Thursday, March 21, 2019

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Kachin Gov’t Set to Reject Mongolian Mining Proposal

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 06:09 AM PDT

YANGON—The Kachin State government has decided to shelve a Mongolian company's proposal to conduct a feasibility study on the extraction of gold and other minerals in Myanmar's largest national conservation area, a sanctuary nearly triple the size of Singapore in Kachin's northernmost township, due to serious environmental concerns.

The project was proposed by Inner Mongolia Duojin Investment Company Ltd, according to the Kachin State Forest Department.

The proposal covers an area of 492,900 acres in Putao Township including Hkakaborazi National Park and its southern extension area, which together form the largest national park in the country, as well as the ASEAN Heritage Park-Hponkan Razi Wildlife Sanctuary, which is home to globally threatened wildlife species including the black musk deer, red panda and white-bellied heron. The area also covers protected forests in the township's Northern Mountain Forest Complex; these include subtropical evergreen forests, mixed deciduous forests, pine-rhododendron forests and alpine meadows.

Kachin State Chief Minister Khet Aung told The Irrawaddy, "I strongly dislike the project. It could destroy our heritage and ecosystem."

"How could I allow it?" he said.

A map of a project proposed by Inner Mongolia Duojin Investment Company Ltd.

Amid a backlash from environmentalist and local residents, the Kachin State cabinet and related departments held a meeting on the issue on Tuesday. At the meeting, the Forest Department submitted a review recommending that the project not be allowed.

U Kyaw Kyaw Lwin, the deputy director of the state Forest Department, told The Irrawaddy, "We decided not to allow that project."

The state government has not issued an official decision on the matter yet, however.

The Forest Department said the team started reviewing the company's proposal and field study in January. The department decided the areas deserved to be preserved in the interests of coming generations.

U Kyaw Kyaw Lwin said the project threatened to harm not only the national conservation areas but also the N'Mai Kha River, which is one of the main sources of the Ayeyarwady River, the lifeline of Myanmar.

"The project faces a strong backlash from locals residents. It could easy provoke a conflict between the company and locals. That's one reason that we decided to scrap the proposal," he said.

Kachin State is rich in natural resources, particular minerals including gold, silver, copper, iron, lead, amber, jade, crystal and coal.

The post Kachin Gov't Set to Reject Mongolian Mining Proposal appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Two Tanintharyi Ministers Resign in Wake of Chief Minister’s Arrest

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 06:04 AM PDT

YANGON — Two Tanintharyi Region ministers tendered their resignations in the wake of Chief Minister Daw Lei Lei Maw’s arrest and firing over corruption allegations earlier this month.

The President's Office announced on Wednesday that the region's planning and finance minister, U Phyo Win Tun, and electricity and energy minister, U Kyi Hlaing, were "allowed to resign" from their posts.

While the announcement gave no reason for the resignations, many believe they were linked to the corruption investigation.

Daw Lei Lei Maw was arrested on March 10 along with Global Grand Services (GGS) Managing Director U Thein Htwe, Director U Aung Myat and General Manager U Thura Ohn under corruption charges. The cases were opened against all four by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) at the Dawei Myoma Police Station in Tanintharyi after a month-long investigation.

U Ye Myint Swe, a regional lawmaker, said U Phyo Win Tun was named in the complaint that locals had sent the ACC and the President’s Office earlier this year about the chief minister.

In the complaint, more than 100 residents of Myeik and Dawei districts called for an investigation of Daw Lei Lei Maw, U Phyo Win Tun and the National League for Democracy's Tanintharyi committee chair, U Aung Soe.

During State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's visit to the region last month, local residents demanded that all three be replaced because of corruption and nepotism. The state counselor vowed to take decisive action against officials who harm the public interest.

U Ye Myint Swe said U Kyi Hlaing was not named in the complaint. But the lawmaker said he believed the minister resigned because he was mostly responsible for awarding an electricity distribution project to GGS that was part of the corruption investigation.

"It is not possible that he doesn't know about the contract because he is the electricity minister. Whether it was done intentionally or unintentionally, I think he resigned because of that," he said.

The ACC said Daw Lei Lei Maw abused her position by awarding several contracts to GGS in exchange for bribes.

GGS produces electricity from gas purchased from the government. The company owes more than 8 billion kyats ($5.24 million) for gas deliveries between July 2017, when it launched its power supply service, and late 2018.

U Phyo Win Tun and U Kyi Hlaing could not be reached for comment.

One of the local residents who joined the complaint sent to the ACC and President’s Office said he hoped the Anti-Corruption Commission would file more charges but was encouraged by the arrests and resignations so far.

"I am satisfied to see changes in our region," he said.

The post Two Tanintharyi Ministers Resign in Wake of Chief Minister’s Arrest appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Yangon Timeout

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 05:48 AM PDT

Seedspace Yangon Open House and Networking

Yangon's newest co-working space is now open in a unique location right next to the Yangon River. For the opening day this Friday, the space will be open to the public for use for free throughout the day. From 5 p.m. there will be a networking session where you can meet the team behind the space as well as like-minded folk. Seedspace Yangon is a chapter of the Yangon Innovation Center, an initiative by the Yangon Regional Government operated by Seedstars Myanmar in collaboration with Thura Swiss and CB Bank. Registration recommended.

