Thursday, January 10, 2019

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Gov’t Office Minister Urges GAD Officials to Serve the Public with Transparency

Posted: 10 Jan 2019 04:58 AM PST

YANGON—U Min Thu, minister for the Office of the Union Government, has urged General Administration Department (GAD) staff to change their mindset and shed old habits when carrying out their duties, according to the Ministry of Information.

The minister held a meeting on Wednesday with GAD staff working at the township, district and state levels in Kachin State to explain policy and other changes in the wake of the formerly military-run department's transfer to the Ministry of the Office of the Union Government.

U Min Thu said the reason for the transfer was to establish an administrative mechanism that is in line with the political system the country is working towards, and to ensure good governance.

Formerly overseen by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA), the GAD has for more than 30 years formed the backbone of Myanmar's public administration. Under the 2008 Constitution, MOHA is one of three ministries led by major-generals appointed by the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

GAD is authorized to support government security efforts, the rule of law and stability, and enforce some civil laws. Its duties also include reporting on population movements, security incidents and basic demographic data, and conveying relevant information back to Naypyitaw.

U Min Thu instructed the civil servants to follow the policies and processes of the Ministry of the Office of the Union Government.

He said GAD staff at all levels must ensure that the administrative system is smooth, fair, just, free of corruption and transparent.

The Union minister also encouraged GAD staff not to be overly concerned about the department's transfer, urging them to continue working as normal and to fulfill their duties.

He instructed them to implement any reforms in line with changing policies and instructions.

GAD officials should always be ready to address the needs of the public, he said, adding that they had a special responsibility because they worked closely with the people, who placed a lot of trust in them.

The Ministry of the Office of the Union Government was created by the current administration. In November, U Min Thu, a retired colonel and former Air Force pilot, was appointed as its minister. Last week, a senior Home Affairs Ministry official who serves as director general of the GAD, U Tin Myint, was appointed as a deputy minister at the Ministry of the Office of the Union Government.

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Suspicions Surround Sittwe Courthouse Fire

Posted: 10 Jan 2019 04:19 AM PST

YANGON—Amid continued armed conflict in northern Rakhine State which has shaken up the stability of the region, a courthouse—located a stone's throw away from the main Rakhine State police headquarters in the state capital Sittwe—was set alight late on Wednesday night.

Lance Cpl. Maung Maung Aye from Sittwe Fire Services Department confirmed to The Irrawaddy over the phone on Thursday morning that the mysterious fire razed 46 motorbikes and one trishaw which are believed to be pieces of evidence in ongoing cases in the court.

According to the officer, the fire caused more than 2.7 million kyats ($1,800) in damages and officers are still investigating the cause of the incident. He acknowledged that the police building and courthouse compound are just 90 meters (300 feet) apart.

Also coincidentally, the fire occurred on the night before the final decision was to be made on the appeal of prominent Arakanese politician U Aye Maung. The founder of the Arakan National Party (ANP) and an elected Union lawmaker, was arrested in January 2018 accused of high treason for speaking up in support of the armed struggle of the Arakan Army (AA) in a public talk along with a young Arakanese Ko Wai Han Aung.

Satellite imagery shows the close proximity of the state police building to the courthouse. / Google Maps

Sittwe resident Ko Min Bar Chay told The Irrawaddy that some locals are speculating that someone may have intentionally torched the courthouse in order to destabilize the situation in the state capital ahead of U Aye Maung's court hearing. When it was decided to proceed with U Aye Maung's trial on Thursday morning, his appeal to the State High Court was thrown out.

Ko Min Bar Chay said that as the incident had taken place in the courthouse compound, which is right next to the state police building, it shows there is a lack of rule of law and poor security in the state capital.

"The state police building is located merely yards away from the court, which is a very questionable point in this case," said Ko Min Bar Chay.

Google satellite images show that the Sittwe courthouse is located near the new clock tower and right behind its compound is the Rakhine State Police Force building as well as the local General Administration Department offices, the department which was recently transferred from the control of the military's Home Affairs Ministry to the civilian-controlled Office of the Union Government.

Ko Min Bar Chay expected that authorities could identify the suspect by checking footage from surveillance cameras. Last December, Rakhine State authorities installed almost 1 billion kyats ($657,000) worth of CCTV cameras in the capital with the purpose of the prevention of crime and traffic incidents.

