Monday, December 4, 2017

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

ANALYSIS: Tug Of War over Indigenous Rights and Govt’s Forestry Plan

Posted: 04 Dec 2017 05:06 AM PST

YANGON – Civil society organizations (CSOs) want the rights of indigenous people to be officially recognized in Myanmar's Nationally Determined Commitment (NDC), the government's action plan to implement the Paris Agreement for tackling carbon emissions, in order to prevent tribal people being driven from the forest to make way for climate-change mitigation projects.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) includes a legally established rights platform for indigenous people to support the exchange of experiences and the sharing of best practices on mitigation and adaptation. It was approved as part of the Paris Agreement that was signed in December 2015 at COP 21 (the Conference of Parties).

At COP 23 — held in the German city of Bonn last month — recommendations were submitted by various groups and states on ways to implement the platform, including a strategic plan, procedures and structure. Some Myanmar civil society groups like the Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO) and Promotion of Indigenous and Nature Together (POINT) joined the Bonn conference from Nov. 6-17.

In an interview with The Irrawaddy, Mai Thin Yu Mon, one of CHRO's representatives in Bonn, revealed that participants exchanged views in a working group committee that provided a voice for the world's indigenous people, as well as drafting a rulebook for every nation in the world.

"Whenever people talk about climate change, they think it's about growing plants and increasing permanent forest estate. And then they start thinking of pulling out the people who rely on the forest, in order to grow plants and to protect the forest. As they only emphasize the forest, it destroys the livelihoods of these people," Mai Thin Yu Mon said.

The CHRO representative has been participating in UN climate change conferences for several years and noted that the indigenous rights platform was officially recognized by the UNFCCC several years ago after participants realized that while a small number of scientists and environmentalists could monitor rising global temperature and the impacts of climate change, tackling climate change in a holistic way required the local knowledge of indigenous people.

Deforestation Rates in Myanmar

In order to reduce carbon emissions, Myanmar submitted an Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) in 2015 and filed National Determined Commitments (NDC), which outline its voluntary national targets on climate-change mitigation and adaptations in future years.

The Global Forest Resources Assessments 2015 report indicates that Myanmar's forests cover 45 percent of its total land acreage, which was down dramatically from 60 percent 25 years earlier. Between 2010 and 2015, Myanmar's annual deforestation rate was 1.7 percent, which translates into the loss of approximately 546,000 hectares of forest per year and ranks as "the third largest net loss of area in the world within one decade."

The Myanmar government has announced a temporary logging ban nationwide, and a one-decade logging moratorium in the Bago Yoma Region, while round log exports have been forbidden since 2014.

As deforestation and degradation have surged, shrub and bush land across the state has proliferated as a result of increasing agriculture, the granting of large-scale industrial concessions (mainly for oil palm and rubber), timber harvesting, fuel-wood collection as well as charcoal production. Kyayah, Mon, Sagaing, Kayin and Chin states have also largely been affected by shifting cultivation, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MONERC).

According to a pamphlet on Myanmar's REDD program that was distributed at the Bonn conference, shifting cultivation remains widespread, covering at least 2-4 million hectares nationwide and probably more as monitoring on farming sites is limited.

Myanmar INDC and Indigenous Rights

The forestry master plan, or Myanmar NDC commitment, is likely to be resisted by ethnic groups who rely on shifting cultivation to sustain their communities.

In September, a confrontation occurred between local Kachin people and officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation after the ministry announced a plan to seek World Heritage Site status for Mt Khakabo Razi in Kachin State's Putao area. Locals are concerned about land loss in the near future.

The Myanmar NDC identifies short, medium and long-term priority actions, including forestry, as well as the promotion of biodiversity in line with the Paris Agreement. But it does not mention indigenous people's rights, POINT program manager Hla Doi said.

POINT also provided a report which analyzed the Myanmar INDC. It says Myanmar plans a Permanent Forest Estate (PFE) under the management of MONERC and intends to expand the designation of Reserved Forests and Public Protected Forests (PPFs) to cover 30 percent and 10 percent of the country's land area, respectively. Those goals are also mentioned in Myanmar's 30-Year National Forestry Master Plan.

Myanmar's REDD program estimates that the annual mitigation potential for deforestation reduction targets of 30% by 2025 and 2030 would be around 10.1 million and 16.86 million metric tons of CO2, respectively. Given the current average global CO2 price of US$5 per ton, Myanmar stands to earn around US$51 million by 2025.

