Wednesday, July 31, 2013

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Survivors From Burmese Penal Colony Say Real Reform Has Yet to Begin

Posted: 31 Jul 2013 08:33 AM PDT

Win Tin, a co-founder of the National League for Democracy (NLD) and a former political prisoner, speaks at a ceremony on Wednesday in Rangoon to honor a group of political prisoners who died during a hunger strike at the now-shuttered Great Coco Island detention facility. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy)

RANGOON—Former political prisoners who survived detention on Great Coco Island, a notorious penal colony off Burma's mainland, have criticized the country's reform efforts, saying the Burmese people have yet to see real change under a government that remains largely controlled by the military.

At a ceremony in Rangoon on Wednesday to honor prisoners who died inside the island's now-shuttered detention center, Hla Nyo, a former prisoner, condemned the administration of President Thein Sein, who served as prime minister under the previous military junta.

"President Thein Sein said his government brought democracy to our country, but there are people whose land has since been confiscated," the former prisoner said, 42 years after the penal colony was closed down following a series of hunger strikes to protest harsh conditions there. Inmates were then sent to Rangoon's Insein Prison.

At least 100 people came to the ceremony on Wednesday to honor their comrades who died during the hunger strikes.

Win Tin, a co-founder of Burma's main opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), also attended. "As long as there is a military system running the country, a system of torture for political prisoners will remain," said the NLD leader who was imprisoned under the former regime at Insein Prison and has several close friends who were held at Great Coco Island.

"Our current government is from the military, and the country still has a military system," he said. "We need to fight to end the military system."

Burma was ruled by military dictators for nearly half a century, until the generals handed power to Thein Sein and a quasi-civilian government in 2011. Thein Sein is himself a former general, and 25 percent of seats in Parliament are reserved for the military.

Win Tin spent 20 years in jail as a political prisoner until his release in 2008. Today the 83-year-old continues to wear the blue shirt issued to all inmates, in an act of solidary with those who remain behind bars.

"I wrote a book about how I and other political prisoners were tortured in prison," he said. "I kept wearing my clothes from prison because I wanted to show how much I hated it."

Kyaw Ko Ko, a leader of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions, an activist group, said at the ceremony that Burma's government only wore a mask of democracy.

"There were democracy activists who told us that it was time to shake hands with the government to solve political problems," he said. "They took the wrong direction for our democracy movement, because now we find the military still runs the government. They betrayed our democracy movement."

Former political prisoners from Great Coco Island have hosted smaller ceremonies annually. "But we did it quietly, with only a few people," said Hla Nyo of past ceremonies. "I feel great to see that today more people have joined."

U Cho, another former prisoner, said inmates undertook three hunger strikes in a bid to convince the former military regime to send them back to the mainland. "We used our body as a weapon," he said. "We were fighting for our right to freedom."

He said prison authorities burned the bodies of inmates who died during the first hunger strike.

"We knew at the time that we could die from hunger on the island. But we also understood very clearly that Ne Win's regime would have no power if people in the country did not support it or if ethnic people continued fighting," he said.

More than 230 prisoners were detained at Great Coco Island, which was established as a penal colony in 1959 by Ne Win, who at the time was running Burma through an interim military administration. After he became dictator in a 1962 coup, political prisoners were sent to the detention center with life sentences for opposing his socialist regime.

Due to worsening food and living conditions, political prisoners on the island conducted three known hunger strikes. The first hunger strike was in 1969 and ended after seven days when prison authorities gave in to the prisoners' demands.

In the following two years, a 40-day strike and a 53-day strike occurred. After eight protesting prisoners died in the third protest, prison authorities closed the penal colony in December 1971.

14 Muslim Rohingya from Burma on Trial for Brawl in Indonesia

Posted: 31 Jul 2013 08:20 AM PDT

Eight Buddhists were killed after a brawl between Buddhist and Muslim asylum-seekers from Burma at a detention center in Indonesia. (Photo: Reuters / Roni Bintang)

MEDAN, Indonesia — A group of 14 Muslim asylum seekers from Burma went on trial Wednesday after a deadly brawl at an Indonesian detention center left eight Buddhist fishermen from their country dead.

The violence occurred April 5 in North Sumatra province, where more than 100 ethnic Rohingya asylum seekers—most intercepted off Indonesia's coast after fleeing Burma in rickety boats—and 11 Buddhists from Burma accused of illegal fishing were being housed together.

Eight Buddhists were killed, and 15 Muslim Rohingya were injured. Three other Buddhists escaped unharmed.

The Rohingya men are being tried at the Medan district court in North Sumatra province. Prosecutors charged them with collective assault and torturing, which carry a maximum sentence of 12 years.

Police and the detention chief say the clash began after a Rohingya Muslim cleric and a fisherman got into a heated debate about religious violence that had erupted a few weeks earlier in central Burma.

However, prosecutors told the court that the Rohingya were angered when a female asylum seeker was sexually harassed by the fishermen.

Early this month the same court acquitted three Rohingya teenagers due to a lack of evidence of involvement in the violence.

Boatloads of Rohingya have been arriving on Indonesia's shores following a wave of religious violence in Burma, where they are considered illegal settlers from neighboring Bangladesh. Hundreds have been killed and more than 100,000 left homeless in clashes between Rohingya and ethnic Arakan Buddhists.

The tensions have tested Burma's reformist government as it attempts to institute political and economic liberalization after nearly half a century of harsh military rule.

House Speaker Urged to Return Aung San Book

Posted: 31 Jul 2013 05:12 AM PDT

The Pali lesson notebook of the late Gen Aung San. (Photo: Ko Wai Lwin / Facebook)

Residents of Yaynanchaung in Magwe Division are urging the speaker of Parliament's Upper House to return a book owned by the late Gen Aung San, which the lawmaker reportedly took from a school in the central Burma town.

According to locals, the book contains handwritten Pali language lesson notes from Aung San, who once studied at No. 1 State High School in Yaynanchaung.

"We would like to urge U Khin Aung Myint to return the book by August 10. If not, we will protest and show our disapproval," said Myint Ngwe, secretary of a committee formed to bring back the text.

Myint Ngwe told The Irrawaddy that the committee had been collecting signatures since July 25, in cooperation with civil society groups and local politicians. They will submit the petition to the Upper House, President Thein Sein and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

"We want the book back, to be kept only where it belongs, which is at this school," Myint Ngwe said. "Since the book is originally owned by the school and kept at the school, the town would like to take it back and own this precious heritage as our own."

The well-known Buddhist monk Ashin Sadadika, who once studied at the school, also condemned the parliamentary leader's actions, and said he would boycott travel to the town.

"I will not go to Yaynanchaung until the book reaches its original place. I'd like to urge the responsible person to return the book to where it belongs," he said in a speech that has spread through the online social network Facebook.

The book was being kept at the school library in Yaynanchaung but was taken by Upper House Speaker Khin Aung Myint during a visit the politician made to the school on July 19—Martyrs' Day, which commemorates the assassination of Aung San on July 19, 1947.

Word of the book's removal first broke when state media reported that the school's headmistress had willingly handed it over to the Upper House speaker.

Khin Aung Myint reportedly told local media last week that the book was taken to preserve it and determine whether the notes are the authentic handwriting of Aung San.

Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of Aung San, reportedly gave Khin Aung Myint the benefit of the doubt regarding his commandeering of the book, but also said she understood Yaynanchaung residents' anger.

"I think there are misunderstandings in this matter," local news journal The Voice quoted Suu Kyi as saying after a parliamentary session in Naypyidaw on Wednesday.

"I'm afraid the book may be ruined because I noticed there is already some damage. We don't yet know where to keep the book. I understand the feeling of residents of the town and the aim of Khin Aung Myint as well. There is a solution that is best for everyone," she added, without elaborating on what that solution might be.

According to local residents, the book was donated to the school by the writer U Ba Phay in 1962 and the school has kept the historical document in its library for more than 50 years.

Rebel ABSDF to Work Toward Ceasefire with Govt

Posted: 31 Jul 2013 01:42 AM PDT

A negotiating team from the All Burma Students' Democratic Front, front row, at a meeting with the Myanmar Peace Center's technical team, back row, on July 12, 2013, in Chiang Mai, Thailand. (Photo: ABSDF)

The "outlawed" student army known as the All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF) will focus on achieving a ceasefire agreement with Naypyidaw in its third round of talks with the government peace team over the weekend.

