Wednesday, March 13, 2019

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

On Anniversary of Students’ Deaths, Suu Kyi Says Democracy a Work in Progress

Posted: 13 Mar 2019 06:43 AM PDT

YANGON—In a message to a commemorative event honoring two university students who were killed during a bloody police crackdown 31 years ago Wednesday, State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said there are still many "obstacles and challenges ahead to overcome" in building a  democratic federal country. Their deaths became one of the major factors that sparked the nationwide popular pro-democracy movement known as the '88 Uprising in 1988, the year Suu Kyi appeared on the political scene.

The two students, Ko Phone Maw and Ko Soe Naing, were shot by riot police on the night of March 13, 1988 on the campus of the Rangoon Institute of Technology (now Yangon Technological University). Ko Phone Maw died the same day but Ko Soe Naing died 23 days later of injuries sustained at the scene. Three other university students who were wounded survived.

On Wednesday, the Yangon Technological University Student Union remembered the duo at an event commemorating the 31st anniversary of their deaths. The ceremony was joined by former student activists including U Min Ko Naing, who was a prominent student leader during the '88 Uprising.

In her message to the commemoration, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi described the deaths of Ko Phone Maw and Ko Soe Naing as "a public call" to struggle against single-party dictatorship.

"I would like to urge you all to work for a condition in which such sacrifices are no longer necessary, by taking lessons from those who have sacrificed [during the democracy movement] as well as appreciating those sacrifices," she said.

She said that while Myanmar has yet to achieve genuine democracy, the country is in a "democratic transition".

Four months after the students' deaths, the nationwide pro-democracy '88 Uprising broke out and the Ne Win regime was toppled. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's political career dates to that time. Despite the collapse of the regime, the military staged a coup and began its oppressive rule of the country, which lasted until it handed power to a quasi-military government in 2011. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won the general election in 2015, becoming the first democratically elected government in more than five decades.

Since taking office, the NLD government has embarked on peace deals with the country's diverse ethnic armed groups, but the effort has been in vain so far. The party is now trying to amend the military-drafted Constitution to pave the way for a democratic federal union. However, the attempt appears unlikely to bear fruit in the near future, as the military and the former ruling Union Solidarity and Development party object to the NLD's approach to reform as unconstitutional.

The post On Anniversary of Students' Deaths, Suu Kyi Says Democracy a Work in Progress appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

USDP Lawmaker Proposes Abolishing Charter Amendment Committee

Posted: 13 Mar 2019 05:44 AM PDT

YANGON — A lawmaker for the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) on Tuesday proposed abolishing a joint committee recently formed to draft amendments to the Constitution, the latest challenge to efforts by the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) to change the military-drafted charter.

During a debate in the Union Parliament on a report about a USDP amendment proposal, U Thaung Aye urged lawmakers to abolish the committee because it was a violation of the law.

“We all agree that the Constitution should be amended. But what sets us apart is whether it should be amended in accordance with the law or against the law,” he said.

The Bill Committee had suggested that an earlier proposal by the USDP to amend Article 261 of the Constitution be reviewed and considered by the new amendment-drafting committee instead of the full Parliament. The amendment-drafting committee is to submit a report on its review of the entire Constitution by July 17 and then draw up a bill with proposed changes.

Military-appointed lawmakers supported the USDP’s Article 261 proposal, and together with the military-backed USDP, a former ruling party made up of ex-generals, objected to the Bill Committee’s suggestion. They want Parliament to consider the Article 261 amendment, which would have region and state chief ministers elected by their local legislatures rather than appointed by the president, on its own.

U Thaung Aye, a former lieutenant general, also asked on Tuesday that the original proposal from NLD lawmaker U Aung Kyi Nyunt to form the amendment-drafting committee be withdrawn.

Parliament overwhelmingly approved U Aung Kyi Nyunt’s proposal on Feb. 6 and soon thereafter formed the 45-member body with lawmakers from all parties in the legislature in rough proportion to their number of seats. The committee has already reviewed the 48 Basic Principles of the Union in Chapter 1 and has started on Chapter 2.

"We need to remember that Article 433 of the Constitution says: 'Any provision of the Constitution may be amended.’ It says any provision, not that the whole book may be amended," U Thaung Aye said during Tuesday’s session.

More than 40 lawmakers, including some military appointees, have commented on the report on the USDP’s amendment proposal. Another 15 lawmakers are scheduled to comment on Thursday.

