Tuesday, April 9, 2019

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Meth Use Rising in Myanmar, Thailand, Southern China: Report

Posted: 09 Apr 2019 07:21 AM PDT

YANGON — The use of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) is on the rise across Myanmar, Thailand and southern China, according to a new report by the Netherlands-based Transnational Institute (TNI).

“Methamphetamine use in Myanmar, Thailand and southern China: Assessing Practices, Reducing Harm,” launched Monday in Yangon, says ATS use has been on the up across the region for the past decade.

That’s despite what the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime recently said was a drop in the area under poppy cultivation in Myanmar from 41,000 hectares in 2017 to 37,300 hectares last year, continuing a downward trend since 2014 in the world’s second largest opium producer.

TNI says more than a year of research went into its report, including visits to Yangon, Kachin State and Tanintharyi Region.

"Trends are quite similar in the areas where we had conducted the research,” TNI Myanmar Program researcher Renaud Cachia told The Irrawaddy at the launch.

“Methamphetamine is popular and many people use and the availability has become more easier. The prices have either decreased or some places increased…. But where they increased, they are small increases and they are quite available,” he said.

Depending on the area, the prices of a tablet — also known as WY, yaba or yama — varies from 1,000 kyats to 3,500 kyats, according to TNI.

U Ye Thiha, a member of a drug users network in Shan State’s Lashio Township, said meth prices in the area have remained stable since 2000.

"One WY tablet costs about 500 kyats, but sometimes you can get it at the original price of 300, 400 kyats," he said.

U Ye Thiha said the tablets remain abundant despite the rising number of drug busts.

He said he took meth for several years before joining the network in 2007 to promote harm reduction practices among fellow users.

Nang Hom, who works with the Pa-O Youth Organization in Taunggyi, the capital of Shan State, said meth pills in her area go or as little as 200 kyats.

With easy access to the little pink tablets, she said, even boys as young as 12 and girls in university are trying them.

In March, police seized 10 million meth pills in Rakhine State and Magwe Region worth more than 7 billion kyats ($4.6 million). Last year, an operation led by the President's Office netted 211.1 billion kyats ($132 million) worth of meth tablets and crystal meth between June and October.

"While methamphetamine tablets are mostly smoked, crystal methamphetamine has a greater potential to be injected and is also a more potent substance. It therefore carries specific health risks that need to be addressed through the lens of public health rather than criminal justice," TNI said in its report.

Researchers and drug policy experts urged the governments to consider creating robust public health approaches to reduce the use of ATS rather than rely on repressive laws.

Cachia said a better understanding of meth use was needed to develop effective interventions that can help reduce the negative consequences of drug uses, help people protect their health and create safer communities.

"All of these countries have tried to respond to increasing drug use with ever-more punitive measures, more arrests, more seizures everywhere and very significant increases in the number of arrests and in the number of seizures in Myanmar, but also in Thailand, also in China, in Vietnam — all across the region," he said. "The results everywhere were similar, where they have not been successful in curbing the use. So … they should review the strategy."

But in Myanmar, Cachia said, the government’s line was about as sophisticated as “drugs are bad.”

"Often we found out that people who use methamphetamine in Myanmar did not have anywhere they could get the information on the products, so they have to learn by experiences,” he said. “So they started using and then they came to understand what are the benefits, what are the negative consequences, and they became somehow experts with a lot of knowledge. But they have to learn by experience.”

There are also social and legal barriers to raising awareness about drug and harm reduction practices, said U Lin Aung Thu, program coordinator for the Asia Harm Reduction Network. The non-government group has been working in Kachin and Shan states and in Sagaing Region on harm reductions awareness, treatment and prevention for more than 15 years.

"It is best that people don't use it," U Lin Aung Thu said.

But if they do, he added, and if they are aware of the possible health consequences, they can help protect themselves from infections from HIV and other diseases.

The post Meth Use Rising in Myanmar, Thailand, Southern China: Report appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

New Weekend Market to Open in Yangon Next Month

Posted: 09 Apr 2019 06:14 AM PDT

A new weekend market will be launched in Pansodan in Yangon's downtown area with the aim of developing a new tourist attraction for the city and supporting Myanmar's tourism marketing.

Yangon Weekend Market-Pansodan is being organized by the Golden Market Myanmar Company. Speaking at a press conference, company's director Ma May Myat Aung said, "When the Yangon Regional Government called a tender for this new weekend market project, we applied. Now we have this chance to host the new Yangon Weekend Market."

The Yangon Weekend Market is scheduled to open next month. It will be open at two different times; a morning market and a night market. Over 80 stalls will be included and the weekend market's stalls will be on Pansodan and Bank roads.

"Some shops will be selling all day but some don't want to open in the morning. That's why we divided it into two times," Ma May Myat Aung said.

Yangon Weekend Market-Pansodan will offer various foods, clothes and souvenirs but will focus on promoting local products, she said.

"So, the weekend market is not only for food stalls; there will be other exciting activities and entertainments programs will be included too. We want to create another attraction for both locals and foreigners," Ma May Myat Aung said.

The market will also have an SME shop section whose aim is to create job opportunities for people who want to create a new start-up business, including full-time and part-time vendors.

She added that, "We will focus on food hygiene. And yes, of course, we have a team to clean the roads after hours."

The rental price for a stall is 25,000 kyats for a whole day.

"For business owners who are taking only evening or morning stalls, we have other prices. We will monitor them to ensure they sell products at reasonable prices as well," Ma May Myat Aung said.

Golden Market Myanmar contracted with Yangon Region Government to host the weekend market for one year.

