Tuesday, July 31, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

President Calls for Justice to Be Done in Killing of Comedian

Posted: 31 Jul 2018 07:15 AM PDT

YANGON — President U Win Myint has called for a full investigation into the killing of Facebook comedian Aung Yell Htwe, a day after the case — which had been controversially dropped by Yangon officials — was ordered reopened amid a public outcry.

President's Office Spokesperson U Zaw Htay said the president met with Union Chief Justice U Htun Htun Oo, Union Attorney General U Tun Tun Oo and Anti-Corruption Commission head U Aung Kyi on Tuesday morning at the Presidential Palace in Naypyitaw.

The president told the three to investigate the reasons for the dropping of the case and to see that justice was served in accordance with the law, U Zaw Htay wrote on his official Facebook page.

Lawyers who joined the condemnation of the release of the three murder suspects without any charges being filed said that under the Anti-Corruption Law, the approval of the court that is hearing the case and the Yangon attorney general's office were required to continue the investigation.

Amid the initial outpouring of public criticism, President U Win Myint expressed concern about the case during a meeting with Yangon Region administrative, legislative and judicial officials at the Government Office on Sunday.

On Monday, President's Office Spokesperson U Zaw Htay said President U Win Myint and State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi had questioned officials involved in the Aung Yell Htwe case regarding the decision to drop it.

U Zaw Htay said it had been learned that Yangon Region Attorney General's Office approved a request from the victim's family to drop the case. The office is led by Yangon Region Attorney General U Han Htoo.

According to leaked court documents that went viral online, the region attorney general's office stated there was no solid evidence that the three suspects kicked and beat the victim, inflicting fatal head injuries. Thus, the office approved the dropping of the case, as there were insufficient grounds to continue.

The court papers also stated that according to two brothers of Aung Yell Htwe, who served as the plaintiffs in the case, and his parents, the victim had heart disease and the incident was accidental, occurring during a party.

In light of the state leaders' intervention, the Union Attorney General's Office on Monday ordered the Yangon Region attorney general to annul the court-accepted decision to drop the case and to continue with the investigation at the Yangon Regional Court.

The post President Calls for Justice to Be Done in Killing of Comedian appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Latest Floods Highlight Limits of Govt’s Risk Management Efforts

Posted: 31 Jul 2018 07:06 AM PDT

YANGON — Since 2017, the government has been working through a water-related risk management plan with technical support from Japan.

Despite the work it has been doing dredging riverbeds and widening waterways in line with that plan, however, heavy rains have nonetheless inundated much of Bago and Tanintharyi regions and Karen State this past week.

More than 140,000 people have been affected across a total of seven states and regions so far. Experts and residents in those areas fear there will be more if water levels keep rising.

The monsoon rains hit Myanmar every year, each time forcing tens to hundreds of thousands of people from their homes and wiping out their crops. In 2015, the worst year in the past decade, they affected 9 million people across most of the country, displacing 1.7 million of them and destroying 15,000 homes. More than 340,000 hectares of farmland were destroyed.

The government and local volunteers have been providing this year’s victims with emergency relief including food, healthcare and shelter.

But collaboration between government ministries, civil society groups, the police and public will be key to fully realizing the government’s management plan, said Daw Khin Ni Ni Thein, an adviser to Myanmar’s National Water Resource Committee (NWRC). She said authorities were working on all parts of the plan but added that success "depends on the support and collaboration" of all parties and cautioned that it would take time.

"While we are developing the platform to cope with the causes [of natural disasters], we cannot prevent natural disasters; these disasters come and the government is dealing with them," she told The Irrawaddy.

Daw Khin Ni Ni Thein said Myanmar still had to learn more about weather forecasting and to run more drills on responding to unforeseen natural disasters. To that end, the NWRC is building a Hydro Information Center and conducting training courses. It has run four courses to date with 57 graduates.

Daw Khin Ni Ni Thein said the latest flooding has given those graduates a chance to practice what they have learned. "It is something good out of a bad situation," she said.

In Bago, no stranger to flooding, the Sittaung and Bago rivers have swelled to their highest levels in more than 50 years.

U Nyunt Shwe, Bago Region's finance and planning minister, told The Irrawaddy recently that the bed of the Bago River has been rising due to sediment buildup and needed to be dredged.

