Tuesday, August 21, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Democratic Transition Requires a Democratic Constitution, Suu Kyi Says

Posted: 21 Aug 2018 08:54 AM PDT

CHIANG MAI, Thailand—State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday reiterated her government's intention to amend the Constitution without damaging the national reconciliation process, and stressed the importance of building peace — including in conflict-torn Rakhine State — and promoting economic development.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi made the comments while delivering the 43rd Singapore Lecture, "Myanmar's Democratic Transition: Challenges and the Way Forward" at the Institute of South East Asia Studies' Yusof Ishak Institute in the city-state on Tuesday. She is on a four-day state visit to Singapore this week.

Her lecture covered a wide range of topics including the various phases of Myanmar's history since independence, the roadmap to the current democratic transition; the 21st-Century Panglong peace process; the situation in Rakhine State; and the country's economic development.

"[Amending] the Constitution was one of the goals of our government. This is something that we need to mention here, because the completion of a democratic transition must necessarily involve the completion of a truly democratic constitution. This we have not yet achieved, but we aim to achieve it through negotiation and through evolution," she said in her concluding remarks.

She added that there are "parts of the Constitution which we believe would have to be amended if we are truly to be a democratic society. But we also made it quite clear [since her time as a legislator from 2012-15] that these changes we will bring about through negotiation, always keeping in mind that national reconciliation is one of our greatest needs."

Reflecting on Myanmar's seven-decade-long civil war and intercommunal conflicts, she said, "Our people yearn for peace and security, for an end to unrest and strife, for material and emotional security, for a chance to contemplate the future of their children with tranquility."

She added that, "A sound base for peace and stability has to be broad and comprehensive. Addressing destabilizing issues in Rakhine State was a fundamental part" of building peace and stability, which she described as one of the three pillars that support the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan.

She listed the steps taken by her National League for Democracy-led government to resolve the crisis in Rakhine State, including forming the national-level Central Committee for Rule of Law and Development in Rakhine State; the Advisory Commission led by the late Kofi Anan, a former UN secretary-general; the Rakhine Advisory Board; and the Independent Commission of Enquiry, in addition to a number of government implementation bodies. She also acknowledged the role of UN agencies and expressed confidence that Myanmar's engagement with Ambassador Christine Burgener, the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General to Myanmar, "will be positive and fruitful."

"We share deep sympathy and concern for all displaced persons, especially women and children," the State Counselor added, though she was careful not to use specific labels, whether religious or ethnic, in reference to the displaced persons.

Regarding the safe return of refugees from Myanmar currently residing in Thailand, she said, "The return of displaced persons [from Thailand] to our country is also working smoothly as a result of close consultation and cooperation between Myanmar and Thailand."

"Similarly, we hope to work with Bangladesh to effect the voluntary, safe and dignified return of displaced persons from northern Rakhine," she added. The State Counselor appeared to be comparing previous challenges faced by the government in terms of repatriating refugees to the situation facing the displaced persons in Bangladesh refugee camps, who lack the documentation necessary for repatriation.

Myanmar and Bangladesh have been cooperating at the ministerial level on facilitating refugee repatriation, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said, adding, "The Bangladeshi Foreign Minister was invited to Myanmar to see at first hand preparations we have made for the resettlement of returnees. During his visit [last week], both sides agreed, inter alia, to deliver on commitments made, to speed up implementation of bilateral agreements on repatriation, and to set up a hotline between the two countries at the ministerial level."

With regard to the ongoing peace-building process in Myanmar, she insisted that the 21st-Century Panglong Peace Conference had "made progress," citing the signing of parts of the Union accords in which 51 basic principles for a future democratic constitution were laid out at two conferences held last year and this year. Among the NLD's achievements in this arena, she said, was having two more ethnic armed organizations sign the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement.

The State Counselor added, "We are constantly alert to the challenges and we aim to resolve them through dialogue and negotiation, by persevering in the endeavor to build mutual trust and understanding."

She urged each and every individual to "learn to talk to one another and also to listen to one another" so that the country could move forward, and to respect diversity, pointing out that Myanmar comprises some 135 ethnic groups.

She also urged ASEAN members and the international community as a whole "to listen with understanding, listen with empathy, listen by putting yourselves in our places, not the place of the government, but in the place of our ordinary people, of the citizens."

She continued, "If you listen with their ears and you try to see with their eyes, you will have a better idea of what the real challenges of our transition are. They are not just the challenges the world sees, but the challenges [that] each and every one of our people sees for himself or herself."

On the economic front, she said, "The future remains bright" because Myanmar and Singapore are working together to promote trade through a bilateral investment treaty. In 2017, foreign investment in Myanmar reached USD8 billion, with more than half of that coming from Singapore.

She also said that, second only to the developments in Rakhine State following the attacks on government security posts by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army in 2016 and 2017, when it comes to Myanmar, the outside world's main focus is on foreign direct investment.

"We place high importance on investment but within the context of our wider needs. We want Myanmar to be business-friendly, an environment where investors can be comfortable and secure and where their interests can merge harmoniously with our development aims," she said.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has been in Singapore since Aug. 19 at the invitation of Prime Minister Lee Hsein Loong. On Aug. 20, she visited the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. This is her third official visit to Singapore. Her most recent previous visit was in November 2016.

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Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Pays Tribute to Late UN Chief

Posted: 21 Aug 2018 06:22 AM PDT

YANGON — State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi paid tribute to the late Kofi Annan during a talk in Singapore on Tuesday, calling the former UN secretary general and chairman of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State someone who had a “generous and positive nature” and who wanted Myanmar “to reach its goals for peace, prosperity, security and progress.”

Annan died on Saturday at the age of 80.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said she first approached Annan in 2016 and asked him “to lead a commission to help us find the lasting solution to the problems jeopardizing peace and progress in the region so bountifully blessed by nature,” referring to the western state of Rakhine, where communal strife between ethnic Rakhine and Rohingya Muslims had been on the rise since 2012.

It was the first time foreign experts had been invited to assist the country's efforts to tackle the Rakhine crisis. He accepted the offer to lead the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State and made recommendations for ending the violence in the conflict-torn state and promoting development, despite some resistance to his appointment from local ethnic Arakanese, opposition parties and the military.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi immediately endorsed the commission's 88 recommendations and vowed to implement them in the shortest timeframe possible allowing for conditions on the ground. Annan's recommendations have been treated as a roadmap for promoting communal reconciliation and development in Rakhine.

