Friday, July 20, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Government Recruits Thai Institute to Help Promote Investment in Rakhine

Posted: 20 Jul 2018 07:52 AM PDT

YANGON — The Myanmar government and the Thailand-based Institute of Business Economics Research and Development (IBERD) Foundation are discussing a pilot plan to recruit investors for a number of large-scale projects in Rakhine State over the next eight months. In addition to boosting local development, the plan also aims to spur border trade with Bangladesh.

Union Social Welfare Minister Dr. Win Myat Aye, who is also the chairman of the Committee for Implementation of the Recommendations on Rakhine State, explained the plan to The Irrawaddy over the phone after a series of meetings on July 17 between Dr. Surakiart Sathirathai, chairman of the Advisory Board for the committee, and Myanmar President U Win Myint; State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi; Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) chairman U Thaung Tun; and Dr. Win Myat Aye himself. His committee is tasked with putting into practice the recommendations of Kofi Annan's Advisory Commission on Rakhine.

One of Thailand's leading research institutes, IBERD, provides consultations on development, creating connections and economic opportunities for governments, and the public and private sectors. Its chairman Sathit Linpongpan met with the social welfare minister and the MIC chairman on the same day.

According to Dr. Win Myat Aye, the meetings discussed ways of speeding up implementation of solutions for strife-torn northern Rakhine. IBERD delegates expressed support for investment in renewable energy, fisheries and warehouse businesses, as well as establishing e-wallet and other money transfer services in Rakhine.

Government officials and representatives of two United Nations agencies are set to travel to Maungdaw in Rakhine State in order to oversee the repatriation of nearly 700,000 Rohingya refugees driven out by military clearance operations in late 2017. The officials aim to repatriate the refugees, who have been sheltering for months in Bangladesh, as soon as possible.

Thailand will collaborate with Myanmar to empower economic development in the region and requested the designation of a point person to facilitate between government and interested developers, said Dr. Win Myat Aye. The minister himself will serve as focal person on the ground, as he has been acting as a liaison with the Committee for Implementation of the Recommendations on Rakhine State, which was established in May 2016. According to him, IBERD will cooperate with small-business owners from Rakhine and take suggestions from the relevant ministries and Parliament (or Hluttaw).

Asked by The Irrawaddy whether investors are seeking to penetrate the tourism sector in northern Rakhine, Dr. Win Myat Aye said, "Developers are interested in investing in the tourism sector in northern Rakhine as well. It will surely be included, and we have already negotiated some projects."

Despite the government's announcement of its intention to promote investment in the strife-torn region, local business associations have been told little about the plan. U Aung Myint Thein, chairman of the Maungdaw Border Trade Chamber of Commerce, told The Irrawaddy over the phone on Friday that a few foreign investors from China and a Yangon-based conglomerate had requested talks with him, but there had been little activity beyond that.

"It's easy to talk about investing in northern Rakhine, but barely anyone comes here," the chamber chief said.

A number of challenges await investors, including security concerns, lack of infrastructure, poor land management and a lack of human resources. The government supplies just four hours of electricity to Maungdaw per day, using generators. A project estimated to cost about 2 billion kyats, which has been in the works since the administration of former President U Thein Sein, is ongoing with an estimated completion date of 2020.

Rakhine State Municipal Affairs Minister U Win Myint explained that some developers have expressed in interest in projects, but mostly in areas of southern Rakhine like Thandwe and Gwa Township. Rakhine Chief Minister U Nyi Pu has urged investors to express interest through Union government channels, but not a single project has gotten off the ground so far.

The post Government Recruits Thai Institute to Help Promote Investment in Rakhine appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Facebook Unveils New Strategy to Remove Hate Speech, Fake News

Posted: 20 Jul 2018 06:07 AM PDT

YANGON — Facebook is preparing to roll out a new strategy to take down fake content that could incite violence in Myanmar, a company spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Under the new policy, the company will work with local civil society groups to identify misinformation, and when a post is found to include false claims that could provoke unrest, it will be removed from the social media platform.

The company didn't reveal when the operation would start.

The announcement comes after Facebook was accused of fanning social and religious unrest in Myanmar, especially communal violence between Buddhists and Muslims. During the last episode of unrest, it was found that Facebook was used by both sides not only to instigate conflict but to spread fear among the public. According to 2018 statistics about Internet use in Myanmar, the country has 16 million social media users of whom 95 percent use Facebook.