Studies of the Bago and Irrawaddy rivers are underway, but as yet there are no studies of either the Thanlwin or Sittaung rivers, among the country’s largest.

U Win Haling, director of waterway conservation at the Directorate of Water Resources and Improvement of River Systems (DWIR), said at least eight main factors were contributing to the flooding in Bago.

He said the government was dredging the Bago River, widening narrow sections and building dykes to prevent the collapse of riverbanks. But he added that many factors were working against them, including deforestation, groundwater depletion, the disruption of regular weather patterns due to climate change, low embankments and the lack of infrastructure such as water storage tanks and water pumps.

The director said the DWIR also does a lot of work on the Irrawaddy River and its tributaries but lacks data on the Thanlwin and does less work there because it sees less commercial traffic.

The post Latest Floods Highlight Limits of Govt’s Risk Management Efforts appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Central Bank Chief’s Reappointment a Setback for Reform, Critics Say

Posted: 31 Jul 2018 06:33 AM PDT

YANGON — Members of the business community and lawmakers expressed disappointment with the Union Parliament's approval of another term for Central Bank of Myanmar Governor U Kyaw Kyaw Maung on Tuesday, saying the veteran banker has failed to implement financial sector reforms or address foreign-exchange volatility under the National League for Democracy-led government.

Union President U Win Myint submitted U Kyaw Kyaw Maung's nomination to the Parliament last Thursday. He was approved to serve another five-year term on Tuesday.

This is his second stint as central bank chief. From 1997, he held the post for a decade during a period of economic decline under the military junta. He retired in 2007 but the previous U Thein Sein government reappointed him in 2013 when the central bank was made independent from the Finance Ministry. The business community and experts were disappointed when State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's government decided to keep him in the position in 2016.

"He is experienced in the banking sector but he has not driven through the much-needed reforms," said U Than Lwin, a senior adviser at Kanbawzaw Bank Ltd. and former deputy governor of the central bank.

"The financial sector is the engine of the country's economy. If the central bank is well led, the economy will definitely accelerate. But now we [have lost] 10 years," he said.

U Kyaw Kyaw Maung, 79, is one of the senior-most officials from the military junta's regime continuing to serve under the NLD-led government. He was held over in part because the government wanted to maintain some stability in leadership roles as it took office.

Economic reform is a key goal for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's government as it steers Myanmar's democratic transition after almost six decades of isolation under military dictatorship.

Echoing a sentiment expressed by a number of experts, U Than Lwin said the reappointment of U Kyaw Kyaw Maung reflects the lack of candidates in the country with sufficient experience to serve as governor of the central bank.

Members of the business community complained that the financial sector was not being reformed properly because all aspects of the reform process were controlled by people at the top. Moreover, the governor continually engaged in "stunts" to demonstrate his strong role, while the country faces exchange rate instability that had led to inflation and trade deficits that hurt the country's economy.

"This is nothing personal. Everybody longs for a new face. We had hoped that new people would mean new policies. But we are faced with the status quo," said U Maung Maung Lay, vice chairman of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

"The NLD government missed a chance to improve the country's economy. We want a person who will be more independent and focus more on banking sector reform," he said.

Lawmakers also told the media they were disappointed by the president's decision and expressed concern that it would make it difficult for the NLD-led government to improve the country's economy during the rest of its term.

Lawmaker U Aung Kyaw Oo said he did not agree with the decision, as the NLD government needs a person who can implement genuine reform. He said reform was needed to improve bank facilities, relax rules on foreign banks and enable long-term low-interest loans for local businesses.

He said U Kyaw Kyaw Maung was typical of the officials that comprised what he described as the oldest government in the world. He pointed out that the government had recently appointed a number of senior officials who were more than 75 years old.

According to the Central Bank Law 2013, the central bank governor must be appointed by the president with the consent of the Union Parliament. Any lawmaker opposed to the nomination can submit a letter stating the reasons for their objection before an agreed deadline. However, the nomination was approved by the Union Parliament.

In reality, however, there is no way for lawmakers to object to the decision, which was made at a high level of the NLD-led government.

Lawmaker Daw Khin San Hlaing also disagreed with the nomination, saying she had also hoped to see a new face in the governor's office, one who could implement reform effectively for the rest of the NLD government's term.

