Monday, May 14, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

7 Men Including Army Captain Arrested Over Alleged Rape of Businesswoman

Posted: 14 May 2018 07:30 AM PDT

Seven men including an army captain and a local official were arrested on Saturday on charges of detaining and raping a woman after she and her husband failed to pay back a business loan, according to police in Kyauk Tan Township, Yangon Region.

Two of the men, who allegedly committed the sexual assault, are still being detained, while four of the others, who were accused of taking part in the abduction, were granted bail. The charges against the army officer were transferred to military jurisdiction.

The victim filed the charges at Kyauk Tan police station on May 12.

"They had a business dispute involving the purchase of old houses. The victim's family could not pay back a debt," said Police Colonel Aung Myo Latt, from Kyauk Tan Township police station.

According to police, the 27-year-old woman and her husband went into hiding after they could not repay the borrowed money, which totaled 35 million kyat. The seven men allegedly detained the couple after finding them in South Dagon Division.

"They did not know how to solve this problem. When the couple could not pay back the money, they took the couple away," the police officer said.

According to the charges filed by the woman, two of the men raped her, while the other five assisted in the abduction. They also beat her and her husband. She was allegedly raped at two separate locations: once on the street after group had taken her away by car, and then again at a house where she was held in Hlaing Thar Yar Township, according to her complaint.

Police Col. Aung Myo Latt said police would need to further investigate the charges.

A court in Kyauk Tan Township today granted bail to four of the men, and ordered the other two be held. Police said the charges against the Army captain would be handled by the military.

"We detained the two men who allegedly raped her. We laid charges against the other men who got bail," said Colonel Aung Myo Latt.

The post 7 Men Including Army Captain Arrested Over Alleged Rape of Businesswoman appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Police Incompetence on Full Display at Anti-War Protest

Posted: 14 May 2018 05:28 AM PDT

When it comes to crowd control, the Myanmar Police Force can only be described as hopeless. Examples abound: Take the way they handled the student protests against an unpopular education bill in Letpadan in 2015, or the outpouring of anger by local people at the government's last-minute ban on a public event in Mrauk U early this year. Both ended in bloodshed and deaths.

Over the weekend, the police's incompetence was on full display yet again.

Saturday's anti-war protest in Yangon was supposed to be a peaceful one. Activists gathered to demand an end to fighting between government forces and ethnic armed groups in Kachin State. When police told the protesters that they were assembling in a prohibited area, the organizers agreed to disband. The situation rapidly spun out of control, however, when riot police forcibly dispersed the protesters, aided by a group of unidentified, self-described "citizens". These thugs attacked the protesters right before the eyes of law enforcement officials, who did nothing to stop them.

Unchecked attacks on people right in front of the police is a sign of total lawlessness.

We ask the authorities: Who were those self-proclaimed "citizens" and why did the police officers present turn a blind eye when they attacked? Apart from physically attacking the activists, these anonymous people cursed and threatened members of the media who were there to cover the protest. Again, the police simply ignored it.

An anti-war protest organizer (center) is grabbed by two unidentified, self-described 'citizens' as police look on. (Photo: Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy) 

It is clear from Facebook Live feeds broadcast from the scene, as well as reports from journalists on the ground, that among these thuggish "citizens" were some familiar faces who have in recent years been active at nationalist and pro-military activities demanding that the government step down for failing to protect race and religion, and supporting military campaigns in Rakhine State.

Shortly before the police crackdown began on Saturday, members of this group could be heard shouting "Kill them! Beat them! Let us in!" from behind columns of riot police, while the peace activists were in the process of negotiating the end of their protest. The police neither warned the protesters they were in danger, nor made any effort to stop their attackers.

Why do these thugs enjoy such impunity? Why did the police stand by and let all hell break loose? Did the police just decide to turn a blind eye because they were pro-military activists who were "countering" the anti-war protest?

(The Myanmar Police Force is administered by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The minister, Lieutenant-General Kyaw Swe, is a military appointee.)

