Friday, February 2, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Gunman Was Blackmailed into Killing U Ko Ni, Lawyer Says

Posted: 02 Feb 2018 06:53 AM PST

YANGON — A defense lawyer for the accused gunman in the shooting death of prominent Muslim lawyer U Ko Ni said his client was blackmailed into carrying out the murder and didn't know the mastermind behind the assassination.

U Kyaw Kyaw Htike, a defense lawyer for accused gunman Kyi Lin, told the media after a hearing at Yangon's Northern District Court on Friday that an individual named Myint Swe had threatened his client with harm if he did not kill U Ko Ni, the late legal adviser to the ruling National League for Democracy.

"If he didn't do it, who would take responsibility for his and his family's survival?" U Kyaw Kyaw Htike asked, adding that Kyi Lin had never met U Ko Ni before the incident and had no personal motive for murdering him.

U Kyaw Kyaw Htike, a defense lawyer for accused gunman Kyi Lin, talks to the media after a hearing at Yangon's Northern District Court on Friday. (Photo: Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy)

U Ko Ni was gunned down outside Yangon International Airport on Jan. 29 last year. Taxi driver U Nay Win was also fatally shot as he tried to apprehend the assassin.

Police have detained four suspects: Kyi Lin and alleged co-conspirators Zeya Phyo, Aung Win Zaw and Aung Win Tun. Police allege that former military Lieutenant-Colonel Aung Win Khaing, who remains at large, masterminded the assassination.

At Friday's hearing, prosecutors presented judges with their closing arguments, capping 10 months of witness testimony in the murder trial of the four accused.

Defense lawyer U Aung Khaing, who represents Aung Win Zaw and Aung Win Tun, told the judges that the prosecution had failed to present any evidence connecting his clients and the gunman.

While airport CCTV footage showed that Aung Win Zaw was present at the airport before the murder took place, no one had been able to show that he shared Kyi Lin's intent to kill U Ko Ni, U Aung Khaing said.

"Prosecutors said the accused took time to plan the murder, but not a single piece of evidence was put forward to prove it," U Aung Khaing said in his rebuttal of the plaintiff's case.

Daw Pa Pa Win, a defense lawyer for Zeya Phyo, also told the judges that the prosecution had not presented any witnesses to corroborate the Home Affairs Ministry's claim, made at a press conference, that her client was a conspirator who financed the assassination.

"The information [police] offered at the press conference was obtained during the interrogation process, but not at the court," she told the judges.

"There was no proof presented by the plaintiff side that he financed the murder, either," she added.

U Nay La, a lawyer representing the family of slain lawyer U Ko Ni at the trial, told the media that asking for explicit evidence of a connection between the suspects was "unacceptable", adding that the court had been furnished with all the evidence it needed.

"Why were they at the airport [before the murder]? Why were they communicating with each other via phones?" U Nay La asked, citing police testimony including records of phone calls between the accused.

"In short, they need to answer these questions once the court charges them," he added.

The court will decide next Friday which legal provisions the accused will be charged under. Defense lawyers for Aung Win Zaw, Zeya Phyo and Aung Win Tun have asked that their clients be released before the court brings charges.

Before the hearing, a group of fewer than 10 nationalists appeared at the court to show their support for the four defendants, wearing T-shirts reading: "Eat Well (Before You Are Killed)!"— a threatening phrase in Burmese used when someone is angry and warning of revenge.

At one of the hearings last month, Robert San Aung, a lawyer for slain taxi driver U Nay Win, alleged that the defendants had shouted the phrase at reporters and plaintiff lawyers outside the courtroom. Aung Win Zaw denied the allegation.

The nationalists said they had gotten to know Kyi Lin in prison after being jailed unjustly.

"It is to show that we stand with them. We came here solely out of personal respect for them," said Myint Phoe Muu, one of the nationalists. He said they were not acting on behalf of any organization.

The nationalists added that they supported Kyi Lin because, in their opinion, he did what needed to be done.

Additional reporting by Min Min.

Tin Htet Paing is a freelance journalist and photographer based in Yangon. She previously worked at The Irrawaddy as a reporter for three years.

