over ‘Foul Language’ About Draft Constitution

Posted: 27 Apr 2016 10:06 PM PDT

Activists are detained during a silent protest after Thailand's election commission filed charges against a group for posting comments online criticizing a military-backed draft constitution, in Bangkok on April 27, 2016. (Photo: Reuters)

BANGKOK — Thailand's election commission on Wednesday filed charges against a group for posting "foul and strong" comments online criticizing a military-backed draft constitution, the first case filed under a law that prohibits campaigning on the charter.

Groups on both sides of Thailand's political divide have denounced the draft constitution as undemocratic.

The UN human rights chief last week urged the junta to curtail "dangerously sweeping" powers enshrined in the draft charter and urged the government to "actively encourage, rather than discourage" dialogue on the draft.

Election commissioner Somchai Srisuthiyakorn filed the charges against members of a Facebook group based in Thailand's northeastern province of Khon Kaen.

"They posted comments on Facebook using foul and strong language," Somchai told reporters after filing the charges. He did not disclose the group's identity.

"We want them to be an example," he said. "From now on, people should talk about the constitution using reason."

Thailand's king on Friday approved a law providing a 10-year jail term for those who campaign ahead of an Aug. 7 referendum on the constitution. The law criminalizes "forcing or influencing" a voter to cast or not cast a vote.

The Aug. 7 referendum will be the first time Thais have headed to the polls since the military took power in a May 2014 coup.

Opponents of the military regime, including the Puea Thai Party, have told supporters to vote against the draft charter.

Sunai Phasuk, senior researcher in Thailand for Human Rights Watch, told Reuters a "climate of fear" was growing ahead of the referendum.

"The junta is mobilizing state machinery and everything is being used to promote the draft constitution while people who oppose the draft are being targeted," said Sunai.

In a separate case, 10 people, eight from Bangkok and two from Khon Kaen, were detained on Wednesday, suspected of violating the computer crimes law, junta spokesman Winthai Suvaree told Reuters.

"We have no details on what they posted as yet," he said.

A few dozen people gathered for a silent protest against the detentions at a monument in central Bangkok. At least 15 were also detained, a Reuters witness said.

The junta has banned political gatherings of more than five people.

The post Thai Facebook Group Charged Over 'Foul Language' About Draft Constitution appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

‘Some Truth Is Bitter; Not All Solutions Can Please Both Sides’

Posted: 27 Apr 2016 07:02 PM PDT

Nay Phone Latt, a National League for Democracy (NLD) lawmaker for the Rangoon Division legislature. (Photo: Htet Khaung Linn / Myanmar Now)

Nay Phone Latt is a well-known freedom of speech advocate, blogger and former political prisoner, who joined the National League for Democracy (NLD) ahead of last year's election. He won a seat in the Rangoon Division parliament in Thingangyun Township, becoming one the NLD's youngest lawmakers. Born in 1980 as Nay Myo Kyaw, he adopted the pen name Nay Phone Latt for his writings during the former junta.

The Rangoon regional legislature first convened in March. Myanmar Now caught up with Nay Phone Latt recently to ask him about his experience as a first-time MP and what he thinks are Rangoon's most pressing problems.

What was the first issue that you discussed in the new parliament?

I took part in scrutinizing the 2016-2017 budget drawn up by the previous Yangon Region government, and we approved the proposed amount. I then gained a better understanding of the role of parliament. It has a responsibility to prevent a wasteful budget. The government collects taxes, but revenue must be spent with approval of parliament. Our new parliament cancelled two flyover projects and decided to spend the allocated funds on rural development programs outside Yangon city.

When you reviewed the 2015-2016 budget for Yangon Region, did you notice anything unusual?

Yes, we did. We found that allocated budgets in some sectors were not spent and some spent too much, such as on flyover projects. The new ministers are responsible for only the upcoming budgets, while the outgoing ministers do not take responsibility for the past ones. New regional legislators could only submit this information [on budget irregularities] to the regional parliament for the record. No one takes responsibility.

The last parliament failed to raise effective questions on the government's crackdowns on street protests and squatters. How will this parliament tackle such problems under the new government?

We will handle such issues seriously. But we must identify the real squatters or the opportunists. We need to consider low-cost housing projects for the homeless. The government is responsible for this. It's not a good solution to remove makeshift houses of squatters by bulldozer. We will prevent such practices. As many of the parliamentarians and government officials are now former political prisoners, we believe there will be no more violent crackdowns during the tenure of this government.

How should the NLD government tackle ongoing land disputes, such as those in the Michaungkan area in Thingangyun Township?

We will seek ideas and suggestions from the responsible officials, while we collect information on this issue. Then, we should choose the most suitable means to solve it. Sometimes, some truth is bitter. Not all solutions can please both sides. No democratic government can please 100 percent of its citizens. Mutual understanding and patience must be kept between the government and people. Intolerance will bring the country back to the old era, instead of leading to a democratic culture.

The outgoing government tried to solve traffic congestion by building flyovers in Yangon. What do you make of this approach?

A single government body alone cannot find a viable solution. The construction department seems to solve traffic congestion problem by constructing flyovers. The relevant government agencies need to meet for a realistic and integrated plan to solve traffic congestion. For example, Yangon City Development must consider the places for roadside venders and parking areas, as well as the expansion of roads. Electricity posts are now seen on the roads after roads were expanded. It shows the government bodies did not cooperate well.

What are the serious issues in your constituency of Thingangyun Township?

There are so-called squatter issues. The word squatter is easily equated with homeless people, but actually, government departments have seized many public areas [where people live]. The township municipal committee sold out some parks to the private sector. The former ruling political party seized a public land plot and constructed their office on it. Some people in my constituency are asking to get back a football ground that was sold off. I am preparing to fulfil their expectations. I want to ask the previous government how they will take responsibility for their land confiscation from the public. The outgoing government ignored complaints about land seizures and removed squatters by using bulldozers.

What will you do about the many roadside vendors, now that you are a member of the social affairs committee in Yangon parliament?

We must view the problem from both sides. Vendors take up positions on the pavements and people have to walk on the roads. This causes road accidents and traffic congestion. Yangon has not enough parking areas. But if we cleared the vendors, they would face livelihood problems. If we put them in new places, they would not have enough space for their goods. We would need to persuade them through educative programs and find alternative ways for them to sell their wares.

What issues should the Yangon government prioritize first?

They will have to do a lot of things soon. The government has a responsibility to manage balancing income and expenditure. An incapable government fails to establish a happy living conditions for its citizens. People need to cooperate with the new government. If needed, they must push the government. Both the government and public play a key role for the development of the country. People can expect a good administration if they try themselves to become responsible citizens. Our country is sure to develop if we find such harmonious ways.

This interview was originally published by Myanmar Now.

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