"When people yearn for change, the government must listen — but they didn't. This is the fate of our country," U Than Lwin said.

The post Central Bank Chief's Reappointment a Setback for Reform, Critics Say appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

‘Stronger’ Consumer Protection Law Submitted to Lower House

Posted: 31 Jul 2018 02:14 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW — The Commerce Ministry on Monday submitted a bill to the Lower House amending the Consumer Protection Law.

"We've studied guidelines and laws on consumer protection in ASEAN countries, and designed a new law that is appropriate for our country," Deputy Commerce Minister U Aung Htoo said.

The existing law, which was enacted in 2014, lacks provisions guaranteeing consumers' interests, the deputy minister said.

Additionally, under the current law there is duplication of responsibilities between the central committee for consumer protection, the Consumer Affairs Department and consumer dispute-resolution bodies at the regional, state and district levels, the deputy minister said.

"The existing law is not effective. It was designed in consultation with employers only. This time, relevant civil society organizations participated in designing the new law. So, we think it will be more effective," Myanmar Consumers Union secretary U Maung Maung told The Irrawaddy.

There are no by-laws under the existing Consumer Protection Law, and there are difficulties in applying the law, he said.

One of the most significant changes to the law is that it would allow police to open cases against suspected violators. Previously, action could only be taken when somebody filed a complaint.

"The new law also allows consumers to sue producers and importers if they have a grievance. And the definition of goods and services has been broadened," U Nay Myo Tun, a lawmaker on the Lower House Bill Committee, told reporters.

The new law reduces the prison term from three to two years, but markedly increases the fine from 5 million kyats to 150 million kyats.

It aims to ensure consumer safety and satisfaction, strengthen consumer protection bodies, and improve the quality of goods and services, according to the Commerce Ministry.

The post 'Stronger' Consumer Protection Law Submitted to Lower House appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Govt Issues Operating Procedures for Wholesalers, Retailers

Posted: 31 Jul 2018 12:28 AM PDT

YANGON — The Commerce Ministry on Monday released standing operating procedures for wholesalers and retailers of foreign and local products.

The procedures were adopted after the government gave the green light to foreign and joint-venture companies to wholesale and retail foreign and local products in Myanmar in May.

"The procedures aim to make sure local small and medium enterprises are not affected by foreign wholesalers and retailers," said Trade Department Director-General U Yan Naing Tun.

He said preparations were being made since 2013 to allow wholly foreign owned companies run wholesale and retail companies in Myanmar.

"This will allow the supply of goods at lower prices for consumers. At the same time, there will be more wholesalers for retailers to choose from,” he added.

Items allowed for wholesale and retail include locally produced or imported consumer products, foodstuffs, produce, marine products, animal products, soft drinks and locally produced liquor, according to the Commerce Ministry.

"It is good that the standing operating procedures are issued so that they will provide a level playing field for both local businessmen and foreign investors. But we've asked [the ministry] to carefully regulate the trading sector. It is very important for us," said U Myo Min Aung, vice chairman of the Myanmar Retailers Association.

Foreign companies with a minimum capital of $5 million excluding land rent are allowed to engage in wholesale, and those with a minimum capital of $3 million are allowed to engage in retail, according to the Commerce Ministry.

Joint ventures must invest a minimum $2 million for wholesale and a minimum $700,000 for retailing, and Myanmar citizens must hold at least 20 percent of the shares.

There is no minimum investment for companies wholly owned by Myanmar citizens.

However, it said minimarts and convenience stores with less than 929 square meters of floor space could not have any foreign investors.

"This is good for local businessmen," said U Myo Min Aung.

The Commerce Ministry also requires that locally owned companies already in operation and that made an initial investment of at least $700,000 must reregister and submit detailed business plans. U Myo Min Aung said these requirements would be “a burden.”

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Librarian-Scholar Took the Road Less Traveled By

Posted: 30 Jul 2018 10:45 PM PDT

YANGON — Sitting in an easy chair in his living room, U Thaw Kaung is thinking about his students and his book-strewn office at the Universities Central Library (UCL) on the campus of Yangon University.

