Friday, April 26, 2019

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Gov’t, Kachin Humanitarian Group Vow to Work Together on IDPs’ Return

Posted: 26 Apr 2019 07:31 AM PDT

YANGON—The Kachin Humanitarian Concern Committee said it hopes peace talks between the government and the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) next week will further the process of returning internally displaced people (IDPs) to their homes.

On Friday, the government's National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC) and the KHCC discussed the matter and ways of cooperating further. Both sides agreed to facilitate coordination among the stakeholders on this matter, while the KHCC will coordinate with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), which gives the group its mandate, on the IDPs' return.

The KHCC and the government have agreed to work together to ensure the IDPs' safe and dignified return, and to follow international humanitarian standards as well as the NRPC's policies, they said in a joint statement released after Friday's meeting.

The government and the KHCC will meet again in early May to discuss a pilot program to resettle displaced villagers from selected IDP camps in Kachin and northern Shan states, according to Rev. Samson, the head of the KHCC, who met with the NRPC and Kachin State ministers.

"How fast or slow the IDPs return depends on the peace talks between the KIO/KIA and the NRPC. If the KIA signed a bilateral ceasefire agreement, it would smooth the process of returning the IDPs," Rev. Samson said.

More than 100,000 people from 171 villages in Kachin and northern Shan states are on the list for repatriation, after being displaced nearly eight years ago by renewed fighting between government forces and the KIA in June 2011. The efforts to facilitate the IDPs' returns started in mid-2017, when Kachin Baptist Convention leaders met with the State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.  At a meeting with the Kachin Baptist Convention in February, Myanmar military chief Snr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said the military would help returning the families and will cooperate with the KIO to clear landmines.

Rev. Samson told The Irrawaddy on Friday that the absence of a ceasefire agreement in the region, and the presence of military camps in some of the areas, hampered the return process.

He added that signing a bilateral agreement should come without conditions, which “would help the KIA to consider signing it” and help to “build trust” between the government and the KIO.

U Zaw Htay, the spokesman of the Myanmar State Counselor's Office, told reporters in Naypyitaw that avoiding clashes is the most important thing for securing the IDPs' return and closing the IDP camps, adding that this would be focus during the talks with the KIA and its allies on April 30. He said, "We have to try to negotiate with the military [or Tatmadaw] to stop the fighting, to build mutual trust and to help with the return of the displaced.”

After camps are identified to take part in the returns, implementation, including providing vocational support to the returnees, will be done by the Joint Strategy Team (JST), which is comprised of Kachin civil society groups, relief workers and religious organizations, said Rev. Samson.

The post Gov't, Kachin Humanitarian Group Vow to Work Together on IDPs' Return appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Men Died in Army Detention, Cremated without Families’ Knowledge

Posted: 26 Apr 2019 07:27 AM PDT

YANGON—Members of Myanmar's military and police from northern Rakhine cremated the bodies of three men who died during military detention in the state capital of Sittwe, according to the relatives.

On Thursday, more than a dozen family members of the 27 detainees from Mrauk-U's Let Kar Village travelled to Sittwe to meet with the house speaker San Kyaw Hla of Rakhine State parliament to inquire about the deaths of the three men, as well as the 24 others who are still being held by the military.

A total of 27 villagers were arrested by government soldiers from Light Infantry Division No. 22 and No. 55 on April 10 on suspicion of being members of the Arakan Army (AA). The arrests came soon after attacks carried out by the AA on two artillery bases on the outskirts of the town of Mrauk-U on April 9 killed around 20 government soldiers.

On Wednesday, 15 days after the attacks, military spokesman Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun acknowledged to The Irrawaddy that the three men died during detention, saying that the causes of death were heart attack, suicide and drug addiction withdrawal.

Relatives also met the investigative officer from Sittwe Police Station No.1, who is now assigned to the case, as well as with responsible medical officers from Sittwe General Hospital. The Irrawaddy was able to speak to the relatives of two of the dead men over the phone on Friday.

Zaw Myo Tun's relatives said he died on April 11, one day after being arrested, while the relatives of Thein Tun Sein died on April 14 after four days of military detention. The third man, Maung Than Nu, is said to have died on April 21.

A medical officer from Sittwe hospital confirmed to The Irrawaddy under the condition of anonymity that all three were dead before arriving at the hospital. The three bodies were classified as Police Ring and postmortem examinations were carried out on them in line with official procedures. Generally, the hospital does not carry out postmortems on bodies labelled Ordinary Ring.

Relatives and locals who met with investigative officer Myo Thant Sein at the Sittwe police station recalled that the bodies were cremated at Sittwe Cemetery, without elaborating on when the cremations took place. The medical officer also claimed that the remains of the bodies were retrieved by military soldiers after postmortem process.

Although relatives met with hospital superintendent Dr. Moe Myint Win on Thursday, he did not reveal the result of the medical reports, saying instead that he will testify when the case is in court. Sittwe's forensic doctor Kyaw Tun Aung did not respond to calls made to his phone on Friday.

U Maung Tun Kyaing, father of Zaw Myo Tun who is from Kyauktaw Township explained that his son arrived back to his village from Thailand in February. On April 8, he travelled with his friend to Let Kar Village with the purpose of seeking a life partner.

"My son was healthy and strong man. How could he be dead like that?" said U Maung Tun Kyaing.

