Wednesday, February 20, 2019

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Archivist Salvages Myanmar’s Neglected Photographic History

Posted: 20 Feb 2019 07:24 AM PST

Austrian photographer and archivist Lukas Birk collects vintage images by local photographers and exhibits them with the aim of reinterpreting Myanmar's history and reviving the stories told by photographers of bygone eras.

His major project, the Myanmar Photo Archive, is an ongoing labor of love comprising more than 20,000 images so far. Lukas is himself a photographer but has devoted the past decade to working on historical research in various countries. He started his Myanmar project in 2015 after learning of the country's rich photographic history.

"What I found interesting in Myanmar is that there was such diverse photo production, actually. Incredibly interesting…incredible studios that have been active here for the last hundred years. It's quite interesting to see that when you compare Burmese photography from the 1950s and 1960s; [it's] very similar to anywhere in the world," Birk said.

"But, there's very little known about it," he added. "There's very little you can read about it … [and few opportunities to] see photographs."

In museums, people can see many photographs by the British and German photographers who lived here in colonial times, but there are few opportunities for people to see the great job Burmese photographers were doing, he said.

"That was my main interest in this project; to discover some of the stories, like [the one on display in] the 'Number One Amateur Burmese Photographer U Than Maung' [exhibit], which is currently being shown in Maha Bandoola Park as part of the Yangon Photo Festival," he said.

Birk praised U Than Maung, saying, "He is such an incredible photographer, such beautiful images he took, such a strong sensitivity for how to compose the photo and hand coloring; [they're] very beautiful. You will see these at the exhibition."

He added, "That's really exciting, to bring out an exhibition or book with something that is hidden, but which has always been there."

Lukas Birk shows some of the images on display at the 'Burmese Photographers' exhibition at the Secretariat in Yangon in February 2018. / The Irrawaddy

To obtain the photos for his collection requires talking to many people and often paying antique dealers and photo studios. Some photos are located through the original photographers' relatives, he said.

"For the U Than Maung exhibition, his daughter came to talk to me at my exhibition last year, 'Burmese Photographers', at The Secretariat [in Yangon]. She gave me the photos and those are very nice. Now, I'm making a book and exhibition," Lukas said.

At the Yangon Photo Festival exhibition, he displays a total of 25 vintage photos taken by U Than Maung.

"I just wanted to show the small story of U Than Maung, and Maha Bandoola has so many exhibitions—it's [just] one of them," he said.

Birk's photo book about U Than Maung will be launched on Thursday with two of his other books at the Goethe Institut.

As part of the Yangon Photo Festival, Birk is also displaying the results of a five-day Photobook Workshop he conducted earlier this month.

"Photobook culture is a new trend worldwide. There are very different ways to make a photobook, not just paper and print. You can do special binding techniques, use special materials. So, the workshop was about how to do it yourself," Birk explained.

At the workshop, all participants were young photographers. Some are already very skilled photographers and have come up with strong photo stories, but had never created a book before, he said. Some of the books they made will be shown on Feb. 21 at the Goethe Institut and in Maha Bandoola Park.

Some of the photos collected by Lukas Birk to be displayed at the 'Burmese Photographers' exhibition at the Secretariat in Yangon in February 2018. / The Irrawaddy

"Another event of mine is a 'Digitization Station' on Feb. 22-24 at Maha Bandoola Park. If your grandfather took interesting photos, if you still have them and you have a good story, we will photograph the photos and we'll record the story in the archive. Then, your family story becomes part of this big archive. That's what we do at the digital station," Birk said.

He added that, "The archive I have is all about the history of Myanmar. And actually, history doesn't mean what happened at the government level or what happened [involving] big things. Everyone has a history and it's important. That's the whole point of collecting family stories."

Birk's project is growing rapidly and he's planning to present it as a large online archive in the future. All the photos will be online and people will be able to search in English and Burmese using key words.

"Then, you will see a different history of Myanmar—and that's my big dream," he said.

The post Archivist Salvages Myanmar's Neglected Photographic History appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Charges Against Aung San Statue Protesters Dropped, But Dispute Lingers

Posted: 20 Feb 2019 05:40 AM PST

YANGON — The Kayah State government has dropped its lawsuits against all 55 people charged over the past year for protesting against the installation of a statue of late independence hero Gen. Aung San in Loikaw, the state capital.