The ABSDF issued a statement on Tuesday saying the delegation, led by its chairman Than Khe, will meet with chief peace negotiator Aung Min, who is a minister from the President's Office and head of the Myanmar Peace Center (MPC), in Pa-an on Sunday.

The rebel group will take a seat at the political negotiating table as Burma's various ethnic and political factions work toward national reconciliation and internal peace, said Myo Win, vice-chairman of the ABSDF. "Meanwhile, as we are an armed group, the ceasefire issue will be included, as it is the key to a political solution."

Though planning to meet in the Karen State capital, the venue could change due to recent heavy rains and flooding across the state that has displaced thousands of residents.

"The venue could be in Rangoon. We are renegotiating for the venue because of the floods in Pa-an," said Myo Win.

"Our focus is to put current political problems onto the political negotiating table. Without a ceasefire, the political problem cannot be solved. Political dialogue will be presented there by both sides."

Formed in November 1988 after student activists fled to border areas to fight against Burma's military regime, the ABSDF began communicating with peace teams from President Thein Sein's quasi-civilian government in January of last year. Its members are based in the northern, western and southern border areas of Burma, and the ABSDF has forged alliances with the ethnic Kachin in the country's north, and the Karen in the southeast.

The ABSDF would stand by its demands in talks with the government, Myo Win said, adding that "it is important to free all the political prisoners to have all-inclusive involvement in the peace process and in the current political changes. We will also work with others to amend the 2008 Constitution for the betterment of the ethnic groups in terms of equality and autonomy for them."

The ABSDF's peace delegation will join the '88 Silver Jubilee on Aug. 8 to commemorate 25 years since Burma's mass popular uprising in 1988.

"Our members will join the ceremonies in Rangoon, Mandalay, Moulmein, Taunggyi and Pathein [Irrawaddy Division] and share our opinions and the organization's activities," said Myo Win. The 35-member delegation will also meet with politicians, civil society leaders and activists to share their thoughts and take suggestions.

Myo Win said the group wished to meet democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, currently a parliamentarian and opposition leader, to share their opinions with her as well as hear her advice. "We have had a desire to meet her for a long time," he said.

The group has been in peace talks with the government for 18 months and has held two formal meetings and several informal discussions with the MPC.

The group wants representatives from its ethnic allies present for their peace talks this weekend, but Myo Win did not reveal who would be invited, saying discussions on the matter were ongoing.

 

Red Shirts Put Thaksin, Govt on Notice as Amnesty Bill Heads to Parliament

Posted: 30 Jul 2013 11:26 PM PDT

Red shirt supporters react to the speech from stage as they mark the third anniversary of the government crackdown on protesters at Ratchaprasong intersection, in the heart of Bangkok's main shopping district, on May 19, 2013. (Photo: Reuters / Damir Sagolj)

BANGKOK — The tree-lined streets outside the Thai parliament may soon be converted into a theater of protest. That is, if the motley collection of anti-government groups live up to their threats. In their crosshairs is an amnesty bill that Worachai Hema, a government lawmaker, has proposed to be taken up when a new parliamentary session begins in August.

It is one of six bills with varying criteria for pardons that have been tabled for the next legislative session. And despite their differences, all six share a common goal—to usher in a spirit of reconciliation to heal the political wounds that have continued to fester since Thailand's September 2006 coup, which saw the twice-elected government of then Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra turfed from power by the powerful military. Even Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin, who was the army chief at the time of Thailand's 18th putsch, is a sponsor of one reconciliation bill in his new avatar as a parliamentarian.

But, as is now clear, none of the six bills has gained as much attention as the one being tabled by the governing Phue Thai party's representative from Samut Prakan. And it goes beyond the chorus railing against the administration of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who view the Worachai bill as a ruse to benefit the premier's elder brother, Thaksin, now living as a globe-trotting fugitive in exile.

As significantly, this bill has become a rallying cry for Thailand's strongest and most enduring street protest movement—the Red Shirts. Given how dependent the Yingluck administration and Thaksin are on the foot soldiers of the Red Shirts to ensure victory in the general elections, it is a cry that neither of them can risk ignoring.

And the prospect of the Red Shirts descending in large numbers outside the gates of parliament to throw their weight behind the bill cannot be discounted, reveals a security source. Such a presence to counter opposition from the anti-government movement also eyeing the same turf "could lead to clashes," he observed.

The Red Shirts' endorsement of the Worachai bill is rooted in the campaign for justice launched by the leading arm of this movement, the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), and other groups not linked to the UDD, dubbed by some here as the "Free Red Shirts." The campaign emerged after the bloody crackdown that ended weeks of Red Shirts-led street protests on May 19th, 2010. Over 90 people were killed, of whom 82 were civilians, and more than 2,000 people sustained injuries in the wake of heavily armed troops driving off anti-government protesters from Ratchaprasong, the center of Bangkok's glitzy shopping mall core.

Ever since then, the government of the day, a coalition led by the Democrat Party, now in opposition, has been buffeted by the Red Shirts' rage. The military's role has not been spared, either. That explains why the Red Shirts warmed to the Worachai proposal, which seeks pardons only for all low-ranking members from across the country's color-coded protest movement who are facing charges since the 2006 coup. An estimated 1,000 violators stand to gain if the bill is passed, including protesters from the conservative, pro-royalist Yellow Shirts movement, the nemesis of the Reds.

It is an equation that does not appear to trouble Korkaew Pikulthong, a UDD leader and Phue Thai parliamentarian. He puts on a nonchalant face to defend a position that deprives him of a reprieve. So, too, 23 other UDD leaders facing "terrorism" charges who have been making weekly trips to the criminal courts for months. In fact, most of them have spoken out against another amnesty bill proposed by Labor Minister Chalerm Yubamrung, who is pushing for a blanket freedom.

Chalerm's proposed reprieve extends to the political and military leadership, in addition to the rank-and-file of the protest movements. His much publicized gambit a few months back also includes amnesty for Thaksin as part of his pledge to "bring Thaksin home."

"We have accepted that the Worachai bill is an important first step towards reconciliation," the 48-year-old Korkaew told The Irrawaddy. "Chalerm's proposal overlooks the concerns of the Red Shirts and the relatives of the people who died fighting for democracy and a political system that reflects the people's will, [and] not what the elites want through their control."

It is a view that Thaksin, as the de facto leader of the Phue Thai party, appears to have accepted—or at least did so on May 19th this year, when he delivered a speech via Skype that night to thousands of Red Shirt supporters who had packed the streets of Ratchaprasong to commemorate the third anniversary of the 2010 crackdown. He publicly endorsed the Worachai bill, which prompted wild cheers from the crowds.

Thaksin's May 19th speech and the acclamation this year stood in stark contrast to the words he uttered to the throng of Red Shirts at the previous year's anniversary gathering. Then, he lectured to the Ratchaprasong crowd by employing the imagery of a ship and a car to state that it was time the Red Shirts moved on. He thanked them for being the sea that helped his ship to come ashore. And now it was time for him to move on in a car, he said.

The implication that his journey home mattered more than the Red Shirts' clamoring for justice received a prompt response that night: shock and silence. Claps were barely heard. And some among the thousands of Red Shirts shed tears. This mood of disappointment was as palpable on the stage of the rally, where leaders of the movement had sat to follow Thaksin's speech projected on the large screens placed in the midst of the crowds.

To some observers of Red Shirt politics, it confirmed the suspicions among the movement that Thaksin was working behind the scenes to strike a deal with the country's military and the traditional elite to pave a route home. "Thaksin first made these ideas known about two months before, when he met Red Shirt supporters in Cambodia," says Nick Nostitz, a German photographer who has authored two books on the rise of the Red Shirts.

Thaksin's about-face since then was also reflected in his weekend meeting with Worachai, in which the latter joined other Phue Thai parliamentarians in Hong Kong to celebrate Thaksin's 64th birthday. The deposed former premier had spoken in favor of Worachai's bill, according to media reports.