The post USDP Lawmaker Proposes Abolishing Charter Amendment Committee appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Female Tech Sector Leaders Urge Women to Speak Up

Posted: 13 Mar 2019 05:11 AM PDT

YANGON — Leading women in the tech sector urged young people to test their personal limits in order to succeed during a panel discussion in Yangon on Tuesday to mark International Women’s Day, which fell on Friday.

Organized by mobile operator Ooredoo Myanmar and the Viu Myanmar movie app, the “Women in Tech” panel discussion aimed to highlight the role of women in various sectors and to help women in leadership roles achieve a healthy work-life balance.

Panelists said young workers, men and women alike, needed to find the courage to raise their voices

Daw Htar Thant Zin, chief sales and distribution officer for Ooredoo Myanmar, urged young workers to "speak openly" when they feel overloaded.

She said managers understand their employees’ concerns and that employees should not miss the opportunity to raise them — whether asking for a raise or highlighting problems — in order to combat unemployment.

"We have seen some young people leaving work without raising their issues, such as salary and work problems, with managers or superiors. It is sad to lose such workers," she said.

Daw Htar Thant Zin joined Ooredoo Myanmar in 2014 and is the only woman among the firm’s top eight executives. The company says 46 percent of its roughly 900 employees are women, and that just over a third of those women are in senior management positions.

"I repeatedly tell my team in Myanmar and everywhere that you are not going to get fired for speaking up. You should never think you are going to get fired for having a different opinion than mine," said Lavina Tauro, country manager for Viu Myanmar.

Introduced to Myanmar last year, the company says 60 percent of its employees are women.

Drawing on 18 years of experience in the media and entertainment industries, Tauro said her firm’s growth depended on having employees with different opinions.

She said listening to her employees’ opinions helps a company grow "because I don't know the Myanmar market as well as they do. I do know the emerging markets. I do know how OTT [a video service] works in at least six other emerging markets. I am throwing that onto the table. What they bring to the table is local expertise. We are all about global expertise and local experiences, so I encourage them to speak up."

Women make up half of Myanmar’s 53 million people, according to 2104 census, but only 50.5 percent of women are working, compared to 85.6 percent of men. And of the women who do work, very few have top jobs in tech.

And while State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi may be Myanmar’s de facto leader, there are still fewer women then men serving as ministers both at the national and regional level.

Despite widespread awareness campaigns on gender equality in the workplace, and a growing number of women in leadership roles, women still have to work harder than men for recognition. Stereotypes about women as second-class citizens persist.

Daw Htar Thant Zin said she was able to overcome those stereotypes.

"It happened a lot when I was travelling and people thought I was just an interpreter and not a leading sales executive. I got angry at first, but later I managed to stay calm and prove myself," she said.

She said she was optimistic that the perception of women would continue to improve as civil society and the public sector continue to talk about gender equality, especially as more and more women rise to the top of their fields.

Ma Htet Thiri Shwe, founder of Myanmar Youth Empowerment Opportunities, a digital literacy awareness group, was more cautious.

"I don't think that when women reach leadership positions they will automatically stand up for women’s rights, because culturally we have seen that women tend to oppress women and not understand gender equality,” she said. “So we need women leaders who are aware of gender equality."

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Urgent Political Action Needed to Solve Rakhine’s Problems

Posted: 13 Mar 2019 05:02 AM PDT

On Jan. 4—Myanmar's Independence Day—the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic Arakanese armed group, launched coordinated attacks on four police outposts in northern Rakhine State. The attacks killed several policemen and sent a signal to the central government and the military that the AA would launch a series of attacks in the following weeks and months. It did. This week, the AA announced it had occupied a temporary tactical command base and apprehended 11 prisoners of war during a clash with Myanmar Army (or Tatmadaw) troops near northern Rakhine State's Buthidaung Township on March 9.

The escalation of the conflict in Rakhine needs urgent attention. According to government spokesman U Zaw Htay, Union government leaders are concerned about the fighting between the military and the AA. "It has become a cause for concern not only in terms of security and development, but also in terms of the democratic transition. Leaders will review it and do their best. They have been holding talks."

There have been rumors that the government will soon announce a state of emergency in Rakhine State, as then-President U Thein Sein did in June 2012 when the government needed to restore stability.

