Saturday, September 30, 2017

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


Dateline Irrawaddy: ‘There is a Media Crisis in the Country’

Posted: 29 Sep 2017 08:41 PM PDT

Ye Ni: Welcome to Dateline Irrawaddy! This week, we'll discuss reporting of the Rakhine issues by local and foreign media. U Sein Win of Myanmar Journalism Institute and writer and journalist Daw Mon Mon Myat will join me to discuss this. I'm Ye Ni, editor of The Irrawaddy's Burmese Edition.

Dateline Irrawaddy : ရခိုင္ပဋိပကၡအေရး သတင္းဘယ္လိုေရးၾကမလဲဒီတပတ္ဒိတ္လိုင္းအစီအစဥ္ကေတာ့ ရခိုင္ပဋိပကၡအေရး သတင္းဘယ္လိုေရးၾကမလဲဆိုတဲ့ ေခါင္းစဥ္ေအာက္မွာ ဧရာဝတီ ျမန္မာပိုင္းအယ္ဒီတာ ရဲနည္၊သတင္းစာဆရာမ ေဒၚမြန္မြန္ျမတ္နဲ႔ ျမန္မာသတင္းပညာသိပၺံမွ ဦးစိန္ဝင္းတို႔ကေဆြးေႏြးထားၾကတာပါ။

Posted by The Irrawaddy – Burmese Edition on Friday, September 29, 2017

There have been allegations of ethnic cleansing concerning issues in Rakhine. What's worse, it is even labeled as textbook example [of ethnic cleansing]. So, we should also ask this question—if the Rakhine issue has become textbook example of journalism. The foreign media only covered the voices of Rohingyas, and neglected other ethnicities like Mro as well as Hindus—mass graves of Hindus have been found—we've also made reports earlier that 100 Hindus were missing. We don't see reports about this in foreign media.

What would you like to say about the reports that fail to analyze the background situation, U Sein Win, as you are also a teacher at the journalism institute? In journalism, there is conflict sensitive reporting, which is about making reports concerning conflicts. According to media ethics, if you are to make a report about a conflict, you are supposed to avoid fanning the flames of that conflict. Ko Sein Win, what do you think of such reporting?

Sein Win: I'd like to say two things: the first is about the foreign media. In the early days of the conflict, they were quite partial and biased. Some were heavily biased, and some, not that much. But what is sure is all of them were partial. They were partial because their news angle was excessively focused on humanitarian grounds. And regarding international coverage about Myanmar, reporting is usually done by junior journalists. In reality, they don't have expertise and don't know about Myanmar, and the government was not able to give access to information.

With a combination of all these factors plus international media being played by campaigners and hardliners, the image of our country was marred badly. And about the local media, they are not able to get access, or their access is limited in covering the situation in Bangladesh. You can't get a journalist visa to get into Bangladesh for reporting. Bangladesh denies access as it is a sensitive issue there. So, there is polarization on both sides. And we have only a few media outlets that have wide international readership and that can make in-depth reports in English with a sole focus on journalism. All these factors combined have led to a media crisis in the country. There is also a crisis among ordinary people in the society. But here I just want to focus on media. So there arose a media crisis regarding the issue.

YN: Ma Mon Mon Myat, you've been countering potentially misleading reports on the Rakhine issue. You've pointed out that a news story by Reuters didn't match its photo. How did you feel about the narrative of the international media?

Mon Mon Myat: I saw three groups on social media. The first one is media agencies which are trying to portray Rakhine issue as ethnic cleansing. Besides the terrorist group, there are also INGOS and rights groups which try to portray it as ethnic cleansing. Such a portrayal is oriented toward a particular end. They are trying to portray Myanmar as committing ethnic cleansing. Most of the hard news by international media for the time being is oriented towards that end. This makes me wonder if they have certain reasons and intentions to work to that end. Again, the incident coincides with UN General Assembly. These are the factors.

I have monitored what my friends working in international media wrote on their Facebook and Twitter. And I found that they are imperceptibly biased. For example, they don't describe terrorists as who they are, but as freedom fighters fighting for the rights of their people. They don't check if their descriptions are correct or not. I can point out some reports as an example. The AFP described ARSA as freedom fighters at the end of its first report about the issue. The international media also causes problems. Because of their portrayal, the international community has perceived them as a group of heroes fighting for the rights of a minority group. And that group also propagates about the Rohingya through social media and Twitter as well as rights groups and international media connected with them in order to win attention from international media.

So, I thought about what I could do to fix this. The only thing I can do is to monitor them individually and point their mistakes out. I have to monitor each of those who are reporting for international media and whose reporting is influential for international readers. For example, Andrew Marshall [of Reuters] is a very well known journalist in Southeast Asia. He didn't go out on the ground in person, but made phone calls and wrote a report. The headline of his report is 'We'll kill you all' and in the photo a man was brandishing knife and other people were surrounding him. So I thought something was wrong, and I took a close look and found that it was the photo about distributing food at a camp. And the story is based on a phone interview with a man in a village in Myanmar. So, it is quite misleading. I told him directly on his Facebook that it fanned the flames of conflict. The following day, he asked his editors to change the photo. If they make mistakes, we have to point it out. You can't assume that journalists of international media will always be correct. They may also make mistakes and breach journalistic code of ethics.

YN: You've made an interesting point, Ma Mon. And drawing conclusions from what you two have said, there is a wrong narrative because there is no access to information on the ground, and journalists learn the situation secondhand and report from afar. There are suggestions that journalists should be allowed to go to ground to solve this. The government might have its reason not to allow it: it might be concerned that some wrongdoings might be disclosed, as well as about the security of journalists and also concerned that other problems might arise. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has also said that there is an iceberg of misinformation. So what do you think of the government's handling of media to make sure reports about the Rakhine issue are close to reality?

SW: Concern about security forces is reasonable. Not only in our country, but also in any other country in the world, security forces have their own classified information. So, they are concerned about it. They are concerned about bad guys. In journalism there are not only ethical journalists, but there are also black sheep. If I were the government, I would select and invite journalists to make reports in case of a crisis. We know who understands the situation in Myanmar. There really are only a few journalists who understand Myanmar and its political complexity. Myanmar is a big country to us, but normally the world only comes to know it when problems arise here. Normally, when I talk about Myanmar [to foreigners] I have to explain that it is beside Thailand and India. I mean, Myanmar is not a center of focus. And foreign leaders coming to Myanmar for diplomacy are not the highest-level leaders, but are at a secondary level. We know the journalists who understand the complexity of Myanmar. Select and invite such journalists. Let them go anywhere and ask any person, and provide them with security if necessary. The government can select and invite those who have a good attitude and understand the complexity of Myanmar.