The post Suspicions Surround Sittwe Courthouse Fire appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Loikaw Residents Protest Felling of Trees to Make Way for Gov’t Office

Posted: 10 Jan 2019 04:10 AM PST

Locals residents are seeking to block the construction of a branch office of the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA) in Loikaw, saying it would require the felling of old trees in a small forest near Naung Yar Lake, a well-known tourist attraction.

The Kayah State Chief Minister serves as the chair of the Kayah State Investment Committee. The state cabinet approved the construction last year without proper written authorization.

On Wednesday residents demanded a halt to the cutting down of some 21 large trees including 11 teak trees in an 80 ft x 80 ft area. But the state government insisted that the construction would continue and started marking trees to be cut.

Ko Kyaw Htin Aung, a member of a technical support group called Lobbyists, Advocators, Innovators and Negotiator (LAIN) based in Loikaw, said the area should be kept as a forest garden next to the famous Naung Yar Lake. The area of less than an acre was regarded as a forest garden under the military regime and was left alone under the previous government too. However, Ko Kyaw Htin Aung said, the lands recently came under the state government's management.

"Naung Yar Lake is a well-known place in our state. If those trees are cut and the small forest is destroyed, we are very concerned about the sustainability of the lake. It would further dry up the water sources for the lake, which are already dwindling," he said.

DICA's Kayah State office was established in Loikaw a couple of years ago. It wants to open an office downtown and has rejected two locations to the south and east of the town, according to U Tee Reh, the state minister for natural resources and environment.

He said DICA wants the office building located in an area with trees, adding that the cabinet had already approved the site.

The minister does not support cutting down the trees; however, he was outnumbered by his cabinet colleagues, he said.

He said, "There is a need for the government to [build the office], but there are also concerns about the environmental cost.”

Ko Kyaw Htin Aung said the local residents and environmental advocates raised their voices as soon as they heard that the chief minister planned to take action, and saw that the trees had been marked for cutting.

"The chief minister does not respect the locals' concerns and made his decision, thus we are objecting to those actions," he added.

When The Irrawaddy contacted Chief Minister L Phaung Sho, he refused to comment and referred the call to relevant officials.

DICA Director-General U Aung Naing Oo said his agency is preparing to build a new office on a government-allocated land plot and that as part of the site clearance, 11 teak and 10 other trees needed to be removed. He said his office officially reported this to the Forest Department, with which it was cooperating.

Ko Kyaw Htin Aung added that although he can understand that DICA doesn't want to build its office south of the town, some 2-3 miles from downtown, they could use the second option: to build their office inside the state trading zone next to Loikaw Airport, which is just two furlongs from the government office and state parliament buildings.

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Fearing Deportation to Myanmar, India-Based Rohingya Flee to Bangladesh

Posted: 10 Jan 2019 03:28 AM PST

DHAKA, Bangladesh—Fearing they will be sent to Myanmar, scores of Rohingya people have fled India for Bangladesh in recent weeks, officials here said.

At least 74 Rohingya who had been living in Hyderabad as well as locations in the Indian states of Jammu-Kashmir, Rajasthan and Punjab for several years are now in Cumilla and Feni after entering Bangladesh via the Indian state of Tripura.

About half of the refugees are children, including infants and toddlers, the officials said, adding that the Rohingya were sent to the UNHCR transit camp at Gundum, in the Naikhongchari sub-district of Bandarban district, adjacent to Cox's Bazar, which is currently home to a huge Rohingya refugee population.

Police in Cumilla district said they had detained 48 Rohingya at Brammanpara and Cumilla district headquarters on Jan. 1 alone. They had come from Jammu-Kashmir, Rajasthan, Hyderabad and Punjab through the northeast Indian state of Tripura.

Mohammad Rezaul Karim, the chief of the largest of the Rohingya camps, Kutupalong in Ukhiya sub-district of Cox's Bazar, said the Rohingya were trafficked to India six or seven years ago, and were now afraid of being deported to Myanmar. Indian authorities have recently begun sending Rohingya back to Myanmar.

Officials of Bangladesh's Refugee, Relief and Repatriation Commission said they have started working on the issue. All of the recently arrived Rohingya are now under the supervision of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Cox's Bazar.