Indeed, the stability of Rakhine State is now in question. We have seen thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) flee the conflict amid reports of frequent ambushes and skirmishes between the AA and the Myanmar military. Tatmadaw leaders including commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who recently visited Thailand, are hoping the government will call a top-level security meeting to discuss the situation in Rakhine. But declaring a state of emergency will not solve the conflict; the government will have to intervene using political means.

Battle-hardened force

The AA was founded in 2009 but was little known until 2014, having emerged gradually at its base near the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) headquarters in Laiza, northern Myanmar. The AA is known to receive military training and weapons from Kachin, and is also believed to receive support from allied ethnic groups in northern Myanmar.

It has been several decades since ethnic Arakanese had an insurgent force  devoted to fighting the central government. In the past, Arakanese insurgent forces were based at the former Karen headquarters known as Manerplaw. The best-known previous group was the Arakan Liberation Army, with which the AA has no affiliation.

AA soldiers have more battleground experience than their predecessors, having fought alongside their allies in northern Myanmar. Additionally, the group now seems to have strong support from the Rakhine population and sympathy from politicians. It is financially strong, and according to the Brussels-based International Crisis Group, is actively recruiting in Rakhine State. "The large Rakhine communities in Kachin State and Yangon are another important source of fighters; the militia is quite openly using some Rakhine Buddhist monasteries and Rakhine-owned businesses in Yangon, for example, as recruiting offices," according to the ICG. Overseas Rakhine migrant workers are also sending money to the AA. "Although the AA denies it, the group—like nearly all armed groups in Myanmar—appears to be profiting from the drug trade." This is hardly surprising, as several ethnic rebel groups in Myanmar are involved in the illicit trade.

'Terrorist' designation

In any case, the military has launched operations against the AA and declared it to be a "terrorist" group, actions that have only exacerbated the tensions. Right after the attacks in January, government spokesman U Zaw Htay made a threat, "Do they want to see a cycle of violence lasting decades? … I want to tell the Rakhine people who are supporting [the AA]: Don't think about yourself, but think about your next generation." He also accused the AA of having links to the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), and said the AA was operating inside Bangladesh. This comment, too, only served to exacerbate tensions in the state.

Local people displaced by fighting between AA and government troops take shelter in Buthidaung Township in January 2019. / Min Aung Khine / The Irrawaddy

In an exclusive interview with The Irrawaddy, AA chief Major-General Tun Myat Naing said the group's political objective is to obtain confederate status for Rakhine State.

"We prefer [a confederation of states] like Wa State, which has a larger share of power in line with the Constitution," he said, referring to the status of the AA's ally, the United Wa State Army (UWSA), adding that a confederation is "better" than federalism.

Indeed, the goal of the AA's frequent attacks is to establish a foothold in northern Rakhine State and to strengthen its position in any future peace negotiations.

But Rakhine State is facing a serious crisis. The ICG warned in its report in January, "The state is already afflicted by the Rohingya mass flight; an escalated fight between ethnic Rakhine and the government would represent a blow to Myanmar's political transition to civilian rule and be difficult to stop." Tatmadaw leaders are known to be upset that the AA did not assist its clearance operations following ARSA terrorists' attacks on innocent villagers and police outposts in 2017. There were three groups involved in the conflict—the ARSA terrorists and villagers; the Tatmadaw; and Rakhine vigilantes—but the AA was nowhere to be found. In an attempt to discredit the AA, the military and the President's Office accused the AA of having ties to ARSA.

AA recruits undergo military training in Laiza, Kachin State in 2016. / Nan Lwin Hnin Pwint / The Irrawaddy

AA spokesperson U Khaing Thukha denied the accusations, saying his organization had nothing to do with ARSA and was not involved in any illegal businesses, including drug trafficking.

"We have our own mission. The Myanmar government is trying to ruin our image by saying that we have an affiliation with ARSA. It's dirty politics by them to portray us as a terrorist organization," he said.

The AA promotes "The Way of the Rakhita", or "the Arakan Dream", a unifying message among the Arakan people that seeks to evoke memories of the once-great Arakanese Kingdom of centuries past.

Serious blunders

Since the National League for Democracy came to power after winning the 2015 general election, its government has made several serious blunders in Rakhine State. First, State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi installed a minority NLD government in the state, even though the main ethnic Arakanese party, the Arakan National Party (ANP), prevailed in the state election in 2015. Since then, there have been political tensions between leading ethnic Rakhine figures and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD-led government. Slowly, AA leaders have infiltrated Rakhine State, setting up camps and establishing connections with political groups.