As the bodies were completely burnt, none of the family members were able to see whether there were external injuries on the bodies. U Maung Tun Kyaing, however, said police showed them pictures of the three dead men. He claims to have clearly seen bruises on the chest, face and arms of the men in the photo.

"I absolutely believe that my son died from torture," he said.

Although he and other relatives have seen the photos provided by police, they are afraid to demand explations from the police.

"I was terribly scared of them," said U Maung Tun Kyaing.

Maung Nyunt Tha, a relative of Thein Tun Sein, said that he could not determine a possible cause of death for his father-in-law as his body was clothed. He said, however, that the face of Thein Tun Sein appeared to be swollen. Meanwhile the police have opened an initial case of fatal death.

The military's Western Command's Col. Win Zaw Oo said the bodies were transferred to hospital for the fatal death postmortem examination process. When asked about the cremation of the bodies, he said "I don't think they have offhandedly done that."

Although The Irrawaddy contacted the investigation officer Myo Thant Sein for his comments on the case on Friday, the calls went unanswered.

Lawmaker U Kyee Myint of the Myanmar Lawyers' Network (MLN) explained to The Irrawaddy that police are not granted by law or police procedure to cremate bodies without returning them to the relatives. He recalled similar extrajudicial killing patterns during the 1962 Rangoon University protests against Ne Win's military regime. At that time, Ne Win's troops violently killed unarmed students and burned their bodies before burying them at Kyan Taw Cemetery without returning them to their relatives.

"It violates the Penal Code," said U Kyee Myint.

He suggested that the government grant legal aid to the family members of the victims for the prosecution of the perpetrators.

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Int’l Best-Selling Novel Set in Myanmar to Be Adapted for Big Screen

Posted: 26 Apr 2019 07:11 AM PDT

"The Art of Hearing Heartbeats", the globally popular romance novel set in Myanmar by German author Jan-Philipp Sendker, is to be made into a movie with shooting scheduled to start next year.

Published in 2002, "The Art of Hearing Heartbeats" was the first book by the author. It was the beginning of a series, with the second book, "Well Tempered Heart", released in 2012.

The novels have proven successful not only in Myanmar but worldwide, being translated into 35 languages including Burmese. They are set in Myanmar's popular tourist destination, the hill town of Kalaw in Shan State.

The main producer of the film is Danny Krausz of Austria's DOR Film, with Germany's Detlev Buck set to direct.

"Currently, they are casting the actors in Thailand, [Myanmar] and other countries. I and other [crew] members went to Kalaw last month for location scouting," Sendker told The Irrawaddy.

"The Art of Hearing Heartbeats" is a romance mystery novel set in Kalaw featuring Burmese characters. Young lawyer Julia Win seeks to track down her father four years after he disappeared in Myanmar. She meets U Ba, a mysterious man who knows many things about Julia through her father. U Ba tells the story of her father's first 20 years of life—a mystery love story about which her family knew nothing.

Prior to writing the novel, Sendker traveled to Myanmar many times starting in 1995.

Jan-Philipp Sendker on a visit to Myanmar in 2017 / Jan-Philipp Sendker's Facebook page

"My many trips to Burma were tremendously important for the book. Burma and its people are not just a backdrop for the stories of my two Burma novels but an important part [of the story]," he said.

He added, "I do not know where and how I get the ideas. I think the ideas get me."

Kalaw is his favorite city in Myanmar and the novel's settings are based on actual houses there, but those may not be available for use in the movie as they are so old, he said.

If the locations are not okay to be set up for film shooting, the crew will build a whole new set, he added.

"The locations are based on real places and the characters are also based on the people who I met. I met a lot of people from different places and got a chance to know them. Then, I create my novel's characters from their stories. Sometimes, I added my imagination and the general mindset which everyone in the world has. That's why people from different countries can [share] their experiences," Sendker said at a meet-the-author event on March 27.

He turned his experiences and feelings into words and put them in his book, he said.

"In the novel, there's a part which describes a woman giving birth. Obviously, I didn't have that experience but I was present when my wife gave birth to our child. So, I witnessed her pain and can feel it. So, I turned that feeling into words, added to my imaginative feelings and described details," he explained.

Sendker wrote the script himself. Regarding the difference between writing a novel and script, he said, "It's different than writing a novel because you do not have the inner monologue and you have to find images and scenes without words. Not easy."

He added: "I liked the writing very much."

Shooting will start in the fall of 2020 in New York, Myanmar and Thailand. One of the author's fans from Myanmar, travel blogger Thiha Lu Lin, said, "After reading his book, I wanted to go to Kalaw immediately and find the house from the novel, and I did. It was there, and that feeling is special; I don't know why. He can describe Kalaw in detail and he knew that city very well. I can't wait to see my favorite novel as a film."

"The Art of Hearing Heartbeats" has a special place in Sendker's own heart. He said, "Most importantly, it was my first novel… and I had been dreaming about writing a novel for 20 years."

"With that book my dream came true," he added.

The post Int'l Best-Selling Novel Set in Myanmar to Be Adapted for Big Screen appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Myitsone Dam ‘Not Discussed’ During State Counselor’s Visit to Beijing

Posted: 26 Apr 2019 06:59 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW—The Myanmar President's Office said on Friday that the controversial Myitsone dam issue was not on the agenda during State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's visit to Beijing for the second Belt and Road Summit.