The joint participation of civilians and police officers in Saturday's crackdown on a peaceful protest is a grim reminder of the Swan Arr Shin, the popular name for state-sponsored thugs recruited to help crush democratic forces  under previous military regimes.

Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was herself the victim of one of their attacks, the Depayin Massacre in 2003. When Buddhist monks took to the streets during the Saffron Revolution in September 2007, Swan Arr Shin were deployed along with security forces to beat and kick the monks into trucks before they were hauled off to interrogation centers.

The negligence displayed by police during Saturday's crackdown is an embarrassment for the National League for Democracy-led government. Despite the NLD's repeated vow to enhance the rule of law in the country, its law enforcement services simply turned a blind eye as thugs kicked peaceful anti-war protesters and threatened journalists on Saturday.

The government must take this issue very seriously. The Yangon Regional Government has a responsibility to explain to the public what caused the police to mishandle Saturday's protest. If needed, the home affairs minister should be summoned to explain the incident to Parliament. We want a police force that serves the people. The negligence they displayed during Saturday's crackdown shows the police are still far from living up to their official name: Pyithu Ye, meaning "police for the people."

The post Police Incompetence on Full Display at Anti-War Protest appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Starbucks to Open First Myanmar Location

Posted: 14 May 2018 04:49 AM PDT

Starbucks will open its first coffee shop in Myanmar at the Sule Square Mall in downtown Yangon.

The Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) officially endorsed the service provider Coffee Concepts Myanmar Limited (CCM) to be the sole operator for catering and sales of Starbucks food and beverages; sales of Starbucks brand products, and the operation of Starbucks stores, at its meeting in Yangon on May 12. CCM was registered with the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration in December 2017.

Starbucks has been eyeing investment in Myanmar since 2013. In May 2013, former CEO of Starbucks Howard Schultz (he stepped down to executive chairman in April 2017) told reporters in Bangkok that Myanmar was a country that the company had targeted for expansion.

A spokesman from Starbucks Coffee Myanmar said that following Sule Square, the company expects to expand to up to 10 places within 18 months of the initial opening.

U Ye Myint, the chairman of the Myanmar Coffee Association, said the group welcomes the Starbucks franchise and hopes it will help boost coffee culture in the country and benefit coffee farmers.

Starbucks, which was founded in 1971, has opened some 28,000 stores in 77 markets around the world, including locations in Asia in Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

U Ye Myint said he hopes the US-based coffee chain will bring opportunity to Myanmar coffee farmers as it spreads around the country.

"It will also help boost tourism if Starbucks opens in tourist cities," he said.

"We could also introduce our Myanmar brands to Starbucks. We hope for a positive impact and job opportunities for locals as coffee plantations expand in the future," he told The Irrawaddy.

The Starbucks Coffee Myanmar spokesman added that the company was excited to bring its high-quality products to Myanmar, but that it would like to work with other local brands as well.

Starbucks has opened nine farmer support centers to improve quality of profitability of farmers in its supply chain. It opened one in North Sumatra, Indonesia in 2015.

The post Starbucks to Open First Myanmar Location appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Anti-Corruption Commission Allegedly Investigates Union Minister

Posted: 14 May 2018 03:41 AM PDT

YANGON — Myanmar's Anti-Corruption Commission is conducting investigations into 18 complaints by forming six investigation teams, according to the commission's announcement on Sunday, while declining to provide details of the cases.

The announcement was made after news reports circulated that a Union minister was being investigated for allegations of corruption.

Two local journals, Tomorrow and The Speaker, reported on Saturday that Planning and Finance Minister U Kyaw Win and his son were reportedly interrogated by the Anti-Corruption Commission and Bureau of Special Investigation under the Minister of Home Affairs, and that their home in Yangon was also searched.

While there is no official confirmation of the news reports, members of the commission also did not deny these claims to the media.

The commission's announcement on Sunday stated that it cannot provide the details of cases that are currently being investigated.

