The Irrawaddy Magazine |
- This Week in Parliament (September 5-9)
- The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (Sept 10)
- Dateline Irrawaddy: ‘The Conference is the Initial Step Toward Peace but There are Still Many Challenges’
- Now Is the Time to Act in Arakan State
| This Week in Parliament (September 5-9) Posted: 09 Sep 2016 07:26 PM PDT  Lawmakers attend the first day of the Lower House of Parliament in Naypyidaw on Feb. 1, 2016. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) Lawmakers asked 12 questions about roads, transportation, agriculture and irrigation. The respective ministers replied. Tuesday (September 6) In the Lower House, an urgent proposal put forward by Arakan National Party (ANP) lawmaker Aung Kyaw San of Arakan State's Pauktaw Township—calling for international members of the Arakan State Advisory Commission to be replaced with local academics—failed to receive parliamentary approval after it was put to a vote, being defeated by National League for Democracy (NLD) lawmakers. Wednesday (September 7) In the Lower House, lawmaker Myint Lwin of Twante Township asked about government measures to help Burma graduate from LDC (least developed country) status. Deputy Minister for Planning and Finance U Maung Maung Win said that an implementation committee chaired by Vice-President Henry Van Thio was formed for this purpose on April 28. In the Upper House, lawmakers continued to debate the proposal of Khin Aung Myint from Mandalay Constituency-8, which urged the Union government to adopt a special plan to eliminate illiteracy among ethnic minority groups and enable them to obtain higher education, as well as promote ethnic literature. Thursday (September 8) In the Lower House, the Bill Committee put forward a "personal privacy and security" draft law. In the Upper House, lawmakers continued their debate on Khin Aung Myint's proposal. Friday (September 9) In the Lower House, Myint Lwin asked about government plans for revitalizing the publishing industry in Burma and facilitating translation work to help promote Burmese literature. Information minister U Pe Myint replied that pending workshops would provide advice for organizing translation classes at universities. He added that the information ministry is planning a commercial tax exemption for the publishing industry. In the Upper House, an ethnic Chin lawmaker asked about the government's plan to reduce the unemployment rate and create job opportunities for people during its five-year term. Minister for Labor, Immigration and Population U Thein Swe said his ministry was adopting employment policies and taking measures to attract foreign direct investment while engaging in capacity development for workers. Four lawmakers debated amendments to the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law. The Upper House Bill Committee will review the amendments. The post This Week in Parliament (September 5-9) appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (Sept 10) Posted: 09 Sep 2016 07:21 PM PDT  A motorcyclist rides past a dirt road at a site for a billion dollar industrial estate in Dawei, Tenasserim Division, May 10, 2012. (Photo: Reuters) Loans for motorbikes set to rev up Potential growth in the market for motorbike loans emerged as a factor in two foreign-led ventures announced this week. South Korea's Shinhan Card Co. launched a microcredit service that will begin offering small-sized loans to clients in Rangoon and Pegu, with a plan to later introduce installment financing and leasing, according to a report in Pulsenews. Target customers are likely to include purchasers of motorbikes, according to the report. The move is part of the company's efforts to enter overseas markets as falling commission fees reduce profitability in the South Korean market, Pulsenews reported. The firm's sister company, Shinhan Bank, is also preparing to enter the Burmese market, the report added. Meanwhile Thai motorcycle leasing company Group Lease PCI plans to buy 71 percent of BG Microfinance Myanmar from the Commercial Credit and Finance PLC of Sri Lanka, Reuters reported this week. The deal will be completed shortly, pending due diligence of BG Microfinance, Group Lease chairman and chief executive officer Mitsuji Konoshita said at a joint briefing. Group Lease aims to book earnings from the Burma firm in the fourth quarter, he said. The firm will inject US$6.8 million into BG Microfinance to expand to 12 branches in Burma next year from three at present, he added. BG Microfinance is a subsidiary of Commercial Credit and has operated in Burma for more than two years with about 10,000 customers, according to Roshan S. Egodage, CEO of Commercial Credit. Dawei project committees to be revived: official New editions will be created