Thursday, October 13, 2016

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


Activists Say Urban Insecurity Hampers Women’s Capacity

Posted: 13 Oct 2016 06:46 AM PDT

Attendees at the Safe Cities Campaign event. (Photo: Zue Zue / The Irrawaddy)

Attendees at the Safe Cities Campaign event. (Photo: Zue Zue / The Irrawaddy)

RANGOON — Women's rights activists have called on the government to consider the needs of women in its delivery of public services while also increasing its budget for women, and enacting and enforcing laws and policies to protect and promote their rights.

Action Aid Myanmar, in cooperation with local partner organizations, launched a "safe cities campaign" at its office in Rangoon on Tuesday, saying that women are experiencing urban insecurity, particularly in Rangoon.

Their definition of urban insecurity for women goes beyond physical violence or sexual harassment, but also considers their accessibility to health care, education, job opportunities and public utilities like electricity and transportation in urban areas.

Urban women's insecurity not only affects their lives, but also impacts their families, said Daw May Sabai Phyu, director of the Gender Equality Network, at the launching ceremony.

"In some cases, women have to reject job opportunities that come to them just because they don't want to go back home late at night. Expanding safe and secure services within their reach will solve this problem," she said.

Rangoon Division Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein, who was also present on the occasion, said: "We need to make sure there is greater security for women in Rangoon.  We have to try to make Rangoon a safe town for women, and we would try to accumulate as much budget as possible for this. We will also consider women's issues in budget management."

Adriano Campolina, CEO of Action Aid International, said, "We need policy changes. Stronger policies and laws are needed, and security needs to be strengthened in places in which there is frequent [sexual] violence. We need police departments that will hold perpetrators accountable."

The safe cities campaign is first of its kind in Burma.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko

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Thai King Bhumibol, World’s Longest-Reigning Monarch, Dies: Palace

Posted: 13 Oct 2016 06:41 AM PDT

Members of the Thai public weep after an announcement that King Bhumibol Adulyadej has died, at the Siriraj hospital in Bangkok, on Thursday. (Photo: Chaiwat Subprasom / Reuters)

Members of the Thai public weep after an announcement that King Bhumibol Adulyadej has died, at the Siriraj hospital in Bangkok, on Thursday. (Photo: Chaiwat Subprasom / Reuters)

BANGKOK, Thailand — Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who was the world's longest-reigning monarch, died in hospital on Thursday, the palace said in an announcement. He was 88.

King Bhumibol reigned for seven decades after ascending the throne in 1946. His loss will be deeply mourned in Thailand, where he was regarded as a pillar of stability during decades of political upheaval and rapid development.

The palace did not give a reason for his death but he has been sick in hospital with various ailments for much of the past year.

"His Majesty has passed away at Siriraj Hospital peacefully," the palace said, adding he died at 15:52 local times (0852 GMT).

His son and heir apparent, the 63-year old Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, is expected to become Thailand’s new king.

Parliament was due to meet in a special session later on Thursday after a meeting of the cabinet, a legislature official said.

Anxiety about the king's health and the succession has formed the backdrop to over a decade of political upheaval in Thailand that has included two coups.

More than 1,000 people gathered at the hospital where the king had been staying. Many of them started to cry as the news of his death broke.

"I feel so saddened by this news. He has given so many things to the country," said Apinut Jaroonpipatkul, a 25-year-old medical student.

King Bhumibol was seen as a force for unity, and there have long been concerns that without him the country's divisions could worsen.

That seems unlikely under the military government of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who has kept a tight grip on power since toppling an elected government in 2014.

Prince Vajiralongkorn has yet to command the respect and adoration that his father drew after a lifetime on the throne.

He has kept a lower profile than King Bhumibol for most of his life but in the past two years took on more of the public duties the king was no longer able to perform. The prince divorced his third wife in 2014.

Thailand's strict lese-majeste laws have left little room for public discussion about the succession. It has been so long since Thailand has had a succession, there is no modern precedent.

Thailand is expected to be in mourning for months and possibly longer, and the prince's coronation will not take place until that mourning period is over. When the king's sister died in 2008, a 100-day mourning period was declared. She was cremated 10 months after her death.

The king was seen as head of an institution central to Thai identity and as a father-figure to the nation.

The post Thai King Bhumibol, World's Longest-Reigning Monarch, Dies: Palace appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

UNFC to Meet Govt in Naypyidaw on Saturday

Posted: 13 Oct 2016 03:22 AM PDT

UNFC members meet in Chiang Mai, Thailand on Thursday. (Photo: Kyaw Kha / The Irrawaddy)

UNFC members meet in Chiang Mai, Thailand on Thursday. (Photo: Kyaw Kha / The Irrawaddy)

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — The ethnic armed alliance the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) will meet with government peace negotiators in Naypyidaw on Saturday, where demands for a cessation of Burma Army hostilities will be discussed.

Saturday will mark the one-year anniversary of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), which member groups of the UNFC did not sign.

The UNFC held a meeting at its headquarters of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand on Thursday, in preparation for the Naypyidaw meeting.

