Tuesday, October 31, 2017

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Rakhine Documentary Banned in Myanmar Shown in US

Posted: 31 Oct 2017 08:13 AM PDT

YANGON — A short documentary film about young people affected by conflict in troubled Rakhine State which was banned at a recent Yangon film festival has been screened in the United States amid the latest crisis to affect the region.

"Sittwe" is a 20-minute documentary about two teenagers—a Rohingya girl and a Buddhist boy—segregated by conflict in Rakhine.

"The youth share their ideas about mutual fear between their communities and the hope of reconciliation," according to a synopsis of the film by its makers, adding it was produced to facilitate discussions about peace building in Burma.

Sittwe was banned from being shown at Yangon's Human Rights Human Dignity Film Festival in June this year by the Films and Video Censorship Board, citing cultural and religious sensitivities.

It premiered at the Freedom Film Festival in Malaysia in Sep this year and was awarded the Best Southeast Asia Short Documentary.

The film was also presented at the US Mission to the United Nations in New York when UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Myanmar Yanghee Lee presented her report to the UN.

The film screenings at universities, theaters and centers in New York, Washington DC and San Francisco are followed by discussions with filmmaker Jeanne Hallacy and producer U Myo Win—the director of Smile Education and Development Foundation, an interfaith organization in Myanmar—with the aim to improve understanding of the situation in Rakhine State and to promote youth education.

The post Rakhine Documentary Banned in Myanmar Shown in US appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Analysis: Are Sanctions the Answer in the Rakhine Crisis?

Posted: 31 Oct 2017 05:17 AM PDT

YANGON — In its strongest response so far to the Myanmar Army's handling of the Rakhine crisis, the United States last week joined the chorus of international condemnation by taking action against the country's military leadership and considering targeted sanctions.

It was the second reaction by the international community this month to the Southeast Asian nation, following the European Union and its member states suspending invitations to the Myanmar Army chief and other senior military officers and reviewing all practical defense cooperation because of the disproportionate use of force against Rohingya Muslims in northern Rakhine State.

In its statement, the US State Department said: "We are exploring accountability mechanisms available under US law, including Global Magnitsky targeted sanctions."

The US actions starting from Wednesday include the cessation of travel waivers for current and former members of the Myanmar military and a ban on US assistance for units and officers in northern Rakhine State. The US stated it was also mulling economic measures against those responsible for atrocities against the Rohingya.

The international community has been condemned for inflicting on Rohingya Muslims arbitrary killings, arson and rape in northern Rakhine amid clearance operations intensified in late August.

The operations were sparked by Muslim militant group the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army attacks on 30 police outposts in the region on Aug 25. The government denounced the group as "terrorists" and, in the aftermath of the attacks, more than 600,000 Muslims have fled to Bangladesh as of late October.

Myanmar armed forces chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing has repeatedly denied claims of atrocities, saying that his troops followed the rules of engagement.

But the US State Department's announcement along with the EU's action against the military leadership has raised concerns inside the country. US restrictions on its engagement with and military sales to the Myanmar Army were already in place.

Given the scope of the sanctions, however, some political observers have said the US actions will have little tangible impact on the military, but are instead designed to shame the armed forces, which has been trying to reengage with its international counterparts to develop a universally respected army after decades of Western sanctions.

Ko Ye of the Tagaung Institute of Political Studies said the US actions pursue the army's accountability for human rights abuses in Rakhine State.

"Despite the army's current engagement with the West, we haven't seen anything about Myanmar Army's dependence on them. Seemingly, the actions are intended to have a negative impact on the image of the institution rather than any substantial impacts," he said.

The Myanmar government seems to have taken the US announcement seriously though, perhaps because it is more precise than the EU statement, which would "suspend invitations," "review all practical defense cooperation" and consider additional measures."

On Thursday, an editorial in state-run newspaper The Mirror slammed the US actions against the military leadership, saying "those actions by no means help solve problems in Rakhine State."

"What the international community should do is assess the military stand [on the Rakhine issue]—right or wrong—through dialogue," said the editorial in the Myanmar-language paper.

The State Counselor Office's director-general U Zaw Htay told The Irrawaddy that the US actions could hinder the government's ongoing peace process, development and democratization as a whole.

"Their actions are not compatible with where we are heading now. Ordinary people are the most vulnerable when it comes to sanctions," he said.

