Friday, March 16, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

From ‘Beauty Queen’ to Beach Bum? Ngapali Loses its Sparkle

Posted: 16 Mar 2018 09:01 AM PDT

NGAPALI, Rakhine State — Daw Khin Myo Nwe, 48, can recall as a child spying the white sand of Ngapali beach, in southern Rakhine State’s Thandwe Township, rolling gently into the turquoise waters of the Bay of Bengal through the row of coconut trees separating the scene from the Mazin-Geiktaw road.

But that scene started to change quickly in late 2010, when developers began building upscale resorts along the beach, erecting brick walls blocking the view from the road and raising retaining walls along the shore to block the rainy-season waves that threatened to damage their properties.

On a recent visit to the beach, The Irrawaddy saw foot-high banks in the sand along the beach in several locations, which some blame on the retaining walls.

"Once, the landscape of the beach was almost like a horizontal floor and even if you went about 30 feet into the water it was about as deeps as your waist. Now, If you walk just four or five steps into the water it almost reaches your chest. I can't believe my eyes," said Daw Khin Myo Nwe.

She is not the only one who has noticed the change.

Loi Kham Pang, an ethnic Shan who recently visited Ngapali, said he noticed that the seafloor close to the beach was often uneven with large sandy bumps but smooth much further out.

U Chan Thar, the state’s social welfare minister and a native of Thandwe, was highly critical of the walls the hotels were building along the shore during a sustainable tourism meeting on Sunday in Ngapali joined by union Hotels and Tourism Minister U Ohn Maung and state Chief Minister U Nyi Pu.

He said Ngapali beach was not a rocky place when he was a child but now had many rocks below the surface of the water in several places.

"The retaining walls make the Ngapali shoreline ugly," U Chan Thar said.

While locals and officials blame the retaining walls for making the incline of the beach increasingly steep, some of the hotel owners blame it on villagers who dig up the beach sand.

"We clearly understand that the impact is huge. This issue must be resolved effectively," said May Myat Thu, managing director of the Jade Marina Resort.

Beachgoers pose for a selfie by a bank of sand on Ngapali beach. / Moe Myint / The Irrawaddy

A “Queen” Dethroned

In 2016, holidaymakers voted Ngapali the top destination in Asia in TripAdvisor’s Traveler's Choice Awards. It was named one of the top 10 beaches in the world and even dubbed a “beauty queen” by some fans.

Since then, however, it has fallen to third among 25 Asian beaches, drawing a variety of complaints. India's Agonda beach came out on time, followed by the Brocay seashore in Malaysia. Ngapali no longer even makes TripAdvisor’s list of the top 25 beaches in the world.

"Ngapali’s global ranking has declined, which is very upsetting to me. That's reality; we cannot deny it," said U Nyi Pu.

It's not clear how many travelers decided not to vote for Ngapali because of the Rohingya refugee crisis, which saw the military sweep through the state’s northern Maungdaw Township in late 2017 in what the UN has called a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing,” driving nearly 700,000 Rohingya to Bangladesh. Rights activists have called on the UN Security Council to refer Myanmar’s army chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, to the International Criminal Court.

During the weekend meeting in Ngapali, U Nyi Pu said the crisis had greatly impacted the entire nation and that he learned that some diplomats and visitors believed it was affecting the whole state. He said even Japan, Myanmar’s second largest loan provider, has labeled the country a dangerous place to visit.

"In fact it’s happening in a part of northern Rakhine State, not in the entire state. We have repeatedly explained this to them," he said.

State Planning and Finance Minister U Kyaw Aye Thein listed a litany of other troubles facing Ngapali, from expensive hotel rooms to poor beach maintenance, limited public spaces, an inadequate waste management system, tensions between the hotels and local fishermen, late-night parties, traffic accidents and summertime congestion.

"Dropping from top 10 to 25th place indicates that we are in a very critical situation. We have to tackle [the problem] to not fall further," he said.

During the meeting, the tourism minister repeatedly urged hoteliers and stakeholders to keep Ngapali pristine and law enforcement authorities to enforce the law. Myanmar Tourism Federation chairman U Yan Win also suggested heavy penalties for lawbreakers.

Rocks at low tide on Ngapali beach. / Moe Myint / The Irrawaddy

Well Connected

Some lodge owners complained that little had been done to improve the situation despite several stakeholder meetings over the years emphasizing law enforcement. Some blamed the developers’ powerful connections.