"The government just gave the company permission to do this project. So, we don't need to use any public funds for this project," said Daw Naw Pan Thinzar Myo, the Yangon regional minister of Kayin ethnic affairs, at the press conference.

She added that, "This weekend market will be different from the old night market on Strand Road. The purpose is different and the stalls will be different too."

The weekend market will also feature cocktail stalls, because the purpose is to create a tourist attraction.

"Only 10 percent of the stalls will be cocktail shops. So, it's not too much," said Ma May Myat Aung.

Yangon Weekend Market-Pansodan will be open on Saturdays and Sundays starting on May 4. The company is preparing a parking lot for visitors and tour buses.

The post New Weekend Market to Open in Yangon Next Month appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Kachin Locals in the Dark Over China-Backed Industrial Zone Plan

Posted: 09 Apr 2019 05:52 AM PDT

YANGON—Since January, residents of Namjim Village northwest of the Kachin State capital Myitkyina have witnessed a number of Chinese workers bustling around the area.

Around 10 kilometers from the village, just across the Namkoi River, Chinese workers have been conducting a ground survey for a project site.

The road connecting Namjim Village to the project site is very rocky and at some points extremely narrow. The location of this project is not near the China-Myanmar border where Chinese investors usually prefer to carry out their investment projects.

Now, however, a Chinese company has announced grand plans to build the massive Myitkyina Economic Development Zone (MEDZ) on approximately 4,700 acres of land along the historic Ledo Road. The Ledo Road was built during World War II to enable the Western allies to deliver supplies to China and thus aid the war effort against Japanese forces. It was an overland connection between Ledo in India's Assam and Kunming in China's Yunnan Province. Experts say China has chosen the area strategically, with an ultimate aim to link it with India as part of its Belt and Road Initiative.

The Yunnan Tengchong Heng Yong Investment Company (YTHIC) and the Myitkyina Economic Development Zone Committee (MEDZC), formed by Kachin State government, are expected to invest a combined total of more than US$400 million in the MEDZ which is to include nearly 500 factories and 5,000 buildings at the project site located 25 kilometers from Myitkyina.

Strategic importance

Currently, Kachin State is home to a number of China-backed investments ranging from hydropower to mining to agriculture. But the MEDZ was one of the lesser-known China-backed projects to be planned for the state—that was until Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Hong Liang's visit to the site area in late December 2018. The Chinese ambassador said the economic zone will be a crucial part of China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) which is being implemented under the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor agreement. The initiative is President Xi's grand vision to create a network of trade routes from China to Europe passing through Central Asia, the Middle East and Russia. Unveiled in 2013, the BRI aims to ultimately encompass nearly 70 countries and two-thirds of the world's population.

As well as the MEDZ, both Myanmar and China have planned to construct another $5-million "economic cooperation zone" as part of the BRI plan in Kanpiketi, a town in Kachin State's Special Region 1, which is under the control of a militia group called the New Democratic Army-Kachin.

The MEDZ investors signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in May 2018. The Chinese company, YTHYIC, is owned by the Yunnan Baoshan Hengyi Group and Tengchong Border Economic Cooperation Zone, a company based in Baoshan, Yunnan. The former's company chairperson met several ministers in Naypyitaw last year to discuss the construction of the economic development zone in detail.

According to the MoU viewed by the Irrawaddy, both sides will collaborate to draw up a master plan, to calculate the estimate cost, rules and regulations, the share ratio and other framework details based on the project investment procedures. Moreover, YTHIC and the state government have agreed to establish a joint venture company to implement the zone —a collaboration between YTHIC and the government-affiliated company. Both sides also agreed that YTHIC would cover expenses such as feasibility studies and the environmental impact assessment (EIA). Later, the joint venture company must pay back all expenses to the YTHIC.

According to the agreement, the joint venture company will obtain a 50-year lease for the land and the government must transfer the land rights within 90 days of the company's formation.

The MoU outlines the responsibilities of the Kachin government, such as the forming of one-stop service facility and related investment organizations for the MEDZ. It is also tasked with getting project permissions from various government departments, following tax procedures and applying for relevant tax exemptions as outlined in the local investment law. Both sides agreed not to disclose information concerning the project to third parties.

The MoU says the Chinese company has full authority to invite third-party investors and that the Kachin State government will not allow any other similar project near Myitkyina during the project's 15-year implementation period.

Kachin Minister U Khet Aung told The Irrawaddy that both sides are currently drawing up the framework agreement for the formation of the joint venture company.

"The framework agreement is vital for forming a joint venture company. Both sides are also working on the master plan and feasibility study," he said.

U Khet Aung declined to comment on whether the government has chosen a government-affiliated company to form the company in conjunction with the Chinese company. He also didn't reveal when it will be announced officially.

The Kachin government has proposed for the 15-year implementation period to be reduced to 10 years, while the Chinese company has called for an 80 percent share of the ownership with the Kachin government joint venture company taking the remaining 20 percent. However, according to Kachin State's chief minister, as discussions on forming a joint venture company are still ongoing, specific details on the project cannot be revealed yet.

U Khet Aung revealed his willingness to get the project off the ground: "I am pushing the related minister to speed up the process, especially the forming of a joint venture company and agreement."

According to the minister, they will apply for permission from the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) after the master plan is approved by the joint venture company.

Transparency over land-grab issues

When The Irrawaddy visited the project area in the first week of April and spoke to locals, they said they don't know specific information about the project or who the land owners in the project area are.

U Zaw Lwin, a Namjim Village ward administrator, told The Irrawaddy that he also has no information about the project. Yet, he was ordered to deploy police for the security of the Chinese land surveyors' security.