The post Gunman Was Blackmailed into Killing U Ko Ni, Lawyer Says appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

KNU Wants Talks with Govt Before Work on Tenasserim Road Resumes

Posted: 02 Feb 2018 05:10 AM PST

YANGON — The Karen National Union (KNU) has asked the government to hold negotiations before construction of a highway from the Dawei Special Economic Zone in Tenasserim Region to the Thai border resumes.

In a statement issued Thursday, the ethnic armed group said the government must negotiate with it on the implementation of such development projects as per the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), which it signed in 2015.

The road project is in an area controlled by the armed wing of the KNU, the Karen National Liberation Army. The road has already been partially built, but has yet to be laid with cement. The government hopes the upgrade will attract more Thai investors in the special economic zone, where construction has also halted according to some locals.

The road runs 150 km from the special economic zone to the ethnic Karen village of Htee Khee on the border with Thailand, which has offered Myanmar a 4.5 billion baht ($143 million) loan for its construction.

"We want their project to be presented to the public for free, prior and informed consent. The project they are going to do needs to have environmental and social impact assessments. If they do this, they will have good security for the project," KNU Secretary-General P'Doh Saw Tah Doh Moo told the Irrawaddy on Friday.

He said the NCA also requires that the government consult with locals, ethnic armed groups and nongovernmental organizations whenever planning a development project in a contested area.

When the project originally began the KNU let it proceed, thinking it would be a small road that would not damage the environment and have little impact on the properties of local residents.

But once heavy equipment started arriving in December in preparation for work to resume, the KNU realized the road would be bigger than it expected and now believes it is likely to encroach on many properties.

"We know their project will have benefits for our local people. But we want them to negotiate with our local people in order to have peace," said P'Doh Saw Tah Doh Moo.

Some local Karen are also upset because they have not yet been fully compensated for when the original dirt road was built.

The KNU says the government has to conduct the impact assessments and show that the project will not damage the environment or local properties before accepting Thailand's loan. However, it says the government is breaking with the rules by planning to ask the national Parliament to accept the loan first.

"If they do not do it [the assessments], there will be unnecessary problems on the ground," P'Doh Saw Tah Doh Moo said.

In its statement, the KNU made three requests of the government: that it negotiate with stakeholders; proceed only with free, prior and informed consent; and design the road to minimize environmental damage. It also asked that Japan and Thailand, which back the special economic zone, carry out impact assessments adhering to international standards, Myanmar law, and the KNU's forestry policy.

The post KNU Wants Talks with Govt Before Work on Tenasserim Road Resumes appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Survey Finds High Numbers Of People Suffering From Mental Illness

Posted: 02 Feb 2018 05:04 AM PST

NAYPYITAW — A survey conducted by the Ministry of Health and Sports has found that a high number of people are suffering from psychiatric disorders in Myanmar, Union Health Minister Dr. Myint Htwe told the Union Parliament on Thursday.

"We discovered a high number of depression cases. Maybe it is just a recent trend or maybe it has long existed but we only just found it out," the minister told the Lower House.

The minister made the remark in response to a question by Taungdwingyi Township lawmaker U Min Thein, who asked if the government would recruit more psychiatrists at district-level government hospitals across the country.

According to Dr. Myint Htwe, his ministry surveyed a township near Yangon in October 2016 and found that nine in every 1,000 people were suffering from depression while nine others were mentally ill.

The ministry also surveyed two other townships near Yangon last year and found that more than 90 in every 1,000 people were suffering from some form of psychiatric disorder, the minister said, without identify the townships on the grounds of medical ethics.

"Not all of them get necessary treatment because the number of psychiatrists is quite low. People don't give much attention to mental problems in Myanmar, unlike in America. Even Thailand has a Department of Mental Health overseen by a director-general," Dr. Myint Htwe noted.

U Min Thein said people suffering from depression and mental disorders often commit suicide or crimes including homicide.

"The only effective treatment for depression is consultation with mental health specialists. But people have only very limited knowledge about mental health, and there are only a few psychiatrists. So, it is quite difficult for them to seek treatment," the lawmaker said.

"People from all walks of life and in different age groups are suffering from depression," he said, citing the recent example of a sixth grader in Bago Region who hanged himself.

Lawmakers also pointed out that there are few social organizations helping people suffering from psychiatric disorders in Myanmar.

