Monday, March 18, 2019

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Parliamentary Battle over Amending the Constitution

Posted: 18 Mar 2019 06:38 AM PDT

YANGON—On Jan. 29, Myanmar's ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) initiated an attempt to democratize the military-drafted Constitution by proposing in Parliament the formation of a joint committee on charter amendment. Over the past month-and-a-half, as the joint committee has begun reviewing the entire Constitution chapter by chapter, its work has been the subject of heated debate and an increase in political tensions between the NLD and military lawmakers, who see safeguarding the Constitution as their main role. Joining the military appointees in their opposition to reform has been the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), formed by ex-generals.

As Parliament is now in recess, we take this opportunity to round up a collection of our recent stories, including opinions and interviews, about the parliamentary conflict between the NLD, the military and the USDP; opponents' warnings against charter reform; views on how much reform is possible and the progress being made; and a breakdown of articles the NLD will likely target for amendment.

Editorials & Commentaries

The NLD’s Path to Constitutional Liberalism

Will the military abide by U Than Shwe's pledge to allow reform after 'a few years' of the party's rule?

Making Myanmar's Constitution Democratic

A look at those articles of the Constitution the NLD is most likely to target for amendment first—and why.

With Only One Side Listening, Dialogue on Charter Was Never an Option

The NLD had no choice but to force the military to engage with constitutional reform in Parliament

Acknowledging the Elephant in the Room

The NLD's move to amend the Constitution is a first small step in what will surely be a difficult journey.

Infographic:

Infographic: Making Myanmar's Constitution Democratic

A detailed breakdown of the chapters and articles most likely to be targeted for reform by the government

Infographic: NLD’s First Big Step Toward Constitutional Reform

The Irrawaddy breaks down the constitutional reform committee’s path to approval in graphics and numbers.

Interviews & Dateline

Constitutional Reforms — 'It's Time to Take a Step Forward'

The Irrawaddy interviews U Aung Kyi Nyunt, the NLD lawmaker who proposed in Parliament this week for a committee to be formed to work on changing the troublesome 2008 Constitution.

Politicians and Analysts on Military's Rebuffing of Charter Reform

The Irrawaddy recently spoke with a number of ethnic politicians and political analysts for their views on the military's resistance to the NLD's attempts at constitutional changes.

Minority Groups Weigh in on Having Chief Ministers Elected, Not Appointed

While ethnic minority parties want chief ministers elected by local lawmakers, they are concerned that it could end up giving even more power to the military.

In Their Own Words: Warnings against Constitutional Reform

Opposition lawmakers, the military and officials of the former government have had plenty to say about the NLD's move to begin charter change.

'We Don't Expect a Single Amendment Will Be Made'

SNLD chief skeptical that NLD's charter reform can succeed; he adds that Myanmar is 'too weak' to reject China's BRI plans

Will Sound and Fury Over Constitution Reform Committee Signify Something?

The Irrawaddy discusses the NLD’s proposal to form a committee to draft amendments to Myanmar’s undemocratic Constitution and the prospects for genuine reform.

Military Not Pulling Its Punches on Charter Change

This week, The Irrawaddy discusses the Tatmadaw's strongly negative initial reactions to the NLD's constitutional reform bid.

Unity Needed for Effective Constitutional Reform

This week, The Irrawaddy discusses the likelihood and potential scope of constitutional amendments among a divided government.

News

NLD Makes First Official Move to Amend Constitution

Ruling party lawmaker set to ask Parliament to form joint committee to consider changes to military-drafted charter

Parliament OKs Debate on Charter-Amendment Panel over Military's Strong Objection

Tense scenes inside Parliament as military lawmakers challenge Speaker over legality of move

Military ‘Never Said’ it Opposes Amending Constitution: Commander-in-Chief

Snr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said the Constitution, which gives the military veto power over any changes, should be amended “when it is necessary.”

Military a Possible No Show For Parliament Debate on Amending Constitution
“If we participate in the debate, it would be interpreted that we approve the proposal," one military lawmaker said.

Committee to Amend Constitution Gets Strong Show of Support in Parliament

Of the 30 lawmakers who joined Tuesday’s debate on whether to form the committee, only five — all from the military-backed USDP — objected.

Parliament to Debate Proposal to Form Charter-Amendment Panel

36 lawmakers scheduled to take part, but not a single military appointee is among them

Parliament Approves Committee to Draft Amendments to Constitution

Nearly 67 percent of lawmakers voted to form the committee, which will be chaired by Parliament Deputy Speaker U Tun Tun Hein.

NLD Urges Military to Cooperate on Charter Amendment

Ruling party proposed forming a committee so that no side would lose face, NLD lawmaker says.

Formation of Constitution Amendment Committee Stalled

Tatmadaw appointees and USDP lawmakers have opposed the proposed committee structure which suggests representation according to Parliament proportion.