Khun A Than, a member of the Karenni Youth Force, a local civil society group, said the Demoso Township Court on Friday dropped its cases against those charged under Section 505 (b) and (c) of the Penal Code for defamation. He said on Wednesday the Loikaw Township Court dropped its cases against those charged under Section 19 and 20 of the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law.

The charges were dropped thanks to an agreement the protest leaders and state government reached on Feb. 12, following mass protests in Loikaw against the statue over the previous weeks.

"We don’t need to give thanks for the charges being dropped. The youth didn't do anything they should be charged for. They were charged unnecessarily by the state government, which wants to oppress them," Khun A Than said.

He said the government dropped the charges not because of its good will but because of public pressure.

"Dropping the cases is just a part of it. The root cause of this is the forced installation of the statue against the will of the people, despite the opposition of the people. What is important is how we solve the root cause of the problem," he added.

Since February 2018, authorities had opened 86 cases against 55 people for protesting against plans for the statue and its eventual installation on Jan. 31.

Protesters say hundreds of people also rallied in support of the statue on Feb. 2 and that several members of the ruling National League for Democracy attended, including Kayah State Chief Minister L Phaung Sho.

On Feb. 12 the government and protest leaders agreed not to hold any more rallies either for or against the statue for a month while the protest leaders hold negotiations with the committee behind the project.

The two sides met on Sunday but have yet to settle their differences.

"It can be said that the talks failed. But since we have agreed to a one-month negotiation period, we will wait and see if the state government takes responsibility before Mar. 12. If not, there will be fresh protests; I don't know," said Khun A Than, who joined Sunday’s meeting.

U Win Aung, a member of the statue committee, said the bronze likes of the general on horseback could not be removed because it was built in part with public funds. But he added that the committee was open to more talks with the protesters.

The protesters want the statue removed and accuse the government of breaking a promise the chief minister made in July not to erect it without public approval.

The previous month, L Phaung Sho had announced plans to install and unveil the statue on July 19 to mark Martyrs Day, which commemorates the 1947 assassination of Gen. Aung San and his cabinet members. But the government shelved those plans in the face of strong opposition from locals and transferred to project to the statue committee.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Charges Against Aung San Statue Protesters Dropped, But Dispute Lingers appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Without Public Support, Military Risks Losing Five Townships to AA

Posted: 20 Feb 2019 05:35 AM PST

YANGON – Maj. Thet Oo Maung, a military representative in the Rakhine state parliament, has accused the Arakan Army (AA) of planning to take over five townships in northern Rakhine State by 2020, drawing on his analysis of the AA's recent series of offensives against the Myanmar military in the region.

The military major submitted a proposal to the Rakhine parliament on Wednesday in which he urged the Arakanese public to support the military's operations in the region, saying the military always protects the lives of the public, and protects race and religion in Rakhine State and always protects the Arakanese from the danger of Muslim attacks.

"They plan to stage a coup in Paletwa, Kyauktaw and Mrauk-U by 2020 as part of their mission called the 2020 Arakan Dream," Maj. Thet Oo Maung said during the parliament session.

He also accused the AA and the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) of coordinating on operations in the Mayu region, referring to Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships. AA leaders have rebutted similar accusations from the military several times.

AA spokesperson U Khine Thukha called the military MP's proposal in the Rakhine parliament "ridiculous". He suggested that the military hold a referendum within Rakhine State to find out whether the Arakanese public stands on the AA's side or with the military, instead of trying to use parliamentary channels to sway the Arakanese public.

"If they are ready to leave Rakhine, just go ahead with a referendum. Then we will see a clear outcome," said U Khine Thukha.

He pointed out that the military MP's proposal was unprecedented. He said that asking for public support through parliamentary channels means acknowledging the military great losses in the ongoing battles in northern Rakhine and is solid evidence of the lack of support the public holds for it.

Maj. Thet Oo Maung's proposal comes soon after a number of military soldiers were killed by the AA in three locations near the popular tourist destination of Mrauk-U on Tuesday. He also reiterated the accusations of his military superiors about the AA's collaborations with ARSA in recent attacks on the military.

The military-appointed MP's motion was voted down in the Arakan National Party (ANP)-dominant parliament. This is the second attempt to dissuade public support for the AA after the President Office's Spokesperson U Zaw Htay warned the Arakanese public against supporting the AA.

U Phoe San, an MP from the ANP, said in parliament that peace-related proposals shouldn't be brought up at regional level, saying they are mostly handled at Union level and thus the proposal would be ignored.

