Tuesday, August 22, 2017

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Bring Focus Back to Amending Constitution, Say Ethnic Advocates

Posted: 22 Aug 2017 09:09 AM PDT

YANGON — Ethnic politicians and rights advocates called for constitutional amendments in response to recent comments from Myanmar Army chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing that demands for ethnic rights must be handled through legal means.

The army chief made the comments at his first ever meeting with Cardinal Charles Bo, the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Myanmar, on Monday. The pair discussed efforts made for peace, the country's political transition, and the Tatmadaw's position on the protection of citizens, including ethnic minorities.

"All matters in connection with ethnic rights will only be through legal procedures. All people living in the country must raise the Myanmar spirit without any ethnocentrism," Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing was quoted as saying in a state-run newspaper on Tuesday.

Politicians and advocates have argued that scrutiny of the military-drafted 2008 Constitution is key when examining existing laws and legal mechanisms.

Sai Kyaw Nyunt, spokesman of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) said he feels their "basic rights are not granted in full under the current laws."

In the Constitution, he said, there are no complete guarantees for ethnic rights.

"We don't enjoy those rights in full, not even to some extent. The peace process is ongoing and through it we have been working for the amendment of the 2008 Constitution," he said.

Khon Ja, a coordinator of the Kachin Peace Network, shared the same view, saying there is a lack of protection for individuals, groups and ethnic rights.

"If the ethnic rights must be sought through the current laws, which are dominated by the 2008 Constitution, I would say these are at zero," she said.

Sai Kyaw Nyunt added that it was difficult to have a "Myanmar spirit," even though people were developing the spirit of living in a collective Union.

The name for the country, Myanmar—designated by the military junta in 1989—has not been accepted by many ethnic nationalities.
"The majority Burmans also need to reflect whether 'Myanmar' really is symbolic of something that other ethnicities can accept," said Dr. Aye Maung, the chairman of Arakan National Party and a Lower House lawmaker from Rakhine State's Ann Township.

He said non-Burmans' biggest concern is "losing their identity."

"Today conflicts have raged as ethnic rights are not given under the term 'Myanmar,' and are also not given under the Constitution," he added.

Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing said, as was posted on his commander-in-chief's office Facebook page, that the "present armed conflicts" are not directed at ethnic minorities, but toward opposing those groups which in challenge the governments of the Union, regions and self-administrative zones. He noted the example of the army fighting the Burma Communist Party in the past, which was not solely an ethnic entity.

The army's statement said the Tatmadaw "attacks those who harm life and property of the people" and those who "disturb administrative machinery."

Through the peace process, including the holding of the 21st Century Panglong peace conference sessions, the government and the military will create a Union peace accord, which specifies that the Constitution will be amended through the Parliament.

The approach to amending the 2008 charter is an alternative path than what National League for Democracy (NLD) representatives and rights advocates have campaigned for in recent years.

The now ruling NLD party advocated for the amendment of the Constitution while they were in opposition, and the movement has faded from the spotlight since the NLD took office one-and-a-half years ago.

Ethnic political advocates say the efforts toward the amendment of the 2008 Constitution must continue.

However, these efforts, according to Khon Ja, "have not only stopped—it has even become dangerous for those who are outspoken about it."

Parties including the NLD need to fulfill their commitment to amending the Constitution, as they mobilized the public under this promise during their election campaign, echoed Sai Kyaw Nyunt.

The post Bring Focus Back to Amending Constitution, Say Ethnic Advocates appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

State Counselor Offers Support to Myanmar Athletes

Posted: 22 Aug 2017 08:32 AM PDT

YANGON — Myanmar's State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has offered encouragement to Myanmar athletes participating in the 29th South East Asian (SEA) Games in Malaysia amid reports of attacks, accidents and inconveniences experienced by Myanmar teams and fans.

In her message released on Tuesday, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said she was glad that the Myanmar men's soccer team was able to advance to the semi-finals, despite a loss against Malaysia.