Shahjahan Kabir, officer-in-charge at Brammanpara Police Station in Cumilla, said the detained Rohingya had been living Indian cities for six to seven years, where they were employed in various menial jobs.

According to local media, India, which is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention, arrested 230 Rohingya in 2018. Rohingya in India fear deportation to Myanmar, so the Indian police crackdown had prompted an exodus to Bangladesh, Shahjahan Kabir said.

He said the influx in recent weeks was not the first. Two dozen Rohingya traveled to the Brammanpara area via Tripura in two phases in 2018, the police officer said, adding that all were detained and handed over to authorities in Cox's Bazar.

Bangladeshi police officials said the Rohingya had been able to enter the country due to poor policing by border security officials during Bangladesh's elections  on Dec. 30, 2018. Borders Guard Bangladesh (BGB) officials based in Cumilla said they had instructed their officers to tighten security along the border. "We have asked our troops to be more vigilant to prevent any trespassing," said a senior BGB officer based in the Sarail region. He spoke on condition of anonymity, as he is not an authorized spokesperson.

Amnesty International (AI), among other rights groups, has blasted India for forcibly repatriating Rohingya to Myanmar while persecution of the group is ongoing in Rakhine State. AI India said in a statement on Monday that the Indian government's expulsion of Rohingya asylum-seekers to Myanmar showed a disdain for international law.

On Jan. 4, UNHCR stated that a Rohingya family of five sent back to Myanmar the previous day were asylum-seekers registered with the agency in India. "The fact that the government ignored UNHCR's requests for access to the family, who were registered as asylum-seekers, is deeply concerning. The government's actions indicate a blatant disregard for the international refugee protection mechanism and the mandate of the UN Refugee Agency," Abhirr V P, AI India's senior campaigner, said in the Jan. 7 statement.

He added: "The expulsion of asylum-seekers and refugees amounts to a violation of India's obligations under customary international law, which prohibits governments from returning people to a territory where they are at risk of serious human rights violations."

Since August 2017, over 700,000 Rohingya women, men and children have fled a campaign of violence by the Myanmar security forces and sought refuge in Bangladesh. According to UNHCR, there are an estimated 18,000 Rohingya refugees and asylum seekers registered with the agency in India. UNHCR issues ID cards to registered refugees and documents to asylum-seekers in India, which are meant to help prevent arbitrary arrests, detention and deportation.

The post Fearing Deportation to Myanmar, India-Based Rohingya Flee to Bangladesh appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

AA Leader Expects Fighting in Rakhine to Get Worse

Posted: 10 Jan 2019 03:22 AM PST

YANGON—Peace is nowhere in sight in Rakhine State, and clashes there are likely to intensify now that the Myanmar military has deployed large numbers of troops in the state following the Arakan Army's deadly Jan. 4 attacks on border outposts in Buthidaung Township, AA leader Major-General Tun Myat Naing said.

"We saw [more] troop deployments today too. They are coming in by air and by road, so it is very likely that future clashes will be fierce," Tun Myat Naing told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday.

AA troops launched a coordinated attack on four Border Guard Police outposts in Buthidaung Township on Jan. 4, as Myanmar celebrated its 71st Independence Day.

Thirteen police were killed and nine others were injured in the attack. The AA also seized dozens of small arms and tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition.

Following the AA attacks, President U Win Myint convened a top-level coordination meeting on the afternoon of Jan. 7. It was attended by State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

"The President's Office has instructed the Defense Ministry [which oversees the Army] to increase troop deployments in the areas where the police stations were attacked on Friday and to use aircraft if necessary," government spokesperson U Zaw Htay told reporters the same day.

Maj-Gen Tun Myat Naing said the AA's attacks on the Border Guard Police outposts were justified because personnel based there had helped the Myanmar Army attack the AA in Rathedaung, Buthidaung, Kyauktaw and Ponnagyun townships in December.

He also accused the police and Myanmar Army of using civilians as human shields during their offensives against AA troops, and claimed that police were forcing civilians to serve as night guards for them.

"We've recorded the [identities of the] battalions that fired on us with artillery. We have made a detailed record of the police battalions and Border Guard Police units [that made military use of civilians]. We won't forgive them for this. We will retaliate," he said.

The AA would not let the Arakanese people be oppressed, he added.