soon of two committees on the proposed Dawei megaproject that have been dormant since late last year, according to a senior Thai official. Activities of the Myanmar Thailand Joint High-Level Committee (JHC) and the Joint Coordinating Committee (JCC), formed to foster development of the long-delayed multi-billion dollar industrial project, stalled before last year's general election in Burma. Porametee Vimolsri, secretary-general to Thailand's National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB), said the joint ministerial meeting between the two countries in August had agreed to revitalize the role of the two committees to "rev up the project," according to the Bangkok Post. Burma's government is reconsidering loan plans for the construction of a 132-kilometer road from Dawei to Ban Phu Nam Ron in Thailand's Kanchanaburi Province, according to the report. Last February the Thai government announced that road construction would be halted following a report by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) that 15-degree inclines along seven stretches of the road—which passes through mountains—would be unsafe for trucks. The agency proposed the construction of seven tunnels to solve the problem. China trade picks up Trade at four border points linking Burma and China picked up in the first five months of this year, reaching US$2.296 billion, according to the Ministry of Commerce. The gates are Muse in northern Shan State, the largest, along with Lwejel in Kachin State, Chin Shwehaw in northeastern Shan State and Kanpite Tee in Kachin State. Trade value at Muse, however, dropped by $114.083 million to $1.95 billion during the five-month period amid restrictions by China on rice trading and other items, as well as traffic holdups on the route to Muse in the early months of this year, the China Daily reported. Burma has 15 border trade points with China, Thailand, India and Bangladesh. Total border trade value with the four neighboring countries during the first five months of this fiscal year reached $2.816 billion. Keppel Land set to increase Junction City investment The Shwe Taung Group has entered into a conditional agreement with Singapore-listed Keppel Land to develop premium serviced residences and offices at the second phase of the Junction City development on Bogyoke Aung San Road in downtown Rangoon. Under the agreement, the real estate arm of conglomerate Keppel Corp will hold 40 percent of the some 260 serviced residences and around 50,000 square meters of office space, for a total investment of $48.6 million, the Straits Times reported. Construction of the second phase of the project, which will include a hotel, a retail and entertainment center and a large car-park, is expected to begin in 2018. "We are confident of the long-term potential of [Burma], and are committed to participating in and contributing to the growth of the country," Mr. Ng Ooi Hooi, president of regional investments at Keppel Land, told the newspaper. Keppel Land first entered Burma in 1993, when it broke ground for the Sedona Hotel in Rangoon. It also owns and manages the Sedona Hotel in Mandalay. Shwe Taung and Keppel have previously collaborated to develop Junction City Tower, a 23-story office building in the first phase of the multi-purpose project in the heart of Burma's commercial capital. Chefs shine Five top Burmese chefs are preparing to compete in the Culinary Olympics in Germany in October, following winning performances at the Asian Food Festival and Battle of the Chefs held in Penang, Malaysia last month. The Myanmar Chefs Association supported a total of 14 chefs from Inle Lake (the Pristine Lotus), Mandalay (Shwe Ingynn and Hot Pot), Naypyidaw (the Hilton) and Rangoon (Le Planteur and Sedona) to take part in the Penang event. Chef Zin Myo Nwe of Le Planteur Restaurant in Rangoon won two silver medals and one bronze medal, while chef Zin Maw Win of the Hilton, Naypyidaw, bagged a silver medal in the individual category for his salmon main course prepared two ways. A Burmese fine-dining team comprised of chefs and barmen from the Hilton and Le Planteur also took awards, with a five-course menu for 13 people produced within four hours. "It was a great experience and an honor to compete with the best chefs in Asia. There are many young chefs in [Burma] who have the potential to succeed anywhere in the world. I hope this win inspires them to excel and that we win a gold medal next time," chef Zin Maw of the Hilton said in a hotel statement on Sept. 7. The team of five Burmese chefs heading to Erfurt, Germany next month will be competing in the world's largest international professional competition for chefs, cooks and pastry chefs. The IKA/Culinary Olympics event premiered in 1900 and is held every four years.