Military, USDP, ANP Withhold Nominees For Constitution Amendment Committee

“If those parties and that institution do not submit name lists, we can exclude them…. But we won't do that," NLD lawmaker U Myat Nyana Soe said.

Green Light for Charter Amendment Committee Despite Objections

USDP and military representatives in Parliament have opposed the proportional breakdown of the proposed committee for amending Myanmar's disputed Constitution.

USDP Proposes Single Amendment to Constitution

The military-backed USDP wants just one change to the charter, and it has nothing to do with curbing the special privileges it grants the armed forces.

Military's Parliamentary Quota Necessary as Country Not Yet Stable: Army Chief

Tatmadaw's political role safeguards transition to democracy, Sen-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing tells Asahi Shimbun

Military Warns of ‘Battleground’ if Constitutional Amendments Mishandled

"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," Brig. Gen. Maung Maung said.

Amendments Should Not Harm Essence of Constitution, Military Warns

Senior military leaders said any report by the charter amendment committee would be incomplete and warned there would be consequences if constitutional rules were breached.

NLD Urges Public 'Not to Worry' Amid Military Warnings over Charter Reform

Party seeks to reassure public as military steps up opposition to changes to 'essence' of Constitution

Parliament Committee Favors Inclusive Constitutional Amendment

Military lawmakers have stood in disagreement with the suggestion that the USDP's lesser charter amendment proposal be discussed by the NLD-formed Charter-Amendment Panel.

Charter Amendment Committee Starts Work

Committee members reviewed the first 14 articles of the Constitution, including a clause guaranteeing the military a role in politics, but declined to discuss what was said.

USDP Accuses Ruling Party of Pushing Charter Amendments to Spur Protests

The ruling NLD denied the claim, in turn accusing the military-backed USDP of using religion and nationalism for its own political ends.

USDP Lawmaker Proposes Abolishing Charter Amendment Committee

U Thaung Aye told Parliament that a committee now discussing potential amendments to the Constitution should be abolished because it was in violation of the law.

NLD Proposes Lifting Ban Barring Daw Aung San Suu Kyi From Presidency

The ruling party proposed the constitutional amendment during a meeting of the joint committee now reviewing the military-drafted charter for possible changes.

Lawmakers Debate Report on Charter Amendment Proposal

Military and ANP lawmakers said plans to let a special committee vet a proposal to have regional chief ministers elected violates the law or would unnecessarily delay reform.

Click here to learn more about previous controversies surrounding the charter, dating back to its promulgation in 2008.

The post The Parliamentary Battle over Amending the Constitution appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Can the NLD Overcome the Military’s Last Line of Defense?

Posted: 18 Mar 2019 05:35 AM PDT

Political analyst Igor Blazevic, a keen Myanmar observer, once outlined the three major defense lines of the Tatmadaw, or Myanmar military, for maintaining its power.

The Tatmadaw's first, or front, defense line consists of political parties, nationalists, militias and border guard forces (BGFs). The second, or middle, defense line comprises the military's business conglomerates and cronies. The last defense line is the Constitution, which the military drafted itself.

State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her ruling party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), swept to power in the 2015 general election. Amending the Constitution was one of her campaign promises and remains a party priority. At a forum in Singapore in August, the state counselor said "amendment of the Constitution was one of the goals of our government," reaffirming her commitment to the cause.

At the NLD’s initiative, the Union Parliament in February formed the Constitution Amendment Committee to draft changes to the charter. Thousands of people, including the chief minister of Irrawaddy Region, have rallied around the country in support of the effort

But there is a critical question – possibly even a life-or-death question — facing Daw Aung San Suu Ky, the NLD and their allies: To what extent do they want to shake the Tatmadaw’s defense lines? The fact is that the Tatmadaw designed the Constitution to be the last one.

The front defense line

The front defense line comprises political parties, nationalists, militias and BGFs. There might be many political parties in the front line, but the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) is the most visible. A group of ex-military generals led by Maj. Gen. Soe Maung recently formed the National Politics Democratic Party. There may be some other proxy and co-opted ethnic parties affiliated with the USDP as well.

The extreme nationalists comprise ex-military service personnel, some Buddhist monks, military families and some ethnic Bamar. They normally organize demonstrations in support of the Tatmadaw to condemn the United Nations for accusing the military of human rights violations and to support the Tatmadaw's offensives against ethnic armed groups. The prominent Buddhist monk U Wirathu led thousands of nationalists in a demonstration against amending the Constitution in February.

The militias and BGFs are a regular tool of the Tatmadaw. For example, the Tatmadaw and the Karen BGF cleared the New Mon State Party’s outpost near Ka Na Lo Village in Mon State's Kyaikmaraw Township in June 2018. The militias and BGFs will stand with the Tatmadaw so long as they have the Tatmadaw's protection. All these groups, from the USDP to the militias, play a big role in Myanmar's transition to democracy, meaning they can block reforms if those reforms hinder their interests. The USDP, for example called for dissolving the Constitution Amendment Committee on Wednesday.