"Please allow me at this point to pay tribute to Dr. Kofi Annan. His quality and achievements were myriad," the state counselor said during her lecture on Myanmar’s democratic transition at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), adding that Annan abided by his decision to help Myanmar even after events in Rakhine brought severe criticism onto the country.

She said Annan showed compassion, integrity, wisdom and courage in his leadership of the commission and the recommendations it made.

"His approach is constructive and caring," she said. "Despite the many demands on his duty, he made time to speak to me on telephone occasionally to ask how he might help, to listen, to encourage."

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said Annan's life offered lessons everyone could learn from.

"It exemplified the principles and values on which the UN is founded, the principles and values that allow us to hope peace and prosperity might be possible for all in our world," said she.

Of the 88 recommendations the commission made, the state counselor said, 81 have been implemented to date and would help establish lasting peace and stability in Rakhine.

"But challenges there are multi-faceted and require multi-tasking," she said.

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Major Reforms Around the Corner, Says Key Economic Adviser to Suu Kyi

Posted: 21 Aug 2018 05:43 AM PDT

YANGON—Amid criticism of the government from the business community over sluggish growth and a lack of economic direction, the economic adviser to Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on Friday addressed the problems the administration has had implementing its reform plan, while highlighting the progress it has already made and insisting that major new reforms are on the way.

Addressing the seminar "Myanmar's Economy 2018: progress, problems, possibilities" at the Novotel Yangon, Sean Turnell, the special economic consultant to the Myanmar state counselor, said the main problems include bureaucratic sclerosis across government departments, the current account deficit, structural problems in the banking system, weak infrastructure, the crisis in Rakhine State and global economic uncertainty due to the U.S.-China trade war.

Economic Problems

Turnell said the Myanmar government continues to struggle with a current account deficit, meaning the value of the goods and services it imports exceeds the value of those it exports. The current account deficit could push the government to print money, which would cause inflation in the country, he said.

In fiscal 2016-17, Myanmar's trade deficit stood at around USD5.5 billion, equivalent to 3.9 percent of GDP. Imports totaled USD17.2 billion, versus USD11.6 billion for exports. In 2015-16, the trade deficit was USD5.4 billion, equivalent to 3.2 percent of GDP. In 2014-15 it totaled USD4.9 billion, or 1.2 percent of GDP.

Myanmar's financial system is undergoing reform to remove structural problems such as the locking up of assets in a stalled real-estate market. A lack of infrastructure is also a source of frustration among investors, he pointed out.

The banking system remains one of the most outdated in the region, despite reforms having begun in 2011, including allowing private banks to conduct foreign exchange transactions and set up ATMs. In 2016, the National League for Democracy (NLD)-led government passed the Financial Institutions Law of Myanmar, seen as a major step toward modernizing the sector. In March, the government permitted seven foreign banks to provide export-financing services.

But financial experts said there are many reforms still needed in the banking sector, such as the adoption of a fully free-floating exchange regime, laws on mobile financial transactions and further liberalization of the private banking sector.

Turnell emphasized that the Rakhine crisis remains a significant hurdle for the NLD government's economic reform effort, as it is scaring off tourists and investors, especially from the West.

"The impact is huge… a huge direct impact," he said. "Hundreds of millions of dollars are not here, because of Rakhine basically."

He said that while people had expected to see more U.S. investment flow into Myanmar under the democratic government, many U.S. firms and financial institutions had stayed away due to international pressure over the human rights situation. The Rakhine crisis had also negatively impacted tourism from Western countries, he said.

Turnell said global uncertainty over the U.S.-China trade war had also affected the Myanmar economy, especially in terms of exchange rate volatility. The government has been criticized for failing to stem the kyat's slide against the dollar, which has lasted for over three months, but Turnell said, "It is a global story, not a Myanmar story."

The trade war has caused financial instability everywhere in the world, and many people are angry about it, he said.

He warned that hierarchical and bureaucratic processes within government departments were another serious obstacle to reform.

Economic Progress

Turnell said he had witnessed some progress on the macroeconomic front under the NLD-led government.

He said that most macroeconomic indicators are stable and headed in the right direction, citing examples such as continued annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth, the inclusion of more people in the financial system, a stable inflation rate and decreased reliance on the practice of printing money to pay down budget deficits.

Turnell said that due to the global instability, Myanmar's economic growth would likely be 6.9 percent this year, lower than the 7 percent predicted earlier. However, he pointed out that 6.9 percent is high compared with other countries in the region. Moreover, inflation is stable at 5.9 percent, or possibly 6 percent due to exchange rate fluctuations. The government is taking various steps to control inflation, he said.

In the past, governments in Myanmar have often resorted to funding themselves by printing money, rather than collecting taxes. This has made controlling inflation very difficult. The previous government printed money annually to fill budget gaps. Central bank records show that former President U Thein Sein's government printed money to fund 70 percent of its budget deficits.

This had dropped to 30 percent under the NLD-led government, Turnell said.

According to Turnell, Myanmar's financial inclusion rate — which measures the proportion of adults with access to at least one formal financial services product — increased from 30 percent in 2013 to 48 percent in 2018. This means 6 million more adults have access to formal financial services now than in 2013.

The banking system is slowly being modernized, while the state banking sector is also being reformed. Turnell praised the Central Bank of Myanmar's decision to remove the trading band on the exchange rate as a step in the right direction.

Economic Possibilities

In May, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) short-term business sentiment survey showed that business confidence had declined compared with last year, with a majority of businesspeople citing a lack of clear economic policies from the government.

However, Turnell assured the audience that major reforms are on the way, particularly the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan (MSDP), which will give the economy a fiscal boost and liberalize key sectors, particularly the financial sector, to stimulate economic growth.

He acknowledged that people had many questions about the government's economic direction and vision, but said the MSDP will answer all their concerns.

"It will come in couple of weeks. It is already done," Turnell said.

The economic adviser praised the current activities of the Planning and Finance Ministry, which is drawing up the MSDP, a roughly 250-point action plan for Myanmar's long-term economic development.

Turnell reiterated that Myanmar needed to resolve the Rakhine crisis in order to improve the economy and attract investment and financial-sector assistance from the West.