According to the Tourism Ministry’s Thandwe department, 35 local resorts and guesthouses are operating with tourism license. But at least a dozen are not. Documents show that the majority of high-end hotels in Ngapali are linked to relatives of the country’s former military dictators and senior army officers or to tycoons such as Edin U Chit Khine, AGD bank owner U Tay Za, and Fortune International owner U Mya Han. Almost all the resorts have built concrete walls on prime beachfront property.

For example, the new Pristine Mermaid Resort — owned by Nanda Aye, daughter of the previous military regime's vice chairman, Maung Aye — has been operating illegally without a permit since early this year. Many tons of beach sand were used to fill in much of the six-acre project in Mya Pyin village.

The Irrawaddy found that some villagers and hotels have been stealing the salty, white beach sand for construction. Along the road in Mazin-Geiktaw village, some hotels keep a large pile of the sand out front. Even Ngapali Bay — where the union minister and state chief minister stayed over the weekend — had a pile cover with tarpaulin.

Thandwe Municipal Committee chairman U Than Tun complained that none of the hoteliers apply to his office for construction permits to build their retaining walls even though the tourism minister officially instructed them to do so last year.

However, nearly all the beachfront hotels have already built retaining walls along the shore. But whenever tourists complain, the chairman said, the businesses simply blame villagers for digging up the beach sand.

"The lack of the rule of law in the region is the main reason why Ngapali beach is being spoiled," he said.

A retaining wall in front of the Merciel and Hilton Hotel on Ngapali beach. / Moe Myint / The Irrawaddy

Unlawful Construction

U Ohn Maung has instructed hoteliers to secure permits from the municipal board before building retaining walls. And though municipal law allows for such walls to be no more than one foot above the sand, some of the walls stretch six feet and up.

"In my opinion, the hotels’ beachfront retaining walls should not exist," said U Than Tun, pointedly accusing some of the hotels of digging up beach sand themselves.

According to the Tourism Ministry’s guidelines on coastal beach resort areas, construction sites must be 50 meters back from the high-tide mark, avoid building walls or fences that block views of the beach, and not use beach sand.

Hotel Paradise, a public-private venture involving the Civil Aviation Department, appears to have violated all three rules but has secured a tourism license regardless.

Despite the municipal committee chairman’s tough words, however, the weekend meeting on sustainable tourism came to a close without any orders or instructions being issued. The Irrawaddy tried to ask U Ohn Maung about the concerns that were raised, but government employees blocked the reporter’s path.

Local government officials and guesthouse owners told The Irrawaddy it would be “impossible” to get the hotels to tear down their walls.

“Because of power and money,” said Daw Khin Myo Nwe, who owns the Kyaw Ngapali Lodge. “For instance, Pristine Mermaid has very strong backing. They have a brother and sister relationship. So whatever we demand, there is no result."

Ngapali Paradise Hotel, located well within 50 meters of the high tide mark, where development is prohibited by law. / Moe Myint / The Irrawaddy

A Better Way

In the US, a government report on shoreline stabilization by New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation says that vertical retaining walls are not recommended to block tides and waves because they can reflect wave energy rather than dissipate it. The report recommends softer stabilization approaches such as placing rocks along the shore to reduce wave velocity.

U Maung Maung Aye, a river morphologist and chief adviser at the Myanmar Environment Institute, said that on a river a retaining wall can, by disrupting the waves, alter the slope of the riverbed over time.

"When the river [bed] becomes steep, the river starts the process of erosion instead of deposition," he said.

Considering what was happening at Ngapali beach, he said. "I think the retaining walls are one of the causes in this case."

But he added that it was difficult to tell how much other factors were also playing a part and recommended that geomorphologists and coastal experts collaborate with the nearest university on a research project to find out.

The post From ‘Beauty Queen’ to Beach Bum? Ngapali Loses its Sparkle appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Cycling a Great Way to See Nyaung Shwe

Posted: 16 Mar 2018 08:25 AM PDT

Nyaung Shwe is the main access point to Inle Lake and the most popular place for tourists to stay.

Hotels in Nyaung Shwe are cheaper than those built on Inle Lake and the township has many good restaurants and bars.

Many people use bicycles as transportation to nearby spots. Cycling is made easy by Nyaung Shwe's paved and mostly flat roads.