Since suffering a head injury last year, the 81-year-old retired chief librarian and former head of the university's Department of Library and Information Studies has been advised to stay indoors in case he falls. As a result, his Tuesday ritual—a weekly visit to the library—has been put on hold.

"I miss the visits," he said, insisting they would resume once he has fully recovered. His doctors have told him he can go out in a wheelchair, but he is reluctant to do so.

"I feel uneasy using the chair, as I need someone to assist me. I used to drive there," he said with a laugh.

Thanks to his promotion of library studies at the university level, his efforts to preserve traditional manuscripts, and his establishment of the Myanmar Library Association, U Thaw Kaung is Myanmar's most internationally renowned scholar-librarian. And while he may be confined to his home, he has not been idle. Since his retirement in 1997, he has embarked on more research on the country's history, literature and culture and published his findings in English in order to deepen international understanding of the topics. Currently, he is editing a book that will reproduce a palm-leaf manuscript chronicling a 1749 Myanmar diplomatic mission to China.

"It describes the mission in detail, right down to the presents given to China," he said, adding that the work will be "an addition to the historical record of Myanmar-Sino relations."

'The One Less Traveled By'

A career librarian, U Thaw Kaung started out as a senior clerk at the library at the Rangoon Institute of Economics. At the time he was 20, having just finished his final year of English studies at Rangoon University. In 1959, he joined the University of Rangoon Library as a deputy to then librarian U Thein Han (one of Myanmar's national poets, who published under the pseudonym Zaw Gyi) and studied librarianship at University College, University of London.

"At that time, library-related work was not a popular profession," he said.

Born into a bibliophile family, and frequently sick with rheumatoid arthritis as a child, U Thaw Kaung grew up surrounded by books. Wanting his ill son to be comfortable, U Thaw Kaung's father, U Kaung, who served as the Director of Education, encouraged his son to become a librarian and asked his friend Zaw Gyi to take care of him. When U Thaw Kaung joined the University of Rangoon Library, the poet-cum-librarian took him under his wing.

Recalling the reasons for his decision to pursue librarianship, he said, "Apart from my health, I myself have always been an avid reader. I saw how peaceful Saya Zaw Gyi was [as a librarian]. I wanted to follow in his footsteps, though I was not on the same level as him. Plus, you can study whatever you want [as a librarian]."

Looking back after nearly six decades, he has no regrets.

"Instead of sorrow, I have gained the success I deserve because I took the one less traveled by," he said, quoting a line from Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken".

The American poet would doubtless agree that having chosen a less popular line of work "has made all the difference" for U Thaw Kaung.

U Thaw Kaung (center) with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (left) during her visit to UCL in July 2017. / The Irrawaddy

He eventually became chief librarian of UCL, where he served until his retirement in 1997. During his tenure, he set up the Faculty of Library Studies at Rangoon University and taught for almost three decades, with a vision of producing a new generation of librarians. Now the course is available at universities in Yangon and Mandalay.

During less busy periods at the library, and when he wasn't teaching, he traveled around the country with his students in search of rare books—especially palm-leaf and folded paper manuscripts (known as "Parabike")—completing the mission his mentor Saya Zaw Gyi initiated.

They hit old monasteries or private libraries across the country, raiding their dusty collections of manuscripts, many of which had been virtually devoured by insects or destroyed by the elements. When owners declined to donate the manuscripts, U Thaw Kaung bought or copied them.

"Sometimes, it took years to convince owners to sell, as they were attached to what they had collected," he recalled.

U Thaw Kaung was able to establish a special section at the central library to preserve palm-leaf and paper manuscripts. By the time he retired in 1997, the section was a trove of more than 16,000 manuscripts available to researchers on ancient Myanmar literature or history, and many other subjects related to the nation's culture. The effort won him the Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize in the Academic category in 2005.

In their summary, the awarders of the prize described U Thaw Kaung as "a leading authority in the field of library studies in Asia, with a focus on Myanmar….he has made many contributions to the preservation and utilization of valuable palm-leaf and paper manuscripts." (Other Fukuoka Prize winners from Myanmar include historians Dr. Than Tun and Dr. Thant Myint-U.) Among his other international honors, U Thaw Kaung was the first Southeast Asian librarian to be elected an Honorary Fellow of the Library Association U.K., and was named an Honorary Doctor of Letters by the University of Western Sydney.