And about the long-term media strategy, the government must turn out information officers. I mean trained information officers, not public relations officers. Many of the existing officers are transferred from the military, and they don't understand [the nature of media]. So it is useless to blame them. They don't know how to do at all. So, we have a lot to do. What the government should do for the time being is to revive the badly tarnished image of the country. Then, it must go start long-term plans.

YN: Ma Mon Mon Myat, as you're a writer as well as a journalist, what is your advice for journalists concerning the crisis?

MMM: The ethical crisis is that some [local journalists] with nationalist attitudes think that those who have fled [to Bangladesh] are not the same race as them and therefore they don't need to cover their situation. And international journalists asked us if we don't have sympathy for hundreds of thousands of displaced persons. What you can do is to ask yourselves if you would protect the national sovereignty as a Myanmar citizen or display humanity.

There is however no excuse for any terrorist act. But then before making any accusations, we should draw comparisons with terrorist act in international countries, for example intimidating large numbers of people to flee, slaughtering and abduction of women for sex slavery are no doubt the acts of terrorism. You have to compare the acts of terrorists and those of security forces who are supposed to provide security for civilians. This is the message you have to give to the international community to determine if their acts are really terrorist acts. Anyway, we must have humanity. We just can't ignore and report about them, thinking they don't belong to the same race as us, and therefore need not protect them. We must be balanced in our reporting. We must also convey the voices of the other side as much as possible. Rather than protecting the minorities in Myanmar, local media should also interview those who have fled to the other side like India Times has done. This is about journalistic ethics.

YN: Thank you both!

The post Dateline Irrawaddy: 'There is a Media Crisis in the Country' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Friday, September 29, 2017

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


NLD Central Women’s Committee to Support Kachin IDPs

Posted: 29 Sep 2017 06:56 AM PDT

YANGON — The National League for Democracy's (NLD) new-formed Central Women's Committee plans to visit Kachin internally displaced people's (IDP) camps as the committee's first mission on October 4, said chairperson Dr. May Win Myint.

The NLD's new-formed Central Women's Committee Team will donate rice and oil, sanitary products, and provide medical services to 1,350 IDPs in Kachin State during their one-week trip, said Daw Zin Mar Aung, a secretary on the committee.

In Kachin State, more than 120,000 people have been displaced from their original lands and forced to seek refuge in IDP camps since June 2011, due to renewed fighting between Myanmar's military and the Kachin Independence Army following the breakdown of a 17-year ceasefire.

Dr. May Win Myint will led the team which of 10 – 15 participants.

"The NLD Health Network's members will also join the trip. The doctors from the health network and the chair, Dr. May Win Myint, will give medical check-ups to the IDPs," Daw Zin Mar Aung said.

The team will visit eight camps in Myitkyina, Waingmaw, Mohnyin, and Mogaung townships.

Camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) at Shait Yang village in Laiza District, an area controlled by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), on Jan. 21. These IDPs came from the Zai Awng and Hkau Shau camps in Waingmaw Township, Kachin State. (Photos: Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy)

"We decided to go and support Kachin IDPs because they are in a forgotten situation," Daw Zin Mar Aung told The Irrawaddy on Friday, when asked why the committee choice Kachin State over Rakhine State, where there is also a refugee crisis.

She explained that the UN, and NGOs and INGOs are focusing on meeting the needs of IDPs in Rakhine State, and that the government is also working to support the victims of the conflict there.

Kachin civil society organizations and humanitarian groups have continuously called on the government to provide proper support to the IDPs who are struggling for their livelihoods and unable to meet basic needs due to long-term displacement.

The NLD's Central Women's Committee was formed in early August, and discussed work at the state, regional, township, and ward and village tract levels, with the aim to promote women's empowerment and capacity building, Daw Zin Mar Aung said.

The post NLD Central Women's Committee to Support Kachin IDPs appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ten Years On, Family Still Demands Answers in Slain Japanese Journalist’s Death

Posted: 29 Sep 2017 06:50 AM PDT

YANGON — For nearly a decade, Noriko Ogawa relentlessly lobbied for the truth about the death of her brother who was killed by security forces in Yangon.

Kenji Nagai, 50, a reporter for Tokyo's APF News, was in downtown Yangon on Sept. 27, 2007, covering the monk-led Saffron Revolution. He was hit when soldiers opened fire on the crowd. The then military government announced that he was among 11 protesters killed due to "warning shots." But forensic evidence showed that he was shot at point-blank range.

Since then, Mr. Nagai's family members have demanded the Myanmar government open an official investigation into his killing and return his camera via the Japanese government.

His sister Noriko Ogawa has advocated through the media for answers regarding the death of her brother every year. She sent plenty of emails to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and also took several hours-long trips to the MOFA office in Tokyo from her home in Imabari city in Ehime prefecture.

But nothing happened.

So, on the 10th anniversary of her brother's death this month, the sister of the slain Japanese video journalist sent a letter directly to Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to demand acknowledgement from the Myanmar government that her brother's death was the result of an intended shot and that there would be concrete action taken on the issue.

"I expect a sincere reaction [from Daw Aung San Suu Kyi] to my letter," she told The Irrawaddy.

Noriko Ogawa said she sent the letter with "all of her emotion and thoughts she has pondered for 10 years" to the State Counselor because nothing happened when she contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Japan to transfer her message to the Nobel laureate.

"The only thing I want is acknowledgement that my brother's death was the result of an intended shot. I am eager for your humanitarian decision and concrete action on this issue," writes the video journalist's sister in her letter to Myanmar's State Counselor.

"Honestly speaking, I want to take down the militants who brutally shot my brother," Noriko Ogawa writes in the letter that was viewed by The Irrawaddy.

"However, this is not realistic under the current circumstances. What is realistic is to please, please reveal what happened, and acknowledge that my brother was killed. In addition, I want to get back his camera, which he had held tightly in his hands [when he was shot]," the sister wrote.

She told The Irrawaddy that the prime minister, deputy minister, minister of foreign affairs, and police chief had tried to convince the Myanmar government to admit the truth in the past.

According to an announcement on Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, the then Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda discussed the investigation and return of Mr. Nagai's camera with then President U Thein Sein at 2011 Asean-related summit meetings.

The statement read that President Thein Sein said the government had been striving for investigation and cooperation with Japan but had not found Nagai’s belongings, adding that he was pained by Mr. Nagai’s death.

"About the comment from the former President, Thein Sein, the fundamental recognition about Kenji's case is completely different from ours. We cannot accept it," Noriko Ogawa told The Irrawaddy.