March 22 | 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. | Seedspace Yangon | Kyan Mar Yay Seik Kan Compound, Corner of Pansodan Road and Strand Road, Kyauktada Township

Women and Art in Myanmar

Nathalie Johnson, founder of Myanm/art Gallery with give a presentation on the history of women artists in Myanmar. The presentation, in English, will be followed by a panel discussion in Burmese. The four prominent female artists who will be on the panel are Yadanar, Nge Lay, Zun Ei Phyu and Thyitar. Note usual security conditions for entering the American Center apply.

March 22 | 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. | Freedom Hall | American Center, University Avenue, Bahan Township

Rich Palette Art Show

This is a group show by famous local artists Win Tint, Maung Oo, Nang Khuu, Thet Su Nady, Kaung H San and Htoo Aung Moe. 

March 23 to 25 | Gallery 65 | No. 65, Yaw Min Gyi Road, Dagon Township

Safe Food from Safe Farms

This Saturday and Sunday, Kandawgyi Park will be the venue for a food market focusing on healthy, organic food products. On both days the event opens from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. This is where you can find FDA-certified organic vegetables and produce from members of the Myanmar Fruit and Vegetable Producers (MFVP).

March 23 and 24 | 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. | Myaepadaytha Island, Kandawgyi Park, Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township

Yangon Zay x Real Fitness

This weekend's edition of the trendy market Yangon Zay will feature demonstrations and activities organized by Real Fitness, a gym chain with locations across Yangon. Join zumba and combat exercise workouts and later enjoy the food and drinks from the regular pop-up vendors. Tickets 6,000 kyats.

March 23 and 24 | 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | The Tea Factory, No. 2 Kanyeik Thar Street, Kabar Aye Phayar Road

The Food of Northern Thailand Pop-up with Austin Bush

Famous chef and author of a new cookbook dedicated to northern Thai cuisine, Austin Bush, will be at Union Bar & Grill for one night only. This Saturday evening you can order from an additional special menu, or choose a set menu for 35,000 kyats, to experience the unique flavors of northern Thailand, including the herbal, spicy and wholesome dishes of pounded salads, fried snacks and sausages.

March 23 | 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. | Union Bar & Grill | 42 Strand Road, Botahtaung Township

Free Walking Tour: Insights into Old Yangon

This walking tour, organized by sustainable tourism hub Jozaso, will show you around the unique neighborhoods of Yangon and share stories of interesting residents from historical times.

March 24 | 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. | Jozaso Sustainable Tourism Hub, 97 Bo Ywe Street (Upper Block) 

Like salt. Like a Spine – Poetry Reading

Come to Myanm/art modern art gallery for a unique poetry reading to round up your weekend. Local poets will be joined by American poet Greg Bem for an evening of readings of various types of poetry.

March 24 | 5:30 p.m. | Myanm/art | 3FL, 98 Bogalayzay Street, Botahtaung Township

 

Gender and Climate Change – Climate Talk Series

Conyat Create and Pansuriya are partnering to host discussions on the issue of gender and climate change in Myanmar. This is the third part in the series of talks on climate change and the title of the discussion is 'The Role of Women in Adapting to Climate Change: Examples from Myanmar.' The speakers are Shashank Mishra of UN Habitat and Su Ei Nandar of Plan International.

March 25 | 7 p.m. | Pansuriya | 100 Bogalayzay Street, Botahtaung Township

Myanmar Investment Outlook

At this event organized by AmCham Myanmar, U Aung Naing Oo, director general of Myanmar's Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA) will discuss the current investment outlook and DICA's plans for the year ahead. The talk will be followed by a Q&A session. Tickets $15 for AmCham members and $25 for non-members. Pre-registration recommended.

March 26 | 2 p.m. | Melia Yangon | 192 Kabar Aye Pagoda Road, Bahan Township

Myanmar-Japan Literature Exchange 2.0

At this event organized by the Japan Foundation, PEN Myanmar and Yangon Book Plaza, renowned Japanese poet and author Yoko Tawada will give a talk on transcending boundaries between humans and non-humans which is a common feature of her writing. The talk will be in English with Burmese translation.

March 27 | 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. | Yangon Book Plaza, Lanmadaw Street (Middle Block), Lanmadaw Township

The post Yangon Timeout appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Shining a Light on Shady Business in Myanmar’s Extractive Industries

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 04:20 AM PDT

The global debate on the discloser of beneficial ownership, especially in the extractive industries, is scaling up. More access to information about who really benefits from the revenues is raising accountability and helping in the fight against corruption.

Myanmar, an Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) candidate country, formed a Beneficial Ownership Taskforce in June to move the country toward membership. Countries that join the EITI must disclose the beneficial ownership of the companies in their extractive industries by Jan. 1, 2020. With the deadline only nine months away, the EITI International Secretariat and industry experts stressed the need for more government collaboration between sectors and agencies during a workshop on beneficial ownership for the Asia and Pacific region in Manila this week. A delegation from Myanmar attended the event to learn and share their views.