"The order came from above," he said, referring to the state government.

As more and more Chinese staff are coming into the project area which is being marked out by the surveyors, concerns are rising among locals—especially the owners of land which lies within the project area.

The Irrawaddy learnt that though no one lives in the project area, it has long been planted with crops, rubber trees and other medicinal plants. While a handful of people do have official documents to prove their rights to the land, a majority do not have ownership certificates for land they have been cultivating for generations.

"Chinese company workers have been clearing out some areas of the site without [consulting] the owners. They entered our land to measure it without asking us," U Khun Myat Min Aung, told The Irrawaddy. He is the owner of six acres of land in the project area.

Land-grabbing is one the major issues in Kachin State, especially in Waimaw Township across the river from Myitkyina where there is a proliferation of Chinese-operated banana plantations. According to the Kachin State parliament speaker, the parliament's complaints committee received 345 complaints from locals since the NLD took office in the state and 179 of the complaints were over land-grabbing.

Recently, a group of landowners formed a committee in order to negotiate with officials over a particular 650 acres of land in the project area which was originally given by the government to practitioners of traditional medicine for growing medicinal plants. Last year, the state government agreed to give the official rights to farm the land to the famers in those areas. However, though officers have carried out land surveys, the famers haven't been given the official documents.

"After the project MoU was signed, the local administration department said they would no longer give us the farmland tenure," said U Khun Myat Min Aung.

"The local officer said we are just trespassers. The project will be implemented in that area, so we have to leave the land," he said.

A local lawyer, U Gannes Basnez who works with local residents on land issues said, "The people's main concern is that they will lose their land without knowing anything about it."

Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Hong Liang visits the Economic Development Zone project area 10 km from Namjim Village northwest of Myitkyina, Kachin State on December 29, 2018. / Chinese Embassy Yangon / Facebook

Despite landowners sending several letters to officials and expressing their concerns, they have not received any replies of information on how the government will handle the compensation process and local resentment towards the project.

U Khun Myat Min Aung has personally sent five request letters to the chief minister and related government departments. His request is for his land not to be included in the project area or for him to be adequately compensated.

"They haven't replied to my request at all," he said.

Last month, President U Win Myint warned the state government to have transparency and accountability on the projects across Kachin State, saying, "It is important to negotiate with the people. People need to know about it [the projects]."

Despite the president's warning, local residents said the government is still silent about further decisions on the project.

"We officially sent three letters to the chief minister, but we didn't receive any reply from him," said U Gannes Basnez.

A local resident named Lu Ra said, "I didn't know what to do after I heard about the project."

Lu Ra's late sister and brother-in-law owned about 8 acres of land in the project areas.

"Both died two years ago leaving two children," she said. "We can't ask them to stop the project, but the children deserve to get compensation," she added.

Questions prompted

Kachin State Lawmaker U Khin Maung Myint said even local lawmakers have little knowledge about the project.

"The agreement was made among a handful of people. It's no wonder that the agreement doesn't represent all local people," said U Khin Maung Myint.

Chief Minister U Khet Aung told The Irrawaddy of his hopes for over 5,000 jobs to be created for locals through the project. However, he refused to comment about the land rights issues, saying that they will be handled by the related departments of the state government.

U Khin Maung Myint said, "When it comes to talking about job opportunities, I don't believe locals will get good job opportunities. Chinese companies always employ their own laborers."

Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Hong Liang visits the Economic Development Zone project area 10 km from Namjim Village northwest of Myitkyina, Kachin State on December 29, 2018. / Chinese Embassy Yangon / Facebook

He pointed out that Chinese companies operating the controversial banana plantations in Kachin State tend to only employ Chinese workers in supervisor positions and even as truck drivers.

Across Kachin State, negative sentiment has been mounting over Chinese projects following Beijing's recent efforts to revive the controversial Myitsone hydropower dam project. In response to a statement released by the Chinese embassy in Yangon on Jan. 13 claiming that Kachin people are not opposed the dam project, three prominent Kachin parties issued a statement the following day, officially calling for the dam project to be cancelled permanently. The statement also said that all industrial projects in the state should not be implemented until peace prevails there.

Gumgrawng Awng Hkam, president of the Kachin Democratic Party, said that an alliance of Kachin parties will oppose the MEDZ if there is no transparency and if it is not supported by the local residents.

Recently, the landowner's committee met with the alliance of parties to request Kachin politicians to mediate during the negotiation process with government officials. Moreover, the committee also met with a lawyers' association based in Myitkyina for their assistance in legal issues. U Khun Myat Min Aung said the committee plans to send an official request letter for a meeting with the Kachin chief minister at the end of April.

"We already tried many times through official channels. If it doesn't work [this time], we have to go out into the street," he said.

The post Kachin Locals in the Dark Over China-Backed Industrial Zone Plan appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

U Shwe Mann Says He Doesn’t Visit U Than Shwe Anymore

Posted: 09 Apr 2019 05:41 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW—Former Lower House Speaker U Shwe Mann said he no longer calls on military strongman U Than Shwe, the leader of the military regime that ruled the country from 1998 to 2010.

Speaking to the media at his residence on Monday, the retired general and the third-most-powerful man in the former military regime said in response to The Irrawaddy's questions that he is no longer visiting U Than Shwe because it only sets off wild speculation.

"At present, we just mind our own business and the relationship is normal. Because of the wild speculation about our social relationship, I don't visit him," he said.

In response to rumors spreading on social media that U Than Shwe had died, he said, "As far as I know, he is in good health."