A bouquet was laid in front of a Kenji Nagai photo in the same spot where he was shot to commemorate the 10th anniversary of his death in downtown Yangon, Sept. 27, 2017. ( Photo: Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy)

Death in Yangon

Kenji Nagai arrived in Yangon on Sept. 25, 2007, when Buddhist monk-led protests against the then military regime were underway.

Toru Yamaji, president of the Tokyo APF, remembered that Nagai had been covering a story in Bangkok when the situation in Myanmar escalated.

He told RFA in 2007 that he and Nagai had talked about the trip on the telephone, and Nagai had felt the protests in Myanmar would gradually grow to huge proportions and it would be a good opportunity to tell the world about the situation there.

"So I gave him permission to go," he said.

Adrees Latif, a Reuters photographer who captured the moment of Nagai's death on his camera, recalled that soon after the shooting started his eye caught the Japanese photographer flying backwards through the air. Instinctively, he started photographing, capturing four frames of the man on his back.

"The entry point of the bullet is clear in the first frame, with a soldier wearing flip-flops standing over the man and pointing a rifle.

"More shots rang out. I flinched before getting off two more frames—one of the man pointing the camera at the soldier, and one of his face contorted in pain. Beyond him, the crowd scattered before the advancing soldier," wrote Adrees Latif, who won a Pulitzer Prize for the picture.

Noriko Ogawa recalled that she couldn't help shuddering and her heart froze when she saw her brother on the TV news upon the notification from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In her letter she told Daw Aung San Suu Kyi that despite more and more Japanese corporations making inroads in Myanmar, there has been no progress for the bereaved family, and time has been passing in vain for 10 years now.

"My parents died four years ago, without any word from the army," she said in the letter.

"I continue to go every month to the temple where he sleeps. I hope you will not overlook my sincere emotions," she added.

The post Ten Years On, Family Still Demands Answers in Slain Japanese Journalist's Death appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Mandalay Blast Injures 1

Posted: 29 Sep 2017 05:01 AM PDT

MANDALAY – One man was injured in a blast outside a festival in Mandalay Region’s Chanayethazan Township on Thursday in an incident that was labelled a threat to the stability of the region by the local government.

Ko Zaw Hein, 28, was taken to Mandalay General Hospital with injuries to his left arm and a motorcycle was destroyed after a suspected improvised exploding device was set off at 9:50 p.m. outside a Nyeint Pwe festival, according to local police.

Police later seized the two mobile phones found near the motorcycle which were believed to be used as detonators for the blast, secretary for the Mandalay regional government U Myint Tin told reporters on Friday, adding that it was too early to identify the culprit and police had opened an investigation into the incident.

"The blast was not large so there was no huge impact but it is clear someone is trying to threaten regional stability," he said.

Security in Mandalay Region had been bolstered following government warnings earlier this month with joint patrols by police and local organizations and residents, but security forces will be put on alert to ensure the safety of locals, he said.

The post Mandalay Blast Injures 1 appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Enlightenment: Previous Lives of Buddha

Posted: 29 Sep 2017 03:27 AM PDT

Kyaw Phyu San is a devout Buddhist who rejoices in the teachings of Gautama Buddha more than 2,500 years after his death.

"He enlightened people as well as stabilized and pacified their minds," said Kyaw Phyu San, who has made his name as an artist with his hit series about the Buddha and Dhamma—the teachings of Buddha.

His sixth solo art exhibition 'Enlightenment' will be held from September 30 to October 9 at Lokanat Art Galleries in Yangon, and features works depicting Myanmar's rural scenes as well as Jataka tales— narratives about the previous lives of the Buddha.

Born in Seikphyu in central Myanmar in 1953, Kyaw San Phyu has drawn the lives of Buddha and his teachings over the past 30 years. From 1990 to 1995, he illustrated for the best-selling comic series entitled 'Ten Great Birth Stories of Buddha,' which is about the 10 previous lives of Buddha.

His illustrations have also appeared in books on Buddha's lives published in a number of foreign countries. He organized his first solo in 1998.

"The main subject of this exhibition is the 10 Jataka tales," he said.  The Jataka tales include Temiya, the mute prince; Mahajanaka, the lost prince; Suvanna Sama, the devoted son; Nimi, the noble king; Mahosadha, the clever sage; Bhuridatta, the dragon prince; Canda-Kumara, the honorable prince; Narada, the great Brahma; Vidhura, the eloquent sage; and Vessantara, the charitable prince.

"Most people are only acquainted with Mahosadha, Suvanna Sama and Mahajanaka among the Jataka tales. I painted the other lives to acquaint people with them. These tales provide a lot of lessons," said the artist.

His works on rural life include bells at Buddhist monasteries, an ox-driven oil-press, toddy palm workers and more.

The exhibition will showcase a total of 36 paintings, priced between US$500 and $1,300. To depict the lives of Buddha, Kyaw Phyu San sometimes seeks advice from Buddhist monks and disciples who are well versed in Buddhism.

"Buddha was born and attained enlightenment in India. But in my paintings, I set him in the Konbaung Dynasty [of Myanmar]," he said.

The post Enlightenment: Previous Lives of Buddha appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Hindus Cremated in Rakhine State’s Maungdaw

Posted: 29 Sep 2017 12:24 AM PDT

MAUNGDAW, Rakhine State — A funeral service was held on Thursday to cremate the remains of 45 Hindu villagers—including six children—of Ye Baw Kya village in northern Maungdaw Township unearthed on Sunday and Monday.

A mass grave of 28 missing Hindu villagers was found on Sunday, and 17 others were discovered on Monday afternoon.

More than 70 people, including Hindu spiritual leaders and relatives of the victims, attended the funeral, which was held according to Hindu rituals, Police Colonel Okkar Ko of the border guard police force told The Irrawaddy.

"All of the bodies were cremated and the funeral service was conducted by Hindu religious leaders. The funeral was held near the place where the bodies were discovered," said the police colonel.

The retrieval of the remains of Hindu villagers came after a Hindu woman of Ye Baw Kya village who fled to Bangladesh following the attacks of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) in August phoned and informed a Hindu community leader, who had fled to state capital Sittwe, about the killings.

The government's statement—based on Hindu community leader U Ni Mal's testimony—on Sunday said ARSA arrested some 100 men and women from several Hindu villages in Kha Maung Seik village tract on Aug. 25 and killed the majority of abductees.

On Wednesday, authorities showed local and international journalists the unearthed bodies.

The government's Information Committee released a statement on Wednesday saying 163 people from Maungdaw District were killed and 91 people went missing from October 2016 to September 2017, following attacks by Muslim militants on border police posts.