The Irrawaddy spoke with Eddie Rich, deputy head of the EITI International Secretariat, about the initiative’s goals and Myanmar’s progress toward reaching them.

What is beneficial ownership and why is it important for EITI countries to disclose beneficial ownership?

Beneficial ownership is the process about which you understand the natural owner, the flesh and blood owner, of companies. And this is to deal with what has been exposed in the Panama Papers, the Paradise Papers and lots of recent scandals as a mechanism, that creating shell companies which own other companies but…are hiding the real owner. That has been a mechanism for money laundering, it has been a mechanism for terrorist financing, it’s been a mechanism tax evasion and avoidance. It’s been a mechanism also for nepotism. So the revelation of the Panama Papers and then the Paradise Papers showed the extent of this problem, how systematically individual and companies are gaming the whole system in order to particularly avoid tax, but also some very dark motives.

The EITI, the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, is a global standard for good governance in the sectors, and they highlight it very early on, in fact before the release of the Panama Papers [in 2016], that transparency of beneficial ownership was going to be a critical issue for anti-corruption in the 21st century, and that it was required that all 52 countries reveal disclosing information about the natural owners of the extractive companies in their countries. And in many of these countries, of course, like Myanmar, this is in many ways the most important sector, politically and economically.

Panelists join a discussion at the Beneficial Ownership Asia and Pacific Regional Workshop in Manila, the Philippines, on Tuesday. / Nyein Nyein / The Irrawaddy

Myanmar is also trying to work on that — beneficial ownership, a task force and every preparation.

Exactly. So you know who, for example, is behind the gemstones companies that are operating in Myanmar, which has been, as you know much better than me, a source of some of the conflicts.

People, or the companies, are reluctant to share the information because that is directly related. They are operating in the conflict areas, or they are concerned about being targeted if they revealed this information. What are the guarantees that EITI or other international advocacy groups can give to these companies for them to share the beneficial ownership information?

A couple of points there. First of all the EITI is not an advocacy group. We are a members-based organization with countries that are implementing, who signed up to the global standard that is established.

So it is the countries themselves, along with civil society and companies who establish the standard. So a way of saying this is, the companies are the ones who actually asked for this requirement. The companies are the ones who want this because they want the level playing field; they want to know how their competitors are operating. And they feel it’s part of being a safer environment.

But you are right, there are also concerns on the other side, that if this information about ownership is known, that the owners themselves could be subject to additional threats. There is no single case that I am aware of where there has been an attack on somebody because of the revelation of beneficial ownership information.

We, the EITI, don't ensure the protection of the people. That is for law enforcement agencies within each country. So if a country commits to the EITI, they commit to full beneficial ownership in the extractive sector, and as part of that, they are responsible for ensuring the protection of the individuals.

What could we say [are] the pros and cons, the advantages and disadvantages, of having this beneficial ownership [disclosure] of the EITI countries?

The advantages are that it creates better information about the ownership to inform public policy, but it ensures that you can follow the money. If a country has disclosed its beneficial ownership, the owners of the companies, then if tax is very low for a company, you can try and understand why. And you can see one of the owners might be registered in the Cayman Islands, and you say, “Aha, well, maybe that person needs to be domesticated back into Myanmar to ensure that all the money is paid in Myanmar for Myanmar's resources.

In simile, you can see if a license to explore or to exploit resources has been given to somebody who has been politically exposed, is a relation of a minister or senior officials. So to make sure there is much fairer system. That's why companies like it, most companies, because it creates a level, a more fair playing field. Those are the pros.

The cons, we hear that it’s difficult to collect the information, and I think we need to understand that. And those are the kind of issues we are discussing. We hear it is difficult to define what a beneficial owners is, or establish a threshold, or ensure that the information is accurate, make sure that you got the right disclosure mechanism. These are all the kinds of questions that come up, and that's what we are discussed in these two days.

Myanmar is now a [EITI] candidate country, but what do we need to do to become a full member?

Myanmar has undertaken validations and it is being assessed right now, and the [EITI] board will make decision on that, I think, in the next month or so. And it is likely that it will direct you to a few — it will indicate that there has been very positive progress. Myanmar has come a way in last few years about declaring, disclosing lots of information about the sector. It will indicate one or two areas where there are specific actions required in order to become a full member.

Until that, until the board has made the decision, I don't think I should indicate what they will decide. We’ve advised them and made recommendations to them, but this is finally the board decision. So hold on a month or so and you should have a lot more information.

You have [put] a lot of focus on 11 countries in Southeast Asia and Eurasia. Compared with Myanmar, are we [in a] similar situations with other countries in terms of EITI candidacy and the work that MEITI has been doing? What are the challenges and similarities?

Myanmar is learning a lot and I think other countries are learning also from Myanmar. That’s kind of one of the key advantages, I think, of the EITI, that there is a global network that learns best practices from each other. But each country also has its own specific situation.

