Thursday, July 25, 2013

Democratic Voice of Burma

Democratic Voice of Burma

Ministry of information, press council lock horns over draft bill

Posted: 25 Jul 2013 04:47 AM PDT

Wednesday's meeting between Burma's interim press council and the Ministry of Information (MOI) in Naypyidaw has been deemed "fruitless" by participants as the two sides continue to argue over the contents of a new draft media law.

Tensions arose ahead of the talks after the ministry struck down 17 of the suggested article presented in the council's draft on 9 July.

Ye Htun, a member of the lower house who help mediate Wednesday's meeting, said the negotiations failed due to a lack of trust between the two sides.

"Based on the discussion in the meeting, the level of mutual-trust between the two parties is seemingly low. They were just going back and forth against each other," said Ye Htun.

"Without mutual-trust, the negotiations won't work out."

According to the Voice Weekly's chief editor and press council secretary Kyaw Min Swe, the council took issue with the ministry's call to make several press bodies to oversee the activities of Burma's media sector.

"The [MoI] told us to amend 17 articles in the bill, including the one that states that the press council would be the only press body in the country. They want a lot of councils and we wouldn't accept that. Also, one of the articles said council members should be regarded as civil servants – we consulted with legal experts to include this in the bill and the [MoI] want that changed too," said Kyaw Min Swe.

"And they want to change the word 'Electronic Media' to 'Internet Media' and we told them we cannot change that either. We rejected their demand to change the articles as we have a concern that it might bring back restrictions against media freedom."

However, the editor added that the interim council would ultimately accept the parliament's decision.

The news comes amid rising tension between the interim press council and government officials.

Earlier this month, Burma's lower house of parliament approved a controversial draft of the printing and publishing enterprise law, despite vocal protests from members of the council who claimed the bill contains measures that would hinder the fourth estate.

Britain denies breaching Burma arms embargo

Posted: 25 Jul 2013 04:02 AM PDT

The British government has denied breaching the EU arms embargo for Burma, after a parliamentary report revealed that it has eight active arms export licences for the former military dictatorship.

A spokesperson for the UK embassy in Rangoon told DVB that the vast majority of licences were for commercial application of "dual-use" goods, including software for civil aircraft and equipment for an offshore oil and gas company. The one licence intended for military goods – namely bomb suits and devices for detonating explosives – was for use by a humanitarian agency engaged in land mine clearance.

"The UK government takes its export responsibilities very seriously – we have one of the most rigorous armed export control regimes in the world and we are very much party to the EU ban on Burma and that policy is still very much in place," said Joe Fisher, Second Secretary of the British Embassy in Rangoon. "We've granted these licenses on the basis that they've passed our strict criteria."

He added that a request to export small arms ammunition, which was denied in May 2011 on the basis that it breached the EU's embargo, was for .22 calibre sporting cartridges intended for a local shooting association. However, the British embassy refused to disclose the name of the exporter due to "commercial sensitive reasons".

The UK has also conceded that there is a risk that illicit trade into Burma could increase in tandem with the rise in legitimate exports to the former pariah, which has been stripped of most international economic and trade sanctions since reformist President Thein Sein took office in 2011.

"With the increase in trade – which is a welcome thing in terms of developing Burma's prosperity – we need to make sure, in conjunction with partners here in country, that what is traded is in line with legal requirements," said Fisher.

Britain has continued to step up diplomatic and economic ties with Burma, which is slowly emerging from five decades of military rule, despite ongoing concerns about human rights.

A historic visit by President Thein Sein to Britain this month was largely overshadowed by Burma's treatment of ethnic minorities, including the Muslim Rohingya, who are denied citizenship and heavily persecuted. Despite appeals by Prime Minister David Cameron to address their citizenship, Thein Sein has reiterated his government's commitment to a controversial 1982 law, which renders them stateless.

Human rights groups say the British government has lost its bargaining power by prematurely shedding sanctions and rekindling a military relationship with the quasi-civilian regime.

It follows news that the British government has offered training to the Burmese army, although Fisher insists that collaboration will focus on human rights and accountability. Both Burma and Britain are set to establish defence attachés in Rangoon and London respectively in the near future.

"While the arms export licenses allowed so far do not appear to be cause for significant concern, the steps by the British government to move closer to the Burmese military are very worrying," said Mark Farmaner, Campaign Director of Burma Campaign UK.

"We were originally told military to military contacts would be purely diplomatic, but already it has been expanded to include training. Given the recent record of the British government, it wouldn’t surprise us if they supported lifting the arms embargo when it's due for renewal next April."

Burma has been subject to an EU arms embargo since 1996 as a result of the former military regime's persistent violations of human rights, including military attacks and abuses against civilians in ethnic minority regions.