"The expansion of PPE does not recognize the rights of indigenous people and local communities to their forests and restricts access to the forest resources that are essential for their livelihoods, health and cultural traditions," the report says.

A Chin woman carries her child in a sling in Siangsawn, a village 5,255 feet above sea level in Chin State. (Photo: The Irrawaddy)

Hla Doi said, "By mentioning indigenous rights in its commitment paper [NDC], it could prevent land-grabbing and the expulsion of indigenous people who rely on the forest."

Mai Thin Yu Mon of the CHRO also noted that many indigenous people have been living in forests for generations, and had their own traditional forest management systems long before the government started branding different areas as nature reserve forest, protected forest and national gardens of Myanmar.

Tribal groups in Myanmar have traditionally used shifting cultivation with specific timeframes, such as abandoning a cultivated place for a few years and returning to the land again when it has regenerated. Mai Thin Yu Mon urged the government to adopt local practices that could contribute to mitigation projects in practical ways.

She added that deforestation was caused mainly by mass illegal logging in regions where there was a lack of law enforcement, referring to areas contested by armed ethnic groups.

As for the government's NDC approach, Mai Thin Yu Mon predicted, "As the areas are officially selected for reserved forests, indigenous people are going to be forced to leave and they will lose both their livelihoods and group identities."

The Irrawaddy sought to obtain from Hla Maung Thein, the director-general of the Environmental Conservation Department and also chair of the Myanmar delegation, an official response to the criticisms made by the CSOs regarding contested areas between the government Army and ethnic armed groups. Hla Maung Thein attended COP23 in Bonn but he could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.

Pushing on the International Stage

The International Indigenous Forum for Climate Change (IIFCC), which is the collective voice of indigenous people from around the world, designed a draft statement on the issue in Canada in September. The IIFFC and CSO groups brought the draft to COP23 and discussed it with government officials in the hope of reaching an agreement an on indigenous platform as well as a detailed plan, but the outlook for such action remains bleak, especially in Asia, where governments have shown little interest in protecting the rights of such groups.

Mai Thin Yu Mon noted that it was mentioned in discussions that sometimes China strongly opposed such indigenous rights platforms, as such a global platform would clash with its existing laws. The same problem can be seen in Myanmar, where the 2008 Constitution's provisions only mention "ethnic people" rather than "indigenous people."

"ASEAN governments are not interested much in indigenous rights as they don't want to change their enacted policies," Hla Doi said.

However, some wealthy countries, especially the U.S. and those in Europe, have supported a global mechanism for indigenous people and even allowed indigenous rights specialists to join government delegations to discuss the issue.

Kayah women work in a field in Demoso Township, Kayah State, in June. (Photo: Thet Tun Naing/ The Irrawaddy)

"We hope to be recognized as an official body under the UNFCCC that can consult with the UNFCCC regarding indigenous people's rights. Then, if Myanmar offers no way for indigenous people to join the climate action plan, we can lodge a complaint over it via the indigenous body," said Mai Thin Yu Mon.

The post ANALYSIS: Tug Of War over Indigenous Rights and Govt's Forestry Plan appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

88 Generation Student Leader Still Working for Democracy

Posted: 04 Dec 2017 04:19 AM PST

Ko Mya Aye, a prominent leader of the 88 Generation students—a term used to refer to the young leaders who took a prominent role in Myanmar's pro-democracy uprising in 1988—has resigned from the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society, a civil society organization formed by these student leaders.

The Muslim pro-democracy activist recently sat down with The Irrawaddy's Htun Htun and talked about continuing his political commitments following his resignation.

What made you resign from the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society?

It is not because of disagreements. In certain cases, I wanted to talk more openly. As some members of the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society are establishing a political party, I thought I might have some difficulty in performing my duty, so I stepped down. This is not a departure from politics or due to bitter disagreements.

What are your priorities? Were there any restrictions on you in the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society?

I view the Rakhine problem as a very critical issue that directly concerns the sovereignty of the country. People are talking about harmonizing the two societies [Rohingya Muslims and Arakanese Buddhists]. We can't allow R2P [responsibility to protect]. We need to work together with the government to get rid of [religious and racial] extremism from society, which may cause some friction.