Early this year, Myanmar civil society organizations shared with US lawmakers detailed information about Facebook's role in spreading hate in the country, while United Nations investigators also accused the social media giant of contributing to the "acrimony and dissension and conflict" in Rakhine, from where more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to neighboring Bangladesh.

In January, Facebook blacklisted a group of ultranationalist Buddhist monks including U Wirathu for spreading hate speech against the Rohingya. But Facebook has continued to come under scrutiny for its slow response to the spread of misinformation and the use of fake accounts and personal information on its platform.

Tessa Lyons, a Facebook product manager, told reporters that the strategy to be applied in Myanmar had already been implemented in Sri Lanka, another country where human rights groups have criticized Facebook for its slow action to remove hate speech and incitements to violence.

On the same day, in an interview with technology news site Recode, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged his company had a responsibility to do more in Myanmar regarding the sectarian violence in Rakhine State.

"I think that there's a terrible situation where there's underlying sectarian violence and intention. It is clearly the responsibility of all of the players who were involved there," Zuckerberg said.

"We've significantly ramped up the investment in people who speak Burmese. It's often hard, from where we sit, to identify who are the figures who are promoting hate and what is going to… which is the content that is going to incite violence. So it's important that we build relationships with civil society and folks there who can help us identify that."

Some observers in Myanmar greeted the announcement guardedly, noting that Facebook's previous efforts to tackle fear-mongering had been ineffective.

U Kyi Toe, a spokesperson for the National League for Democracy, said Facebook had removed one of his posts that was simply a shared note about technology.

"I heard they are using AI to scan for hate speech. But I don't see them intensively removing hate speech. We don't know their policy on Myanmar or how they choose staff to identify hate speech," said U Kyi Toe, who works for the ruling party's information department.

"They need to pay more attention to hate speech rather than other posts," he said.

The announcement about the new strategy did not make clear whether Facebook would address the issue of innocuous posts being removed.

In April, Zuckerberg was asked about his company's alleged role in spreading hate during the Rakhine crisis before a joint hearing of a US Senate panel. Zuckerberg explained that Facebook had hired Burmese-language content reviewers to look for hate speech, as well as working with civil society to identify "specific hate figures" who should be banned.

The post Facebook Unveils New Strategy to Remove Hate Speech, Fake News appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Families Displaced by Latest Fighting in Shan Start Heading Home

Posted: 20 Jul 2018 06:01 AM PDT

YANGON — Nearly half of the roughly 1,500 people displaced by inter-ethnic fighting in Shan State’s Namtu Township on Monday have returned to their villages as of this morning or were on their way back, according to local lawmakers.

The villagers fled their homes for other villages in Namtu or neighboring Hsipaw Township when fighting broke out between the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army South (RCSS/SSAS) and a combined force from the Shan State Progressive Party/Stan State Army North (SSPP/SSAN) and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA).

About 670 people who took shelters at the Bodaw and Moetay monasteries in Hsipaw have returned as of Friday or would be returning soon now that the fighting around their villages was over, said Nang San San Aye, a state lawmaker representing Hsipaw.

However, nearly 800 people who took shelter at monasteries in the villages of Panlon and Manlay in Namtu were still afraid to head back because fighters continued to patrol near their homes, according to Nang Sam Hom, a state lawmaker representing Namtu.

Nang Sam Hom told The Irrawaddy that the displaced families from five villages — Pan Hat, Manhsar, Man Khe, Man Pan and Nam Si Lin — were staying put for now.

She said 139 people were taking shelters in Panlon and 653 in Manlay and that they were all either ethnic Shan or Ta’ang.

"There is no safety for the local residents; our people have adapted to this," Nang Sam Hom said.

"Many tend not to leave their homes unless there is heavy fighting," either between the ethnic armed groups or between the groups and the Myanmar military, she added.

Some people displaced by earlier bouts of fighting in the region have been taking shelter in downtown Namtu for more than seven years and surviving mostly on the charity or local residents and aid groups, Nang Sam Hom said.

Shan State is home to a number of ethnic armed groups formed by ethnic Shan, Ta’ang, Kachin, Wa, Mongla or Kokang as well as various militias.

Most of the fighting has been between the SSAS and either the Myanmar military, TNLA or combined forces of the TNLA and SSAN.

