Friday, December 7, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Gov’t Departments to Have Their Own Corruption Prevention Units

Posted: 07 Dec 2018 04:57 AM PST

YANGON—Stepping up his administration's anti-graft efforts, President U Win Myint has approved the creation of corruption-prevention units within government departments.

As part of events to mark International Anti-Corruption Day in Yangon, President U Win Myint issued a statement announcing that he had approved the setting up of Corruption Prevention Units (CPUs) by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

Commission chairman U Aung Kyi told local media at a press conference on Friday that forming the CPUs will increase the accountability of government departments and public institutions in fighting against corruption.

"The CPUs will monitor corruption carefully inside departments," he said. If a unit finds corrupt activity, in smaller cases it can take action under existing laws and regulations, or it can transfer more complex cases to the commission, he said. The ACC will then bring the cases to the court.

If there is improvement in fighting against corruption in departments, there should be rewards too, the chairman said.

The CPUs are a component of the Public-Private Collaboration against Corruption plan, a key part of the ACC's 2018-2021 strategy.

The commission has also urged local businesses to develop a code of ethics and establish appropriate internal control measures to prevent corruption.

U Aung Kyi said the CPUs' most important task would be to conduct corruption risk assessments in order to find the causes of corruption and devise appropriate control measures.

The ACC will also be expanded, adding more than 500 staff as well as opening branches in additional states and divisions.

"Corruption harms economic development and the living standards of our people, and hinders poverty reduction and foreign investment. That is why we vow to combat corruption with a very strong political will," President U Win Myint said in his message on Friday.

He said his administration is working seriously to combat corruption with the aim of establishing clean government and good governance.

In the middle of this year, it amended the Anti-Corruption Law to expand the ACC's powers. Under the amendments, the commission can investigate at its own initiative any civil servant who is seen to be unusually wealthy. Previously, it could only probe allegations of corruption in response to formal complaints filed with strong supporting evidence.

Yet, the commission remains toothless in the event of a complaint against the military, which holds three key ministries: Home Affairs, Defense and Border Affairs, and runs key businesses under its own companies.

U Aung Kyi said the commission had not yet received any complaint against the military, but even if it did, such cases are beyond its mandate.

The undemocratic military-drafted 2008 Constitution gives the military immunity from prosecution by the commission. The Constitution grants the military the right to tackle corruption within its ranks using internal mechanisms.

The post Gov't Departments to Have Their Own Corruption Prevention Units appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Landmine Explosion in Northern Rakhine Kills Two

Posted: 07 Dec 2018 04:42 AM PST

YANGON — Two men were killed in a landmine explosion Thursday night along a road in northern Rakhine State linking Rathedaung and Buthidaung townships, where the Myanmar military and Arakan Army (AA) have been fighting recently.

U Kyaw Min Tun, head of Buthidaung Township’s General Administrative Department, told The Irrawaddy that authorities visited the scene of the explosion Friday morning and were still trying to determine who the victims were and whether they were local residents. He said a second mine in the vicinity was disarmed by a bomb squad but declined to reveal whether the site was on land recently fought over by the military and AA.

Maung Maung Thein, a resident of Buthidaung’s Hpon Nyo Leik Village, said he heard a loud explosion at about 9 p.m. from the village, about a five-minute drive from where the mine exploded. He said the section of road was only recently laid and not lit at night.

Maung Maung Thein said he had viewed the bodies and that the victims were not from the surrounding villages.

“Their motorbike was blown to pieces and the two men were badly torn apart,” he said.

Also on Thursday night, the Office of the Commander in Chief announced that recent fighting between the military and AA in Rathedaung and Buthidaung townships near the border with Bangladesh had claimed the lives of soldiers on both sides, including some high-ranking military officers.

The post Landmine Explosion in Northern Rakhine Kills Two appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Spend a Winter’s Afternoon Chatting over a High Tea

Posted: 07 Dec 2018 04:09 AM PST

YANGON—Melia Hotel Yangon's new high tea set is a sweet and savory delight. Relax with friends during this sweater-weather season over a tea or coffee set served up amid the beautiful, white interiors of the hotel's Olea Mediterranean Restaurant.