The post Hindus Cremated in Rakhine State's Maungdaw appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

US Envoy to UN Demands Myanmar Prosecutions, Weapon Curbs

Posted: 28 Sep 2017 09:40 PM PDT

UNITED NATIONS and YANGON — US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley on Thursday called on countries to suspend providing weapons to Myanmar over violence against self-identifying Rohingya Muslims until the military puts sufficient accountability measures in place.

It was the first time the United States called for punishment of military leaders behind the repression, but stopped short of threatening to re-impose US sanctions which were suspended under the Obama administration.

"We cannot be afraid to call the actions of the Burmese authorities what they appear to be—a brutal, sustained campaign to cleanse the country of an ethnic minority," Haley told the UN Security Council, the first time Washington has echoed the UN's accusation that the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people in Rakhine State was ethnic cleansing.

Myanmar rejects the accusations and has denounced rights abuses.

"The Burmese military must respect human rights and fundamental freedoms. Those who have been accused of committing abuses should be removed from command responsibilities immediately and prosecuted for wrongdoing," Haley said.

"And any country that is currently providing weapons to the Burmese military should suspend these activities until sufficient accountability measures are in place," Haley said.

Myanmar national security adviser Thaung Tun said at the United Nations on Thursday there was no ethnic cleansing or genocide happening in Myanmar. He told the Security Council that Myanmar had invited U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres to visit. A UNofficial said Guterres would consider visiting Myanmar under the right conditions.

China and Russia both expressed support for the Myanmar government. Myanmar said earlier this month it was negotiating with China and Russia, which have veto powers in the Security Council, to protect it from any possible action by the council.

The Trump administration has mostly hewed to former President Barack Obama's approach of forging warmer relations with Myanmar, partly aimed at countering China's influence in the resource-rich Southeast Asian country.

Meanwhile, international aid groups in Myanmar have urged the government to allow free access to Rakhine, where an army offensive has sent more than 500,000 people fleeing to Bangladesh, but hundreds of thousands remain cut off from food, shelter and medical care.

Refugees are still leaving Myanmar, more than a month after Muslim insurgents attacked security posts near the border, triggering fierce Myanmar military retaliation.

Aid groups said on Thursday the total number of refugees in Bangladesh was now 502,000.

The Myanmar government has stopped international aid groups and U.N. agencies from carrying out most of their work in the north of Rakhine state, citing insecurity since the Aug. 25 insurgent attacks.

Aid groups said in a joint statement they were: "increasingly concerned about severe restrictions on humanitarian access and impediments to the delivery of critically needed humanitarian assistance throughout Rakhine State."

"We urge the government and authorities of Myanmar to ensure that all people in need in Rakhine State have full, free and unimpeded access to life-saving humanitarian assistance."

The government has put the Myanmar Red Cross in charge of aid to the state, with the help of the International Committee of the Red Cross. But the groups said they feared insufficient aid was getting through.

Relations between the government and aid agencies had been difficult for months, with some officials accusing the groups of helping the insurgents.

Aid groups dismissed the accusations, which they said had inflamed anger towards them among Buddhists in the communally divided state, and called for an end to "misinformation and unfounded accusations".

Rights groups have accused the army of trying to push self-identifying Rohingya Muslims out of Myanmar, and of committing crimes against humanity. They have called for sanctions, in particular an arms embargo.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Thursday that the violence against self-identifying Rohingya Muslims in the northern part of Rakhine could spread to central Rakhine, where 250,000 more people were at risk of displacement.

Guterres told the UN Security Council during its first public meeting on Myanmar in eight years, that the violence had spiraled into the "world's fastest developing refugee emergency, a humanitarian and human rights nightmare."

A group of Republican and Democratic senators urged the Trump administration on Thursday to use the "full weight" of its influence to help resolve the crisis in Myanmar and Bangladesh.

A letter seen by Reuters and signed by four Republican and 17 Democratic members of the 100-seat Senate also calls on Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and US Agency for International Development Administrator Mark Green to provide more humanitarian aid.

The British Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific, Mark Field, described the situation as "an unacceptable tragedy" after visiting Myanmar and meeting leaders including Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who has faced scathing criticism and calls for her Nobel prize to be withdrawn.

Drownings

Police in Bangladesh said they recovered the bodies of 14 refugees, including nine children, who drowned when their boat capsized off the coast in bad weather. A Reuters photographer said he saw several babies among the victims.

The UN International Organization for Migration later put the toll at 15.

Police officer Afrajul Hoque Tutu said three boats had capsized in heavy seas.

Myanmar was getting ready to "verify" refugees who want to return, the government minister charged with putting into effect recommendations to solve problems in Rakhine said.

Myanmar would conduct a "national verification process" at two points on its border with Bangladesh under terms agreed during a repatriation effort in 1993, state media quoted Win Myat Aye, the minister for social welfare, relief and resettlement, as saying.

Myanmar authorities do not recognize Rohingya as an indigenous ethnic group, instead regarding them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

"The government hates us," said refugee Zafar Alam, 55, sheltering from rain near a refugee settlement in Bangladesh, referring to the Myanmar government.

"I don't think I'd be safe there. There's no justice."

The post US Envoy to UN Demands Myanmar Prosecutions, Weapon Curbs appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Thursday, September 28, 2017

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


Thousands Protest UNESCO Project at Mt. Hkakabo Razi

Posted: 28 Sep 2017 06:04 AM PDT

Thousands of locals took to the streets in Kachin State's Putao, Machanbaw and Naungmon townships to protest an expansion project in Mt. Hkakabo Razi National Park headed by UNESCO.

The UN agency for international cooperation in education, science and culture is working with the Myanmar government to designate the area as the country's first Natural World Heritage site.

"We sent our demand letters twice to the Union government in March and around May, but we did not receive any reply. The natural resources and environment ministry had issued the announcement on July 28 this year [about the designation of Hkakabo Razi as a Natural World Heritage Site]," said M Yaw Shu, the chairman of the Rawang Literature and Culture Association in Putao. "Thus we marched today [Sept. 28] to express our views."

"As the area is set to be a heritage site, it would be difficult for us to make a living on our land," he added. He said some 9,700 locals in Putao, 1,800 in Machanbaw and 1,200 in Naungmon joined for the marches in their respective towns on Thursday.

Citing concerns of land loss, locals held signs written in Burmese and English, stating that they reject the UNESCO designation and "condemn the expansion project."

U Zau Raw, of the Jinghpaw Literature and Cultural Affairs Committee in Machanbaw, said that many people "don't believe these projects will bring benefits for them."

"Locals were displaced and struggling for survival in their daily lives because of the previous Mt. Hkakabo Razi National Park project in 1996," he added.

Covering an area of 1,472 square miles, the Mt. Hkakabo Razi National Park was established in 1996 to conserve natural evergreen forests and wildlife; the mountain itself is 19,259 feet high.