RCSS spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Sai Oo blamed the latest fighting on the TNLA and SSAN for moving into areas long claimed and controlled by his group.

“They [the TNLA and SSAN] don’t want the RCSS to be there,” he told The Irrawaddy.

The TNLA and SSAS have fought many times over the past few years amid on-and-off negotiations.

Over the past two weeks, the SSAS has also had clashes with the Myanmar military in southern Shan State’s Mong Kung Township that have displaced hundreds more.

The post Families Displaced by Latest Fighting in Shan Start Heading Home appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Tatmadaw Accused of Torturing Shan Civilians in Loilem Township

Posted: 20 Jul 2018 05:43 AM PDT

YANGON – The Myanmar Army (Tatmadaw) and local militias in southern Shan State have engaged in torture and other human rights violations against civilians in Loilem Township south of Mong Kung, a human rights group said.

The alleged violations occurred before and during armed clashes between the Tatmadaw and forces of the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) over the past two weeks, the Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF) said in a statement on Thursday.

According to the foundation, troops from the Tatmadaw's Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 430, together with the local militias, tortured residents of Nawng Leng village tract in Loilem Township and accused them of having links to the RCSS/SSA (Shan State Army – South).

SHRF said that between June 8 and July 8, Tatmadaw soldiers searched the residents' homes, beating villagers — including the village leaders — and warning them that anyone who assisted Shan troops would face 20 years in prison.

The threat was made on July 8 when Major Aung Min Tun of LIB 430, under the Eastern Command based at Taunggyi, the capital of Shan State, searched the home of Loi Gurn village headman Sai Su Nanda in Loilem, the foundation said.

SHRF documented a case in which over 100 Tatmadaw soldiers from LIB 576 looted livestock from residents of Wan Nam Oat, Ham Ngai village tract in Mong Kung on July 11. The combined value of the stolen livestock was 3.5 million kyats (around USD2,457). LIB 576 is based in Keng Tawng, Mong Nai Township, under Military Operations Command 17.

A month earlier, according to SHRF, Captain Taung Lin Htut of LIB 430 searched the homes of at least seven villagers. On June 27, the soldiers searched the home of Wan Mu Ser village head Loong Karng Tawng, 50. When they found dynamite — which residents of the area commonly use to catch fish — they accused him of working as a recruiter for the RCSS/SSA. When he denied the allegation, Tatmadaw personnel "severely tortured" him, SHRF said.

The Irrawaddy was unable to contact either the military's spokesmen or the Tatmadaw's True New Information Committee on Friday.

The Tatmadaw and RCSS have been involved in clashes over territorial disputes in Mong Kung Township for the past two weeks. The fighting continued on Wednesday near the borders of Mong Kung, Keysi (Kyethi) and Lechar (Laihka) townships, according to Lt-Col Sai Oo, an RCSS spokesman. The fighting appeared to have subsided on Friday, he said.

Fighting between the two signatories of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement in Wan Huay Moan village, Mong Kung from July 9 to 12 displaced over 450 people.

The participation of both sides in the recent third session of the 21st-Century Panglong Union Peace Conference was unable to end the clashes.

Local sources told The Irrawaddy fighting had flared recently in Mong Khun village, Mong Kung. The RCSS and Tatmadaw previously fought there on May 22.

Lt-Col Sai Oo said Shan leaders would seek to resolve the issue through talks and were likely to meet with government peace commissioners in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, on Friday. He declined to offer details of those possible talks.

According to a source close to peace negotiators, RCSS chairman General Yawd Serk met the government Peace Commission's secretary U Khin Zaw Oo, a former Tatmadaw lieutenant-general, on Friday.

Gen. Yawd Serk boycotted last week's Union Peace Conference. He was quoted by the Shan Herald News Agency on Friday as saying that he did not join the conference because it was going nowhere, with discussions of key political and security principles excluded from the agenda.

The post Tatmadaw Accused of Torturing Shan Civilians in Loilem Township appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Yangoods Launches New Design Collaboration with Movie Star

Posted: 20 Jul 2018 04:13 AM PDT

Popular local brand 'Yangoods,' which showcases iconic Myanmar art and tradition, will release a new bag collection today that is a collaboration with award-winning actress Phway Phway.