In Myanmar, you have a lot of state-own enterprises and you have these funny things called your "other accounts" as part of the state-own enterprises, and trying to unpick and understand what is part of these other accounts is a key specific issue for Myanmar. And on beneficial ownership, you have established of course this company registration under DICA [Directorate of Investment and Company Administration]. That’s come in long way and that's going to try to establish more details. Systematically, when a company registers, they will have to disclose their ownership. So, again, it's learning off other countries and it’s also establishing good practices that other countries may wish to follow.

What are the next steps for guaranteeing the information release [about] beneficial owners? What are the next steps that you have prepared, or have you had any discussions to have protection of those data of the beneficial owners, because some are concerned about being targeted by the criminal groups?

Yes, as I said, I don't know of any specific cases where this has ever happened. I’m not saying it’s not a legitimate concern. It is. But we need to understand much better what is the real concern? Is there ways, and different ways in different countries, that that could be addressed? Does the address of each person actually need to be put, declare publically? Not necessarily; that’s a national decision. Is this information already known? Actually, does the beneficial ownership discloser make any different to what's already out there? What is the law enforcement like? What are the personal protections like?

So I think it’s too simplistic to simply say, ‘Ah. OK, because of threats of kidnapping and other targeting, we must say no to disclosure.’ I think we need to understand the problem better and looks for particularly country specific solutions, because they are going to be different in different countries.

How would you summarize that EITI and beneficial ownership are linked together?

Beneficial ownership is absolutely essential to a good governance sector. I talk often about the transparency triangle, which is: if you know the contracts, and you know who the owner is, and you have the payments which were paid for a particular project in terms of tax or royalties, then you should have a complete picture of whether the country got what it should have.

If I have a contract with you, and you don't pay me all of that, then I want to know who you are, where you’re from. And so I can see, why did she not pay me the full amount. So that’s part of the picture. We know who the people are, we know what they should have paid, and we know what they did pay.

The post Shining a Light on Shady Business in Myanmar’s Extractive Industries appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Arakan National Party to Investigate Civilian Deaths in Rakhine State Fighting

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 04:20 AM PDT

SITTWE, Rakhine State — The Arakan National Party (ANP) on Wednesday formed a commission to investigate civilian deaths caused by the ongoing fighting between the Myanmar military and rebel Arakan Army (AA) in Rakhine State.

ANP General Secretary U Tun Aung Kyaw said the commission consists of nine members including himself, party Vice Chairwoman Daw Aye Nu Sein, and Central Executive Committee member and Lower House lawmaker U Oo Hla Saw.

"Being the party that won the majority [of votes] in Rakhine State, we feel obliged to investigate the suffering of civilians and present it to the government, which is responsible for the Union. We have formed the commission to find out how we can prevent and remedy those issues, and to present our findings to the government," U Tun Aung Kyaw told The Irrawaddy.

The commission also intends to determine which side in the conflict is responsible for the recent shelling that damaged some heritage sites in Mrauk-U, the former capital of the Arakanese Kingdom.

As part of their work the commissioners plan to visit the townships of Buthidaung, Rathedaung, Ponnagyun, Kyauktaw, where much of the fighting has taken place. They will meet with victims, village administrators and government department officials to assess the extent of the casualties, injuries and damage to properties and heritage sites.

The commissioners intend to finish their report in a week and submit it to the ANP’s Central Executive Committee first.

"As the Central Executive Committee has assigned us to investigate the deprivations of the civilians immediately, without delay, we will conduct the field assessment in seven days," U Tun Aung Kyaw said.

The Central Executive Committee will then forward the report to the country’s president, state counselor, commander-in-chief, Myanmar National Human Rights Commission and other organizations.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Arakan National Party to Investigate Civilian Deaths in Rakhine State Fighting appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Gov’t Compromises for Aung San Statue Rejected by Activists

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 02:45 AM PDT

At a meeting held between the government and rights activists who have been fighting against the installing of a bronze statue of Gen. Aung San, the Karenni Chief Minister L Phaung Sho proposed two points of compromise as possible solutions to the activists' dispute. However, the rights activists refused the points of compromise at the meeting which was held in the Karenni capital of Loikaw on Wednesday.

The statute of Gen. Aung San, father of State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and often named Myanmar's father of independence was installed at a park in Loikaw despite the protests of local rights activists who went on to stage a number of sit-ins in Loikaw, leading to the arrest and detention of scores young activists earlier this year.

One of the proposed compromises suggested by Chief Minister L Phaung Sho was that the text of the Panglong Agreement, a historically important agreement declaring autonomy for a number of ethnic areas, be placed below the statue. The second point was that the government would allow the local rights activists to install a statue of their own respected ethnic leader near the Gen. Aung San statue.

Khun Thomas, spokesperson for the rights activists, said his group could not accept the two points, and that they are sticking to their demands for the statue to be removed.

"We cannot accept their two points. Therefore, as we mentioned in our statement, the result of the meeting was not good," said Khun Thomas.

Eight people representing the government, including Chief Minister L Phaung Sho, the Karenni Deputy Planning and Finance Minister U Maw Maw and a number of members of the National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC) attended the meeting. Five people from the working committee responsible for the statue were also in attendance. Sevens right activists and four members of the Karenni National Progressive Party also attended while two lawmakers were present as witnesses.