However, ethnic Rawang, Lisu, Kachin (Jinghpaw) and indigenous Tibetan communities also live within and around the landscape of Mt. Hkakabo Razi, a hotspot of biodiversity, home to rare species of birds and plants. After the area became a national park, logging, hunting and cultivation in the area were restricted.

The Kachin Political Cooperation Committee (KPCC) published a statement on Sept. 18 condemning the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation's announcement that the national park would be expanded and designated as a Natural World Heritage Site. The KPCC also called on the government to stop the implementation of the process, which they described as going against the will of the locals.

The Forest Department and UNESCO are now making it a priority to "safeguard natural heritage" in Myanmar. Since 2013, UNESCO has been providing the government with technical assistance for projects aiming to designate Mt. Hkakabo Razi as a Natural World Heritage Site.

The Forest Department has said that there has been engagement with stakeholders in the project area, in order to raise awareness about the initiative.

U Win Naing Thaw, a director of the Nature and Wildlife Conservation Division, said that this month, an advocacy group toured villages, explaining the UNESCO designation to villagers.

However, U Zau Raw, of the Jinghpaw Literature and Cultural Affairs Committee in Machanbaw, said that "people don't have trust in the government," and that the authorities had tried to persuade people to support the UNESCO project during their tour.

U Win Naing Thaw said that the government "would not go on with these projects without the locals' agreement."

"I would like to request that the locals support our aims which not only benefit their livelihoods, but also preserve the precious property of the area and will make our future generations proud of the land," he explained.

Scientists from Myanmar and abroad have estimated that the area is home to more than 6,000 plant species, 500 types of birds, 150 different kinds of mammals, and 50 species of fish, and of reptiles and amphibians.

Among the tentative list of Natural World Heritage Sites in Myanmar, Mt. Hkakabo Razi has been given top priority; the UNESCO World Heritage Committee has already acknowledged all of the potential sites.

The post Thousands Protest UNESCO Project at Mt. Hkakabo Razi appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Govt Says It Is Ready to Register, Resettle Muslim Refugees

Posted: 28 Sep 2017 06:00 AM PDT

YANGON — The government plans to begin registering and resettling Bangladesh's self-identifying Rohingya Muslim refugees in northern Maungdaw Township, Rakhine State "as soon as possible," according to Myanmar's social welfare and resettlement minister.

The 2 billion-kyat plan involves registering refugees—according to the 1993 agreement between Myanmar and Bangladesh—in Taungpyo Letwe and Nga Khu Ya villages before resettling them in Dar Gyi Zar village in Maungdaw Township, U Win Myat Aye, also chair of the Implementation Committee for Recommendations on Rakhine State, told reporters on Wednesday.

Some 480,000 self-identifying Rohingya Muslims have now fled across the border to Bangladesh after the Myanmar Army launched clearance operations in the wake of deadly attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) on Aug. 25.

Muslims fleeing northern Rakhine's Maungdaw, Rathedaung, and Buthidaung townships have brought with them tales of killings, rape, and arson by the security forces. Human rights observers have said satellite imagery shows half of the 400 self-identifying Rohingya villages in the three townships had been torched and the UN human rights chief has labelled the situation "a textbook example of ethnic cleansing."

The Minister of the State Counselor's Office U Kyaw Tint Swe will travel to Bangladesh to negotiate with Bangladesh authorities over the refugees' repatriation, U Win Myat Aye said on Wednesday.

U Myint Kyaing, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Labor, Immigration and Population, told The Irrawaddy that the government would issue national verification cards (NVCs) to those who are accepted to return to the country at the point of entry.

The majority of the area's Muslims—most of whom self-identify as Rohingya—have long objected to the government's NVC project, with complaints dating back to the previous military-backed government, for not identifying them as "Rohingya."

With regards to Muslim refugees returning to their original villages, Rakhine chief minister U Nyi Pu said on Wednesday the state government would clear and manage the land under the Article 18(d) of Myanmar's 2013 Natural Disaster Management Law which allow related government departments to carry out reconstruction of buildings damaged by natural disasters.

The state government will later form a committee to redistribute the land in accordance with the law he said.

Implementation committee chair U Win Myat Aye said the relevant ministries will implement the recommendations of Kofi Annan-led Advisory Commission on Rakhine State and a government investigation commission led by Vice President U Myint Swe, prioritizing putting stability, security and rule of law in place and acting depending on the situation on the ground.

He added the committee will work to improve transportation in the region in the next three years and that electricity Rathedaung, Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships will be electrified by the end of 2018.

Additional reporting by Htet Naing Zaw in Naypyitaw.

The post Govt Says It Is Ready to Register, Resettle Muslim Refugees appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

TIMELINE: 29 Years of the National League for Democracy

Posted: 28 Sep 2017 04:24 AM PDT

September 1988 — National League for Democracy (NLD) is founded by people from various walks of life with an aim to accelerate the popular pro-democracy uprising toward a change in the political system.

NLD Flag/ Myo Min Soe/ The Irrawaddy

1989 — After the NLD adopts a political policy to defy orders that they consider unjust to the people, its senior leaders Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, U Win Tin and U Tin Oo are arrested by the military.

May 27, 1990 — The NLD wins a landslide victory in the 1990 general elections held by the military government, the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), winning in 392 out of 447 constituencies.

July 19, 1990 — The NLD issues the Gandhi Hall Declaration, calling for Parliament to be convened, and immediate discussions with representatives of SLORC, as well as the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners, and the lifting of restrictions on people.

1990 — SLORC does not transfer power to the NLD, and instead arrests, issues warrants for and revokes the positions of many elected lawmakers.

October 14, 1991 — Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's efforts for democracy, human rights and peace are recognized with the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize.

1993 — Representatives of the NLD, together with representatives from nine other parties, attend the National Convention organized by SLORC to draft a constitution.

September 20, 1994 — Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, general secretary of the NLD, at this time under house arrest, meets SLORC chairman Snr-Gen Than Shwe and Secretary-1 Maj-Gen Khin Nyunt at a government guesthouse.

Myanmar’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi stands with the Myanmar’s Defence Minister General Than Shwe (C) and former prime minister Khin Nyunt (R) in Yangon in this September 1994 file photo. Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s opposition leader, should be out promoting democracy and not under house arrest when she celebrates her 60th birthday on June 19, 2005, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Thursday. Suu Kyi will celebrate yet another birthday under house arrest while pro-democracy activists around the world stage protests against Myanmar’s military junta. Photo taken in September 1994. REUTERS

July 10, 1995 — Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is released after six years of house arrest.