Ministry set to rewrite colonial-era business law

Posted: 25 Jul 2013 02:52 AM PDT

The Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development (MNPED) is planning to redraft the 99-year-old Burma Companies Act in an attempt to make the legislation more compatible with the country's evolving business climate.

According to the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA)'s director general Aung Naing Oo, the ministry is working alongside the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to rewrite the law that was adopted in 1914 when Burma was still under British colonial rule.

"The act is 99 years old so it wouldn't be convenient for amending. We've had several meetings with the ADB to discuss whether it would be better to completely rewrite or just make amendments to it and concluded that rewriting would be more effective," said Aung Naing Oo.

"We are looking to draft a more efficient law that meets international standards and provides  [companies] with regulations that are simple and easy to follow."

Maung Maung Lay, vice-chairperson of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, echoed the sentiment and said the new law's regulations should allow Burma's economy to integrate with regional and international markets.

"[Burma] is a signatory of the World Trade Organisation agreements and also looking to become a member of ASEAN trade, so we have to change our registration and investment regulations to become consistent with everyone else," said Maung Maung Lay.

According to economic analysts Aung Ko Ko, the new legislation should also shy away from loading private companies down with unnecessary expenses.

"There needs to be more privately owned companies in order to develop the private economic sector, and to make this happen they should be allowed to register and operate more conveniently."

According to statistics provided by DICA, there were 32,563 registered Burmese-owned companies and 2,060 foreign enterprises as of 1 July 2013.

Burma's economy languished during almost five decades of military rule that saw the nationalisation of large numbers of private enterprises in tandem with targeted sanctions from western governments.

Amid ongoing reforms, the government appointed a new investment commission last year that has been tasked with paving the way for foreign businesses looking to finance enterprises in one of Asia's final economic frontiers.

However, fierce opposition to ongoing land grabs, a lack of infrastructure and a largely untested government has bridled the massive influx of foreign capital into the former pariah nation.

Kachin activist wins prestigious humanitarian award

Posted: 24 Jul 2013 10:19 PM PDT

Afghanistan’s first and only female provincial governor and an aid worker from Burma’s Kachin minority are among the winners of this year’s prestigious Ramon Magsaysay awards, the award foundation said Wednesday.

The Manila-based Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, named after a popular Filipino president who was killed in a plane crash, was established in 1957 to honour people or groups who change communities in Asia for the better.

Both Habiba Sarabi, governor of the Afghan province of Bamyan, and Burmese aid worker Lahpai Seng Raw did not allow their minority origins to stop them from empowering other people, said the foundation.

The 55-year-old member of the minority Hazara group was recognised for promoting education and women’s rights despite working in an impoverished and war-torn environment, it said.

Lahpai Seng Raw – founder of Burma’s largest civil society group which runs healthcare, agriculture and peace projects in Kachin state – was selected for helping people across ethnic groups under conditions of armed conflict. The 64-year-old widow, who is a Christian from the Kachin minority, was commended for working with both the government and rebels.

A Filipino healthcare pioneer, a Nepalese anti-human trafficking organisation and an Indonesian anti-corruption group are the other winners of the awards to be handed out on August 31, the foundation said in a statement.

“The Magsaysay awardees… are all deeply involved in creating sustainable solutions to seemingly intransigent social problems in their respective societies,” foundation president Carmencita Abella said.

“Working selflessly in unpretentious yet powerful ways, they are showing us how commitment, competence and collaborative leadership can truly create ripples of change, even from the bottom of the pyramid.”

Medical researcher Ernesto Domingo, 76, was honoured for advancing universal healthcare in the Philippines where government funding for health remains weak.

The Nepalese group Shakti Samuha (Power Group), formed by survivors of human trafficking, was recognised for helping fellow victims by setting up halfway homes and emergency shelters.

The other award recipient, Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (Corruption Eradication Commission), received praise for a 100-percent conviction rate in the 169 cases it fought between 2004 and 2010, during which it recovered more than $80 million in stolen Indonesian state assets and funds.

Political prisoners walk free

Posted: 24 Jul 2013 08:33 PM PDT

More than 70 political prisoners were released across Burma on Tuesday during the latest presidential amnesty.

It follows President Thein Sein's pledge last week to free all of Burma's prisoners of conscience by the end of the year.

In Mon state’s Moulmein, Kyaw Myint Myo, an ethnic Karen who was sentenced to 13 years for unlawful association, was released. He was left paralysed from the waist down, and claims it was from being tortured during interrogation.

But he says his release is bitter sweet as there are still political prisoners who remain behind bars.

 

He says his release is bitter sweet.

 
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