Such a turn has brought into relief a view among political observers that neither the Yingluck administration nor Thaksin can take Red Shirt support for granted. And the Worachai bill, more than a lightning rod, emerges as an occasion of Red Shirts muscle flexing against their patron—a rare moment that has compelled Thaksin to concede ground.

The Red Shirts have made their mark with the Worachai bill, which has become a test of the relationship between the movement and the Yingluck government, according to Suda Rangkupan, an academic at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University and a coordinator of a pro-Red Shirt group campaigning for justice. "The government risks losing Red Shirts' support if they ignore the Worachai bill," she said in an interview. "Its popularity will drop in this important constituency."

Cambodia Government Rejects Opposition Call for Poll Inquiry

Posted: 30 Jul 2013 10:38 PM PDT

A man reads a statement distributed by opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) after it rejected election results at a Buddhist temple in Phnom Penh on July 29, 2013. (Photo: Reuters / Damir Sagolj)

PHNOM PENH — Cambodia's government rejected on Tuesday calls by the opposition for an international inquiry into allegations it used massive fraud to win re-election, and said it wanted parliament to approve a new cabinet quickly.

The United States and European Union expressed concern about irregularities in Sunday's election but both said an investigation should be conducted by Cambodian electoral authorities, failing to endorse the opposition's call for an inquiry involving the United Nations.

The government announced on Sunday that the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) of long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen had won 68 seats in the 123-seat parliament, a sharp fall from its previous tally of 90. The opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) nearly doubled its seat total to 55, in a major surprise and a setback for Hun Sen.

CNRP leader Sam Rainsy said up to 1.3 million names had been missing from the electoral rolls and complained about lack of access to the media as well as intimidation on the campaign trail.

Ouch Borith, secretary of state at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, rejected such allegations at a news conference.

"We have over 10,000 national observers and over 100 international observers who reckoned our election was held in a peaceful manner without any violence, free and fair," he said.

There was no proof of any missing names, he added. "The opposition party should be asked to show clearly what evidence it has about the irregularities it alleges. The National Election Committee has already said 'please bring up evidence, don't just say it, so we can work together to solve things.'"

Sean McIntosh, spokesman for the US Embassy in Phnom Penh, told Reuters in an e-mail: "We're calling on the National Election Committee (NEC) to conduct a full and transparent investigation into all credible reports of irregularities."

The European Union also expressed concern about "shortcomings."

"The EU hopes that any dispute addressed to the National Election Committee and the established judicial mechanisms will be dealt with fairly and swiftly," it said in a statement.

The NEC has not yet given the number of seats won by each party.

Hun Sen, 60, and prime minister for 28 years, has made no comment on the results and has not appeared in public since Sunday. His party issued a statement on Tuesday denying rumors he had resigned and left the country.

Even by the government's own figures, Sunday saw his worst election result since the country returned to full democracy in 1998, after decades of war and turmoil including the 1975-79 "Killing Fields" rule of the Khmer Rouge.

Prolonged wrangling over the result and a weakened Hun Sen could raise uncertainty over policy in the small but fast-growing Southeast Asian country that has built up a thriving garment sector and forged economic ties with China and Vietnam.

A quorum of 120 out of 123 lawmakers is needed in parliament to approve a new cabinet, so the CNRP could delay this.

But its chances of overturning the election results seem slim given the ruling party's grip on the courts and with major foreign donors like the United States unlikely to reject the outcome without evidence of massive fraud.

The opposition tapped into growing concern among Cambodians over inequality and corruption.

Rising garment exports plus heavy flows of aid and investment from China have fueled economic growth, but that has been accompanied by a rise in social tension.

There are regular, often violent, protests over pay and conditions by garment workers and over land rights in a country of 14 million, where a third of the people live on less than 65 US cents per day.

Rights groups say the electoral system is heavily biased in favor of the ruling party and Transparency International Cambodia, which monitored the election, said it was "very concerned about the disenfranchisement of citizens and suspect voters."

Voting on Sunday, like the campaign itself, was for the most part peaceful.

Explosion Fuels Protests of China Chemical Plants

Posted: 30 Jul 2013 10:31 PM PDT

Laborers clean up near the wreckage of part of a paraxylene (PX) plant after an explosion in Zhangzhou, Fujian province, on July 30, 2013. (Photo: Reuters)

BEIJING — An explosion at a plant that produces the toxic chemical paraxylene has added to the growing opposition to such plants in China, on the same day a state-run newspaper prominently urged the public to accept the industry as safe.

Tuesday's blast at the plant at Zhangzhou city in southeastern Fujian province caused no chemical leaks, officials said, but environmental activists seized on the accident as a warning of potential problems at factories that produce paraxylene, or PX, which is used in printing and to make polyesters. The blast shattered windows in a nearby village, injuring some residents, including Lin Jianzhou, whose leg was injured when his roof collapsed, the Xinhua News Agency said, citing reporters on the scene.

PX plants around the country have become a hot-button issue, especially among China's growing middle class.

"The government does not have the sincerity to handle such things properly. They should draw a lesson from this accident in Zhangzhou," said Li Jiarui, a food researcher who protested against a PX factory in Kunming city in southwest Yunnan in May.

Coincidentally, the ruling Communist Party's main newspaper published a feature Tuesday aimed at defusing public fears about the industry, saying that PX plants are necessary for the domestic economy, that they are safe and that they have never had a major accident.

"Over recent years, chemical plants were often associated with environmental pollution," the People's Daily said. It quoted Li Junfa, the chief engineer of China National Petroleum and Chemical Planning Institute, which advises the country's top planning agency, as saying that PX companies have been "wronged" in this respect.

"Since the first PX facility was built in Shanghai in 1985, the country now has more than 10 sets of facilities, all functioning properly. There has not been a single major accident," said the piece.

The explosion Tuesday at the plant in Zhangzhou, close to the Taiwan Strait, was sparked by a fire, Xinhua reported.

Initial investigations found a cracked hydrogen pipeline triggered the fire during a pressure test, Xinhua said, citing the local government. The blast did not heavily damage the plant, nor result in any chemical leaks, the report said.

A fire official in Zhangzhou city, who gave only his surname, Tu, confirmed the predawn explosion.

The plant attracted protests even before it was built. It was slated for the densely populated city of Xiamen in Fujian, but protests in 2007 by residents concerned about potential health hazards succeeded in getting it moved to a less populated area in Zhangzhou.

A similar protest in 2011 in the northern port city of Dalian ended with a promise by the city government to shut a PX plant and move it out of the downtown area.

And in May, protests erupted over plans for a PX plant in Kunming where residents said they feared authorities had failed to adequately assess its risks.

"The fact that they put such a big project in Kunming shows that they looked only at the economic side and ignored the social and environmental sides," said Li, who studies risks of genetically modified food.

Short-term exposure to paraxylene can cause eye, nose or throat irritation in humans, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chronic exposure can affect the central nervous system and cause death.

After decades of having no say in the development-at-all-costs policies that have polluted the country's air and waterways, people in China's rising middle class have increasingly turned to public protests to voice their concerns.
Posted by at No comments:

Democratic Voice of Burma

Democratic Voice of Burma

Heavy rain displaces thousands across eastern Burma

Posted: 31 Jul 2013 03:06 AM PDT

Monsoon rains continue to fall throughout Burma’s eastern borderlands. Across the country, 25,000 people have been evacuated to makeshift camps this week.

Nearly 3,000 thousand residents in Mon state's Bilin have been forced to relocate to relief camps since the town was inundated with heavy rain on Monday.

Thousand of acres of farmland surrounding nearby villages remained submerged, as residents passed the time in relief centers.

Myo Zaw, a tuk tuk driver in Bilin, said the highway to Rangoon was closed as the waters levels surged earlier in the week. Authorities said the highway to Rangoon had been reopened as water levels slowly began to recede.

Heavy rain has also caused extensive damage in neighbouring Karen state, where 7,000 thousand residents were moved to higher ground and schools and hospitals were forced to close.

The severe flooding has brought the large-scale trade that originates at Thai border crossings to a standstill. Relief efforts on both sides of the border have commenced in order to clear away the debris brought on by the flooding, but authorities said water levels remained high in outlying areas.

Large parts of Burma are inundated each year during the monsoon period, which ends in October.