High tea culture has become increasingly popular in Myanmar over the past few years. It's mostly to be found at luxury hotels or upmarket teahouses, but prices are often reasonable.

Most sets cost about $15. If shared, a high tea at that price is an affordable and pleasant way to spend quality time with your favorite people.

Melia's new high tea set costs only $19 net per set for two persons. It includes the hotel's special selection of cakes and pastries as well as free-flow tea and coffee.

A selection of Melia's cakes and pastries / Htet Wai

When it was launched on Dec. 4, my friend and I jumped at the chance to try a new high tea set at this unique restaurant. Olea is beautifully decorated in bright shades of white, blue and cream. Even the crockery has Mediterranean-style blue and white patterns. Though it's a hotel restaurant, it is illuminated with plenty of natural light.

To begin with, we were invited to select a drink from the wide-ranging coffee and tea menu. We ordered iced coffee and chatted as we waited for it and the food to arrive.

About 10 minutes later, the coffees and a pretty selection of foods appeared, with the drinks served in bamboo tubes. The food was fresh and the presentation was perfect down to the last detail.

The new menu includes a selection of 28 cakes and pastries including goat cheese with walnut and strawberry, mini tuna croissant, mushroom quiche, iberico ham on toast, salmon roll with cream cheese, sponge chicken sandwich, chocolate eclair, white chocolate pistachio cake, fruit tart, oreo cheese cake, white chocolate brownie, raspberry macaroons and scones.

Olea restaurant is beautifully decorated in bright shades of white, blue and cream. / Htet Wai

Some were a bit sweet for my taste, but all of the flavors were amazing. In particular, the iberico ham on toast is unique to Melia's high tea. And while I'm not usually a fan of macaroons, I couldn't pass up the raspberry one on offer; it wasn't too sweet and the raspberry aroma was irresistible. The coffee was of good quality, as well.

The restaurant has a quiet, peaceful vibe, enhanced by the view of Inya Lake through its windows. The effect is beautifully serene. The staff was friendly and attentive. My friends and I had a great time chit-chatting and snapped a bunch of photos against the backdrop of the restaurant's Instagram-friendly decor.

So, if you're looking for the perfect place to catch up with your favorite people or some old friends—or you just don't know where to go on your holiday or weekend and are craving somewhere quiet with a beautiful vibe, great coffee and tasty cakes—Melia's new high tea set at Olea is a good choice.

The new high tea set is available daily from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The post Spend a Winter's Afternoon Chatting over a High Tea appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Six Months Behind Bars for Kachin Peaceful Protesters

Posted: 07 Dec 2018 03:23 AM PST

MANDALAY—Locals of Myitkyina staged a protest on Friday against the decision of the township court of Myitkyina, which sentenced three Kachin activists to six months' imprisonment and a fine of 500,000 kyats ($322), under Article 500 of Myanmar's Penal Code.

About 60 locals, led by a number of rights activists, gathered outside the court compound shouting slogans and holding placards showing their disagreement with the court's decision, before marching to Manaw Park in Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State.

"We are shocked by the decision of the court because we believed the court would release them because what [the Kachin activists] have done is just saving people who are suffering due to armed conflict," said Awang Jar, a member of Kachin Women's Network.

The protesters told The Irrawaddy that they see the trial of the three Kachin activists as proof that the rule of law in Myanmar is at risk and that there is a lack of democracy under the government, despite labeling itself democratic.

"The government says they are a democratic government but we now clearly see that there is no democracy, no freedom of expression and the rule of law is still too weak to protect us," Awang Jar said.

The three sentenced protesters, Lum Zawng, Zau Jat and Nang Pu, are accused of defamation of the military for participating in peaceful protests in April which urged the government to help the trapped locals of the Tanai area who fled from fighting between the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the military.

The protesters said that Kachin organizations and rights groups are gathering now to issue a statement to condemn the court's decision and to urge the government and responsible individuals to urge for the immediate release of the activists.

"What we say to and urge the government is that to help the people is not to defame the government or the military," Lum Zawng said to journalists gathered in front of the court before he was transferred to prison.