According to the ICG, "Under President Thein Sein, the government made some effort to consult Rakhine political leaders and include them in decision-making. It also used economic concessions strategically to create alliances. In contrast, the NLD ignored demands from the Arakan National Party—which won a clear majority of elected seats in the state in 2015 elections—to be given the chief minister position, instead appointing a relatively weak NLD member to the post."

It added, "Following the ARSA attacks in 2016-17 and subsequent flight of 800,000 Rohingya Muslims, the central government has moved to assert further control over executive functions in Rakhine, rendering the state government largely powerless and sidelining the legislature."

Mrauk-U protest

In January 2018, Dr. Aye Maung—a firebrand Rakhine politician and former ANP chairman known for stoking ethno-nationalism and for the shrewd campaigning ahead of a by-election in 2017 that established him as a political "brand" among his people—was arrested after the police violently cracked down on a protest in Mrauk-U. He and some other activists had planned to hold a ceremony in the ancient Arakanese capital to mark the anniversary of the kingdom's fall to the Burmese centuries ago.

Dr. Aye Maung (center) talks to the media during his court appearance in Sittwe in October 2018. / Min Aung Khine

Dr. Aye Maung has been jailed since then, facing charges of high treason and incitement. (He resigned from the ANP on Nov. 27, 2017 due to an internal dispute, but the party later announced that his membership had been suspended.)

The military also angered AA leaders by ignoring their calls for a ceasefire and peace talks.

Last December, the military announced a unilateral ceasefire covering five regional military commands in Kachin and Shan states. The ceasefire is due to end on April 30. Rakhine State was not included in the area covered by the ceasefire, ostensibly due to the Tatmadaw's ongoing operations against ARSA. However, AA leaders suspect the Tatmadaw planned to use the ceasefire to bring Army troops from Shan and Kachin States down to Rakhine State to fight against the AA. So far little concrete action has been taken to ease the fighting; instability has only increased.

Last February, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi made a rare visit to Ngapali, a beachside tourist hotspot in Rakhine, to attend a Japanese-sponsored investment fair.

Addressing the fair, the State Counselor emphasized responsible business practices.

"For too long the international community's attention has been focused narrowly on negative aspects related to problems in north Rakhine rather than on the panoramic picture that shows the immense potential of this state for peace and prosperity," she said. She is partly right, but if they truly want to increase investment, she and other government leaders must realize the need to address the widening conflict in Rakhine State. The government should open a direct dialogue with ANP leaders and consider releasing Dr. Aye Maung as a precursor to opening negotiations.

How to stabilize Rakhine State?

Rakhine is one of the poorest states in Myanmar. Past Union governments have ignored its deep-rooted troubles and the conflict there. International coverage of Rakhine has remained largely negative, and Western governments and China have both expressed concern over the expanding conflict. The narratives provided by both the government and the military do nothing but add fuel to the fire. They must refrain from making irresponsible statements if they are sincere about achieving stability and a political settlement in Rakhine State.

State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi arrives at the Rakhine State Investment Fair at Ngapali Beach in Thandwe on Feb. 22, 2019. / REUTERS

U Oo Hla Saw, secretary of the ANP, blamed the fighting on government mismanagement, a lack of jobs and the stalled national peace process, and said civilians were bearing the brunt of the violence.

"There are no job opportunities in Rakhine and democratic reforms have failed. And because the Union government has failed to handle the Rakhine issue effectively, radicalism is on the rise," he told The Irrawaddy.

An EU delegation to Myanmar issued a statement early this year acknowledging the "deep-rooted historical grievances in Rakhine State [that] can only be solved through dialogue and an inclusive political process" and urged the military to expand its unilateral ceasefire to Rakhine State. As far as the military leaders are concerned, this is likely to fall on deaf ears. The office of Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing did not consult the government before initiating the unilateral ceasefire.

The EU representatives called on the Tatmadaw to expand its unilateral ceasefire to Rakhine State. China said it "supports the efforts by the Myanmar side to maintain peace and stability" and called for restraint and the resolution of "relevant issues through dialogue and consultation".

Worryingly, the AA has shown a capacity to grow, and the ability to sustain a long conflict with the Myanmar Army.