The middle defense line

The middle defense line comprises the business conglomerates owned by the Tatmadaw or by its officers and cronies. The Tatmadaw launched Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited (UMEHL) — now the Myanma Economic Holdings Public Company Limited (MEHPCL) — and the Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC) to serve its interests.

Since the MEHPCL went public in 2016, it appears that "Type A" shares are still owned by the Ministry of Defense and the Directorate of Defense Procurement. The "Type B" shareholders might include some civilian businessmen along with military personnel, former servicemen, regiments and units.

The MEC is owned by the Defense Ministry and operates in strategic sectors ranging from ports to telecommunications. It has dominated several private domestic firms and signed joint venture agreements with foreign companies.

Business cronies are also part of the Tatmadaw's defense line. They have close personal and business connections with military officers and political elites. Some have forged close connections with top generals by arranging marriages between their sons and daughters.

The last defense line

The Tatmadaw's last defense line is its Constitution. It was well designed by the military to prolong its power.

The Constitution gives the military political influence and veto power via a number of legal safeguards. It also grants the military a role in “the national leadership of the state” and makes it the principal defender of the Constitution.

The Constitution also grants the military up to 25 percent of the seats in the national and regional legislatures.

The National Defense and Security Council (NDSC), meanwhile, is the most powerful body and has the final say on any major issue. It is comprised of 11 people from the military (the commander-in-chief, deputy commander-in-chief, first vice president, defense minister, home affairs minister and border affairs minister) and the civilian government (the president, second vice president, the speakers of both houses and foreign minister). The military holds the majority of votes with six to five.

What’s more, three powerful ministries — namely Defense, Home Affairs and Border Affairs — are all controlled by the military. The ministers are directly appointed by the commander-in-chief of the military. The Defense Ministry controls the armed forces and the Border Affairs Ministry oversees the borders, including border trade. The Home Affairs Ministry controls the police force.

Touching a taboo

Amending the Constitution touches a Tatmadaw taboo. The NLD is believed to want to amend more than 160 articles of the Constitution, but the Tatmadaw has already warned that it will not tolerate any amendments that harm the charter’s essence.

Article 20 (f) assigns the Tatmadaw primary responsibility "for safeguarding the Constitution." As the principal protector of the Constitution, the Tatmadaw presumably has the final say on what that means. Thus, the Tatmadaw appears to have designed the Constitution as a defense line to maintain its power.

The Tatmadaw's first and second defense lines may be touchable, but only time will tell if Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD can shake the last one.

Joe Kumbun is the pseudonym of an analyst based in Kachin State.

The post Can the NLD Overcome the Military’s Last Line of Defense? appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

‘We Don’t Expect a Single Amendment Will Be Made’

Posted: 18 Mar 2019 04:00 AM PDT

Ethnic groups expect to see changes to the military-drafted 2008 Constitution, now that the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) has led the way in forming a parliamentary committee to draft amendments to the charter.

While the Tatmadaw's four-month unilateral ceasefire is not due to end until next month, there have been increasingly frequent clashes between ethnic groups themselves, especially between the Shan and the Palaung.

Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) General Secretary Sai Nyunt Lwin recently talked to The Irrawaddy about the importance of charter amendment in ensuring sustainable peace and federalism in Myanmar, as well as the SNLD's view on China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Shan State borders China.

What is the SNLD doing regarding constitutional amendment? To what degree does the party expect the Constitution to be amended?

We are participating in discussions on constitutional amendment according to party policy. To answer your second question, we don't expect that even a single amendment will be made. We are just participating in discussions as we think we should.

Does the party agree that Article 261 should be changed to allow local legislatures to elect their own chief ministers? What provisions need to be changed to achieve federal status?

To achieve federal status, all the provisions need to be changed including the basic principles. In principle, we agree that Article 261 should be changed for chief ministers to be elected by the concerned local parliaments. Some think that all the ethnicities would support amending that article. But, due to their past experiences, they have learned lessons. If chief ministers are to be elected by concerned parliaments, 25 percent of military-appointed lawmakers, who [currently do not] have any say in appointing chief ministers, will have that right, as they will be involved in electing chief ministers. So, though we agree to amending Article 261 in principle, other restrictions need to be considered.

Three years after ethnic groups signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), clashes erupted again, and internally displaced persons still can't return to their homes. Do you think the NCA can solve the armed conflict?

So far the NCA hasn't been able to settle the armed conflict. And there is still no sign of peace being brought about by the NCA. Fresh clashes have happened. There have been only setbacks, and no progress, over the past three years. The entire process should be reviewed thoroughly.