According to the protesters, if the accused cannot pay the 500,000 kyats fine, they will receive an additional six months' imprisonment.

"We feel this is unfair. Our lawsuit shows that the rule of law in our country is at the worse state and we were saddened by the decision of the court," Lum Zawng added.

The trio said they submitted evidence from the locals of Tanai, who were suffering due to the conflict, to the court in their defense but the court did not review them and instead sentenced the activists to imprisonment and a fine.

"The military official who sued us said that we showed fake evidence at the press conference which we held in April so we submitted all the pieces of evidence to the court. We were surprised by the decision of the court," said Nang Pu, director of Htoi Gender and Development Foundation.

"We have submitted many concrete [pieces of] evidence of women and children suffering and hiding in the forest in Tanai. The decision of the court shows that our country is not a democratic country and the lack of rule of law is threatening the right to information," she added.

According to their families, they are going to submit an appeal to a higher court.

The three are accused by Lt-Col Myo Min Oo from the military's Northern Command who filed criminal defamation complaints under Article 500 of the Penal Code on May 8.

Shortly after the sentencing, the EU Delegation to Myanmar issued a statement condemning the sentence of the three Kachin Activists.

“Protests for peace and for saving people trapped by violent conflict should not be criminalized. The EU Delegation to Myanmar deeply regrets the court’s decision and calls on the authorities to review the sentence and ensure conditions for activists to make use of their human rights to protest and to freedom of expression without having to fear legal repercussions,” said the statement issued on Friday.

The post Six Months Behind Bars for Kachin Peaceful Protesters appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Police in Singapore Find Counterfeit Kyats in Raids on Moneychangers

Posted: 07 Dec 2018 12:20 AM PST

YANGON — Police in Singapore say the arrest of a Singaporean couple in Yangon last week for using fake kyats led to raids on 18 moneychangers in the island state that came up with more counterfeit cash.

"Preliminary investigation revealed that the two Singaporeans obtained the counterfeit kyat notes from a moneychanger in Singapore. A raid was conducted at the said moneychanger and counterfeit 10000 kyat notes with same serial numbers starting with ‘AG’ and ‘AE’ were found," Singapore police said in a statement on Thursday.

The statement said subsequent raids on 17 other moneychangers turned up more of the same counterfeit notes.

Last week, police in Yangon arrested a Singaporean couple at Shwedagon Pagoda after they used fake 10,000 kyats notes to pay the admission fee and found them in possession of more counterfeit cash worth about $300. The couple said they received the notes from a moneychanger in Singapore and have had a related lawsuit filed against them by police.

The 10,000 kyats note is the highest denomination in Myanmar.

On Thursday, a 25-year-old woman was arrested in Bago Region for allegedly using fake 10,000 kyats notes after a recent trip to Singapore. Local police later seized an additional $1,000 worth of counterfeit currency at her home.

"She worked in Singapore. Before she came back her employer helped exchange all of her salary into kyats in Singapore," an officer with the Daik-U Township police department said.

Thursday’s statement from the Singapore police said their investigation was ongoing. It said anyone convicted of using counterfeit currency may be sentence to prison for up to 20 years and that anyone convicted of possessing the notes may be sentenced to up to 15 years.

The statement advises people to be vigilant and to look out for notes with serial numbers starting with AG or AE.

Officials with the Myanmar Central Bank could not immediately be reached for comment and have not issued a statement about the recent spate of fake kyat notes.

The post Police in Singapore Find Counterfeit Kyats in Raids on Moneychangers appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

New Criminal Case Opened Against Rogue Businessman

Posted: 07 Dec 2018 12:03 AM PST

YANGON—Police have begun an investigation into the complaint of a private bank against a company for their failure to repay a 1.5 billion kyats ($644,000) loan, said officials of Pabedan Township Police Station in Yangon.

The Global Treasure Bank, a public company which was first established as a semi-government bank in 1996 under the name Myanmar Livestock and Fisheries Development, filed a complaint on Monday against U Soe Tun Shein, executive director of Asian Prosperity Export Import Co. Ltd., and its three other directors.