The government must resolve the Rakhine conflict through peaceful political means to bring all parties, including the AA, to the table. Releasing Dr. Aye Maung and other political prisoners and appointing influential Myanmar nationals with an understanding of Rakhine politics to serve as peace envoys would also be helpful. The conflict in Rakhine State should be resolved through dialogue. It is time for all sides to work together; if they do not, more innocent lives will be lost.

The post Urgent Political Action Needed to Solve Rakhine's Problems appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Take Statue Down by March 17 or We Will, Activists Warn Kayah Gov’t

Posted: 13 Mar 2019 03:37 AM PDT

Karenni activists have given the Kayah State government until March 17 to remove a statue of General Aung San that was put up in a park in Loikaw over the objections of many residents, according to local sources.

The activists sent a letter to the state government yesterday saying that if the government failed to remove it by that date, they would do it themselves with the help of local residents.

"The construction of the statue has hurt national reconciliation. Therefore, in order to solve the problem we ask the state government to remove it by the deadline we have provided," the letter reads.

"We will not let our Karenni history die because of the Gen. Aung San statue. We stand by our earlier request [to remove the statue]," it continues.

Rights activists specifically appealed to Kayah State Chief Minister U L Phaung Sho and Deputy Planning and Finance Minister U Maw Maw, who have been accused of masterminding the statue plan.

The state government has not replied to the letter, the rights activists said.

Following a major anti-statue protest in Loikaw on Feb. 12, the government agreed to activists' request to meet with a committee of government supporters responsible for implementing the construction of the statue. The meeting was held the same day, but ended without any agreement being reached after the anti-statue contingent gave the committee a month to remove the statue.

That was a month ago Tuesday, but the government has so far ignored the anti-statue activists' demands.

"We cannot yet discuss our plans for removing the statue. We will issue a detailed plan after March 17," said Khun Thomas, a spokesperson for the local activists.

"The government is responsible for solving this problem, but they let a group of people do it instead. This is not a good way to solve the problem," he said.

"If they do not resolve this problem, any future problems will be the responsibility of the Union and state governments," Khun Thomas added.

Activists have already begun recruiting local people to participate in future protests against the statue. Local authorities have responded by warning that they will take action against any protesters, he said.

When asked for comment on the activists' letter by The Irrawaddy, Kayah State Deputy Ministry of Planning and Finance U Maw Maw said he was in a meeting and was unable to comment.

The post Take Statue Down by March 17 or We Will, Activists Warn Kayah Gov't appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Dozens Interviewed in Tanintharyi Graft Case, Commission Says

Posted: 13 Mar 2019 02:14 AM PDT

YANGON — The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) says it interviewed more than 90 witnesses before filing corruption charges recently against Tanintharyi Region Chief Minister Daw Lei Lei Maw and three directors of the Global Grand Services (GGS) company.

The four were arrested in the regional capital, Dawei, on Sunday. The Office of the President, which appoints chief ministers, announced Daw Lei Lei Maw’s dismissal the next day.

"We had to interview more than 90 witnesses, including businessmen. An important witness only arrived back in Myanmar from a trip abroad on Mar. 3, so we could only interview him the following day. We had to conduct detailed interviews," ACC spokesman U Kyaw Soe told The Irrawaddy.

The commission says it found that Daw Lei Lei Maw had abused her position on a number of occasions since April 2016 — just weeks after she was appointed chief minister — in an announcement released late Sunday evening together with its findings.

Those findings include details of the chief minister's alleged corruption in awarding contracts for the construction of a pavilion for a Myanmar New Year event in 2016 and for the removal of unwanted bushes from Dawei University and outside Dawei Airport in November 2016. It says, for example, that Daw Lei Lei Maw approved 400 million kyats ($263,000) for the removal of the bushes outside the airport.

She allegedly asked a director with the regional Road Management Department in October 2018 to build a wall around two plots of land in Dawei owned by her husband but did not pay until the ACC started investigating her.

The commission said she sold her house, which was valued at 32 million kyats ($21,000), for 200 million kyats ($131,000) to GGS. The company was subsequently awarded a number of contracts, including for electricity distribution in Dawei and the construction of a fish market, a city hall and low-cost housing.

The commission said it also found that GGS broke a contract made with the regional government and owes 8 billion kyats ($5.2 million) to the Ministry of Electricity and Energy for natural gas.

The ACC said it conducted a month-long investigation from Feb. 4 to Mar. 6 in Naypyitaw, Yangon and Dawei in response to complaints filed by regional lawmakers and local residents with both the commission and the President’s Office.

