Wednesday, May 17, 2017

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Burma Army Files Article 66(d) Lawsuit Over Satirical Piece

Posted: 17 May 2017 07:13 AM PDT

RANGOON — The Burma Army has filed a lawsuit against the chief editor and a columnist of The Voice Daily newspaper under Article 66(d) of the Telecommunication's Law over a satirical article questioning the country's peace process, according to the paper's executive editor.

The article titled 'Kyi Htaung Su Thitsar'—meaning 'Oath Made in a Nation of Bullets'—was written by the paper's regular columnist who goes by the pen name British Ko Ko Maung and published on March 26.

The title was a play on the army-produced film 'Pyi Htaung Su Thitsar'—translated as 'Union Oath'—that commemorated the country's 72nd Armed Forces Day and aired on state- and military-owned channels in early March.

Ko Aung Soe, the paper's executive editor, told The Irrawaddy they received a letter from Rangoon's Bahan Township police station on Wednesday, summoning the chief editor Ko Kyaw Min Swe and the satirist Ko Ko Maung, also known as Ko Kyaw Zwa Naing.

The lawsuit comes amid meditation held by the Myanmar Press Council between the paper and the military, which complained to the council about the article just before the Thingyan holidays in April.

The piece suggested that ethnic armed groups in the long-running civil war are united only in fighting one another. It said people in Burma do not need to leave the country to fight wars when they are a day's drive away from the frontline.

Lower-ranking soldiers die in ongoing battles while the leaders of armed groups hold peace talks and exchange smiles, Ko Ko Maung wrote.

In defense of the piece, he said it did not name specific institutions, groups, or the army, but satirized the generic situation of all the armed groups.

"I will respond to the lawsuit through legal channels," he told The Irrawaddy, adding that he would not apologize for doing what he believes in as a writer.

The Voice Daily published a note in its May 14 edition expressing its regret for the army's complaint. It stated that the article was humorous, constructive and did not intend to harm the image of the Burma Army or any other ethnic armed groups.

The press council's code states it has to take action within 15 days of receiving a complaint and settle a dispute between parties within 60 days.

Deputy chairman of the council, Dr. Myo Thant Tin, said the council was not aware of the lawsuit until The Irrawaddy contacted him for comment on Wednesday.

He said the mediation process between the paper and the military has not finished and there would be a meeting with the paper's representative on Thursday about the complaint.

 

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Four Dead and Several Injured in Clash at Sagaing Jade Mine

Posted: 17 May 2017 06:20 AM PDT

MANDALAY – Four prospectors were fatally shot and at least a dozen people were injured during a fresh clash between prospectors and police on Wednesday at a jade mining region in Nan Si Bon, Hkamti Township, upper Sagaing Division.

More than 500 local prospectors from Nan Si Bon reportedly search for jade residue in the Ma Kyan Kha jade mining area, where restrictions were recently issued on entry and mining.

"Police have stopped the prospectors from entering and searching for jade residue since Tuesday night," said Ko Aung San Myint, a local of Nan Si Bon.

"Prospectors had a confrontation with police when they burned 38 fuel tanks and later apprehended a policeman. The police opened fire and four prospectors died," he added.

Another local, who asked to remain anonymous, said police opened fire near a waste pile where prospectors were working.

"I was there when police opened fire. I did not know what was happening but I was shot and saw police shooting toward the waste pile," said the injured local.

According to locals, the injured people were taken to Hkamti General Hospital.

The administrative office in Hkamti issued a warning on Monday that prohibited entry into the jade mining premises and order mining companies to cease work.

The warning also stated that illegal prospectors should stop their actions and leave the Ma Kyan Kha area by May 30.

The Emerald Jade Myanmar Company is currently working in the area and has sent complaints to the Sagaing divisional government over the past few months regarding local piling waste soil and the environmental impact. Complaints regarding the illegal mining of jade on company premises were also filed.

To solve the problem, the divisional government issued a notice on Monday to halt all mining and prospecting on the property until an investigation could be carried out.

The notice said no one should work while the authorities look into illegal mining, environmental impacts and rules and regulation for prospectors in line with the law, while ensuring stability and rule of law in the region.

According to the Hkamti District administrative office, prospectors were breaking martial law, which was enacted in the area on Monday.

"They broke into the area and then fought police who tried to stop them while destroying property as well," said U Zaw Zaw, a Hkamti district administrative officer.