The Tatmadaw's four-month ceasefire will end in less than two months. But there has still been no significant negotiation, and armed conflict has not ceased at all in northern Shan State. How long will people have to wait to lead a peaceful life in northern Shan State?

Two months after the Tatmadaw declared its ceasefire, some negotiations are going on, but most of them are informal talks. Far from achieving significant momentum, there have been renewed clashes in the NCA signatories, especially in northern Shan State, where the Tatmadaw has declared a four-month ceasefire. It seems that people in northern Shan will have to wait a long time for the clashes to end.

There have been increased clashes between Shan armed groups. How is the Shan community mediating between the Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) and the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS)?

Yes, there are increased clashes between ethnic armed groups, which is not a good thing. Everyone thinks there shouldn't be fighting between them, and I share this view. The SSPP has signed a bilateral ceasefire agreement with the government, and the RCSS has signed both the NCA and a bilateral agreement. They have already been removed from the list of unlawful associations. Their problem is they are experiencing territorial disputes. And we have mediated for quite a long time. Perhaps the mediation is not effective; we have not been able to stop them from fighting. But we are still trying to mediate.

Are the territorial disputes between the Shan and Palaung armed groups stoking ethnic tensions between local Shan and Palaung people? What can be done to provide security for civilians?

I can't understand how this happened. Previously, the Shan and Palaung were brothers and comrades. But not long ago allegations of torture emerged. It is so sad. But there are no serious tensions between the two peoples on the ground. It is important that military leaders be far-sighted in their vision. I'd like to urge all military leaders to be aware that hatred and military operations can't solve the problem.

Some say the Arakanese have taken up armed struggle because they no longer believe that the government, Parliament and judicial system that emerged under the 2008 Constitution can bring about change. Do you agree with this argument?

It is difficult to say. Government figures say the overwhelming majority of the people supported the 2008 Constitution in the national referendum, but most people do not like it in reality. If there is doubt about this, another independent referendum can be held, as suggested by [political analyst] Saya Yan Myo Thein. Then it will become clear. My personal view is that the fighting in Rakhine State may be concerned with the 2008 Constitution, though not 100 percent.

China is increasingly involved in Myanmar's peace process, and the BRI will go through Myanmar. Do you think special economic zones and road and rail links have the potential to spur development in Shan State?

It is a project done by the other side and Myanmar has no choice and can't avoid it. We are too weak to reject it. And what's worse, there is no reconciliation between us. At best we can only try not to be swept away by the tide. To quote some of my friends, we can only try to strive for as many benefits as we can from a bad situation. That would be better than just taking what we're given.

The post 'We Don't Expect a Single Amendment Will Be Made' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Private Investments Worth $54M for Chin State

Posted: 18 Mar 2019 03:58 AM PDT

YANGON—The Chin State government signed four memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with private companies for projects totaling more than $54 million at an investment fair held at the weekend in Yangon, which aimed to stir up foreign investment interest in one of the poorest states of Myanmar.

Among the four companies, the biggest project signed for was with Norway Power Co. Ltd. for a power project worth $50 million which will be the first foreign investment in the Chin State.

According the director of the State's Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA) U Min Zaw Oo, the government also signed MoUs with local companies for an agricultural goods production project worth $1 million with Chin Taung Yadanar Co., an urban housing project worth 3 billion kyats (nearly $2 million) with the Khumi Institute and a hotel project worth 2.4 billion kyats (nearly $1.6 million) with KL Amazing Co. Ltd.

"These projects are listed among the priority projects [and will] enjoy income tax exemptions for seven years," U Min Zaw Oo told The Irrawaddy.

The two-day fair was backed by the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations who partnered with UK Aid and private businesses as part of the government's efforts to counteract a significant decline in foreign direct investment in Myanmar.

Situated in western Myanmar along the border with Bangladesh and India, Chin State has a mountainous terrain that has hindered infrastructure development. Major parts of the state lack basic infrastructure and electricity. Chin State's Chief Minister Salai Lian Luai said the government priority sectors are hotels and tourism, agriculture, mining, infrastructure and hydropower and energy.

Vice President U Myint Swe and Union Minister for Investment and Foreign Economic Relations U Thaung Tun attended the fair's opening ceremony on Saturday.

Vice President U Myint Swe said that as Chin State lies on a strategic economic corridor between India and Myanmar, and as bilateral trade increases, more firm opportunities would arise. Opportunities to investment in transport, communication and basic infrastructure projects were also promoted at the fair.

The fair highlighted infrastructure and urban development projects in Hakha, Falam, Tedim, Paletwa and Mindat townships; agriculture, organic farming and traditional weaving projects in Falam, Hakha, Kanpetlet, Mindat and Paletwa townships; tourism projects at Khonumsum National Park, Rih Lake, Kimo Wildlife Sanctuary, Seinmu National Park and the Khuado Festival; and hydro and wind power projects in Manipur, on the Lay Myo River and in Bawinu in Tedim Township.