 

Protest organisers headed to court after demonstrating without permission

Posted: 31 Jul 2013 02:49 AM PDT

Two Arakanese protestors from western Burma's Sittwe, who organised a massive rally in March slamming a proposed plan to resettle displaced Rohingya, are set to appear in court on 5 August after being hit with charges for demonstrating without permission.

Rakhine Women's Network's Nyo Aye and Kyaw Zaw Oo from the local charity group the Wanlat Foundation were arrested on 7 March after organising the demonstration in the Arakan state capital.

Thousands of Arakanese residents reportedly joined the rally to denounce an alleged plan to build approximately 5,000 homes for displaced Rohingya with funds provided by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency.

Related Stories

The defendants appeared in a preliminary hearing last Friday, where they were hit with charges under the peaceful assembly and peaceful procession law for staging a protest without official permission.

According to article 18 of the law, demonstrators must file for permission five days in advance of the event and applications can be rejected at the authorities' discretion.

Nyo Aye, who is currently out on bail, insisted that the organisers had asked for permission to hold the protest, but their request was denied by local officials.

After being rejected by the authorities, the organisers decided to go ahead with their plans without the necessary permits.

"The [Rohingya] are not citizens in our country – there is only a small amount of them eligible to apply for citizenship, while the majority are just illegal immigrants," said Nyo Aye.

"We see that providing them with housing will lead to a lot of problems and so demanded that the authorities only build [makeshift] quarters to protect them from the monsoon."

The protest organiser went on to suggest that authorities should verify the Rohingya's citizenship under the controversial 1982 Citizenship Law, which stripped the Muslim minority of their citizenship, before building them houses.

In the past month, three Arakanese residents in Rathedaung, four in Kyauktaw and three in Taunggup have also being prosecuted under the peaceful procession and peaceful assembly law for staging unauthorised protests against the Rohingya resettlement plan.

More than 140,000 people were displaced following two rounds of religious violence in Arakan state last year pitting Arakanese Buddhist against Muslim Rohingya. A majority of the displaced residents are Rohingya Muslims who have been forced to live in dismal camps with little access to food and healthcare.
Posted by at No comments:

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Democratic Voice of Burma

Democratic Voice of Burma

Federalism debate fractures Burma’s armed ethnic groups

Posted: 30 Jul 2013 08:14 AM PDT

Burma's armed ethnic groups have fallen out over how to develop a federal union in the former military dictatorship, resulting in two rival conferences to discuss plans to end decades of civil conflict.

Inside sources say that a split has emerged between "hard-liners" and those who favour compromising with the government to amend the military-drafted 2008 constitution, which currently grants Naypyidaw control over ethnic minority territories.

The dispute has contributed to a major rift in Burma's ethnic movement, culminating in Burma's leading ethnic umbrella group, the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), severing ties with the multi-ethnic Working Group for Ethnic Coordination (WGEC), which was set up to coordinate negotiations with Naypyidaw, in June.

The UNFC is currently hosting an ethnic nationalities conference in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, to discuss federalism and strategies for political dialogue. Meanwhile, the WGEC is planning a similar event in mid-August, which analysts say might "cause confusion" among the ethnic populations.

Some ethnic representatives are reportedly concerned that the working group's donor, the Brussels-based Euro-Burma Office (EBO), which coordinates with the controversial Myanmar Peace Support Initiative, wants them to join the government under the current constitution. UNFC spokesperson, Khun Okkar, confirmed to DVB that they were "cautious" about the EBO's agenda.

"We haven't heard of the EBO directly pressuring ethnic groups – the EBO has no political mandate – however, they can indirectly pressure them … such as by discreetly advising them to work within the government's framework to change the constitution," he said.

The UNFC has consistently called for the 2008 constitution to be re-written outside of parliament and for the government to agree on a timeframe for political dialogue. But the government has demanded that ethnic groups make amendments within Burma's existing legal framework, which would require the support of 75 percent of the military-dominated legislature.

"It is our challenge, but we must struggle to change the 2008 constitution," the UNFC's technical team leader, Mahn Mahn, told DVB. "If you go inside the parliament you cannot change or establish a new constitution."

But Harn Yawnghwe, Director of the EBO, insists that ethnic groups have to take a more pragmatic approach. "Everybody wants a federal union, but if you look at it realistically this government has a mandate only until 2015," he said. "There is no way you can get agreement on a complete federal union before 2015, but there are steps you can begin to take in that direction."

"You are negotiating with a government, which is in power because of this constitution. So there's no way of getting around accepting this government if you want to talk to them, and there's no way of getting around accepting this constitution if you want to talk to them."

The WGEC and the UNFC fell out in recent months over who should lead political negotiations with the government. The former wanted to establish a multi-ethnic negotiating team, while the latter says it already has one. Both groups say the other has no mandate to lead discussions.

There is also growing internal discord within ethnic groups, including the Karen, Kachin and Chins. According to Yawnghwe, exiled political activists have largely sided with the UNFC, while members inside Burma have backed the working group.

But he attributed the rift to "rumours" and "confusion" over the negotiating process. He added that ethnic groups should press the government to agree to "transitional measures" before 2015 and obtain guarantees that talks will continue after the next general election.

"As a bargaining power, armed groups can say – and I agree with them – that there's no way they'll give up their arms until 2015, because there's no guarantee that anything will happen, but after 2015 they can start thinking about how to demobilise and integrate into the army."

Both the WGEC, which first met in February 2012, and the UNFC have worked together to develop a common framework for negotiating the peace process. It includes plans to hold a second Panglong conference in 2014, where mechanisms for constitutional reform and self-determination will be discussed.

However, no definitive timeframe has been decided between the two groups, or the government, and Khun Okkar insists that constitutional change must be formally agreed upon before the next general election.

"It would be a loss for us if the current government only adopted the framework, but never reached a decision – we cannot let that happen," said Khun Okkar. "So we must have a decision that favours our approach before 2015."

The first Panglong agreement – negotiated in 1947 by Burma's nationalist hero, Aung San – guaranteed ethnic minorities political autonomy and paved the way for the country's independence. Its provisions are largely seen as prerequisites to ending Burma's myriad ethnic conflicts, which have plagued the country for decades.

"We believe that without any political agreement, even if we sign a nationwide ceasefire it will have no meaning," said Mahn Mahn.

President Thein Sein recently reiterated his commitment to signing a national peace accord within "a matter of weeks". Some representatives from the government's negotiating team, including its leader Aung Min, have said that constitutional change and federalism are not completely off the agenda.

"Everything will be open for discussion at the national dialogue," said the chairperson of the government-backed Myanmar Peace Centre, Min Zaw Oo.

But many have questioned the government's sincerity, amid reports that land grabs and mass displacement are on the rise in Burma's border regions. The Burmese army has yet to withdraw troops from minority areas and ethnic leaders say most of the government's promises remain unfulfilled.

Activists slam Chinese pipeline as project goes operational

Posted: 30 Jul 2013 04:41 AM PDT

As natural gas began flowing from Burma's western coast to energy-hungry China earlier this week, activists from NGOs claim that local populations are still being sidelined by the project's developers.

The watchdog group Myanmar-China Pipeline Watch Committee is calling on the Burmese government to renegotiate the contract in order to provide the state with a higher percentage of the pipeline's profits.

Related Stories

During a press conference in Mandalay on Sunday, the activists called on the government to provide citizens who have had their land appropriated by the project with proper compensation.

The committee also asked for increased transparency with regards to the use of the profits from the project, and they encouraged the government to direct the funds towards development in rural areas.

The activists added that they were concerned about the pipeline’s environmental and safety record.

China has signaled that their officials will be keeping a close eye on their southern neighbor as the pipeline goes operational and Burma continues to reach each to western countries after decades of international isolation.

Earlier this month, the Burmese government forced the controversial Chinese-backed copper mine in Latpadaung to hand over a larger share of it profits to the Burmese state.

The renegotiated contract came after extensive protests from local population, who claimed that thousands of acres of their land had been commandeered by the mine without compensation.

 

‘Student army’ to join uprising’s anniversary ceremonies in Rangoon

Posted: 30 Jul 2013 04:28 AM PDT

Members from the All-Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF) are planning to travel to Rangoon next month to attend the 25th anniversary of the 8888 uprising.