This is not the first scandal to hit the National League for Democracy government. When the NLD named nominees for ministerial positions in March 2016, it came out that U Kyaw Win's doctoral degree in finance published on his CV that was made public was fake.

Whether these new allegations are true or not, the reports caught the public interest and spurred talk of whether the commission would catch the "big fish," as it has vowed to do.

President U Win Myint also instructed the members of the commission not to be influenced by powerful figures in undertaking their duties and to carry them out decisively in his meeting with the commission on April 11.

The Anti-Corruption Commission was the first governmental body to meet the new president since his inauguration on March 30.

As for recent corruption cases, Food and Drug Administration director-general Dr. Than Htut was arrested and sued under Section 56 of the Anti-Corruption Law for alleged bribery of more than 15 million kyats in total, while an administrator in Mandalay's Pyin Oo Lwin Township and another local official were both sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for taking bribes from villagers in return for registering their land.

The post Anti-Corruption Commission Allegedly Investigates Union Minister appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Anti-War Protesters in Yangon Detained, Sued, Released on Bail

Posted: 14 May 2018 02:18 AM PDT

MANDALAY — Eight people detained in Yangon on Saturday at a protest calling for an end to fighting between the Myanmar military and ethnic armed groups were sued for violating the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law and released on bail on Sunday.

Ko Tin Htut Paing, one of the arrested protesters, said they signed documents promising to attend their trial when summoned.

Police in Bahan Township filed the lawsuit under Article 20 of the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law, which covers disturbing the peace and carries a maximum penalty of a month in jail and a fine of 10,000 kyats ($7.49).

Ko Tin Htut Paing said about 200 people joined Saturday’s protest in Tamwe Township, shouting slogans and waving signs, and that some of them were attacked by police as soon as it was over.

"Shortly after the protest ended, the police tried to arrest us. Some police, including people in plain clothes, stormed into the crowd and hit the protesters," he said.

"I was a bit far from the area. But when I saw the clash I shouted at them to stop, and suddenly two men in plain clothes came and hit me and threw me onto a vehicle with the other detained protesters."

According to The New Light of Myanmar, a state-run newspaper, Bahan police denied beating the protesters and said they were arrested in accordance with the law.

Police records show that the eight detained protesters included Ma Shar Yamon, Ma Thinzar Shoon Lei Yee, Ma Ei Ei Moe, Ko Tin Htut Paing, Ko Moe Thwe, Ko Zeyar Lwin, Ko Lin Htet Naing and Maung Saung Kha, a well-known poet and former political prisoner.

Separately, police in Mandalay arrested two people for allegedly participating in a protest there last week calling for an end to clashes in Kachin State and help for hundreds of villagers trapped by the fighting.

Reporters saw police in plain clothes arrest Ko Than Htike and Ko Thet Hnin Aung in a shopping area while they were handing out surveys to find out how locals felt about the fighting and the overall peace process.

Both men were on a list of alleged protesters being sued under Article 19 of the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law. A court in Aung Myay Thar Zan Township on Monday gave police permission to hold them in prison and scheduled a hearing for next week.

Protests against the fighting in Kachin have escalated since a protest camp was set up in the state capital, Myitkyina, a few weeks ago. Though the camp has since been abandoned, protests have spread to Yangon, Mandalay and Pyay Township in Bago Region.

A total of six alleged protesters are being sued in Mandalay and two in Pyay.

The post Anti-War Protesters in Yangon Detained, Sued, Released on Bail appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Govt to Establish Myanmar’s First Credit Bureau

Posted: 13 May 2018 11:46 PM PDT

YANGON — The Union government has approved establishing the country's first credit bureau, said Vice President 1 U Myint Swe.

The vice president revealed the plan during his regular meeting with private businesses at the office of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) on Friday.

"The cabinet approved the establishment of a credit bureau on May 10. The survey on ease of doing business for 2019 will end in the second week of May. So, we have given the approval ahead of this," said the vice president.

The vice president hopes that Myanmar's rank on the World Bank's ease of doing business index will improve due to the establishment of a credit bureau. It will also provide small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with easier access to loans, according to the vice president.