"I don't think I won those awards because I'm smart; I'm just lucky," he said modestly.

He also feels fortunate to have had the encouragement of his parents and mentor Zaw Gyi, and to have been born in Myanmar, enabling him to collect old manuscripts and set up the Department of Library and Information Studies. He thanked his like-minded students and staff for making it possible to promote library studies and establish the Myanmar Library Association, which he founded in 1992 with the goal of upgrading the country's libraries so that they could establish international connections. Before retiring, he also oversaw the introduction of IT literacy programs at UCL for use in future e-library systems.

Today, the library has developed a database with a wide range of scholarly e-journal and e-book collections accessible from nine universities in Yangon and Mandalay, while offering access to catalogs from 23 university libraries across the country, according to current UCL librarian Daw Ni Ni Naing, one of U Thaw Kaung's former students.

"He has always encouraged and directed the development of libraries. He even made international training possible for us," she said.

'Helping Those Who Seek Knowledge'

Apart from collecting manuscripts and promoting library studies in Myanmar, U Thaw Kaung is famous among local and international scholars for assisting their work with "his vast knowledge of the library's holdings," as leading Southeast Asia and Myanmar scholar Robert Taylor puts it.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (left) with U Thaw Kaung (right) during her visit to UCL in July 2017. / The Irrawaddy

In the 1980s, U Thaw Kaung learned that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who at that time would make occasional visits to the country to conduct research about the role of writers in Myanmar's independence struggle, was not welcomed by some libraries. So he opened the UCL's doors to her, saying: "Come here. We are more resourceful." (She last visited the library in July last year, to promote a culture of library use in government schools.)

The late Dr. Than Tun, a renowned historian of Myanmar and a fellow Fukuoka recipient, wrote the following accolade for U Thaw Kaung when he received the prize: "He is always kind and helpful to all people (foreign or indigenous) to access (even) rare documents in their research…. May he remain helpful to us forever."

Taylor, who has known U Thaw Kaung since 1978, described his long-time friend to The Irrawaddy as "a very good scholar, a fantastic librarian, and a warm and sincere human being." In particular, he recalled a six-month research stint at UCL in 1982 for which, he said, he owed much to the librarian's inspiration and hard work. In his article for a felicitation volume to mark U Thaw Kaung's 75th birthday in 2012, Taylor suggested the librarian played a role in making possible his 1987 book "The State in Myanmar" and other of his publications on the country over the years.

"U Thaw Kaung found materials for me that I would not have found on my own and introduced me to a number of important figures in Myanmar's political and cultural life," Taylor told The Irrawaddy.

But U Thaw Kaung insists he simply did what any librarian should do while upholding the library's motto: "Helping Those Who Seek Knowledge".

"If they tell me what they want to know, I explain to them and guide them to what they should read. It's my job," he said.

Despite his life of achievements, the 81-year-old still feels the development of libraries in Myanmar lags far behind even that of neighboring or regional countries, suggesting the government should be more supportive, as college libraries still lack resources.

"Librarians' capacities need to be upgraded as well," he said, pointing out that a librarian's range of tasks has become more sophisticated than ever in the age of information technology. He explained that, at a minimum, today's librarians require the know-how to use electronic databases and find information online.

"Basically, they are still an interface between users and information," he said.

So, how to be a good librarian?

"You have to read and want to help others. What you read should not just be for you, but for others [to be able to help them with what they need]," he explained.

Anyone who has interacted with U Thaw Kaung in the academic arena will understand exactly what he means.

The post Librarian-Scholar Took the Road Less Traveled By appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Vietnam Jails 15 More Over Economic Zone Protests

Posted: 30 Jul 2018 10:43 PM PDT

HANOI — A court in Vietnam has handed out prison sentences to 15 protesters arrested during mass demonstrations last month against proposed special economic zones in the Southeast Asian country, state media reported on Tuesday.

Despite sweeping reforms, communist-ruled Vietnam tolerates little dissent. The country’s Constitution allows freedom of assembly, but protests are often broken up by police.

At least 31 people have been jailed for taking part in the nationwide demonstrations, triggered by fears that investors from China would dominate the 99-year land leases up for development in the zones.