Nai Hong Sar, vice chair of UNFC, said their delegates would "reiterate our eight demands," which include for a comprehensive ceasefire to be announced by the Burmese government, and for international monitoring of a ceasefire.

UNFC delegates raised these demands in an earlier meeting with State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in Rangoon in July.

Nai Hong Sar told The Irrawaddy that the Naypyidaw meeting was intended to "build understanding."

Describing the need for international observers to monitor any ceasefire agreement, he mentioned how clashes had even erupted between the Burma Army and an NCA signatory, the Restoration Council of Shan State, earlier this month. He also cited recent Burma Army offensives in Karen State, an area supposedly covered by the NCA.

Despite the staging of the "21st Century Panglong" peace conference in late August and early September, Burma Army offensives—with air strikes and artillery shelling—have stepped up in recent weeks against the Kachin Independence Army, a member organization of the UNFC.

Although UNFC members attended the peace conference, they did not take part in the political dialogue framework review session that followed in September.

The government's National Reconciliation and Peace Center in Rangoon will host the next session for reviewing the framework—which will set the shape and terms for political dialogue over a federal restructuring of the state—on Tuesday of next week. A UNFC delegation is expected to join this time.

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Mongla: ‘the Wildlife Trafficking Capital of the World’

Posted: 13 Oct 2016 01:51 AM PDT

At the Mongla market: two live owls cower in a cage, while blocks of elephant hide and other parts are offered. (Photos: Naomi Hellmann)

Blocks of elephant hide and other dried parts from a variety of animals are offered by a Mongla vendor. (Photos: Naomi Hellmann)

Mongla lies on the border of the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in southwestern China and Shan State in northeastern Burma. Situated in the heart of the Golden Triangle, the city is known among other sad epithets as the wildlife trafficking capital of the world and for drugs, gambling, and prostitution.

Despite officially belonging to Burma, the area operates as a special armed region, making it both difficult and expensive (if not off limits) for most Burmese and non-Chinese nationals to visit. Furthermore, its overwhelming influence from China—ranging from its currency, technology, and infrastructure to the language, entertainment, and food—also deters Burmese and foreign tourists in Burma from visiting Mongla. Instead, it is frequented annually by hundreds of thousands of visitors from mainland China, who drive across the border "illegally" from Daluo without a visa or border pass.

Despite their unauthorized status, there is little that is either secret or mysterious about their travel and whereabouts. Mainland Chinese enter Burma on roads that circumvent the official port of entry, but are still monitored by local government officials, who jot down names and receive 53 CNY (US$8) in cash per visitor. Upon their return, they are subject to stringent checks by Chinese customs agents, who will thoroughly search their car and belongings for illegal contraband. Illicit goods, including drugs, wild animals, and weapons, are both less regulated and more readily accessible in Burma than in China. If smugglers are caught, they face stiff fines and years in jail.

Slow loris, a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List, are sold alive and slaughtered for parts in the Mongla market. (Photos: Naomi Hellmann)

Slow loris, a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List, are sold alive and slaughtered for parts in the Mongla market. (Photos: Naomi Hellmann)

Mongla's large outdoor market in the city center is about the size of a soccer field, and is open daily. Despite offering few visual attractions, the market features a vast selection of produce and household goods (about 90 percent of which have been imported from China) as well as a smaller variety of fresh vegetables and fruits that have been grown locally. Vendors are typically unemployed Han from mainland China, but also comprise a number of Shan (known as Dai in China), Akha, and other ethnic minority groups from Mongla's surrounding countryside. Between rows of fresh fish, vegetables, and flowers, the market includes a section for wildlife with perhaps 15 to 20 traffickers of increasingly threatened animals, including rare and endangered species.

Clouded leopard, a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List, in the Mongla market. (Photos: Naomi Hellmann)

Clouded leopard, a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List, in the Mongla market. (Photos: Naomi Hellmann)

It is a heart-rending scene I returned to repeatedly over the course of my brief stay in the city, and is among the saddest sites I have seen.

Small monkeys; birds of prey with thick, dark plumage and piercing, orange eyes; green pigeons; hairless moles; slow loris; and other fur-covered animals—all alive—crouch listlessly or flap in fear in cramped metal wire cages. Some are curled into tight balls with their heads tucked away or keep their eyes semi-closed to the bright daylight. Their suffering is compounded by an array of fresh meat spread atop flattened cardboard boxes that are laid out on the ground or sit on top of black plastic crates.

A barking deer, or muntjac, hunted in the Wa State is strapped to the back of a motorcycle in Pangkham, the capital. Once in Mongla, barking deer is cut up, its skin and other parts offered for sale. (Photos: Naomi Hellmann)

A barking deer, or muntjac, hunted in the Wa State is strapped to the back of a motorcycle in Pangkham, the capital. Once in Mongla, barking deer is cut up, its skin and other parts offered for sale. (Photos: Naomi Hellmann)

The day's catch includes an assortment of barking deer, or muntjac, northern serow, civets, pheasants, clouded leopard, large soft-shelled turtles, and other indigenous species from the mountains—the few remaining spots of wilderness around Burma and Southeast Asia I imagine not yet desecrated by mining, logging, and other human activity.