The Ministry of Health is taking steps to produce more psychiatrists to meet the requirements, Dr. Myint Htwe said.

But at present, he said, only 51 government hospitals are staffed with a psychiatrist—two mental health hospitals, nine central-level teaching hospitals, nine 500-bed hospitals, 29 200-bed hospitals, and two drug-rehabilitation hospitals.

According to organizational structure, there should be 133 professors, specialists and assistant specialist psychiatrists employed by the Medical Services Department of the Health Ministry, but there are only 59 at present. And there are only 23 teachers of psychiatry at medical universities although there are positions for be more than 110, Dr Myint Htwe said.

"We'll expand the organizational structure in the next few years. We have 24 psychiatrists who graduated in December. They will be recruited by hospitals," Dr. Myint Htwe told Parliament.

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Myanmar to Host First Tour for ASEAN Travel Bloggers, Writers

Posted: 02 Feb 2018 03:56 AM PST

YANGON — The Myanmar Travel Bloggers Club will host media and bloggers from across Southeast Asia for the first "ASEAN Media Bloggers Familiarization Trip to Myanmar" starting Feb. 12.

"The main purpose of this trip is to try to promote the beauty of Myanmar as well as our traditional products," said event organizer Ma May Zune Win, who won Myanmar Influencer of the Year 2017 in the travel category and runs the blog I Love Travelling.

She got the idea for the event after attending similar programs in other countries.

"When I went to other ASEAN countries, the host country promoted everything about themselves, bloggers could meet at the same place and share their culture, and media could write about the host country. So I decided to try to hold this kind of event in Myanmar," she said.

Being the first event of its kind in Myanmar, Ma May Zune Win said it had been a challenge to organize.

"First I asked the marketing department of the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, but they said they didn't have enough of a budget. But I don't want to give up. So I contacted the Union of Myanmar Travel Association and they also said they didn't have the budget, but they helped by using their letterhead to invite all the media and bloggers from ASEAN."

Then she looked for sponsors among airlines, hotels and other Myanmar businesses.

The main sponsors of the event include Shwe Pyi Nann Myanmar Thanakha, Chatrium Hotel, Sedona, Aureum Bagan, Aureum Inle and Air KBZ.

Media and bloggers will arrive in Yangon on Feb. 12 and start their tour of Myanmar the next day, returning to the commercial capital by the 18th.

"The first day we will show them around Yangon and we will have activities like riding the trishaw, eating traditional Myanmar food and going to Shwedagon Pagoda. It might be fun. Then we will leave Yangon on Feb. 14 and head up to Bagan and Inle for one week," Ma May Zune Win said.

"We will host a thank you party on Feb. 18 and play traditional Myanmar games like Shwe Soon Nyo, Kyatpha Khoot and so on," she added.

Media guests will include the New Straits Times from Malaysia, Spring News from Thailand, GMA TV from the Philippines, the Phnom Penh Post from Cambodia and others.

Bloggers scheduled to attend include Jatiewpainai from Thailand, Rosie on the Road from Vietnam, Deegee Razon from the Philippines and more.

Local bloggers set to join the event include Travel by Naw Htike, Nu Myat Around the World, My Khayee and THIHA.

The post Myanmar to Host First Tour for ASEAN Travel Bloggers, Writers appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Chief Minister Promises to Accommodate Yangon Homeless in Next Three Years

Posted: 02 Feb 2018 03:43 AM PST

YANGON — Yangon Region Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein has promised to accommodate the homeless in the region in the next three years before the National League for Democracy (NLD) government's term expires in 2020.

The chief minister revealed the plan at the 14th meeting between Vice President U Myint Swe and businesspeople, at the office of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Yangon on Thursday.

According to the chief minister, a housing board will be established to sell apartments "not only to squatters but also to those who come and work in Yangon."

The housing board will be opened at the former office of the Human Settlement and Housing Department on Bogyoke Road, he said.

The chief minister also promised to upgrade the industrial zones, besides implementing housing projects.

"It is very difficult to achieve immediate results in making those changes. Big projects need systematic management. But, we'll complete them within the next three years," said U Phyo Min Thein.