According to State-run newspapers, the government plans to open Chin State's first major airport, Surbung Airport in 2020 in Falam Township which is a major town near Myanmar's western border with the Indian state of Mizoram, with the view to improving the tourism sector in the state.

According to DICA, 800 investors attended the fair and among them were 130 foreigners from the US, Canada, China, India, Australia, France, Germany, Norway, Belgium, Israel and ASEAN countries including Brunei and Vietnam. Among the countries which currently have investment projects in Myanmar, China and Thailand attendees were the highest.

Chin State was also feature in the first Invest Myanmar Summit in Naypyitaw in January, which showcased 38 tax-exempt projects around Myanmar, including 10 in the tourism industry and 28 in the energy sector.

The Chin State Investment Fair is part of the government's Myanmar Investment Promotion Plan (MIPP) launched last year. Foreign investment has tumbled over the past two years and the government hopes that through MIPP, more than $200 billion in can be drummed up over the next 20 years through responsible and quality foreign business investments.

In February, the government hosted the Rakhine State Investment Fair in the beach resort town of Ngapali, which showcased six priority projects. At the fair, 28 expressions of interest (EOIs) for projects worth $4.9 billion were signed by both local and foreign investors for hotel and tourism projects.

The post Private Investments Worth $54M for Chin State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Union-Level Officials to Meet Karenni Anti-Statue Activists This Week

Posted: 18 Mar 2019 02:50 AM PDT

Rights activists in Karenni State will meet Union government officials on Wednesday to negotiate their demand that a statue of General Aung San be removed from a park in Loikaw, the Kayah State capital, local sources said.

Union President's Office director U Zaw Htay requested a meeting with the right activists during a phone call on March 15, according to Khun Thomas, a spokesperson for the activists.

“He [U Zaw Htay] told me that we will try to find a solution as soon as possible. So he requested that we not hold any protests on March 17,” Khun Thomas said.

The President's Office and rights activists both said they would confirm on Tuesday the number and identities of those who will attend the talks, according to the activists. The meeting is likely to be held in either Naypyitaw or Yangon, they said.

The rights activists said they had accepted U Zaw Htay's invitation and agreed to suspend their protest activities. They said they would ask the Union government to remove the statue, and intend to maintain their current stand.

"We will try our best to make the negotiations succeed. If we do not get what we want, we will use 'people power' to remove the statue by ourselves," Khun Thomas said.

In a letter sent to the state government on March 12, Karenni activists gave the Kayah State government until March 17 to remove the statue, which was put up over the objections of many local residents. They warned that if the state government failed to remove it by that date, they would do it themselves with the help of local residents.

The state government has not replied to the letter.

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

The post Union-Level Officials to Meet Karenni Anti-Statue Activists This Week appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Shelling in Northern Rakhine Injures Woman, Scars Historic Pagoda

Posted: 18 Mar 2019 02:33 AM PDT

SITTWE, Rakhine State — A woman was injured and a historic pagoda was raked by artillery fire Friday during fighting between the Myanmar military and rebel Arakan Army, according to a local official and a community elder.

U Oo Tun Hlaing, a community elder in Mrauk-U Township, told The Irrawaddy that a 40-year-old woman from Kyauk-Risk-Kay Ward was hit by shell fragments and sent a local hospital for treatment.

"I heard that about 30 [military] soldiers came near the town [on Friday evening]. Shell pieces fell near Tukkathein and Shikthaung pagodas, and parts of the shells fell on the roofs of monasteries and houses. Locals are frightened and they dare not sleep in their homes at night," he said.

U Than Htike, director of the Mrauk-U branch of the National Museum and Library Ministry’s archaeology department, said the shelling also damaged the historic Mye Hte Pagoda and the security gate of a cultural conservation zone near Tukkathein Pagoda.

He warned that the ongoing fighting risked destroying the heritage of the ancient capital of the Arakanese kingdom and hindered the government’s plans to get Mrauk-U on the UNESCO World Heritage Lite.

Daw Khin Than, who chairs a government-backed heritage group in Mrauk-U, said it was disappointing to see the people of Myanmar damaging their own heritage.

"It was lucky that the artillery shells flew over Tukkathein Pagoda, otherwise Shitthaung and Tukkathein would have been hit by the artillery shells. The security gate was riddled with holes. It would be sad if such shelling continued. Heritage cannot be replaced,” she said.

Shitthaung Pagoda. / Min Aung Khine / The Irrawaddy

U Than Htike said it was hard to tell who fired the shells.

"As there are two armed groups, we don't know which side is responsible for this. We reported the case to senior authorities,” he said.

Brig. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, spokesman for the military’s True News Information Team, could not be reached for comment.