On April 4, the Speaker Journal reported that Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in February accompanied U Than Shwe to visit the jetty and airport in Coco Islands in Yangon Region.

The Irrawaddy could not independently confirm the report.

While he was serving as Lower House Speaker, U Shwe Mann told reporters in 2013 that U Than Shwe still took an interest in Myanmar's political process, though he was no longer directly involved in it.

When the military transferred power to a quasi-civilian government after the 2010 election, U Than Shwe hand-picked ex-general U Thein Sein as the president, U Shwe Mann as the Lower House speaker and Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing as his military successor.

Ex-generals who served in the top positions of the military government, the State Peace and Development Council, live in six mansions numbered from A 1 to A 6 in Naypyitaw. Retired Vice Senior General Maung Aye lives between U Than Shwe and U Shwe Mann, and the three others are owned by retired General U Tin Aung Myint Oo, former president U Thein Sein and former Union Election Commission chairman U Tin Aye.

U Shwe Mann said he still has personal ties with State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi despite the abolition of the Parliament’s Legal Affairs and Special Cases Assessment Commission led by him.

He moved to ally himself with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the National League for Democracy, ahead of the 2015 general election, and though he lost his race to an NLD candidate that year, he was appointed by her to head the commission.

When asked by The Irrawaddy if his Union Betterment Party would forge an alliance with the NLD, he said he is willing to cooperate with any party that respects democracy and human rights. His party will be headquartered at his residence, he said.

Having served in the military for 45 years, he is deeply attached to the Tatmadaw, U Shwe Mann said.

"There is a need to distinguish between Tatmadaw, the organization and its individual members. Otherwise, national reconciliation can't be achieved," he said.

He also presented the reporters with two books on the role his commission played in the democratization process of Myanmar, and the commission's works over its three years of existence.

The post U Shwe Mann Says He Doesn't Visit U Than Shwe Anymore appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

A Week in Korea: Barefoot Hiking, a Brush with History and the DMZ Close Up

Posted: 09 Apr 2019 05:32 AM PDT

Climbing mountains is an age-old pastime, but Mt. Gyejok Red Clay Road in Daejeon City, in the central region of South Korea, famously puts a twist on the activity with its barefoot hiking.

The attraction was created by Cho Wung Rae, president of the Mackiss Company, a regional distiller of soju traditional Korean liquor. The idea behind it is indeed simple. Cho got the idea after his first experience of barefoot walking in 2006 while on a normal hike with friends. A woman in his group was tottering on high heels, so he gave her his shoes and walked barefoot on the gravel path. That night, he realized the positive effects of barefoot walking: sound sleep and stress release. He wanted to share his discovery with as many people as possible.

So he began spreading red clay, which is pleasing to the touch and warms the body, over a 14.5-km gravel path.

Participants who went on a barefoot walk on Mt. Gyejok Red Clay Road pose for a photo. / Journalists Association of Korea

The trail was one of the site visits during the recent World Journalist Conference, which I attended. The Journalists Association of Korea invited more than 70 journalists from 50 countries to attend the annual international conference in the last week of March.

Upon arriving at the entrance to the red clay road, we received a clean towel to wipe away the sweat and also to clean our feet after walking. Mr. Cho was waiting for us there to join the walk.

If you don't want to walk barefoot on the red clay road, you can walk on the normal road. As walking on the clay road is believed to have health benefits such as preventing and healing diseases and stress relief, I chose to take off my tight shoes and do the barefoot hike.

To keep the red clay in optimum condition and offer visitors maximum healing, tons of red clay are spread on the trail and watered every day. Cho said the cost is covered by his soju company's profits.

A Barefoot Festival is held every May, and the Mackiss Opera holds a "Fun Fun Classic Concert" every Saturday and Sunday at Mt. Gyejok.

Participants walk barefoot on Mt. Gyejok Red Clay Road / San Yamin Aung / The Irrawaddy

This simple but innovative idea made me think it would be great if the leading business groups in our country offered such contributions to the community. That's not to say there are no businesspeople in Myanmar giving back to society. But mostly it is in the form of customary donations and other charitable activities. Innovative ideas like the Mt. Gyejok Red Clay Road create enjoyment for the community while boosting their health and connectedness, and increasing their incomes.

At Mt. Gyejok Red Clay Road, what began as a simple idea to share one man's joy with more people has became a famous landmark and "eco-healing" spot in South Korea, attracting more than 1 million people yearly. It has been selected as one of the Korea Tourism Organization's must-visit tourist spots in from 2015 to 2020.

A group of young people visit the National Cemetery and Memorial Hall in Gwangju City to pay their respects to fallen heroes. / San Yamin Aung / The Irrawaddy

While visiting heritage and cultural sites and different cities in South Korea during the week, the government's investment in Artificial Intelligence (AI) was visible. In Daejeon, we toured the government-funded Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute.

Daejeon's vice mayor for political affairs Park Young Soon said the central government allocated annual budgets for the research institutes, though he declined to provide precise figures.

The democracy-activist-turned-vice mayor told me he is a friend of Min Ko Naing, a well-respected democracy activist and former political prisoner in Myanmar. The vice mayor was also once imprisoned for his political activism.

The modern histories of Korea and Myanmar include similar popular struggles for democracy against dictatorships.

The 'Daedong World' monument represents the time in May 1980 when the citizens of Gwangju overcame sorrow, sang songs of victory and struggled to maintain social order. / San Yamin Aung / The Irrawaddy

One striking difference, however, is that Korea now has a national cemetery and memorial hall to honor the fallen heroes and those who didn't hesitate to sacrifice during its May 18 democratization movement in 1980, centered in Gwangju City. Those responsible for the massacre also stood trial murder and insurrection.