Since Tuesday morning, a number of clashes have erupted in three locations near the Sittwe-Yangon highway in Mrauk-U Township. Both the AA and the Office of the Commander-in-Chief confirmed Tuesday's battles via their respective announcement channels.

The military has claimed to have the bodies of nine AA rebel group members as well as a rocket propel grenade (RPG) as a result of clashes near Mrauk-U Township's Paung Tok Village. It did not mention its own causalities.

AA spokesperson U Khine Thukha acknowledged that at least three AA fighters were killed by military troops in the Mrauk-U clashes in which, he claimed, the AA column was ambushed by military troops near Yan Aung Pyin Village and that they lost one RPG. He said the Office of the Commander-in-Chief's casualty figures were exaggerated.

U Khine Thukha explained that skirmishes had taken place near Kyauk Kyat, Zaydi Taung and Yan Aung Pyin villages. He said that the AA clashed with about 200 military troops under the 22nd Division in the morning and more fighting broke out near Ma Kyar Se Village in the afternoon and was ongoing as of Wednesday morning.

The AA spokesperson claimed that the AA shot down a military truck carrying about 20 soldiers near Kyauk Kya Village in Mrauk-U Township. The vehicle was completely blown out by the RPG attack, he said. At Ma Kyar Se and in Kyauk Kyat villages, the AA claims to have killed at least 10 military soldiers.

U Khine Thukha said that at least 30 government soldiers were killed during the clashes and that Mrauk-U locals had video evidence of blood stains on the Sittwe-Yangon highway where the remains of some government troops are still at the scene. He was referring to graphic footage which went viral on Facebook on Wednesday accompanied by a caption stating the remains included the ribs of some military soldiers. Locals at the scene verified to The Irrawaddy the authenticity of the video.

U Khine Thukha said AA fighters confiscated a large number of 60 mm mortar shells, some RPGs and machine guns belonging to the military column. According to him, fighting was ongoing at Ma Kyar Se village in Mrauk-U and Rathedaung Township's Myin Hpu Village as well as in upper Paletwa Township, Chin State as of Wednesday.

One government school teacher in Rathedaung Township's Myin Hpu Village announced on his Facebook page that military soldiers came into his school while the students were sitting their matriculation exams on Wednesday.

He wrote, "Everyone in the school had to lay down on the floor."

Under his post, a number of his colleagues wrote comments saying their mobile phones were seized by the military column and that they were out of signal as of this afternoon. Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun of the Office of the Commander-in-Chief said that as of Wednesday evening he hadn't received updated information from the battlefield in Rakhine State. On Wednesday the military deployed at least four helicopters for attacks on the AA in Mrauk-U and Rathedaung townships.

The post Without Public Support, Military Risks Losing Five Townships to AA appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Journey to Mogok’s Elusive Valley of Rubies

Posted: 20 Feb 2019 04:22 AM PST

YANGON—In March 2018, more than 100,000 visitors flocked to the famous ruby mining town of Mogok, 200 km north of Mandalay, to celebrate a festival commemorating 800 years since its foundation. Organizers hoped the event would boost tourism in the town which had been completely shut off to travelers until 2013 and since then has only been accessible with a special permit.

Mogok isn't famous as a travel destination, but rather as the source of the highest quality of rubies in the world. The current global record for the most valuable ruby is held by a 25 carat "pigeon's blood" ruby sourced in Mogok which sold in 2015 for $30 million at auction in Switzerland. In fact, all top 10 of the most valuable rubies in the world were sourced in this town, which has earned the moniker Rubyland.

Rubies and other gems are sold in all shapes, sizes and qualities at markets in Mogok and sent around the world. / Marie Starr

Despite the festival organizers' best intentions, the number of foreign travelers who make their way to the town remains small. Those that do, find Mogok's combined renown and elusiveness an irresistible combination.

Mogok is located a six-hour drive north of Mandalay. The second half of the route is mountainous and hair-raising but offers beautiful views.

Kyauk Pyat Thut Pagoda in west Mogok Township. / Marie Starr

Before reaching the urban limits of Mogok, the town of Kyatpyin in west Mogok Township usually beckons travelers to stop after the long drive from Mandalay, and walk around the network of staircases and stupas and a temple set atop a rocky outcrop at Kyauk Pyat Thut Pagoda. The view from the top—rolling green mountains pockmarked by patches of exposed red soil of active gems mines and wooden houses teetering on the slopes—is a great prelude to Myanmar's Rubyland.