Mrauk-U lies along the Kaladan River in northern Rakhine about 60 km inland from the state capital, Sittwe.

From the 15th century to the late 1800s, it was the seat of Arakanese kings, who at the height of their power controlled an area covering much of eastern Bengal, modern-day Rakhine State and the western part of lower Myanmar. Many of the city's remains are well-preserved and some 380 historic temples are scattered between the lush hills.

Since 2014 the Culture Ministry has been mapping the area digitally and conducting preservation work of the temples and palace grounds.

Communal violence between the Arakanese Buddhist and Rohingya Muslim populations in the region in mid-2012 has driven down tourist numbers. Following the violence, authorities closed the old city to tourists from abroad. Although the ban was lifted after several months, the area has seen only a trickle of visitors since.

in 2017 three ancient Pyu cities became the first sites in Myanmar to be recognized by UNESCO. The government has also nominated Bagan for the same status.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Shelling in Northern Rakhine Injures Woman, Scars Historic Pagoda appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

India, Pakistan Threatened to Unleash Missiles at Each Other—Sources

Posted: 17 Mar 2019 10:14 PM PDT

NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD—The sparring between India and Pakistan last month threatened to spiral out of control and only interventions by U.S. officials, including National Security Advisor John Bolton, headed off a bigger conflict, five sources familiar with the events said.

At one stage, India threatened to fire at least six missiles at Pakistan, and Islamabad said it would respond with its own missile strikes "three times over," according to Western diplomats and government sources in New Delhi, Islamabad and Washington.

The way in which tensions suddenly worsened and threatened to trigger a war between the nuclear-armed nations shows how the Kashmir region, which both claim and is at the core of their enmity, remains one of the world’s most dangerous flashpoints.

The exchanges did not get beyond threats, and there was no suggestion that the missiles involved were anything more than conventional weapons, but they created consternation in official circles in Washington, Beijing and London.

Reuters has pieced together the events that led to the most serious military crisis in South Asia since 2008, as well as the concerted diplomatic efforts to get both sides to back down.

The simmering dispute erupted into conflict late last month when Indian and Pakistani warplanes engaged in a dogfight over Kashmir on Feb. 27, a day after a raid by Indian jet fighters on what it said was a militant camp in Pakistan. Islamabad denied any militant camp exists in the area and said the Indian bombs exploded on an empty hillside.

In their first such clash since the last war between the two nations in 1971, Pakistan downed an Indian plane and captured its pilot after he ejected in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.

Hours later, videos of the bloodied Indian pilot, handcuffed and blindfolded, appeared on social media, identifying himself to Pakistani interrogators, deepening anger in New Delhi.

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi facing a general election in April-May, the government was under pressure to respond.

'No going back'

That evening, Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval spoke over a secure line to the head of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Asim Munir, to tell him India was not going to back off its new campaign of "counter terrorism" even after the pilot’s capture, an Indian government source and a Western diplomat with knowledge of the conversations told Reuters in New Delhi.

Doval told Munir that India’s fight was with the militant groups that freely operated from Pakistani soil and it was prepared to escalate, said the government source.

A Pakistani government minister and a Western diplomat in Islamabad separately confirmed a specific Indian threat to use six missiles on targets inside Pakistan. They did not specify who delivered the threat or who received it, but the minister said Indian and Pakistani intelligence agencies "were communicating with each other during the fight, and even now they are communicating with each other."

Pakistan said it would counter any Indian missile attacks with many more launches of its own, the minister told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"We said if you will fire one missile, we will fire three. Whatever India will do, we will respond three times to that," the Pakistani minister said.

Doval’s office did not respond to a request for comment. India was not aware of any missile threat issued to Pakistan, a government official said in reply to a Reuters request for comment.

Pakistan’s military declined to comment and Munir could not be reached for comment. Pakistan’s foreign ministry did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Trump-Kim talks

The crisis unfolded as U.S. President Donald Trump was trying to hammer out an agreement with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi over its nuclear program.

U.S. security advisor Bolton was on the phone with Doval on the night of Feb. 27 itself, and into the early hours of Feb. 28, the second day of the Trump-Kim talks, in an attempt to defuse the situation, the Western diplomat in New Delhi and the Indian official said.

Later, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who was also in Hanoi, also called both sides to seek a way out of the crisis.

"Secretary Pompeo led diplomatic engagement directly, and that played an essential role in de-escalating the tensions between the two sides," State Department deputy spokesperson Robert Palladino said in a briefing in Washington on March 5.

A State Department official declined comment when asked if they knew of the threats to use missiles.

Pompeo spoke to Doval, the Indian and Pakistani Foreign Ministers Sushma Swaraj and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, respectively, Palladino said.