Office spokesperson U Zaw Htay told The Irrawaddy that everything related to the dam issue would be transparent and nothing would be done without the public's knowledge.

Currently, the Chinese-backed US$3.6-billion (5.4 trillion kyats) dam on Myanmar's lifeline Irrawaddy River in Kachin State has been suspended since 2011 due to nationwide opposition amid warnings that the project would disrupt the flow of sediment in the country's main waterway, harming agricultural livelihoods, while potentially flooding an area twice the size of Singapore and displacing thousands of people if it collapsed. The then military junta signed a contract on the project with China in 2006, before handing power to a quasi-civilian government in 2011.

However, Beijing's recent efforts to revive the dam have fueled negative sentiment among the Myanmar public. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's government hasn't made public its view on whether the dam should be resumed or terminated. But recent remarks by the State Counselor suggesting that governments ought to respect the deals made by their predecessors have raised public concerns that the dam project is back on track.

"We won't do any secret dealings [about the dam]. There will be transparency and we will let the public know how we will deal with it," said U Zaw Htay.

As of Thursday, Myanmar's delegation led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi had signed two memorandums of understanding (MOUs) and an agreement letter with China, strengthening cooperation between the countries on the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC), trade and technology.

"As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing about Myitsone," added the spokesperson.

He said that when it comes to the Myitsone issue, the Myanmar government puts public opinion first, and will be guided by the national interest, agreements between China and Myanmar, and bilateral relations.

"We take it [the Myitsone issue] very seriously. We are very careful about public opinion as well as agreements with China. There will be very serious considerations and negotiations on that issue," he said.

In late January, U Thaung Tun, the minister of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations, said the government and a commission were holding serious discussions and considering all possibilities, including downsizing the dam or relocating it.

After taking office, the National League for Democracy-led government set up a 20-member commission to review the dam and its likely impacts on the environment and local communities. The commission has produced two reports to date, but the government has yet to make either of them public.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi promised during the 2015 elections that she would make public the project contract signed by the military dictatorship, but has maintained a long silence on her own stance on the dam project.

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Two Political Prisons Released in Second Amnesty, More to be Announced

Posted: 26 Apr 2019 06:05 AM PDT

YANGON—A presidential pardon on Friday saw the release of at least two political prisoners with the President's Office saying there are more releases in the pipeline with another amnesty planned.

President U Win Myint pardoned 6,948 prisoners on Friday in the second amnesty this month, to mark the Myanmar New Year. On April 17, more than 9,500 prisoners were freed under a presidential pardon in the first amnesty of the year.

Presidential pardons see prisoners released each year on significant occasions in Myanmar, particularly around the New Year.

The President's Office spokesperson U Zaw Htay told reporters in Naypyitaw that a majority of those released under the second amnesty were in prison for drug-related cases and that many of them were convicted for possessing small amounts of drugs. He said the move was influenced by Myanmar's adoption of a new policy of dealing with drug addiction through a treatment-oriented approach, rather than legal punishment and imprisonment of drug users. This comes after last year's amendment of the decades-old Narcotics Law.

The two known political prisoners released on Friday are Lum Zawng and Zau Jat of the Kachin National Social Development Association who had been sentenced to six months' imprisonment in December and fined 500,000 kyats ($333) for defaming the Myanmar military. They were charged after participating in peaceful protests demanding the government help villagers who had become trapped amid fighting between the Kachin Independence Army and the military. A third activist, Nang Pu, was released from prison on April 5 because of her deteriorating health condition.

The spokesperson said on Friday that more 6,000 prisoners will soon be released in a third amnesty. He said ethnic armed group members and those involved in political cases would be released, but he didn't specify when.

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), more than 40 political prisoners are currently serving time in prisons around the country, including two jailed Reuters journalists Ko Wa Lone and Ko Kyaw Soe Oo. The AAPP says a further 300 individuals are currently facing trial under political charges inside and outside prison.

U Zaw Htay said State leaders are reviewing the AAPP's list and making serious considerations regarding the upcoming releases.

The Irrawaddy's Kyaw Myo contributed to this story from Naypyitaw.

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Mon Party Releases Army Officer’s Son Detained in Drug Raid to Police

Posted: 26 Apr 2019 03:23 AM PDT

The New Mon State Party (NMSP) on Thursday handed over to police a Myanmar Army officer's son who was among a group of drug suspects the party's soldiers detained during anti-narcotics operations last month in Mon State's Mudon Township, according to the party's leader.

"We arrested eight people, but handed only one person to the police in Mudon, as he is a relative of a Myanmar Army officer," NMSP secretary Nai Aung Min told The Irrawaddy on Friday.

The NMSP continued to detain the other seven, who were arrested along with the eighth suspect in Mudon Township last month when the organization's soldiers found them to be in possession of amphetamines during a crackdown on illegal drugs.

"They [the Army officer's family] said they could take responsibility for their family member. Therefore, we offered him to the police. As for our Mon people, we can take care of them," he said.

In a statement last month, Mon State Border Affairs Minister Colonel Nay Htut Oo urged the NMSP to release all eight suspects. He criticized the NMSP for initiating its own crackdown on illegal drugs in a government controlled area, saying it violated the terms of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), to which the Mon party is a signatory.