"Nine policemen were injured also. The incident is under investigation," he added.

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Screening Cancelled of Film Showing Army’s Role in Jade Trade

Posted: 17 May 2017 06:10 AM PDT

RANGOON — The screening of a new documentary showing Burma's jade industry as a driving force behind the country's armed conflict was cancelled on Wednesday after Park Royal Hotel in Rangoon announced it did not have permission to show the film.

The documentary Jade and the Generals by NGO Global Witness, released ahead of Burma's landmark Union Peace Conference (UPC) on May 24, examines how a fair peace deal could see powerful army families and companies losing out on vast profits from jade.

But the Park Royal Hotel, part of the Singapore-based Pan Pacific Hotel Group, provided the following written statement to Global Witness hours before the 1 p.m. screening: "We regret that we are unable to show the video as written permission from the Yangon Regional Government office is required prior to the event."

Global Witness' campaign leader Paul Donowitz said the NGO had a "very positive" meeting with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation on Monday in which they screened the film. He added that two officials from the government's Myanmar Gems Enterprise attended Wednesday's event.

"I can tell you that the reasons provided by the hotel to Global Witness concerned perceived risks to their business interest associated with screening a film critical of specific powerful military figures," he told The Irrawaddy.

The hotel's general manager Jean-Marc Poli, who consulted Pan Pacific Hotel Group's legal and public relations offices in Singapore before the decision not to air the film, could not be reached for comment.

Kachin State in northern Burma is home to mines that produced jade worth up to US$31 billion in 2014—it is also the site of some of the worst fighting. In July 2016 reformers in the National League for Democracy (NLD) government implemented a suspension of jade licensing.

The film includes testimony from refugees and local leaders calling for an end to the fighting and reform of the trade that is driving it. Influential Kachin leaders and civil society groups are calling for the upcoming UPC to focus on fair, transparent and accountable management and allocation of natural resources in order to forge lasting peace.

"Most of the jade companies are connected to the army. It is very obvious that the army is protecting the jade business and trying to control the land," said Reverend Samson, the general secretary of the Kachin Baptist Convention, in an interview in the film.

Global Witness's latest documentary is a follow-up to its 2015 film titled Jade: Myanmar's 'Big State Secret'—a year-long investigation identifying a network of military elites, drug lords, and crony companies who illegally exploit jade for tens of billions of dollars a year.

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Police Detain Notorious Criminal in Mon State’s Ye Township

Posted: 17 May 2017 04:56 AM PDT

MOULMEIN, Mon State — New Mon State Party (NMSP) members handed over a notorious criminal to the Ye Township Police Force in Mon State on Wednesday after holding him for more than a month, according to party officers and police.

"We handed Akyine over to the police this morning," officer Nai Pin of NMSP's liaison office in Ye Township told The Irrawaddy.

Akyine is a local of Toe Tet Village in southern Ye Township and is accused of committing a string of robberies across southern areas of the township as well as Pauk Pin Gwin Village in Yebyu Township, Tenasserim Division.

"He is now in Ye Township, we are still investigating and then we will hold him on remand," said police officer Kyaw Myint, who escorted Akyine from NMSP officials in Dawei District.

Members of NMSP Dawei District chapter apprehended Akyine in April and kept him in custody at NMSP's Yay Chaung Pya headquarters before transferring him to police Wednesday, Lt-Col Nyan Tun, a member of the NMSP central executive committee, told The Irrawaddy.

"We arrested him around one month ago, before we held our central executive meeting. He is a henchman of notorious Avin. We captured him near Han Gan Village and confined him at our headquarters," said Lt-Col Nyan Tun.

Avin was the leader of a now-defunct powerful criminal gang which was active in Ye Township from 1995 to 2011. In February 2012, Avin, along with his gang members including Akyine, surrendered their arms to the Burma Army 19th Military Operations Command (MOC-19) based in Ye Township as part of a deal with the military.

This year, Akyine started to rob alone. On Feb. 17 this year, he allegedly robbed houses in Thae Khon Village, holding the village administrator as a hostage, the administrator of Kaw Hlaing Village Nai Shwe Moe told The Irrawaddy.

"He fired two shots [in the air], and took away gold necklace and rings worth around 4 million kyats that day," said the administrator.