The housing board will be modeled after Singapore's Housing and Development Board, and will sell apartments to working people in installments.

According to U Phyo Min Thein, the apartments will be sold for monthly installments of around 80,000 kyats for a period of 20 to 25 years.

"We are negotiating with international investors to build low-cost housing projects. The government will provide land and the developers will be responsible for construction," he said.

The regional government has signed memoranda of understanding with some developers for low-cost housing projects, and will also invite more investment, he added.

The post Chief Minister Promises to Accommodate Yangon Homeless in Next Three Years appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Bangladesh Tightens Security in Rohingya Camps

Posted: 02 Feb 2018 03:01 AM PST

Police in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar have imposed tight security in Rohingya refugee camps following an increase in crime, including the killing of a refugee leader.

With no clear timetable in sight for the physical repatriation of the Rohingya, police are building five permanent camps to cater to the refugees, who are considered by Muslim-majority Bangladesh to be displaced Myanmar nationals.

Since Aug. 25, 2017, an estimated 688,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar to escape a reported military offensive.

According to Cox's Bazar police headquarters, at least 106 cases were filed against 186 Rohingya people between Aug. 25 and Jan. 25. About half of those were murder and firearms cases, and half were drug related.

This week, Bangladesh's elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested three Rohingya — Nur Muhamed, Ataur Rahim, and Mohibullah — in Cox's Bazar in connection with the Jan. 20 shooting death of Rohingya community leader Muhammed Yusuf, 35, in the Thaingkhola camp in refugee-populated Ukhiya sub-district.

RAB Cox's Bazar chief Major Ruhul Amin said, "The motive for the killing is not entirely clear but during interrogation [the suspects] said they committed the crime as they were unwilling to return to Myanmar without recognition as 'Rohingya.'"

The victim, Muhammed Yusuf, had assisted local authorities in compiling the list of refugees and was motivating others to do the same, the official added. "We currently have five makeshift camps and have taken steps to upgrade them into permanent structures.  Five watchtowers will also be built to further enhance security," said Cox's Bazar deputy police chief Afruzul Haque Tutul.

In a 10-day period from Jan. 14, at least four Rohingya people were killed inside the camps set up by the government for the refugees.

A police officer who has been dealing with Rohingya for a long time told The Irrawaddy that the leaderless community is now split over three possible courses of action. "One group wants to return to their homeland [Myanmar] with due dignity; another group wants to stay in Bangladesh as they are afraid to return; and the third group wants to be to repatriated [to third countries]." The official added that "these disagreements are causing tension."

Thyangkhali Rohingya camp chairman Muhamed Ali, who is responsible for nearly 70,000 refugees, admitted that a section of the refugee population was trying to create trouble over how the repatriation process should proceed.

"The situation has improved… We will discuss [the repatriation process] with them," said Bangladesh refugee relief and repatriation commissioner Muhammad Abul Kalam.

However, Arakan Rohingya Human Rights and Peace Society organizer Mohib Ullah said, "We want protection by the UN security force. The protection is needed not only during the repatriation process, but until we are completely resettled."

Rights defender Nur Khan Liton, who has been working in the Rohingya camps since Aug. 30, 2017, shared the view that the community lacks leadership and that tension persists over the repatriation process.

Under the verification process laid out by Myanmar, each Rohingya national must voluntarily declare their intent to be repatriated. The UNHCR also maintains that any repatriation must be based on each individual refugee's informed and voluntary decision.

"We want equal rights [in Myanmar] and we believe the Bangladesh government will understand our position," said Mohib, a refugee who was briefly detained, quizzed and released by law enforcement officials after helping to mobilize a campaign in Kutupalang camp advocating for safe repatriation.

Kalam, the refugee relief and repatriation commissioner, said the UN body would be engaged in the repatriation process "on time."

Last week, however, he said that there was no set timeframe for the repatriation as it was "an open-ended process."

Joint Effort on Data Collection

Bangladesh authorities signed a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations refugee agency on Jan. 26 agreeing to compile family-based bio-data collected from Rohingya refugees registered by the country's Home Affairs Ministry. The move is aimed at facilitating the repatriation process agreed between Dhaka and Naypyitaw on Nov. 23.