As another example of the NLD government's economic achievements, he cited the fact that the renewal of the China-backed Kyauk Phyu project agreement had not resulted in Myanmar owing a single dollar to China.

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Govt Readies Protected Areas for Wild Elephants

Posted: 21 Aug 2018 04:45 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW — The government is planning to open wild elephant protection camps in three regions where the pachyderms are most at risk from poachers, Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation Minister U Ohn Win told a session of Parliament on Friday.

"We are planning to make camps where police, local administration officers and staff from the Forestry Department can stay and watch for poachers, hunt down the poachers and protect the wild elephants," he said, responding to questions about the plan from lawmakers.

The minister said the camps will be in Yangon, Bago and Irrawaddy regions, where the numbers of poached wild elephants are highest.

U Ohn Win said wild elephants were on Myanmar’s list of protected species and that the government was collaborating with local and international organizations to save them. He said government officials were also working with the police on ways to take tougher legal action against poachers and those who trade in wild elephant parts.

The number of poached elephants more than doubled from 18 to 46 from 2016 to 2017, according to the Forestry Department. It says 14 wild elephants were poached between January and July this year.

Lawmakers noted that poachers were killing the elephants not only for their tusks, but for their meat and skin as well, and smuggling the parts to neighboring countries.

"At least one wild elephant is poached a week. The number of wild elephants has declined from over 10,000 to under 2,000. It is necessary to hunt down elephant poachers with joint forces," said lawmaker U Than Aung Soe, who represents Magwe Region’s Minhla Township.

According to the Natural Resources Ministry, 56 poachers were arrested from 2010 to 2017 and prosecuted under the Protection of Wildlife and Conservation of Natural Areas Law.

In May, the Protection of Biodiversity and Conservation Areas Law was also enacted, which stipulates jail terms of at least three years for poachers and smugglers and up to 10 years in cases involving wild elephants.

U Ohn Win also noted that infrastructure projects such as roads and dams were increasingly encroaching on elephant habitat and bringing the animals increasingly into contact — and conflict — with people.

Confrontations between wild elephants and local residents killed six people in 2016, nine in 2017, and two this year through June.

The natural resources minister said the Forestry Department was educating people in areas where there are elephants on ways to stay safe. He said the ministry was collaborating with the US-based Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute on a project to place radio transmission collars on a total of 28 elephants in Yangon, Bago, Irrawaddy and Tanintharyi regions.

The Forestry Department is also partnering with the Wildlife Conservation Society, another US-based organization, on a project running from 2018 to 2027 that aims to double the average life of Myanmar’s elephants to about 100 years.

Translated from Burmese by Zarni Mann.

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No Repose for Locals as Second Wave of Flooding Affects Karen, Mon, Tanintharyi

Posted: 21 Aug 2018 03:56 AM PDT

MON STATE — A second wave of flooding has hit multiple parts of Myanmar including Karen and Mon states and Irrawaddy and Tanintharyi regions, as water from rivers continues to rise in locations where hundreds of people have been displaced from flooding.

More than 400 people have been relocated, according to reports from the government, as the water levels of the Salween River in Karen State rise.

In Kawkareik Township, 73 families – a total of 335 people – were relocated to other areas as water reached 60-122 centimeters (2-4 feet) deep in their community, as reported by the Ministry of Home Affairs yesterday.

Twenty-seven families living near the Moei River, a tributary of the Salween River in Myawaddy Township, have moved to temporary camps as the river rose by 60 centimeters (2 feet) yesterday evening.

These have been the worst floods to hit Karen State in 50 years. The Karen State government opened 10 additional IDP camps for those displaced by the recent high water levels in the region. This has brought to 60 the total number of temporary camps opened by the government in the last month since the first floods hit the region.

Water from the Salween River began to rise on Saturday night, according to locals in Karen State where some people have had to move to temporary shelter at IDP camps.

The high water levels have also inundated several sections of the highway between Kyainseikgyi and Three Pagodas Pass near the Myanmar-Thai border. Some members of the authorities have been guiding vehicles for their passage along the highway.

However, many other parts remain unpassable for vehicles due to the high water levels. Drivers have been paying ferries to transport their cars through areas where they cannot drive. As these ferries tend to be made from bamboo and can carry just one car per journey, major travel delays in the area have become inevitable. As of today, it cost 15,000 kyats for one car to be transported and due to a high demand, long lines for the service have formed. Due to these delays and increased travel costs for border traders and travelers, much trade in Karen State has stopped.

Border trade between Myawaddy and Three Pagodas Pass has slowed dramatically with much damage caused to vehicles due to flooding on the highways in Karen State.

Border traders who continue to make the journey are being forced to pay double the regular transportation fees due to the requirement of offloading their goods to boats for safe passage across flooded zones and reloading the goods to their vehicles when dry ground is reached.

The price of commodities has also risen due to the dramatic decline in border trade, with people in Mon State reporting particularly high prices for rice.

More than 16,000 people were displaced in Karen State last month from townships that included Hpa-an, Hlaingbwe, Kawkareik and Myawaddy.

Water levels reached over 8 meters high in some towns in Tanintharyi Region on Aug. 21 according to local sources, with many people relocating to other areas while some continue to stay at their houses.

Authorities in Tanintharyi Region have announced that they will have to open a dam in the area and that at least 300 people will have to evacuate the affected location.

Flooding conditions have remained for 40 days now in some low land areas near rivers around Tanintharyi.

Both displaced people and local authorities helping victims have been working constantly to save property from flood damage and are becoming tired, according to Facebook posts by Tanintharyi local Mi Thu Zar.

According to reports from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Pathein Township in Irrawaddy Division and Karenni State also remain affected by floods with dozens of families having to relocate to other areas for their safety.

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Kofi Annan’s Contribution to Myanmar’s Pressing Rakhine Crisis

Posted: 21 Aug 2018 03:28 AM PDT

The former United Nations secretary-general and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kofi Annan died on Saturday at the age of 80. Despite his top job at the UN, the Ghanaian is remembered in Myanmar for his involvement in tackling the crisis in Rakhine State in the west of the country, where communal strife between ethnic Arakanese and Rohingya Muslims had been on the rise since 2012.