When I visited Inle Lake, I cycled around Nyaung Shwe and went to a nearby winery at sunset after taking a boat tour on the lake on my first day.

Some hotels provide free bicycles for their guests. If yours doesn't, don't worry — there are many bike rental shops in Nyaung Shwe, with fees of 3,000 to 5,000 kyats.

A bicycle rental shop in Nyaung Shwe/ Zaw Zaw/ The Irrawaddy

Myanmar has many tourist attractions, but few can be explored on a bicycle. So this is a rare opportunity and a nice way to experience the life of the local communities around Inle Lake.

My friend and I left our hotel at around 3pm, with plans to cycle to two destinations: the Red Mountain Estate Winery and the Coffee House.

The weather never really gets that cold, but between 11am and 3pm it's quite hot. So the best time for biking is in the morning and after 3pm, when the sun isn't so hot and the ride is more pleasant.

The sweeping view of the lake from Red Mountain Estate Winery/ Zaw Zaw/ The Irrawaddy

It takes about 45 minutes to get the Red Mountain Winery from Nyaung Shwe; all you need to bring is water and a camera.

On the way, you can stop at some interesting places to take photographs and the road is really nice, with a lovely view.

Very soon, we reached the sign for the winery and turned left onto the entrance road. This is a fairly long, dusty stretch of road.

We found ourselves on a plateau facing a mountain. It was too steep to ride up so we got off and pushed our bikes all the way to the entrance. We passed the vineyard and came across more beautiful scenery.

The winery has two main buildings; one is for wine tasting and the other is a restaurant where you can order wine and snacks. The outdoor area is the best place from which to take in the sunset.

At our backs was pretty Shan Hill, and before us was the panoramic view across the vineyard to Inle Lake. It was a pretty cool sight.

Visitors chill outside of the winery./ Zaw Zaw/ The Irrawaddy

Red Mountain's wines are made from their locally grown grapes. Wine tasting is 5,000 kyats until 6pm, including 4 glasses of red and/or white wine.

While the wine was too dry for my taste — maybe I just picked the wrong one to taste — the visit was still worth it, as we spent time wandering around the vineyard and watching the sunset amid beautiful surroundings.

Sunset is the best time to go, but the winery does get a little crowded at this time. So, when visiting Inle, Red Mountain is a must-see place for a beautiful sunset moment.

Locally grown grapes from the vineyard at Red Mountain/ Zaw Zaw/ The Irrawaddy

However, we didn't have enough time to watch the sun go down. Leaving the winery, we continued on to the Coffee House by Pleasant Garden near the Inle Horse Club. It takes about 45 minutes to get there from Red Mountain Winery.

We were hot and sweaty by the time we got there, but riding turned the journey into an adventure.

After another long and dusty ride, we reached the entrance of the coffee shop. This nice, quiet, private coffee house is built in the middle of a garden.

Even that area is dusty; we chose to sit outside and ordered a couple of strawberry juices and snacks.

Coffee House by the Pleasant Garden/ Zaw Zaw/ The Irrawaddy

Its nice to sit and drink a juice, with the view of nature and the mountains, which never fail to relax me. The scenery is stunning — the juice is good, too.

Sunset is just as beautiful from this place, but this shop is less crowded as it's less well known and a little harder to reach than Red Mountain.

It was getting dark and our bicycling tour was over. We headed back to Nyaung Shwe, which only took 30 minutes.

When you're visiting Inle, this bike tour around Nyaung Shwe is a must, after you've done a boat trip on the lake. I'm sure you won't regret it.

The post Cycling a Great Way to See Nyaung Shwe appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Tatmadaw Offensive Forces KIA Battalion to Abandon Base in Tanai

Posted: 16 Mar 2018 05:10 AM PDT

The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) has withdrawn its Battalion 14 from its base in a mining area in Tanai Township amid a renewed offensive against it by the Myanmar Army (Tatmadaw), according to local sources.

"We have withdrawn because the Tatmadaw keeps attacking the location. They attacked with a large force," KIA spokesman Colonel Naw Bu told The Irrawaddy today.

Battalion 14 withdrew from its permanent base last week, though some of its units continue to patrol the area.

"As a rebel force, it is difficult to maintain our battalions in permanent locations. In fact, it is not always our policy to defend bases at all costs; depending on the situation, we can withdraw a battalion to another area," he said.