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Admiral Phil Davidson told reporters in Singapore last week that he had separately been in touch with the Indian navy chief, Sunil Lanba, throughout the crisis. There was no immediate response from Lanba’s office to a question on the nature of the conversations.

U.S. efforts were focused on securing the quick release of the Indian pilot by Pakistan and winning an assurance from India it would pull back from the threat to fire rockets, the Western diplomat in New Delhi and officials in Washington said.

“We made a lot of effort to get the international community involved in encouraging the two sides to de-escalate the situation because we fully realized how dangerous it was,” said a senior Trump administration official.

The Pakistani minister said China and the United Arab Emirates also intervened. China’s foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment. The government of the UAE said Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan held talks with both Modi and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan.

India has not given details, but has said it was in touch with major powers during the conflict.

On the morning of Feb. 28, Trump told reporters in Hanoi that he expected the crisis to end soon.

“They have been going at it and we have been involved in trying to have them stop. Hopefully that is going to be coming to an end.”

Later that afternoon, Khan announced in Pakistan’s parliament that the Indian pilot would be released, and he was sent back the next day.

“I know last night there was a threat there could be a missile attack on Pakistan, which got defused,” Khan said. “I know, our army stood prepared for retaliation of that attack.”

The two countries have gone to war three times since both gained independence in 1947, the last time in 1971. The two armies are trading fire along the line of control that separates them in Kashmir, but the tensions appear contained for now.

Diplomatic experts said that the latest crisis underlined the chances of misread signals and unpredictability in the ties between the nuclear-armed rivals, and the huge dangers. It still was not clear whether India had targeted a militant camp in Pakistan and whether there were any casualties, they said.

"Indian and Pakistani leaders have long evinced confidence that they can understand each other's deterrence signals and can de-escalate at will," said Joshua White, a former White House official who is now at Johns Hopkins University.

"The fact that some of the most basic facts, intentions and attempted strategic signals of this crisis are still shrouded in mystery … should be a sobering reminder that neither country is in a position to easily control a crisis once it begins"

The post India, Pakistan Threatened to Unleash Missiles at Each Other—Sources appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

From Hardship to Hope, Singapore’s Migrant Poets Find Their Voices

Posted: 17 Mar 2019 09:43 PM PDT

SINGAPORE — In dorms on Singapore’s fringes or employers’ backrooms, a growing number of migrant workers are using poetry to shed light on their hidden struggles and reconnect with their roots.

The tiny Southeast Asian nation of 5.6 million counts on about 1 million migrant workers from countries like Bangladesh, Indonesia, China and Myanmar to fuel its powerhouse economy, working in sectors from construction to services and home help.

Although horrific labor abuse cases are rare in the rich city-state, campaigners say migrants grapple with unpaid salaries, having their travel documents withheld and massive debts racked up in fees they pay agents to get work.

Often tucked away in dormitories for foreign workers and only seen in public on Sundays, their day off, scores of migrants are writing poetry and short stories offering a rare insight into their little-known worlds.

“When I write, I am happy. When people read our work and accept us as human beings, we are happy,” Indonesian domestic worker Deni Apriyani told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Hailing from a sleepy village in Indonesia, 29-year-old Apriyani moved to Singapore in 2013 to become a domestic worker as she wanted to buy land for her father, a farmer, back home.

Working from dawn to dusk looking after an expatriate family, she started writing poetry on her mobile phone at the end of her 14-hour work day as an outlet for her frustration as she struggled to adjust to life in the new city.

Softly-spoken Apriyani won a poetry writing competition for migrants in 2017 and one of her poems was published in a book last year that brought together more than 60 works by Singaporean writers and migrant workers.

“You call them sluts, you call them useless, you call them shameful, but did you know the stories behind them?” she asked in the poem “Murderers,” which highlighted the stigma facing migrant workers who try to find love in the city.

Award-winning

The growing focus on writing by migrant workers began about five years ago with poetry contests organized by advocates that aimed to use literature to break down barriers between foreign workers and Singaporean society.

These competitions have now branched out to other parts of Asia that also rely heavily on migrant workers, including Malaysia and Taiwan.

In Singapore, their poems are found in bookshops and public libraries, with Bangladeshi construction worker Md Sharif Uddin’s “Stranger to Myself” winning the award for best non-fiction title at the prestigious Singapore Books Awards last year.

Stories of migrant workers are also gaining attention in other artistic formats.

“A Land Imagined,” an award-winning film about low-paid migrants in Singapore, was released domestically last month, with local critics hailing it as a “historic milestone in Singapore cinema.”

Singaporean author and poet Jamal Ismail said migrants’ unique experiences and work have enriched the island’s literary scene.

“They might not write beautifully but there is an abundance of humanism in them,” he said, during a workshop where he offered guidance to a group of migrant poets.

He recounted how he was struck by a poem by a migrant domestic worker who likened her life in the city to that of a cockroach, and another who told him she had not been paid for six months.