At the meeting, Chief Minister L Phaung Sho argued that Gen. Aung San is national hero and that many people in the country respect him. However, sticking to the line they have repeatedly argued in the case of the statue, the activists responded that the problem is not with building the statue, but rather that the Karenni people have their own history which they feel is being ignored.

At the meeting, Deputy Planning and Finance Minister U Maw Maw who has denied accusations of his involvement in the statue plan, was seen in photos projected by the activists playing a part in bringing statue to the park where it is located in Loikaw.

U Zaw Htay, spokesperson of the Myanmar President's Office, attended the meeting as a representative of the NRPC. He said his presence at the meeting showed that the Union government was ready to negotiate for a solution to the problem. He emphasized that the government did not want to have further problems in the statue case and that they are eager to find a solution soon.

The activists proposed at the meeting that the government remove the statue and suggested that it could instead be erected at the local NLD office in Loikaw.

"They did not say whether they agreed with our proposal or not, but they explained why it is impossible to approve it," said Khun Thomas.

The right activists agreed to have one more meeting next month, from which they expect some good results will come.

"For us, we will deal with this problem peacefully. We wanted our region to have stability. They told us that the last meeting will be in April, and that some good results would come from it. That's why we agreed to have another meeting with them, said Khun Thomas.

"If we cannot get any agreeable answer from Union level, this could be our last [peaceful] effort. We have done what we should do and we will continue to fight for [the removal of the statue]," he said.

The post Gov't Compromises for Aung San Statue Rejected by Activists appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Military Attacks on N. Rakhine Villages Leaves Locals Wounded, Displaced

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 12:36 AM PDT

MRAUK-U, Rakhine State — As military artillery shells land and fighter jets bomb mountain ranges near rural villages, women and children from villages in restive northern Rakhine’s Mrauk-U Township have fled to urban areas in search of refuge.

Ywar Haung Taw Village is one of these villages which experienced shelling by the Myanmar military, or Tatmadaw, which started Monday and continued through Thursday. The village lies about 10 kilometers from the Mrauk-U heritage zone. More than 200 people from Ywar Haung Taw are seeking refuge in the town of Mrauk-U at Chit Thaung Monastery which has become a temporary camp for the displaced.

Daw Thein Thein Aye told The Irrawaddy that she vividly remembers the explosion of several artillery shells in her village, one of which landed in a home, severely wounding a woman and a man on March 18.

She speculates that the artillery fire either came from the Mrauk-U-based Light Infantry Battalion No. 540 or from the police regiment situated next to Koe Thaung Pagoda in the heritage zone of Mrauk-U which is a popular tourist destination.

A collection of 120 and 60 millimeter shells which exploded in Mrauk-U Township’s Ywar Haung Taw Village seen at a monastery in the village on March 20, 2019. / Moe Myint / The Irrawaddy

“There was no fighting in my village, but many bullets and artillery shells landed in our village,” she said.

Daw Mhwe Yaing Sein, another woman from the same village, explained that she had been afraid to leave her home as military troops were occasionally seen in the nearby forest during the day time. In rural Rakhine, many villages have not yet adopted modern toilets and traditionally practice open defecation in wooded areas near their homes.

Several women from Ywar Haung Taw explained that military troops stationed themselves in the forest and have been patrolling the village since Monday. Daw Khine Saw Than said that, smelling the strangers around the village, the dogs would bark throughout the night.

“We are scared of when [it gets dark]. We cannot sleep inside our home, so my family members and I sleep on the ground [under the house] as we have not prepared a bomb shelter like other villages,” said Daw Khine Saw Than.

The burnt-out site where the home of U Maung Win Yee once stood as photographed on March 20, 2019. / Moe Myint / The Irrawaddy

As women and children left the village for the town of Mrauk-U on Tuesday, most men stayed behind look after their homes during the day, sleeping together at the village monastery at night. The Irrawaddy traveled to Ywar Haung Taw with a local resident named Karen Chay on Wednesday in order to observe the situation.

On the way to the village, this reporter travelled close to the police regiment at Koe Thaung Pagoda and witnessed them firing artillery several times. After driving for another 15 minutes, Karen Chay led us to a home which had been hit by artillery shell.

A survivor of the shelling Daw Kyar Htay Sein explained that while her family and the family of neighbor U Maung Win Ye were lying on the floor of their home, they heard artillery shooting. This reporter saw the 120-millimeter mortar which landed on their home. U Maung Win Ye and his wife were wounded.

With bullets flying across the village, no one was able to stop the fire which had overcome the house and by morning it had been reduced to ashes.

“We never see a single [Arakan Army (AA) soldier] in my village. It was all about [the military's] aggressive actions towards us and [they] blame [their actions] on the AA."

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the military carried out an airstrike using two fighter jets on the mountain range close to Myebon Township’s Pan Myaung Village, a neighboring village of Ywar Haung Taw which is at the border of Mrauk-U Township.