In addition to ACC staff, the investigating team included the director of the Union Auditor-General's Office, the deputy director-general of the Construction Ministry and other experts.

"In response to the complaints, we found that four cases broke the Anti-Corruption Law, and we have therefore taken steps to prosecute the chief minister and three company officials," U Kyaw Soe said.

Asked if the ACC will file more charges in connection with the complaints, he said the cases under investigation must be kept secret according to Article 20 (d) of the Anti-Corruption Law.

The case against Daw Lei Lei Maw was filed under the Anti-Corruption Law's Article 55, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.

The cases against GGS directors U Thein Htwe, U Aung Myat and U Thura Ohn were filed under Article 63. It says that whoever instigates, abets, attempts, conspires or manages to commit any offense contained in the Anti-Corruption Law will be punished with the prescribed penalty for the offense.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Dozens Interviewed in Tanintharyi Graft Case, Commission Says appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

In Indonesia, Facebook and Twitter are ‘Buzzer’ Battlegrounds as Election Looms

Posted: 12 Mar 2019 11:14 PM PDT

JAKARTA — Almost every day, “Janda,” a self-described Indonesian housewife with 2,000 Twitter followers, dispenses lifestyle tips, complains about city life, and praises how the government of President Joko Widodo has improved her life as a young mother.

But Janda the housewife does not exist. The Twitter account’s real owner is an unmarried middle-aged man who offers political social media services backing Widodo’s re-election campaign.

He is a leader of one of the many so called “buzzer” teams, named for the social media buzz such groups aim to create, that have sprung up in Indonesia ahead of the presidential election next month in the world’s third-largest democracy.

“Our battleground is social media. The content we are making for the election is reaching at least a million people per week,” said the owner of the Janda account, declining to be named because his work is legally in a gray area.

In interviews with Reuters, over a dozen buzzer team members, social media consultants and cyber experts described an array of social media operations that they said were spreading propaganda on behalf of both Widodo and his challenger, retired general Prabowo Subianto.

Widodo enjoys a comfortable lead in most opinion polls over Prabowo, as the challenger is widely known. The two contested the previous election in 2014 as well, and Widodo won narrowly.

Fake news was spread in that election as well, although social media was less far-reaching than it is now.

Under Indonesia’s broad internet defamation law, creating and spreading fake news is illegal, but holding social media accounts in false names is not, unless a real person is being impersonated. Social media companies, however, mostly bar holding accounts under false names.

Three buzzers directly involved in the current campaign described how they operate hundreds of personalized social media accounts each on behalf of the candidates. One denied propagating fake news, while two said they didn’t care about the accuracy of the content.

Both campaign teams deny using buzzers or spreading fake news.

Ross Tapsell, an expert on politics and media at Australia National University, said that it has become normal for candidates in Southeast Asia to hire online campaign strategists, who in turn tap an army of people to spread content on social media.

“So there is no direct link at all to the candidate,” he said.

The buzzer campaigns have far outstripped the efforts of Facebook and other social media companies to curtail the creation of fake accounts and the spread of fake news, cyber experts say. Reuters found that while robot accounts were occasionally deleted, personalized fake accounts like “Janda” are widespread on Twitter and Facebook platforms, despite violating the companies’ rules.

On the edge

Misinformation spread by real accounts — which are often coopted by buzzer teams — is rampant on Facebook as well as on its Instagram and WhatsApp affiliates and rival service Twitter. The companies say they are working with the government and fighting back against false content.

Representatives for Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp told Reuters they regularly delete fake accounts in Indonesia, but declined to share removal numbers.

A Twitter spokeswoman told Reuters it is working to remove networks of accounts engaged in misinformation and disinformation.

Facebook, which counts Indonesia as its third-largest market globally with an estimated 130 million accounts, says it trains election management bodies how to flag fake news to the company, which is then evaluated by moderators and deleted if it breaks its community standards.

For Indonesian Communications Minister Rudiantara, those efforts are not enough.

He said the government had asked social media companies to work with authorities to create a standard operating procedure that would allow fake news and hoaxes to be flagged and resolved. They have yet to comply.

“We expect it to get much worse as we get closer to the election,” said Harry Sufehmi, co-founder of Mafindo, an Indonesian organization fighting fake news, which listed nearly 500 social media hoaxes related to politics in 2018.