"We opened a civil case against them regarding the loans some six years ago. We won the lawsuit, and as we were working to sequestrate the factory [owned by U Soe Tun Shein], another person came up with documents and claimed that he is the factory owner," said U Htin Aung, deputy general manager of Global Treasure Bank.

"[The court] is still investigating. The process took longer [than we expected] and we therefore decided open a criminal case against them," he said.

According to the Global Treasure Bank, U Soe Tun Shein applied for loans, submitting a recommendation from the Fisheries Department and a list of the company's assets including its accounts receivable. He received separate loans of 1 billion kyats and 500 million kyats from the bank in 2006.

Despite the company's accounts showing marine exports totaling around $3.8 million, U Soe Tun Shein never gave back the borrowed money, according to the bank.

For this reason, the bank opened a civil case through Yangon Region High Court against the company in 2013.

Police have previously issued a warrant for the arrest of U Soe Tun Shein, who is also chairman of the gold mining company National Prosperity, for allegedly violating mining laws.

National Prosperity was granted permission to mine for gold in Moehti Moemi, Mandalay Region in 2011 under the agreement that they would pay 5.57 tons of gold to the government in tax over an initial five-year term.

In 2013, the company was allowed to revise the payment period adding a three-year extension and was given permission to continue mining in the area for another 17 years under a production-sharing contract once it paid the full 5.57 tons.

According to the No. 2 Mining Enterprise overseen by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, the company has failed to pay monthly installments totaling 2,032 kilograms of gold since 2013. As a result, the ministry ordered the company to suspend operations at the end of 2017.

Despite the order, the company continued mining in the area. The ministry therefore revoked its mining license in February this year and terminated agreements with the company in May.

In March, the ministry filed a case against the company's chairman U Soe Tun Shein at the Yamethin Township Police Station in Mandalay Region under the Mines Law for continuing to operate after being ordered to stop and for failing to hand back their mining license.

Punishment for these offenses can be up to seven years' imprisonment, a 50,000 kyats ($32) fine, or both and the company will never receive permission to mine any minerals in the future.

U Soe Tun Shein was last seen in Yangon in July, and has been banned from traveling outside the country.

The post New Criminal Case Opened Against Rogue Businessman appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

White House, Trudeau Seek to Distance Themselves From Huawei Move

Posted: 06 Dec 2018 09:25 PM PST

WASHINGTON/OTTAWA — U.S. President Donald Trump did not know about plans to arrest a top executive at Chinese telecoms giant Huawei in Canada, two U.S. officials said on Thursday, in an apparent attempt to stop the incident from impeding crucial trade talks with Beijing.

Huawei Technologies Co Ltd’s chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, the 46-year-old daughter of the company’s founder, was detained in Canada on Dec. 1, the same day Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping dined together at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires.

A White House official told Reuters Trump did not know about a U.S. request for her extradition from Canada before he met Xi and agreed to a 90-day truce in the brewing trade war.

Meng’s arrest during a stopover in Vancouver, announced by the Canadian authorities on Wednesday, pummeled stock markets already nervous about tensions between the world’s two largest economies on fears the move could derail the planned trade talks.

The arrest was made at Washington’s request as part of a U.S. investigation of an alleged scheme to use the global banking system to evade U.S. sanctions against Iran, according to people familiar with the probe.

Another U.S. official told Reuters that while it was a Justice Department matter and not orchestrated in advance by the White House, the case could send a message that Washington is serious about what it sees as Beijing’s violations of international trade norms.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, acknowledged that the arrest could complicate efforts to reach a broader U.S.-China trade deal but would not necessarily damage the process.

Meng’s detention also raised concerns about potential retaliation from Beijing in Canada, where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sought to distance himself from the arrest.

“The appropriate authorities took the decisions in this case without any political involvement or interference … we were advised by them with a few days’ notice that this was in the works,” Trudeau told reporters in Montreal in televised remarks.

Iran sanctions

The United States has been looking since at least 2016 into whether Huawei violated U.S. sanctions against Iran, Reuters reported in April. More recently, the probe has included the company’s use of HSBC Holdings Plc to make illegal transactions involving Iran, people familiar with the investigation said.