The Myanmar Army launched its second offensive on KIA-controlled areas this year starting in the first week of March. During the first attack, launched in January, it seized some mining areas in Tanai from the KIA.

According to the KIA, the withdrawal is not a defeat, but a strategic retreat that will allow it to prepare an attack.

The Myanmar Army continues to base itself in mining areas, according to local sources, but KIA troops also remain active in these areas, leading to occasional clashes.

The Tatmadaw has ordered the KIA to withdraw its battalions 12, 14, and 24 from Tanai and Mansi townships, but the KIA has refused.

It has not reached Battalion 14 yet, but KIA troops have already destroyed their base, according to the KIA.

The Tatmadaw launched a major offensive against KIA-controlled areas in Kachin, and TNLA areas in northern Shan. Clashes are frequent between the Myanmar Army and the ethnic armed forces. The KIA has not signed the NCA yet.

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Sick Reuters Journalist Still Waiting For Proper Medical Care

Posted: 16 Mar 2018 04:15 AM PDT

MANDALAY — Permission for one of two detained Reuters journalists to receive treatment for jaundice and other medical conditions at a hospital outside of Insein prison has yet to be granted more than a week after his family requested it.

Ko Kyaw Soe Oo, 27, is in such bad health that his worried family asked the prison authorities to allow him to undergo a medical examination and receive proper treatment at an outside hospital.

"He is weak and has suffered from jaundice for about 20 days. His doctor said his liver is affected and gave him some medicine," Ma Nyo Nyo Aye, sister of Ko Kyaw Soe Oo told The Irrawaddy.

According to his relatives, Ko Kyaw Soe Oo was able to have a brief medical checkup during a court hearing on Wednesday. However, the limited amount of time meant the doctor could not give him a proper examination.

"His office arranged the doctor, but he had very little time. We want to do more tests and get proper treatment for him. Moreover, the prison authorities only allowed him to take certain medicines with him and in a limited amount," Ma Nyo Nyo Aye said. "We are worried that he will not recover because he did not receive the full dosage of the drugs the doctor gave him."

The family said they requested permission a week ago for Ko Kyaw Soe Oo to be sent to an outside hospital, however, the prison authorities have yet to respond to them.

"Everyone knows the healthcare in the prison is not perfect and sanitation and hygiene are not good. We are worried for our brother's health. He has no history of hepatitis but we are worried that he will be infected in the prison," Ma Nyo Nyo Aye said.

The journalist's lawyers said they are trying to push the prison authorities to provide proper healthcare to him.

Ko Kyaw Soe Oo and Wa Lone were arrested on Dec. 12 by plainclothes officers after being handed some papers by a policeman. They stand accused of possessing confidential government papers and have been charged under the colonial-era Official Secrets Act. They are facing a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison for the alleged crime.

The post Sick Reuters Journalist Still Waiting For Proper Medical Care appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

USDP Complains of ‘Democratic Bullying’

Posted: 16 Mar 2018 03:13 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW — The opposition Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) said on Thursday that it has been subject to "democratic bullying" by the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party.

U Pike Htwe, secretary of the USDP central executive committee, claimed that the NLD-dominated Parliament has restricted the USDP's parliamentary actions and also turned a deaf ear to the opposition party's recommendations.

"This has raised the question of whether Parliament is ignoring the needs of people today because of partisanship, personality cults and egoism," said U Pike Htwe, at a USDP press conference on Thursday.

"To put it simply, it is democratic bullying," remarked U Pike Htwe, referring to the fact that the legislature is dominated by the NLD.

This is not the first time that the USDP has used this term. In April 2016, both the then-ruling USDP and the military bloc cried "democratic bullying" when the Lower House passed the 'State Counselor Bill' which gave NLD chairperson Daw Aung San Suu Kyi a position 'above the president' as she was barred by the military-drafted 2008 Constitution from the presidency.

Military lawmakers claimed that the bill was unconstitutional, and they boycotted the proceedings by refusing to cast ballots during the session.

The press conference on Thursday was attended by senior members U Pike Htwe, U Hla Thein, Dr. Nanda Hla Myint, Dr. Pwint Hsan and U Thein Tun, all of who criticized the actions of the NLD-led government.

"Our party's attempts to ask questions about the interests of the country and citizens were restricted [by the NLD] in Parliament for various reasons. Our proposals were also rejected by vote because of their numerical superiority in Parliament," said U Pike Htwe.