Freed pro-democracry leader Aung San Suu Kyi smiles while speaking to hundreds of supporters from the gate at her Rangoon residential compound July 19, 1995. Today marks the sixth anniversary of her house arrest on July 20, 1989. Suu Kyi was released eleven days ago. REUTERS/Luis D’Orey

1995 — NLD boycotts the National Convention and issues a declaration, saying it assumed that the convention did not contribute to national reconciliation, the emergence of a multi-party democracy, and a constitution acceptable to the people. Then National Convention is postponed for an indefinite period.

September 1996 — A mob wielding bricks and sticks attacks the motorcade of U Kyi Maung and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi who had come to meet the public on U Chit Maung Street in Yangon's Bahan Township.

NLD supporters in 1996. Photo: Uzo Uda

September 21, 2000 — Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and party members who are leaving for Mandalay are blocked by the military at Yangon Central Railway Station. More than 40 party members, including current President U Htin Kyaw, are detained.

September 23, 2000 — Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is placed under house arrest for a second time.

January 22, 2002 — Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who is under house arrest, meets Snr-Gen Than Shwe. Details of their meeting are not made public.

May 6, 2003 — Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is released after 18 months of house arrest.

May 30, 2003 — In Sagaing Region's Depayin, the motorcade of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is attacked by a mob wielding sticks and swords. Dozens of people are injured in the attack.

May 31, 2003 — Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is put under house are     st for a third time.

The NLD HQ in 2003. The notice at the gate says ‘The NLD is temporarily closed. Photo: Uzo Uda

May 25, 2006 — Her house arrest is extended one more year.

2007 — NLD party members join the Saffron Revolution alongside Buddhist monks demanding democratic change and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's release.

2008 — The NLD issues a statement criticizing the military regime for holding a national referendum only to ratify the Constitution instead of taking care of storm victims in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis.

September 23, 2008 — One of the founders of the NLD, U Win Tin, is released after 19 years in jail, and adopts plans to revive the party.

September 24, 2009 — The NLD publishes the Shwegondaing Declaration, calling for the unconditional release of all political prisoners including U Tin Oo and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, a review of the 2008 Constitution, the building a genuine Union with equal rights for ethnic minorities, and recognition of the 1990 election results by the military regime.

2009 — Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has her house arrest extended for 18 months for allowing US citizen John Yettaw into her residence after he swam across Inya Lake in an attempt to meet her.

February 14, 2010 — Vice-Chairman of the NLD U Tin Oo, who was arrested in 2003, is released from house arrest.

August 19, 2010 — The NLD boycotts the 2010 general elections, saying the proceedings are not free or fair.

November 13, 2010 — Within days of the 2010 general elections, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is released from more than seven years of house arrest.

Aung San Suu Kyi holds a sign reading “I love the public too” while addressing supporters outside her National League for Democracy party headquarters in Yangon November 14, 2010. The pro-democracy leader called for freedom of speech in army-ruled Myanmar on Sunday and urged thousands of supporters to stand up for their rights and not lose heart, indicating she might pursue a political role. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

April 1, 2012 — NLD wins 43 out of 45 constituencies in the by-elections, and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi becomes a Lower House lawmaker representing Yangon's Kawhmu Township.

NLD supporters celebrate the party's by-election win in 2012. Photo: The Irrawaddy

2014 — The NLD conducts campaigns with the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society to collect signatures to amend Article 436 of 2008 Constitution, which requires the approval of more than 75 percent of parliamentarians to make constitutional changes.

Myanmar’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and 88 generation leader Min Ko Naing talk during a speech calling for the amendment of the 2008 Constitution at a rally in Boseinman Stadium in Yangon, May 17, 2014. The 2008 Constitution, which was drafted under a military regime, reserves a quarter of parliamentary seats for military personnel chosen by the armed forces chief. It also disqualifies presidential and vice-presidential candidates whose spouses or children are citizens of a foreign country. Suu Kyi’s late husband, academic Michael Aris, was British, as are their two grown-up sons. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun (MYANMAR – Tags: POLITICS)

November 2014 — US President Barack Obama meets Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in his first visit to Myanmar.

Myanmar's then opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, left, talks to journalists after meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama, right, at her lakeside residence Monday, Nov.19, 2012, in Yangon, Myanmar.(AP Photo/Khin Maung Win,Pool)

November 8, 2015 — The NLD wins a landslide victory in the 2015 general elections, winning 886 out of 1,150 seats in the Parliament. After the NLD's electoral victory, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi meets former Snr-Gen Than Shwe at his residence in Naypyitaw.

NLD supporters celebrate the party's election win on Nov. 8. Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy

March 30, 2016 — The civilian government led by the NLD takes over the administration from the Union Solidarity and Development Party.

Outgoing president U Thein Sein and the new president U Htin Kyaw at the presidential residence in Naypyidaw on March 30. The Irrawaddy

April 6, 2016 — Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who is barred by the 2008 Constitution from becoming the president, becomes State Counselor of Myanmar.

State Counselor: Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at the presidential residence in Naypyidaw on March 30. / Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy

August 31, 2016 — The NLD government convenes the 21st Century Panglong Union Peace Conference in Naypyitaw in an effort to end armed conflicts that have continued for more than 60 years.

Panglong: Participants of 2st Century Panglong Conference take group picture on the last day of the conference in Naypyidaw in September. The Irrawaddy

August – September 2017 — A year after taking office, the NLD government is faced with a great set of challenges as Rakhine State sees militant attacks on security outposts, army clearance operations, and hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing to Bangladesh.

September 27, 2017—NLD marks the 29th anniversary of its founding.

NLD flag and its symbols—peacock and the white star. Tin Htet Paing/ The Irrawaddy

The post TIMELINE: 29 Years of the National League for Democracy appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Analysis: Rohingya Desire for Ethnicity Seen as Separatist Agenda: Former US Ambassador to Myanmar

Posted: 28 Sep 2017 02:06 AM PDT

YANGON — The former US ambassador to Myanmar said ethnic Arakanese and others in Myanmar see the self-identifying Rohingya's desire for recognized ethnicity in the country and the current militant activity in their name as a separatist agenda by other means that many in the West fail to understand.

Derek Mitchell, who served as US ambassador to Burma from 2012 to 2016, told The Atlantic that while the international community saw the self-identifying Rohingya as innocent people who just want to call themselves a name and who are uniquely abused for it, the name suggests something much more to people in Myanmar.

The northwestern part of Rakhine State in western Myanmar is now reeling from Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) attacks on 30 police outposts on Aug. 25 and subsequent violence affecting civilians. The Myanmar government declared the Muslim militant group a terrorist organization has since begun military "clearance operations" in the area, leading to Buddhist Arakanese and other Rakhine sub-ethnicities to flee their homes while more than 400,000 self-identifying Rohingya have sought shelter at refugee camps in neighboring Bangladesh.