Multiple Bangladesh officials confirmed the signing of the MoU. Authorities are currently struggling to meet Myanmar's requirements for the repatriation of Rohingya refugees.

The UNHCR has been working to link data from a family counting operation with individual refugee bio-data collected by Bangladesh's Home Affairs Ministry to create a stronger database to improve the delivery of assistance to refugees.

The ministry has registered over 1 million displaced Rohingya from Myanmar since it started collecting individuals' data in mid-September. However, Myanmar has provided a new verification form that requires family details instead of the individual data collected by Bangladesh.

In addition, the Bangladesh government is drafting another MoU with the UNHCR that will involve the UN body in the entire repatriation process.

Muktadir Rashidis a Dhaka-based journalist contributing to The Irrawaddy.

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Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Urges Lawmakers to Treat Each Other as ‘Comrades’

Posted: 02 Feb 2018 01:20 AM PST

NAYPYITAW — State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi urged the country's executive, legislative and judicial branches to work together as comrades in the interests of the country during the 2nd anniversary of the NLD-led legislature on Thursday.

Speaking on the government's checks and balances, Myanmar's de facto civilian leader preached the merits of comradeship and advised against rivalry.

"When it comes to the interests of our country, there should never, ever be fighting between different groups or an unwillingness to cooperate.  Everyone should be able to cooperate with anyone for the interests of the country. All the citizens must be able to join hands," she said.

She also assured the military, or Tatmadaw, which is guaranteed 25 percent of the seats in Parliament by the military-drafted 2008 Constitution, of its role.

"When I say elected lawmakers, I am not excluding the Tatmadaw representatives. We must work together collaboratively," she said. "It is crucially important that all the lawmakers in Parliament treat each other as friends and comrades. Only then will they be able to effectively serve the interests of the country and the people."

She also expressed her dislike of the term "opposition." The opposition is not about opposing the ruling party, she said, adding instead that "opposition parties should join hands with [the ruling party], point out and criticize as necessary" for the sake of the country.

"You don't need to view parties and groups that are different from you as the enemy. The true democratic mindset is about being able to work together despite differences and different views, and about building unity based on diversity," she said.

Over the past two years, there has been an apparent lack of cooperation between civilian lawmakers and the Tatmadaw's representatives in the national legislature, and the ruling party should engage more actively with the Tatmadaw and ethnic minorities, said political analyst U Yan Myo Thein.

"The ruling party needs to heed the voices of the minority parties in Parliament, and it also needs to initiate open and intense debate with the Tatmadaw representatives in order to build an equilibrium in civil-military relations," he said.

He suggested that Parliament should form a parliamentary committee to smooth out civil-military relations.

Lawmaker U Sai Thiha Kyaw, of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, said NLD lawmakers do cooperate with their peers from other parties such as the Union Solidarity and Development Party and various ethnic parties in carrying out the work of parliamentary committees. But he said there was still a lack of cooperation when lawmakers from other parties submit proposals or ask questions in Parliament.

"If lawmakers from other parties submit a proposal, they don't usually get support. That is the case when we put forward bills. Maybe it is the policy of the ruling party. And we have not yet seen an opposition in Parliament that can objectively evaluate the policies of the government," said U Sai Thiha Kyaw.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi also stressed the importance of moral courage and unity in overcoming the challenges facing Myanmar.

"We aren't a very physically strong country. So it is critically important that we stand by our country with our mental strength in unity," she said. "If we stand united with great mental strength, we will be able to overcome any challenge."

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Reuters Reporters Accuse Police Witness of Falsely Testifying at Their Trial

Posted: 01 Feb 2018 11:14 PM PST

YANGON — Two Reuters reporters arrested for illegal possession of state secrets accused police of falsely testifying against them at their trial on Thursday.

On Thursday, the court heard testimony from prosecution witness Police Major Min Thant, the former chief of the Mingalardon Township Police Force, whom the two Reuters reporters claimed gave a false account of their arrest.

Meanwhile, the judge denied bail to Ko Wa Lone, 31, and Ko Kyaw Soe Oo, 27, saying that those charged under Article 3.1(b) of the Official Secrets Act are not eligible for bail.