He was one of three experts whose research found that a larger proportion of the misinformation targets Widodo, with some posts depicting him as anti-Islam, a Chinese stooge or a communist.

All are inflammatory accusations in a country that has the world’s largest number of Muslims, where the communist party is banned and suspicions linger over the influence of Beijing.

A smaller portion of the misinformation campaigns target Prabowo.

Buzzing for money

On a recent afternoon in Jakarta, one buzzer team leader scrolled through two mobile phones that had over 250 Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Youtube and Twitter accounts, each with a fake persona. He updated five of them with posts praising Widodo’s achievements or mocking Prabowo and his running mate.

He denied disseminating misinformation, focusing instead on content that gushed about his clients’ virtues. But he admitted he does look for dirt on opponents as part of a “complete package” of posts and videos that he sells for 200 million rupiah ($14,000) a month.

His staff of 15, whom he refers to as “cyber troops,” in turn have subcontractors, throughout Indonesia, many of whom are unaware of the ultimate identity of clients, he said.

He told Reuters he was hired by an adviser to Widodo’s campaign.

Ace Hasan Syadzily, a spokesman for the president’s campaign team, denied knowledge of such groups, but said “the campaign had an obligation to counter false or negative narratives” against Widodo.

Another buzzer said he had been hired by advisers to Prabowo, while the third said he supplied services to a social media agency used by both campaigns.

Anthony Leong, the Prabowo digital team’s coordinator, denied they use buzzer teams, noting that the campaign required its “10,000 digital volunteers” to use real names and only allowed them to post “positive content.”

“Work is fun”

According to the buzzers interviewed, a junior “cyber soldier” can be paid between 1 million to 50 million rupiah per project depending on the reach of his social media accounts.

“For a lot of us, the work is fun…and the salaries are decent,” said the buzzer who said he is a contractor for a social media agency used by both the Widodo and Prabowo campaigns.

He said his role was to create trending topics during key election moments, using hashtags and content provided by his agency in combination with his personal fake accounts, he said.

“For me, there’s no hoax or so-called negative content. The material just comes from the client,” he told Reuters.

Pradipa Rasidi, a researcher at the University of Indonesia, said most buzzers are young graduates who do it “because it’s hard to find a job after university and the pay is higher.”

But the legal risks are real. The buzzer activities are punishable by jail if they are judged to breach Indonesia’s internet defamation law.

All three buzzers interviewed by Reuters declined to be named or provide certain details of their operations because of those risks.

Policing by the social media companies, however, was not a concern: None had ever had an account or post deleted.

The post In Indonesia, Facebook and Twitter are ‘Buzzer’ Battlegrounds as Election Looms appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

U.S. Military Retrieves Possible World War Two Remains From Myanmar

Posted: 12 Mar 2019 10:30 PM PDT

MANDALAY — The United States on Tuesday retrieved the possible remains of service members who went missing in Myanmar during the Second World War, marking the first such mission to Myanmar carried out by U.S. military aircraft, American officials said.

After a brief ceremony, the remains were taken from Myanmar’s second-largest city, Mandalay, to a laboratory in the United States for further analysis and identification.

“We remember. You are not forgotten,” said the U.S. ambassador to Myanmar, Scot Marciel, at the ceremony. He said the mission was meant to honor the memory of the fallen service members and to show appreciation for their service.

From 1942 to 1945, the airspace over Myanmar, then called Burma, served as an important supply corridor from India to China after the Japanese captured the northern town of Lashio, severing the last major Allied supply route over land into China.

During the period, American transport planes made daily flights over the eastern Himalayas, a perilous route called the Hump, according to the website of the U.S. Embassy in China.

The remains are believed to be from a B-25G aircraft with seven crew members onboard that crashed in February 1944 in Myanmar’s northwestern Sagain Region, U.S. officials said.

More than 82,000 Americans remain missing from past conflicts, and 632 U.S. service members, mostly air crews, disappeared in Myanmar during World War Two, U.S. government data show.

Relations between the two countries have chilled after Washington last year sanctioned some Myanmar military and police commanders and army units, accusing them of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya Muslim minority.

Myanmar has rejected the charges, saying it was fighting Rohingya “terrorists.”

About 730,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar after August 2017 following what a U.S. government investigation described as a “well-planned and coordinated” campaign of mass killings, gang rapes and other atrocities against the Rohingya by the Myanmar military.