Mogok lies in a picturesque valley centered around Mogok Lake which was formed by a colonial-era mine. In the mornings a mystical fog sits over the town. Blue-gray peaks loom ahead of you in every direction at all times. Private transport is required to get around and foreigners must be accompanied by a licensed guide at all times.

The Lisu are one of a large number of ethnic groups living in Mogok. / Marie Starr

After the heavenly vistas of Rubyland, the next most notable feature of the town is the diversity of its population. Over a dozen races have settled in the region over the centuries, lured by the possibility of finding that gem that would bring them fortunes. Gurkha, Sikh, Chinese, Shan, Lisu, Kachin, Ta'ang, and of course, Burmese, live together peacefully in the city and in a single quarter you might find a Chinese temple, a pagoda, a church, a Hindu temple and a mosque.

Next, you'll want to experience the hubbub of the legendary gems markets where fortunes are supposedly made and lost. Unfortunately, foreigners are not allowed into the more serious trading markets. There's a fairly tame and formal gems market located next to the lake where you can see a variety of rubies, sapphire, onyx, quartz and other valuable stones clearly displayed in raw form, polished and as finished pieces of jewelry—but you won't see any $30 million stones here.

This Chinese-style Buddhist temple has a natural cave to the rear where one thousand Buddha images decorate the walls. / Marie Starr

The most active gems market which foreigners are permitted to visit is Peik Swe Garden. Professional dealers and merchants gather here to buy and sell more valuable gems and the atmosphere is lively. Because of their high value however, the gems are generally not on display but kept wrapped up in the pockets of the dealers. You're likely you be approached by people selling stones worth anywhere upwards of $100 but beware: bluffers abound. Even without making a purchase, it's well worth spending some time here observing the workings of the smartly-dressed dealers who sit in groups chatting and drinking tea, occasionally taking out a flashlight and peering closely at a gem, turning it round in their fingers before making an offer or turning it away.

Request to visit a gems workshop and you may never look at a one in the same way again. Workshops, both formal and homegrown, are dotted around Mogok and show just how much effort and skill—including shaping and polishing—goes into the process of making something refined and beautiful from a rough stone.

One of Mogok's most famous persons, U Vimala, a monk more commonly known as the Mogok Sayadaw, earned fame for his extreme meditation capabilities which led him to attaining nirvana, and for his teachings in vipassana meditation which has become known as the Mogok style of meditation. Although he died in 1962, he is still revered by those who continue to learn from recordings of his meditation guides. For this reason, the monastery where he spent most of his life, and especially the tiny cave in which he is said to have meditated for four years in order to attain nirvana, are must-visit sites for many in Mogok.

Gems dealers gather at Peik Swe Garden gems market. / Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy

Just before sunset, make your way up to Padamyar Pagoda which sits at an elevated spot overlooking the town and is one of the best places to catch the final rays of sun on Mogok reflected in the lake below. Standing there above the town, it's quite mind-boggling to think of the total value of the precious stones found over the centuries in the soil you stand on and just what might yet be found.

After sundown, head down to the night market located along a street at the east end of the lake next to Mogok Motel. This is a very popular outdoor food market and possibly one of the best places to try Mogok's delicious local dishes. Mustard leaf, or mone nyint in Burmese, features in many Mogok dishes. Order a couple of parcels of hot steamed mustard leaf enfolded in rice flour, which is warming and tangy. If you're a fungi fan, try steamed mushroom, or hmote baung, also served in banana leaf parcels and deliciously flavored with local herbs. The Mogok version of tofu nway can be ordered right through the evening here and is slightly different to other varieties in Myanmar and very tasty.

The cave in which the Mogok Sayadaw U Vimala meditated for four years before attaining nirvana. / Marie Starr

Mogok is a popular with local travelers looking to visit the religious sites as well as the gems markets and a vast majority of foreign visitors to the town are gems dealers from neighboring countries. For international tourists, Mogok is well worth a visit but requires some extra expenses and forward planning.