As for the peace process, we should think about how to start negotiations with the Northern Alliance [armed ethnic groups based in northern Myanmar] rather than ignoring it. Meanwhile, there have been setbacks in peace negotiations with the UNFC [United Nationalities Federal Council].

We need to express our views and take action to break this stalemate. It is time we question whether 21st Century Panglong is enough [to create peace] and if Myanmar's peace process is really making progress.

How will you engage in ethnic issues after resigning from your organization?

I have reached an agreement with some people to work with them. It is important to have a straightforward approach toward ethnicities. To put it frankly, you can engage in ethnic issues if you are willing to think about how to bring about self-determination, fundamental rights and a federal Union for them. A lot of 88-Generation members, including those abroad, are willing to do so.

Will you join a political party?

No, I won't. There are many other 88 Generation students. Politics by its nature is not a single man's work. It is about cooperation and collaboration. It is not one man's show and it is difficult to handle alone. I've talked with like-minded people about building a federal Union. I will continue engaging in the country's peace process and I'd like to create harmony in a divided society.

I've got a lot of like-minded people to serve human rights, farmers' rights and labor rights. Perhaps we may become an entity. I'd like to engage in politics based on principle, but not a political party.

What is your view on the political party of your former comrade U Ko Ko Gyi?

Political parties are about taking and managing the State's power. Everybody says a federal Union will be built. In fact, principle is important in building a federal Union. Though everybody is saying federalism, we will get nowhere if there are faults with the operation, even if we have a policy.

In my opinion, political parties should have coherent policies rather than the general policy of building democracy and a federal Union. I totally agree with Ko Ko Gyi's party in principle though I chose not to join it. This is democracy and they have a right to do so. And the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society is cooperating in some areas.

You have come under more political attacks than other 88 Generation members because of your religion. Does that cause difficulties?

There are no difficulties, but there are pressures. There were pressures even when I was in the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society. There are attacks against me on the grounds of religion, but not on my activities. What can I do? I belong to a different religion. I am and will be subject to discriminatory attacks on the grounds of religion. But the warmth of some people can make up for all those attacks.

Political analysts suggest that the Rakhine issue has pushed Myanmar closer to China. What is your view?

That is true, especially because of our geopolitics. Our location necessitates maintaining ties with China. Previously, Myanmar's government wanted to rebalance its ties with China and western countries. Unfortunately, that has failed. It is bad for our country. I am worried that we will have to rely completely on one country.

Do you think Myanmar's closer ties with China will pave the way for the Northern Alliance to make peace with the Myanmar government?

Not necessarily. Perhaps, it may contribute to some extent. There is a need to find out the reasons that make them distance themselves from each other. Your question suggests that the Northern Alliance is under the thumb of China. We should not view it like that. Let's take the KIA [Kachin Independence Army] as an example. We need to understand its standpoints and feelings. It'd be better not to make suggestions if we are not sure about the connections between them and China.

What are your suggestions to solve the Rakhine issue?

R2P will bring more disadvantages than advantages. So, you would ask me if we should raise a serious objection then. We can't. The more we deny, the more we lose. We have to think delicately about how to handle international pressures and the current situation. [Former national security adviser] Minister U Thaung Tun has said we are in a red stage. Our country is at a critical point. While civil society and non-governmental organizations should think about how to create harmony between the two societies, the government should strictly enforce rule of law.

The government knows the causes of the problems. There are people who have served in the government since the time of the military government. The government should verify according to the 1982 Citizenship Law and immigration records, and grant [full] citizenship and naturalized citizenship accordingly. And it should implement this process in cooperation with western countries which are calling for R2P. If the government is acting honestly and justly, R2P will not be applied and international pressures will also reduce. I would like to urge those concerned to avoid provocative remarks.

What do you think of the NLD government's handling of the Rakhine issue?

I think the NLD government knows certain things about the Rakhine issue, but it seems to be quite difficult for it to handle. The 2008 Constitution is the major challenge. The country will pick up and we'll be able to see good results in 2020 if we can overcome this challenge.

The Rakhine issue has marred Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's image on the international stage and she also has had some honors removed. Do you think it is related to her handling of the issue?

Everyone should be aware that our country will fall if Daw Aung San Suu Kyi falls. Once she falls, our country will not recover. We need to understand that she can't fail. Perhaps her image has been marred because of some misunderstanding under some circumstances. But I don't think her reputation will continue to suffer if she walks on rightly.