The Official Secrets Act is a colonial-era law that dates back to 1923 and carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

"He said we were arrested by uniformed police. But those who arrested us were not wearing uniforms," Ko Wa Lone told reporters about the police witness's account of the moment he and Ko Kyaw Soe Oo were detained.

The pair was arrested on Dec. 12 after they had been invited to meet police officers for dinner in Yangon's Mingalardon Township. The reporters have told relatives they were seized almost immediately after being handed some documents at a restaurant by two policemen they had not met before.

"His account is different from what really happened," said Ko Kyaw Soe Oo, referring to the testimony of Pol. Major Min Thant.

Min Thant was transferred to the Dagon Township Police Force after the arrest of the two reporters, said defense lawyer U Than Zaw Aung.

A government document listing casualties, lost weapons and ammunition was submitted to the court as evidence.

The police witness acknowledged that the details in the documents found in the possession of the reporters when they were arrested had already been published in newspaper reports, said U Than Zaw Aung.

"[The government] had explained the details of the Maungdaw incident, including the casualties and lost weapons and ammunition to news media, and diplomats. The public already knew about it, so I don't think it was a secret," he said.

Police also gave a false account of the location where the reporters were arrested, and could not explain satisfactorily why they were there, said U Than Zaw Aung, adding that police must have had a pre-meditated plan to arrest the two.

The trial is scheduled to reconvene on Tuesday.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Are You OK, Aunty May? China Warms to UK Prime Minister

Posted: 01 Feb 2018 10:13 PM PST

SHANGHAI/BEIJING — British Prime Minister Theresa May landed in China earlier this week fending off questions about her future amid mounting accusations of poor leadership, boring policies, and weakness over Brexit.

By Friday the 61-year-old leader was basking in a warm reception from the leaders of the world's second-largest economy, while concerned Chinese citizens affectionately nicknamed her "Aunty May" and worried if her legs were warm enough in the Beijing cold.

"What's past is prologue," said President Xi Jinping during his one-to-one meeting with May, quoting British playwright William Shakespeare to signal his hopes for strengthening ties.

The three-day trade visit has seen May earn assurances from China that Brexit will not affect the country's enthusiasm for the so-called "golden era" of relations and a promise to open up Chinese markets to new British business.

While words will mean little if not backed up with action, and there are scant details about the headline announcement of 9 billion pounds of trade deals signed during the trip, the mood music for May’s visit pointed to a Chinese state seeking to rally support around her.

"Her political style is known for being pragmatic and strong and deft at decision making. She’s Britain’s Iron Lady," said the Hubei Daily, an official regional newspaper, referring to the nickname of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

There was no sign of a hangover from the 2016 diplomatic spat between the two nations caused by May’s decision to delay a part Chinese-funded nuclear plant over concerns about foreign investment in key British infrastructure.

"China really respects Britain," said the influential Global Times tabloid — the same newspaper that in 2013 dismissed Britain as "just an old European country apt for travel and study" in a scathing editorial during a visit by May's predecessor David Cameron, who had infuriated China by meeting the Dalai Lama.

One Chinese official remarked dryly to Reuters: "Nobody would call him Uncle Cameron."

Asked by Chinese state television about her new moniker — a common Chinese term of endearment for respected women — May said she was honored, and her officials were privately thrilled that the name had stuck.

By contrast, the front page of this week's Spectator, a British political magazine, reads "Lead or go" above a stark, unflattering cartoon of May, hunched and bow-legged.

Rival Suitors

But Britain is not the only state looking to woo China.

Last month France's energetic young President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Beijing with an attention-grabbing gift, a rare horse, although his tough words over Xi's signature plan to create a trillion-dollar modern-day Silk Road raised eyebrows.

Diplomatic sources say while China has expressed concern about Brexit, it has also been reassured by messages that Britain’s door is wide open to Chinese investment — a marked contrast to the suspicious reception Chinese companies have recently received in Germany.

May brought up awkward issues like democracy in Hong Kong, human rights and ethical concerns about Xi’s Belt and Road initiative, but was praised as "pragmatic" by the Global Times for not pressing the issue in public.

"For the prime minister, the losses outweigh the gains if she appeases the British media at the cost of the visit's friendly atmosphere," the paper wrote in an editorial on Friday.