A Google Maps screengrab showing the locations of police and military bases with white marks close to Ywar Haung Taw Village in Mrauk-U Township.

Pan Myaung resident Daw Than Than Win was shot on her thigh by a government soldier at her home at about 1 p.m. on Wednesday while government soldiers raided her village. She was transported from the village to Mrauk-U General Hospital in the afternoon.

Recounting the ordeals to The Irrawaddy, she said that while walking to the toilet, a young soldier, who she guesses to be aged about 20 years old, knelt down with an assault rifle outside the fence and then shot at her. Her daughter and a sibling quickly came out and dragged her into the temporary bomb shelter they had made near the house.

“If my daughter and sibling failed to drag in me like that, I could have been killed by bullets,” said Daw Than Than Win.

Daw Than Than Win's daughter said that army fighter jets were bombing in the mountain range since earlier on Wednesday morning. She said it was around 1 p.m. when they heard gunfire nearby and found her mother had been shot in front of her home. She said about 130 men from the village were captured by soldiers and interrogated, and all but four were later set free.

A local relief group from Mrauk-U told The Irrawaddy that about 1,500 people from Pan Myaung Village were displaced and fighting was still ongoing in the region as of Thursday. Since last December, government military troops and AA rebels have been clashing in five townships of northern Rakhine State and Paletwa Township in southern Chin State.

Local charity groups estimate that the displaced population in northern Rakhine has now reached approximately 20,000.

The post Military Attacks on N. Rakhine Villages Leaves Locals Wounded, Displaced appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Myanmar Repatriates Bangladeshi Nationals Arrested 9 Years Ago

Posted: 20 Mar 2019 11:26 PM PDT

DHAKA — Myanmar on Wednesday handed back four Bangladeshi nationals arrested nine-and-a-half years ago for entering Myanmar waters illegally while fishing the Naff River, which defines part of the border between the two countries.

A delegation from Bangladesh received the nationals at a meeting in the north of Myanmar’s Rakhine State, said Pronoy Chakma, an assistant commissioner of the Teknaf Sub-District of Cox’s Bazar District in Bangladesh.

Two of the men — Muhammad Jashim, 44, and Muhammad Ilias, 29, from Cox’s Bazar’s Nazirpara Village — were sentenced to 21 years and that the other two — Azgar Ali, 39, and Sabbir Ahmed, 36, from Cox’s Bazar’s Maulvipara Village — were sentenced to 25 years, said ASM Mizanur Rahman, a Bangladesh police inspector who attended the meeting in Maungdaw Township.

“They were mainly charged with trespassing. They served nine-and-a-half years and the Myanmar government reduced their sentences,” he said.

Police in Teknaf said Myanmar released Jashim and Ilias from jail on Jan. 24 and the other two on Jan. 28, after the two governments discussed their case.

They said about 30 more Bangladeshi nationals were still in jail in Rakhine, most of them for entering Myanmar waters illegally while fishing.

Mohammad Barikul Islam, the head of Bangladesh’s consulate in the Rakhine State capital, Sittwe, was scheduled to attend the meeting in Maungdaw but could not because of fighting in the area between the Myanmar military and insurgents, the Teknaf officers said.

On its Facebook page the same day, the consulate said the four men had been repatriated.

The officers added that they were soon reunited with their families.

The post Myanmar Repatriates Bangladeshi Nationals Arrested 9 Years Ago appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Trump Says Tariffs on Chinese Goods May Stay for ‘Substantial Period’

Posted: 20 Mar 2019 09:57 PM PDT

WASHINGTON—U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Wednesday that the United States may leave tariffs on Chinese goods for a "substantial period" to ensure that Beijing complies with any trade agreement.

The stance could complicate U.S.-China trade talks set to resume next week, as Chinese officials have been pressing for a full lifting of U.S. tariffs as part of any deal, people familiar with the talks have said.

Trump said his top negotiators, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, would leave for Beijing this weekend, confirming plans for talks next week disclosed on Tuesday by an administration official.

The face-to-face talks will be the first since Trump delayed a March 1 deadline to avert a rise in tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports to 25 percent from the current 10 percent.

"The deal is coming along nicely," Trump said to reporters at the White House, adding that the China trip was intended "to further the deal."

But when asked about lifting U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods, Trump said: "We're not talking about removing them. We’re talking about leaving them for a substantial period of time because we have to make sure that if we do the deal, China lives by it."

Trump did not elaborate on his plans for the tariffs. His negotiators have demanded that China agree to an enforcement mechanism to ensure that Beijing follows through on any reform pledges in any deal.

Washington is demanding that China end practices it says force the transfer of American technology to Chinese companies, improve access for American companies to China’s markets and curb industrial subsidies.

Since July 2018, the United States has imposed duties on $250 billion worth of Chinese imports, including $50 billion in technology and industrial goods at 25 percent and $200 billion in other products including furniture and construction materials, at 10 percent. China has hit back with tariffs on about $110 billion worth of U.S. goods, including soybeans and other commodities.

The eight-month trade war between the world’s two largest economies has raised costs, roiled financial markets, shrunk U.S. farm exports and disrupted manufacturing supply chains.