Since clashes with the AA intensified in December, local civilians have alleged that Tatmadaw and Border Guard Police forced them to act as guides through forests, and beat them with rifle stocks. They also claim security personnel forced them to provide food.

At the press conference on Jan. 7, President's Office spokesman U Zaw Htay accused the AA of having ties to the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and of funding its own operations from the illegal drug trade.

He warned AA sympathizers to end their support for the group. "I want to tell AA supporters to think about whether the AA really can make Rakhine State better. Frankly speaking, please stop your support," he said.

The AA has denied having links to ARSA.

"I heard [government and Tatmadaw officials] say that Rakhine will be completely ruined in the next 10 years or so, and that Rakhine will meet the same fate as Syria. So I believe that if they want to destroy our land [Rakhine State], we should destroy their [the Bamars'] land," Maj-Gen Tun Myat Naing said.

"However, we are open to peace talks if our presence in Rakhine State is recognized," he added.

The Arakanese community has responded angrily to the accusation by the President's Office that the AA has ties to ARSA.

The Arakanese National Party released a statement objecting to U Zaw Htay's remarks. No Arakanese political organizations, whether operating openly or underground, have any ties to any terrorist organizations, it said in a statement.

The fighting between the Tatmadaw and the AA in Buthidaung and Kyauktaw townships has displaced over 5,000 villagers.

Founded in 2009 by 26 Arakanese youths in Kachin State's Laiza, the AA is now a 7,000-strong army. Since 2015, the ethnic armed group has been attempting to return to its homeland of Rakhine State, which has led to frequent clashes with Myanmar Army in Chin State's Paletwa and parts of Rakhine over the last year.

The post AA Leader Expects Fighting in Rakhine to Get Worse appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Anti-Corruption Commission Detains 4 Land Officials in Gwa Township

Posted: 10 Jan 2019 03:19 AM PST

NAYPYITAW—The national Anti-Corruption Commission on Tuesday detained four local land-registration officials in Gwa Township, in southern Rakhine State's Thandwe District, under the Anti-Corruption Law.

The current head of the township Settlement and Land Records Department, his deputy, a clerk and a retired officer were detained, Lower House lawmaker Myint Wai of Gwa Township confirmed.

"They were arrested for allegedly taking bribes to facilitate land transactions. Locals have complained of around five incidents involving the four," U Myint Wai said.

Gwa Township police confirmed the arrests. "The commission has taken them to Thandwe," township police chief Police Captain Aye Tun told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday.

Residents of Sapp Thwar and Kan Tharyar villages filed complaints with the anti-graft body both individually and collectively, U Myint Wai said.

"Land is valuable in Gwa, which is close to the sea. Sometimes the land expands naturally as sandbanks form. An acre of it is worth around 200 million kyats. According to the complaints, [the detained officials] took money to issue Form-7 certificates [for such land]," he said.

The Form-7 certificate was created under the 2012 Farm Land Law. It allows holders to engage in farming on a given piece of land.

The total amount the officials sought is unknown, but in a transaction involving a land plot in Kan Tharyar village in July last year, the department received 63 million kyats for allowing a newly formed piece of land measuring 0.63 acres to be included in the sale, said local resident U Maung Tin.

"I filed the complaint. Then the commission made inquiries to me and others," U Maung Tin said. Those cases date to between 2014 and 2018, according to Gwa residents.

The residents added that the Myanmar Army has abandoned some of the land it confiscated in Gwa when the country was under military rule. However, many original owners have yet to recover their land, as disputes between them and recent buyers, mostly private companies, have yet to be resolved.

U Kyin Ke, a farmers' rights activist, accused the department of facilitating illegal land acquisitions by private companies.

"The private companies receive more land on the ground than what is officially recorded on the documents. An acre is worth at least 70 million kyats," he said, alleging that the companies pay the authorities money to keep quiet.

Referring to the arrest of the four officials, he said, "It is only the tip of the iceberg. There are many cases that go unreported on the ground."

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A Lunch Date with Exotic Pets

Posted: 09 Jan 2019 11:16 PM PST

YANGON—Though the pet café culture began to rise in popularity in Yangon a few years ago, there are still just a few cat and dog cafés in the city. Two weeks ago, however, I heard from friends that there is a new pet café in town which has more unusual pets like pythons, frogs, lizards and other exotic animals—but the cutest little creatures, the fennec foxes, were the main reason I wanted to visit this café straight away.