In addition to live animals and fresh meat, there are countless dried animal parts strewn across the ground or separated into neatly arranged piles. I am struck by the sheer magnitude of pieces, which include coiled snake skins, quills, skulls, carcasses, bones, paws, cloven hoofs, fur pelts, tusks, horn, antlers, and genitalia. As I venture to ask vendors and their customers questions, my horror and disbelief turn to despair and condemnation.

Dried parts from a variety of animals, including critically endangered species such as pangolin, are carefully arranged by a Mongla vendor. (Photos: Naomi Hellmann)

Dried parts from a variety of animals, including critically endangered species such as pangolin, are carefully arranged by a Mongla vendor. (Photos: Naomi Hellmann)

The animals are primarily used to steep in liquor as a tonic or elixir and for medicinal purposes. Like vitamins, each seems to serve a specific purpose. Small live owls cost 70 CNY (US$11) each and are said to cure headaches and other head ailments. Pangolin skins, a fully protected animal under both Chinese and Burmese domestic law and the multiparty Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), sell for 1,600 CNY (US$245) per pound and are supposedly good for the vertebra and spine. Dried chunks of elephant skin cut into crude rectangles resemble discarded scraps of fabric. They are said to cure stomach illnesses, and cost 200 CNY to 250 CNY (US$30 to $38) per pound. The thicker skin is more expensive. Other animal parts help revitalize kidney or liver function while tiger penises, of which there are a seemingly endless number, boost male virility.

Like dried meat, fresh meat is also steeped in alcohol or eaten with the belief that it will strengthen the body's immune system. Prices range from 45 CNY (US$7) for a pound of barking deer to 8,000 CNY (US$1,227) for a whole Asiatic golden cat that appears to have been recently killed by a single bullet to the belly. Blood from the wound still looks fresh. In addition, fresh northern serow meat sells for 80 CNY (US$12) per pound while the head by itself costs 150 CNY (US$23). Other wildlife parts are sold as trophy pieces, for decoration, or as amulets and lucky keychains, including severed monkey hands with paw pads that are still soft.

Unacquainted with the wildlife market, but accustomed to similar or higher prices for ordinary material goods, I am taken aback by the relatively low cost of increasingly finite resources with immeasurable value to the natural ecosystem and humankind.

At the Mongla market: two live owls cower in a cage, while blocks of elephant hide and other parts are offered. (Photos: Naomi Hellmann)

At the Mongla market: two live owls cower in a cage, while blocks of elephant hide and other parts are offered. (Photos: Naomi Hellmann)

Business peaks in winter during the week-long Chinese Spring Festival, or Lunar New Year, when the number of wealthy compatriots arriving from mainland China rises. They sport high-end smartphones, diamond-encrusted watches, and other expensive accessories and hail from cities as distant as Harbin in northeast China, near the Russian border, and closer metropolises like Kunming. They buy mostly for personal consumption or as gifts for friends and relatives.

A tiger's leg, which is prized as a particularly effective restorative, fetches a premium at 3,000 CNY (US$460). The limb is severed from the lower shin and comes replete with an exposed bone, dried marrow, sinewy strands of tendon, four massive claws, and a trimming of fur at its base. I ask a potential customer whether it might be fake. I hope it is. He acknowledges that while imitations exist, most products here are, in fact, genuine and too difficult to fabricate well enough to make counterfeiting a worthwhile pursuit. Because the client's main concern is evading China's border control agents, the vendor readily agrees to mail him his purchase immediately upon payment. It turns out shipping wildlife from Mongla to China is no problem. One tiger leg takes five to six days.

A tiger's leg, which is prized as a particularly effective restorative, fetches a premium at 3,000 CNY (US $460). Is it real? (Photos: Naomi Hellmann)

A tiger's leg, which is prized as a particularly effective restorative, fetches a premium at 3,000 CNY (US $460). Is it real? (Photos: Naomi Hellmann)

Wildlife trafficking and associated environmental crime is a lucrative industry, with an estimated value of $8 to $10 billion annually in Southeast Asia alone, according to the US Trade Representative, a federal agency that develops and coordinates US international trade, commodity, and direct investment policy, as well as oversees negotiations with other countries. While often portrayed as a dangerous activity involving organized crime syndicates, a 2009 Smithsonian article by Charles Bergman on the illicit wildlife economy in Ecuador offers a different perspective: "It's not the shadowy activity people might think; it's more like an open secret," he writes.

Despite its visibility, wildlife crime persists unchecked in Southeast Asia, as in Latin America, for myriad reasons, including the limited capacity of officials to conduct regular inspections, weak or inadequate regulations and law enforcement, and a lack of resources or resolve at the local level. This has evoked new responses from the global community to raise public awareness and encourage locals and tourists alike to play a more pivotal role in enforcing control, with "wildlife trade hotspots" like Mongla now marked by the World Wildlife Fund as both "trouble areas" and "opportunities for great conservation success."