On Monday, Myanmar lost 3-1 to Malaysia in a match that decided the top spot in Group A. As Malaysia defeated Myanmar and had a match in hand against Laos, it is likely that Malaysia will become the group leader.

There were reports on social media that Malaysians harassed Myanmar fans after the match despite their home win. According to a Myanmar volunteer blood donor group based in Kuala Lumpur, around a dozen Myanmar fans were attacked or mugged in at least seven reported incidents. The Irrawaddy could not independently confirm the cases.

"The entire country is supporting you with great expectations," read the State Counselor's message. "It is natural that sometimes you win, and sometimes you learn."

The most important thing, she emphasized, is to learn from defeats and compete in upcoming matches with new energy, courage, knowledge and skill.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi also said that she was sorry to hear about a bus accident carrying Myanmar squash players on Monday, in which one male and two female athletes were injured.

The two female Myanmar squash players pulled out of the doubles competition. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said she was relieved that the male player could play in Monday's match, and that the two female players would be able to join the competition after a few days of rest.

Last week, the Myanmar women's soccer team was stranded at the pitch after beating Malaysia 5-0. Malaysian police later confirmed the arrest of the team's driver, who reportedly had no license.

"The government and people expect that athletes, who are the pride of our country, will bring dignity to [Myanmar] with unwavering fighting spirit, while observing sports attributes such as fairness and integrity," stated the State Counselor's message.

"We honestly believe that our athletes are fighting tooth and nail to fulfill these wishes," she added.

Myanmar hosted the 27th SEA Games in 2013—the first time in decades since 1969. Myanmar has so far hosted three SEA Games, which is the biggest biennial sporting event in Southeast Asia.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko

The post State Counselor Offers Support to Myanmar Athletes appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

India Closes its Doors on Rohingya

Posted: 22 Aug 2017 08:11 AM PDT

Whether in Rakhine State or any other part of the world, the Rohingya of Myanmar find themselves trapped between the devil and the deep blue sea.

More than 40,000 Rohingya are battling against possible deportation by the Indian government, the latest in a series of struggles for the community who the Myanmar government and the majority of the Burmese speaking population refer to as "Bengalis," implying they are interlopers from Bangladesh.

In a statement earlier this month, the Indian home ministry said the Rohingya "pose grave security challenges" as they may be recruited by extremist groups.

Around the same time, Junior Interior Minister of India Kiren Rijiju told Reuters news agency that the Rohingya living in India were illegal immigrants and must be deported.

India is talking to the governments of Myanmar and Bangladesh on the issue, according to interior ministry spokesman K.S. Dhatwalia.

However, the decision to return refugees to Rakhine may not be as easy as the Indian government would like, especially given the recent wave of protests and criticism against the move.

Prominent among those that have questioned New Delhi's decision is the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), which on August 18 issued a notice to the home minister calling for a detailed report within four weeks, stating the "refugees are no doubt foreign nationals, but they are human beings and before taking a big step, the government of India has to look into every aspect of the situation."

The notice follows an appeal by the Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (ARNO) to New Delhi over the move. In a statement signed by its members in exile in Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, ARNO said it was aware that India was not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention.

However, it added, as "a close neighbor and the world's largest democracy, when Rohingya refugees are already on its soil the Indian government should not return them to Burma/Myanmar where their life would be in danger or deport them elsewhere where they might face persecution or their freedom would be threatened."

The ARNO then went a step further, invoking India as a member of the UN Security Council to exert its leverage on the Myanmar government "for a peaceful resolution of the Rohingya problem so that the Rohingya people with their refugees could live peacefully and honorably with all human dignity and rights in Myanmar."

The position taken by the NHRC and the ARNO assumes great significance given the highly unstable situation in northwestern Rakhine, where hundreds of Myanmar Army troops were recently sent after a spate of killings, allegedly by a Muslim insurgent group calling itself Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), also known under its previous name Harakah al-Yaqin (Faith Movement).