In a trial that ended late on Monday, the People’s Court of Bien Hoa City, in the south of the country, sentenced the protesters to between eight and 18 months in prison.

Five others were given 12- to 14-months probation on charges of “causing public disorder,” Voice of Vietnam Radio said.

They were arrested when taking to the streets on June 10 and “caused traffic jams,” the report cited the indictment as saying.

Their lawyers were not immediately available for comment.

Earlier this month, 16 people were jailed under identical charges in Binh Thuan Province. June’s protests had turned violent in the province, with protesters hurling bricks and petrol bombs at police.

Monday’s trial came less than two weeks after a court in Ho Chi Minh City ordered the release and deportation of William Anh Nguyen, 32, an American man of Vietnamese descent who was also arrested for “causing public disorder” during the protests.

“They have done nothing wrong,” Nguyen wrote on his twitter account after Monday’s sentencing. “The fight for justice and democracy continues.”

The post Vietnam Jails 15 More Over Economic Zone Protests appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Fears Grip Indian State as Millions Made Stateless

Posted: 30 Jul 2018 10:05 PM PDT

NEW DELHI — More than four million people left off a draft list of citizens in northeast India on Monday have effectively been made stateless, campaigners said, likening them to the Rohingya minority driven out of Myanmar.

Fear gripped the border state of Assam as India’s census chief released the list of citizens in the state, which excluded those unable to prove they or their parents arrived before March 1971, when neighboring Bangladesh was created.

Assam lies on the border with Muslim-majority Bangladesh and is in the grip of social and communal tensions as residents campaign against illegal immigrants, a fight backed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government.

“Millions have now been rendered stateless,” Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

“There are grave reasons for concern that those without proper documentation will be targeted,” she said, warning that “India should not become another Myanmar or United States.”

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya, a stateless Muslim minority, were driven out of Myanmar last year and are now in refugee camps in Bangladesh.

Security was beefed up across Assam as thousands of Muslims left off the registry worried about being sent to detention centers or deported.

Critics see the citizenship test as a means to target Assam’s Muslim minority, a charge the BJP denies.

Campaign group Avaaz said it “bears stark parallels with Myanmar’s removal of Rohingya rights and protections.”

“The international community is fighting to stop a process that is alarmingly on track to potentially render millions of people stateless, and vulnerable to indefinite detention, violence or worse,” said Ricken Patel, Avaaz executive director.

Hundreds of thousands of people fled to India from Bangladesh during its war of independence from Pakistan in the early 1970s. Most of them settled in Assam.

The tea-rich state of 33 million people has been racked by waves of violence for decades as residents, including indigenous tribes, have clashed with both Hindu and Muslim settlers, whom they accuse of plundering resources and taking away jobs.

The government said the draft was not meant to drive people out and those not on the list would be able to reapply in a process overseen by India’s Supreme Court.

“There is no question of any coercive action against anyone,” said Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

But Asmita Basu, programs director at Amnesty International India, said the government had failed to make clear what would happen to those rendered stateless.

She urged it to extend the time for appeals beyond the deadline of Sept. 28, provide legal aid and ensure families were not torn apart in the process.

“India does not even have an agreement with other countries, particularly Bangladesh, on deportation,” she said.

“It is crucial that the government make public their plan for dealing with those at risk of being rendered stateless and ensure that their rights are not violated.”

The post Fears Grip Indian State as Millions Made Stateless appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Jailed Reuters Reporter Denies Collecting Secret Documents

Posted: 30 Jul 2018 09:37 PM PDT

YANGON — Ko Kyaw Soe Oo, one of two Reuters journalists accused of obtaining state secrets in Myanmar, told a court on Monday that the information in documents police say were found on his mobile phone was already public.

The 28-year-old reporter said he did not know how the documents, previously submitted to the court in Yangon by the prosecution during pre-trial hearings, had got on to his phone.

Ko Kyaw Soe Oo and his Reuters colleague Ko Wa Lone, 32, are facing up to 14 years in prison for allegedly violating Myanmar’s colonial-era Official Secrets Act. Both have pleaded not guilty to the charges and have told the court how they were “trapped” by police officials who planted documents on them.