In 2012, HSBC paid $1.92 billion and entered a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. attorney’s office in Brooklyn for violating U.S. sanctions and money-laundering laws.

An HSBC spokesperson declined to comment on Thursday. HSBC is not under investigation, according to a person familiar with the matter.

After news of the arrest, Huawei said it has been provided little information of the charges against Meng, adding that it was “not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng.”

Huawei is under intense scrutiny from Washington and other governments over its ties to the Chinese government, driven by concerns it could be used for spying. It has been locked out of U.S. and some other markets for telecom gear, but has repeatedly insisted Beijing has no influence over it.

On Friday, a person with direct knowledge and a person briefed on the matter told Reuters that Japan plans to ban government purchases of equipment from China’s Huawei and ZTE Corp.

The Yomiuri newspaper, which first reported the news, said the Japanese government was expected to revise its internal rules on procurement as early as Monday to prevent intelligence leaks and cyber attacks.

ZTE pleaded guilty in 2017 to violating U.S. laws that restrict the sale of American-made technology to Iran in efforts to curb Tehran’s missile and nuclear programs.

Before the arrest on Wednesday, Britain’s BT Group said it was removing Huawei’s equipment from the core of its existing 3G and 4G mobile operations and would not use the Chinese company in central parts of the next network.

Republican Senators Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Ben Sasse welcomed news of the arrest and said the world’s biggest telecoms equipment maker posed a security threat.

Cruz tweeted: “Huawei is a Communist Party spy agency thinly veiled as a telecom company.”

Huawei has said it complies with all applicable export control and sanctions laws and other regulations.

The post White House, Trudeau Seek to Distance Themselves From Huawei Move appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

World’s Top Glove Maker Vows Clean-Up as Migrant Workers Toil in Malaysia Factories

Posted: 06 Dec 2018 09:23 PM PST

KLANG, Malaysia—Malaysian firm Top Glove, the world’s largest glove maker, vowed on Thursday to clean up its labor supply chain and workplace practices after cases were uncovered of migrants toiling for long hours to pay off huge debts.

The firm, a major supplier of medical and rubber gloves to 195 countries including Britain and the United States, employs over 11,000 migrant workers, from countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and India.

At some of its factories outside the Malaysian capital, workers told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that they often work long hours to earn overtime pay, and in some cases exceed the limit of overtime hours stipulated under local labor laws.

Workers interviewed said they hoped to quickly repay loans of at least 5,000 Malaysian ringgit ($1,200) they took out to pay recruitment agents in their home countries. They said others were charged up to 20,000 Malaysian ringgit.

Top Glove is not alone in hiring migrants who pay agents to secure a job. The practice is common across all Malaysian sectors which hire workers from overseas.

Top Glove said it was not aware of its labor suppliers charging exorbitant fees to migrant workers but vowed to investigate and severe ties with unethical recruitment agents.

"We will want to stop dealing with such suppliers if we know they are very unscrupulous. It’s our duty to do that, we will never condone it," the company’s managing director Lee Kim Meow told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"We need workers, no doubt, but we will not stoop so low to support people who exploit workers," he said in an interview at the company’s office in Klang, an industrial area outside the capital Kuala Lumpur.

Overtime work

High recruitment fees are a common plight faced by the nearly two million registered migrant workers in Malaysia, which relies heavily on foreign labor in industries from plantations and construction to manufacturing.

The United Nations’ International Labor Organization has said these debts could trap workers in bondage, and businesses have come under pressure in recent years to clean up their labor supply chains.

Migrant workers at Top Glove said they were paid at least 1,000 Malaysian ringgit a month, Malaysia’s minimum wage, and given access to their passport under a locker system that had been advocated by local rights groups.

But they work a lot of overtime to earn enough to pay off their debts. Workers at the factory clock 90 to 120 hours of overtime work a month, according to documents seen by the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Under Malaysian laws, workers should be given a rest day each week and work not more than 104 hours of overtime a month.

"If I don’t work these extra hours, how could I possibly earn enough?" said a Nepali, who declined to use his name out of fear for his job.