On Chinese social media, concern about May's visit focused on less weighty issues, including whether her exposed legs were warm enough following publication of a photograph of her inside Beijing’s Forbidden City.

"Theresa, you really know how to stand up to the cold," wrote one of over 17,000 users to comment on her official Chinese-language Weibo account.

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Myanmar Tells UN Security Council: Time Not Right for Visit

Posted: 01 Feb 2018 09:06 PM PST

UNITED NATIONS — Myanmar told the United Nations Security Council not to visit during February this year because it was "not the right time," Kuwait's UN Ambassador Mansour Ayyad Al-Otaibi said on Thursday, adding that the country did not completely reject the proposed trip.

Nearly 690,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to neighboring Bangladesh since Aug. 25 last year after the Myanmar military cracked down on insurgents in Rakhine State.

The security forces have been accused by Rohingya witnesses and rights activists of carrying out killings, rapes and arson in Rakhine in a campaign senior officials in the United Nations and United States have described as ethnic cleansing. Myanmar rejects that label and has denied nearly all the allegations.

Al-Otaibi said he tried to organize a visit to Myanmar during Kuwait’s presidency of the Security Council in February.

"This visit will not happen in February. Other members of the council might organize such a visit at a later stage, maybe in March or April," Al-Otaibi said. "They did not reject it…. They just think this is not the right time for the visit."

"They are currently organizing a visit for the diplomatic corps in Myanmar to the Rakhine State. They also said that tensions are high in the Rakhine State at the moment. These were the reasons given to us by the Myanmar authorities," he said.

In November the 15-member Security Council urged the Myanmar government to stop the excessive use of military force in Rakhine State and expressed "grave concern over reports of human rights violations and abuses."

The statement by the council also called on the Myanmar government to give media organizations full and unhindered access throughout the country to ensure the safety and security of medial personnel.

Two Reuters reporters, Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27, were detained on Dec. 12 and accused of violating the country’s Official Secrets Act. They had worked on Reuters' coverage of the crisis in Rakhine State.

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Thailand Bans Smoking, Littering at Popular Tourist Beaches

Posted: 01 Feb 2018 08:59 PM PST

BANGKOK — Thailand banned smoking and littering at 24 beachside locations that are popular with tourists over environmental concerns on Thursday, the ministry of natural resources and environment said.

The Southeast Asian country has been a tourist magnet for decades, from its backpacker heyday in the early 1990s to its current popularity with tourists from mainland China. It expects to welcome a record 37.55 million tourists in 2018.

Environmental rights groups have urged successive governments to protect Thailand's palm-fringed beaches, which are frequently voted among the world's most beautiful, from unregulated development and littering, among other things.

A law that came into force on Thursday is aimed at tackling this problem, said Bannaruk Sermthong, a director at the Office of Marine and Coastal Resources Management.

"Starting today, smoking and cigarette-butt littering are prohibited on beach areas," Bannaruk told Reuters.

"Anyone who wants to smoke must do so in designated smoking areas, not on the beaches."

The law protects 24 beaches in 15 provinces located along the Andaman coast and the Gulf of Thailand.

Anyone who violates the law will be taken to a criminal court and could face up to one year in jail, or a fine of up to 100,000 baht ($3,190), or both.

Thailand has 357 beaches nationwide.

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US Says ‘Deeply Troubled’ by Reports of Myanmar Mass Graves

Posted: 01 Feb 2018 08:48 PM PST

WASHINGTON — The US State Department said on Thursday it was "deeply, deeply troubled" by new reports of mass graves in Myanmar's Rakhine State, where the military has been accused of atrocities against minority Rohingya Muslims.

The Associated Press reported earlier it had confirmed the existence of more than five previously unreported mass graves in the Myanmar village of Gu Dar Pyin, through interviews of survivors in refugee camps in Bangladesh and through time-stamped cellphone videos.

"We are deeply, deeply troubled by those reports of mass graves," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told a regular news briefing. "We are watching this very carefully. We remain focused on helping to ensure the accountability for those responsible for human rights abuses and violations."

Nauert said the reports highlighted the need for authorities in Myanmar to cooperate with an independent, credible investigation into allegations of atrocities in northern Rakhine state.

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