Later on Wednesday, during a speech in Lima, Ohio, Trump emphasized again that he wanted the United States to reach a "great" trade deal with China.

"We’re so far down, it’s got to be a great deal. If it’s not a great deal, you never catch up," Trump said in remarks at a military tank manufacturing plant.

The post Trump Says Tariffs on Chinese Goods May Stay for ‘Substantial Period’ appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Asia’s Coal Addiction Puts Chokehold on its Air-Polluted Cities

Posted: 20 Mar 2019 09:45 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR—Over the past year, the number of patients treated each day in the hospital unit where cardiologist Ade Imasanti Sapardan works in Indonesia’s capital has almost doubled to about 100.

Sapardan, who sees up to 150 people every week, cites worsening air pollution as a major reason for the rise in patients seeking treatment in the mega-city of Jakarta, home to 10 million people.

“People in Jakarta have bad pollution every day … everybody is not really breathing safe air,” Sapardan told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Half her patients suffer from symptoms linked to air pollution — like chest pains, coughing and breathlessness.

Nine out of 10 people breathe polluted air, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), a problem that impacts more cities in Asia than anywhere else in the world.

Burning fossil fuels is a large contributor to air pollution, which kills about 7 million people prematurely each year. Green campaigners and energy experts say Asia’s growing demand for coal-fired power is one key cause of that pollution.

Coal demand outside Asia peaked in 1988 and has since fallen by a third.

During the same period, it rose 3.5-fold in Asia, now the world’s main driver of coal-power demand, according to a report published late last year by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington.

"Cities with the worst air pollution are all in Asia and a lot of it is to do with coal," said Nikos Tsafos, a CSIS researcher.

"The region has such huge economic growth and potential, where the desire to bring electricity to people trumps all other concerns."

An air quality report published by Greenpeace and IQAir AirVisual this month showed that the world’s 100 most polluted cities are largely in Asia — with India and China dominating.

Jakarta and Hanoi are the two most polluted cities in Southeast Asia, according to the report.

But while China has already curbed coal use to meet politically important smog targets, and India this year launched a nationwide anti-pollution program, Tsafos said Southeast Asia was a "blind spot."

Lawsuit

Like many Asian countries, Indonesia is experiencing a rise in urbanization, population and economic growth and is scrambling to find ways to increase its power capacity.

Jakarta has about 10 coal power plants within a 100-kilometer (60-mile) radius of the city, green campaigners said, with up to three more being planned.

Now 20 Jakarta residents are to file a lawsuit against Indonesian President Joko Widodo, backed by non-governmental organizations including environmental group Greenpeace.

They argue policymakers have not done enough to tackle air pollution in the capital and hope to force the government to move away from coal power and into renewables.

Sapardan’s medical expertise will be used in the action, which will also target the governors of Jakarta and its surrounding regions as well as the country’s health and forestry ministers.

They want a tightening of air standards, coordinated efforts to tackle air pollution, and recognition by the central government of the link between coal-power plants and air pollution, to force a change in power policy.

"The global trend is now to stay away from coal, but in Southeast Asia it has gone the other way, including in Indonesia," said Tata Mustasya, climate and energy campaign coordinator at Greenpeace Southeast Asia.

"We still use coal and are expanding it to meet our power needs."

A spokesman for Widodo, who will stand for re-election in national polls next month, was unable to provide an immediate comment, while the energy ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

Asia-Pacific consumed 75 percent of the world’s coal in 2017, according to the BP Statistical Review of World Energy, up from 50 percent 20 years ago.

An abundance of locally produced, cheap coal and a failure to promote alternative energy sources were key reasons for Asia bucking the global trend away from coal, energy experts said.

"We have cases in the Philippines where people are suffering respiratory diseases because of coal-power plants and coal ash from which they will never recover," said Rayyan Hassan, executive director at the NGO Forum on ADB in Manila.

Cash flow

With many investment and development banks moving away from coal projects, financing Asia’s coal boom has been left to state-backed banks and bilateral agencies, energy experts and environmental campaigners said.

Japan ramping up its coal-power capacity after the Fukushima nuclear disaster had led to a boon in clean-coal technologies that were now being exported across Asia, said green activists, who also cited China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

"There is a narrative that says a lot of this is being enabled by the Belt and Road Initiative — that China is exporting coal technology and generation to the region," said Tsafos.

But as renewable energy becomes more competitive, market forces will help move Asia away from coal, said Yongping Zhai, an energy expert at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila.

The ADB’s 2009 energy policy states that the bank can still consider coal projects in rare cases where the power provides energy access to the poor and uses advanced technologies.

Despite this, the ADB has no coal-power projects in the pipeline and the last coal-power project it was involved with was back in 2013, said Zhai.

Although the effects of air pollution in Asia would be felt for decades, Tsafos said calls for clean air in China had led to a reduction in coal consumption and this could now be mirrored in other parts of Asia.

"Local air pollution can be a really good agent of change,” he said. "That’s where pressure can pop up really quickly because people can see the damage but also politicians can show that they’ve delivered results."