Analysts have also voiced concerns that targeted sanctions against the military leadership could increase tension between the Daw Aung San Suu Kyi-led civilian government and the country's powerful Tatmadaw—one of the biggest in Southeast Asia.

"As the government has been struggling for national reconciliation, especially with the military, I am concerned that targeted sanctions would derail the effort," said U Maung Maung Soe, a Yangon-based political observer.

Sanctions Never Work

Myanmar and its some 400,000-strong military is no stranger to sanctions imposed by the West.

The EU has imposed sanctions on Myanmar since 1991, in the form of an arms embargo and visa ban on senior members of the then military regime State Law and Order Restoration Council, senior members of the security forces and their families.

Except for an arms embargo, all sanctions were suspended in 2013 in order to welcome and encourage reform.

US economic and financial sanctions were imposed in 1997 and were meant to isolate the then military junta. The US Treasury's blacklist included former dictator Snr-Gen Than Shwe, his military associates, military-owned businesses and cronies linked to military officials, but were lifted last year.

But the West's decade-long sanctions have never been credited for the democratic transition in Myanmar that started in 2011.

Observers like Thant Myint-U writes "the impetus for change came not from western sanctions, which only reinforced isolation."

For some, the EU and US have not got far enough on punitive measures against the military.

Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK, said via email it was "very disappointing that the EU decided not to impose any sanctions on the military, "only suspending invitations to senior military officers."

"The failure of the USA to impose any significant sanctions combined with European Union is basically giving a green light for the military to continue ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya," he said.

U Maung Maung Soe said western sanctions have never worked for Myanmar.

"History has proved that it was the people who suffered most while the military leadership and China profited most out of the sanctions," he said, referring to the fact that western restrictions pushed the generals closer to China during the days of sanctions.

On Friday, International Crisis Group warned policy makers in Europe that re-imposing sanctions may not be helpful to address Myanmar's Rohingya crisis as it could risk constraining future policy options as well as sending unintended signals to investors, impacting the economy to the detriment the country's people.

Meanwhile, the impact of the re-imposition of sanctions remains hazy. In the wake of the US announcement, the military withdrew parts of its troops from northern Rakhine State and allowed the World Food Program to resume its aid work in the area. No one knows exactly if these decisions are the results of the sanctions. The military still has not yet made any official comment—both on the troops withdrawal and the re-imposition of sanctions.

On the other hand, it's interesting to know how the restrictions on the military will affect the implementation of recommendations made by the Kofi Annan-led Advisory Commission on Rakhine State.

In conflict-torn northern Rakhine, the army would play a crucial role in the implementation, as they are at the forefront of operations on the ground and a considerable source of information.

Being aware of the army's position, the final report of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State notes that a high degree of autonomy for the military part of the government muddies the search for and implementation of a coherent and harmonized policy to the complex problems of Rakhine.

When asked if the sanctions would have any impact on the army's cooperation, U Aye Lwin, a Muslim member of the Kofi Annan-led Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, said he wanted only to see "more positive approaches" rather than saying "yes or no" to re-imposing sanctions against the military.

"For the international community, it would be better to negotiate through dialogue," he said.

The post Analysis: Are Sanctions the Answer in the Rakhine Crisis? appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Amid Opposition, Myanmar Amends Fiscal Year

Posted: 31 Oct 2017 04:41 AM PDT

YANGON — Amid calls for reconsideration from military representatives and opposition lawmakers, Myanmar's national fiscal year will be changed to the period from October to September starting from the 2018-19 financial year as the Union Parliament endorsed and documented the presidential proposal to amend the current period on Thursday in Naypyitaw.

The Myanmar government's current fiscal year is the 12-month period beginning on April 1 and ending on March 31. President U Htin Kyaw submitted a letter to Parliament late last month urging lawmakers to change it to Oct. 1 through to Sept. 30.

Deputy minister U Maung Maung Win for the planning and finance ministry said at Parliament on Tuesday that the main purpose for the change is to secure maximum consecutive dry months as monsoon season in Myanmar starts in June and ends in October.

Securing consecutive dry months is beneficial to the operational flow of many sectors including tourism, agriculture, mining and forestry, he said.

"Running construction and infrastructural operations continuously during dry months would result in good financial flow and job opportunities, which would help the country's development," U Maung Maung Win said at Parliament.