The suspect is the son of an officer in the Myanmar Army's Light Infantry Battalion 209 based in Kamarwet village, Mudon Township. The NMSP soldiers who conducted the crackdown on illegal drug trafficking seized 116 amphetamine tablets from him when he was detained on March 20, according to the party.

Myanmar Police said they would take action against the captive according to the law.

Police officer U Moe Lwin Oo yesterday told the Mon News Agency as the suspect was being handed over by the NMSP that the man would be questioned and sent to jail.

Amphetamine use is a widespread problem in Mon State. Nai Aung Min said his party had launched the crackdown on illegal drug trafficking in the state because it is worried about drug use among Mon youth

Before it signed the NCA in 2015, the NMSP was very active in suppressing illegal drugs in Mon State, detaining accused traffickers and meting out punishments. The action reportedly had widespread support among the ethnic Mon population.

However, since signing the agreement the group has been forced to curtail its activities, as the government sees its anti-drug actions in government-controlled areas as a violation of the terms of the NCA.

"We are just doing what we can do for our people. They [the government] do not allow us to crack down on illegal drugs in some areas, but we have continued to do so at the request of the Mon people, including Buddhist monks," Nai Aung Min said.

The NMSP has its own judicial system in place to punish illegal drug trafficking. Those who are arrested by the party face varying degrees of punishment depending on the amount of drugs involved. However, it has been known to release young offenders back into the care of their families if the parents can take responsibility for them.

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630,000 Without Adequate Potable Water as Summer Temps Soar

Posted: 26 Apr 2019 02:49 AM PDT

YANGON—Ten of 14 regions and states are currently suffering from shortages of drinking water due to rising summer temperatures, according to the Rural Water Supply Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation.

Day temperatures across the country have reached over 40 degrees Celsius on average, climbing to 46 degrees Celsius in some parts of central Myanmar.

According to the department, more than 630,000 people from 208 villages in 93 townships in Kayah, Mon, Rakhine and Shan states, and Sagaing, Bago, Magwe, Mandalay and Irrawaddy regions and Naypyitaw are facing a scarcity of drinking water.

In previous years, only central Myanmar faced drinking water shortages, but this year, water scarcities have also been reported in Irrawaddy Region and Shan State, said veteran meteorologist U Tun Lwin.

"Taking a look at the current situation, the area facing water scarcity has broadened and the time [when shortages usually occur] has come earlier," he said.

"There are two causes that can lead to water scarcity in Myanmar. One is rising temperatures and another is deforestation. These two factors can cause water scarcity. Previously, Myanmar had the fourth richest sources of ground water in Southeast Asia," said U Tun Lwin.

Pindaya, Kalaw and Nyaungshwe townships in southern Shan State are also facing water scarcity.

"Some of the villages in those townships started facing water scarcity some five years ago, mainly due to deforestation. They fail to maintain water sources," said Ko Aung San, a member of a local community-based organization supplying water to those townships.

"Temperatures are higher this year. Water sources have dried up more quickly due to high temperatures, and there is therefore a shortage of water," said U Khin Aung of Kanbawza Brighter Future Myanmar Foundation which is supplying water in southern Shan State.

An ethnic Lahu village in Mong Nai Township in southern Shan State is also facing water shortages.

Municipal authorities in Yangon have urged Yangon residents to be economical with water usage. The Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement has also established a hotline at which people can seek help for drinking water requirements.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Committee to Protect Journalists Urges Military to Drop Case Against The Irrawaddy

Posted: 26 Apr 2019 01:41 AM PDT

YANGON—The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has urged the Myanmar military to drop its criminal defamation case against The Irrawaddy over its coverage of the conflict in Rakhine State.

On April 12, the military's Yangon Region Command filed a criminal complaint against the news outlet's Burmese-language editor U Ye Ni at the Kyauktada Police Station in Yangon. The criminal complaint was filed under the Telecommunications Law's Article 66(d), which is punishable by two years in prison. The editor was allowed to post bail on the same day the complaint was filed.

It is the second time the military has taken legal action against The Irrawaddy in the past three years. In June 2017 a reporter from the news organization and two others from Democratic Voice of Burma were detained by the military and charged under Article 17(1) of the Unlawful Association Act during a reporting trip to northern Shan State.

The CPJ, a U.S. non-profit organization that promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journalists worldwide, on Thursday called for Myanmar’s military to stop using legal threats to stifle news coverage of ongoing armed conflicts and to allow journalists to do their jobs without fear of reprisal.

“This spurious criminal accusation against The Irrawaddy editor Ye Ni should be dropped immediately and unconditionally,” said Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative.

The Irrawaddy editor-in-chief U Aung Zaw called the complaint part of a military “intimidation campaign” aimed at silencing prominent media.

Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun, an official at the military’s True News Information Team, a communications department, told The Irrawaddy on April 21 that its recent news coverage of clashes between government forces and the insurgent Arakan Army had been “unfair” and prompted the legal action.

The criminal complaint against The Irrawaddy comes against the backdrop of the continued incarceration of Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, whose final appeal of their seven-year prison sentences under the Official Secrets Act for reporting on the conflict in Rakhine State was rejected on April 23.

Myanmar’s government and military have used Article 66(d) to stifle media criticism and intimidate and harass journalists.

Meanwhile, the military's ire has not been limited to the news media. It recently charged an activist, a human-rights film director and student activists with public mischief. In 2017, the military sued the editor and a writer from local paper The Voice over a satirical piece.