The commemoration of the nationwide uprisings and general strike that kicked off in 1988 will include exile activists and members of the rebel army for the first time.

The ABSDF's spokesperson Sunny said the group was planning to stage a presentation about its 25 years of armed struggle along with a discussion about the group's political objectives.

The spokesperson says that although the group has yet to achieve its key goals, including national reconciliation and the promulgation of a new constitution, the ABSDF remains committed to working toward their objectives amid the ongoing reform process in Burma.

"Changes happening today can be regarded as an inception – from here, we are working to create better opportunities to place the country on the right path to move forward," said Sunny.

Students formed the ABSDF after a series of military engineered crackdowns killed more than 3,000 people during a general uprising against Ne Win's dictatorship in 1988.

During its peak in the 1990s, the student army had thousands of regular members and waged a guerrilla campaign against government forces largely from the mountains of Karen and Kachin state.

The ABSDF has been linked with the ethnic resistant movements since its formation in 1988; however, the group has only fraction of the membership it once enjoyed in the early 1990s.

In May, ABSDF representatives held preliminary talks with government peace negotiators in Rangoon, where they discussed a potential ceasefire and commencing a political dialogue between Naypyidaw and the rebel group.

Monsoon rains inundate eastern Karen state

Posted: 30 Jul 2013 01:48 AM PDT

Thousands of residents in Karen state have been relocated to shelters as fresh flooding continues to inundate Burma's eastern borderlands.

According to locals living in Myawaddy along the Thai border, five residential areas in the town have been swamped by the Moei River's rising tide.

More than 10,000 of the town's residents have been evacuated from their homes and are now being provided with shelter at Buddhist monasteries located on higher ground, reported the Karen National Union (KNU)'s Major Saw Leh Mu who is stationed at a liaison office in Myawaddy.

"Ward-5 is now no longer accessible with small cars. Houses located on the low ground have been inundated, which is forcing residents to grab their belongings and flee," said Saw Leh Mu.

Homes near the river's banks were reportedly swept away, while wards 2 and 5 that are located on low-lying ground have experienced heavy flooding as monsoon rains continue to soak the area.

According to officials, the flooding has effectively halted trade that flows from the eastern border into inland Burma.

On the opposite side of the river in Thailand's Mae Sot, the overflowing Moei River has forced the personnel at Mae Tao clinic to begin relocating their patients and evacuating their facilities.

"The water has been rising for the past two days – we have had flooding in the past but not at this level," said Gay Paw, who works at the clinic.

Currently, all of Mae Sot's schools have been closed along with the markets and factories located near to the river.

According to reports from Thai agencies, the flooding in the area is the worst in ten years.

In Karen state's capital Hpa-an to the west of Myawaddy, residents in the town's wards 1 and 2 have also been forced to flee their homes and take shelter at local monasteries as the Salween River's waters flood the city, while officials briefly evacuated the local hospital in nearby Hlaingbwe town.

In Burma, the seasonal monsoon, which is responsible for a vast majority of the flooding in the region, typically kicks off in late May and dries up by the end of October.
Posted by at No comments:

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Group Calls for Overhaul of Repressive, Antiquated Prostitution Law

Posted: 30 Jul 2013 08:53 AM PDT

Burmese girls prepare for work at a massage parlor in the Chinese border town of Jiegao. (Photo: Getty Images)

RANGOON — A sex workers' rights group is calling on Burma's government to reform a 60-year-old prostitution law in order to decriminalize the practice, end harassment of sex workers and provide them with better health care access.

The Sex Workers in Myanmar Network (SWIM) called for an overhaul of the antiquated law during a two-day meeting in Rangoon, where some 80 sex workers from across Burma had gathered to learn about their rights, prevention of abuse and safe sex practices.

"Our current law has oppressed sex workers, not protected them. The government needs to reform this law," said Hnin Hnin Yu, SWIM's chairperson.

"We found that some sex workers were arrested at hotels after they provided sex services, or they were arrested on the street while officers pretended to be customers," she said.

Burma's Suppression of Prostitution Act 1949 provides punishments for sex work, soliciting or keeping brothels, making it one of most repressive laws on sex work in the region.

A 2012 UN study, said penalties for soliciting sex work in Burma "may include imprisonment for between one year and three years, and female sex workers may be detained in a 'prescribed center.'"

Burmese sex workers, the study found, "are subject to extortion, arrest and incarceration which is continual and systematic," adding that sex workers are also vulnerable to contracting HIV/Aids because of a "lack of access to safe workplaces and lack of access to services."

Burma has one of the highest HIV/Aids rates in Southeast Asia and SWIM called on the government to do more to protect sex workers' health and introduce better care for HIV-positive workers.

"Sex workers need medical treatment to protect their health and they have a right to be protected if they are being abused," said Hnin Hnin Yu.

Government health clinics only provide antiretroviral (ARV) medication to HIV-positive patients if they live in one place for an extended period of time, she said, explaining that HIV-positive sex workers often struggle to get treatment as their job requires them to frequently move to different parts of the country.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that less than 20 percent of HIV-positive sex workers in Burma are able receive ARV drugs.

SWIM was formed in 2011 and this week's workshop was co-sponsored by UNAIDS and Australian public health organization the Burnet Institute Myanmar. Several dozen civil society organizations also attended the event.

Hnin Hnin Yu urged the government and Burmese society to end discrimination of sex workers and recognize their rights, saying they are among the most vulnerable and poor women in the country.

"No one wants to be a sex worker unless they are hungry for food. Many women became sex workers because their families are going hungry," she said.

However, Deputy Home Affairs Minister Brig-Gen Kyaw Kyaw Tun told Parliament earlier this month that the government was not planning to amend the Suppression of Prostitution Act.

He said authorities had prosecuted people in 1,956 prostitution cases in 2011, 3,226 cases in 2012 and 640 cases so far this year.

The minister was replying to questions by lawmaker San Thar Min, who has been advocating for an overhaul of the repressive law.

San Thar Min told participants during the workshop on Tuesday that she would keep pushing for an amendment of the act. "I will continue to address this issue. The people have the right to gain protection and right to health care," she said.

Fiber Fix Brings Burma’s Internet Back Up to Speed

Posted: 30 Jul 2013 08:38 AM PDT

A map of the subsea Internet cable SEA-ME-WE-3 and its landing points around the world. Burma is No. 21. (Photo: Creative Commons)

A problem with the on-land fiber optic cable near the Irrawaddy delta city of Pyapon was to blame for recent severely slowed Internet connections that left Burmese netizens gasping for bits of digital air for more than a week.

According to Myo Swe, chief engineer of the Information and Technology Department at Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications (MPT), repairs were completed early Tuesday evening. Over the next two days, MPT will carry out additional tests to ensure that the Internet is back up to its regular speed.

MPT is currently the sole provider of telecommunications services in Burma.

Previous announcements from MPT had stated that the undersea fiber optic cable known as SEA-ME-WE-3, Burma's only undersea Internet link, was damaged off the coast of Irrawaddy Division on July 21. But international Internet engineers contacted by The Irrawaddy over the last couple of days said no outages were seen on the international cable, and on Tuesday MPT confirmed that the problem was located in the ground fiber cable 2.5 miles from Pyapon.

The MPT official said the state-owned company did not know how the cable was damaged, but once damaged it was only able to transmit 40 percent of its usual capacity.   Technicians and engineers from MPT carried out all of the repair work.

China Unicom and MPT recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to bring one more subsea Internet connection into Burma. Together they plan to build a link from the undersea fiber optic cable known as SEA-ME-WE-5 to Mandalay and up into China.

On the whole, Internet speeds in Burma remain relatively slow compared with connection rates worldwide. The Internet penetration rate for Burma in 2011 stood at less than 1 percent of the population, according to the OpenNet Initiative, although these rates perhaps do not fully account for all usage at local Internet cafes.

Burma’s Parliament Approves Anti-Corruption Bill

Posted: 30 Jul 2013 05:31 AM PDT

A session of Union Parliament in Burma's capital, Naypyidaw. (Photo: The Irrawaddy)

Burma's Parliament has approved an anti-corruption bill, almost a year after it was first proposed and reviewed by the legislature.