He called Parliament "unreliable" and said that the negligence of the NLD-led government had led to economic decline, hardship for the poor, an increase in crimes, and worsened problems in northern Rakhine State.

"In fact, it is they who have bullied since they staged a coup," said Monywa Aung Shin, a spokesperson of the NLD, referring to the military coup in 1988.

"It is quite funny that they say we bully them. Who was really bullied?" he asked.

He said there is no 'bullying' in a democracy. "Democracy is about the minority yielding to the majority, and the majority respecting the minority," he said.

Though the NLD said time and again while it was still the opposition that there should not be state-run media, the party is now using it as a propaganda tool, said U Pike Htwe, who served as deputy information minister under U Thein Sein's government.

He referred to the speeches of State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi aired and published on state-owned television and newspapers just before the by-election in April 2017.

"They don't report the news that the public should be informed about. And they say different things in Myanmar and English language papers. This is real cause for concern," said U Pike Htwe.

"It is time the media pointed out what the government, which called itself a democratic government together with the people, is doing today," he said.

Unlike the NLD, the USDP organized stakeholder meetings between the government, Parliament, Tatmadaw and ethnic groups as well as meetings with other political parties from time to time under former President U Thein Sein's government, he added.

"The USDP set aside differences and cooperated with other parties for the interest of the country," he said.

"We presented recommendations to the president [U Htin Kyaw, to hold such meetings]. But, we are sorry that he has not made any reply," U Pike Htwe said.

The USDP's membership has increased by 30,000 since 2015, and the party now boasts a membership of more than 5 million across the country, said Dr. Nanda Hla Myint.

However, he declined to answer The Irrawaddy's questions about the party's financial sources. "The economy of our party is its internal affair. No party will tell what it does [for financing]," he said.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post USDP Complains of 'Democratic Bullying' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Myanmar Human Rights Defenders Honored by EU

Posted: 16 Mar 2018 03:07 AM PDT

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — "One of the growing difficulties these days is intolerance and hostility toward different races and nationalities being cultivated as a political weapon—a very potent as well as very dangerous political weapon I would say," said Ko Swe Win, the editor-in-chief of Myanmar Now.

He is one of three human rights defenders along with Cheery Zahau and Daw Khin Than Htwe who received this year's Schuman Award for Human Rights from The European Union in Myanmar on Thursday.

Ko Swe Win said [in his speech], "Only the promotion of human rights can help us contain this deplorable trend. It's also quite important that we should not get too obsessed with different identities we grow up within our different geographical locations. Whether we identify ourselves as European or Indian or Christian or Buddhist, we should not forget that we all belong to the same human family."

The EU's Schuman Award—named after former French Foreign Minister and one of the founding fathers of the European Union Robert Schuman—was established last year to recognize Myanmar citizens who are agents of change in their community. Last year's recipients were U Aung Myo Min of Equality Myanmar, Janan Lahtaw of the Nyein (Shalom) Foundation and U Ko Ni, the slain lawyer of the National League for Democracy.

EU ambassador Kristian Schmidt said in his opening remarks at the award ceremony on Thursday night: "This year, we are proud to honor three Myanmar activists with the Schuman Award. They are the winners, but to all the activists, let me say this, activists and journalists fighting for human rights and freedom of expression are the backbone of democracy."

He added, "We need that courage, your courage, to hold government accountable."

Ambassadors from Germany, France and Denmark presented the medals to the recipients.

Civil society groups and the press in Myanmar have been active agents of change in Myanmar's democratization process, which started under the former President U Thein Sein eight years ago. However, freedom of expression, the right to information and the right to be protected still remained challenged in the country.

Daw Khin Than Htwe, Cheery Zahau and Ko Swe Win (front row, L to R) with the European Union ambassadors in Myanmar at the awards reception ceremony in Yangon on Mar. 15, 2018. /European Union in Myanmar / Facebook

The awardees emphasized that widespread human rights violations and safety for human rights defenders are still issues in the country, and highlighted that various difficulties faced by Myanmar and other countries stem from an absence of genuine democracy and human rights values.

A former political prisoner who spent seven years in prison under the military regime, Ko Swe Win fights for press freedom and challenges wrongdoing in society.

"We are still unprotected under the law, as Myanmar does not have a healthy political system which hinders the improvement of the judiciary," Ko Swe Win told The Irrawaddy.