It all started in 2016, when Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Kyi approached Annan and asked him to lead a commission that would analyze the situation in Rakhine State. It was the first time foreign experts had been invited to assist the country's efforts in confronting the Rakhine crisis. He accepted the offer to lead the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State and made recommendations on ending the violence in the conflict-torn state and promoting development, despite some resistance against his commission from local ethnic Arakanese, opposition parties and military.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi immediately endorsed the commission's 88 recommendations and vowed to implement them in the shortest timeframe possible given the conditions on the ground. Annan's recommendations have been treated as a roadmap for promoting communal reconciliation and regional development in Rakhine.

Since the formation of the commission, The Irrawaddy has extensively covered stories related to the nine-member commission. On the death of Kofi Annan, we revisit some of our stories to reflect the former UN boss' contribution to Rakhine State.

Aug. 24, 2016

Former UN Chief Kofi Annan to Head New Commission on Arakan State

The former United Nations secretary-general and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kofi Annan was named by Myanmar's State Counselor's office as the leader of a nine-member Advisory Commission on Rakhine State to recommend  "lasting solutions to complex and delicate issues" in the conflict-torn region.

Aug. 25, 2016

ANP Demands Cancellation of Kofi Annan-Led Arakan State Commission

The largest Rakhine political party, the Arakan National Party (ANP), has demanded that the government cancel the newly formed Kofi Annan-led Arakan State Advisory Commission. The ANP expressed objection to the three non-Myanmar members selected to serve on the commission, stating that they would not be able to understand the background and current situation on the ground in Arakan State, as well as that it would harm the rights of indigenous people—a reference to the Buddhist Arakanese—and national sovereignty.

Aug. 30, 2016

ANP Lawmaker Calls for Removal of International Experts From Arakan State Commission

A Rakhine lawmaker from the Arakan National Party (ANP) at the Lower House submitted an urgent parliamentary proposal calling for the replacement of three non-Myanmar experts serving on the Rakhine State Advisory Commission with local academic specialists. With support from the military representatives and main opposition Union Solidarity and Development Party, the proposal called the inclusion of international experts "foreign interference in internal affairs.' But the proposal failed to earned parliamentary approval, as the majority of NLD lawmakers rejected it.

Sept. 5, 2016

Kofi Annan 'Confident' in Arakan State Advisory Commission's Mandate

Kofi Annan said despite the challenges facing Arakan State being "complex and deep-rooted," he remains "confident that we can assist the people of Rakhine to chart a common path for a peaceful and prosperous future." During the first meeting with the commission members and State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in Yangon, the former United Nations secretary-general said the advisory commission would act rigorously to find ways to address the situation in Arakan State, and work closely with the people of the region, including engaging with community and religious leaders, local administration and members of the State Counselor's Office.

Sept. 7, 2016

Advisory Commission Completes First Trip to Arakan State

Former UN secretary general Kofi Annan tours the Rohingya community of Aung Mingalar ward in Sittwe on Wednesday morning. (Photo: Maung Kyaw Hein MPA / The Irrawaddy)

Kofi Annan-led Rakhine State Advisory Commission completed its first two-day trip to Rakhine State to learn about local perspectives on trust-building from the Buddhist Rakhine and Muslim Rohingya communities in the state capital, Sittwe. Local residents and Buddhist monks staged protests against the commission, challenging what they perceived as "foreigners' biased intervention" from the nine-member panel.

Sept. 8, 2016

Kofi Annan: Commission Will Not Do 'Human Rights Investigation' in Arakan State

Upon his arrival from Rakhine, Kofi Annan told media in Yangon that the commission's purpose was not to investigate rights abuses, but to write an "impartial report." He explained that the objective of the advisory commission was to provide recommendations for the Myanmar government in accordance with international standards in order to facilitate a lasting solution to the conflict in Arakan State.

Oct 9, 2016

Nine Police Dead in Arakan State Border Attacks

Nine police officers were killed and five were injured during a series of attacks by Muslim militants on border guard headquarters and outposts near the Bangladeshi border in northern Rakhine State.

Dec. 6, 2016

Kofi Annan: Charge of 'Genocide' Should Not Be Used 'Loosely' in Arakan State

Chairman of the Arakan State Advisory Commission Kofi Annan told reporters at a Yangon press conference that when describing the crisis in Rakhine State, the term "genocide" should be used with caution.

March 16, 2017

Arakan State Advisory Commission Releases Interim Report

The Rakhine State Advisory Commission released an interim report for the Myanmar government to improve the situation in Rakhine State, calling for immediate and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid organizations and the media to areas of northern Rakhine State.

July 10, 2017

U Zaw Htay: Kofi Annan Commission is Govt 'Shield'

The Myanmar government spokesperson said the Annan commission was serving as a shield for the Myanmar government. "Were it not for the Kofi Annan commission, the allegations would be much worse, I think," he said.

Aug. 19, 2017

Did Advisory Commission Remedy Rakhine State's Conflict?

Kofia Annan and Daw Aung San Suu kyi before the start of the meeting of Rakhine Advisory Commission in Yangon in 2016. ( Photo: The Irrawaddy)

Since its formation, the Kofi Annan-led Advisory Commission on Rakhine State had been under fire from local ethnic Arakanese people, opposition parties, and the military. Given the resistance, would the recommendations to be made by the commission for Rakhine State be helpful?

Aug. 22, 2017

Rakhine Advisory Commission's Kofi Annan Arrives in Yangon

Kofi Annan arrived in Yangon to release his Rakhine State Advisory Commission's final report on Rakhine State.

Aug. 24, 2017

Kofi Annan: Don't Leave Citizenship Issues 'To Fester'

Kofi Annan takes questions from journalists at Sule Shangri-La hotel in Yangon on Thursday. (Photo: Thet Htun Naing / The Irrawaddy)

The commission submitted its final report to Myanmar Army commander-in-chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing and State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in Naypyitaw. The report criticized several aspects of Myanmar's 1982 Citizenship Law as failing to meet international standards, while still encouraging the government to accelerate the national verification process in line with that law in Rakhine State. But the military questioned the "impartiality" of the commission's report and urged Annan's delegation to review some "factually wrong" points.

Aug. 25, 2017

Muslim Militants Stage Major Attack in Rakhine

Several hours after the submission of the commission's final report, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army launched attacks on 24 border guard posts, police stations, and army bases in northern Rakhine State, killing at least 10 police officers and one Myanmar Army soldier.