In the fourth week of March, he sent a letter to a monastery abbot in Han Gan Village, threatening to disturb a planned religious ceremony if he was not paid 10 million kyats. The money was not paid, but he did not do anything.

Before the Burmese New Year in April, he also sent a letter to Pauk Pin Gwin Village, asking them to give him 10 million kyats. Villagers did not hand over the money, so Akyin kidnapped people outside the village and took around 1.5 million kyats.

Akyine. (Photo: Aung Naing Win)
A letter, in Mon language, sent to a monastery demanding ransom payment. (Photo: Aung Naing Win)

 

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China, Burma Sign Five Agreements

Posted: 17 May 2017 04:45 AM PDT

RANGOON — China and Burma signed five agreements on Tuesday regarding cooperation in economic development, health, and the preservation of historic monuments in Bagan, following a meeting between State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

An agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation, and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Cooperation within the Framework of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative were signed between the two countries.

A MoU was signed by both commerce ministries to establish a China-Burma Border Economic Cooperation Zone.

Another MoU was signed on health cooperation by Burma's Ministry of Health and Sports and the National Health and Family Planning Commission of China.

The Ministry of the Religious Affairs and Culture signed a MoU to cooperate on post-quake restoration and protection of historic monuments in Bagan with China's State Administration of Cultural Heritage.

State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the Chinese Premier attended the signing ceremony for the five agreements.

U Maung Maung Soe, a political analyst, said among the five, two stand out: the Framework of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative, and the establishment of the China-Burma Border Economic Cooperation Zone, adding that the level of country agreement on future MoU proposals remains to be seen.

It seems that China wants to open another economic zone on the China-Burma border near Chin Shwe Haw of Kokang, near the Muse Special Economic Zone, he said.

He also added that the One Belt, One Road MoU could be related to a deep-sea port project in Kyaukphyu which is still being negotiated by stakeholders from the two countries.

"We need to welcome economic investments but it is important to carefully considered who will control [infrastructure and development] projects," he said.

He added that to have equal control in joint ventures, the government needs to invest equally, but Burma's debts remain a problem and need to be considered, especially as electricity production is limited for industrialization.

The State Counselor was on her second official visit to China since the new government took office to attend China's Belt and Road Forum.

She met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday.

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Farmers Fight ‘Official Ownership’ Application of Confiscated Lands Near Inle Lake

Posted: 17 May 2017 03:20 AM PDT

RANGOON — Farmers claiming ownership of confiscated land near Inle Lake, Nyaungshwe Township, southern Shan State have filed a complaint against businesses' application for official ownership documents of the land.

The former Shan State government acquired the land from locals for a proposed hotel zone project in 2012, but subsequently sold the land to businesses instead of establishing the hotel zone, farmers told The Irrawaddy.

As some buyers of the land have applied for ownership documents, original owners have filed complaints with concerned authorities, said U Aung Kyaw Myo, a resident of Ingyin Gon Village who had 20 acres of his land confiscated.

"I didn't accept compensation for the land acquired by the government, I together with other owners have filed complaints against the application of ownership documents," said U Aung Kyo Myo, adding that he wanted his land returned and would still not accept compensation.

Daw Naung Hni, who had 10 acres of her land taken also filed a complaint, but she has a different view: "It is not possible to get back my land in the original condition because roads have been built. So, I want to get decent compensation."

According to locals, a total of 620 acres of land were grabbed from six villages.

Dr. Tun Hlaing, Intha ethnic affairs minister of the current Shan State government, told The Irrawaddy that confiscation was not in line with the law.

"I'd say that land was grabbed unfairly. The [previous Shan State] government said it would build hotels, but sold the land to businesses instead. As far as I've learned, they sold the land for between 60 million and 90 million kyats per acre," he said.

"I'll try my best to give that land back to the original owners," the minister added.

U Khin Htwe and U Ko Ko Gyi from Rangoon applied for official ownership documents for the land in January, and 74 farmers filed complaints the same month.

Township authorities summoned five complainants, including U Aung Myo Kyaw, on May 11, according to the farmer.

"The deputy township administrator asked us if we have ownership documents for our farmland, and how we owned them. We inherited the land from our ancestors. And usually, people here do not have ownership documents," said U Aung Myo Kyaw.

Local farmers staged several protests against the confiscation of farmland under the previous government, but received no acknowledgement from authorities.