What is your political aspiration for the future?

As a citizen, I will continue to serve the interests of the country and people. My goal is to establish a democratic country conceptualized by the 1988 pro-democracy uprising. I will continue my efforts until such a country is built. I individually will not join parliamentary politics.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post 88 Generation Student Leader Still Working for Democracy appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ethnic Language Teachers Missing Months of Govt Pay

Posted: 04 Dec 2017 03:42 AM PST

Hundreds of ethnic language school teachers in Mon and Karen states have been missing out on their salaries for the past several months, according to local sources, despite a government promise to pay them at the end of each month.

Speaking to The Irrawaddy today, U Myo Tit Aung, the education minister in Mon State, blamed the Union government for not yet allocating money for ethnic language teacher salaries to the state.

"The Union government did not yet divide [the budget] for our expenses, so we could not give them their salaries," U Myo Tit Aung said.

"We even asked them when they could give it to us. They told us they will give it, but we do not know when," the minister added.

There are 1,792 ethnic language school teachers in Mon State — including 595 teaching Mon, 445 teaching Sgaw Karen, 161 teaching Pwo Karen, and 67 teaching Pa-O — instructing more than 43,000 students.

Last year the state government agreed to a proposal from the Mon Literature and Culture Committee, a community group, to pay the language teachers a monthly salary of 30,000 kyat, due at the end of each month.

However, hundreds of language teachers have not been paid for the past six months, said Nai Mon Rai Jai, the Mon Literature and Culture Committee's general secretary.

"We want to know where their pay is. Our Mon teachers are civil servants; they should have the same rights as government school teachers," he said.

Nai Mon Rai Jai said his committee has asked the state government for the teachers' salaries several times, to no avail, and he suggested officials meet with the teachers directly to explain to them why their salaries haven't arrived.

He said the teachers had also gone unpaid for a nine-month stretch last year and that the repeated delays were a reflection of the Union government's overall lack of respect for ethnic groups and their languages, belying its pledges to give them equal rights.

Despite multiple requests by the Mon Literate and Culture Committee, the government does not allow ethnic language instruction during regular school hours.

"I am not saying our ethnic teachers need money, but it is not normal to treat them like this," Nai Mon Rai Jai said.

The pay delays have also come up in the state Parliament.

"I have talked about it a lot in Parliament. I have talked about it so much my mouth has gotten bigger. But the Parliament just says the Union government has not provided it [the salaries] yet," said U Tun Min Aung, the state's ethnic affairs minister.

Similar delays are occurring in Karen State, according to its ethnic affairs minister, U Min Tin Win. He said the Union government might pay the salaries in January.

There are a total 21,000 ethnic language school teachers across the country teaching 51 languages.

The post Ethnic Language Teachers Missing Months of Govt Pay appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Pope Reveals Details About Army Chief Meeting and Defends Avoiding Word ‘Rohingya’

Posted: 04 Dec 2017 03:32 AM PST

YANGON — Pope Francis, who did not publicly use the word Rohingya during his recent visit to Myanmar, said he was still able to make his message clear during his meeting with Myanmar military leader Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing.

Pope Francis was in Myanmar last week as the first ever Head of the Vatican to visit the country.

During his four-day visit to Myanmar, the first person Pope Francis met upon his arrival was neither the country's president U Htin Kyaw nor State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. It was the chief of Myanmar's powerful military Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, who has been internationally accused of his army's human rights abuses against the minority Rohingya Muslims.

Little was revealed of the details of the meeting between the two leaders until a press conference was held by Pope Francis on board the plane on his way back to Rome on Saturday.

In the wake of the meeting, Vatican Radio reported on Monday that "they discussed the great responsibility of authorities of the country in this time of transition," quoted Greg Burke, the director of the Holy See Office as saying.

The Senior General's Facebook post about the meeting said the Snr-Gen explained to the Pope that there was no religious discrimination in Myanmar as the country ensures religious freedom.

When asked about the meeting on Saturday, the Pope said Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing asked him for the meeting and it was a good and civilized meeting.

"This general asked me to speak. And I received him. I never close the door…..It was a beautiful conversation. I couldn't say because it was private but I didn't negotiate the truth," he said, according to a transcript of the press conference.

The meeting was initially scheduled for Thursday before the papal departure to Bangladesh. When asked about the change in schedule and if he felt he was politically manipulated by the general to show who was the most superior in the country, the Pope replied: "I don't know the intentions but I was interested in dialogue."