Mogok style tofu nway (L) and Mogok mee shay (R) are delicious local versions of nationally popular dishes which can be ordered at the night market. / Marie Starr

A permission letter from the regional government must be obtained through a specially appointed agency based in Mogok, such as Jewellery City Travels and Tours. It costs $100 for permission or less when applying as a group, and should be applied for at least two weeks in advance of the trip. Foreigners are not allowed to take public transport into Mogok and must hire a car and driver from the appointed agency. Additionally, all foreign tourists in Mogok should be accompanied by a registered guide at all times and, as of the time of writing, are not permitted into active mines. There are four hotels in Mogok where foreign visitors are permitted to stay. Generally, the travel agency you connect with can arranges the full package. Green Season Travel is a reliable agency for arranging the trip.

The post Journey to Mogok's Elusive Valley of Rubies appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Naga Rebel Group Warns of ‘Problems’ if Military Keeps Up Pressure

Posted: 20 Feb 2019 03:02 AM PST

Mon State — The National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) says the Myanmar military has continued pressuring it not to provide any shelter or support for ethnic Kathe rebels from India it says have crossed the border into western Sagaing Region.

"They kept pressuring us to stay away from the Kathe. They even told us that they will continue to search for Kathe in our area," U Kyaw Wan Sein, a member of the NSCN-K's central executive committee, told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday.

The NSCN-K has asked the military to stop the searches in areas the NSCN-K controls in order to preserve the peace.

"We asked them to stop the military operations they launched in our areas and to withdraw. But they have not stop," U Kyaw Wan Sein said, warning that continued pressure could lead to fighting.

"We are human. We do not know when we will not be able to control our minds. Our region will have problems if they do not stop their military operations in our area," he said.

State media on Tuesday reported that the military arrested four insurgents during operations in the Naga Self-Administered Zone of Sagaing Region between Feb. 8 and 19, captured a camp and recovered 53 weapons and ammunition.

The military seized the NSCN-K’s headquarters inside the zone on Jan. 29 after receiving information that Kathe rebels were staying in the area.

State media said the military has since arrested six NSCN-K members and six other insurgents in all and seized 79 weapons.

U Kyaw Wan Sein said the NSCN-K has asked the government and military to return its headquarters.

The NSCN-K signed a region-level truce with the government in April 2012. The government has urged the group to sign the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement as well. But the NSCN-K says it will only do so if it can negotiate a peace deal that covers all members of the Naga community in both western Myanmar and eastern India.

The post Naga Rebel Group Warns of ‘Problems’ if Military Keeps Up Pressure appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Mongla Official Denies Chinese Firm Permitted to Set Up Autonomous Digital Economic Zone

Posted: 20 Feb 2019 02:20 AM PST

YANGON—The general secretary of the rebel-controlled Mongla Special Administrative Region on the Chinese border has denied any knowledge of a Chinese company's plan to establish an independent political entity within its borders based on an "e-citizenship" system open to all with a digital economy supported by a cryptocurrency.

In a program titled "Inside the Crypto Kingdom", Channel News Asia reported last week that Chinese company Shanghai Shellpay Internet Technology plans to construct the Yongbang Blockchain Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Shan State's Mongla Special Administrative Region 4. In the video, Shanghai Shellpay Internet Technology CEO Zhang Hong said the SEZ will be an experimental digital economy exercising a high degree of autonomy, and vested with independent executive, legislative and judicial power. The zone would use an "e-citizen" system and a cryptocurrency, the Yongbang coin, Zhang said.

But U Kyi Myint, the general secretary of Mongla Special Administrative Region 4, told The Irrawaddy, "It's impossible. We don't know what they're talking about."

He added, "According to the video, it would be such a huge project. If they launched such a project, we would definitely know. We don't know anything about it. It doesn't make sense."

Mongla is run by the former rebel army known as the National Democratic Alliance Army-Eastern Shan State (NDAA). The group was formed in 1989 after separating from the former Communist Party of Burma (CPB). The NDAA signed a ceasefire agreement in 1989, and eventually signed a Union-level ceasefire agreement with then-President Thein Sein's administration in December 2011.

New hotels and office blocks under construction in Mongla, eastern Shan State, near the Chinese border in 2014 / The Irrawaddy

According to the CNA video, Zhang is also the director of the SEZ's Digital Economy Bureau. She is seen telling an audience at a conference in Shanghai that, "Today, Yongbang State is going to announce [its launch]. They are going to start a jurisdiction for a digital economy."

She said the SEZ would cover 220 square kilometers. The first step would be to launch the e-citizen program, which she said would be open to citizens of any country.