The 600 acres of confiscated lands include farmland, cropland, vegetable patches, fruit gardens, and bamboo plantations. Some of the original owners accepted compensation for their crops when the land was confiscated, but none of them received compensation for the actual land, according to locals.

Locals did not receive prior notice of land confiscations, and only knew about it when trucks arrived. Disputes arose and the proposed project was halted until now.

 

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Arakan Education Dept Director Threatens Local Editor with Defamation Charges

Posted: 17 May 2017 02:12 AM PDT

RANGOON – The director of Arakan State's education department threatened to sue the editor of a local weekly journal under controversial articles 66(d) of Burma's Telecommunications Act and Article 505(b) of the Penal Code after he published an article uncovering malpractice in the education department.

U Aung Kyaw Tun told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday he was preparing to sue Kaung Mrat Naing, editor of Thazin Pan Khine (meaning tiger lady in Burmese), for an article titled "What's wrong with the salary of ethnic language teachers in Arakan State?" which was shared on the publication's Facebook on Monday.

"That guy [Kaung Mrat Naing] accused me of extorting one month's salary from ethnic language school teachers. I have never done this. That's publishing misleading information and insulting me," he said.

Article 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law, enacted under former President U Thein Sein's government in October 2013 has been increasingly used to stifle political dissidents and by individuals for personal retaliation against alleged defamation. Article 505(b) is a broadly defined charge, used to punish dissent in the past by punishing those who make statements that could "alarm the public."

It was unclear if U Aung Kyaw Tun himself or the education department would be the plaintiff in the case.

On May 1, disgruntled Arakan State teachers submitted a letter of complaint to the President's Office and the Ministry of Education, demanding an investigation of the regional education authorities of under-payments of a bonus for teaching ethnic language in schools, Thazin Pan Khine reported.

The teachers' letter stated that while teachers from other states and divisions were receiving a 30,000 kyats bonus each month for 10 months, 4,885 teachers in Arakan State received only nine months of bonuses.

Teachers from Myebon Township complained they were paid only eight months of bonuses and accused the deputy director and an official from the township education department of extorting 30,000 kyats from every individual.

Myebon Township education department later paid teachers one extra month of bonus.
U Aung Kyaw Tun told The Irrawaddy over the phone on Monday afternoon that the Union government allocated a budget for only nine months of bonuses for Arakan State and issued the payments to township level officials.

He declined to comment on whether other states and regions paid bonuses for nine months.
Editor of Thazin Pan Khine claimed that he presented the story fairly and that nothing was fabricated in the article. He said he would face the lawsuit in court if the director filed the case.

"The director of the education department should reconsider a trial in order to avoid unnecessary risks," Kaung Mrat Naing told The Irrawaddy.

Myanmar Press Council member U Myint Kyaw said even if the director of the education department is committed to bringing the case to court, he must first obtain the approval of the regional government for the trial or consult the state attorney as the case concerns government work.

"If he continues [without government approval] that will not be in line with procedure," said U Myint Kyaw, "the state government prosecuting a journalist would harm its image," he added.

U Myint Kyaw suggested the Myanmar Press Council mediate the dispute rather than bringing the case to court.

The post Arakan Education Dept Director Threatens Local Editor with Defamation Charges appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Group Targets Rangoon Division for Next Petition Against U Wirathu

Posted: 17 May 2017 02:04 AM PDT

RANGOON — A group combating false teachings of Buddhist doctrines is collecting signatures across Rangoon Division for a petition against the ultranationalist monk U Wirathu.

The Anti-False Buddhist Doctrine Committee will send the petition to the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee, better known by its Burmese acronym Ma Ha Na, asking if the actions and speeches of U Wirathu are "moral" or not.

Formed in March as an outlet for netizens to protest against the monk's inflammatory racial and religious rhetoric, the committee's original 12 members delivered a petition of more than 500 signatures from Rangoon's Dagon (South) Township to Ma Ha Na on April 11.

But the state Buddhist authority did not reply, according to the committee's organizer Ko Myat Kyaw. This time, he said, the group is collecting signatures across the division for one month beginning from May 21.

"We'll take a step forward and demand more signatures," he said. "We'll try to put the petition directly in the hands of the Ma Ha Na senior monks and the religious affairs minister."

Membership of the committee has swelled to 50 people, added Ko Myat Kyaw.