Predominantly Muslim northern Rakhine has been reeling from periodic violence since the rape and murder of a Buddhist woman triggered communal clashes between Rakhine Buddhists and Muslims in June 2012, which left about 200 dead and displaced thousands.

The situation was elevated on Oct. 9 last year with an attack on three border security posts by Harakah al-Yaqin that killed nine police officers and sparked a brutal military crackdown. More than 70,000 people fled to neighboring Bangladesh, with many others killed, raped and brutalized.

The specter of violence—and the communalism embedded in it—keeps northern Rakhine on tenterhooks.

Even more disturbing is that the insurgency has added an altogether new dimension to the volatile, racial nature of the conflict. Now every act of violence is associated with the Muslim insurgency.

Perhaps lending credence to this assumption is the recent killings of seven members of a Buddhist ethnic minority in the Mayu mountain range near the town of Maungdaw. The discovery of their bodies, which were riddled with machete and gunshot wounds, prompted the Tatmadaw to send fresh reinforcements to the area.

As the Myanmar government grapples with the conflict and threat of militants in northern Rakhine, India has been fighting its own battles against insurgencies in Kashmir and parts of its northeastern region bordering Myanmar. It has had to be cautious on how it approaches the "Rohingya issue." Reports of Rohingya who have found their way to Jammu and Kashmir have given some reasons for the establishment in New Delhi to sit up and think.

According to reports published in Indian media, most refugees from Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships in Rakhine who have come to India are spread across Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and the Delhi region. India's Deputy home affairs minister Rijiju quoted in parliament on Aug. 9 "available data" that showed more than 14,000 UNHCR-registered Rohingya are staying in the country. The figure is arguably much higher as a number of self-identifying Rohingya from Myanmar are said to be staying illegally in India.

The Indian government sounded an alarm, asking all its state governments to form district-level task forces to monitor the movement of foreign nationals and deport those found to have entered the country illegally. An influx of undocumented migrants from Bangladesh across the porous border running along as many as four states in India's northeast has been a thorny issue; the cause for social unrest and insurgencies since the country's independence.

Bordering Bangladesh for more than 850 kilometers, Assam has been the most affected by immigration. The Assam Movement (1979-1985), which set out to expel illegal immigrants, has left a trail of bloodshed and social unrest that continues to stir locals to this day.

This is perhaps why people of Assam and many other parts of the northeast are willing to support the Indian government's decision to deport illegal migrants from Rakhine.

Even the otherwise compassionate Patriotic People's Front of Assam (PPFA), which has suggested to the Assam government ways of solving the state's refugee problem, is against illegal Rohingya migrants staying in India.

"Why should they not be deported as they have come across illegally and are not refugees, and even if they are why should we invite more problems?" asked professor Jagadindra Raychoudhury, a member of the PPFA, in response to a question on whether India should be more sympathetic.

India has, after all, previously accommodated the Tibetans, Sri Lankans, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, Chin, and other Myanmar citizens.

The nation is said to be home to 300,000 odd refugees from 30 odd countries. PPFA general secretary Nava Thakuria during a conversation with the author in the northeastern Indian city of Guwahati argued, "no more refugees and migrants from any countries should be accepted."

"We have already paid the price in Assam and see where it is today," he said.

More than showing compassion in the world's largest democracy, there is need for a rethink on India's refugee policy and on what eventually impacts its internal security.

So far though, details of how the deportation would take place remain unclear. Neither the home nor the external affairs ministries have spelled out anything on the plan.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Myanmar during the first week of September—an opportunity for both countries to discuss the issue. India has taken a more pro-Myanmar government stand on the Rohingya, while the international community denounces alleged crimes against humanity in Rakhine.

India has strategic interests in Myanmar, especially in Rakhine, where it has invested hugely in the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP), which aims to connect the landlocked Indian state of Mizoram to the Bay of Bengal as well as provide new trading routes for the rest of northeast India.