Fiscal years vary in different countries—156 countries follow the calendar year while 12 countries including the United States, Laos and Thailand use the October-September period. Myanmar has been practicing the April-March fiscal year since 1974.

Military representatives to Parliament and lawmakers of the opposition Union Solidarity and Development party (USDP) called for reconsideration last week at Parliament saying that the current fiscal year has been practiced for the past 40 years and changing it would lead to inconvenience.

Parliament started to discuss the president's proposal on Oct. 17 and the deputy minister of planning and finance stated that the beginning of the budget year is immediately followed by Thingyan public holidays under the current practice while military representatives and opposition lawmakers argued that the holidays had been reduced to five days this year and that this been no significant impact on functions of the fiscal year.

Explaining the strength of the new fiscal year at the Tuesday session of the Parliament, the minister also acknowledged a weakness in that it would affect the tendering process. However, he said that this could be overcome with good institutional management.

The issue was brought into parliamentary discussion late last year by a lawmaker and was later discussed during the meeting of the union financial commission held in July.

Based on consultation with union ministries and regional level institutions, they have commented that they could adapt to the new fiscal year smoothly and the decision to change the fiscal year was made by cabinet members in September, according to the deputy minister.

The post Amid Opposition, Myanmar Amends Fiscal Year appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

At Least 12 Injured at Taunggyi Balloon Festival

Posted: 31 Oct 2017 04:12 AM PDT

MANDALAY – At least 12 people were injured when a fireworks-laden hot air balloon fell onto spectators and vendors at the annual Tazaungdaing festival in Taunggyi, southern Shan state, on Monday.

The festival committee said a balloon from the Twun Tee team launched in to the air as planned but fell unexpectedly, injuring six people severely—including an elderly lady and a 7-year-old boy—and causing minor injuries to another six.

According to a Ministry of Home Affair's statement, three women and two men were seriously injured.

"We assume that the wick attached under the balloon became too hot and the balloon ruptured before it launched into the air safely," said U Than Win, secretary of the festival committee.

The balloon—carrying liters of burning oil, paraffin and dozens of kilos of fireworks hanging in a frame below it—fell down suddenly onto street hawkers occupying an area meant to be exclusively for spectators.

"An elderly lady and a 7-year-old boy were injured seriously and remain in a serious condition. About six other spectators suffered serious injuries. They all are now at Sao San Tun general hospital," said the secretary.

According to the festival committee, 12 people were treated at the clinic on the festival grounds with minor burns and bruises.

On Sunday afternoon, six homes were destroyed when fireworks stored by Ko Aung Ngae, the team leader of Lu Pae hot air balloon team, for the festival ignited. He was seriously injured as he tried to extinguish the fire from spreading.

"The incident occurred due to the hot temperature and chemical reaction. He [Ko Aung Ngae] is also at Sao San Tun hospital with serious injuries," added the secretary U Than Win.

A fire engine driver in his 40s who attended the blaze on Sunday died, but due to an existing heart condition, according to the secretary.

Accidents are common at the Taunggyi balloon festival with at least or two people injured each year either in preparations for the festival or at the festival it self.

"The festival traditions are deeply rooted," explained secretary U Than Win. "Most teams would not give up even if their lives were in danger."

"To avoid accidents, however, spectators and vendors should be careful and listen to instructions and announcements from organizers."

The festival continues until Friday—the Full Moon Day of Tazaungmone—and hundreds of teams from Taunggyi and surrounding villages will compete to set off the most grand and beautiful hot air balloon.

This year there were a total of 88 teams for firework hot air balloons, 39 teams for lantern decorated hot air balloons and 266 teams for animal figures hot air balloons.

The post At Least 12 Injured at Taunggyi Balloon Festival appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Police Detain Two Municipal Officials in Naypyitaw for Alleged Bribes

Posted: 31 Oct 2017 03:13 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW — Police detained two municipal officers in Naypyitaw on Sunday evening after the Anti-Corruption Commission found that the pair had solicited money from some shop owners.

According to the suggestion of the Attorney General's Office, the commission has filed a lawsuit against the two under Article 56 of Anti-Corruption Law 2013, said U Thin Maung, a member of the anti-corruption commission.