Human Rights Watch also released a statement on Friday stating that the Myanmar authorities have in recent weeks engaged in a series of arrests of peaceful critics of the Army and government. It urged Parliament to repeal or amend repressive laws used to silence critics and suppress freedom of expression.

The statement said the recent upswing in arrests of student activists engaged in satirical performances, as well as political activists and journalists, reflects a rapid decline in freedom of expression in Myanmar under the National League for Democracy (NLD)-led government.

"During Myanmar's long military dictatorship, numerous governments and donors made freedom of expression and freeing political prisoners the cornerstone of their policy," said Brad Adams, Asia director at HRW.

"At a time when Myanmar's transformation to a rights-respecting democracy hangs in the balance, where are those same voices?" he asked.

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Despite International Petition, Filmmaker Again Denied Bail

Posted: 26 Apr 2019 01:34 AM PDT

YANGON—For a second time, Insein Township Court denied bail on Thursday for well-known film director U Min Htin Ko Kyo Gyi, who is charged for defamation by the Myanmar military, or Tatmadaw.

A military officer from the Yangon Region Command filed a lawsuit against him under Article 505 (b) of the Penal Code for posts he shared on his personal social media page.

"I have had part of my liver removed because of cancer and I was denied bail again," the director told reporters at the court.

The plaintiff has presented five witnesses, all military officers, to the court. The trial on Thursday cross-examined the plaintiff and the next trial is scheduled for May 9.

The director has been openly critical of the military-drafted 2008 Constitution and the military's role in politics.

Lieutenant-Colonel Lin Tun filed a lawsuit against him under Article 66 (d) of 2013 Telecommunications Law on March 29. The military officer filed another lawsuit against him under the unbailable Article 505 (b) of the Penal Code.

"He has had half of his liver removed due to cancer and is also suffering from heart and [other] kidney problems. He presented his medical records and applied for bail, but the prosecutor said he has not questioned the doctor and denied his application for bail. His health is in critical condition," said lawyer U Robert San Aung.

It is against the law to file a lawsuit against a person under two separate charges for a critical post, the lawyer said.

Motion picture organizations from the Netherlands, the US, Britain, France, Czech Republic, Lithuania, South Africa, Italy, Norway, Poland and Hungary have signed a petition calling for bail to be granted and the immediate release of U Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi who is the founder of the annual Human Rights, Human Dignity International Film Festival.

"Recently, the Tatmadaw has been filing an increasing number of lawsuits. This is not a good image. It is not good for the country. All the cases including [U Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi's] case can have negative impacts on the image of our country on the international stage. If possible, it would be best to drop those cases and release all of them," Ko Jimmy of 8888 Generation Peace and Open Society told The Irrawaddy.

As well as the film director, former military captain U Nay Myo Zin and five members of the Peacock Generation thangyat troupe were charged by the military in April under Article 505 (a), (b) and Article 66 (d) for their respective speech and performances deemed to be defamatory to the military.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Myanmar Signs 3 Agreements at Belt and Road Forum

Posted: 26 Apr 2019 12:22 AM PDT

YANGON—Myanmar's government signed two memorandums of understanding (MOUs) and an agreement letter with China at Beijing's Belt and Road Forum on Thursday, detailing strengthened cooperation between the countries on the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC), trade and technology.

According to the Ministry of Information, Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of China Li Keqiang were present to witness the signing of the documents.

The ministry's statement said that a China-Myanmar Economic Corridor cooperation (2019-2030) MOU was signed by Myanmar's Ministry of Planning and Finance and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's top economic planning agency.

In September, a 15-point MOU for the CMEC was signed. The economic corridor is set to be part of Beijing's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) which aims to construct basic infrastructure connecting key economic centers in Myanmar. Under the MOU, the governments agree to collaborate on projects in a number of sectors including basic infrastructure, construction, manufacturing, agriculture, transport, finance, human resources development, telecommunications, and research and technology.

The estimated 1,700-kilometer-long corridor will connect Kunming, the capital of China's Yunnan province, to Myanmar's major economic checkpoints—first to Mandalay in central Myanmar, and then east to Yangon and west to the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ).

Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is currently in Beijing to attend the second Belt and Road Forum and met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday.

Despite growing wariness among the public regarding unsustainable debt to China, during the meeting Daw Aung San Suu Kyi reassured the president of Myanmar's support for the BRI and said that cooperating on it would benefit the well-being of the region and the world as a whole.

Many have been eagerly waiting to hear the outcome of discussions likely to be had between the leaders on controversial Chinese projects in Myanmar, especially on the Myitsone dam. However, neither side has announced details of such discussions yet.

During her meeting with Prime Minister Li Keqiang, the State Counselor discussed maintaining the import quota of 100,000 tons of rice from Myanmar to China and having better collaboration while implementing BRI infrastructure projects in Myanmar.

The BRI is Chinese President Xi Jinping's signature foreign policy project. Unveiled in 2013, it is also known as the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. The project aims to build a network of roads, railroads and shipping lanes linking at least 70 countries from China to Europe passing through Central Asia, the Middle East and Russia, fostering trade and investment.

The second MOU on the table at the forum was signed by China's Ministry of Commerce and Myanmar's Ministry of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations on cooperation between the countries in trade and the economy. The MOU outlines a five-year collaboration between Myanmar and China for the development of trade and the economic sector.