India is also investing heavily in a new project to develop a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and a seaport in Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine—primarily to keep up with China, which is developing a deep seaport and SEZ in the state's Kyaukphyu Township.

Given India's perception of Myanmar as a gateway to the rest of Asia—via its Act East policy—and its projects in the country, it would be in India's interest to work toward stability in Rakhine.

Whether India will change its position on the Rohingya issue, however, is difficult to say. Both Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Myanmar Army chief Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing have refused the idea of a United Nations intervention in northern Rakhine. During a recent visit to India, Min Aung Hlaing reportedly told New Delhi that the Rohingya "are Bengalis from Bangladesh and do not belong to Burma," according to a source in New Delhi.

Bidhayak Das is a veteran journalist who has also spent over a decade working on promoting democracy in Myanmar. He is currently working as an independent consultant on elections, media and communications.

The post India Closes its Doors on Rohingya appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Myanmar to Repair Earthquake-Hit Bagan by 2020

Posted: 22 Aug 2017 08:10 AM PDT

YANGON — Myanmar aims to finish renovation work for quake-affected Bagan temples in the country's central region by 2020, according to an official from the Department of Archaeology, National Museum and Library.

Thursday will mark one year since the powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on Aug. 24, centered about 15 miles west of Chauk in Magwe Region.

Out of the 3,252 temples and pagodas across Bagan—located to the north of the epicenter—389 were affected by the tremors and needed renovation, according to the department's inventory.

Operating under the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture, the Department of Archaeology works together with the construction ministry and a team of local and international technical experts from organizations such as Unesco, the Association of Myanmar Architects, the Myanmar Engineering Society and Myanmar Earthquake Committee, in renovating damaged temples.

Affected temples and pagodas are categorized into three levels of priority depending on the severity of damage and the heritage value.

Repairs of 224 least-prioritized structures with minor damage were completed by April this year, said U Aung Aung Kyaw, the director of Archaeological Department's Bagan branch.

Emergency restoration and detailed assessment for all the damaged temples was finished last year, he said, adding that the team hopes to renovate another 50 temples by the end of 2017.

"It doesn't mean that renovation for these 50 temples will be fully completed by the end of this year. We might need to carry on the work for some temples in coming years as well if necessary," U Aung Aung Kyaw told The Irrawaddy.

"We are doing repairs in line with the recommendations of both local and international technical experts and not rushing the work," he said.

For the renovation and restoration work, Myanmar has received a total of more than 5.7 billion kyats (nearly US$4.2 million) in local donations and US$1.1 million in international donations to restore damaged temples, the ministry's department of administration and finance told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday.

U Maw Lin, the vice president of the Association of Myanmar Architects and a member of the technical expert team said that 2020 could be the target to renovate the affected monuments that are vulnerable to further damage and need urgent restoration work.

"We need to do so much delicate and detailed work in terms of preservation and conservation for the temples," U Maw Lin said, adding that there are many different factors that could cause further deterioration to the temples apart from natural disasters.

Conservation is something that needs to be done throughout Bagan's existence, he emphasized.

He also stressed the importance of completing a zoning plan for the ancient heritage region, which involves setting up administrative boundaries for inhabitants, monuments, infrastructure and development.

The temples of Bagan, dating from between the 9th and 13th centuries—when the Kingdom of Pagan ruled over much of lowland Burma—are considered Burma's biggest tourist draw.

The ancient capital has yet to be granted Unesco World Heritage Site status, allegedly on account of sub-standard, inauthentic restoration efforts under previous governments.

The post Myanmar to Repair Earthquake-Hit Bagan by 2020 appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rakhine Advisory Commission’s Kofi Annan Arrives in Yangon

Posted: 22 Aug 2017 05:46 AM PDT

YANGON – Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, the chair of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, arrived in Yangon on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Mr. Annan is scheduled to meet Myanmar President U Htin Kyaw in Naypyitaw tomorrow morning.

According to the advisory commission's official Facebook page, Mr. Annan will address questions from the media in the Sule Shangri-la Hotel on Thursday morning. The commission's final report will be published on the same day.