The Vatican also acknowledged that the meeting breached protocol as Myanmar's military chief met with Pope Francis before the pontiff met with the country's civilian leadership.

When pressed if he used the word Rohingya during the meeting with the general, the Pope replied he used the words needed to get to the message.

"When I saw the message was accepted, I dared to say everything I wanted to say," he said by using a Latin phrase meaning 'few words are enough for the one who understands.'

During his stay in Myanmar, the Pope also met with the country's president U Htin Kyaw, State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and leading senior Buddhist monks from Ma Ha Na, the State Sangha authority.

The pope was criticized for not using the word Rohingya while he was in Myanmar.

During the press conference on Saturday, the Pope said if he had said the word in official speeches, it would have been a door slammed in the face.

"I was very, very satisfied with the talks that I was able to have because it's true I haven't had the pleasure of throwing the door in a face publicly with a denunciation, but I did have the satisfaction of dialoguing and letting the other speak and in that way the message arrived."

The post Pope Reveals Details About Army Chief Meeting and Defends Avoiding Word ‘Rohingya’ appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Fake IEDs Found at Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok

Posted: 04 Dec 2017 12:08 AM PST

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — Two fake improvised explosive devices were found in a trash can near the entrance to the Myanmar Embassy's visa section in Bangkok on Monday morning.

The area was closed while Thailand's bomb squad investigated. Embassy services stopped for about three hours.

Myanmar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) released a statement on Facebook that read: "It was a fake bomb, in which the plastic pipes and watch were taped and inside the plastic was rice."

Myanmar authorities are cautious about the security of the embassy and its staff, the statement continued.

U Moe Aung Khine, the labor attaché from the Myanmar Embassy, told The Irrawaddy that the device it was found around 9 a.m. and Thai police were informed.  The bomb squad confirmed that it was an improvised device but that there was no need to worry just before noon.

Hundreds of Myanmar migrant workers had been in line for various services, some picking up passports or applying for visa extensions.

Ko Johny, a migrant worker from Chiang Mai who was at the embassy to pick up his passport, told The Irrawaddy: "We were shocked. If something had exploded, many people inside and outside of the embassy could have been hurt."

He was relieved when police assured that everything was "fine and back to normal," and continued to wait for his passport.

Thai police currently do not have any information regarding suspects, but said they would check CCTV footage and investigate.

The post Fake IEDs Found at Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

S Korea, US Kick Off Largest Air Exercise Amid N Korean Warnings

Posted: 03 Dec 2017 08:50 PM PST

SEOUL — South Korea and the United States launched their largest-ever joint aerial drills on Monday, officials said, a week after North Korea said it had tested its most advanced missile as part of a weapons program that has raised global tensions.

The annual US-South Korean drill, called Vigilant Ace, will run until Friday, with six F-22 Raptor stealth fighters to be deployed among the more than 230 aircraft taking part. The exercises have been condemned as a provocation by the isolated North.

F-35 fighters will also join the drill, which will also include the largest number of fifth generation fighters to take part, according to a South Korea-based US Air Force spokesman.

Around 12,000 US service members, including from the Marines and Navy, will join South Korean troops. Aircraft taking part will be flown from eight US and South Korean military installations.

South Korean media reports said B-1B Lancer bombers could join the exercise this week. The US Air Force spokesman could not confirm the reports.

The joint exercise is designed to enhance readiness and operational capability and to ensure peace and security on the Korean peninsula, the US military had said before the drills began.

The drills come a week after North Korea said it had tested its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile ever in defiance of international sanctions and condemnation.

Pyongyang blamed US President Donald Trump for raising tensions and warned on the weekend the Vigilant Ace exercise was pushing tensions on the Korean peninsula towards "a flare-up," according to North Korean state media.

North Korea's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country called Trump "insane" on Sunday and said the drill would "push the already acute situation on the Korean peninsula to the brink of nuclear war."

The North's KCNA state news agency, citing a foreign ministry spokesman, also said on Saturday the Trump administration was "begging for nuclear war by staging an extremely dangerous nuclear gamble on the Korean peninsula."

North Korea regularly uses its state media to threaten the United States and its allies.

The post S Korea, US Kick Off Largest Air Exercise Amid N Korean Warnings appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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