“They are marginalized and they feel lonely. When you’re lonely, that is when you reflect on what is the meaning of life? That is something they have that is so powerful,” he said.

Singapore’s government maintains migrant workers are well protected, and the country remains a popular destination for foreign laborers as they generally enjoy higher wages than in other parts of the region.

Sales of migrant workers’ books are low compared to more mainstream writers, but local publishers said their potential is enormous.

“They really struck a chord and there was empathy,” said Ng Kah Gay from Singapore’s Ethos Books, which in 2016 published “Me Migrant,” the city-state’s first book by a migrant laborer, Bangladesh’s Md Mukul Hossine, with 3,000 copies sold to date.

“Migrant workers are someone whom we’re so familiar with but sometimes we don’t see them, they are invisible. These books flesh out their lives for us to experience their emotions.”

“It’s so important for them to be seen not just as an economic machine but they have their own voice,” Ng said.

Goh Eck Kheng from Landmark Books, which has sold 700 copies of Uddin’s award-winning “Stranger to Myself” in two print runs so far, said literature gave migrant and local writers a platform to embrace each others’ work.

“In that way, literature is a social leveler,” Goh said.

‘Freedom of thought’

Translation is the main hurdle for the work of migrant poets to flourish according to Shivaji Das, an Indian-born writer who works in Singapore and has been organizing the annual migrant poetry writing competitions since 2014.

Scribbling on cement bags or tapping on their mobile phones after nightfall, workers usually write in native languages like Bengali, Indonesian or Chinese before their work is translated.

Publishers said migrant workers also have to compete for attention with a pool of emerging local and foreign writers.

But for many of the workers, writing merely is a way to ease their homesickness and document their lives in a different city — as well as a form of empowerment.

Fazley Elahi, a Bangladeshi worker who writes poems and set up Migrant Library Singapore a year ago, said reading and writing in his native language reconnects him to his roots after living away from home for a decade.

Manned by volunteers, the library has a collection of about 800 books in different languages that are common among migrant workers such as Bengali, Indonesian, Tagalog and Chinese.

It also holds writing workshops for aspiring writers and runs a mobile library project that goes to workers’ dorms.

In poetry, says Elahi, there are no limits to what he can say, which gives him a sense of liberation.

“It is the freedom of thought that we treasure,” said the 30-year-old.

The post From Hardship to Hope, Singapore’s Migrant Poets Find Their Voices appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China Says 13,000 ‘Terrorists’ Arrested in Xinjiang Since 2014

Posted: 17 Mar 2019 09:21 PM PDT

BEIJING—Authorities in China have arrested almost 13,000 "terrorists" in the restive far western region of Xinjiang since 2014, the government said on Monday, in a lengthy policy paper again defending its controversial Islamic de-radicalization measures.

China has faced growing international opprobrium for setting up facilities that United Nations experts describe as detention centers holding more than 1 million Uighurs and other Muslims. Beijing says it needs the measures to stem the threat of Islamist militancy, and calls them vocational training centers.

Legal authorities have adopted a policy that "strikes the right balance between compassion and severity," the government said in its white paper.

Since 2014, Xinjiang has "destroyed 1,588 violent and terrorist gangs, arrested 12,995 terrorists, seized 2,052 explosive devices, punished 30,645 people for 4,858 illegal religious activities, and confiscated 345,229 copies of illegal religious materials," it added.

Only a small minority of people face strict punishment, such as ringleaders of terror groups, while those influenced by extremist thinking receive education and training to teach them the error of their ways, the paper said.

The main exiled group, the World Uyghur Congress, swiftly denounced the white paper.

"China is deliberately distorting the truth," spokesman Dilxat Raxit said in an emailed statement.

"Counter-terrorism is a political excuse to suppress the Uighurs. The real aim of the so-called de-radicalization is to eliminate faith and thoroughly carry out sinification."

The white paper said Xinjiang has faced a particular challenge since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, as East Turkestan extremists ramped up activities in China, referring to China’s term for extremists and separatists it says operates in Xinjiang.

"They screamed the evil words of 'getting into heaven by martyrdom with jihad,' turning some people into extremists and terrorists who have been completely mind-controlled, and even turned into murderous devils."

Religious extremism under the banner of Islam runs counter to Islamic doctrines, and is not Islam, it added.

Xinjiang has long been an inseparable part of Chinese territory, and the Uighur ethnic group evolved from a long process of migration and ethnic integration, the paper said.

"They are not descendants of the Turks."

Turkey is the only Islamic country that has regularly expressed concern about the situation in Xinjiang, due to close cultural links with the Uighurs, who speak a Turkic language.

China has denounced Turkish concern as unwarranted and interference in its internal affairs.

The post China Says 13,000 ‘Terrorists’ Arrested in Xinjiang Since 2014 appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)