The report will include recommendations for the government on conflict prevention, humanitarian assistance, reconciliation between the region's Buddhist and Muslim communities, institution building, and development in conflict-torn Rakhine State.

According to commission member Al-Haj U Aye Lwin, Mr. Annan will not travel to Rakhine State during this trip—his third visit to Myanmar.

The commission was established by State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in August 2016 and is comprised of two Yangon-based Muslim representatives, and two Buddhist Arakanese representatives, two government officials and three international experts, including Mr. Annan.

A memorandum of understanding between the State Counselor's Office and the Kofi Annan Foundation was signed last year but specific information pertaining to the agreement was not released to the public.

The post Rakhine Advisory Commission's Kofi Annan Arrives in Yangon appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Displaced Kachin Return Home

Posted: 22 Aug 2017 05:34 AM PDT

YANGON — Around 1,000 displaced persons in Mogaung Township's Namti in Kachin State returned home on Tuesday after fleeing clashes between the Myanmar Army and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) since Aug. 11.

Displaced residents of Kasung and Zup Mai Yang villages sheltering in churches in the town of Namti returned home after negotiations led by preachers and members of local Peace-talk Creation Group (PCG), spokesperson Lamai Gum Ja told The Irrawaddy on Monday.

"Displaced persons asked us to help them return to their villages, and guarantee their safety," he said, adding that they had communicated with Battalion No. 11 of KIA Brigade No. 2 and the Kachin State government and urged them to cease operations.

"The commander of [Mogaung Township] military operations command told us that Myanmar Army troops have withdrawn from the area … and KIA also said that they have left the villages," he said.

The Kachin State government also said that it would arrange vehicles for displaced persons to return home, according to PCG.

Minister La Ring of Namti Baptist Church said that over 600 villagers were taking refuge at his church: "We provided food for them, and PCG arranged for them to return home," he told The Irrawaddy.

Around 60 vehicles were arranged for displaced persons, said Lamai Gum Ja. "We've also loaded them with the food donated during their stay at the churches," he said.

On August 18, KIA Battalion No. 11 released a notice stating that, due to military tension, they prohibit locals from cutting down trees, hunting, or fishing in certain areas, affecting livelihoods.

"Battalion No. 11 seriously warns that it will not take responsibility for any consequences if you enter those places," read the notice.

Translated by Thet Ko Ko.

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Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to Meet NMSP

Posted: 22 Aug 2017 12:11 AM PDT

MAWLAMYINE, Mon State — Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has agreed to meet the New Mon State Party (NMSP) to discuss the ethnic armed group's stance on the peace process and federalism, according to an NMSP official.

The group also reached out to Myanmar Army chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, who replied that he was unavailable for a meeting for the time being, and sent a delegation on his behalf, said Nai Win Hla, who is in charge of NMSP's internal affairs.

In a letter on August 10, the NMSP asked to meet both leaders before the end of this month in order to discuss the military situation on the ground and troop deployment in the area, as well as its involvement in the country's efforts for peace and in developing its system of government.

"Daw Aung San Suu Kyi replied that she would meet us. But the date has not been fixed yet," said Nai Win Hla.

For the meetings, the NMSP formed a high-level delegation led by its vice chairman Nai Hong Sar, and including the group's secretary Nai Aung Min, Maj-Gen Layi Gakao, the chief of NMSP's armed wing the Mon National Liberation Army, Nai Win Hla, and Nai Aung Mange.

The delegation met commanders of the Myanmar Army regional commands instead of Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing in Mon State's Ye Township on August 16.

The military delegation was led by Lt-Gen Min Naung, commander of the Bureau of Special Operations 4, and included the commander of South-Eastern Command Maj-Gen Myo Win.

"We explained our involvement in the peace process and building a federal Union. They only asked us not to do a gun salute on Mon Revolution Day outside our headquarters. They said we can carry out military parades in our military outfit close to residential areas but without guns and gun salutes," said Nai Win Hla.