This is the first time that Yangoods has teamed up with a local celebrity, and the brand is excited to showcase the efforts to fans of both the brand and the actress.

"Our brand is emphasizing our unique style, which is in all of our designs. Phway Phway has her own sense of style and her looks always stand out," said Ma Htin Htin, the co-founder of Yangoods.

"When we had the opportunity to meet, everything just clicked and we just had this crazy idea to create this beautiful collection," she added.

"I'm already a fan of Yangoods and love the brand because of their unique style. When I met with Ma Htin Htin, we talked about collaborating. The results are finally here now," said Phway Phway.

Phway Phway and Yangoods brainstormed design ideas together. They agreed on a diamond, thanks to the nickname given to the actress by her fans.

"My fans call me 'Phway Sein,' (Diamond Phway). Then, we incorporated a lotus design because it blooms beautifully from the deepest mud. It invokes new beginnings," she said.

Ma Htin Htin added, "It was more of a get-together where we brainstormed and put ideas on a mood board. We sketched out the main motifs, bringing the DNA of Yangoods and Phway Phway together.

The lotus flower is symbolic to Phway Phway and Yangoods took inspiration from Bagan-era murals and art to create the flower patterns," Ma Htin Htin said.

"Phway Phway is just a sweetheart to work with. We would have these cool ideas and send sketches back and forth. This collaboration has truly been a great experience," she added.

The different bag shapes and colors of the Yangoods x Phway Phway collection. / Supplied

The bags come in three styles – a chain cross body bag, a small round bag, and the Pink Diamond bag, with five different designs to choose from.

The design is a bit different from the brand's usual creations so that the customers can feel the essence of Phway Phway in the bags.

"This collection did not stray from Myanmar culture. Yangoods aim is to rejuvenate Myanmar art and culture with a twist. The flower patterns were inspired by Bagan murals. The underlying pattern is a different take on the traditional kanote pattern," Ma Htin Htin said.

"So, this is still the unique style of Yangoods," she added.

Yangoods has plans to do more collaborative work in the future.

Phway Phway and Ma Htin Htin worked together for their first collaborative collection. / Supplied

"Yangoods is always looking for a chance to present Myanmar to the world. Stay tuned to our Facebook channels or become an insider and subscribe to our broadcasts," Ma Htin Htin encouraged.

This 'Yangoods x Phway Phway' collection is meant to be a limited edition collection. So, better to grab one now before the items sell out.

The prices are 45,900, 89,900, and 99,900 kyats.

In early 2015, Yangoods set out to rejuvenate Myanmar's art and culture with a small shop, a handful of products, and a heart full of soul. Now in 2018, Yangoods has grown to seven boutiques in Yangon, Bagan and Mandalay. Their goods are also sold at more than 20 other locations including hotels, cruise ships and airports.

The post Yangoods Launches New Design Collaboration with Movie Star appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Tatmadaw Denies Killing 6 Female TNLA Medics in Captivity

Posted: 20 Jul 2018 03:50 AM PDT

MON STATE — The Myanmar Army (Tatmadaw) on Friday denied a report by the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) that Tatmadaw troops murdered six female medics who had been taken captive in northern Shan State.

The TNLA reported on July 16 that the Tatmadaw killed the women after arresting them following a clash in Namkham Township early on the afternoon of July 11 that left one TNLA soldier dead.

In a statement issued yesterday, the Tatmadaw said that after the clash, its personnel discovered eight bodies and three guns at the insurgents' position.

"As the Tatmadaw secured the area in which the clash took place, they found eight dead bodies and three guns," the report reads.

It said the eight bodies, clad in camouflage uniforms, were those of TNLA insurgents — three men and five women — who were killed in action. The Myanmar Army buried the eight bodies at the site, according to the report.

TNLA spokesperson Major Tar Aike Kyaw on Friday told The Irrawaddy that the Myanmar Army's account was false.

"They say five women, but six of our [female] medics were killed," Maj Tar Aike Kyaw said.  Only one man was killed, despite the Myanmar Army's claim to have found three men, he said.

He rejected the Tatmadaw's claim that all of the victims were killed in battle, saying the six women were murdered in captivity.

According to Maj Tar Aike Kyaw, about 15 TNLA members were traveling in two vehicles in Mann Wang village when the second car was ambushed by members of the Tatmadaw's Infantry Battalion 301, which is under the control of Infantry Division 88.