A rare piebald python. / Aung Kyaw Htet / The Irrawaddy

The exotic pet café, called Lizzo and Mammo, is located on Kantawgyi Myawsin Island, near the Karaweik entrance of Kandawgyi Gardens. The small coffee shop is surrounded by greenery with a few coffee tables placed outside. Inside, a few young girls were busy cuddling Burmese pythons, iguanas and the cutest kitty in the shop.

A girl interacts with one of the cafe’s stars, Sarah, a big yellow Burmese python. / Aung Kyaw Htet / The Irrawaddy

With a large yellow Burmese python wrapped around her neck, a young girl smiled as she cuddled the serpent whose name is Sarah. The snake seemed to feel her love through the soft touch of her fingers and it seemed to be dancing on her shoulder and hands.

The cafe opened about two weeks ago, and its co-founder Ko Myat Sithu Aung said the creatures were all brought from Thailand.

"Before I opened this shop, my friend and I had some exotic pets at our homes. Some people were afraid of them and didn't dare to touch them. Actually, they all are so cute and they don't have intentions of attacking people. Few people know that so I want to share that knowledge and experience with many people," he said.

He added "That's why Lizzo and Mammo is here today with different species of exotic pets."

The cute and chubby pet squirrel named Shwe Htoo gets a lot of attention from visitors. / Aung Kyaw Htet / The Irrawaddy

"Lizzo" represents the lizards and "Mammo" refers to every mammal and we have both at the café. Lizzo and Mammo is a place where you can enjoy a cup of coffee or a cold drink, and spend your free time enjoying and playing with almost 20 different species of animals."

The bearded dragon. / Aung Kyaw Htet / The Irrawaddy

Most of the animals at the cafe are reptiles, including iguanas, turtles, the bearded dragon, snakes, lizards and geckos. They also have frogs, a chubby and playful pet squirrel, fluffy kitties and colorful birds such as Macaw parrots.

Unsurprisingly, questions have arisen about whether the café is ethical.

The Jesus lizard, a common name for the basilisk lizard genus. / Aung Kyaw Htet / The Irrawaddy

“When we announced the opening of this shop, many people misunderstood us. They thought we want to sell coffee and cake by using those little pets. It's totally wrong. We just want to share the knowledge that these exotic animals are also cute pets like cats and dogs. We added coffee and other snacks to perfect the café," Ko Myat Sithu Aung said.

Leopard gecko. / Aung Kyaw Htet / The Irrawaddy

Sarah the Burmese python is the star at this exotic pet café. Many people repeatedly visit the shop to see her, he said.

"People love the playful Shwe Htoo (a chubby squirrel) and the fluffy kitty, Jack and the beautiful macaw, Amanda. We have more reptiles, so most of the visitors are reptile lovers," he said.

Another popular star of the cafe, a fluffy Persian cat. / Aung Kyaw Htet / The Irrawaddy

"When you see them, their appearance may be a little scary but they are very gentle creatures."

Lizzo and Mammo has a 5,000 kyats entrance fee for people who want to touch, play with and take pictures with the creatures.

Marry, a beautiful African grey parrot. / Aung Kyaw Htet / The Irrawaddy

"If the customers come for coffee and snacks, they don't need to pay the entrance fee. Some groups of friends include people who are afraid to touch the pets, so they can wait at a different side of the coffee shop and have a drink," Ko Myat Sithu Aung said.

He added, “I decorated the café to be natural for both visitors and our pets. Customers can relax, eat and learn about the different species we have."

A green tree frog. / Aung Kyaw Htet / The Irrawaddy

After a quick washing of hands and changing of slippers provided by the shop, people are allowed to enter the main part of the café and have a chance to play with the pets.

The shop has zookeepers and they bring out the pets requested by the customers. Most of the pets are put in a glass tank where the owner has created the weather conditions each pet needs.

A selection of cakes available at Lizzo and Mammo. / Aung Kyaw Htet / The Irrawaddy

"The pets can become stressed as well, so we don't allow them to be touched all the time. We have time limits," the co-owner said.

The fennec foxes and turtles are only allowed to be seen at the weekends. The other reptiles have time limits for interactions with customers.