U Min Lwin Soe, deputy director-general of the market department and Dr. Khaing Soe Hla, deputy director-general of the veterinary and butcher department under the Naypyitaw City Development Committee allegedly took 3.5 million kyats from butchers in order to help them avoid their licenses being suspended.

The municipality temporarily suspends the license of butchers who fail to sell meat regularly in markets.

In the said case, some butchers failed to sell meat at markets for a while because of a decline in meat consumption following an avian flu scare in August.  Then, they allegedly paid the two municipal officials to avoid the suspension of their licenses, and filed a complaint that their licenses were suspended even after the alleged bribe.

"The Anti-Corruption Commission has filed a complaint with us. We didn't arrest them. In corruption cases, the commission makes arrests on its own and files complaints with the police station," said police lieutenant Myint Aung of Zabuthiri Township Police Station.

Shop owners filed a complaint on Aug. 21 with the Anti-Corruption Commission, which then investigated the two officials.

One of the accused, U Min Lwin Soe, has denied taking bribes, and said that he would countersue the plaintiffs for defamation.

Though the two municipal officers are based in Naypyitaw, the trial will be held at the regional court of Mandalay Region, and the pair will be detained at Mandalay Region No. 3 Police Station, an official of Naypyitaw municipality told the The Irrawaddy.

Article 56 of the Anti-Corruption Law states that except the political post holder, any other authorized person convicted of committing bribery shall be punished with less than 10 years' imprisonment and fine.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Police Detain Two Municipal Officials in Naypyitaw for Alleged Bribes appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

USDP to ‘Monitor’ Rohingya Refugee Verification Process

Posted: 31 Oct 2017 01:24 AM PDT

YANGON — Myanmar's opposition party the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) said it would monitor the government's plan to change some of the criteria in the verification process of Rohingya refugees laid down in a 1993 agreement between the Bangladesh and Myanmar governments.

"We are monitoring which points in the existing agreement the two governments would discuss, which points would be added and which points would be scrapped," said USDP central executive committee member U Wunna Maung Lwin at the party's press conference on Monday.

Last week, Myanmar's home affairs minister Lt-Gen Kyaw Swe and his Bangladeshi counterpart Asaduzzaman Khan met in the administrative capital Naypyitaw to discuss the repatriation of refugees to Myanmar.

Following the meeting, Union minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, U Thein Swe, said the two governments would amend some of the provisions in the 1993 agreement.

The USDP has called on the government to listen to the voices of Arakanese locals and local organizations in amending the agreement, saying that it would make legal responses to any amendment unacceptable to citizens.

More than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar since Aug. 25, when militant attacks on police outposts in Rakhine's Maungdaw Township prompted clearance operations by the Myanmar Army. Many of the refugees bring testimonies of indiscriminate killings, rape and arson by security forces and local Arakanese.

The UN has called the campaign ethnic cleansing and there has been mounting international pressure on Myanmar to take back refugees.

The home affairs ministers during their meeting in Naypyitaw agreed on 10 points concerning border security and cooperation between the two countries. They also settled to finalize an agreement on the repatriation of refugees.

However, Bangladesh-based Dhaka Tribune quoted the Bangladeshi foreign minister as saying that Bangladesh did not get the expected response from the Myanmar government regarding repatriation at the meeting.

U Wunna Maung Lwin said the Myanmar government should be "particularly careful of facts that can be harmful to the sovereignty and national interests" of Myanmar during bilateral talks on the verification process.

"In addition, the government should openly inform the public about discussions," he said.

Though the home affairs ministers agreed to halt the mass exodus of refugees last week, many Rohingya are still gathering at the border. On Oct. 29, 426 people left for Bangladesh in 14 vessels, according to a home affairs ministry statement.

At the meeting, Myanmar also handed over a list of suspects reportedly involved in the Aug. 25 attacks who fled to Bangladesh and requested the authorities there to investigate and return them to Myanmar.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post USDP to 'Monitor' Rohingya Refugee Verification Process appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Japan Pledges to Help Philippines Rebuild Marawi

Posted: 30 Oct 2017 10:13 PM PDT

TOKYO — Japan said on Monday it will help the Philippines rebuild conflict-torn southern Marawi city as well as other infrastructure in a deepening of ties to counter China's regional influence.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made the pledges in a joint statement with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte following talks in Tokyo.