One soldier in the second car escaped with injuries. He later reported that the Tatmadaw arrested the six medics.

In a separate statement issued Friday, the TNLA repeated its claim that six medics were killed after being taken prisoner. It said the women had been traveling with employees of a mining company when they came under fire. One of the women attempted to flee but was shot in the leg and captured along with the others. One male TNLA fighter was shot and killed on the spot, and a second male fighter was wounded after running out of ammunition but was able to escape. The second fighter reported seeing the six medics being taken away by the Myanmar Army, according to the TNLA statement. It adds that personnel from Infantry Division 301 spent two nights at the village. Local people found the women's bodies in a ditch nearby on July 14, it adds.

According to the Tatmadaw's statement, two of the civilian mining company employees working in Namkham Township were wounded in the clash. It alleges that the TNLA members had asked the miners for a ride in their vehicle.

The TNLA said the Myanmar Army violated international laws on the treatment of prisoners of war by murdering the six female medics, who had been providing treatment to local ethnic Ta'ang people in the township.

Maj Tar Aike Kyaw called on senior Myanmar Army officers to investigate the deaths and take action against those responsible.

Two of the women had gunshot wounds to the head, while the other four showed signs of being beaten and stabbed, he said.

"[The Myanmar Army] should not have killed the six medics; they were prisoners of war. The killing of the medics was a violation of the Geneva Conventions," Maj Tar Aike Kyaw said.

The post Tatmadaw Denies Killing 6 Female TNLA Medics in Captivity appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

High-Profile Arms Case Handed over To Naypyitaw Court

Posted: 20 Jul 2018 02:09 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW — A high-profile arms case connected with the son of the sports minister during U Thein Sein's administration was handed over to the Dekkhinathiri District Court in Naypyitaw after Myanmar's Supreme Court ruled that the all of the detained suspects shall face trial at a single court.

Police detained U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San, who is the owner of ACE Co and the son of the former sports minister, and his two employees at Naypyitaw Airport last October after discovering 12 yaba tablets, 1.5 grams of methamphetamine, two pistols and 72 bullets in U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San's backpack.

Further investigation led to the seizure of about 30 firearms, bullets and drugs from ACE Hotel, company property, and U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San's houses in Naypyitaw and Yangon. According to the Home Affairs Ministry, police have detained more than 10 suspects in connection with the seizures.

Police filed charges against them at Naypyitaw and Yangon courts separately, but the Supreme Court has ruled that all of the suspects shall be tried at a single court.

Four suspects, three men and a woman, from Yangon arrived in Naypyitaw on July 11. The woman was granted bail, and the three men are being detained in Naypyitaw Prison, deputy district judge U Khin Maung Htwe of the Dekkhinathiri District Court told the media last week.

More than 400 witnesses will reportedly testify at the trial.

The four suspects from Yangon were detained on 11 counts of charges for illegal possession of firearms and illicit drugs, according to the Home Affairs Ministry.

Other charges include Article 67 of the Telecommunications Law for keeping walkie-talkies, Article 8 of the Export/Import Law for keeping drones, and Article 61(a) of the State Secrets Act for the unauthorized use of the National Security Council (NSC) logo on cars, and possession of bullet-proof jackets and camouflage jackets with SWAT badges similar to those worn by the bodyguards of former President U Htin Kyaw and State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

The trial began at Dekkhinathiri District Court in January, but the court has only been questioning prosecution witnesses so far.

U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San, according to the initial investigation, had been planning to establish a security company, though none of the existing laws allows for the provision of armed security services by private companies.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post High-Profile Arms Case Handed over To Naypyitaw Court appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Prior Sagaing Region Govt Hands Over Development Funds

Posted: 20 Jul 2018 01:56 AM PDT

YANGON — The prior Sagaing Region government, from the time of President U Thein Sein, has handed over all outstanding regional development funds to the current government, according to the local planning and finance minister.

"We've received all the outstanding funds from the previous regional government," U Soe Moe said on Wednesday during a press conference on the Sagaing government’s work in 2017.

Under instructions from the Auditor General, the region’s chief auditor last year audited the accounts of the regional development funds from the 2011-12 fiscal year to the 2015-16 fiscal year, when U Tha Aye was Sagaing chief minister.

According to the Auditor General’s report, the funds totaled more than 1.7 billion kyats ($1.2 million), which the current government received in cash and kind this year.