China is Myanmar's largest trade partner and last week, the Myanmar government signed an agreement with the government of Yunnan province to practice a barter system at the border in order to promote trade cooperation. According to the agreement, Myanmar will export agricultural products to China at the Muse border trade zone and in return, Myanmar will buy construction materials, farm implements and fertilizers from China.

A third official document, an agreement letter, was signed by Myanmar's ambassador to China U Thit Lin Ohn and China's ambassador to Myanmar Hong Laing and outlines the countries' collaboration on the economy and technology.

Myanmar occupies a unique geographical position in the global BRI plan, lying at the junction of South Asia and Southeast Asia, and between the Indian Ocean and southwestern China's landlocked Yunnan province.

The proposal to build the CMEC was announced by China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi following a meeting with the State Counselor in November 2017. Wang said the economic corridor would enhance investment in development and trade as part of the BRI.

The first Belt and Road Forum took place in 2017 and was attended by the State Counselor and saw the signing of an MOU of cooperation within the framework of the "Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative."

Last year in June, the State Counselor met China's Defense Minister Wei Fenghe in Naypyitaw to discuss bilateral relations. After the meeting, Chinese media reported Daw Aung San Suu Kyi had vowed to strengthen cooperation on the BRI.

According to the Ministry of Planning and Finance, the chosen projects must align with national priorities as outlined in the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan (MSDP), which was created to promote sustainability and balanced development arrangements.

China has proposed a total of 30 projects under the CMEC but Myanmar has only approved nine projects so far. Under the CMEC agreement, Myanmar's government agreed to build three border economic cooperation zones in Shan and Kachin states.

The proposal claims that the CMEC would allow a direct flow of Chinese goods into the southern and western regions of Myanmar and that Chinese industries could transfer here in order to abate the rising labor costs and overcapacity of China's industries. It said Myanmar would become a major trade hub between China, Southeast Asia and South Asia.

Under the CMEC agreement, China was granted permission to conduct a feasibility study for a Muse-Mandalay high-speed railway which is expected to link the two economic centers in Myanmar.

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Tatmadaw Following Rules of Engagement in Rakhine: Spokesman

Posted: 25 Apr 2019 09:43 PM PDT

More than four months after fierce clashes broke out between the Myanmar military (or Tatmadaw) and the Arakan Army (AA), military tensions remain high in Rakhine State between the two sides despite the recent talks in Naypyitaw.

Brigadier-General Zaw Min Tun, secretary of the Tatmadaw's True News Information Team, recently talked to The Irrawaddy's senior reporter Htet Naing Zaw about the Tatmadaw's ongoing clashes with the AA, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA).

HTET NAING ZAW: How many people have the Tatmadaw filed lawsuits against under Section 17(1) of the Unlawful Association Act in Rakhine State [over their suspected association with the AA]? How many people are facing trial?

BRIG-GEN. ZAW MIN TUN: As far as I know, two monks were disrobed and arrested, and 23 were arrested in Let Kar [a village in Mrauk-U Township]. There might be more. I don't know the exact list.

We heard that some detainees died during interrogation in the Let Kar village case. Is it true?

Yes, it is. We have issued a press release. One person died during interrogation. Another died of heart problems, around April 20, 21. The third one was a drug addict.

According to procedures, we sent the bodies to Sittwe People's Hospital, and had post-mortem examinations carried out. We reported the deaths to the police station. So far, three detainees have died.

Were they detained for their connections with the AA?

We arrested them because they had ties to the AA. We found documents about their organizational structure, along with a list of names. We have the records of their interrogations, and they are [AA] members.

Just those 23? We heard that the Tatmadaw also took four people to Tein Nyo [also in Mrauk-U].

Yes, that's correct. We have opened cases against four at Tein Nyo police station. So there are 27 in total. We only know that much. In some cases, [suspects] were directly arrested by the police, and not by the Tatmadaw.

For the time being, they are only being interrogated, and I haven't heard that any ruling has been made by a court.

What is the situation regarding the fighting with the AA? Has it escalated? Where are clashes taking place?

The engagement has not escalated. It is notable that there have been hardly any engagements on the Agnu Maw and Maungdaw routes. Recently, there were mine attacks on the Agnu Maw and Maungdaw routes. There were at least two attacks, though there were no injuries.

We have issued a press release stating that there were mine explosions at a village downstream of Kyauk Pan Nu.

What instructions are soldiers given in terms of following the military's code of ethics to avoid civilian casualties?

We have rules of engagement, which bar us from attacking non-military targets. But there is an exception: We can return fire if the enemy launches an attack on us.

We have repeatedly said that the situation is complicated in Rakhine State. [They] launched attacks near villages, and shot from the villages. Under such circumstances, we inevitably had to return fire. There have been many examples. Whenever something happens near a village, there are reports that villagers have been wounded and that the Army is responsible for that.

But in reality, both sides fired. So, it can't be said exactly which side is responsible. When [they] launch attacks near villages, we try as much as we can to avoid [civilian casualties]. We only return fire when there is no alternative.

Lately, the Tatmadaw has sued very few village administrators [for having alleged ties with the AA]. Has it changed its policy?

We interrogated some village administrators. Recently, there was an incident in which our battalions were shot at from Yangon-Sittwe Road in Mrauk-U. And there was also shooting [at the Tatmadaw] from the village of Baung Htoke.