Sept. 12, 2017

Govt to Implement Recommendations on Rakhine Issue 'Without Delay'

The President's Office announced the formation of a 15-member committee to implement the recommendations of the Kofi Annan-led Advisory Commission on Rakhine State and a government investigation commission led by Vice President U Myint Swe. The implementation committee was led by Minister of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement U Win Myat Aye. The new committee was responsible for accelerating the national verification process and ensuring equal access to education and health services regardless of religion, race, citizenship or gender, as well as fighting terrorism and eliminating drugs in the region as a priority.

June 2018

Rakhine Advisory Commission Stands by Recommendations After Review

Ten months after it made recommendations for Rakhine State, the Kofi Annan-led commission said that in reviewing its suggestions, the recommendations to settle communal tension in the restive region remain relevant despite political realities in the state changing dramatically and tragically following the ARSA attacks in August 2017.

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Ten Things to Do in Yangon This Week

Posted: 20 Aug 2018 10:04 PM PDT

One-Hundred, Aung Zaw solo show

The exhibition of artist Aung Zaw featuring 100 paintings will be open at Nawaday Tharlar Gallery on Nawaday Road in Dagon Township from Aug. 25 to 31.

Mirror of Dark Mishear and Mislead

The fifth solo show of Ohn Khine Zin is on view from Aug. 24 to 28 at Lokanat Gallery, No. 62, First Floor, Pansodan Road, Kyauktada Township.

"Happy?"

This is an art exhibition by Ba G, Lwin Oo Maung, Nge Nge and Zoncy. It takes place from Aug. 18 to 26 at Myanm/art Gallery No. 98, Third Floor, Bogalay Zay Street,

Cartoon Show

This cartoon show is being held to raise funds for flood victims. It will take place in front of Maha Bandoola Park from Aug. 24 to 26. All money raised from the sale of cartoons will go to flood relief efforts.

Dream Lover Solo Concert

Popular Myanmar artist Me Me Win Pe will perform at the Sky Star Hotel on Aug. 25. Call the Myanpwel hotline on 09 445 151 010 for tickets which range from 20,000 to 70,000 kyats.

Literary Talks and Book Fair

This fair is being hosted by Hledan Community Public Library from Aug. 20 to 22. Writers Manottha Kyaw Win, Myinmu Maung Naing Moe, Maung Nyein Thu (Gyopingauk), Myat Soe (Hline), Ma Hnin Pyway and Maung Sein Win (Padigone) will give literary talks over three days.

Irish Folk Night

New ensemble Craic the Knife will perform traditional Irish numbers from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Aug. 24 August at Sky Bistro located on the 20th floor of the Sakura Tower in downtown Yangon.

Japanese Movie Showing

The film 'Fireworks from the Heart' will be screened on Aug. 25 from 10:00 AM at Japan Culture House as part of their ongoing film program. Japan Culture House is located at Room 322B, 2nd Floor, Building C, Pearl Condo, Kabaraye Pagoda Road, Bahan Township.

Taung Pyone FAB

This FAB falls on the weekend of the Taung Pyone spirit festival. Some claim the festival is the unofficial gay pride festival of Myanmar so partygoers are going to celebrate with their own Taung Pyone Festival-style FAB part on Saturday Aug. 25 from 9:00 p.m. at Pyrite Club near Inya Lake Hotel, Yankin Township.

Tin Maung Hsan Min Win Troupe

The Tin Maung Hsan Min Win troupe will perform traditional Burmese entertainment by mixing dance, music, song, comedy and theatre at Kandawgyi Hmaw Sin Kyun. At 6:00 p.m. on Aug. 25. Tickets from 5,000 to 10,000 kyats will be available at the venue.

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Malaysia Seizes Rhino Horns Worth $12M in Largest Such Haul

Posted: 20 Aug 2018 09:46 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia has seized rhinoceros horns worth nearly $12 million bound for Vietnam, in its largest haul of such contraband, officials said on Monday.

Wildlife experts say Malaysia is a major transit point for the illegal trafficking of endangered species to other Asian countries.

Officials acting on a tip-off seized 50 horns, weighing about 116 kilograms (256 pounds), at the cargo terminal of Kuala Lumpur airport on Aug. 13, a wildlife official said in a statement.

The shipment also included nine carcasses of what are believed to be tigers and bears, weighing about 200 kilograms (441 pounds).

“All the wildlife items confiscated were to be exported out of Malaysia without a proper permit,” Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim, the director-general of the Wildlife and National Parks Department, said in the statement.

The department will run DNA tests to identify each wildlife species involved, he added.

The shipment, valued at 48 million ringgit ($11.7 million), was bound for Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam.

Investigations showed the consignment had been shipped with false documents, and efforts were being made to identify its true owner, Abdul Kadir said.

TRAFFIC, a group which monitors the illegal wildlife trade, said the case highlighted links between Malaysia and Vietnam, which are both in Southeast Asia.

“This was a very unusual mix of wildlife parts found — rhino horns which were clearly not from Asia and carnivore carcasses which could have originated from the country,” TRAFFIC’s acting Southeast Asia director Kanitha Krishnasamy said in a statement.

“This discovery raises questions about how criminals are accumulating wildlife parts and using a multitude of routes and methods to traffic them onwards to destination countries.”

Global trade in rhino horn is banned by a United Nations convention, but it is prized in some Asian countries as an ingredient in traditional medicines to treat everything from fever to cancer.

Last year, Malaysia seized about $3.1 million worth of rhino horns flown in from Mozambique via Qatar.

Separately, authorities arrested a man on July 13 for illegal possession of three baby Sumatran orangutans, Abdul Kadir said.

“The suspect was believed to have been trading wildlife online and was arrested while dealing with a buyer,” he said.

Malaysia will return the animals to Indonesia, he said.

Orangutans live in lowland forests on Borneo, an island shared by Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as on Indonesia’s island of Sumatra.

They are endangered, with populations declining due to rampant deforestation and hunting.

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Engaging the UWSA: Countering Myths, Building Ties

Posted: 20 Aug 2018 09:37 PM PDT

The carefully staged photos of Tatmadaw Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing serving soup to United Wa State Army (UWSA) commander Bao Youyi, hospitalized after fatigue and hypertension at the Third Union Peace Conference (UPC) in July 2018, raised eyebrows across the country. The photo was posted to the former's Facebook page and gestured towards bridge-building between the Tatmadaw and the UWSA, the country's strongest Ethnic Armed Organization (EAO).