Lizzo and Mammo, a new exotic pets cafe located in Kantawgyi Gardens, Yangon. / Aung Kyaw Htet / The Irrawaddy

Foods and drinks at the café range in price from 2,000 to 5,000 kyats and the coffee tastes good. Outside the shop is where the house with lots of beautiful birds and iguanas are kept.

As an animal lover, Ko Myat Sithu Aung wants city folks to get up close and personal with the creatures and he wants to let the people know that the creatures are not dangerous.

Lizzo and Mammo is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and is closed every Wednesday.

The post A Lunch Date with Exotic Pets appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Thailand Welcomes EU Decision to Lift Warning on Illegal Fishing

Posted: 09 Jan 2019 09:20 PM PST

BANGKOK—Thailand on Wednesday welcomed a decision by the European Commission to drop the Southeast Asian nation from a list of countries it had warned over illegal and unregulated fishing.

In 2015, the world’s third largest exporter of seafood received a so-called “yellow card,” or warning from the European Union over unsustainable fishing practices, carrying the threat of a European ban on the exports.

That move prompted a major crackdown by Thailand’s military government on illegal fishing and an overhaul of the industry.

“There have been sacrifices and adjustments to the way fishing is conducted,” the deputy spokesman of the military government, Lt-Gen Werachon Sukhondhapatipak, told Reuters.

“Thailand’s fishing industry at all levels has a responsibility to the environment and the world through more sustainable fishing practices in line with international standards.”

The measures Thailand adopted ranged from new rules to vessel monitoring systems, as well as a satellite-based system of tracking the movements of fishing boats, enforced by the Royal Thai Navy.

It also toughened labor regulations to combat human trafficking and ill-treatment of migrant workers, improving the situation of more than 300,000 citizens of neighboring countries employed in the Thai fishing industry.

“Since the yellow card was issued, the Commission and Thailand have engaged in a constructive process of cooperation and dialogue,” the European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, said in a statement on Tuesday announcing its decision.

“This has resulted in a major upgrade of the Thai fisheries governance, in accordance with the international commitments of the country.”

The European Commission now sees Thailand as “a new committed partner” in the fight against fishing practices that deplete global fish stocks and harm people who make their living from the sea, it added.

Thai seafood exports stood at $2.1 billion in 2017, Commerce Ministry data shows, recovering to their 2014 level after a drop in 2015 to $1.8 billion following the European Union warning.

About 9.9 percent of Thai seafood exports went to the European Union last year, versus 10.3 percent in 2014, ministry data show.

Thailand’s private sector also welcomed the EU decision, saying the reforms would benefit the fishing industry.

“This will boost investment and confidence in Thai seafood exports in the international market,” Poj Aramwattananont, the vice chairman of the Board of Trade of Thailand, said in a statement.

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China’s Xi Nudges N.Korea, US to Meet Half Way as Second Summit Planned

Posted: 09 Jan 2019 08:56 PM PST

SHANGHAI/SEOUL—Chinese President Xi Jinping said he hopes North Korea and the United States can meet each other half way as they plan a second summit between leaders Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump, China’s official Xinhua news agency said on Thursday.

The remark by Xi, during a meeting with Kim this week in Beijing, hinted at the depth of the differences that remain between Pyongyang and Washington after Trump and Kim pledged to work towards denuclearization at their landmark summit in Singapore in June.

That agreement was short on specifics and negotiations have made little headway since.

Pyongyang has demanded Washington lift sanctions, imposed because of its nuclear and missile tests, and declare an official end to the 1950-1953 Korean War.

Those demands are in response to Pyongyang’s initial, unilateral steps toward denuclearization that included dismantling its only known nuclear testing site and a key missile engine facility.

The international community expects peaceful dialogue on the fate of the Korean peninsula to continue and yield results, Xi told Kim during the North Korean leader’s fourth visit to China in the past 12 months, according to the Xinhua report.

“The political settlement of the peninsula issue faces a rare historic opportunity,” Xi said.

Beijing supports US-North Korean summits and the use of dialogue to resolve concerns, he was quoted as saying. “China hopes that North Korea and the United States will meet each other halfway,” Xi said.

Kim reiterated a pledge from his New Year’s speech that the North would try to make a second summit achieve a result that the international community would welcome, Xinhua said.

Kim’s trip to China this week followed reports of advanced negotiations for a second summit between Washington and Pyongyang aimed at resolving the standoff over North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.