"The credit bureau will collect information about the overall performance of individual companies so that companies [that perform well] may not need to put up collateral to get loans. The database will record the business performance of companies," said U Toe Aung Myint, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Commerce.

Lenders can assess the risk of providing loans to SMEs based on the information provided by the credit bureau, said joint general secretary U Aung Kyi Soe of the UMFCCI.

"So, the credit bureau will contribute to banks. Our fellow ASEAN countries have also established successful credit bureaus," he said.

In his New Year's speech on April 17, Myanmar's President U Win Myint said that his cabinet would approve the credit bureau within one month to help the country's banks assess the risk of providing loans to SMEs.

The credit bureau is a joint venture between the Myanmar Banks Association (MBA) and Asian Credit Bureau Holdings based in Singapore.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Govt to Establish Myanmar's First Credit Bureau appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Poor Prospects for Peace in Face of Military Might

Posted: 13 May 2018 10:46 PM PDT

Kyaw Kha: Welcome to Dateline Irrawaddy! This week, we'll discuss the latest developments in Myanmar’s peace process. I am the chief reporter of The Irrawaddy Burmese Edition, Kyaw Kha, and I’m joined by The Irrawaddy Burmese Edition Executive Editor Ko Ye Ni and Social Democratic United Front [SDUF] rally committee member Ko Kyaw Ko Ko.

It is fair to say that Myanmar's peace process has stalled. Looking at the latest developments, clashes are ongoing between the Kachin Independence Army [KIA] and the Tatmadaw [Myanmar military]. More than 2,000 civilians are trapped by the fighting. Ko Ye Ni, can you explain the latest developments in Kachin State?

Ye Ni: According to the latest reports, at first the Tatmadaw reportedly didn't allow the rescue of those trapped by the fighting. But now the Tatmadaw has agreed to rescue them. So there must have been negotiations between the government and the Tatmadaw for the rescue. But how to rescue those 2,000 displaced persons is still a question. According to our latest reports, the KIA attacked the rescue convoy, but no one was injured. The KIA said in its statement that the rescue convoy must bear [identification] signs so that it can be recognized. So it appears that the rescue operation is dangerous.

KK: The rescue operation was carried out only after Kachin youths, religious organizations and local Kachin residents staged protests that called for the rescue of those trapped by the fighting. And similar protests were held in Yangon, Mandalay and Pyay. Protestors were sued for breaching the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law. Ko Kyaw Ko Ko, can you explain?

Kyaw Ko Ko: [Authorities] attempted to stop us twice, in Sanchaung and during our march from Mawtin and Sule. They openly said they would sue us and also attempted to provoke confrontation.  Students and youths were able to handle them calmly.  But they took a further step and sued the protestors. Four protestors in Yangon — Ko Kaung Htet Kyaw, Ko Ye Aung Aye, Ko Zeya and Ko Myo Saw — who are members of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions [ABFSU] and the SDUF, were sued. Three protestors, including Ko Aung Hmine San, were sued in Mandalay. And Ko Metta Oo and Ko Myo Thu, who planned to march from Pyay to Kachin, were detained in Aunglan. The two were detained on the spot while police searched for the lead protestors in Yangon. Ko Zeya was forcibly seized when he arrived at the funeral of veteran political prisoner U Pe Aung to read the ABFSU's statement on his death. But he was set free as the funeral party stopped [authorities] from arresting him.  But it was still an unseemly act. Even under previous governments, there was no arrest at a funeral service. The arrest suggests that the situation has gotten worse. I would say it is a direct threat to peaceful protestors.

KK: Ko Kyaw Ko Ko, you are associated with those associations. In the case of the Mandalay protest, police said they took action according to the law because the protests were held without permission. So why didn't they seek permission, and what do you want to say about what the police said?

