The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Govt Pilot Project Introduces Digital ID Cards
• Burma’s Parliament Ratifies Asean Anti-Trafficking Convention
• Militancy in Arakan State
• Two Killed in Mine Blast in Northern Shan State
• Rape and Murder of 5-Year-Old Stirs Outrage
• Report: Burma Army Postponed Meetings with Counterparts in Bangladesh
• Rebels Kill Two Indian Policemen near Border with Burma
• Arakan Attacks Linked to Group in Saudi Arabia
• China Military Tells Burma to Ensure Border Stability
• Leon de Riedmatten: ‘You Cannot Talk About Nationwide Ceasefire if You Don’t Include Everyone’

Govt Pilot Project Introduces Digital ID Cards Posted: 15 Dec 2016 08:00 AM PST The project, in which paper National Registration Cards are replaced with 'smarter' identification cards, is being tested in Naypyidaw and Mandalay. The post Govt Pilot Project Introduces Digital ID Cards appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Burma’s Parliament Ratifies Asean Anti-Trafficking Convention Posted: 15 Dec 2016 06:14 AM PST The Union Parliament approves ratification of the Asean Convention Against Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (ACTIP). The post Burma's Parliament Ratifies Asean Anti-Trafficking Convention appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Militancy in Arakan State Posted: 15 Dec 2016 05:33 AM PST This could be the beginning of a new Islamic-inspired insurgency in Burma, which could impact peace and stability in other countries in the region. The post Militancy in Arakan State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Two Killed in Mine Blast in Northern Shan State Posted: 15 Dec 2016 05:26 AM PST A Burma Army captain and a civilian truck driver are killed in an explosion on the road in Hsenwi Township, according to local police. The post Two Killed in Mine Blast in Northern Shan State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rape and Murder of 5-Year-Old Stirs Outrage Posted: 15 Dec 2016 04:08 AM PST The suspect 'confessed his wrongdoings to the investigator. We transferred him to Thandwe prison,' says Thandwe police officer. The post Rape and Murder of 5-Year-Old Stirs Outrage appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Report: Burma Army Postponed Meetings with Counterparts in Bangladesh Posted: 15 Dec 2016 04:02 AM PST Security discussions were scheduled to take place days after border posts attacked in northern Arakan State. The post Report: Burma Army Postponed Meetings with Counterparts in Bangladesh appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rebels Kill Two Indian Policemen near Border with Burma Posted: 15 Dec 2016 02:58 AM PST Another five officers are wounded in the attack in Lokchao area in Manipur state close to India's border with Burma. The post Rebels Kill Two Indian Policemen near Border with Burma appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Arakan Attacks Linked to Group in Saudi Arabia Posted: 15 Dec 2016 01:01 AM PST 'This new armed group is overseen by a committee of Rohingya émigrés based in Mecca,' says report from International Crisis Group. The post Arakan Attacks Linked to Group in Saudi Arabia appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China Military Tells Burma to Ensure Border Stability Posted: 15 Dec 2016 12:33 AM PST 'China is concerned at the armed clashes in northern Burma injuring Chinese border residents,' says China's defense ministry. The post China Military Tells Burma to Ensure Border Stability appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Leon de Riedmatten: ‘You Cannot Talk About Nationwide Ceasefire if You Don’t Include Everyone’ Posted: 14 Dec 2016 06:27 PM PST In this interview with The Irrawaddy's founding editor-in-chief Aung Zaw, Leon de Riedmatten talks about prospects for genuine peace in the country going forward. The post Leon de Riedmatten: 'You Cannot Talk About Nationwide Ceasefire if You Don't Include Everyone' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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National News

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• His death was retribution, says murdered journalist’s bereft wife
• Chin State civilians flee Arakan Army, Tatmadaw fighting
• Defence takes biggest slice of greenlit supplementary budget
• Hate speech law in the 2017 pipeline
• Workers pre-approved for jobs in Malaysia permitted despite ban
• Deputy minister notes ‘worrisome’ rise in child rape cases
• Locals concerned over water safety after tailings dump
• MP banned for crimes against hluttaw fashion
• CSOs say no to big coal and hydropower projects
• Lending leader calls for arming bank security guards

His death was retribution, says murdered journalist’s bereft wife Posted: 15 Dec 2016 12:11 AM PST The recently widowed wife of a murdered journalist strongly suspects he was killed in retaliation for his work.