The NMSP carried out gun salutes on the 70th anniversary of Mon Revolution Day on August 7 outside its party headquarters against the order of the Myanmar Army.

In response, the Myanmar Army deployed about 200 troops in several villages near NMSP's Mawlamyine base, resulting in military tensions between the two groups.

Following the talks between the NMSP and military delegations, most of the troops have been withdrawn as of August 19, leaving about 30 troops stationed in Taung Pauk village.

The NMSP also asked to meet the Mon State government on August 17, but the state government has not replied, according to Nai Win Hla.

The NMSP signed state and Union level ceasefire agreements with the U Thein Sein government in 2012, but it is still in talks with the current government to sign the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA).

Nai Win Hla told press in May the NMSP's central executive committee agreed to sign the NCA, but will only sign together with other ethnic armed groups in the United Nationalities Federal Council, the coalition of which it is a member.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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NLD Reorganizes Information Committee

Posted: 21 Aug 2017 11:40 PM PDT

NAYPYITAW— The ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party has reformed its central information committee with central executive committee (CEC) member U Nyan Win taking the helm.

"According to party policy, each committee has to be led by a CEC member, so I will chair this committee," he told The Irrawaddy.

Monywa Aung Shin, editor of NLD mouthpiece the D-Wave Journal, will serve as secretary of the new committee with U Kyaw Aye Naing, U Kyi Toe, U Nyein Thit, U Tin Hla, U Nay Phone Latt, U Ye Min Oo, U Lwin Ko Latt, U Wai Phyo Han and U Than Zin Htun also joining the team.

Meanwhile, U Win Htein, who is considered one of party chairperson and State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's closest confidantes, remains a separate NLD spokesperson.

"U Win Htein has never been a member of this committee, but he speaks occasionally on behalf of the party," U Nyan Win told The Irrawaddy.

"Our committee will take the central role in releasing information about the party in the future," he added.

U Win Htein, 75, has achieved notoriety as NLD spokesperson for his reckless and controversial remarks in answering the media's questions.

When asked about rumors on social media of President U Htin Kyaw's resignation at a press conference in May, U Win Htein said: "It's difficult to say [who is behind the rumor] as we are flooded with information. It's hard to guess if it was spread by the USDP [Union Solidarity and Development Party] or some military organizations, or some IT experts who hate us."

His remark provoked ire from the military and U Win Htein later said it was just a slip of tongue.

The post NLD Reorganizes Information Committee appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

A Matter of Conscience

Posted: 21 Aug 2017 09:09 PM PDT

YANGON — After rejecting bail for three detained journalists on Friday, Hsipaw Township Judge U Kyaw Thu Moe said there had been no intervention from the military pertaining to the case.

Lawi Weng of The Irrawaddy, and U Aye Naing and U Pyae Phone Aung from the Democratic Voice of Burma, have been in custody in northern Shan State's Hsipaw Prison since they were arrested by the Myanmar Army on June 26, as they returned from covering a drug-burning ceremony hosted by the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA). The military accused them of unlawful association with the ethnic armed group, who they classified as an outlawed organization.

"I have no pressure from [the military] at all," Judge U Kyaw Moe Thu told media representatives during his first meeting with the press, when asked if the military had intervened thus far in the legal proceedings.

"I have had neither instructions nor verbal command from any level of the courts regarding this case," he added.

Given previous "upstairs interventions" concerning the courts in Myanmar's past, people are prone to skepticism when presented with such assurances. However, if the judge was telling the truth, his statement reinforces the army's affirmation that it would not put pressure on the judiciary in the case of the three journalists.

The matter, then, would be one of individual conscience, and the fate of the journalists will depend completely on the judge's ruling, as it should.

The trial has been ongoing for one month, and only three witnesses—two army officers and one civilian—from the prosecutors' side have testified. They have not presented evidence compelling enough to suggest that the journalists are guilty of what they are accused of: being associated with an illegal organization.