In Myanmar, despite the push by the 88 generation student leaders who took part in the country's popular 8888 Uprising in 1988, which ended in a bloody military coup, to establish a history museum, none has been established to date. The current Yangon regional government has agreed to do so and held meetings with the organizing committee for the 8888 museum since 2017. However, they have been unable to reach an agreement regarding land acquisition for the museum.

Our group also got to visit the Independence Hall of Korea in Cheonan—a Korean history museum focusing on the oppression of Japanese colonial rule and Korea's independence movement. Out of seven indoor exhibition halls there, I got a chance to explore two.

A museum exhibit displays scenes showing how Korean freedom fighters were oppressed and tortured under Japanese rule. The exhibit features sensor-triggered figures and canned screams of pain. / San Yamin Aung / The Irrawaddy

Unlike museums in Myanmar, the exhibition tour is exciting, as it displays not only a collection of historical materials but also interactive displays depicting scenes of how Korean freedom activists were oppressed and tortured featuring sensor-triggered figures, and canned screams of pain, bringing Korean history alive.

The exhibition tells "how a human can be cruel and how a human can be strong," a guide from the museum told us.

Being both educational and entertaining, the museums in Korea seem popular among both foreigners and locals. It was crowded even on the Friday when we visited. The old and the young as well as military personnel were seen visiting the museum.

A big screen shows depictions of the Korean people's struggle for independence under Japanese colonial rule. / San Yamin Aung / The Irrawaddy

It also served visitors well with a large space, rest areas, food stalls and parking facilities. Visitors can also participate in an audio tour while listening to a detailed audio guide available in English, Chinese and Japanese.

After the conference, I got a chance to join the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) tour at the invitation of the Korea Tourism Organization. The DMZ was established in 1953 when the armistice deal was signed between the two Koreas to serve as a buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea.

The stops on the tour included the Imjingak tourist site, which exhibits various artifacts and monuments related to the Korean War, the 3rd Tunnel, one of four tunnels built by North Korea into the South that have been discovered; the Dora Observatory, the closest area to the North, where people can see North Korea by telescope; and the youth hostel at Camp Greaves, where one can spend the night.

The Bridge of Freedom (left) stands next to an old bridge destroyed during the Korean War.

Camp Greaves is a former U.S. Army base located within a restricted area renovated into a DMZ experience site with lodging facilities.

We weren't allowed to enter the Joint Security Area (JSA) where North and South Korean forces stand face-to-face because of security reasons. One person in our group speculated that top-level inter-Korean talks for the unification of the two countries were being held. But we did get a chance to explore the Civilian Control Line (CCL), an area normally restricted to civilians.

Without permission to enter you would immediately be shot, our guide warned us. No photos are allowed and 360-degree CCTV cameras placed along the line checked each of us out.

Tourists visit Imjingak near the Demilitarized Zone. / San Yamin Aung / The Irrawaddy

Carrying on with the group, I walked along the line and talked to a solider accompanying us who looked around 20 years old. He was deployed there for two years with another 500 or so soldiers to safeguard the zone from any intruders.

It was an exciting trip not only for foreign tourists like us, but also for the locals who joined the tour. A young Korean lady said it was her first visit to the area. Her favorite spot was the Dora Observatory, where she glimpsed the other half of a divided nation about which she had long been curious to know more.

Having been a restricted area for decades, the very well-preserved natural ecosystem has become a major eco-tourism destination.

The area is also a popular destination among locals, as many areas are open to the general public, while some areas remain restricted. Many families, groups of friends and students visit the sites. With hope, their message of peace and unification will spread across the DMZ.

The post A Week in Korea: Barefoot Hiking, a Brush with History and the DMZ Close Up appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Myanmar’s Military Chief in Beijing on Goodwill Visit

Posted: 09 Apr 2019 02:55 AM PDT

YANGON—Myanmar military chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing is currently in Beijing on a goodwill visit at the invitation of China's Central Military Commission and Chief of Joint Staff Gen. Li Zuocheng to hold talks with leaders of the Chinese People's Liberation Army and tour training schools, factories and other significant places.

The tour came two weeks ahead of Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's visit to the country's northern neighbor to attend the second Belt and Road forum, which is scheduled to start on April 26. During the meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the State Counselor will likely discuss controversial Chinese projects in Myanmar, including the Myitsone dam and a suspended hydropower project in Kachin State.

During a meeting with religious leaders in Kachin State in February, Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing said a final decision on the Myitsone dam would depend on the public's wishes and on Parliament.

This is Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing's fifth visit to China since becoming the commander-in-chief of Myanmar's military in 2011.

The military delegation, including Lt-Gen Than Tun Oo, Lt-Gen Soe Htut and senior military officers from the army's Office of the Commander-in-Chief, first left for Kunming on Monday, and has already had a meeting with Yunnan Province Communist Party Secretary Mr. Chen Hao. In the afternoon, the delegation was welcomed to Beijing by officials from the Office for International Military Cooperation of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

The post Myanmar's Military Chief in Beijing on Goodwill Visit appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Natl Human Rights Commission to Probe Irrawaddy Man’s Death in Custody

Posted: 09 Apr 2019 02:11 AM PDT

YANGON — The Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (MNHRC) says it will investigate the death of an Irrawaddy Region man while in police custody last month.