The post The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (Sept 10) appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Posted: 09 Sep 2016 07:16 PM PDT
KZM: Seven dignitaries—including ethnic leaders, State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the military chief—delivered speeches at the opening of the conference. Ko Ye, do you think the conference can fulfill the people's expectations for peace? Ko Ye: As KIA [Kachin Independence Army] vice chairman General N'Ban La has said, the conference is the initial step toward peace. But there are still many challenges. KZM: What do you think is the most pressing challenge? KY: The fact that the Myanmar military and ethnic armed groups have not yet reached an agreement. KZM: Seventeen ethnic armed groups attended the peace conference, but three groups—the MNDAA [Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army], Ta'ang National Liberation Army [TNLA] and Arakan Army [AA] could not. What barred them from attending the conference—the government or their relations with the military? Tar Hla Pe: The government and the military were not satisfied with the wording of the statements of those [three] groups about their commitment to lay down arms. A great deal of understanding has yet to be built between the two sides. KZM: Until the eve of the conference, it was unclear if KIA vice-chairman N'Ban La would be allowed to give an address during the opening of the conference. Some said that the government barred him while others said it was the military. What do you think? THP: Much remains to be done by the government and the military for the sake of national reconciliation, which they have been talking about. KZM: Women participants also participated in the peace conference. In his address to the conference, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed that women's participation [in the peace conference] should be increased to 30 percent. What do you think about the low level of women's participation in the conference? What are the disadvantages? NPPL: According to research and survey results, the involvement of civil society and women in the peace process could contribute to building more sustainable peace. Women only accounted for about 12 percent of peace conference attendees. Of that 12 percent, many were attending the conference as facilitators, technical team members and observers, and the number of real participants who were invited or elected [by concerned stakeholders] to attend the conference was low. While everyone else is pushing for all-inclusion, I would like to stress that gender equality and women's participation is extremely important. KZM: The military occupy a very powerful role in the country. The civil war has been going on for nearly 70 years now. Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing has said the military will uphold its six peace principles and our three main national causes [non-disintegration of the Union, non-disintegration of national solidarity and perpetuation of sovereignty]. Will his statement be a big hurdle for other ethnic groups to sign the nationwide ceasefire agreement [NCA] or could it be negotiated? Ko Ye: He did not mention the words "civil war" in his address. He just said "internal instability and lack of peace and development [that has existed] along with 68 years of independence." We need to accept the fact that the military is involved in the civil war as a stakeholder. He also did not mention the words "federal democratic Union." Both the government and all ethnicities have been demanding this and the military needs to accept it. The military chief called for working within the framework of the NCA, six peace principles of the military and multi-party democracy system that emerged according to the [military-drafted] 2008 Constitution. But ethnicities might have quite different views on the peace process. KZM: General N'Ban La also talked about the three demands made by ethnic groups. He said ethnic groups took up arms because they did not have equality or self-determination. Do you think they can't achieve these because the military refuses or is there a way to negotiate? THP: I discussed this at a meeting of the UPDJC [Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee]. Political parties as well as EAOs [ethnic armed organizations] have continuously called for all-inclusion in working toward our ultimate goal—democracy, a federal Union and peace. I asked if all-inclusion should be rejected due to the refusal of a particular individual or group. I said that we could not be on the wrong side of history just because of one group's opposition. It is one of the duties of the UPDJC to invite [ethnic armed groups to the conference]. I said that if we did not invite all groups, not only the two major actors—EAOs and the military—but also the supporting players [political parties], we would be the guilty party. I called for all-inclusion at the peace conference. My argument was based on the state counselor's statement, which spoke of all-inclusion. When I asked about all-inclusion [at the UPDJC meeting] on August 15, [government peace negotiator] U Khin Zaw Oo promised all-inclusion. So, it was upsetting that three groups were excluded days before the conference. This was a sad case for ethnic groups and the entire country. Continued efforts must be made to ensure the NCA is real and