The post Asia’s Coal Addiction Puts Chokehold on its Air-Polluted Cities appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Land Lost, Families Uprooted as Myanmar Pushes Industrial Zones

Posted: 20 Mar 2019 09:19 PM PDT

MYAING THAR YAR, Yangon Region—Than Ei lived in the Thilawa area near Yangon for years, growing vegetables in her backyard and sending her two children to school with money from her husband’s construction job.

Then came the government order to move. Than Ei’s family was among 68 households relocated in 2013 to make way for the Thilawa Special Economic Zone (SEZ), the first such industrial area in Myanmar, about 23 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of Yangon.

Authorities said each family would get a home a few miles away, or a plot of land and money to build a house, as well as jobs in the new factories, with good wages.

But six years on, Than Ei and others who moved say their incomes are lower than before, and they have only limited access to services. Many families sold their homes and left the area after they ran out of money, Than Ei said.

"There is no land to grow vegetables or to keep chickens, and we are not close to transport or the market anymore," Than Ei said outside her one-room home in Myaing Thar Yar Village.

"My husband only got a job as a security guard two years after (the move). We had to take out a loan until then, which we are still paying off."

For developing nations like Myanmar — which emerged from decades of economic isolation in 2011 when the military stepped back from direct control — SEZs are seen as a way to attract much-needed foreign investment and create jobs.

Authorities say Thilawa SEZ is being built according to international environmental and social safeguards, which includes getting the consent of residents and offering adequate compensation.

But for those whose lives have been uprooted by the country’s economic ambitions, the reality is different, said Mike Griffiths, a researcher at the Myanmar Social Policy and Poverty Research Group, a think tank based in Yangon.

"They not only have lower levels of income, but are more likely to have higher expenditure, higher rates of debt and lower employment rates," he wrote in a report last year on the relocated households.

"The picture is of extreme vulnerability."

Risky model

The model for economic growth that Myanmar and other countries in the region hope to emulate is that of China, which in the 1980s set up about half a dozen major SEZs to boost its market reforms.

Experts say SEZs have contributed significantly to China’s economic growth, with the World Bank estimating in 2015 that they accounted for nearly a quarter of the country’s GDP.

Spurred by China’s example, governments from sub-Saharan Africa to Southeast Asia have adopted SEZs, but analysts say they have a mixed record of success.

"The model has passed its use-by-date, and officials have been slow to catch on," said Charlie Thame, a professor of political science at Bangkok’s Thammasat University.

"Even from an economic point of view they are fraught with risk, mostly borne by host states."

In poorer nations, SEZs "overwhelmingly fail to provide decent jobs or generate beneficial effects to local economies," he said, and domestic legislation and international investment frameworks largely fail to protect those affected.

No consultation

When completed, the Thilawa SEZ will cover some 2,400 hectares (9 sq. miles) of land. Dozens of manufacturers, largely making goods for export, are already operating there.

Thilawa is the only operational SEZ in the country, with the Dawei SEZ in the southern region of Tanintharyi on hold after some initial construction. A third SEZ is planned, with Chinese investment, in Kyauk Pyu in Rakhine State.

The site in Thilawa had been earmarked for industrial use under the junta government in 1996, but the original plans fell through.

When authorities announced the start of development for the SEZ six years ago, they said since the land already belonged to the government, villagers living on it were only eligible to be compensated for their crops.

None of the residents made to move were consulted on the economic or social impacts of the development, said Mya Hlaing, a member of the Thilawa Social Development Group, which was set up to represent the villagers.

"We were also promised training and jobs, but very few have got jobs — and even then, only as cleaners and security guards," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

A spokesman for Myanmar Japan Thilawa Development, which operates Zone 1 of the SEZ, said the land acquisition was carried out by government authorities, and that those affected had been offered several job opportunities.

Myanmar authorities did not respond to calls and e-mails seeking comment.

Backlash

About 600 kilometers away in southern Myanmar, development of the Dawei SEZ has been suspended since 2013, after it sparked community protests and hit funding difficulties.

The project is a joint venture of the Thai and Myanmar governments, and includes a 140-kilometer road to the Thai border, a port, a power plant, a reservoir and an industrial estate.

Most residents affected by the initial phase of construction refused to move into the nearly 500 homes that had been built a couple of miles away.

"We were not told what types of factories would be built or what their impact would be," said Mar Lar, who sold some of her land in the southern Htein Gyi village but still lives in her own home.

Residents in Dawei fear construction on the stalled project will resume soon, even as a backlash against SEZs is growing.

Protests broke out in Vietnam last year over planned new SEZs.

In India, the Supreme Court has asked why land acquired for SEZs is not being used, and the Myanmar government has scaled back its Kyauk Pyu project with China over fears of a debt trap.

But back in Thilawa, the second phase of construction is about to kick off and will see the relocation of more than 800 families, said Aye Khaing Win, a community leader.

"The government says the SEZ has done many good things, but we have lost our land. We have not benefited," he said.

The post Land Lost, Families Uprooted as Myanmar Pushes Industrial Zones appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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