The body of U Kyaw Aye, 50, a resident of Su Twin Myit Kalay Village in Irrawaddy Region's Wakema Township, was returned to his family six days after he was arrested by three officers from a local police station. The man’s sister-in-law, Daw Than Than Moe, filed a complaint with the MNHRC last week.

MNHRC Secretary U Phone Kywe told The Irrawaddy what the commission would begin an investigation on Thursday.

According to Daw Than Than Moe, police arrested U Kyaw Aye on March 21, a day after a village administrator got into a brawl with him and his wife when he intervened in a quarrel the couple was having.

Daw Than Than Moe said he was arrested on a complaint from the administrator by two corporals and a constable from the Nga Pyaw Chaung police station and transferred to the Wakema central police station, where the township court denied him bail.

"I was there at the Wakema Township court that day. His face was covered in black and purple bruises so that I could hardly recognize him," Daw Than Than Moe told The Irrawaddy.

She said the family heard nothing from him after that and was informed of his death on the morning of March 27. The family was asked to retrieve his body from the Wakema People's Hospital and to open the body bag only at home.

"When we opened it, the intestines were outside of the body, his eyes were badly bruised, and his head was also shaved," Daw Than Than Moe said.

"We saw the injuries on his legs apparently caused by contact with something hot. His penis was cut off, and his ribs were apparently kicked with boots. He died from brutal torture," she said.

U Kyaw Aye is survived by his paralyzed wife and 8-year-old daughter.

"I want effective actions to be taken against the perpetrators including the villager administrator," said Daw Than Than Moe.

U Zaw Yan, a member of a local community-based human rights group helping the family, said his group has filed complaints with the authorities including the office of State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

"I am really worried that police have entrenched attitudes that they can crack cases only by beating suspects," he said.

The Wakema central police station could not be reached for comment.

In June, also in Irrawaddy Region, a suspected thief died while in police custody at the Dedaye Township police station. In May, police at the Labutta Township police station in Irrawaddy were demoted after they tortured two suspected burglars.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Natl Human Rights Commission to Probe Irrawaddy Man’s Death in Custody appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Quenching Myanmar’s Thirst for Craft Beer

Posted: 08 Apr 2019 11:01 PM PDT

YANGON—On a hot summer morning at a riverside plot in Yangon's North Dagon, a small team of brewers carry sacks of grain imported from Germany on their shoulders to a small mill. There's a brewer using a wooden paddle to stir the grain in the mashing tank. It's steamy and smelly and there are pressure and temperature gauges everywhere. The hot, gloopy mixture will go through sparging, boiling and fermentation, and malt, yeast and hops will be added in the perfect ratios to create the most deliciously smooth and refreshing craft beer in Myanmar.

This is Burbrit Craft Brewery, which was set up by a small group of enthusiasts in 2016, making history in Myanmar and delighting craft beer-lovers around Yangon. Initially, it took time to convince the local drinking community to pay up to five times more for a fresh, premium beer and outlets in the city and beyond were challenged by the necessity to keep it chilled at all times. But the brewery has defied the odds and gone from strength to strength, opening a flagship taproom close to downtown Yangon in 2017 and producing canned beer to supply 45 outlets right across the country this year.

Last week, The Irrawaddy interviewed three key team members behind Burbrit craft beer — general manager and co-founder Maung Zaw, factory manager Aung Kyaw Myo and marketing manager Zaw Min Aung — to find out what it takes to be successful in a nascent drinks industry and the exciting plans to produce a new line of beers.

Burbrit now offers four kinds of beer in cans. / Aung Kyaw Htet / The Irrawaddy

Who started Burbrit and why?

Maung Zaw: We have four founders—Htin Lin, myself, Guy Heathers and Win Kyaw—and the story started like this: Htin and Guy were working for the same company in Singapore and every Friday, Saturday they went to a brewpub named Brewerkz on the riverside drinking craft beer. They frequented the brewpub so much they would joke with each other about one day opening their own microbrewery. At that time, it was just a joke—not very serious. In 2013, myself and Htin came back to Myanmar and we got very serious about setting up a microbrewery and the others started pushing for us to buy a brewing license.

In 2014 we applied for the brewing license but it was very difficult because at the time it was government policy not to issue any more brewing licenses. We submitted the application without much expectation. In 2015, they replied that our application was rejected. But we didn't want to give up so easily. We changed the application to include that this brewing business would create a lot of jobs and would attract more tourists and we applied again. In 2016 we got the license.

Grain is milled at the Burbrit microbrewery. / Aung Kyaw Htet / The Irrawaddy

How has the company developed since then?

MZ: Actually, when we started our brewery, our brewing capacity was only 3,000 liters per month. We started with only three flavors. Three or four months later we added three more beer flavors. Now, we are brewing 10 regular beers and two or three seasonal beer flavors. The point is our product line is getting bigger and bigger. That was the first major change.

After that we managed to open the flagship taproom [Burbrit Taproom], because at the time a lot of people complained that North Dagon is very far and it's not convenient to come here and have a drink, so we opened the taproom in downtown to make it more accessible for people to come and drink craft beer. Another reason for opening the Taproom is branding, for marketing purposes actually. We wanted to have more visibility.

Recently we started to produce cans, which is very exciting. We expect to shift our cans to many different parts of Myanmar.

Yes, producing Burbrit craft beer in cans has become a game-changer for the customers. How does it change things for the company?

MZ: We are now distributing [canned craft beer] to supermarkets like City Mart, Capital and Orange. And regarding the price, while a bottle of [our] beer was sold for around 6,000 kyats (US$4) in the past, beer drinkers can now buy a can [of it] for 2,500 kyats. Now we can also distribute to places further away. Through there was demand for our beer in Mandalay and Naypyitaw before now, we could not distribute it there. But with the production of beer cans, we can now supply it to many towns including Myeik, Nyaungshwe, Inle and up to Loikaw in Kayah State as well as Mandalay and Naypyitaw.