A Mongla market vendor with his makeshift table displaying an Asiatic golden cat, common palm civet, ferret badger, and the remains of a red muntjac, or barking deer. (Photos: Naomi Hellmann)

A Mongla market vendor with his makeshift table displaying an Asiatic golden cat, common palm civet, ferret badger, and the remains of a red muntjac, or barking deer. (Photos: Naomi Hellmann)

So what can be done to stem the illegal wildlife trade?

To start, the following measures can help market-goers and other travelers become more familiar with and better assess the trade in wildlife. These approaches can also provide conservationists with empirical evidence of the illegal trade, help them to identify trends and understand the changing conditions at the market, and enable them to ascertain the impact of their work and influence wildlife trafficking enforcement policies.

Take pictures: Visual documentation serves as important evidence of wildlife trafficking and can help with the correct identification of animal species. While large cameras typically attract attention, it is common for market-goers to take photos and video of the wildlife being sold with their smartphones or other inconspicuous devices.

Watch and observe: Take a rough count of the number of vendors and customers at the market, the frequency and pattern of sales, the volume of live and dead wild animals and wildlife parts, the availability of water and prevalence of hand and utensil washing to help prevent the spread of zoonotic diseases, and other trends and public behaviors.

The skins of Chinese pangolins, a critically endangered species on the IUCN Red List, for sale in the Mongla market. (Photos: Naomi Hellmann)

The skins of Chinese pangolins, a critically endangered species on the IUCN Red List, for sale in the Mongla market. (Photos: Naomi Hellmann)

Talk and listen: Ask vendors and customers questions about the price of wildlife, the types of species for sale, the number of buyers and their consumption habits, the purpose of sales, the intended destination and means of transport, hygienic conditions at the market, and other aspects of the trade chain. Questions directed to traders about the source location of wildlife, poachers and hunters, and the sellers themselves are less likely to elicit a forthcoming response. Mandarin Chinese is often the standard language of communication given that demand is driven by mainland Chinese consumers.

Share information: In recent years, effective new analytical tools and technologies have become available to the public to help combat wildlife trafficking and improve government, foundation, international agency, and NGO-led environmental conservation efforts. In Southeast Asia, these include:

  • Wildlife Witness, an easy-to-use app that encourages users to safely photograph the wildlife, record the exact location, and report the activity to TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network.
  • Wildscan, a Vietnam-based app that offers a similar endangered species identification and response option.

In addition, the Oxford Wildlife Trade Research Group at Oxford Brookes University maintains a database that tracks the illegal trade in Mongla and is sourced in part with data contributed voluntarily by travelers.

Wildlife parts are sold as trophy pieces, for decoration, or as amulets and lucky keychains, including severed monkey hands with paw pads that are still soft. (Photos: Naomi Hellmann)

Wildlife parts are sold as trophy pieces, for decoration, or as amulets and lucky keychains, including severed monkey hands with paw pads that are still soft. (Photos: Naomi Hellmann)

Further responses to combat the illegal wildlife trade are widespread and multifarious. For non-travelers and people committed to improving animal welfare from home, help can be provided by allocating resources to fund the enforcement of CITES provisions and maintenance of nature reserves. In Asia, there are many national and international NGOs, including the World Wildlife Fund, TRAFFIC, Fund for AnimalsChina Exploration & Research SocietyWildlife Conservation SocietyNature Conservancy, Wild Aid, and International Fund for Animal Welfare. These organizations are dedicated to monitoring illicit markets, reducing consumer demand, and protecting threatened species.

The global community can also assist with public education and awareness by sharing information online. At the same time, people who buy animals and wildlife products should make use of cultivated alternatives over wild stocks to stop the illegal trade. Finally, products including food, medicine, supplements, cosmetics, jewelry, clothing, décor, and furniture made from wild-sourced imports should only be purchased from licensed sources with genuine CITES certificates of species and origin.

Republished with the kind permission of Terrain.org: A Journal of the Built + Natural Environments.

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Security Tightened on Border with Southern Arakan State

Posted: 13 Oct 2016 12:58 AM PDT

Gaw Yin Gyi Island, off the coast of Irrawaddy Division. (Photo: Salai Thant Zin / The Irrawaddy)

Gaw Yin Gyi Island, off the coast of Irrawaddy Division. (Photo: Salai Thant Zin / The Irrawaddy)

Security has been scaled up in Nga Yoke Kaung, a coastal sub-township in Irrawaddy Division that borders the southern tip of Arakan State, after attacks by assailants of unverified origin on border police posts in northern Arakan State on Sunday, followed by a ongoing manhunt.

Two light infantry battalions under the Burma Army's South-Western Command, a naval detachment and units of the police are jointly securing the area, according to locals, who said they have never seen such a large military presence in the area.

"Fully-armed soldiers from Southwestern Command arrived at Gaw Yin Gyi Island near our village this morning [Wednesday], and are stationed there. So is a naval ship nearby," a community elder of Nanthapu Village told The Irrawaddy on condition of anonymity.

Well-armed soldiers also arrived in four military trucks to provide security in and around Nga Yoke Kaung, said U Zaw Win, a local resident.

"I think it is because of the concern that the terror in Arakan State may spread [south] to here. Fishermen are not even going out to sea because of the situation," he told The Irrawaddy.