The report said the former regional government invested more than 700 million kyats in businesses including a hydropower project in a rural village of Homalin Township. It also bought land, shares in a private company and concrete pump trucks.

It gave millions of kyats to a local charity foundation and to the region’s General Administration Department and saved more than 630 million kyats in bank accounts.

The current regional government has now received all the money, concrete pump trucks and land, said U Soe Moe.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Prior Sagaing Region Govt Hands Over Development Funds appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Art Show Delves Into the Surreal

Posted: 20 Jul 2018 12:30 AM PDT

YANGON — For those tired of landscapes and portraits, an ongoing exhibition in Yangon is showcasing something a little more uncanny.

"Supernatural" features the creative works of five surrealists exploring other aspects of human life.

Surrealism is not new to Myanmar, but few surrealists have emerged here since the movement began abroad in the 1920s.

One of the reasons is the decades of draconian censorship on art and the press imposed by the previous military junta, said the show’s curator, Lu Maw Han, a surrealist himself.

"Young surrealists have come together for this exhibition, and we've also invited veteran surrealist San Minn," he said. "So this event is a blend of youth and experience."

One of San Minn's paintings depicts a traffic policeman. He has used bright colors, as usual. But in place of his head are traffic lights.

 

"I've long wanted to do something about traffic lights," said San Minn, to comment on Yangon’s notorious traffic congestion. "Through this painting, I want to send the message that men and machines are somehow the same in principle."

Ye Minn's paintings feature people with mechanical heads wandering aimlessly.

"People struggle incessantly their whole lives but are not aware of the fact that they are governed by their ignorance," he said.

Lu Maw Han imagined the connections between humans and angels while creating his paintings depicting suicide.

Min Zaw Aung has painted a large chair with people climbing onto it. "The chair is the power that people crave," he said.

Though the ideas behind the paintings are not new, the artists use their particular techniques to give them their own twist.

More than 20 paintings will be on display at the exhibition, which will run through Monday at the 43 Art Gallery on 43rd Street in Yangon. The works range from $500 to $1,000.

"This new generation of artists has a fervent belief in surrealism. Time will tell if they have only a fleeting interest or a lifelong interest in surrealism," said San Minn.

Translated from Burmese by Thek Ko Ko.

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Vietnam Warns of Floods, Landslides After Tropical Storm Son Tinh Hits

Posted: 19 Jul 2018 09:53 PM PDT

HANOI — Vietnam has warned of floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains after tropical storm Son Tinh made landfall in northern coastal areas, although no casualties were reported on Thursday.

A long coastline makes Vietnam prone to destructive storms and flooding, with 389 people killed last year in natural disasters such as floods and landslides, the General Statistics Office said.

Son Tinh weakened to a tropical low pressure event by the time it reached Vietnam late on Wednesday, curbing fears of immediate and widespread damage, but raising concerns of flooding.

“Heavy rain is forecast to continue in northern and central provinces, and threatens to cause flash floods and landslides in Hoa Binh, Son La, Lai Chau and Lang Son provinces,” the national weather forecaster said.

The Southeast Asian country had ordered vessels back to port and prepared evacuation plans ahead of the storm, which soaked parts of the Philippines on Tuesday.

Heavy rain of up to 350 mm flooded some coastal provinces, affecting nearly 64,000 hectares of rice and 3,200 hectares of cash crops on Thursday, the government’s disaster management agency said.

Floods limited road access to many parts of Nghe An Province, 300 km south of Hanoi, state media said.

Last month heavy rains triggered flash floods and landslides that killed 24 people in the remote and mountainous northern provinces of Lai Chau and Ha Giang.

Nghi Son refinery, not far from Son Tinh’s path, was spared. On Wednesday, a company safety official had said it had no plan to suspend operations.

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Macau Authorities Adopt over 600 Greyhounds from Closed Dog Track

Posted: 19 Jul 2018 09:40 PM PDT

HONG KONG — Authorities in Macau, the world’s largest gambling hub, said they will care for more than 600 greyhounds after their owner renounced them ahead of the closure of China’s only dog-racing track on Saturday.

The move comes after a long saga between government officials in the Chinese territory, animal rights activists, and one of the enclave’s most well-known businesswomen, Angela Leong, the fourth wife of billionaire gaming magnate Stanley Ho.