His work revealing the abuse of domestic workers at the Ava tailor shop in 2016 raised public attention and brought justice to the victims.

But because of his fight to defend human rights, he has been sued by a follower of the banned nationalist group Ma Ba Tha over an article posted on Facebook that criticized ultranationalist monk U Wirathu.

Cheery Zahau, who has been a human rights advocate for 20 years, is the founder of the Women's League of Chinland and promotes gender equality and the empowerment of women through trainings that challenge patriarchal stereotypes. The ethnic Chin woman is also the recipient of the UNDP N'Peace award for 2017.

"We are in a very squeezed political environment and there are fewer and fewer of us," Cheery Zahau said in her speech regarding the work of the human rights activists, adding, "We need encouragement from all of you."

The human rights defender added, "I still strongly believe when human rights norms and standards are institutionalized in our political institutions, in our economic policies and programs, and in our social affairs; democracy will foster, prosperity will come and peace will be sustained."

Another woman honored for her commitment to the advancement of women was Daw Khin Than Htwe. She is the chair of local civil society organization (CSO) Mon State Women and Children Upgrade Conduct Team in Moulmein, Mon State.

She helps trafficking victims, women facing domestic violence, and child victims of rape. She also empowers women through human rights and rule of law trainings in the communities and advocated for legal protections for women.

Daw Khin Than Htwe said that the award proved that if CSOs worked for their communities, the world would recognize their efforts, adding that the recognition gave her the confidence and strength to continue her mission.

The post Myanmar Human Rights Defenders Honored by EU appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Parliament Ponders Japanese Loan to Continue Railway Upgrades

Posted: 16 Mar 2018 03:02 AM PDT

YANGON — The Ministry of Transport and Communications on Thursday sought approval from Parliament for a 56.622 billion yen ($536 million) loan to continue upgrading the country's rail system.

The loan would be used to buy locomotives, carriages and sleepers and to improve the signal and control system, Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications U Tha Oo told Parliament.

He said the ministry borrowed 20 billion yen from Japan in September 2014 and another 25 billion yen in March 2017 to improve the rail network.

The ministry has been upgrading the Yangon-Mandalay rail line with the two earlier loans — the 267 km Yangon-Toungoo section in Phase 1 and the 354 km Toungoo-Mandalay section in Phase 2, which is scheduled to be completed in 2020.

The upgrades will reduce travel times as trains will be able to run at a speed of 100 km per hour. Trains currently run at 64 km per hour, the deputy minister said.

"Currently it takes around 15 hours from Yangon to Mandalay, and the deputy minister said upgrading the railroad was estimated to reduce the travel time to eight hours. If so, I support taking the loan because it will improve commodity flow," lawmaker U Thant Zin Tun, of Naypyitaw’s Dekkhinathiri Township, told The Irrawaddy.

Myanma Railways is also upgrading the Yangon circle line with financial support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Of the more than 400 locomotives operated by Myanma Railways, nearly half are past their service life and a quarter of the roughly 1,200 carriages in operation are in poor condition.

On Thursday, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation also sought approval from Parliament for a 30.469 billion yen loan from JICA.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

 

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Irrawaddy Govt to Pay For Local Chin National Day Celebrations

Posted: 15 Mar 2018 11:54 PM PDT

PATHEIN, Irrawaddy Region — The Irrawaddy Region government will fund the celebration of Chin National Day, which has been held in the region since 2012, in the coming 2018-19 fiscal year.

Region Planning and Finance Minister U Htay Win made the announcement in response to a question from lawmaker U Htein Win, Kyaunggon Township, during a session of the regional Parliament on Wednesday.

"We will set up a fund in our 2018-19 fiscal year budget in line with Article 13 of the Ethnic Rights Protection Law in order to promote the literature, language and culture of Chin ethnic people," U Htay Win said.

Article 13 states that region or state governments shall establish funds in their annual budgets to address ethnic interests.

Since 2012, Chin National Day has been celebrated alternately in Kyangin and Myanaung townships in Irrawaddy Region. The 70th anniversary of Chin National Day was held as a regionwide event for the first time in the region’s capital, Pathein, on Feb. 20 this year with donations from the Irrawaddy government and Parliament, Chin residents and other individuals.

"We celebrated Chin National Day out of our own pockets in Irrawaddy Region with difficulty. We are glad that the region government will officially allocate funds for future celebrations. We are grateful to it," Salai Myat Thu, patron of the committee organizing Chin National Day, told The Irrawaddy.