Building genuine trust however, will take far more than birds' nest soup.

Not captured in the photograph were the UWSA's demands for an official Wa State, amendments to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) and the 2008 Constitution, and recognition of the Wa-controlled territory on the Thai border.

The UWSA had in September 2016 walked out of Aung San Suu Kyi's landmark attempt to build peace with EAOs, the 21st Century Panglong Conference (now UPC). The formation of the UWSA-led coalition, the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC) in April 2017, was a further blow to her NLD government's hopes for significant progress in the peace process. The FPNCC submitted its demands at the Second UPC in May 2017, which were largely ignored. This Third UPC saw little concrete progress made, and now runs the risk of halting its momentum.

Perceptions and Myths of the UWSA

The UWSA was formed from the fracturing of the Communist Party of Burma (CPB) in 1989, its leaders quick to sign a ceasefire with the Tatmadaw, one that has held to the present day. It controls fully two large swathes of territory along the Chinese and Thai borders, protected by an army of around 30,000.

Narratives about the UWSA have focused on secrecy and isolation, with sensationalized reporting about "an empire built on guns, drugs and blood", or unverified allegations of the acquisition of helicopters and other weapons. The scant scholarly material centers on the political economy of opium and drugs, with book covers predominantly depicting soldiers in poppy fields.

In May 2015, the UWSA hosted the first EAOs summit at its headquarters in Pangkham, without the presence of Myanmar government representatives, and created the first opportunity for the press to visit Wa Region. Journalists were invited by the UWSA again in October 2016.

Paradoxically, while these visits gave a glimpse into life inside Wa Region, they also created distance – exaggerating the secrecy and remoteness of Wa Region, or its similarities to China. Across the media, representations of the UWSA invariably depict young soldiers marching, training, or guarding checkpoints, alongside charges of vice and lawlessness, and exotic visuals of the wildlife trade and casinos.

Little wonder then, that the UWSA remains "feared and poorly understood", and few in Yangon can imagine ever engaging with the UWSA. Two serious misconceptions circulate in Yangon: first that the UWSA is a part or pawn of China, and second that they are mysterious, isolated and disengaged from Myanmar.

Pawns of China?

Suggestions of the UWSA being pawns of China are part of the Tatmadaw's allegations; the New Light of Myanmar accused the UWSA in 2015 of being ethnic Chinese posing as Wa "tribesmen" to further their secessionist and drug-running aims. Many Burmese people view the Wa as far closer to China than it actually is, wondering why they speak Chinese and not Burmese, and why travel there is so difficult – with perceptions that Burmese are unwelcome in Wa Region. But for the UWSA, historical affinity to China is simple and straightforward, not a sinister conspiracy – as Chairman Bao himself remarked, "in the past, when we needed help, no one else helped us but China."

With telecommunications systems and somewhat a stable kyat only a relatively recent phenomena in Myanmar, the UWSA has for decades relied on Chinese currency and Chinese markets for its rubber and mining industries, construction technology, and communication networks. Yet since the 1990s, the UWSA has demonstrated a creativity and ability to navigate different routes, markets, and investments to buttress its self-reliance. Collaborations between Wa-owned companies and other Myanmar conglomerates point to strong business ties with elites in Yangon and Mandalay.

Other observers overstate the UWSA's subordination to China, suggesting that China has advisors shadowing top UWSA leaders, vets visitors to Wa Region, and dictates the UWSA's external relations. Rather, the relationship is more nuanced and based on mutual interest, respect, and norms of propriety. The inclusion of a clause to invite China as an observer to FPNCC negotiations, in the press release from the first FPNCC meeting of August 2017, seems an example of such face-giving and respect. As Yun Sun observes, China cannot force the UWSA to leave or join the peace process without creating resentment, and its interest is in maintaining good ties with the UWSA.

Both China and the UWSA have tried to dispel rumors about the nature of this relationship; China angrily dismissed suggestions that it had encouraged EAOs to reject the NCA. The UWSA is also quick to point out that China is invited as an observer only because of its status as a neighbor, although at other times it perhaps hides behind China's "wishes" as an excuse for certain decisions it makes. The relationship is better described as the UWSA making its own autonomous decisions, while taking into account how China might view these actions.

Disengaged?

The BBC's analysis following its visit in 2016 wrote of the Wa: "detached from both national and international laws, they do exactly as they please. And they do not want to change." This lazy and flippant mischaracterization served only to portray the UWSA as removed, stubborn, and narrow-minded, lacking a political strategy.

The UWSA has always made the case for an autonomous Wa State, yet insists that it does not call for secession or independence. Mistranslations between Burmese, Chinese, and English have often led to misunderstandings around political terminology such as "autonomy", "independence", "state", and "federalism", causing uncertainty around motivations and intentions.

The UWSA's engagement has been shaped by the uncertainties of its negotiating partners. It stayed out of peace negotiations prior to 2015 because it did not want to be used by the Myanmar government to pressure other smaller EAOs to the negotiating table. The policy was to let everyone make their minds up on their own. Premature rumors frequently circulate about the willingness of the UWSA to sign the NCA, creating confusion amongst its allies, and is part of the motivation to create a unified stance under the FPNCC.

The UWSA has long been seen as militarily strong yet politically unsophisticated and isolationist by its allies, but these perceptions are shifting as "admiration" builds for its ability to resist pressures from the Myanmar government. In reality, little has changed, and the UWSA's stance towards the ceasefire has been consistent throughout – they frequently cite the fact that there is already a bilateral ceasefire in place, and hence further signings are meaningless. Yet they have shown a willingness to compromise under the right conditions, as they did in 2011 when they re-signed a ceasefire with the junta.

Reticence towards the peace process should not be interpreted as disinterest. Speaking about Min Aung Hlaing's insistence on NCA acceptance, the UWSA's External Relations Head replied: "It is not a problem. He has his own stand and we have our own stand. If we have the same stands, there won't be conflicts. It is not strange. We will meet frequently and negotiate in the future to find an answer." The UWSA refuses to be hurried into negotiations, and hence appears indifferent at times, but this does not mean an unwillingness to compromise, should the conditions be right.