Referring to what he said were “top secret” documents found on his phone and in his possession, lead prosecutor U Kyaw Min Aung accused Ko Kyaw Soe Oo during cross-examination of having “a habit of collecting those documents…to write news and send to foreign news agency Reuters.”

In response, Ko Kyaw Soe Oo, sitting in the witness box facing the judge, said: “I didn’t collect those documents voluntarily.”

At the time of their arrest in December, the journalists had been investigating the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men and boys in a village in western Myanmar’s Rakhine State. The killings took place during an army crackdown that United Nations agencies say sent nearly 700,000 people fleeing to Bangladesh.

The trial has attracted global attention and has come to be seen as a test of press freedom and reforms in the fledgling democracy.

Defense lawyers also called as a witness on Monday a driver for Reuters, U Myo Thant Tun, who had dropped the reporters off for a meeting on the evening they were arrested.

U Myo Thant Tun said the pair was carrying “nothing but their hand phones” when they entered a restaurant where they met police officials who handed them a set of papers shortly before they were detained.

Ko Kyaw Soe Oo and Ko Wa Lone have testified that police Lance Corporal Naing Lin and another officer handed them documents during their meeting at the north Yangon restaurant, but that they had no time to look at them before being arrested as they left.

Police Captain Moe Yan Naing has also testified that a superior officer had instructed his subordinates, including Lance Cpl. Naing Lin, to “trap” the reporters. Lance Cpl. Naing Lin has told the court he met the reporters, but denied giving them anything.

Myanmar government spokesman U Zaw Htay has mostly declined to comment throughout the proceedings, saying Myanmar’s courts are independent. He did not answer calls seeking comment on Monday.

In their testimony, the journalists have described how they were handcuffed, hooded, deprived of sleep and forced to kneel for hours while being questioned by interrogators who focused on their reporting of the massacre of Rohingya Muslims rather than the documents they are accused of obtaining.

Judge Ye Lwin adjourned the trial until next week, when the defense is expected to call character witnesses.

The post Jailed Reuters Reporter Denies Collecting Secret Documents appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ten Things to Do in Yangon This Week

Posted: 30 Jul 2018 07:30 PM PDT


Lethwei National Championship (Final)

Myanmar's Soe Linn Oo and Thailand's Iquezang vie for the belt in this challenge fight.

Aug. 5, 2 p.m. Theinbyu Stadium. Tickets 8,000 to 30,000 kyats at 09-245214160

Film night: "Good Bye, Lenin!"

An East German woman who is dedicated to the socialist cause falls into a coma shortly before the 1989 revolution. When she wakes up eight months later, her son, worried she will die of shock, attempts to conceal from her the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of socialism.

Aug. 1, 6.30 p.m. Goethe-Institut, on the corner of Kaba Aye Pagoda Road and Nat Mauk Street, Bahan Tsp. Free entry.

IEGEI Japan Festival

Japanese music, food and sake wine will be presented by Japanese residents of Yangon.

Aug. 4, 5 pm to 10 p.m. Ietsu Sushi & Soba, 57 37th Street. Entrance 30,000 kyats including food and drink ticket.

4th Myanmar International Travel Mart

Discounts and lucky draws for outbound tours

Aug. 4-5, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Melia Hotel

Jazz Night

An event for jazz lovers

Aug. 4, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thiripyitsaya Sky Bistro, 21st Floor, Sakura Tower. Tickets 5,000 kyats

Book Sale

Seikku Cho Cho will offer 20 percent discounts to bookworms.

Aug. 1-13, 9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Anarwa Dhamaryon, Kyar Taw Ya Street, Shwedagon Pagoda (East Gate)

Pwe Khin Tha

A performance for music enthusiasts

Aug. 5, 5.30 p.m. The Yangon Gallery, People's Park. Free admission.

'Beyond Prison Gate'

Former political prisoners recount their bitter experiences behind bars through photos.

Aug. 4-6, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Moon Art Gallery, 150/160, 35th Street

Global Village Artworks

A showcase of Maung Di's installations depicting the concept of the global village

Aug. 7-10, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Myanm/art, 98, 3rd floor, Bogalay Zay St.

16 Pages

A group exhibition featuring artists from South Okkalapa Township

Aug.1-5, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Myanmar Artists Organization Central, Bogyoke Market.

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