KKK: They mainly demanded the rescue of those trapped by the fighting. While they were trying to raise public awareness, they were also soliciting donations from the people for displaced persons in Kachin State. It was an awareness campaign and to collect donations, but not a protest. They were not making demands besides asking for the release of those trapped by the fighting and for an end to the offensives. I mean it was done on humanitarian grounds rather than on political grounds. The youths did it for humanity reasons to evoke sympathy from the people. If they had sought permissions from authorities, there would have been unnecessary delays. Second, if the authorities had not given permission, the protestors would have had to find another option. To avoid these nuisances, and also because they did not believe their activities needed official permission, they collected donations and raised public awareness. Their thinking was that simple. I'd say it was inappropriate that they were sued under the Unlawful Assembly and Procession Law.

KK: Considering the overall situation in ethnic areas such as Kachin, Karen and Shan states, I feel as if peace is almost impossible. What is your assessment of the peace process?

YN: Given the recent developments in the internal peace process, it is fair to say that there are more clashes now than during U Thein Sein's term. Under U Thein Sein's government, the whole of southern Myanmar had a ceasefire. The Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement [NCA] was signed and there were hopes for peace. The guns fell silent on the western border with India.

But now, besides the clashes in Kachin that the U Thein Sein government was unable to stop, fresh clashes have broken out with the KNU [Karen National Union], one of the NCA signatories. A new battleground has emerged on the Indian border with the Arakan Army. There is shooting along the border, which is not a good sign for peace.

KK: What has caused the negative developments in the peace process, Ko Kyaw Ko Ko?

KKK: To build peace, the most important thing is to radically change the mindset and attitude of the Tatmadaw. It is not willing to change the situation it has created through the Constitution to maintain its power and role. It has a six-point peace principle. It doesn't view armed organizations as organizations that have to take up arms for political causes and [to resist] political oppression, but as ethnic insurgents. It is the view that they have constantly held. They believe that they should be the only armed force in Myanmar. This attitude is problematic.

The current government can't change such a situation because it does not have as much power as we expected. It has to negotiate with the Tatmadaw and finds it difficult to do certain things that the Tatmadaw doesn't allow. In other words, it has no authority to give orders to the Tatmadaw. The Constitution clearly states that the government can't interfere in military matters to stop fighting or withdraw troops from ethnic areas.

When there are such fundamental differences, a stalemate in the peace process is inevitable. The Tatmadaw needs to review and reform its whole set of ideologies, or most of its ideologies. Whether we call the current reforms democratization or liberalization, as long as the Tatmadaw maintains the status quo, efforts to build peace will be in vain.

KK: Considering all this, what can we expect of Myanmar's peace process?

YN: The most important thing is to take care of the wishes and interests of the people. The civil war was being fought long before we were born. I remember Thakhin Kodaw Hmaing said that he wanted to see peace before he died. He died and peace has still not been achieved even in our generation. So I have the same feeling. I doubt I will see peace before I die.

KK: What is your expectation, Ko Kyaw Ko Ko?

KKK: People across the country must focus on it. People must actively strive for it as a personal matter. The most important thing is an immediate military ceasefire and for all the stakeholders to gather around the table for negotiations. There are a lot of things to negotiate, and we can't say what the details will be. They may include federalism and deployment of troops. These need to be solved politically. And it is not wise to cling to the NCA only. Different negotiation approaches might be needed.

If one approach doesn't work, another approach should be tried. The most important thing is to solve all the problems and reach the goal. [The Tatmadaw] shouldn't stick to it [the NCA]. It shouldn't force [armed ethnic groups] to sign the NCA with military pressure. It needs to understand this point well. People play an important part in ensuring this. In 1970 the whole world was against the Vietnam War. Even the citizens of the US, which was fighting the war, were against the war. Students at Berkeley University and Hollywood actresses took to the streets, and the US Army had to stop its war. Likewise, we need a mass movement in our country. This is our best hope for achieving peace. If we have this hope, other hopes will be fulfilled, I think.

KK: Thank you for your contributions!