Brewers at the mashing tank in Burbrit microbrewery. / Aung Kyaw Htet / The Irrawaddy

How does Burbrit defend itself against the dominant beer brands already in the industry?

MZ: Myanmar Beer, Tuborg, Carlsberg and Heineken are targeted at those who want to drink a lot at a cheap price. Our craft beer is an upmarket one. We can't compete with them because the product is of a different nature. We don't have intentions to mass-produce. We don't have a strategy to defend [against their competition]. We will proceed according to our marketing strategy and business plan. We don't intend to compete with them.

 What are your ambitions in terms of the international market?

MZ: At this moment, our main focus is in Yangon, so we are doing a lot of marketing so people know our product and start noticing our beers, but we are also trying to find ways to export our beer to neighboring countries. Htin, my business partner, is working on it and we plan to ship our beer cans to Singapore and Thailand. That's what we are focusing on. We plan to export our beer to India, China and Japan as well. I think it will happen very soon. So yeah, we are trying to get our cans exported to the international market.

Burbrit's general manager Maung Zaw at the microbrewery. / Aung Kyaw Htet / The Irrawaddy

What's the fastest-selling Burbrit beer and why do you think it's so popular?

 MZ: German Weissen was our fastest-selling beer for the last two years. We introduced Nevada Pale Ale about four months ago and amazingly it has already overtaken all other beer flavors. There is for a few reasons—compared to other beer flavors, the American hops that we use make a hoppy flavor shine through. It is a very outstanding beer. Another reason is the maltiness. Myanmar people are rice-eating people and they like a malty kind of beer flavor. That hoppiness and maltiness, the balance makes it different to the other beers.

 What is the Burma Brewers Club?

Zaw Min Aung: The purpose of establishing the Burma Brewers Club is to give the knowledge of brewing in Myanmar, to develop brewing in Myanmar. We are the first to have a craft brewery in Myanmar so we need to educate people because otherwise they won't know what craft beer is or what it tastes like. That's why we have the Burma Brewers Club. We do demonstrations and give them samples of the special brews, the ones we are not currently selling, other kinds of beer flavors. The idea is that we want to introduce them to many kinds of [beer] flavors and to develop home brewing in Myanmar. Another thing is that we want to give them the message that beer-making is not so difficult.

Beer kegs and a wall decoration are seen at Burbrit microbrewery. / Aung Kyaw Htet / The Irrawaddy

How does Burbrit craft beer compare to other beers?

Aung Kyaw Myo: Normally, most of the industrial beer brands in the market are different from our product in terms of color and taste. Most of the industrial beers are clear [in color], and have a lot of CO2. Their strength is that they have a long shelf life. We don't put much CO2 in our craft beer. We don't filter them, so our beer is heavier than industrial beer and has a full flavor.

What can craft beer-lovers expect from Burbrit in the future?

MZ: We have plans to produce beer under a different brand name. We are experimenting with beer that can [stay fresh] in air-con temperatures. Our research and development team is working on that at the moment. So hopefully, in four or five months, we will have two beers that will be stable under air-con temperatures. When this new beer is out, hopefully we'll be able to distribute it to convenience stores in Yangon and further places like Myitkyina, Mandalay, wherever—you name it. At this moment we are selling fresh beer, which must be chilled all the time. The new beer will be more convenient for wholesalers, supermarkets, convenience stores. That's our next major project we're working on.

The post Quenching Myanmar's Thirst for Craft Beer appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China’s Regions Seek Support as Environmental Compliance Costs Hit

Posted: 08 Apr 2019 11:00 PM PDT

SHANGHAI—China’s cash-strapped regions are lobbying Beijing to loosen its purse strings to help fight pollution, saying they don’t have the funds to meet state policies aimed at fixing the damage done by decades of unrestricted development.

The cost of environmental compliance was a major theme at this month’s annual session of the National People’s Congress, where thousands of non-binding recommendations submitted by delegates give an insight into the major preoccupations of legislators.

Beijing has been at pains to stress it will not ease up in the “war on pollution” launched five years ago by Premier Li Keqiang, even though the economy grew at its slowest rate since 1990 last year.

But with resources tight and controlling debt a priority, many parliamentary delegates called for more spending support from Beijing and a more “coordinated” approach to keeping pollution in check and the economy on track.

“We cannot stop or hinder economic development in order to pursue environmental protection,” said delegate Pei Chunliang from central China’s Henan Province, which has struggled to find new sources of growth.

“In some regions the rules of economic development have not been respected,” Pei warned in a proposal calling for more support for environmentally friendly firms.

For regions under pressure to meet smog targets or resolve long-standing environmental problems while trying to meet growth targets, immediate relief is seen as essential.

“There is a big gap between fiscal revenues and expenditure,” said Zhang Leiming, mayor of the city of Pingdingshan in Henan, blaming the economic slowdown and the city’s dependence on coal.

Zhang said his city had spent hundreds of billions of yuan to tackle problems like land subsidence, but it was “far from enough”, and the state needed to establish a giant fund to help resource-dependent cities meet their goals.

Many regions called for state aid to rectify such longstanding pollution problems, with delegates from coal-producing regions like Shanxi lobbying for tax and debt relief.

Other regions are also struggling to implement new directives to prevent agricultural pollution and clean up rivers.