Ma Ha Na banned U Wirathu, a prominent leader of the hardline Buddhist monk association known by its Burmese acronym Ma Ba Tha, from delivering sermons across the country for one year starting from March 10, because of his "religious hate speech."

Fellow Ma Ba Tha leader U Sopaka said the monk's words have "nothing to do" with Ma Ba Tha at a press conference in Rangoon on Tuesday.

Ashin Sopaka at a press conference about Ma Ba Tha on Tuesday in Rangoon. (Photo: Chanson / The Irrawaddy)

"We have a policy to discipline a member who tarnishes the image of Ma Ba Tha," he told reporters. "But we won't take action against anyone who doesn't violate the regulations. So far, none of Ma Ba Tha's members have done anything that deserves expulsion."

At the conference, Ma Ba Tha denied any involvement in a midnight confrontation between Buddhist nationalists and Muslims in Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township last week.

The group formed an association named 'Dhamma Wunthanu Rekhita'—translated as 'Champion of Buddha's Teachings and National Interests'—on April 29 to respond to accusations that are seen as damaging to its image.

The association will handle "cases that are not appropriate for Ma Ba Tha monks," according to its joint secretary U Aung Chit.

Maung Thway Chun, chief editor of Ma Ba Tha's nationalist weekly journals Tharki Thway and Aung Zay Yatu, chairs the association, which is overseen by Ma Ba Tha.

U Soe Tun Shein, owner of National Prosperity, which operates in Moehti Moemi Mines in Mandalay Division, is the secretary. His company has received criticism in the past

National Prosperity won a tender to mine gold in the area in late 2011, but in June 2012, workers from the hundreds of small mines in Moehti Moemi began protesting after the company allegedly reneged on an earlier verbal agreement to split all gold found in the area 50-50

The association will work within the legal framework on religious and educational matters "to facilitate national development," said U Aung Chit.

Last summer, Ma Ba Tha monks organized Dhamma—meaning the Buddha's teachings—classes for young students, which drew criticism from netizens after photos of anti-Muslim lessons went viral.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Group Targets Rangoon Division for Next Petition Against U Wirathu appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Breaking News: Former Vice President’s Sister and Niece Die in Fire

Posted: 17 May 2017 01:55 AM PDT

RANGOON — The sister and niece of former vice president Dr. Sai Maukkham died in a fire in Muse Township, northern Shan State early on Wednesday morning, according to the former ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).

The blaze at the two-story building, shared with a KBZ mini bank on Union Road, broke out around 2.45 a.m., according to Muse District administrator U Kyaw Kyaw Tun.

Local people said Dr. Sai Maukkham's sister owned the building.

"The fire department concluded that the fire was caused by a short circuit from Dr. Sai Maukkham's sister's side of the building. Both victims died from inhaling smoke," U Kyaw Kyaw Tun told The Irrawaddy.

The KBZ bank's senior managing director U Nyo Myint told The Irrawaddy the mini bank received little or no financial damage from the fire, as it only takes cash deposits and does not offer withdrawals.

Dr. Sai Maukkham served as vice president from 2012 to 2016 under President U Thein Sein.

The post Breaking News: Former Vice President's Sister and Niece Die in Fire appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Stop Using Criminal Laws to Quash Peaceful Speech

Posted: 16 May 2017 11:24 PM PDT

When a group of high school and university students staged a play at a peace conference in Myanmar early this January, they never imagined that they would end up in prison.

The play, performed at a gathering of civil society organizations, satirically criticized those who supported the ongoing conflict between the Burmese military (the Tatmadaw) and ethnic armed groups.  According to the lead organizer of the drama, "the message of our drama is that we don't want wars."

After a video of the performance was posted online, a lieutenant-colonel in the army filed a criminal complaint accusing the students of defaming the army and, on January 25, nine students were charged with criminal defamation.  They now face up to three years in prison.

According to a police officer quoted in the media, the lieutenant-colonel lodged the complaint because the play, which included jokes about military wives having affairs while their husbands were away, "could disgrace and destroy the image of the Tatmadaw" and their families.

The charges against the students were filed under section 66(d) of the 2013 Telecommunications Act, a provision adopted by the then-military-controlled Parliament that criminalizes the use of a telecommunications device to "extort, threaten, obstruct, defame, disturb, unduly influence or intimidate" another person.  Use of the provision has risen dramatically since the new government, dominated by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD), took office, with at least 54 cases filed and eight people sentenced to prison in the past year.  While section 66(d) is only one of three laws that criminalizes defamation in Myanmar, it is the only one for which bail can be denied pending trial.