No other subject in Myanmar has gotten the same international attention as the persecution of the self-identifying Rohingya, who have been called to be recognized as an ethnicity of Myanmar.

But the government, military and the majority of the country's people insist that they are "Bengali" and claim they are illegal migrants from neighboring Bangladesh brought to Rakhine State by the British in the early 1900s.

Successive governments had restricted their basic rights, such as freedom of movement, as they do not hold citizenship status. The previous U Thein Sein government as well as the current National League for Democracy (NLD) administration said such rights would be granted only with citizenship, but most Muslims in the region refused to apply for it as the process did not acknowledge them ethnically as Rohingya.

The story 'The Misunderstood Roots of Burma's Rohingya Crisis' in The Atlantic says where humanitarian groups and Western nations see the self-identifying Rohingya as the world's most persecuted minority, the government of Myanmar and an overwhelming majority of its people see a foreign group with a separatist agenda, fueled by Islam, and funded from overseas. It's this difference in perception that will make any resolution of the Rohingya issue extremely difficult.

"It gets to this notion of ethnicity in the Myanmar mind that I think the West doesn't quite understand," Derek Mitchell was quoted as saying in the story.

The former ambassador was in Myanmar when communal strife between Muslim and Buddhists hit Rakhine in 2012 and witnessed the following unrest across the country during his term. He  told The Atlantic that activists and leaders in the [Rohingya] community are very protective of that name. They see it as protective of their identity and dignity after so many basic rights have been taken from them in recent years.

"The name has also been essential to their international campaign for attention," Mitchell said to the magazine.

The article also explained the government's concern about the acknowledgement of Rakhine's Muslims as members of the Rohingya ethnic group. The writer says if the government acknowledges Rakhine's Muslims as members of the Rohingya ethnic group, the Muslims would be allowed an autonomous area within the country and the Myanmar people fear a Rohingya autonomous area along the border with Bangladesh would come at the expense of Rakhine territory. The Burmese military, which has cracked down on Rohingya civilians, views this as a possible staging area for terrorism by groups like ARSA.

This fear was also reflected in what the government said in the wake of the militants' attack last month.

In the diplomatic briefing about the attacks, Myanmar's home affairs minister Lt-Gen Kyaw Swe said ARSA was trying to establish an "Islamic State" in Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships.

"They plan to take over the area as a Bengali-only land," said Police Brig-Gen Win Tun at the briefing, using the term for Rohingya Muslims that implies they are interlopers from Bangladesh.

"This fear is very deeply felt and not understood in the West—and it comes from a real place rooted in Burma's history," Mitchell said to The Atlantic.

That "real place" dates back to the aftermath of World War II, when the forebears of the Rohingya appealed to Pakistan, which at the time included what is now Bangladesh, to annex their territory. Pakistan did not do so. Subsequently, many of the Muslims took up arms and fought a separatist rebellion until the 1960s, though vestiges of the rebellion continued until the 1990s.

"So when the [Arakanese] and others in Myanmar look at what's going on with the name Rohingya, the desire for recognition as an accepted ethnicity, now this militant activity in their name, and calls by some for international intervention, including a safe zone, they see that as a separatist agenda by other means," Mitchell was quoted as saying in the story.

"And those caught in the middle are hundreds of thousands of innocent Rohingya," the former US ambassador to Myanmar said.

The post Analysis: Rohingya Desire for Ethnicity Seen as Separatist Agenda: Former US Ambassador to Myanmar appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Aid Groups Call for Access to Rakhine Conflict Zone

Posted: 28 Sep 2017 01:44 AM PDT

YANGON — International aid groups in Myanmar have urged the government to allow free access to Rakhine State, where an army offensive has sent 480,000 people fleeing to Bangladesh but hundreds of thousands remain cut off from food, shelter and medical care.

The latest army campaign in the western state was launched in response to attacks by self-identifying Rohingya Muslim insurgents on security posts near the Bangladesh border on Aug. 25.

The government has stopped international non-government groups (INGOs), as well as UN agencies, from working in the north of the state, citing insecurity.

"INGOs in Myanmar are increasingly concerned about severe restrictions on humanitarian access and impediments to the delivery of critically needed humanitarian assistance throughout Rakhine State," aid groups said in a statement late on Wednesday.

An unknown number of people are internally displaced, while hundreds of thousands lack food, shelter and medical services, said the groups, which include Care International, Oxfam and Save the Children.

"We urge the government and authorities of Myanmar to ensure that all people in need in Rakhine Sate have full, free and unimpeded access to life-saving humanitarian assistance."

The government has put the Myanmar Red Cross in charge of aid to the state, with the help of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

But the groups said they feared aid getting through would "not be sufficient to meet the enormous humanitarian needs".

Relations between the government and aid agencies had been difficult for months, with some officials accusing groups of helping the insurgents.

Aid groups dismissed the accusations, which they said had inflamed anger towards aid workers among Buddhists in the communally divided state.

The groups said threats, allegations and misinformation had led to "genuine fears" among aid workers, and they called for an end to "misinformation and unfounded accusations" and for the government to ensure aid workers' safety.

The United Nations has accused the army of ethnic cleansing to push Rohingya Muslims out of Myanmar, and rights groups have said the army has committed crimes against humanity and called for sanctions.

The United States said the army response to the insurgent attacks was "disproportionate" and the crisis raised questions about Myanmar's transition to democracy after decades of military rule.

The international community has called for unfettered humanitarian access to the area and for refugees to be allowed to return safely.

Resettlement Plan

Government leader Aung San Suu Kyi has faced scathing criticism and calls for her Nobel prize to be withdrawn.

She denounced rights violations in an address last week and expressed concern about the suffering of everyone caught up in the conflict.

She said the government was working to restore normalcy and any refugees verified as coming from Myanmar would be allowed to return.

Myanmar is getting ready to "verify" refugees who want to return, the government minister charged with putting into effect recommendations to solve problems in Rakhine said.

Myanmar would conduct a "national verification process" at two points on its border with Bangladesh under terms agreed during a previous repatriation effort in 1993, state media quoted Win Myat Aye, the minister for social welfare, relief and resettlement, as saying.

"After the verification process, the refugees will be settled in Dargyizar village. These are our current plans," the minister said, referring to a self-identifying Rohingya village that was razed after Aug. 25, according to satellite imagery.

It is unclear how many refugees would be willing to return.

Previous government efforts to verify the status of Muslims in Rakhine were broadly rejected as under the process, Muslims would not be recognized as Rohingya, an ethnic identity they prefer but which Myanmar does not recognize.