that the next steps of the peace process are all-inclusive. KZM: Ma Nang Phyu Phyu Linn, to what extent do you think the government and the military are willing to cooperate and listen to advice regarding gender and ethnic issues? NPPL: Before the conference, representatives from the Alliance for Gender Inclusion in the Peace Process called on [government chief peace negotiator] Dr. Tin Myo Win at the National Reconciliation and Peace Center [NRPC]. He received us and allowed us to attend the peace conference as observers. The government listened to our recommendations somewhat, but not fully. It allowed us only to submit our paper—which was about the role of women in five major sectors, including political dialogue—but not to read and discuss it at the conference. I hope that we will be granted greater participation in the future. KZM: The second round of the Panglong Conference will be held in the next five or six months. Do you think the percentage of women's representation that you expect will be realized at that time? NPPL: It is unlikely without a policy in place—like a policy that reserves a 30 percent quota for women—and without budget allocation, political will and mutual respect. But we don't feel downhearted. We will continue trying. KZM: Ko Ye, we have discussed the disagreements between the military and ethnic armed groups. The military and the current government are cooperating to some extent. But there was even some friction between the military and the previous government led by former General U Thein Sein. How is the current collaboration between the government and the military? KY: I see it in three parts: first, civil-military relations—between the military and the government elected by the people; second, military-ethnic relations—between the ethnic groups and the military; and third, relations between ethnic groups and the government. Trust has yet to be built in all of these relationships. This is normal in any country that undergoes transition. So we need to rebuild the country with trust and dialogue. It has been suggested that the country solve political problems through political means. But to do that, the politics should be politics that everyone trusts. To create such politics, a political framework that everyone trusts is necessary. The key to solving the problem is [to change] the 2008 Constitution. Because the framework of the 2008 Constitution is not a politically acceptable framework, the problem lies therein. These problems are to be solved through collaboration and cooperation. In so doing, politicians need to display greater capability and shrewdness. Only when politicians exhibit these characteristics, will we be able to overcome those problems politically. KZM: Ma Nang Phyu, Karen National Union chairman General Mutu Sae Poe criticized the process of selecting conference attendees—saying it was top-down and not bottom-up. To what extent do you think it was top-down? NPPL: It is obvious how much the organizing process lacks a bottom-up approach. But I am sure a bottom-up approach will be taken when holding the civil society organization (CSO) forum [which was supposed to be held in parallel with the peace conference]. There are deep-seated practices in our country—it has been a practice in our society for more than 60 years to follow the orders of superiors [without complaint], even in CSOs. It would be very difficult to mend this practice. If it is difficult to change that practice in CSOs, it will be more difficult for formal institutions such as the government, the military and ethnic armed groups, which are used to following hierarchical orders, to suddenly change this practice. The question is whether freedom of speech will be allowed and if it will be recognized. If and when people's concerns about possible punishment for what they say are eased, a bottom-up approach will finally happen. KZM: As a Myanmar citizen, who would you like to give your advice to—the State Counselor, the military or ethnic armed organizations? And what is your advice? NPPL: We would like to initiate a system. We want the government to form a commission that will take care of the peace process from a gendered perspective or form a gender advisory group with advice from local CSOs. What's more, we want the government to allot a certain percentage of the Union budget to gender equality. KZM: Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders talked about the importance of the ceasefire. If NCA non-signatories still can't sign the ceasefire and if those groups [MNDAA, AA and TNLA] that were left out still can't join the conference in next five or six months, the peace process will be in big trouble. Regarding this, whom would you like to give advice to and what is it? THP: I think the government and the military have to build trust and reconciliation first. A landscape that allows for the participation of ethnic armed groups must be created. There must be genuine goodwill, equality and justice for our country to see development. KZM: Goodwill and trust are the most crucial things? THP: Yes, they are. KZM: Ko Ye, what is your advice for improvement of tripartite relations between the military, government and ethnic armed groups. Who would you like to give advice to directly? KY: At the present time, we would like to give advice to the political community. Politicians need to be stronger than they are now. From