The region’s ethnic Chin live mainly in Kyangin, Myanaung, Ingapu and Ngapudaw townships and less so in Maubin, Myaungmya, Labutta, Pathein and other areas, totaling more than 20,000 people, according to the committee.

On Feb. 20, 1948, more than 5,000 Chin delegates gathered in Chin State's Falam Township and agreed to abolish their hereditary feudal system of administration. Since then, the day has been celebrated as Chin National Day.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Tibet Can Exist With China Like ‘European Union’: Dalai Lama

Posted: 15 Mar 2018 10:42 PM PDT

BEIJING — Tibet can exist within China in the same spirit as the European Union sticks together, the territory’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, considered a dangerous separatist by Beijing, said.

The Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 after an abortive uprising against Chinese rule and set up a government in exile in the foothills of Dharamsala. Chinese troops had seized control of Tibet nine years earlier.

He says he only seeks autonomy for his homeland, not outright independence. He has also expressed a desire to return to Tibet.

“I always, you see, admire the spirit of [the] European Union,” the Dalai Lama said in a video message to the International Campaign for Tibet on the Washington DC-based group’s 30th anniversary on Thursday.

“Common interest [is] more important rather than one’s own national interest. With that kind of concept, I am very much willing to remain within the People’s Republic of China. The Chinese word, ‘gongheguo’ [republic], shows some kind of union is there.”

China says Tibet in an integral part of its territory and has been for centuries. Beijing also says its rule ended serfdom and brought prosperity to what was a backward region, and that it fully respects the rights of the Tibetan people.

Beijing insists that the Dalai Lama is a “splittist” in a monk’s robes and has warned foreign leaders against meeting him, even in a personal capacity.

Donald Trump has not met with the Dalai Lama since become president in January last year. All recent US presidents before Trump had held meetings with the Dalai Lama.

While the Dalai Lama reiterated his desire for reconciliation as Xi Jinping begins his second five-year term as China’s president, he also said the Tibetan issue was not about to go away.

“Among the Chinese hardliners, in their mind, it seems some kind of dilemma is there about their present policy — whether, you see, it can solve Tibetan problem or not,” he said.

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Australia to Raise Rights Concerns with Myanmar, Cambodia at ASEAN Summit

Posted: 15 Mar 2018 10:21 PM PDT

SYDNEY — Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said she will raise human rights concerns with Myanmar and Cambodian leaders during a three-day summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that begins in Sydney on Friday.

Australia is hosting the special meeting, despite not being a member of the 10-nation bloc, as it seeks to tighten political and trade ties in the region amid China’s rising influence.

Bishop said that Australia would “very seriously” consider any formal invitation to join the grouping, a move advocated by Indonesian President Joko Widodo.

Asked whether the meeting was a direct counter to China’s growing interest in the region, Bishop said Australia believed the bloc brought it “peace, stability and security."

“We don’t see it as having a role to balance the powers in the Indo-Pacific but rather be at the heart of the engagement collaboration with other countries,” she told Australian Broadcasting Corp radio ahead of the opening of the summit.

China claims most of the South China Sea, an important trade route and which is believed to contain large quantities of oil and natural gas, and has been building artificial islands on reefs, some with ports and air strips. Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, all of which are members of ASEAN, and Taiwan also have claims in the sea.

The inclusion of Myanmar leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen in the meeting has drawn criticism, and large protests are planned against both.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is under pressure to publicly condemn the deaths and expulsion of thousands of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar’s Rakhine State in recent months.

“It is in our interest to engage all ASEAN members including Aung San Suu Kyi at this summit because it gives us the best chance of influencing outcomes and making our concerns known, so these are matters that we would be discussing with the Myanmar delegation,” Bishop said.

Hun Sen, meanwhile, stirred anger in the local Cambodian expat community when he warned potential protesters against burning effigies of him in Sydney, saying: “I will follow you all the way to your doorstep and beat you right there … I can use violence against you.”

Asked about the threat, Bishop said Australia was “certainly going to raise our concerns with the Cambodian delegation.”

Officially, the summit will focus on fostering closer economic ties among the 10 members of ASEAN and Australia, and countering the threat of Islamist militants returning to the region from the Middle East.