He borrowed a $1,100 loan from a moneylender with a three percent interest rate every month to pay his agent in Nepal.

Top Glove said it has rolled out a "shift pattern change" since March across its 40 factories to ensure workers get adequate rest.

"Definitely this is an area where we will have to pay attention," Top Glove’s deputy human resources head Loke Kean Mun said, adding that the measures are in place to "overcome all this excessive overtime."

"This is where we definitely have to enforce and tighten up [across all factories]," he added at the interview.

World's glove capital

Malaysia has become the world’s glove capital, and produces three out of every five pairs used in the world, according to the Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association.

Top Glove, which produces 60.5 billion gloves each year, is the world’s leading glove manufacturer followed by other Malaysia-based firms like Hartalega, Kossan and Supermax.

Malaysia’s new government, which came to power in May on promises to reform—ousting a long-ruling, corruption-mired coalition—has vowed to improve conditions for migrant workers.

Without referring to any specific firms, Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran told the Thomson Reuters Foundation this week that major companies in the country must take the lead to ensure there are no labor abuses.

"The big companies must take it upon themselves to be more strict in enforcing these rules," said Kulasegaran, a veteran lawyer who grew up on a rubber estate and has championed worker’s rights prior to his appointment.

"We will prosecute if there are any wrongdoings."

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High-Ranking Officers Killed by AA in N. Rakhine: Military

Posted: 06 Dec 2018 09:13 PM PST

YANGON—The Office of the Commander in Chief of the Myanmar military officially announced on Thursday night that some high-ranking officers and soldiers have been killed during a series of clashes with the Arakan Army (AA) in northern Rakhine’s remote Buthidaung and Rathaedaung townships.

The Myanmar Army, also called the Tatmadaw, did not state the total number of its own casualties in the statement, but specifically mentioned that army soldiers killed four AA fighters and seized two M-22 assault rifles. According to the statement, the AA ambushed an army column while the latter were conducting clearance operations along the Bangladesh–Myanmar border on Dec. 3, 4 and 5.

About 80 AA fighters planned to cut out the army unit and used landmine attacks during the clashes. More clashes with AA troops in Rathaedaung followed on Dec. 5 and 6.

The military announcement avoided mentioning the names of army units which are now at northern Rakhine’s frontline while repeatedly using the term “violent insurgents” when referring to the AA. They accused the AA of deliberately disrupting the border fence project which is being implemented along the Bangladeshi and Indian borders with Myanmar.

The statement denounced the attacks, saying the AA's intentions are to cause instability in the border region.

According to an AA announcement on Dec. 4 however, the military's Light Infantry No. 564 based in Buthidaung entered AA-controlled areas in northern Buthidaung Township’s Aught (Lower) Nahan and War Net Yon villages. The announcement by the AA claimed it killed about seven Tatmadaw soldiers in the resulting battles.

The AA said they would release the bodies of the enemies, their firearms and military accessories and battle field records in the coming days.

As the government army reinforces its intentions to wipeout AA bases in troubled northern Rakhine, the AA expects that much more fighting could flare up in the region. Following a spate of November clashes, the AA previously announced that more than 20 Tatmadaw soldiers, including a battle commander, were killed in Chin State’s Paletwa Township and the mountain range in northern Rakhine State.

Based on AA press releases, The Irrawaddy has learned that AA has been fighting against the Military's Light Infantries No. 373, 539, 535, 380, 542 and 289 in Paletwa and northern Rakhine’s Buthidaung townships since October.

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Japan to Ban Huawei, ZTE From Govt Contracts: Sources

Posted: 06 Dec 2018 09:02 PM PST

TOKYO — Japan plans to ban government purchases of equipment from China’s Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and ZTE Corp to beef up its defenses against intelligence leaks and cyber attacks, sources told Reuters.

The Yomiuri newspaper, which first reported the news earlier on Friday, said the government was expected to revise its internal rules on procurement as early as Monday.

The government does not plan to specifically name Huawei and ZTE in the revision, but will put in place measures aimed at strengthening security that apply to the companies, a person with direct knowledge and a person briefed on the matter said.