“Due to insufficient local financial resources and historical debts, it is difficult to meet the funding requirements,” said delegate Yu Huiwen, head of the environment bureau in Sichuan province, which is responsible for protecting the upstream area of the Yangtze.

The finance ministry said in its report to parliament this month that it will allocate 25 billion yuan (US$3.7 billion) to a smog prevention fund this year, a 25 percent increase on 2018, and 30 billion yuan to treat water pollution, up 45 percent.

Environment Minister Li Ganjie, who acknowledged earlier this year that some regions were struggling with the “historical burdens” of polluting industries, also told a briefing during the parliamentary session that China would provide more support for local governments.

The government was “currently studying and preparing to adopt new measures,” he said, but added it wasn’t just about money, but also policies and technical guidance.

“Whatever the difficulties, we will help them find a reasonable solution,” he said.

The post China’s Regions Seek Support as Environmental Compliance Costs Hit appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Thailand Ramps Up Fight Against Forced Labor With Stricter Law

Posted: 08 Apr 2019 10:07 PM PDT

BANGKOK — Thailand will use a newly amended law to crack down on forced labor with hefty fines and prison time, a move analysts said could help curb exploitative practices against migrant workers.

The Southeast Asian nation, which has come under scrutiny for slavery and trafficking in its seafood industry, has added “forced labor or service” as an offence in its anti-human trafficking law, according to a notification on Sunday.

Anyone found guilty can be jailed for four years and fined 400,000 Thai baht ($12,516), with more severe penalties if a victim is harmed.

“It shows the serious intent of the Thai government in tackling forced labor and improving the image of the country,” said Puttanee Kangkun, a human rights specialist with advocacy group Fortify Rights in Bangkok.

“It spells out the conditions, and the penalties are quite strict. But we have to see how effective the implementation is,” she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation on Monday.

There are about 4.9 million migrants in Thailand, making up more than 10 percent of the country’s workforce, according to the United Nations. Most are from poorer neighboring countries including Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

Migrant workers get few protections such as a minimum wage and overtime pay, and contend with unsafe working and living conditions, the U.N. said in a report earlier this year.

Besides the seafood industry, exploitative practices have been recorded in domestic work, construction, agriculture, livestock, hospitality, garment manufacturing and other sectors in the country, it said.

The amendment widens the definition of forced labor and includes anyone engaged in the purchase, sale, confinement or exploitation of a person.

It can be enforced immediately, whereas a new law could have taken years to draft and enact, said Ruttiya Bhula-Or, an assistant professor at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University.

“But its inclusion as part of the anti-human trafficking act can also make it less potent, and the definition of forced labor remains unclear,” she said.

Thailand has taken some steps to tackle abuse by eliminating recruitment fees paid by workers, and banning the practice of withholding identification documents.

Last June, it became the first country in Asia to ratify the forced labor protocol of the International Labor Organization (ILO) for combating all forms of forced labor, including trafficking, and ensuring access to remedies and compensation.

The post Thailand Ramps Up Fight Against Forced Labor With Stricter Law appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Second Group of Rohingya Muslims Found on Malaysian Beach — Police

Posted: 08 Apr 2019 09:46 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR—Thirty-seven people believed to be Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar were found on a beach in northern Malaysia on Monday, police said, the latest arrivals in what authorities fear could be a new wave of people smuggling by sea.

Dozens of Rohingya in Myanmar and Bangladesh have boarded boats in recent months to try to reach Malaysia, which had seen a decline in arrivals after a 2015 crackdown on trafficking.

Last month, 35 migrants were found on Sungai Belati beach in the northern state of Perlis.

On Monday, 37 men were detained around the town of Simpang Empat after landing at the same beach in the early morning, state police chief Noor Mushar Mohamad told Reuters.

“We believe they were travelling on a much larger boat, before being transferred into smaller boats at sea and taken to different places,” he said, adding the men were in good health and have been handed over to immigration officials.

More than 700,000 Rohingya crossed into Bangladesh in 2017 fleeing an army crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, according to U.N. agencies.

Myanmar regards Rohingya as illegal migrants from the Indian subcontinent and has confined tens of thousands to sprawling camps in Rakhine since violence swept the area in 2012.

Officials believe the migrants found on Monday are from Myanmar or Bangladesh.

“We are still investigating where the boats are coming from, but we suspect human trafficking syndicates are involved,” Noor Mushar said.

An outbreak of sectarian violence in Rakhine in 2012 prompted tens of thousands of Rohingya to flee Myanmar by sea. The exodus peaked in 2015, when an estimated 25,000 people fled across the Andaman Sea for Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, many drowning in unsafe and overloaded boats.

The post Second Group of Rohingya Muslims Found on Malaysian Beach — Police appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Constitutional Assembly Elected 72 Years Ago

Posted: 08 Apr 2019 06:59 PM PDT

The election for Myanmar's constitutional assembly was held on this day 72 years ago. The Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League (AFPFL), led by General Aung San, won a landslide victory with 95.3 percent of the vote in a poll held under the Aung San-Atlee Agreement.

The AFPFL submitted a draft constitution to the assembly in June 1947. Gen. Aung San and his colleagues were assassinated on July 19 as they were reviewing the draft.

Two months after Gen. Aung San's death, the assembly passed Myanmar's first Constitution, known as the 1947 Constitution. It took effect on Jan. 4, 1948, the day Myanmar regained independence. The first government of Myanmar was sworn in at the assembly the same day.

The 1947 Constitution came to an end in 1962 when the military staged a coup that toppled the AFPFL government.

The post Constitutional Assembly Elected 72 Years Ago appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)