So, we interrogated the village administrator, and met community elders at the village monastery, and held talks with them. This is our usual procedure.

We have not changed our policy regarding village administrators. What is happening on the ground is there are people who intentionally cooperate with the insurgent group. We must identify and take action against them.

But on the other hand, some people have to engage with [the insurgents] out of fear or for other reasons, and not because they wish to. It is unrealistic to take action for such engagement. In some cases, [locals] have had to engage [with the AA] against their wishes. In that case, we don't take action against them.

The President's Office has given approval [to the military] to crush the AA. The Tatmadaw has launched a counter-insurgency operation in response. Does this mean it will continue military operations in Rakhine?

We will continue military operations until regional security can be guaranteed. There is another important thing. We are clashing with the KIA in [the area overseen by the Tatmadaw's] North-East Command. There is no fighting in Kachin State, but in northern Shan State, in Muse.

We have clashed with the KIA four times through April 23 [since the end of Thingyan on April 17]. The main reason is that we and the KIA had agreed territories since before starting the NCA [Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement] process. But they established outposts beyond their [agreed] territory.

And they shot our soldiers who were performing logistical duties. We occupied seven or eight KIA outposts on April 23. They [KIA troops] were deployed some 6,000 meters from our Mongpaw outpost, and launched sneak attacks on us. We were able to clear almost all of the area on April 23.

Will the Tatmadaw continue to build roads in Karen State? I have heard there are tensions [in the area].

The Tatmadaw is building roads in Karen State, and the [Mu The] bridge must be completed before the rainy season. So, we are continuing with its construction.

Tensions heightened [with locals staging a demonstration] when the Karen State chief minister visited the [bridge construction] site. The roads we are building are not new ones, but old ones linking Kyauk Kyi with Toungo, and further connecting with Yun Salin Gyi Creek.

We are improving the road [by paving it] with gravel, and have so far reached Mu The. Previously, it took a whole day to travel [from Kyauk Kyi] to Mu The. Now, the travel time has been reduced to around three hours.

There are organizations that oppose the road construction. [The local Karen National Union chapter has objected to the new bridge]. There were protests against the bridge construction. For the time being, we are continuing with the bridge construction.

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Sri Lankans Urged to Avoid Mosques, Churches Amid Fears of More Attacks

Posted: 25 Apr 2019 09:41 PM PDT

COLOMBO—Muslims in Sri Lanka were urged to pray at home on Friday and not attend mosques or churches after the State Intelligence Services warned of possible car bomb attacks, amid fears of retaliatory violence for the Easter Sunday bombings.

The U.S. embassy in Sri Lanka also urged its citizens to avoid places of worship over the coming weekend after authorities reported there could be more attacks targeting religious centers.

Sri Lanka remains on edge after suicide bombing attacks on three churches and four hotels that killed 253 people and wounded about 500. The attacks have been claimed by the extremist Islamic State group.

Nearly 10,000 soldiers are being deployed across the Indian Ocean island state to carry out searches and provide security for religious centers, the military said on Friday.

Fears of retaliatory sectarian violence has already caused Muslim communities flee their homes amid bomb scares, lockdowns and security sweeps.

The All Ceylon Jamiyathul Ullama, Sri Lanka’s main Islamic religious body, urged Muslims to conduct prayers at home on Friday in case “there is a need to protect family and properties.”

Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith also appealed to priests not to conduct mass at churches until further notice.

“Security is important,” he said.

Police have detained least 76 people, including foreigners from Syria and Egypt, in their investigations so far.

Islamic State provided no evidence to back its claim that it was behind the attacks. If true, it would be one of the worst attacks carried out by the group outside Iraq and Syria.

Islamic State released a video on Tuesday showing eight men, all but one with their faces covered, standing under a black Islamic State flag and declaring their loyalty to its leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi.

The Sri Lankan government said there were nine homegrown, well-educated suicide bombers, eight of whom had been identified. One was a woman.

Authorities have focused their investigations on international links to two domestic Islamist groups—National Thawheed Jama’ut and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim—they believe carried out the attacks.

Government officials have acknowledged a major lapse in not widely sharing an intelligence warning from India before the attacks. Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned over the failure to prevent the attacks.

The Easter Sunday bombings shattered the relative calm that had existed in Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka since a civil war against mostly Hindu ethnic Tamil separatists ended 10 years ago.

Sri Lanka’s 22 million people include minority Christians, Muslims and Hindus. Until now, Christians had largely managed to avoid the worst of the island’s conflict and communal tensions.

Most of the victims were Sri Lankans, although authorities said at least 38 foreigners were also killed, many of them tourists sitting down to breakfast at top-end hotels when the bombers struck.

They included British, U.S., Australian, Turkish, Indian, Chinese, Danish, Dutch and Portuguese nationals. Britain warned its nationals on Thursday to avoid Sri Lanka unless it was absolutely necessary because there could be more attacks.

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Vietnam Leader Nguyen Phu Trong Suffering from Illness

Posted: 25 Apr 2019 09:33 PM PDT

HANOI—Vietnamese leader Nguyen Phu Trong, the architect of the Southeast Asian country’s anti-corruption drive, has been suffering from an unspecified illness, four diplomatic sources have told Reuters.

Trong was admitted to the 108 Military Central Hospital in Hanoi, the diplomatic sources said, requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue in the communist-ruled country.