The move follows a decision by the United States this year to ban government purchases of Huawei gear.

U.S. intelligence agencies allege Huawei is linked to China’s government and that its equipment could contain “backdoors” for use by spies, although no evidence has been produced publicly and the firm has denied the claims.

Australia and New Zealand have already blocked Huawei from building 5G networks. Britain’s BT Group said on Wednesday it was removing Huawei’s equipment from the core of its existing 3G and 4G mobile operations and would not use the company in central parts of the next network.

Japan’s chief government spokesman, Yoshihide Suga, declined to comment. But he noted that the country has been in close communication with the United States on a wide range of areas, including cybersecurity.

“Cybersecurity is becoming an important issue in Japan,” he told a regular news conference. “We’ll take firm measures looking at it from a variety of perspectives.” 

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Sri Lanka’s Political Crisis Spurs Tourists to Cancel in Peak Season

Posted: 06 Dec 2018 08:45 PM PST

COLOMBO — Sri Lanka’s travel industry is starting to suffer the fallout of a political crisis in the middle of its peak tourist season, as uncertainty prompts cancellations by both business and leisure visitors.

Tourism makes up about 5 percent of the Indian Ocean island’s $87-billion economy, but the president’s sacking of the prime minister late in October triggered a crisis that credit rating agencies say has already hit economic prospects.

“We have cancellations in the region of about 20 percent,” said Chandra Mohotti, a manager at the luxury Galle Face Hotel in the capital, Colombo, which has about 200 rooms.

“Normally our hotel would be full. We are offering discounts because of the fear that allocations will not be utilized.”

Peak season for holidaymakers from Europe, a major source of tourists, along with India and China, typically runs from December to March.

But numerous flight bookings have been cancelled, especially from Europe, a source at national carrier SriLankan Airlines told Reuters.

“The crisis started just when tourists take a decision where to go,” said the source, who declined to be named. “[It] has discouraged many of them.”

Mahinda Rajapaksa, who replaced Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister, lacks a parliamentary majority and has been prevented by a court from holding office, delaying the 2019 budget and leading to violent scenes in Parliament.

It may be a while before the cancellations show up in arrivals figures, however. Tourist numbers were up 16.8 percent in November on the year, official data showed on Thursday, with visitors from Europe up 37 percent, although numbers from China, Japan, the Middle East and Southeast Asia all fell.

Last year, more than 2.1 million people visited Sri Lanka, tourism authorities say.

Business travel has also been hit by the crisis, with firms moving meetings to elsewhere in Southeast Asia.

“There have been some cancellations and some have shifted to Singapore and Indonesia,” said Sanath Ukwatte, president of the Hotels Association of Sri Lanka, adding that conference and exhibition bookings were the worst hit.

Harith Perera, president of the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators, said he had also seen cancellations in the corporate sector.

“At the moment bookings have slowed down and that is a concern,” he said. “If the current crisis drags on, then the impact will be significant. Cancellations are not only from European tourists, but from everywhere.”

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‘Myanmar Has Come a Long Way’ on Reproductive Rights

Posted: 06 Dec 2018 05:30 PM PST

CHIANG MAI, Thailand—Janet Jackson ended her nearly 20-year career with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) as the agency's representative in Myanmar. She retired last month.

During her time in Myanmar, she oversaw international technical, logistical and financial support for the country's first census in 30 years. She also championed a "women and girls first" initiative.

Ahead of her departure, Jackson discussed her experiences helping to organize Myanmar's census, and promoting reproductive health education and youth empowerment, in an email interview with The Irrawaddy.

UNFPA played a key role in Myanmar's 2014 census and follow-up reports. Would you say it was conducted to international standards? Are there any changes needed in the process and if so, what are they? What were the biggest challenges and successes during your time in Myanmar? 

Without a doubt, the biggest challenge and the biggest success during my time in Myanmar was the 2014 Myanmar population and housing census, which UNFPA supported the government of Myanmar to conduct.  Many countries across different regions have benefited from Myanmar's state-of-the-art census. Last week, Nepal's Bureau of Statistics and Ministry of Planning undertook a study tour to learn from Myanmar's experience. Other countries [to do so] included Cambodia, North Korea, Haiti, Egypt and Pakistan.