The bill was approved with a slight majority of votes during the legislature's session on Friday, despite some objections from President Thein Sein, with 291 votes in support and 211 votes against.

Once ratified, the law will require all officials in the executive, judicial and legislative branches of government to declare their assets, and those found to be corrupt will be charged by an anti-corruption commission. The law will also require members of the anti-corruption commission to declare their assets, a provision opposed by the president.

"I agree with the MPs suggestion that the commissioners must declare their assets," Thein Nyunt, a lawmaker from the Lower House representing the New National Democracy Party, told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday.

The declaration of assets was a subject of great debate among lawmakers last year, when a member of the country's main opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD) raised the proposal.

Burma is widely considered to be one of the world's most corrupt countries. Despite public outcry over corruption, bribery is often employed as a tool for securing key project tenders or winning legal battles.

"Our country's law enforcement must be effective—it is a priority," said Khin Maung Swe, chairman of the National Democratic Force. "Action should be taken regardless of race, religion or rank."

He said graft had deep roots in the government but became worse after the 1962 military coup.

"It is important to change the people's mindset and create an environment where people can be freed from bribery," he said.

Last month, Burma's Vice President Sai Mauk Kham called for greater anti-corruption efforts during a workshop in Naypyidaw to promote transparency.

"Much needs to be done to actually implement the law," said Phone Myint Aung, a lawmaker from the Upper House.

According to the 2008 Constitution, lawmakers are not required to follow the president's recommendations when approving a bill.

Floods in Karen State Displace More Than 7,000

Posted: 30 Jul 2013 02:59 AM PDT

Hlaing Bwe town in Karen State was severely flooded on Monday. (Photo: Nandakyawthu Soe / Facebook)

Heavy rains have caused flooding along the Salween River in southern Burma's Karen State and more than 7,000 people have evacuated to higher ground, local officials said on Monday.

Authorities in Hpa-an and Myawaddy districts said the river had burst its banks and inundated large parts of Hpa-an, Hlaing Bwe, Kyar Inn Seik Kyi, Myawaddy, Paing Kyone and Kyondo townships.

About 30 relief camps have been set up on higher ground in order to provide shelter to 7,795 people whose homes have been flooded, according to officials.

Karen State Social Affairs Minister Chit Hlaing said water levels in the Salween had risen rapidly and passed danger levels this weekend. "The water level now is at over 850 cm and has gone beyond the danger mark," he told The Irrawaddy.

"We are currently taking care of flood victims with all our means. We have more than 10 million kyat [US$ 10,000] leftover funds from last year's donations. We provide each of them with a small amount of rice and egg rations. We have also opened clinics in the camps to care for their health," Chit Hlaing said.

From Saturday to Sunday, water levels in the Salween River rose rapidly, increasing with 49 cm in just 24 hours, government newspaper The New Light of Myanmar reported, adding that on Sunday water level were already 4 cm above danger levels.

The Meteorology and Hydrology Department warned that water levels would continue to rise until Tuesday, as heavy rains continue.

On Monday night, new 24-hour rainfall records were set in Kawkareik Township, Karen State, and in Monghsat Township, Shan State, which received 10.94 inches and 5.04 inches of rain, respectively, the newspaper reported.

The heavy rain and flooding have reportedly resulted in closure of some schools in Hpa-an Township and landslides along the roads through the Dawna mountain range, which connect the towns of Myawaddy and Kawkareik.

"We are now taking necessary measures to clear the road, which was blocked by landslides, while also taking care of food for flood victims in our area," said Tint Wai Thon, the administrator of Myawaddy District on the Burma-Thailand border, where nine camps have been established.

In the meantime, thousands of people in Thai border town Mae Sot, located opposite Myawaddy, have been evacuated due to flooding of the Thaung Yin (Moei) River.

Thai newspaper The Nation reported that flooding in Mae Sot district was the worst in 20 years. It said Burma-Thailand border trade in the area had been halted for four days, leading to a loss of business worth US$40 million.

Farmers’ Efforts to File Case against Ex-Aide of Military Strongman Denied

Posted: 29 Jul 2013 11:47 PM PDT

Maj-Gen Soe Shein, third left, holds the arm of Snr-Gen Than Shwe in Shanghai in 2010. (Photo: Reuters)

Local authorities in Naypyidaw's Lewe Township have yet to open a legal case against a general who allegedly threatened a group of farmers at gunpoint early this month, according to the would-be plaintiffs.

Maj-Gen Soe Shein—once the personal assistant to Burma's former military supremo Snr-Gen Than Shwe and currently serving at the Ministry of Defense—arrived at farmland in the village of Intaingtha in Lewe on July 5 and demanded that farmers there leave immediately.

"He aimed his pistol at us and said he would shoot if we didn't leave the farmland right away," Aung Than Oo, a farmer working at the time the general made the threat, told The Irrawaddy. "So, two of my workers and I got scared and ran. We even forgot to grab our rice packs."

The farmers later went to the local police station in Intaingtha but were denied the opportunity to file a case and were told to instead submit it directly to the township court, according to another farmer who accompanied them. The court also refused to take the complaint and asked the men to go to the township police station, where they faced another rejection, he said.

"We tried to file the case at the local police station for two days but were not successful," the farmer said. "We went to the court but were not allowed to do so because we didn't have any authorized letter. We even went to the office of the national police chief located in Naypyidaw, which didn't do anything and [authorities] only recommended that we go back to the Lewe police station."

Sandar Min, a member of the Lower House of Parliament from Naypyidaw's Zabuthiri Township, told The Irrawaddy that the farmers had come to see her after their attempt to file a case against Soe Shein had failed. The parliamentarian said she drafted a complaint letter and suggested that the accusers send it to Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of Burma's armed forces.

"Since they were denied by police stations, I asked them to submit a complaint letter to Min Aung Hlaing for further action," said Sandar Min, adding that if no action was taken within two weeks, she would continue to work on the case.

On July 11, Soe Shein told the Myanmar Times newspaper that he had repeatedly warned farmers not to cultivate his land.

"I'm always warning them not to [cultivate the land]," he told the Myanmar Times. "I own that land officially. But they kept doing it so we wanted to intimidate them a little bit."

Aung Than Oo contends that the land in dispute, where the farmers have worked for about 20 years, belongs to him and others. Personal aides of Soe Shein came and marked the land months ago and told the farmers cultivating it that the general would buy it, he said.

"They said they would give 150,000 kyat [US$150] per acre for my land and 300,000 [kyat] per acre for the land next to mine," recalled Aung Than Oo. "They also said we can ask for more when Soe Shein comes. So, we agreed and a date was set in June for selling our land but they never showed up on that day. Instead, they came later and planted plum trees on it without our knowledge."

He added that although farmers have worked the land for generations, they did not have any evidence to prove their ownership.

Burma’s Press Council to Submit Bill to Lower House

Posted: 29 Jul 2013 11:37 PM PDT

Journals for sale in Rangoon. (Photo: The Irrawaddy)

RANGOON — Burma's interim Press Council will try to bypass the government and submit its press bill directly to Parliament, following uneasy negotiations over the bill with the Ministry of Information.

Press Council member Zaw Thet Htwe said arrangements were being made to submit the bill during the current Parliament session with the help of an acting lawmaker.

The Press Council, an interim body comprised mostly of Burmese journalists and some government-appointed members, met last Wednesday in Naypyidaw with officials from the Ministry of Information and lawmakers from the Lower House's committee on sports, culture and public relations development. They discussed the bill, which aims to define reporters' rights, promote media ethics and boost overall press freedom for journalists and journal publishers.

"We mainly discussed the 17 points from the media bill, drafted by us, that the Ministry of Information disagrees with," Zaw Thet Htwe, a sports journalist, told The Irrawaddy. "Because the Ministry of Information doesn't agree with those points, it will not submit the bill to the Lower House. So we decided to submit the bill via a certain lawmaker or certain committee."

He declined to specify which lawmaker or committee would assist the Press Council, but said the 17 points under contention would soon be announced to the public.

Ye Htut, the deputy minister of information and President Thein Sein's spokesman, could not be reached for comment. In recent weeks he has said that 17 points of the Press Council's bill failed to meet international standards and that without amendments, the ministry would not be able to submit the bill to the Lower House for consideration.