"What we are trying to create is a government in Yongbang, a government without civil servants," she told the audience.

"They [residents of the project area] are so poor because the [Myanmar] government did not give them ID cards. They are landlocked; they can't go anywhere because they don't have passports. We can issue everybody a digital ID," she said.

The Myanmar and Chinese governments have agreed to implement the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) as part of China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). According to Shellpay Internet Technology's website, the Shan State government has agreed to get involved with the SEZ as part of the BRI. It claims the SEZ would be established on the basis of "constant strengthening of political mutual trust and bilateral relations between China and Myanmar and the continued advancement of the BRI."

Shan State Minister for Planning and Economy U Soe Nyunt Lwin told The Irrawaddy, "The Shan State government has no knowledge of this project. We, the state government, did not make any agreement with them."

The Minister pointed out that Mongla is a Special Administrative Region of Shan State. All BRI projects, however, must be proposed at the Union level, pending scrutiny by the BRI Steering Committee, which will make the final decision on whether the project is suitable and will benefit the public.

Zhang Hong, CEO of Shanghai Shellpay Internet Technology, explains the Yongbang Blockchain Special Economic Zone project at a conference in Shanghai. / CNA video screenshot

"Under the CMEC agreement, we have only agreed to construct border economic cooperation zones in Shan and Kachin. We have never heard of Yongbang SEZ," he said.

According to the company's website, Yongbang "citizens" will have the right to do business by issuing their own tokens using decentralized ledger technology. Citizens will be able to use one Yongbang coin to issue 100,000 of their own coins. Citizens can receive Yongbang coins through Apple's AirDrop, or buy them from an exchange. The Yongbang authority will never charge tax, and business registration is replaced by tokenization of the Yongbang economy, according to the site, which adds that participation in the economy will be open to anyone in the world.

In the video, Zhang tells the audience, "We'll issue a currency called the Yongbang coin. This is a social experiment. In Yongbang, we will build a government for a digital economy. If you live in a society where all the laws, procedures and structures are already in place, it's difficult for you to change the world."

According to the website, Shellpay previously helped Dubai's General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (DNRD) to create a blockchain-based, non-passport control system in 2017.

On Facebook, the CNA video has gone viral among Myanmar people. It has drawn a largely negative response as a violation of Myanmar's sovereignty. Many people have pointed out the risks that would arise from allowing the use of cryptocurrencies to form a "digital government" in that area.

Cryptocurrencies are virtual currencies that do not exist in a physical form. They are not backed or regulated by any central bank. The decentralized control of each cryptocurrency relies on distributed ledger technology, typically a blockchain, that serves as a public financial transaction database.

Cryptocurrencies came to popular attention with the inception of Bitcoin in 2009. Cryptocurrency networks' lack of regulation has been criticized as enabling criminals who seek to evade taxes and launder money. Transactions involving such cryptocurrencies are independent from formal banking systems, making tax evasion simpler.

Liu Zhanbin, secretary of the Yongbang SEZ Committee, attends a conference in Shanghai. / CNA video screenshot

Bitcoin itself is often targeted by cyber hackings and thefts, which cost billions of dollars a year. In 2014, the world's then-largest Bitcoin exchange, Mt. Gox, declared bankruptcy after losing US$473 million (about 720 billion kyats) of customers' bitcoins to cyber theft. In January and June 2018, Tokyo-based Coincheck and the Korean exchange Coinrail were hacked and lost $400 million and $37 million worth of cryptocurrency respectively. The thefts triggered falls in the values of all major cryptocurrencies.

Myanmar has no specific mechanism or legal framework to regulate cryptocurrencies. However, the coins' promoters have introduced various ways to invest in them. Last year, the Ministry of Home Affairs warned against trading in cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, after a wave of scams. The ministry warned that the coin promoters targeted people in rural areas who were uninformed about the market. It said cryptocurrencies are "unstable" and required careful study. It advised against investing in such currencies.

Shanghai Shellpay Internet Technology's website claims the Yongbang project also served as an experiment in minimizing the role of government as much as possible. Any infrastructure or public projects initiated would be open to public participation through the issuance of tokens, it says. For example, if citizens want a road to be built, a road chain will be established in which all citizen will be able to participate by buying coins. The road would be built with the proceeds from token sales. The road would be equipped with sensors so that every car using it is charged automatically, according to how far it travels. Coins would then be sent automatically to investors in the road. All of these transactions would be implemented and recorded on a fully transparent blockchain ledger. In other words, according to the site, "citizens" would use blockchain technology to manage themselves.