the papers read by ethnic armed groups at the conference, it can be concluded that ethnic groups were prepared. Politicians need to drive our country more strongly—only then will we be able to push ahead with the democratic political process that everyone aspires to. KZM: Thank you for the discussion. We hope to see the fruitful results of the Union Peace Conference in the coming months and years. The post Dateline Irrawaddy: 'The Conference is the Initial Step Toward Peace but There are Still Many Challenges' appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Now Is the Time to Act in Arakan State Posted: 09 Sep 2016 07:04 PM PDT  Displaced individuals staying in Thae Chaung IDP camp are pictured during the Arakan State Advisory Commission's visit to the area. (Photo: Maung Kyaw Hein MPA / The Irrawaddy) As the chairman of the new nine-member Arakan State Advisory Commission, Kofi Annan might have had a powerful message after visiting displaced people's camps in Sittwe, where he met many individuals who, after five years, have yet to return to their homes in the region. But, upon his return to Rangoon, he did not speak about what he saw there, reminding members of the press and the public that the commission would not be investigating human rights abuses, and instead promised to write an "impartial report" on the situation. Since riots broke out in 2012 between the majority Buddhist Arakanese and the minority Muslim Rohingya, the two groups have lived separated in the region's cities, with the Arakanese laying claim to the more developed urban areas, and the Rohingya relegated to the outskirts.  Lawi Weng is a Senior Reporter for The Irrawaddy English edition. Reportedly, during his two-day trip, Annan could not meet with local Arakanese community leaders, who are upset by his reaching out to figures from within the self-identifying Rohingya community—a group which most Arakanese Buddhists, and the Burmese public, recognize as "Bengali," implying that they are migrants from Bangladesh. Annan visted Thae Chaung IDP camp on Wednesday—which houses some of the estimated 140,000 people displaced by the violence of 2012—and also visited the Rohingya community of Aung Mingalar ward in the state capital. He may at some point speak about the conditions he witnessed at the camps. But, if and when Annan reveals what he has seen on the ground, he risks the condemnation of Buddhist Arakanese, who will accuse him of taking the side of the Rohingya. They will likely say that he does not understand the history of the region's conflict and communities. Hundreds of locals protested the former UN chief's arrival and departure from Sittwe, stating that they resented international interference in what they consider to be an internal problem. The fact that the same local Buddhist Arakanese have never agreed to return displaced Muslims to their homes is one reason why the conflict remains unsolved. The international community criticized the current government for an insufficient response to the conflict and for allowing the displaced to continue languishing in camps. On this issue, they are being designated the same negative image earned by the previous military-backed government for their handling of the situation. In response to the criticism, State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi formed the new commission in search of a solution. It was a smart move—her government could potentially receive practical advice about what needs to be done to address the problems in Arakan State. But she is not immune to backlash in the region: the Arakanese public largely turned against Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her ruling party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), during the 2015 election—choosing the Arakan National Party (ANP) for the majority of seats in their state legislature instead of the NLD, which otherwise won nationally by a landslide. Even if the widely popular State Counselor herself were in Kofi Annan's position and visited the region—speaking openly about what she saw—it is likely that she would receive the same criticism he is facing. Some ANP lawmakers have accused the State Counselor of violating Burma's sovereignty by inviting international players to examine what they maintain is an internal issue. But in fact, by inviting Kofi Annan to take part in the Arakan State Advisory Commission, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is not compromising the country's integrity—she is demonstrating how she believes that now is the time is to act in solving this conflict. The post Now Is the Time to Act in Arakan State appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
The Union Peace Conference or 21st Century Panglong Conference took place in Naypyidaw from August 31 to September 3. On the second day of the conference, Irrawaddy English editor Kyaw Zwa Moe discussed the peace conference's potential with Ko Ye, who studies civilian-military relations and political transitions at the Tagaung Institute of Political Studies, Tar Hla Pe, central executive committee member of the Ta'ang (Palaung) National Party and Nang Phyu Phyu Lin, chairwoman of the Alliance for Gender Inclusion in the Peace Process (AGIPP).| You are subscribed to email updates from The Irrawaddy. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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