Also on Wednesday, prior to the meeting with ministry officials, members of the Press council reportedly met with the Upper House's deputy speaker and lawmakers from the bill committee.

Parliament is also considering another media bill, known as the Printing and Publishing Enterprise Bill, which focuses on Burma's publishing industry. The bill was passed by the Lower House but has been criticized by press freedom watchdogs because it grants the ministry broad powers to issue and revoke publication licenses.

Press Council members have threatened to resign if the Upper House passes the publishing bill in its current form. In the meeting last week in Naypyidaw, they reportedly asked ministry officials to amend a provision in the bill that calls for the creation of a "registration officer" in the ministry who controls licensing.

Palaung Rebels Set for Peace Talks With Government

Posted: 29 Jul 2013 11:27 PM PDT

TNLA soldiers are seen on the frontlines in this photo posted on July 7, 2013. (Photo: TNLA / Facebook)

A rebel group representing the minority ethnic Palaung in northern Shan State says it will hold peace talks with the government this week.

The Palaung State Liberation Front (PSLF), the political wing of a rebel armed group known as the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), will meet with the government's chief peace negotiator, Minister Aung Min from the President's Office, on Wednesday in Shan State's Muse Township.

"This is our first time meeting since we had informal talks in November 2012," Mai Aung Ko, a spokesman for the group, told The Irrawaddy on Monday, adding that PSLF general secretary Lt-Col Mai Phone Kyaw would lead the rebel group's delegation. "We expect to continue holding dialogues to work toward genuine peace."

The peace talks follow renewed clashes between the TNLA and government troops in northern Shan State last week.

The director of the government-affiliated Myanmar Peace Center (MPC), Min Zaw Oo, declined to comment on the upcoming talks with the PSLF. "We cannot say anything yet because our MPC has not yet released a press statement," he said.

A detailed agenda of the meeting has not yet been revealed, but drug eradication efforts will likely be raised. "We will discuss how to collaborate for the anti-opium campaign," Mai Aung Ko said.

The TNLA has been engaged in drug eradication efforts in the east Burma state by destroying opium fields. Burma is the world's second-largest producer of opium after Afghanistan.

The Palaung army is about 1,300 soldiers strong and has been engaged in guerilla warfare against the government for decades. It is believed to have an alliance with the rebel Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Shan State Progress Party (SSPP), which is connected to the Shan State Army-North (SSA-N).

Since early last year, hundreds of clashes have been reported between the TNLA and government troops. In June, clashes between both sides displaced several thousands of residents in Namkham, Mongtong and Kutkai townships.

In a joint statement issued on Friday, the PSLF and the TNLA said other leaders representing the Kachin, Karen, Mon, Shan and Wa ethnic minority groups would join the peace talks this week as observers. The statement said the chief minister of Shan State would attend the meeting, along with officials from rebel armed groups and the government military.

Burma Calling Out for Indonesia’s Telkom

Posted: 29 Jul 2013 11:21 PM PDT

A woman waits for customers at a "public call office" in Yangon on May 27, 2012. Just a few million out of Myanmar's 50-plus million population have mobile phones and access to an as-yet extremely limited system. (Photo: Reuters)

JAKARTA — Telekomunikasi Indonesia, Indonesia's biggest telecommunication company, has won a tender to manage Burma's international networks.

"The trust given by the Myanmar government is the result of our team's hard work on the ground in Myanmar. This will be an opportunity to show Telkom can be aligned with other big international operators," Arief Yahya, president director of Indonesia's state-controlled Telkom, said in a statement on Friday.

Telkom has been tasked with modernizing Burma's information and communications technology facilities following years of neglect during a period of military government that attracted international sanctions.

Arief said Burma, which is in the process of economic liberalization, would provide business opportunities, which Telkom was seeking to tap into by opening a representative office in the country.

"This proves Telkom's seriousness in getting a foothold in Myanmar's emerging market," Arief said.

In April, Telkom missed out on two telecom licenses after Burma's Ministry of Communication and Information Technology shortlisted 12 bidders. Telkom was not on the list.

Telkom's expansion into Burma follows a call by State Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan last year for companies under his watch to aggressively pursue opportunities in the fellow Association of Southeast Asian Nations member.

Cement-maker Semen Indonesia is another company that has heeded the call, setting aside US$200 million to buy a plant.

Telkom, via Telekom Internasional, a subsidiary that handles the company's business overseas, has expanded into Hong Kong, East Timor, Australia, Malaysia and Singapore.

It has also set its sights on markets elsewhere in Asia, and in the Middle East.

In Hong Kong, Telkom offers "Kartu As 2 in 1," a customized SIM product launched via Telkom Internasional Hong Kong last October. The SIM card contains both Indonesian and Hong Kong numbers.

According to Hong Kong's 2011 census, there were 137,403 Indonesians, 1.9 percent of the population, living in the territory.

In East Timor, Telkom is investing $50 million to establish GSM and 3G telecommunications operations.

Last year the company secured a license to run telephony services for three years in the country.

Telkom is seeking a 60 percent market share in East Timor.

In Australia, Telkom is looking to enter the call center outsourcing business, while in Malaysia, it has established subsidiary Telekomunikasi Indonesia International.

The company was officially incorporated on July 2, according to Telkom's recent unaudited financial statement.

Telkom has long had a working relationship with Singapore's SingTel. The cooperation is an extension of the joint venture in Indonesia via Telkomsel, Indonesia's biggest mobile phone operator, which is 65 percent owned by Telkom and 35 percent by SingTel.

Telkom reported a profit increase of 13 percent, to Rp 10.1 trillion ($986 billion), in the first half as its business expanded and revenue climbed.

The Bandung-based company posted a 9.4 percent increase in revenue to Rp 40.2 trillion in the first semester.

Shares in Telkom fell 2.2 percent to Rp 11,400 in Monday trading in Jakarta.

This article was cross-posted from The Jakarta Globe.

Indonesians Angered over Hard-Line Ramadan Raids

Posted: 29 Jul 2013 10:49 PM PDT

A member of the Islamic Defenders Front hardline Muslim group stands guard while other members hold a mass prayer during a pro-Palestinian rally outside the U.S. embassy in Jakarta. (Photo: Reuters)

JAKARTA — The head of Indonesia's largest Muslim organization called Monday for the disbanding of a hard-line Islamic group after a pregnant woman was killed in a car accident during illegal raids to curb prostitution during the holy month of Ramadan.

The Islamic Defenders Front, known by its Indonesia acronym FPI, has a long record of vandalizing nightspots, hurling stones at Western embassies and attacking rival religious groups.

"Their attitude does not reflect the teachings of Islam," said Aqil Siradj, chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia's largest Muslim organization. "We called on the government to disband the group that did this vandalizing."

He said he regretted that the government has remained silent as hard-line groups shuttered Christian churches, attacked their worshippers and torched Ahmadiyah and Shiites mosques, which they consider heretical.

The latest incident occurred July 18 in Central Java's Kendal town. About 50 FPI supporters attempted to raid an area they believed was allowing prostitution. While fleeing the scene to escape an angry mob of local residents after vandalizing businesses, one of their vehicles hit a couple on a motorbike, killing a pregnant woman and injuring her husband.

In a separate raid, supporters of the group vandalized a liquor store in Makassar, capital of South Sulawesi province in eastern Indonesia.

Even though arrests have been made in both cases, it has thrust Indonesia's weak law enforcement under the spotlight and sparked anger online and in local media, with many denouncing the group.

"My position is very clear, we will not forgive any form of intolerance," President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said in a rare condemnation last week. "This has to be prevented so that no other organization, including the FPI, engage in any more violence."

The hard-liner group responded by releasing a statement calling Yudhoyono a "loser" and a "disgrace to Muslims." Two days later amid growing pressure, its leader, Riziek Shihab, released an apology for the accident and pledged that the group would expel any member who engages in violence.

Prominent rights activist Hendardi from Setara Institute, a watchdog for interfaith tolerance, said Monday that the controversy raises further questions about the commitment of the National Police, whose leaders have repeatedly vowed to crack down on raids carried out by the group.

"It seems that the police are not serious and there's a reluctance to take legal action against FPI," said Hendardi, who like many Indonesians uses a single name.