In the video, Liu Zhanbin, the Yongbang SEZ Committee's secretary, said the company is also planning to launch such an SEZ in Kachin State. Liu mentions that Kachin produces the world's highest quality jade.

According to the website, the Yongbang project will be located in Shan State's Mongyawng, adjacent to China's Yunnan Province. Zhang told CNA, "I don't think the Burmese government is aware that Shan State have given [us] a small [area in which to operate] the digital economy."

However, General Secretary U Kyi Myint said, "That place is totally under our control. How could it be possible? Mongla's leaders don't even know about it. They might be scammers."

The post Mongla Official Denies Chinese Firm Permitted to Set Up Autonomous Digital Economic Zone appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Military Warns of ‘Battleground’ if Constitutional Amendments Mishandled

Posted: 20 Feb 2019 01:19 AM PST

NAYPYITAW — Brig. Gen. Maung Maung on Wednesday warned of national instability if any one political party amends the Constitution with only its goals in mind.

"Because our country is in a strategic position, it could become a battleground if a wrong position is taken. It is necessary to be aware of this," he told reporters in Naypyitaw.

The general, who lead’s the military-appointed lawmakers in the Union Parliament, said the Constitution should be amended in line with the law and accused the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) of using its parliamentary majority in a high-handed manner.

Speaking to Parliament on Tuesday, Lower House Deputy Speaker U Tun Tun Hein sought to allay fears that minority parties would be ignored.

"We won't try to amend the Constitution through shortcuts. Rather than doing it with one party alone, we will try to cooperate [with others] to bring about amendments that reflect the real wishes of the people," he said.

Parliament approved the formation of a committee to draft amendments to the Constitution on Tuesday, defeating opposition from lawmakers with the military and the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).

Of the 593 lawmakers present for the ballot, 389 voted in favor, 192 voted against and three abstentions.

The approved plan is for a 45-member body with representatives from 14 parties: 18 from the NLD, eight from the military, two from the USDP, two from the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), two from the Arakan National Party (ANP), one each from the other political parties, one independent, and the Parliament speaker and deputy speaker.

The distribution is in rough proportion to the number of seats the parties control in Parliament, though the smallest parties are overrepresented at the expense of the military and NLD.

"The committee will submit a report on the proposed amendments as soon as possible. Then the Union Parliament will hold a debate on it, and there will be a result. This will be the basic points of the draft law to amend the Constitution," said lawmaker U Myat Nyana Soe, the committee’s secretary.

"Then the committee will draft the law to amend the Constitution. Its term will be over then," he added.

U Tun Tun Hein said any disagreements with the draft will be submitted to Parliament along with the draft for debate.

The NLD says the procedure is in line with Chapter 12 of the Constitution.

USDP lawmaker U Thaung Aye, however, said the NLD was breaking with the law and accused the party of acting “arrogantly.”

The USDP has submitted its own bill to amend the Constitution, which proposes changing just one provision in Article 261. If approved, it would allow regional parliaments to elect their own chief ministers, who are currently appointed by the president.

Like many critics of the military-drafted Constitution, lawyer U Thein Than Oo said the charter needed a far more extensive overhaul, singling out Article 6 (f), which allows the defense services a “leadership role” in national politics.

He also noted that it was drafted while State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was under house arrest and many dissidents were behind bars.

"There are 15 chapters with 457 provisions. It took 15 years [to draft], about 12 days per provision. It was drafted cunningly and does not represent the public interest. It just gives all the power and privilege to the military," U Thein Than Oo said.

Political analyst U Yan Myo Thein said the country’s civilian and military leaders should hold talks to address the Constitution’s undemocratic provisions.

"Unless and until an agreement is reached between the leaders, Myanmar's democratic transition will not be on the right track," he said.

The parties given seats on the new committee are the NLD, USDP, SNLD, ANP, Wa Democratic Party, Zomi Congress for Democracy, Pa-O National Organization, Palang National Party, Kokang Democracy and Unity Party,  United National Democracy Party, Mon National Party, National Unity Party, Kachin State Democracy Party, and Lisu National Development Party.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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India’s Modi Breaks Protocol to Welcome Saudi’s Crown Prince

Posted: 19 Feb 2019 08:41 PM PST

NEW DELHI — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke with government protocol to personally welcome Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to New Delhi on Tuesday.