In recent weeks, Myo Yan Naung Thein was sentenced to six months in prison for criticizing the military commander-in-chief, while Aung Myint Tun was sentenced to six months in prison for posting on social media an erroneous report that NLD Central Executive Committee member U Win Thein had resigned due to health reasons. While Myo Yan Naung Thein was one of the prisoners who received a presidential pardon on April 12 in honor of New Year, he had already been detained for more than five months at the time of his release.

The law is so vague and overbroad that seemingly any criticism of government officials or the military can lead to arrest, detention without bail, and prosecution.  Concern over the breadth of the law is so great that a recent article in The Huffington Post on military commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing carried a warning that sharing the article on social media in Burma would result in arrest and prosecution under section 66(d).

With this and other laws being used to suppress dissent, the sense of disillusionment among activists who supported the NLD during its years in the wilderness is palpable. To be clear, only some of these cases have been filed by NLD members or on the instructions of NLD officials. Many are being filed by the military or its allies, perhaps as a test of the NLD's resolve and commitment to an open society. But the NLD has taken no visible steps to halt these attacks on freedom of expression.

The NLD's 2015 election manifesto included a promise to "revoke legislation that harms the freedom and security that people should have by right."  Many of those who voted for the party hoped that, at a minimum, people would no longer be going to jail for expressing their opinions.  To their disappointment, that has not been the case.

Some are translating their disappointment into action. Maung Saung Kha, who served six months in prison after being convicted under section 66(d) for "defaming" former president Thein Sein in a poem, is spearheading a new civil society group campaigning for amendment or repeal of the law.  On January 23, he and other activists, lawyers and journalists held a protest against the law in Yangon's Maha Bandoola Park.  Although U Soe Thein, director general of the communications department at the Ministry of Transportation, announced on April 11 that the ministry was discussing possible amendments to section 66(d), there is no indication that the ministry intends to end criminal prosecutions for peaceful speech and end the misuse of defamation and other military-era laws.

In opposition, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD would have agreed with this simple proposition: no one should go to jail for insulting or criticizing a public official. The question is what they believe now that they share power with the military.

Burma's Parliament, which is dominated by the NLD, should move quickly to repeal all laws that criminalize peaceful expression, including the criminal defamation provisions in section 66(d), the Penal Code and the News Media Law. Pending repeal, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi should instruct her party members not to file any cases under the kinds of laws that once imprisoned thousands, including more than 100 current NLD members of Parliament, and President Htin Kyaw should make it clear that if the military or others file such cases it will be a waste of time, as he will pardon all those charged.

Until the ruling party acts to put an end to the arrests, harassment, and imprisonment of those who speak critically of the government or the military, the hopes of those who have long supported them will remain unfulfilled.

Linda Lakhdhir is a legal advisor in the Asia Division of Human Rights Watch, and the author of the 2016 Human Rights Watch report "They Can Arrest You at Any Time:  The Criminalization of Peaceful Expression in Burma."

The post Stop Using Criminal Laws to Quash Peaceful Speech appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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National News

National News

Arresting the dangers of chemicals in food

Posted: 16 May 2017 02:39 PM PDT

Is our daily food safe?

Agro ministry urges more seed production by private sector

Posted: 16 May 2017 02:23 PM PDT

Good quality crop seeds are necessary for the development of Myanmar's agricultural sector and officials say they will encourage production of diverse crops instead of just paddy.

Fodder donors needed at cattle sanctuary

Posted: 16 May 2017 02:17 PM PDT

Fodder donors are needed at the cattle sanctuary in Tagundaing, Zay Tan ward, Pyigyitagun township, Mandalay Region.

Agro Myanmar to be held in Mandalay

Posted: 16 May 2017 02:15 PM PDT

The International Exhibition and Conference on Agriculture for Myanmar (Agro Myanmar 2017) will be held on May 20-21 in Mandalay, according to Daw Thet Thet Mar from Veas Co Ltd.

Ensuring next generation gets a better deal

Posted: 16 May 2017 02:00 PM PDT

The Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement is carrying out a social awareness and training program as well as carrying out a survey of street children in several parts of Yangon and Mandalay.