An online petition calling for FPI to be disbanded had been signed by more than 41,000 people on Monday.

However, police spokesman Rianto said authorities were not authorized to do so.

Indonesia, home for 240 million people, has more Muslims than any other country in the world but is secular with a history of religious tolerance. In recent years, however, an extremist fringe has grown louder.

Black Waves of Oil Washing onto Thai Resort Beach

Posted: 29 Jul 2013 10:40 PM PDT

Thai soldiers in white biohazard suits take part in a clean-up operation at Ao Prao Beach on Koh Samet, Rayong, on July 29, 2013. (Photo: Reuters / Athit Perawongmetha)

BANGKOK — Streaks of crude oil marred the beach on a popular tourist island in Thailand's eastern sea despite attempts to clean up a spill from a leaking pipeline, officials said.

Tourists were warned to stay away as black waves left inky globs on Samet Island's once-serene white beaches Monday while hundreds of workers in white jumpsuits labored to scrape the sand clean and remove oil from the water.

Oily streaks about 300 meters wide marred the shore of Prao Bay on the island that is one of the most popular beach destinations for Thai and foreign tourists in the Gulf of Thailand, Rayong Deputy Gov. Supeepat Chongpanish said.

He said authorities closed the bay as 300 workers attempted to remove the oil from the white beach and the water.

"The top priorities right now are to get rid of the oil on the sand and the seawater, and to make sure the spill doesn't spread to other shores," Supeepat said. "This is a very beautiful, white, sandy beach, so we want to make the spill go away as soon as possible."

About 50 tons of oil spilled into the sea off Rayong province on Saturday morning from a leak in the pipeline operated by PTT Global Chemical Plc, a subsidiary of state-owned oil and gas company PTT Plc.

It is the fourth major oil spill in the country's history, Energy Minister Pongsak Raktapongpaisal said.

Provincial authorities declared the nearby area a disaster zone, and those affected will receive immediate assistance.

"The black waves started rolling in since last night and by the morning the beach was all tainted with oil," said Kevin Wikul, the assistant front desk officer at a resort in Prao Bay. He added that some guests requested early check-outs Monday.

The company said it detected a leak when crude oil from a tanker moored offshore was being transferred to the pipeline, 20 kilometers from a refinery in Map Ta Phut, one of the largest industrial estates in Southeast Asia.

The company said in a statement that it has flown in oil spill management experts and a plane from Singapore to remove the crude oil. Thai navy vessels also joined the cleanup efforts.

Authorities said it would take some time to assess the environmental damage.

"The spill is definitely having an impact on the environment, but we have not detected any deaths of marine animals yet at this point," provincial Gov. Wichit Chatphaisit said. "PTT will have to take responsibility for the damage this has caused."

He said pollution control department officials had expressed concern about the effects of the chemical used to clean up the spill.

PTTGC apologized and said the cleanup will likely be completed within three days.

"We acknowledge this incident has damaged our reputation and we will not let it happen again," CEO Anon Sirisaengtaksin told a news conference.

In 2009, another PTT subsidiary was involved in the Montara oil spill, one of Australia's worst oil disasters, in the Timor Sea off western Australia.

Cambodia Election Challenge Raises Fears

Posted: 29 Jul 2013 10:00 AM PDT

Sam Rainsy, president of the Cambodia National Rescue Party makes a point as he addresses reporters at his party’s headquarters in Phnom Penh. His party on Monday rejected election results given by the government. (Photo: Reuters / Pring Samrang)

PHNOM PENH — Cambodia’s opposition leader rejected the results of a weekend election showing a win for the long-time ruling party, raising fears of post-poll instability and setting the stage for a new showdown with Prime Minister Hun Sen.

The challenge by opposition leader Sam Rainsy, who returned from exile last week to campaign for his Cambodia National Rescue Party, comes despite his party’s relative success in Sunday’s polling, in which the opposition made its biggest gains in years.

Provisional results from Sunday’s voting showed the opposition capturing 55 of the 123 seats in the National Assembly. Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party won 68 seats, or a majority of 55 percent.

Rainsy — who had earlier vowed mass protests if the voters’ will was denied — called for an independent investigation into allegations that as many as a million people may have been deprived of their right to vote, among other irregularities.

He said the challenge was not a bargaining chip to get into government but instead a sign that his party was "interested in rendering justice to the Cambodian people to ensure that the will of the Cambodian people not be distorted or reversed."

The rejection of the results raised the specter that Cambodia might return to a previous pattern of post-election instability that has several times led to political gridlock and turned violent.

If the opposition party boycotts the assembly, it may be impossible for Hun Sen to legally form a government.

Rainsy did not specifically threaten a boycott, but election experts pointed out that the constitution says a quorum of 120 assembly members is needed to open a parliamentary session, raising the possibility that an opposition boycott could leave the country without a fully functioning government.

Cambodia faced a similar situation most recently after its 2003 election, when Hun Sen’s party failed to win enough seats to legally form a government on its own. The deadlock was broken only after 11 months and violence in the streets. But Hun Sen faced a divided opposition then, while his opponents this time are united.

Other polls in recent decades have been followed by confrontations and violence.

After his party ran second in UN-sponsored elections of 1993 — the culmination of a process to end decades of civil war after the Khmer Rouge’s murderous 1970s regime — Hun Sen insisted on being named co-prime minister. He then ousted his partner in government four years later in a bloody coup.

Recent years’ elections have mostly had a peaceful aftermath because Hun Sen’s party, which controls most levers of power, won decisively over a divided opposition. But the strong showing of the more-united opposition this year may embolden Rainsy and his allies.

Hun Sen has not spoken publicly since the election. At 60, he has a reputation as a wily survivor, starting with his defection from the Khmer Rouge to Vietnam, which after invading to oust the radical regime installed him first as foreign minister and later as prime minister.

Rainsy, 64, has long been the thorn in Hun Sen’s side. He spent the Khmer Rouge years in France and served as finance minister in the government elected in 1993, but was kicked out from his party and his post for his outspoken anti-corruption stand.

He founded his own party in 1995, and two years later Rainsy narrowly escaped being killed in a grenade attack on a rally he was leading.

Rainsy said shortly after polls opened Sunday that his party would wait before deciding what to do about the alleged irregularities, but added that if it was clear the voters’ will was being denied, "definitely, there will be protests."

The opposition’s challenge could be mostly bluster. Hun Sen’s party dominates nearly all the state bureaucracy and the courts, which will almost certainly affirm the CPP victory. It was unclear what the opposition would do if its complaints were not sustained.

On Monday, the US called for a probe into irregularities into the election.

"We are concerned by numerous reported irregularities in the electoral process," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in Washington. "We have consistently called on the Royal Government of Cambodia to address systematic flaws — systemic flaws such as problems in the voter registry and unequal access to the media. We call for a transparent and full investigation of all credible reports of irregularities."

The United States and other countries had expressed doubts before the election about its fairness, but are unlikely to pursue the point with enthusiasm. They have accepted results of past elections with much more open intimidation and violence, and will likely regard this year’s results as a major step forward.

The opposition could nonetheless cause a lot of mischief by refusing to take its seats. Hun Sen could seek to open parliament through a legal loophole, though such a move would support charges of unfairness and autocratic behavior.

He could also simply try to wait out his opponent as head of a caretaker government. The position would be awkward, but also preserve the status quo, which leaves him in power.

Rainsy’s party and nonpartisan groups charged that the ruling party used the machinery of government and security to reward or pressure voters. They also said that voter registration procedures were badly flawed, possibly leaving more than 1 million people disenfranchised.

The combined opposition had held just 29 seats in the last assembly. It was a precarious foothold — they were kicked out on highly technical grounds by their ruling party colleagues just before campaigning began.

But with many younger voters participating in this election, the opposition apparently gained seats with their support, analysts said.

"The run-up to elections has shown the emergence of a young generation, which rather than prizing stability as their elders, conceived of the elections in terms of ‘change or no change," noted Astrid Norén-Nilsson, a Cambodia scholar from the University of Cambridge.

She added that Hun Sen will need to learn to work with the opposition. "Otherwise, there is a real possibility that a politically polarized population will raise the risk for social tension and social unrest."
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)