Nga Yoke Kaung is on the westernmost tip of Irrawaddy Division, on the Bay of Bengal. The adjacent stretch of sea has been a route used by human traffickers, taking migrants from Bangladesh and northern Arakan State bound for Malaysia and elsewhere in the region. On May 29 2015, an abandoned boat holding 733 trafficked migrants was found off the coastline there.

Irrawaddy Division police chief Col Htun Min has instructed all the police stations in Nga Yoke Kaung sub-township to be on full alert, for "regional security," a police officer in Nga Yoke Kaung told The Irrawaddy on condition of anonymity.

The post Security Tightened on Border with Southern Arakan State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Thai King’s Medical Condition Has ‘Overall Not Yet Stabilized’: Palace

Posted: 12 Oct 2016 10:53 PM PDT

Well-wishers hold pictures of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej as they pray for him at the Siriraj hospital where he is residing in Bangkok, on Oct. 12. (Photo: Athit Perawongmetha / Reuters)

Well-wishers hold pictures of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej as they pray for him at the Siriraj hospital where he is residing in Bangkok, on Oct. 12. (Photo: Athit Perawongmetha / Reuters)

BANGKOK, Thailand — The health of Thailand's 88-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world’s longest reigning monarch, has "overall not yet stabilized," the palace said on Wednesday.

The statement from the palace follows one on Sunday saying the king was in an unstable condition after receiving haemodialysis treatment, which is used to cleanse the blood of toxins, extra salts and fluids.

A Reuters reporter at Bangkok's Siriraj Hospital said all four of the king's children, including Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, visited him on Wednesday.

"On Oct. 11 his blood pressure lowered and breath quickened," the palace said. The king's health has "overall not yet stabilized," it said.

Several hundred people gathered at the hospital, where the revered king has been for much of the past year, to pray for him.

The government had earlier urged people not to listen to rumors on social media about "situations," saying they should await official announcements.

During his seven decades on the throne the king, who is seen as a unifying force, has intervened when events threatened to plunge Thailand into crisis.

He has been treated for various ailments over the past year and was last seen in public on Jan. 11, when he spent several hours visiting his palace in the capital, Bangkok.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who is also head of the ruling junta, canceled an official engagement in Chonburi province on Wednesday and was having an audience with the crown prince on routine government work, the foreign ministry said.

"The government spokesman has urged for the Thai public to rely on official announcements for an update on situations, rather than uncorroborated information in social media circles," it said in a statement, without referring to the king's health.

US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel said the US-born king has been a "true friend of the United States."

"He's a revered figure in Thailand and he's an admired figure in the United States and we hope his situation will stabilize," Russel told reporters in Washington.

Thailand has long been an ally of the United States, for decades united in opposition to the spread of communism in Southeast Asia.

The Stock Exchange of Thailand closed down 2.5 percent, its lowest since the end of May, after falling as much as 6.9 percent at one point to its lowest since March 1, led by shares in the aviation and tourism industries.

Wednesday's palace statement was the third health bulletin this month after the palace said on Oct. 1 the king was recovering after a respiratory infection.

Laws protecting the royals from insult make it a crime to defame, insult or threaten the king, queen, heir to the throne or regent.

The post Thai King's Medical Condition Has ‘Overall Not Yet Stabilized’: Palace appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

National News

National News


Questioning of suspects ongoing as state counsellor addresses Rakhine turmoil

Posted: 13 Oct 2016 01:30 AM PDT

State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi yesterday weighed in for the first time on the deadly border attacks and subsequent manhunt for the perpetrators unfolding this week in northern Rakhine State, saying her government would ensure it has all the facts before pinning any blame.

Health plan aims for universal care by 2030

Posted: 13 Oct 2016 12:19 AM PDT

Policymakers will craft a national health plan for the next five years with the ultimate goal of achieving universal healthcare coverage by 2030, Health Minister Dr Myint Htwe said yesterday.

Advocate suggests appeal for dhamma-disturbing Dutchman

Posted: 13 Oct 2016 12:15 AM PDT

The chair of the Myanmar Legal Aid Network has encouraged Klaas Haytema to appeal a recent verdict handed down to the Dutch national after he sparked outrage by unplugging an amplifier that was broadcasting a Buddhist sermon.

Mdy gets schooled on rubbish

Posted: 13 Oct 2016 12:01 AM PDT

Mandalay City Development Committee is trying to clean up the city's streets through a public education campaign on waste disposal and a crackdown on litterbugs.

New university planned for capital

Posted: 12 Oct 2016 11:53 PM PDT

A University dedicated to arts and sciences degrees will be built in Nay Pyi Taw, according to U Tun Tin, a member of Nay Pyi Taw Council.

Drug use rising in Nay Pyi Taw, MP says

Posted: 12 Oct 2016 11:51 PM PDT

Drug use in the nation's capital is getting worse, a local MP says. Before a crowded public meeting, Pyithu Hluttaw MP U Kyaw Tint (NLD; Tatkon) flatly contradicted a police spokesperson who said illegal narcotics use was being brought under control.