Students vying govt schools to take test

Posted: 16 May 2017 01:56 PM PDT

A total of 265 students from international schools have applied for a placement test to transfer from the their private schools to a government school, an official from the Yangon Region Education Office told The Myanmar Times on Monday.

Greater access, engagement needed in Rakhine State: EU

Posted: 16 May 2017 01:47 PM PDT

Visiting European Union Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides, has called for greater humanitarian access for communities in the northern part of Rakhine State, that was largely affected by inter-communal violence and by insurgent attacks.

Exciting fossil discovery made in Popa geopark

Posted: 16 May 2017 01:44 PM PDT

Animal fossils, some that could be between 20 and 25 million years old, have been discovered in the north of Tanpo village, situated in the west of Mount Popa by geologists in early April.

Targeting traffic offences with more traffic lights, CCTVs

Posted: 16 May 2017 01:37 PM PDT

A total of 140 traffic lights and 288 CCTV cameras have been installed in the Yangon Region and have been in operation since Monday (May 15).
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Shan Herald Agency for News

Shan Herald Agency for News

Manpang People’s Militia accused of forced recruitment

Posted: 17 May 2017 03:33 AM PDT


Manpang People's Militia, a military-back armed group, has been accused of forced recruitment in several villages in northern Shan State, according to an MP from the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD).

Manpang People's Militia soldiers.
Sai Wan Leng Kham, an Upper House lawmaker for the SNLD representing Lashio Township, told Shan Herald on Tuesday that the enlistment policy started at the beginning of May. He said that the Manpang People's Militia sent letters to local villagers' houses with a list of names of persons they wished to recruit as soldiers.

"They delivered a list of names," he said. "Some families had already sent their sons to them. But others, who refused to send their children, asked us for help. So, we [MPs from Tangyan, Lashio and Mongyai] have sent a letter to high-ranking officers within the Burmese army.

 "Some villagers have even fled their homes and villages over this policy. For example, a man from Nam Muse village had to cancel his wedding and run away because if he stayed in the village he would have been forced to enlist in the militia."

SNLD MP Sai Wan Leng Kham said that he didn't know how many persons the people's militia wants to enlist. He said the Manpang group are recruiting in their active areas such as Mongyaw, Nampong, Mongmao, Mong Dom, Wan Kard, Manthab, Wan Ben, Lukwai, Wanje, Honar Kongsar, Mong Pai, Don Nay, Nar Nang, Kun Hio, Nar Moong, Kong Mong, Khum Jong, Kong Mao, Peng Nyaung, Pang Hoong, Mong Geng, Nam Hoo Loi Kar, Pang Nyaung, Nong Liang, Mangpang and Nammuje, all of which are in Lashio and Tanyan townships.

He said that some villagers believe the recruitment drive is for the Burmese army. However, the Manpang militia insists they are recruiting only for their own ranks.
Reports circulated recently that villagers in southern Shan State's Maukmai Township have abandoned their homes to seek refuge elsewhere, avoiding a similar conscription drive by the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA). Gen. Yard Serk, the chairman of RCSS/SSA, denied such a practice.

"What really happened was that the RCSS wanted to train village security forces so that these villagers could protect themselves. The villagers thought it was a good idea, but three village headmen thought otherwise and ordered them to flee," said Yard Serk, whose army was among eight groups that signed a nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) during the tenure of President Thein Sein's government.

The RCSS/SSA has in recent months been involved in a series of clashes with government forces in southern Shan State.

More than 20 clashes have been reported between the Burmese army and the RCSS/SSA since the Shan militia signed the NCA in 2015.

Shan Heraldreported in December that, in northern Shan State, hundreds of villagers fled their homes to avoid a recruitment drive by the Ta'ang National Liberation Army, also known as the Palaung Army, which has clashed regularly with Burma's government forces in the area.

Hundreds of People's Militias exist at a local level throughout Shan State and are mostly supported by the Burmese army, which is entrenched in conflicts with several ethnic armed groups across the region.

A research paper titled Militias in Myanmar, published last year by US academic John Buchanan, said, "Militias take many different forms in Myanmar [Burma], varying in size, allegiances and modes of operation. Though estimates of their numbers vary, all indications are that militia groups are present throughout conflict-affected parts the country, and can be highly influential armed actors in their areas of operation."

By Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN)
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