Second summit soon?

It was unclear where or when a fresh summit would take place but South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Thursday the latest China trip signaled an imminent second summit between Kim and Trump. Moon said he expected high-level talks would take place “before long.”

The second summit would also expedite an unprecedented planned visit by Kim to Seoul, Moon said.

He said North Korea needed to take “bold steps” towards denuclearization in order to draw US concessions such as sanctions relief.

Progress between Washington and Pyongyang has long been hobbled by wide differences on how denuclearization should unfold, and under what conditions.

Wang Yiwei, a senior research fellow at the Center for China and Globalization, said he believed North Korea was becoming impatient and beginning to lose hope with the United States for asking it to make changes without in turn removing sanctions.

“The crux is how to let North Korea denuclearize and to give it security guarantees. On this, the United States and North Korea don’t have trust, so China has to act as a bridge,” Wang said.

In Beijing, Kim told Xi he hoped North Korea’s “reasonable concerns” would be taken seriously in order to achieve a comprehensive resolution on the Korean peninsula, Xinhua said.

It quoted Kim as saying North Korea would adhere to its stance of denuclearization and resolving Korean peninsula issues through dialogue, including a second summit with Trump, in order to achieve results that would be welcomed internationally.

Xi commended North Korea for its denuclearization efforts and said China supported the resolution of concerns through dialogue.

North Korea’s state news agency KCNA said both sides agreed in Beijing on the need to maintain the goal of the peaceful resolution of nuclear issues.

Kim told Xi about the “difficulties and concerns created in the process of improving North Korea-US relations and denuclearization negotiations” as well as the prospects of tackling them. The Xinhua report did not elaborate.

In Seoul, Moon said other potential measures North Korea could take included abolishing intercontinental and intermediate-range ballistic missiles and dismantling weapons production facilities and other nuclear sites.

However, he said reducing US military commitments, such as a withdrawal of troops or strategic assets from the region, would be unlikely options for Washington.

“US forces in South Korea or strategic assets in places like Guam and Japan are not linked with North Korea alone, as they exist for the stability and peace of the entire Northeast Asia," Moon told reporters at the presidential Blue House.

The post China’s Xi Nudges N.Korea, US to Meet Half Way as Second Summit Planned appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

UN Chief in Myanmar Concerned Over Fighting in Rakhine State

Posted: 09 Jan 2019 08:38 PM PST

YANGON—The head of the United Nations in Myanmar on Wednesday expressed concern about the situation in the western state of Rakhine, where fighting between the military and the rebel Arakan Army has displaced about 4,500 people since early December.

Myanmar government leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday discussed insurgent attacks on police in a rare meeting with the military chief, and her administration called for the armed forces to “crush” the rebels.

Knut Ostby, who acts as the resident coordinator for the United Nations, said in a statement he was “deeply concerned about the situation” and urged “all sides to ensure the protection of all civilians” and to respect human rights.

“Mr Ostby further appeals to all sides to intensify efforts to find a peaceful solution to the situation and to ensure humanitarian access to all people affected by the violence,” the United Nations said in a statement.

The Arakan Army wants greater autonomy for Rakhine State, where the mostly Buddhist ethnic Rakhine people make up the majority of the population.

Rakhine State saw a military-led crackdown in 2017, following attacks by Rohingya Muslim insurgents that prompted hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee westwards into neighboring Bangladesh.

At a meeting on Monday between government and military leaders, the office of President Win Myint said it had instructed the military to “crush the terrorists,” the government spokesman later told a news conference.

While Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is barred from being president by a military-drafted constitution, the president is a loyalist. She is seen as de facto leader of the civilian government, while the military remains in charge of security.

Arakan Army insurgents killed 13 policemen and wounded nine in attacks on four police posts on Friday, as Myanmar celebrated Independence Day, state media reported.

An Arakan Army spokesman outside Myanmar told Reuters last week the group attacked the security forces in response to a broad military offensive in the north of Rakhine State that also targeted civilians.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Monday that 4,500 people were sheltering in monasteries and communal areas after being displaced by the fighting in the past month.

Myanmar governments have battled various autonomy-seeking ethnic minority insurgent groups since shortly after independence from Britain in 1948, though some have struck ceasefire agreements.

The post UN Chief in Myanmar Concerned Over Fighting in Rakhine State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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