The first witness, adjutant Thet Naing Oo, who filed the case at Hsipaw Police Station, was not present when the reporters were detained. The second, a civilian, U Win Than, showed up at the police station as a witness when the army surrendered the journalists' possessions as evidence, hours after the arrests. Maj. Myat Maw Aung, the third witness, had confiscated the reporters' belongings. His involvement and insights beyond that remain unclear.

Make no mistake, the reporters repeatedly and publicly said that they were in the area to cover the TNLA's drug burning program, not to join their mission. With that in mind, the accusation that they were associates of the ethnic armed group in question simply does not make sense. It is hoped that the judge will take these circumstances under serious consideration when making his ruling.

On Friday, when Judge U Kyaw Thu Moe read out the verdict once again denying bail to the defendants, among his reasons was a continuing need "to verify…that the case is factually all right to proceed legally."

With his revelation to the media that there had been no strong-arming from "upstairs," the judge will need to handle this case with rationality and care, as it remains in the spotlight both at home and abroad. Any misstep will surely attract criticism of the country's judicial system as a whole: rule of law and equality before the law have yet to prevail.

The post A Matter of Conscience appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ten Things to do in Yangon This Week (Aug. 22 – Aug. 28)

Posted: 21 Aug 2017 07:29 PM PDT

Clean Yangon Campaign | Aug. 27

A monthly campaign to raise public awareness about littering will take place in Kamayut Township. Volunteers, municipal officials, and civil society organizations will gather at the Hledan Center.

Aug. 27, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Hledan Center, Kamayut Township.

Study in Japan Fair | Aug. 26

Japan's educational institutions will present opportunities for education at universities in Japan.

Aug. 26, 9.30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Novotel Yangon Max, 459 Pyay Road, Kamayut Tsp, Yangon

Myanmar Traditional Food Festival | Aug. 26-7

You can taste various traditional foods from different parts of the country in one place at the Monsoon Myanmar Traditional Food Festival.

Aug. 26-27, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Padonmar Restaurant, No. 105/107, Kha-Yae-Bin Road, Dagon Tsp.

Duwun Talks— Challenges and Opportunities of Social Enterprises | Aug. 26

Individuals engaged in social enterprises will give talks on challenges and opportunities facing the field in Myanmar.

Aug. 26, 3.30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Mindon Room, Sedona Hotel. Free admission.

10th Anniversary of Eushido Hair Care | Aug. 26

Celebrated singers Ni Ni Khin Zaw, Ah Moon, X-Box will perform together with dance group Project-K.

Aug. 26, 6 pm. Grand Ballroom, Sedona Hotel. Free admission.

50th Street’s 'Fashionably Late' End of Summer Party | Aug. 26

Nineties and 00s-themed party features a fancy dress competition.

Aug. 26, 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. 50th Street Cafe Restaurant Bar, No. 9/13 50th Street, Botahtaung Tsp.

FAB 57 -Club night for LGBT

DJs C-Thu & Mike will be playing all the best pop, dance and queer hits until at least 3 a.m.

Aug. 26, 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. Muse, Yangon International Compound, Ahlone Road, Dagon Tsp.

Trip to Anyar | Aug. 26-31

A duo exhibition by artists Win Pe Myint and Poe San features 50 paintings depicting landscapes of central Myanmar, known as "Anyar" in Myanmar language.

Aug. 26-31. OK Gallery, Aung San Stadium (north wing).

Fundraising Art Exhibition

Half of proceeds from this group art exhibition of 31 artists will go to children living with HIV/AIDS.

Aug. 26-31. 43 Art Gallery, 43rd Street, Botahtaung Tsp.

Grand Group Art Exhibition

There will be over 50 works from more than 30 artists at this art exhibition to mark the seventh anniversary of Trish Gallery.

Aug. 20-27. Trish Gallery, No. 46 A, G/F Flat C, Excellent Condominium, at the corner of Min Kyaung Street and Pantra Street, Dagon Tsp.

 

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