In the first official comments on the 75-year-old Vietnamese leader’s health since his last public appearance 11 days ago, foreign ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said on Thursday that Trong’s health had been affected by a “heavy workload” and “changeable weather conditions.”

Hang did not say how serious Trong’s condition was, but added that he would “resume his normal duties soon,” without elaborating.

Reuters was unable to determine how serious Trong’s condition was, or if he was still in hospital.

“We have no knowledge of his condition or how fit he is to carry out any official functions,” one of the diplomatic sources said.

The sources said Trong, who is both president of the country and general secretary of the Communist Party, fell ill on his birthday on April 14 in the southern province of Kien Giang, where—according to state media—he had been visiting local agricultural and industrial projects.

The health of Vietnam’s leadership is by law considered a state secret and, before Thursday’s foreign ministry statement, state media had not reported on Trong’s health.

In the absence of information, unconfirmed rumor and speculation about Trong’s condition has spread quickly on social media. On Monday, after Trong was taken ill, his name was trending on Google in Vietnam.

Trong has presided over a widespread crackdown on corruption in Vietnam that has seen several high-ranking ministers and politicians, including one Politburo member, handed prison terms on charges ranging from embezzlement to economic mismanagement.

The crackdown, which is viewed by critics as being politically motivated, has also led to the arrest of several high-ranking police officers and prominent businessmen.

Officially, Vietnam has no paramount ruler and is led collectively by the president, prime minister, Communist Party chief, and chair of the National Assembly.

But Trong added the role of president to his existing role of Communist Party General Secretary in September last year following the death of former President Tran Dai Quang.

If the two positions were to become vacant it could spark a shift in the balance of power in Vietnam ahead of the next meeting of the Party congress, the country’s supreme body, in early 2021.

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China’s Xi says Belt and Road Must be Green, Sustainable

Posted: 25 Apr 2019 09:25 PM PDT

BEIJING—China’s Belt and Road Initiative must be green and sustainable, President Xi Jinping said at the opening of a summit on his grand plan on Friday, adding that the massive infrastructure and trade plan should result in “high quality” growth for everyone.

Xi’s plan to rebuild the old Silk Road to connect China with Asia, Europe and beyond with huge spending on infrastructure, has become mired in controversy as some partner nations have bemoaned the high cost of projects.

China has repeatedly said it is not seeking to trap anyone with debt and only has good intentions, and has been looking to use this week’s summit in Beijing to recalibrate the policy and address those concerns.

Xi said in a keynote speech to the summit that environmental protection must underpin the scheme “to protect the common home we live in.”

“We must adhere to the concept of openness, greenness, and cleanliness,” he said.

“Operate in the sun and fight corruption together with zero tolerance,” Xi added.

“Building high-quality, sustainable, risk-resistant, reasonably priced, and inclusive infrastructure will help countries to fully utilize their resource endowments.”

Western governments have tended to view it as a means to spread Chinese influence abroad, saddling poor countries with unsustainable debt.

While most of the Belt and Road projects are continuing as planned, some have been caught up by changes in government in countries such as Malaysia and the Maldives.

Those that have been shelved for financial reasons include a power plant in Pakistan and an airport in Sierra Leone, and Beijing has in recent months had to rebuff critics by saying that not one country has been burdened with so-called “debt traps.”

Since 2017, the finance ministries of 28 countries have called on governments, financial institutions and companies from Belt and Road countries to work together to build a long-term, stable and sustainable financing system to manage risks, China’s finance ministry said in a report released on Thursday.

Debt sustainability has to be taken into account when mobilizing funds, the finance ministry said in the report, which outlined a framework for use in analyzing debt sustainability of low-income Belt and Road nations and managing debt risks.

The framework is based on the IMF/World Bank Debt Sustainability Framework for Low Income Countries while penciling in local conditions and development of partner nations, according to the report.

Chinese promises

The Belt and Road Initiative will also open up development opportunities for China just as China itself is further opening up its markets to the world, Xi said.

“In accordance with the need for further opening up, [we’ll] improve laws and regulations, regulate government behavior at all levels in administrative licensing, market supervision and other areas, and clean up and abolish unreasonable regulations, subsidies and practices that impede fair competition and distort the market,” he said.

Xi promised to significantly shorten the negative list for foreign investments, and allow foreign companies to take a majority stake or set up wholly-owned companies in more sectors.

Tariffs will be lower and non-tariff barriers will be eliminated, Xi added.

China also aims to import more services and goods, and is willing to import competitive agricultural products and services to achieve trade balance.

“China will strengthen macroeconomic policy coordination with major economies in the world and strive to create positive spillover effects to promote a strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth for the world economy,” said Xi.

Visiting leaders

Visiting leaders include Russia’s Vladimir Putin, as well as Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan, a close China ally and among the biggest recipients of Belt and Road investment, and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte of Italy, which recently became the first G7 country to sign on to the initiative.

The United States, which has not joined the Belt and Road, is expected to send only lower-level officials, and nobody from Washington, citing concerns over opaque financing practices, poor governance, and disregard for internationally accepted norms.

“The United States is not sending high level officials from Washington to the Belt and Road Forum,” a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Beijing said.

“We continue to have serious concerns that China’s infrastructure diplomacy activities ignore or weaken international standards and best practices related to development, labor protections, and environmental protection.”

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