UWSA Self-imaginaries

This behavior is perfectly consistent with the self-imaginaries of the UWSA, which sees itself as autonomous, self-reliant, resolute, and united. When asked about former Shan "druglord" Khun Sa in an interview with Phoenix News, Chairman Bao Youxiang of the UWSA replied that Khun Sa "was a businessman, like water he flowed wherever he flowed". By contrast, he presented the UWSA as "a rock that cannot be moved".

While contradictions exist within their self-portrayal, the UWSA insists that it will never fire the first shot; and leaders pride themselves on the value of their promises, exemplified by Chairman Bao's once hyperbolic claim that he would "cut his head off" if opium was still grown in Wa Region after the ban. Yet it is precisely a pride in their promises that often keeps them out of agreements they fear they cannot fulfill. At such times they prefer to withdraw or remain silent.

Self-reliance is central to the UWSA imaginary, with its refusal to be coerced or threatened into signing agreements. The UWSA carefully protects its supply routes and key locations, safeguarding strategic interests. Disagreements and standoffs on the northern and southern boundaries of Wa Region have occurred from time to time, but without serious escalation. Threats to these corridors are the most likely to spark open conflict, conversely, avoiding them renders outbreaks of fighting highly unlikely.

The UWSA leadership recalls the deadlock and futility of warfare under the CPB during the 1970s and 80s, the casualties suffered fighting Khun Sa in the 1990s, and the difficulty of holding terrain. They have no wish to return to warfare nor to expand their territory.

The UWSA is also proud of unity within their ranks, and the avoidance of factionalism. This consistency of their stances is their pride – authoritative, unchanging, and straightforward – and while interpreted as intransigence by observers, the UWSA are perplexed and dismayed by factionalism and changing stances amongst other EAOs. On this basis, the UWSA originally proposed a top-down approach to peace negotiations, one that was roundly rejected in favor of a more acceptable bottom-up approach. Yet following the 3rd UPC, there appear to be calls for a return to narrower top-level discussions.

The logic of power in Wa Region also comes with an obligation for provision and generosity. For the UWSA to respect the government's authority, the government must demonstrate a basic sincerity in providing for its subjects. Many requests are small, and failures to meet them all the more discouraging. For instance, the UWSA has a longstanding request that the government provide identity documents to people in Wa Region. Yet this has been inadequately met, on one occasion in 2015 a meager 150 or so were issued by Myanmar Immigration. Such gestures of stinginess provoke only disdain amongst the UWSA.

Engaging the UWSA

As Yun Sun notes, key difficulties facing national reconciliation with the Myanmar government are the creation of a "Wa State" and the status of the UWSA's territory on the Thailand border. With a supposed 30,000 soldiers, and as leaders of the FPNCC, the UWSA cannot be ignored in any political solution, nor will it cede any territory easily.

A first step would entail searching for avenues through which ties can be built across the Salween River. Here, the international community can and should play a serious part. The UWSA has constantly appealed for development aid and technical assistance. International organizations should seek engagement and development interventions in Wa Region if they take national reconciliation, peace-building, and conflict management seriously rather than paying lip service to it.

Development organizations worked in Wa Region from the late 1990s as part of opium substitution efforts. The UWSA banned opium growing in 2005, and international organizations provided food security and livelihood support. At its peak in 2010, nine organizations worked in Wa Region. But the Kokang crisis of 2009 and Border Guard Force demands of the Tatmadaw, as well as shifting funding priorities, meant that all but three had withdrawn by 2012. For the UWSA, it seemed that appeals for aid had fallen on deaf ears: "just as we had begun to learn how to work with them, they have left."

The World Food Programme has worked on food security in Wa Region since 2004, but its programs have been scaled down owing to a lack of funding and shifting priorities. From annual food distributions of thousands of tons, it now runs only school-cooked meals for nearly 130 out of the 400 schools across the region. Malteser International and Health Poverty Action still have a handful of clinics in Pangkham and activities across the region – one of the few remaining links to the UWSA. Since 2014, many others organized missions, data-gathering visits, and surveys, but having made overtures, collected information, and shaken hands, they never returned. The UWSA finds this mode of operating hard to comprehend.

People in Wa Region remain desperately poor. The absence of updated and reliable statistics is in itself an indicator of its marginalization from development initiatives. Food security is between 6-9 months in many townships, and health and education indicators dismal. The attrition rate of students between Grade 1 and Grade 6 is 92 percent. Extrapolating from the 2014 Census report, literacy in all languages is at an appalling 22.5 percent.

Many in the development community see access to Wa Region as too dependent on security constraints, programs not cost-effective due to high terrain and transport costs, interventions not sufficiently "impactful" owing to the lack of partners for holistic and sustainable interventions, and the UWSA as too elementary and difficult to work with. But more importantly, they see it as too high a political risk. For these reasons, the EAO most central to the peace process has not been strategically engaged. This is a shame.

Engaging the UWSA requires trust-building, one that takes time and sustained presence, which NGOs and international organizations can provide through development assistance. While the Tatmadaw might be keen to deprive the UWSA of any support, such an arrangement actually makes sense for it and the Myanmar government. By permitting or even facilitating international organizations to work in Wa Region, it will be seen as providing for its subjects, at no cost to itself. Any development assistance is in any case a fraction of other revenue in Wa Region. With about 30 percent of schools in Wa Region teaching Burmese language, and the possibility of scaling up, the prospect of a shared language for future generations is invaluable. Most importantly, sustained international presence in Wa Region provides a possible channel and more potential mediators, balancing the UWSA's reliance on China as the middleman.

This too makes sense for China since its goals in the peace process cannot be easily achieved by working alone. China's unilateral intentions and actions will always be regarded with suspicion as to its true motives. Working with the international community lends legitimacy to the valuable input and inroads it has already made. Nor is there any genuine chance of international actors supplanting its lead and favored position with the UWSA.

Andrew Ong is a postdoctoral fellow at the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore. He holds a PhD in Anthropology from Harvard University.

This article originally appeared in Tea Circle, a forum hosted at Oxford University for emerging research and perspectives on Burma/Myanmar.

The post Engaging the UWSA: Countering Myths, Building Ties appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Reuters Journalists Face Verdict Next Week on Myanmar Secrets Charges

Posted: 20 Aug 2018 09:26 PM PDT

YANGON — The judge in the trial of two Reuters reporters jailed in Myanmar on accusations of obtaining secret state documents said on Monday he will deliver his verdict on Aug. 27, in a case seen as a test of press freedom in the fledgling democracy.