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Poor Prospects for Peace in Face of Military Might appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China Condemns Myanmar Border Violence

Posted: 13 May 2018 10:27 PM PDT

BEIJING — China on Sunday condemned fighting in Myanmar between Myanmar government troops and ethnic militants near the Chinese border, which had caused people to flee into Chinese territory.

Myanmar’s military frequently clashes with several groups who say they are fighting for greater autonomy for ethnic minorities in the area, through which much of Myanmar’s foreign trade flows.

The Myanmar government said on Saturday that ethnic insurgents in Myanmar killed 19 people, including four members of the security forces, in a major attack near the main border gate with China.

Fifteen civilians, including two women, were killed, and 20 were wounded, according to a government spokesman.

The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), made up of fighters from the Ta’ang or Palaung ethnic group, said the group had attacked a casino run by militiamen and a Myanmar army post on the outskirts of border town Muse, a few hundred meters from a river that separates Myanmar’s northern Shan state and China’s Yunnan province.

China’s embassy in Myanmar said in a statement that the conflict had sent stray bullets into China, along with an unidentified number of people seeking refuge.

“China’s embassy in Myanmar condemns this violent incident, and feels pained for the relevant innocent people who were harmed,” the embassy said in a statement, adding that it had made “solemn representations” to Myanmar’s government.

China called for all parties to “exercise restraint," implement a ceasefire, and prevent the situation from escalating, so as to restore peace to the China-Myanmar border region.

Violence on the Myanmar side of the border has in recent years sent thousands fleeing through the rugged mountain terrain into China, where the Chinese government at times has set up relief camps.

In 2017, Chinese authorities estimated a flare-up of violence to have sent more than 20,000 refugees across the border, and fighting in 2009 and 2015 displaced tens of thousands of people. Ordnance has occasionally strayed into China and killed people.

Such conflict has frayed ties between China and Myanmar, which Beijing has hoped could be a key gateway in its multi-pronged “One Belt One Road” strategy to promote regional economic links.

The post China Condemns Myanmar Border Violence appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Peace Talks Ignite Land Buying Frenzy Along South Korea’s Fortified Border

Posted: 13 May 2018 10:14 PM PDT

SEOUL — Forget Seoul’s posh Gangnam district.

With North Korea pledging to reduce tensions and renew ties with its southern neighbor, South Korea’s hottest property market is now along the heavily fortified border between the two countries.

Demand for property in small towns and sparsely populated rural areas around the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is surging on expectations of an influx of people and investment.

Kang Sung-wook, a 37-year-old dentist in the South Korean border city of Paju, has bought eight separate lots of land in and around the DMZ since mid-March.

Five were purchased without ever setting foot on them, using only Google Earth satellite photos and maps, as areas inside the DMZ cannot be accessed by the public.

Kang said buying interest jumped so sharply as relations between the former foes improved that he needed to move fast.

“I was out looking since North Korea-US summit news was announced in March, and it looked like all the good ones were gone already,” said Kang. “I realized then that the market was on fire.”

His investment along the border now totals 3 billion won ($2.8 million) for 49 acres of land.

Razor Wire and Restrictions

For decades, the DMZ has been a different kind of hot spot, the scene of sometimes deadly military provocations and daring defections from the North.

The zone, dotted with guard posts and strung with razor wire, was established after the 1950-1953 Korean War. The two Koreas still don’t officially recognize each other and remain in a technical state of war because the conflict ended in a truce, not a peace agreement.

Over a million landmines were laid in border areas including the DMZ and the Civilian Control Zone in the South, said Jeong In-cheol, a landmine expert at the National Park Conservation Network.

But while public access is restricted, land within the 2 km-wide South Korean side of the DMZ and other border areas can still be purchased and registered.

Land transactions in Paju, gateway to the United Nations truce village of Panmunjom, more than doubled in March to 4,628 from February, government data shows. That far outstripped better-known markets such as trendy Gangnam, where volumes were up just 9 percent.

In the settlement of Jangdan-myun, home to Dorasan Station — the last railway stop south of the border — transaction volumes surged fourfold from a year earlier. Land prices there rose 17 percent over the same period.