The post Australia to Raise Rights Concerns with Myanmar, Cambodia at ASEAN Summit appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Infested Chinese Garlic Imports Kick Up a Stink in Indonesia

Posted: 15 Mar 2018 10:16 PM PDT

JAKARTA — Indonesia has impounded more than 200 tons of garlic imported from China, warning that a microscopic worm infestation found in the shipment could put at risk plans by the Southeast Asian country to boost its own garlic crop.

Since coming to power in 2014, Indonesian President Joko Widodo has pursued self-sufficiency policies to protect farmers, but efforts to rely on domestic supplies of everything from beef to rice have at times caused shortages and price spikes.

Chinese food imports have previously proved sensitive in Indonesia. In 2016, Beijing’s embassy in Jakarta expressed alarm at media reports accusing China of using a "biological weapon" against Indonesia, after four Chinese nationals were arrested for planting imported chili seeds contaminated with a bacteria.

The 232 tons of garlic were imported from China in mid-February and after arriving at Jakarta’s port were shipped to the island of Sumatra, the country’s Agriculture Ministry said.

This could be “very damaging to our garlic farming when we are trying to achieve self-sufficiency,” the ministry said in a statement on March 12.

Despite being certified as free of pests in China, samples of the shipment contained ditylenchus dipsaci, a microscopic worm that infects onions and garlic, the ministry said.

The nematology department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln describes the worm as “one of the most devastating plant parasitic nematodes.”

When quarantine officials reported the discovery to the importer, the garlic had already been sent to North Sumatra, the agriculture ministry said.

The controversy even stirred a heated debate in parliament this week when a member of President Widodo’s ruling party called for a police investigation.

Soetrisno, the chief executive officer of PT Tunas Sumber Rejeki, the company that imported the garlic, could not immediately be reached for comment.

The Chinese embassy in Jakarta declined to comment.

The garlic is currently being stored at a warehouse in Belawan Port, Sumatra, that has been sealed by police and the quarantine agency.

Banun Harpini, the head of quarantine at the agriculture ministry, said on Wednesday the importer would be blacklisted. It was not immediately clear what other penalties would be levied.

Indonesia plans to be self sufficient in garlic in 2019 by increasing the growing area for the crop by more than 70,000 hectares (173,000 acres), but this may be an ambitious target since last year the country imported 434,000 tons of garlic, more than ten times the amount grown domestically.

This year, the agriculture ministry expects 392,000 tons will be imported, mostly from China and India.

The post Infested Chinese Garlic Imports Kick Up a Stink in Indonesia appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Accused Gunman in U Ko Ni Case Appears In Court After Completing Immigration Sentence

Posted: 15 Mar 2018 09:53 PM PDT

Yangon—Kyi Lin, the accused assassin of U Ko Ni, a constitutional lawyer and legal adviser to the ruling National League for Democracy party, appeared at the Yangon North District Court on Thursday having completed his sentence for violation of the Immigration Act. He was noticeably wearing normal clothes and not prison garb.

Kyi Lin, who is accused of fatally shooting U Ko Ni outside Yangon International Airport in January 2017, was sentenced to one year in prison on Aug. 30, 2017 by Mingalardon Township Court for breaching Article 13 (a) of the Immigration Act.

The reason for his early release is not clear, but it appears to be for good behavior in prison.

Kyi Lin officially left Myanmar for Thailand's Mae Sot through the Myawaddy border gate with a border pass on Sept. 15, 2016, but returned to the country via an illegal route and was subsequently charged under the Immigration Act.

He was also charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code for killing U Ko Ni and fatally shooting taxi driver U Ne Win, as well as under the 1878 Arms Act for illegal possession of a firearm.

Police detained four suspects in connection with the crime: Kyi Lin and three alleged co-conspirators, Zeya Phyo, Aung Win Zaw and Aung Win Tun.

After nearly a year of preliminary hearings, the court charged Aung Win Tun under the Penal Code's Article 212, which prohibits harboring an offender, but allowed him to stand trial on bail last month after he deposited 50 million kyats (about US$37,300) as a surety for his release from custody. The other three suspects were indicted for premeditated murder, which carries a life sentence.

The man accused of masterminding the murder, former Lieutenant-Colonel Aung Win Khaing, remains at large. The court also ordered the confiscation of Aung Win Khaing's movable and immovable assets under the Criminal Procedure's Article 88.

The post Accused Gunman in U Ko Ni Case Appears In Court After Completing Immigration Sentence appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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