The judge set the date after hearing closing arguments from both sides, during which lawyers for the two journalists said they had been “trapped” by police in an effort to interfere with their reporting of a massacre of Rohingya Muslims.

“The duty of the reporter is to reveal the truth,” said lead defense lawyer Khin Maung Zaw. “Some people may not be okay with that truth.”

Khin Maung Zaw said the prosecution had failed to establish that the documents at the heart of the case were sought out by the reporters or that they were a threat to national security, crucial components of the case against them.

The court in Yangon has been holding hearings since January to decide whether, Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, are guilty of breaching the colonial-era Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.

At the time of their arrest last year, the two reporters were working on a Reuters investigation into the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men and boys in a village in western Myanmar’s Rakhine State, during an army crackdown that United Nations’ agencies say sent some 700,000 Rohingya fleeing to Bangladesh.

Lead prosecutor Kyaw Min Aung outlined the state’s case against Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, whose actions, he said, showed they “intended to harm” the country. By acquiring documents that could pose a threat to the state if their contents were obtained by extremist groups, he said, the pair were working for the benefit of Reuters rather than for the national interest.

“Reuters is a foreign news agency that pays its reporters in dollars,” he said. “It was found from the reporters that they sent their news to Reuters and their own evidence shows that Reuters sells news for money.”

Defense lawyer Khin Maung Zaw said it was obvious Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were reporters and the court had heard no testimony to suggest they were spies.

“The government has not designated Reuters an enemy of the nation,” he added.

Government spokesman Zaw Htay could not be reached for comment on Monday. He has mostly declined to comment throughout the proceedings, saying Myanmar’s courts are independent.

Reuters said in a statement there was no basis for a conviction and that it looked forward to the reporters’ acquittal, which it said would be an important step towards demonstrating Myanmar’s commitment to the rule of law, freedom of the press, and democracy.

“The evidence before the court is clear: Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are two honest reporters who did not commit a crime,” said the new agency in the statement. “Imprisoning them for even one more day would be unlawful retribution for their truthful and important journalism.”

“Baby Girl"

Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo have told the court they were entrapped by police officials who planted documents on them shortly before their arrest on Dec. 12. They say Police Lance Corporal Naing Lin and another officer handed them the documents in a rolled-up newspaper at a Yangon restaurant.

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

The reporters have said they were hooded, handcuffed, and deprived of sleep during days of interrogation.

The case has captured global attention and has come to be seen as a test of press freedom and reforms in Myanmar, where the military still wields considerable influence. Senior UN officials, Western nations and press freedom advocates have called for the release of the two journalists. The courtroom on Monday was filled with foreign diplomats and observers.

Wa Lone’s wife, Pan Ei Mon, who earlier this month gave birth to the couple’s first child, was not present. After the hearing, Kyaw Soe Oo’s wife, Chit Su Win, carried their three-year-old daughter out of the court as she sobbed “papa”.

Speaking to reporters, Wa Lone said he hoped the court would rule in their favor.

“We firmly believe that the court will make a fair decision and will free us,” he said. “I firmly believe that, before long, I will be able to return to my baby girl.”

The post Reuters Journalists Face Verdict Next Week on Myanmar Secrets Charges appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Trump Says ‘Most Likely’ to Meet North Korea’s Kim Again

Posted: 20 Aug 2018 09:21 PM PDT

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump said on Monday he would “most likely” meet again with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, while defending his efforts to convince Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons.

In an interview with Reuters, Trump, who held a landmark summit with Kim on June 12, said he believed North Korea had taken specific steps toward denuclearization, despite widespread doubts about Kim’s willingness to abandon his arsenal.

While insisting that “a lot of good things are happening” with North Korea, Trump complained that China was not helping as much as it had in the past because of its trade dispute with the United States.

Trump, who faced the North Korean challenge as soon as he took office in January 2017, said he had only been working on the North Korean issue for three months whereas his predecessors had been working on it for 30 years.

“I stopped [North Korea’s] nuclear testing. I stopped [North Korea’s] missile testing. Japan is thrilled. What’s going to happen? Who knows? We’re going to see,” he said.

At their summit in Singapore, Kim agreed in broad terms to work toward denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. But North Korea has given no indication it is willing to give up its weapons unilaterally as the Trump administration has demanded.

Trump has hailed the Singapore summit as a success and went as far as saying North Korea no longer posed a nuclear threat.

South Korea’s presidential Blue House said on Tuesday Trump’s mention of the possibility of another summit with Kim could be a sign of progress in their relations.

“We think it is part of a process for achieving the two leaders’ resolve for the denuclearization and peace of the Korean peninsula,” spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom told reporters.

Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed at their summit in April to push to declare an official end to the 1950-53 Korean War together with the United States.

Seoul officials see the UN General Assembly in New York next month as a desirable venue for the declaration but said they are flexible about its formality.

“We hope that North Korea-US relations would make rapid progress and bear fruit,” the spokesman said.

The Washington-based think tank 38 North reported last month that satellite images indicated North Korea had begun dismantling key facilities at a site used to develop engines for ballistic missiles, in a first step toward fulfilling a pledge US officials say he made to Trump at the summit.

However, several members of the US negotiating team, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said they had seen no progress toward denuclearization and no sign that North Korea was prepared to negotiate seriously until the United States promised relief from sanctions in return.

Last month Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told a Senate committee hearing that North Korea was continuing to produce fuel for nuclear bombs, and a US official said US spy satellites detected renewed activity at the North Korean factory that produced missiles capable of reaching the United States.

In the interview, Trump credited his “great chemistry” with Kim for easing a nuclear standoff that last year raised fears of a new Korean war.

“I like him. He likes me,” he said. “There’s no ballistic missiles going up, there’s a lot of silence … I have very good personal relations with Chairman Kim, and I think that’s what holds it together.”

Asked whether another meeting with Kim was on the horizon, Trump said: “It’s most likely we will, but I just don’t want to comment.” But he offered no details on the timing or venue.

Critics say Trump made too many concessions to Kim by agreeing to hold the summit in the first place and then suspending joint US-South Korea military drills while gaining little in return.

Asked whether North Korea had taken specific steps to denuclearize other than blowing up its main nuclear bomb test site ahead of the summit, Trump said: “I do believe they have.” But he did not elaborate.

He also pointed to North Korea’s pre-summit handover of three American detainees.

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