Prisoners register for matriculation exam

Posted: 12 Oct 2016 11:32 PM PDT

More and more inmates are applying to take their matriculation exam this year, says Insein Central Prison. A total of 31 men and one woman have registered, said deputy director U Myo Oo on October 11.

Agencies crack down on formalin in food

Posted: 12 Oct 2016 11:28 PM PDT

Officials from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) say they are using surveillance to monitor when formalin is being using in food products at markets.

State-owned apartment bill in draft stage

Posted: 12 Oct 2016 11:26 PM PDT

"Homes for life" will soon be a thing of the past. The government is drafting a bill to end the system by which state-owned apartments are rented out to tenants who can sublet them to others or pass them on to their descendants.

International White Cane Day returns to Mandalay

Posted: 12 Oct 2016 11:24 PM PDT

To raise the morale and the visibility of people with disabilities, advocacy organisations are joining forces with local government authorities to stage White Cane Day in Mandalay on October 15.

Shan Herald Agency for News

Shan Herald Agency for News


SSPP/SSA denies landmine accusation by Burmese military

Posted: 13 Oct 2016 02:16 AM PDT

The Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA) says it sent a letter to the Burmese military's Eastern Central Command on Monday denying allegations that it planted the landmine that caused recent injuries to two civilians.


According to a report by the state-owned Myawady Daily news journal on October 9, the SSPP/SSA stands accused of planting landmines near Mawmae village, tract 4 of Monghsu Township. Two villagers, named as Loong Ku and his niece, stepped on one and were injured by the resulting blast.

Reached for commented, Maj. Sao Ba Tun, secretary 3 of SSPP/SSA, said, "We never have an intention of attacking the people of Shan State. We never set out to injure civilians.

"Whenever there is an explosion, whether in a city or in rural areas, the Tatmadaw [Burmese armed forces] always accuses ethnic armed groups."
The SSPP/SSA officer acknowledged that his group had signed state-level and union-level ceasefire accords, but did not sign the nationwide ceasefire agreement with the government on October 15 last year.

Nevertheless, he said, the SSPP/SSA was not responsible for this incident.
He went on to say that the SSPP/SSA believes in the peace process and supports it.

He noted that, apart from SSPP/SSA, Burmese military units and police are also active in Mongshu Township.

On October 7, Loong Ku, age 60, and his niece, Nang Jing, 9, went into their local forest to collect wild mushrooms. They stepped on a landmine near Nang Gaohant temple and it exploded. The pair are now being treated at a local hospital in Kholam sub-township.

On that same day, Burmese government troops launched an offensive against SSPP/SSA troops in Monghsu. No details were offered as to casualties on either side.

SNLD to contest all seats in April by-elections

Posted: 13 Oct 2016 01:48 AM PDT

The Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) has said that it will contest all vacant seats in Shan State in the by-election scheduled for April 2017.

The SNLD, known locally as the Tiger Head Party, won a total of 40 seats at the last general election in November 2015, and was the second biggest winner in Shan State, next to the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).

Fighting between Burmese government forces and the Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA) forced the cancellation of polling in some constituencies, including Kehsi and Monghsu townships in central Shan State, and Kengtung Township in eastern Shan State.

Sai Nyunt Lwin, the general secretary of the SNLD, said, "We will contest the three townships that were left off the ballot at the last election. Monghsu and Kehsi each have two seats for the State parliament, plus one Lower House seat. And there is another seat to be contested for the State parliament in Kengtung Township."

The by-election was announced on October 11 by Burma's Union Election Commission, which confirmed that a total of 18 vacant seats in Union and regional parliaments would be contested on April 1 next year. However, constituencies will not be polled in areas under the control of the United Wa State Army, such as Pangsang, Narpan, Pangwai and Mongmaw; as well as Mongla Township, which is the base of the Nationalities Democratic Alliance Army.

"They [ethnic armed groups] control these areas by themselves," said SNLD's Sai Nyunt Lwin.

By Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN)