Chin State civilians flee Arakan Army, Tatmadaw fighting Posted: 15 Dec 2016 12:09 AM PST Renewed clashes between the Tatmadaw and the Arakan Army have kicked off in upper Paletwa township, Chin State, with some 200 people displaced on December 12.

Defence takes biggest slice of greenlit supplementary budget Posted: 14 Dec 2016 11:45 PM PST With relatively minor trims applied to a swathe of ministries, Pyidaungsu Hluttaw has approved the supplementary budget requested by the Union Government to cover the remaining five months of the 2016-17 fiscal year.

Hate speech law in the 2017 pipeline Posted: 14 Dec 2016 11:40 PM PST The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture expects that a law to combat hate speech will be put before MPs sometime next year, with the ministry planning to reach out to foreign countries and the international community for input.

Workers pre-approved for jobs in Malaysia permitted despite ban Posted: 14 Dec 2016 11:38 PM PST While the government upholds a moratorium on sending Myanmar workers to Malaysia, as many as 50 overseas employment agencies are poised to send workers already in line for jobs in that country. But first they will have to sign a waiver assuming responsibility for the workers' safety, says the labour ministry.

Deputy minister notes ‘worrisome’ rise in child rape cases Posted: 14 Dec 2016 11:35 PM PST An apparent increase in the number of sexual abuse cases involving children is cause for concern, say politicians, amid a push to raise penalties for offenders.

Locals concerned over water safety after tailings dump Posted: 14 Dec 2016 11:35 PM PST Thousands of Magwe residents are concerned mining slag heaps recently deposited in streams near the Tout Tat mountain could have harmful environmental side effects.

MP banned for crimes against hluttaw fashion Posted: 14 Dec 2016 11:35 PM PST Parliament's uniform code is strictly enforced, a lawmaker learned yesterday after he was booted from the lower house for not adhering to the fashion standards.

CSOs say no to big coal and hydropower projects Posted: 14 Dec 2016 11:35 PM PST More than 400 CSOs have released a joint statement calling on the government to abandon large-scale coal and hydro-electricity projects opposed by the local population.

Lending leader calls for arming bank security guards Posted: 14 Dec 2016 11:34 PM PST A banking magnate has called for arming bank security guards in order to increase protection of the nation's financial institutions.

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Shan Herald Agency for News

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Mongpan villager collapses, dies after land seizure dispute Posted: 15 Dec 2016 01:20 AM PST A 74-year-old villager in southern Shan State's Mongpan Township reportedly collapsed and died yesterday after a construction company refused to pay compensation for land it had seized from him.  According to the village-tract headman, who asked to remain anonymous, the fatality happened after a meeting at the local administration office between representatives of the Aung Myint Mo Company and 16 villagers whose lands had allegedly been used and damaged by the firm when they installed electricity transmission poles in the area. "The farmers had previously insisted that no utility poles be built on their farmland," he said. "In the past, some of the farmers' lands were used for road construction, and they did not want their property used like this again." The headman said that the representatives of Aung Myint Mo Co disregarded the farmers' request, and also refused to negotiate over any claims for compensation. "They [the company executives] told the famers that they would not pay compensation," he said. "Then they got up and left the meeting." Immediately afterwards, a 74-old year-old farmer named Loong Thin Ngwe collapsed. He died on the way to hospital, said the village-tract headman. Erection of transmission poles in Mongpan began some three months ago as part of a project to connect the area to Mongton Township where a 7,000-megawatt hydropower project is slated to be built on the Salween River. "We do not know how many acres of our farmland will be destroyed," said Sai Lum, a Mongpan resident. "But they really do not care about our losses. They just do whatever they want. Their construction equipment is scattered all over our farmlands. More than 50 farmers have filed complaints about this." Representatives of Aung Myint Mo Company have so far made no comment about the death of Loong Thin Ngwe, nor the compensation claims. According to Sai Wei Lin, the Mongpan administration officer, the problems came about because the construction firm neglected to inform the public about their operations. Land confiscation has long been a major grievance among farmers and landowners in rural parts of Burma, with Shan State particularly affected. Many lands were seized during the era of the military junta; however some villagers have complained that little has changed under the elected government headed by Aung San Suu Kyi. According to Nang Kaysi of the Ethnic Peace and Resources Project (EPRP), an organization that works to support the peace process in Burma, a total of about 11,000 acres of farmland have been seized within 18 townships across Shan State. By Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN)

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