Kim Yoon-sik, a realtor with 25 years experience in Paju, says owners of the land in the DMZ include those who inherited farmland from ancestors in pre-Korean War days and some long-term investors.

“With bids outnumbering offers, I often see sellers cancelling on preliminary contracts, it’s that hot,” Kim said.

Railways and Construction

The surge of activity along the border is not limited to South Korea or just real estate.

In the northeastern Chinese border city of Dandong, property investors are pushing up prices and even spurring buying interest inside North Korea.

At last month’s historic inter-Korean summit at Panmunjom, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in pledged to reconnect railways and roads along the border, and transform the DMZ into a “peace zone."

China and South Korea have also agreed that if North Korea undertakes complete denuclearization, it should be guaranteed economic aid. That could start with railway projects connecting China and South Korea through North Korea.

Shares of South Korea’s construction and railway firms such as Hyundai Rotem and Seoam Machinery Industry Co. have soared on hopes of such projects.

False Dawn?

But South Korea has seen this kind of excitement before.

Border property prices spiked when former President Roh Moo-hyun met with North Korea’s Kim Jong Il in 2007. Prices then plummeted as ties deteriorated when the right-wing government of Lee Myung-bak took power a year later.

“For the past seven decades, the two Koreas have taken radically different paths,” said Jhe Seong-ho, a law school professor at Seoul’s Chung Ang University. “Deregulating of the border zones won’t be a quick and smooth process even if there is an economic opening up of North Korea.”

Much of the land within the DMZ is likely to remain restricted from any development for conservation purposes, a huge risk for investors, he added.

Hopes are high, however, with Kim set to meet US President Donald Trump in Singapore next month after his recent summit with Moon and two trips to China to meet President Xi Jinping.

“I have a firm belief that this time North Korea would pursue an open economy like Vietnam,” Kang said. “Kim Jong Un wouldn’t go everywhere and visit China twice if he was bluffing.”

The post Peace Talks Ignite Land Buying Frenzy Along South Korea’s Fortified Border appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Malaysia’s New Govt Says to Redefine Fake News Law, Not Abolish It

Posted: 13 May 2018 09:58 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s new Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Sunday that an anti-fake news law brought by the previous administration will be given “proper” definition, making it clear to the media and the public what is fake.

“Even though we support freedom of press and freedom of speech, there are limits,” Mahathir said in a live telecast on state TV.

Abolishing the anti-fake news law was one of the Mahathir’s campaign promises, but his latest comments point to a redefining of the controversial law, rather than removing it altogether.

“The fake news law will be given a new definition so that the public and media outlets will know what is fake news and what is not fake,” Mahathir said.

Former Prime Minister Najib Razak’s government approved the Anti-Fake News 2018 bill last month, which set out fines of up to 500,000 ringgit ($126,646) and a maximum six years in jail for violators.

Mahathir was himself accused of fake news, after authorities said they were investigating him for false claims that his plane was sabotaged ahead of the May 9 election.

Mahathir has been prime minister previously, for 22 years starting in 1981. He used security laws to put his political opponents behind bars and his critics say he restricted free speech and persecuted political opponents.

The current law defines fake news as “news, information, data and reports which is or are wholly or partly false” and includes features, visuals and audio recordings.

It covers digital publications and social media and will apply to offenders who maliciously spread “fake news” inside and outside Malaysia, including foreigners, if Malaysia or a Malaysian citizen were affected.

Other countries in Southeast Asia, including Singapore and the Philippines, are considering how to tackle “fake news” but human rights activists fear that such laws could be used to stifle free speech.

Malaysia is among the first few countries to introduce a law against it. Germany approved a plan last year to fine social media networks if they fail to remove hateful postings.

Malaysia already has an arsenal of laws, including a colonial-era Sedition Act, that have been used to clamp down on unfavorable news and social media posts.

The post Malaysia's New Govt Says to Redefine Fake News Law, Not Abolish It appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)