The post U.S. Military Retrieves Possible World War Two Remains From Myanmar appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

South Korea Steps Up Fight Against Pollution, Says Problem is ‘Social Disaster’

Posted: 12 Mar 2019 10:26 PM PDT

SEOUL — South Korea on Wednesday ramped up its firepower as it battles pollution, passing a set of bills that designate the problem a “social disaster” and which could unlock emergency funds to tackle the issue.

Pollution in Asia’s fourth-largest economy has been driven up by factors including coal-fired power generation and high vehicle emissions, sparking widespread concern among the public and weighing on President Moon Jae-in’s approval ratings.

Designating the issue a “disaster” allows the government to use parts of its reserve funds to help respond to any damage or emergency caused by polluted air. The country’s reserve funds stand at up to 3 trillion won ($2.65 billion) this year.

Other bills that were passed included mandating that every school classroom should have an air purifier and removing a limit on sales of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) vehicles, which typically produce less emissions than gasoline and diesel.

The latest bills follow previous steps to battle pollution such as capping operations at coal-fired power plants.

South Korea’s air quality was the worst among its peers in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as of 2017, according to data from the group. Its average annual exposure to fine particulate matter (PM) of less than 2.5 micrometers was 25.1 micrograms per cubic meter, slightly more than double the OECD average of 12.5.

The World Health Organization recommends that air quality standard should be no more than 10 micrograms in terms of PM 2.5 levels.

For six consecutive days in early March, high levels of concentrated pollutants enveloped most parts of South Korea.

According to a weekly poll by Gallup Korea released on March 8, President Moon’s approval rating was down by 3 percentage points from a week earlier at 46 percent.

Unless any objections are raised, it should take about 15 days for the bills to become law.

The nation’s regional neighbor China has also been fighting pollution as it tries to reverse damage from over three decades of untrammelled economic growth.

The post South Korea Steps Up Fight Against Pollution, Says Problem is ‘Social Disaster’ appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Post-Independent Myanmar’s Second President Takes Oath of Office

Posted: 12 Mar 2019 06:51 PM PDT

On this day in 1952, U Ba U took the oath of office as the second president of post-independence Myanmar after his predecessor, Sao Shwe Thaik, had served his four-year term. He served until Mar. 13, 1957.

Before becoming president, the Cambridge-educated barrister spent the previous four years as Supreme Court chief justice. In 1947 he was knighted by the colonial government and advised the officials who drafted Myanmar’s first Constitution after independence.

U Ba U’s ancestors also served in the British government. His uncle U Pho Pe sentenced U Ottama, an Arakanese Buddhist monk considered one of Myanmar’s national heroes, to four years in prison for resisting British rule.

U Ba U, standing behind the desk in white, takes the oath of office as president in Parliament in Yangon on March 13, 1952.

U Ba U himself was a member of the special tribunal that tried Saya San — the leader of a peasant revolt in 1930-1932 — and sentenced him to death.

He worked hard to organize a general election in 1949, with the country engulfed in a civil war that followed on the heels of independence. The parliament that ballot ushered in later elected him president.

The post Post-Independent Myanmar's Second President Takes Oath of Office appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

A Death to Herald Change

Posted: 12 Mar 2019 06:30 PM PDT

On this day 31 years ago, Ko Phone Maw, a student at the Rangoon Institute of Technology (RIT), was killed by riot police on the university campus. The 23-year-old's death is considered to be the one of the major factors which lead to the historic 1988 pro-democracy popular uprising four months later.

The death of Ko Phone Maw brought students to the streets and they were soon joined by people from all walks of life who were plagued by the political and economic mismanagement of the Burma Socialist Program Party's government. This act of defiance led to the 1988 pro-democracy uprising in August and the fall of the one party-dictatorship, which paved the way for the ensuing political developments in Myanmar.

Left: A scene from a commemoration ceremony for Ko Phone Maw and Ko Soe Naing at RIT on September 13, 1988. Right: Ko Phone Maw.

On the night of March 12, 1988, drunken civilians beat three RIT students sitting at a teashop in west Gyogone Ward near their university. Instead of settling the issue through negotiation, the soldier-turned-riot police turned to violence, cracking down on students at the university campus with tear gas and guns. In violence which spilled over to the next day, many RIT students were injured and Ko Phone Maw was killed. Another injured student, Ko Soe Naing, died days later.

An investigation commission which was formed to examine the incident concluded that the riot police did not act line with proper procedures.

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