Arbitrary executions in Rakhine State must be investigated

Posted: 12 Oct 2016 11:46 PM PDT

Burma Campaign UK calls on the NLD-led government in Burma to establish an independent investigation into who is behind the killings of police officers in Rakhine State on October 9th, and into the subsequent killings of Rohingya villagers in the following days. The families of policemen killed and Rohingya villagers killed have the right to see the perpetrators face justice.
Burma Campaign UK has received reports of arbitrary executions of Rohingya villagers by Burmese Army soldiers, as have Fortify Rights and several media organisations.
A prompt and credible investigation is needed not just in the interests of justice, but also to establish the truth in order to help limit attempts by nationalists to exploit the situation to provoke more violence. An investigation could also help limit further executions by demonstrating a small degree of accountability for soldiers via an investigation exposing their actions, even if prosecutions are not possible without the consent of the military.
Burma Campaign UK is very concerned by the response of the international community to date. A statement on the situation by the European Union made no reference to reports of arbitrary executions. Silence on issues such as this simply reinforces the view of the military that it can act with impunity. The role of the European Union is not only to "stand with Myanmar" as they say in their statement, but also to stand with victims of human rights violations and against violations of international law.
statement by the UN Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General on Myanmar was even more alarming, going so far as to praise the response, stating he "recognizes the prompt action and sober response of the security forces", and also avoiding direct reference to reports of arbitrary executions.
statement by UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Myanmar"expressed to the authorities her condolences for the death of the border guard police personnel and is deeply saddened by all loss of life". Reports of arbitrary executions were only indirectly referred in the statement to as an "unfolding situation".
None of the statements used the word Rohingya, a key demand of racist nationalists who are trying to deny the ethnic identity of the Rohingya as part of their efforts to drive all Rohingya people out of Burma.
The new crisis in Rakhine State highlights how the new NLD-led government is hamstrung and unable to comprehensively deal with many problems in the country, if it wanted to, by the military 2008 Constitution. It does not have direct control over the military, police and other security services.
The international community has been trying to present the situation in Burma as moving from being focussed on democracy promotion and human rights to one of consolidating transition, development, and technical assistance. The situation in Rakhine State and escalating conflict in eastern Burma expose how flawed this approach is. The military remain unaccountable, are blocking democratic reform, escalating conflict, and committing human rights violations including violations of international law.
The British government should reassess its provision of training to the Burmese Army in light of these latest reports of arbitrary executions by soldiers. The training was established with no preconditions on respect for human rights, no clear objectives and no evaluation of outcomes.
"A transparent and credible investigation is urgently needed into events in Rakhine State in the past few days," said Anna Roberts, Executive Director of Burma Campaign UK. "While it is not yet clear exactly who was responsible for killing the police officers, it does seem clear that unarmed villagers have been killed in response. The Rakhine Commission was a welcome step but is largely looking at long term solutions and won't even report until well into next year. The new crisis also highlights how action to address the crisis in Rakhine State needs to start now, including the lifting of all humanitarian aid restrictions."

Burma Army provokes fighting with Shan NCA signatory, shells civilian areas, displacing 2,000 in Mong Kung

Posted: 12 Oct 2016 08:32 PM PDT

SHRF condemns the Burma Army's provocation of fighting with the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) in Mong Kung, central Shan State, despite the RCSS/SSA signing the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement. The fighting has involved shelling of civilian areas and displacement of about 2,000 villagers since the start of October 2016.

On October 1, about 40 Burma Army troops from IB 292, based in Nawng Wo, Lawksawk township, arrived without warning in the village of Pang Poi, about 25 miles north of Mong Kung town, and released 24 people being kept in the RCSS's local detention centre for drug offenders. When RCSS troops based nearby came to intervene, fighting broke out from 4 to 7.30 pm.

The next day, about 200 Burma Army troop reinforcements were sent in from the Na Boi army base in Laikha township, leading to further clashes with RCSS near Koong Sar village, about one mile northeast of Pang Poi. Two Burma Army helicopters also flew over the area. This caused over 700 villagers from Pang Poi (including 15 pregnant women), as well as about 200 villagers from the nearby villages of Nar Loi, Wan Mong, Hoi Jik and Koong Sar to flee to seek shelter in temples in Tong Lao, about 1 ½ miles east of Pang Poi. About 1,000 Tong Lao residents also went to sleep at the temples at night as they were afraid that fighting would spread to their village.

On October 3, the IB 292 troops retreated from Pang Poi village, escorting the 24 detainees and two warders to the LIB 505 base in Namlan, about 20 miles north. The Burma Army troops then fired mortar shells at Pang Poi village, damaging housing and vehicles. The detainees, including six women, were made to walk between the Burma Army troops, apparently as human shields to prevent RCSS attacks.

On October 4, about 180 more Burma Army troops were brought in from Mong Pai (on the Shan-Karenni State border) to Tong Lao, making many of the villagers too afraid to return home.

On October 7, the detainees were all released. However, the two civilian warders of the detention centre -- Sai Kyaw Lu, age 18, and Sai Aung Myint, age 40 -- are still being detained at the LIB 505 base in Namlan. On October 9, the Pang Poi headman, the Tong Lao headman, an SNLD MP from Hsipaw, and the Namlan administrative chairman went to request the release of the two warders from Namlan IB 243 base. However the commander said he could not release the two men without the permission of

the regional commander. The families of the two men are extremely worried about what will happen to them.

SHRF calls for the immediate release of the two warders, who have committed no crime and who were serving their community in running the detention centre, and calls on the Burma Army to stop provoking fighting, withdraw its troops from this area and allow the displaced villagers to return home safely.

Background of the Pang Poi drug detention centre

The detention centre in Pang Poi was set up by RCSS at the request of the local community, who were concerned at the increasing availability of drugs and high rates of drug addiction in the Mong Kung and Namlan areas. Methamphetamine ("ya ba") pills are cheap and easily available, meaning that even children as young as 10 years old are taking them. The cost of a methamphetamine pill is only 150 kyat (about USD 0.12). Adult drug dealers and users have been detained at the centre for 5-6 months.