Most self-identifying Rohingya are stateless and regarded as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

The government would take control of fire-gutted land, Win Myat Aye said this week. Rights groups say about half of more than 400 self-identifying Rohingya villages were torched.

Officials have announced plans for resettlement camps for those displaced by the conflict, while U.N. officials and diplomats are urging the government to let people rebuild homes.

The post Aid Groups Call for Access to Rakhine Conflict Zone appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Mon State Govt to Protect Heritage Buildings in Mawlamyine  

Posted: 28 Sep 2017 01:37 AM PDT

MAWLAMYINE, Mon State — In its efforts to conserve historic and colonial-era buildings in Mon State, the state government is working to form a conservation group by the end of this year modeled on the Yangon Heritage Trust, according to state lawmaker Daw Khaing Khaing Lei.

At the request of Mon State chief minister Dr. Aye Zan, officials of Yangon Heritage Trust (YHT)—an advocacy group founded in 2012 for heritage protection in Yangon—inspected heritage buildings in state capital Mawlamyine on Tuesday, she said.

"Our chief minister wants a group like YHT in Mon State to conserve heritage buildings in Mawlamyine. He has asked for technical assistance from YHT," said Daw Khaing Khaing Lei.

The chief minister envisions a conservation group consisting of officials of concerned departments, experts and technicians, she added.

On Tuesday, officials of YHT, accompanied by officials of state government and archaeologists observed a 19th Century Buddhist monastery financed by ethnic Mon shipping tycoon U Na Ouk, the 120-year-old Yadana Bon Myint Monastery built by King Mindon's consort Sein Tone, and the residence and tomb of the fourth daughter of King Thibaw, the last monarch of Myanmar.

Other heritage sites include the first Baptist Church in Mawlamyine constructed in 1827 by Adoniram Judson, an American missionary who spent nearly 40 years in Myanmar in the early 19th Century, the forestry office of the Bombay Burma Co built in 1897, a cannon built in 1827 featuring the emblem of British King Edward, and a watchtower built in 1912.

"There are a lot of Pyu, Myanmar and Mon artifacts here. Some of the colonial-era buildings are even older than those in Yangon. At U Na Ouk monastery, you can observe carvings, relief-work and sculptures in one place," said Daw Khaing Khaing Lei.

At a meeting between Mon state ministers and YHT officials it was agreed the trust will submit recommendations to Mon State government by the end to this month, said its director Daw Moe Moe Lwin.

"We'll decide where we should start from. As it is the local people who know their town best, they should also participate in the process. We'll submit a report to Mon State government about conservation plans," said Daw Moe Moe Lwin.

Mawlamyine was the seat of power while Lower Myanmar was under colonial rule, and therefore has a lot of colonial-era heritage buildings.

According to the Department of Archaeology, National Museum and Library, there are more than 100 heritage buildings in need of conservation in Mon State.

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Bad Weather Postpones Diplomatic Trip to Maungdaw

Posted: 28 Sep 2017 01:25 AM PDT

YANGON – A government-sponsored day trip for international diplomats to Rakhine State's Maungdaw Township was postponed due to bad weather on Thursday.

Myanmar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized for 48 diplomats—including the US and British ambassadors to Myanmar—and international and local journalists to learn about the recent discovery of Hindu corpses and visit five other locations in Maungdaw but the trip has now been postponed until Monday.

Dozens of diplomats arrived at Yangon International Airport at about 5 a.m on Thursday and waited almost three hours in the VIP lounge.

Deputy Director General of the International Organization and Economic Department U Min Thein asked foreign envoys whether they wanted to travel later on Thursday when the weather improves or postpone until another day.

Most diplomats called for the visit to be rescheduled for Monday. US Ambassador to Myanmar Scot Marciel told The Irrawaddy the decision was reached by international diplomats due to the bad weather.

U Min Thein said: "This is not our decision. We have explained the possible options to [the diplomats] and asked whether they want to wait until the weather is fine today or to postpone. They requested us to be scheduled next Monday."

The trip is a significant step by the government after the State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi gave a diplomatic briefing on Sept. 19 amid accusations of human rights violations against self-identifying Rohingya Muslims during Myanmar Army clearance operations in retaliation to deadly attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA).

According to the UN, more than 480,000 Muslims have fled to Bangladesh and are currently sheltering in refugee camps and host communities.

The State Counselor, however, claimed that more than 50 percent of villages remained intact and invited the diplomatic community to learn more about the situation on the ground.

Human Rights Watch, using satellite images, said said about 217 of more than 400 self-identifying Rohingya villages in the north of Rakhine State had been torched.

"We can arrange for you to visit these areas, and to ask [remaining villagers] for yourself, why they have not fled, why they have chosen to remain in their villages, even at a time when everything around them seems to be in a state of turmoil," Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said in her address on Sept. 19.

The Myanmar and Bangladesh authorities are discussing the repatriation of refugees in line with the 1993 agreement on Maungdaw Muslims who sought refuge in Bangladesh.

According to Implementation Committee for the Recommendations on Rakhine State, the government has approved spending around 2 billion kyats for the repatriation process.

The post Bad Weather Postpones Diplomatic Trip to Maungdaw appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Indian Troops in Firefight with Rebels Near Myanmar Border

Posted: 27 Sep 2017 10:41 PM PDT

NEW DELHI, India — Indian troops exchanged gunfire on Wednesday with separatist guerrillas in a remote northeastern region bordering Myanmar, killing or wounding several of the insurgents, army officials said.

The army was carrying out an operation against the separatist group, which is believed to have 2,000 guerrillas battling for an independent Greater Nagaland state carved out of India.

An army patrol retaliated swiftly upon coming under heavy fire from the rebels, the Indian Army's eastern command, headquartered in the city of Kolkata, said in a statement.

"Heavy casualties reportedly inflicted on NSCN-K cadre," it said, using an acronym for the group, the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang. "No casualties suffered by Indian security forces."

Wednesday's operation was confined to the Indian side of the border, it added.

In 2015, Indian special forces crossed into Myanmar to hunt down guerrillas of the group who had taken shelter in the neighboring country.

That year the group launched a series of attacks on security forces in India's northeast, to scrap a ceasefire it had observed with New Delhi since 2001.

In recent years, the militaries of India and Myanmar have built close ties, with each pledging not to allow insurgent groups to shelter in its territory.

India has condemned attacks in August by Rohingya insurgents on security posts in Myanmar's Rakhine state that provoked a military crackdown, causing hundreds of thousands of Muslims to flee the country.

The post Indian Troops in Firefight with Rebels Near Myanmar Border appeared first on The Irrawaddy.