The census has given a comprehensive picture of Myanmar's people—where they are, who they are and how many they are—and what their social and economic living conditions are. The results are an essential tool for effective policy development, planning, decision-making, and improvement to public services. The strength of the collected and analyzed data has proven hugely useful to government, civil society, NGOs, the UN and the private sector alike across a range of areas that benefit the population. Hardly a day goes by without a mention of this in some form or other.

Census taking is done on the basis that everyone deserves to be counted, irrespective of race, religion, gender, age, citizenship, social status and living conditions. The census is one of Myanmar's most inclusive development projects to date, reaching 98 per cent of the population. Regrettably, the Myanmar government at the time did not allow over 1 million people to self-identify as Rohingya as they had wished. As a result, they were not enumerated, despite the UN system putting all its weight behind advocacy efforts for all people in Myanmar to be included in the census. In Kachin and Kayin, sizeable groups in non-government controlled areas were also not enumerated.

What changes have you seen since you first came to Myanmar regarding women and young people's knowledge of reproductive health rights?  What would be your advice to the public on this issue? 

When I first arrived in Myanmar, my colleagues and I couldn't even use the words "family planning" without causing a stir. We had to call it "birth spacing". The inference was that only married women were entitled to access to contraceptives, purely for spacing their pregnancies. This leaves out all those who are sexually active and also do not wish to get pregnant.

Myanmar has come a long way since then. The government is increasing its budget allocation for contraceptives. There is also recognition within the Ministry of Health that all women have the right to decide for themselves if and when to become pregnant, and how many children to have. This includes young women and unmarried women too. I see a human rights-based approach to sexual and reproductive health services provision gradually filtering down to local health workers and throughout society. In the area of family planning, Myanmar has made great strides, and it is heading in the right direction. NGOs and INGOs [international NGOs] and government are working in concert to ensure that access is improved and more modern contraceptive choices are available for women. More needs to be done so that women are fully aware of the choices that are available.

In Myanmar, women—especially in rural areas—tend to lack knowledge about reproductive health rights. What reasons do you see for this? 

As a country representative for the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, I have traveled extensively in Myanmar, and everywhere I go, I take the time to talk and listen to women from all walks of life. What I hear is that women know what they want. They want to be in control of their own bodies and their own lives. They may not always know how to do this, and this is especially true for women who are geographically, culturally or financially isolated and disadvantaged.

All partners need to play a role; the government, the UN, the private health sector and civil society must strive to step up to the challenges of providing all women with the information they need to make informed choices, and the services they require to exercise their right. Many women do not get postnatal care, yet family planning advice is a critical element of postnatal care.

Equally important is avoiding early marriage and teenage pregnancy. Young women and men need access to youth-friendly services and information on sexual and reproductive health and rights. Yet few places offer this. And where these do exist, they are often not functioning at optimal level. Access to sexuality information and services enables young people to focus on reaching their full potential and making informed choices about their relationships and future.

UNFPA also supports young people's participation in the peace process through youth camps and empowerment. What can youth contribute to peace building? Why are their voices important? 

A profound transformation is needed for Myanmar to become a country with a stable peace. Part of the force for positive social change can come from young people. Young people have remarked that in conflict, it is often the youth who are on the frontline. In this case, they also think it is right that they have a voice and can participate in making peace happen.

Young people have largely been excluded from efforts to resolve conflicts in the country. The UN has clear recommendations on how young people should be able to engage at all levels of the peace processes. Young people—female and male—need to be heard and need to be part of this. They can also participate as advocates for peace and agents of change in their own communities. They can also be an asset at the national level.

A great deal of UNFPA's work in the area of youth, peace and security focuses on expanding national multi-ethnic youth networks. This is strengthening coordination of the youth peace movement across diverse communities. This needs to be mobilized also at a national level. Young people can be makers as well as guardians of peace in Myanmar.

The post 'Myanmar Has Come a Long Way' on Reproductive Rights appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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