Leong, a long-standing Macau legislator and executive director of Yat Yuen, the company that operated Macau’s Canidrome Club, has been criticized by animal rights groups such as Macau-based Anima, which said the greyhounds had been subject to cruel and inhumane conditions.

Yat Yuen has repeatedly rejected cruelty claims and declined requests for comment.

The Macau government said late on Thursday Yat Yuen had failed to provide a responsible solution for the dogs despite knowing since early 2016 that the company’s lease would expire. The club closes on Saturday.

“Yat Yuen has been delaying the handling and placement of the greyhound dogs. The care of the dogs has been in an uncertain state, causing public anxiety and social problems,” the government said in a statement on its website.

The government said the company would be punished under the Animal Protection Act and that authorities would ensure that the greyhounds received adequate care.

It did not elaborate on the condition of the dogs.

Leong manages tycoon Ho’s family businesses, including Yat Yuen, its casino operations via SJM Holdings, and operates the Macau Jockey Club horse racing franchise.

The closure of the greyhound track marks the end of yet another of the often grubby old-time gambling businesses that long defined Macau before the arrival of luxury casinos.

Anima head Albano Martins, who has been a key figure in fighting for the greyhounds’ release, said his organization was ready to assist the government to help find homes for the dogs.

“If I was the government, I should not be happy with that irresponsible decision taken for saving money. This only means what we have said for so long – the canidrome just cares for money,” he said.

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Home Comforts Greet ‘Wild Boars’ Captain After Thai Cave Rescue

Posted: 19 Jul 2018 09:27 PM PDT

MAE SAI, Thailand — Happiness is a birthday cake, a meal of pork-knuckle rice, a warm bed and a trip to buy a new mobile telephone.

Those were some of the treats enjoyed by Duangpetch Promthep, captain of the Thai boys’ soccer team rescued last week from a flooded cave, during his first hours at home.

“My bed felt warm,” the 13-year-old, also known as Dom, told Reuters.

The 12 boys, aged 11 to 16, and the 25-year-old coach of the “Wild Boars” soccer team returned home on Wednesday after being discharged from hospital and appearing on national television to describe their ordeal inside the Tham Luang cave.

“When I first came back home, there were so many people waiting for me. I was very surprised,” said Dom, who was welcomed by relatives from as far as China.

His first meal was stewed pork knuckle over rice, a dish he had yearned to eat while stranded in the cave, where the boys had no food for days and survived only on water dripping from stalactites.

Dom also blew out candles for a belated celebration of his 13th birthday on July 3, a day after the boys were found by two British divers about 4 km (2.5 miles) inside the cave.

Authorities have asked that the boys be allowed to recover at home, away from the public glare, so that they can return to their normal lives.

Dom, who lives with his aunt, uncle and grandmother, wrote on Facebook that he had to create a new account because of to a surge in requests to befriend him. He also bought a new mobile telephone to replace the one he lost in the cave.

Getting back to normal means homework on weekends and soccer practice after school, said Thanaporn Promthep, Dom’s 41-year-old aunt whom he calls mother.

“He’s a good, very responsible student,” she said, adding that meant no girlfriend for two more years.

The boys embark on a course of study this month to become novice Buddhist monks, in honor of Samarn Kunan, a volunteer diver and former Thai navy SEAL who lost his life during the mission to rescue them.

“It’s a very important thing to do,” Dom said.

Thais view the team as national treasures, but three of the boys, and the coach, are technically stateless.

Mongkol Boonpiam, 13, whose parents are from neighboring Myanmar, could qualify for citizenship because there is evidence he was born in Thailand, an official handling his case said.

“Even though his parents are not Thai they have been in Thailand more than 10 years,” Kittichai Charoenying, a municipal official in the northern province of Chiang Rai, told Reuters.

The cave ordeal highlighted the plight of people from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar living in Thailand who are denied some rights and opportunities because they are not citizens.

More than 486,000 people are registered as stateless with the Thai government, official data show. Of them 146,269 are – like three of the “Wild Boars” soccer team – younger than 18.

Rights activists blame bureaucratic obstacles for the slow pace of Thailand’s verification process, but authorities have promised to shepherd through the newly-famous four.

The post Home Comforts Greet ‘Wild Boars’ Captain After Thai Cave Rescue appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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