Ordinarily, the prime minister would not receive a foreign dignitary at the airport, but instead send an official or a junior government minister.

“A new chapter in bilateral relations,” Raveesh Kumar, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, posted on Twitter, hailing Modi “breaking protocol” with a photograph of the pair warmly clasping hands by the steps of the prince’s plane.

Modi is due to hold talks on Wednesday with the crown prince, who has already visited Pakistan, where he also received a lavish reception.

The trip has taken on extra dimension after a bombing in the disputed Kashmir region on Thursday that India blamed on Pakistan. The neighbors are each keen to cement ties with Saudi Arabia even as tensions between them have risen sharply.

Saudi Arabia is India’s top supplier of crude oil, but the two countries have expanded ties beyond energy and their governments have agreed to build a strategic partnership, India’s Foreign Ministry said last week.

During the trip, India is expecting the crown prince to announce an initial investment in its National Investment and Infrastructure Fund, a quasi-sovereign wealth fund, to help accelerate the building of ports and highways, an Indian official and Saudi state media has said.

He is also due to visit China, Malaysia and Indonesia during the tour, his first through the region since the outcry over the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October.

The crown prince’s trip began days after a suicide bomber killed 40 Indian paramilitary police in Kashmir in an attack claimed by the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad militant group.

New Delhi has accused Pakistan of having a hand in the bombing and vowed to punish Islamabad, which denies involvement.

During his visit to Pakistan, the crown prince said Saudi Arabia had signed investment agreements worth $20 billion.

He is scheduled to leave New Delhi on Wednesday night, India’s Foreign Ministry said.

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U.S. Wants Pledge For Stable Chinese Yuan as Talks Resume: Report

Posted: 19 Feb 2019 08:29 PM PST

WASHINGTON — The United States is seeking to secure a pledge from China it will not devalue its yuan as part of an agreement intended to end the countries’ trade war, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.

Officials from the two countries, which resumed talks on Tuesday in Washington, are discussing how to address currency policy in a memorandum of understanding that would form the basis of a U.S.-China trade deal, the news agency reported, citing unnamed people involved in and briefed on the discussions.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had told Reuters last October that currency issues must be part of U.S.-China trade negotiations and that Chinese officials told him that further depreciation of the yuan was not in their interests.

The Bloomberg report said the U.S. request for a pledge to keep the yuan’s value stable was aimed at neutralizing any effort by Beijing to devalue its currency to counter American tariffs.

Spokesmen for the U.S. Trade Representative’s office, which is leading the talks, and the U.S. Treasury, which leads currency policy, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Two days of negotiations between deputy-level officials began on Tuesday, led by Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Jeffrey Gerrish on the U.S. side. Higher-level talks involving Mnuchin and led by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, are expected to begin on Thursday.

The talks follow a round of negotiations that ended in Beijing last week without a deal but which officials said had generated progress on contentious issues between the world’s two largest economies.

The talks are aimed at “achieving needed structural changes in China that affect trade between the United States and China. The two sides will also discuss China’s pledge to purchase a substantial amount of goods and services from the United States,” the White House said in a statement issued late on Monday.

U.S. tariffs on $200 billion in imports from China are set to rise to 25 percent from 10 percent if no deal is reached by March 1.

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Indonesia Submits Bid to Host 2032 Olympics

Posted: 19 Feb 2019 08:12 PM PST

JAKARTA—Indonesia has submitted a bid to host the 2032 Olympics, the state news agency said on Tuesday, after winning praise for hosting last year’s Asian Games, though it could face competition from India and a joint bid by North and South Korea.

Indonesia’s ambassador to Switzerland submitted a letter from President Joko Widodo to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) last week.

“The IOC has acknowledged Indonesia’s capabilities during the Asian Games and the Asian Paragames of 2018,” the Antara news agency quoted Ambassador Muliaman D. Hadad as saying.

“We feel that is a strong foundation.”

A senior official in the coordinating ministry for human development and culture, Gunawan, who goes by one name, confirmed the bid.

If Southeast Asia’s most populous nation wins the opportunity to host the summer Olympics, it would become the fourth Asian country to do so, after Japan, China and South Korea. The IOC will pick the 2032 host by the year 2025.

Tokyo is to host the next Summer Olympics in 2020, with Paris holding the 2024 Games and Los Angeles confirmed to host the event four years later.

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