The list of those who were detained at the Pang Poi centre on October 1 is below. On 9 June 2016, Tun Tun Win, the 21-year-old son of the Burma Army IB 292 commander, had been arrested at an RCSS gate for carrying about 20 methamphetamine pills and placed in the detention centre. However, he had broken out of the centre on September 22, 2016. This appears to have been a reason why the IB 292 commander authorized the raid on the detention centre on October 1, 2016.


No.
Name
Age
Address
1
Ai Sai
35
Namlan, South Quarter
2
U Law Ka
47
Namlan, South Quarter
3
Nang Oo
43
Namlan, Ju Daw Quarter
4
Daw Hla Khin
53
Namlan, Factory Quarter
5
Sai Nyunt
47
Man Li tract, Ko Hark village
6
Poe Sar
47
Man Li tract, Ko Hark village
7
Sai Maung
43
Man Li village
8
Nang Horm
50
Man Li village
9
Daw Aye Larn
29
Man Li village
10
Nang Li
30
Man Li Village
11
Daw Aye Larn
30
Man Li village
12
Sai Larn
28
Wan Jing tract, Nam Saung Ku village
13
Lon Sanda
50
Wan Jing tract, Koong Sar village
14
Hla Shwe
21
Mong Khur tract, Man Pang village
15
Ai Sai
50
Mong Kung Township, quarter 4
16
Lon Nyo
51
Mong Kung Township, Ho Khai village
17
Sai Mong
23
Mong Kung township, Quarter 3
18
Sai Naung
34
Mong Kung township, Kie Oo village
19
Ai Pu Jin
36
Mong Kung township, Pang Ke Tu tract, Nam Mark Kin Village
20
Ai Aw
44
Mong Kung Township, Pang Ke Tu tract, Wan Ku village
21
Ai Lu
18
Tong Lao Tract, Lu Kan village
22
U San Saw
51
Mong Kung township, Pang Kart village
23
Myint Win
19
Naung Khio Township, Naung Long tract, Tharsi village
24
Sai Lin
31
Lawk Sawk township, In Daw tract, Nam Ku village


List of IDPs in Tong Lao (October 11, 2106)

The numbers of displaced villagers sheltering in Tong Lao on October 11, 2016, was as follows:

Village of origin
Age under 5
Age 5-17
Age 18-49
Age above 50
Total

Male / Female
Male / Female
Male / Female
Male / Female

Pang Poi
63 / 76
70 / 63
183
/ 196
50 / 67
768
Koong Sar
13 / 12
36 / 47
53
/ 75
16 / 21
273






1,041


ENAC Briefing No. 19 on the threats of military offensives on the peace process in Burma

Posted: 12 Oct 2016 07:57 PM PDT

The Burma Army, also known as Tatmadaw, has escalated its military offensives against the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) with air strikes, artillery, and ground forces. Residents in Kachin State and Yangon as well as the Kachin diaspora in Thailand and the United States have staged protests, calling on the Tatmadaw to end its offensives immediately. On 30 September, the United States Embassy in Yangon also expressed its deep concern and urged "relevant authorities to adhere strictly to their responsibility to protect civilians." This statement came one day before the Tatmadaw's shelling killed a two-year-old Kachin girl and seriously injured two other children in Puwang village, northern Shan State. On 7 October, the local European Union office in Burma issued a statement, cautioning that the continued fighting "undermines the trust that is essential for advancing Myanmar peace process," and called for "an immediate cessation of hostilities and a return to constructive dialogue."

In a statement on 8 October, the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), the political wing of the KIA, and a non-signatory to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), stated that the Tatmadaw "must be held responsible and be fully accountable for all the adverse consequences of its offensive war," accusing it of "undermining and interrupting the genuine peace process" and warning that the Tatmadaw's excessive use of force will intensify the civil war in Burma as the Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) are trying to seek political solutions by political means. On the same day, the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) also condemned the offensives and called on the Burma Army to stop using force and resolve political problems through negotiation. The UNFC, of which the KIO is a member, is an alliance of EAOs that have not signed the NCA.

In its 9-point proposal to the government, the UNFC affirmed its commitment to signing the NCA once a prior agreement is reached with the government on the strengthening of the code of conduct and monitoring mechanism within the NCA and the Framework for Political Dialogue is reviewed to reflect more inclusiveness and better representation.

Despite all these public calls for ceasing the fighting, the Burma Army shows no sign of deescalating hostilities in Kachin State. More air strikes against the KIA's Gideon Post and Lai Hpawng Post were reported near Laiza, the KIO Headquarters. The State Counselor and the government of Burma have been silent on the matters.

In addition to its ongoing offensives against the KIA in Kachin and northern Shan States, the Tatmadaw has also clashed with the NCA signatory Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), and launched attacks against the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army in and around the control areas of Karen National Union, another NCA signatory. These activities by the Tatmadaw not only undermine the efforts of various parties toward sustainable peace in Burma but also pose grave dangers to the fragile peace process and could easily collapse the process. For the sake of peace, reconciliation and democracy in Burma, the Tatmadaw must halt all of its offensives, avoid clashes and start building trust for a political dialogue to take place.



Ethnic Nationalities Affairs Center | www.burmaenac.org