Duterte on Oct. 23 announced the end of five months of military operations in Marawi held by Islamic State rebels in a conflict that destroyed much of the city's center and displaced some 300,000 people.

"The Government of Japan recognizes that rehabilitation and reconstruction of the City of Marawi and is extremely important," the statement said.

Japan also offered to help with other projects ranging from rail infrastructure to river defenses including a possible 600 billion yen loan to help fund development of a subway in Manila.

The meeting was an opportunity for Abe to discuss security in Asia ahead of key regional meetings beginning with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathering in Vietnam in November.

"I confirmed with President Duterte that we are both maritime nations sharing basic values and strategic interests," Abe said during his joint announcement with Duterte. The two countries, he added, would address common issues including North Korea and "a free and open Indo-Pacific."

Japan is concerned about China's growing power in the South China Sea and sees cooperation with the Philippines, which lies on the waterway's eastern side, as key ally in helping prevent Beijing's influence spreading into the western Pacific.

Duterte, unlike his predecessor, Benigno Aquino, has been less critical of Beijing's island building in the South China Sea. The Philippine leader will return home on Tuesday after an audience with the Japanese Emperor.

Abe and Duterte will travel to Vietnam for the two-day APEC meeting from Nov. 11, which US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend.

Leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other countries in the region will meet again in the Philippines after the APEC gathering for the East Asia Summit and a gathering of ASEAN that will be chaired by Philippine’s president.

Duterte in his statement in Tokyo did not mention China, instead calling North Korea to halt its ballistic missile and nuclear test and return to talks with the US, Japan and other countries.

The post Japan Pledges to Help Philippines Rebuild Marawi appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ten Things to Do in Yangon This Week

Posted: 30 Oct 2017 07:49 PM PDT

MMA Cage Fight | Nov. 3

Hometown hero Aung La Nseng, the MMA One Championship middleweight world champion, will fight heavyweight fighter Alain Ngalani.

Nov. 3, 6:30 pm. Thuwunna Stadium. Tickets at 09-51549297, and www.myasiatiket .com

Memory: International Film Heritage Festival | Nov. 3-12

More than 60 films including banned films around the world will be screened at this film festival.

Nov. 3-12, Waziya Cinema & Maha Bandula Park. Free Admission.  

Trio Stage Show | Nov. 2

Myanmar's celebrated male singers Zaw Win Htut, R Zarni and Wai La will perform on the eve of the Full Moon Day of Tazaungmone.

Nov. 2, 7 pm. People's Park. Tickets between 10,000 and 50,000 kyats at 09-782097436.

Eint Chit Solo Concert | Nov. 3

Famous singer Eint Chit will sing on the Full Moon Day of Tazaungmone.

Nov. 3, 7 pm. Kandawgyi's Hmaw Sin Kyun. Tickets 5,000 to 50,000 kyats at 09-259699669, 09-252598989.

Tazaungdaing Festival | Nov. 4

This event will feature Myanmar traditional marionette and orchestral performances, a cane ball demonstration and traditional snack stalls.

Nov. 4, 5 pm to 9 pm. Sein Lann So Pyay Garden. Free Admission.

U Ba Gyan Tazaungdaing Cartoon Festival | Nov. 2-4

Cartoons of U Ba Gyan and other award-winning cartoonists will be displayed at this annual festival of lights.

Nov. 2-4. 13th Street, Lanmadaw Township.

Book Sale | Nov. 3-5

At this event, books are offered at discount prices and old books can be exchanged.

Nov. 3-5. Yangon Book Plaza, Thanzay Market.

Aung Khaing's Solo Show | Nov. 1-5

The fifth solo exhibition of artist Aung Khaing will feature Myanmar-style modern paintings.

Nov. 1-5. OK Art Gallery, Aung San Stadium (North Wing).

Win Pe Myint: Dialogue with Nature | Nov. 2-11

This exhibition will showcase Myanmar's spectacular landscapes.

Nov. 2-11. Lokanat Galleries, 62 Pansodan St, 1st Floor, Kyauktada Tsp.

Paung Laung Art Exhibition | Nov. 1-5

The fifth group art exhibition of Pyinmana-based artists will showcase more than 30 paintings.

Nov. 1-5. Myanmar Traditional Artists and Artisans Organization, Bogyoke Market.

The post Ten Things to Do in Yangon This Week appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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