Democratic Voice of Burma

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• MP blames local authorities for Htan Gone riot
• Rice exports down but annual forecast positive
• Activists slam Association Law that would ‘criminalise’ dissent
• Ethnic minorities schedule conference for September
• Muslim homes left smouldering after night of mob violence in Htan Gone
• Vietnam rues slow start in tapping Burmese markets

MP blames local authorities for Htan Gone riot Posted: 26 Aug 2013 06:07 AM PDT Kanbula township MP Myint Naing has blamed local authorities for a lack of preparation in the wake of a riot which resulted in dozens of Muslim properties being burnt down in the village of Htan Gone where 50 percent of the population is Muslim and the other half Buddhists. The upper house representative of Sagaing's division's constituency 3, a member of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), also criticised the township administration for a lack of transparency over the incident. Myint Naing told DVB that he had travelled on Sunday to Htan Gone where he met with district police chief Col Ohn Hlaing. However, he said he was denied the opportunity to talk with 12 detainees who were arrested for rioting. "The local police said they will investigate the case and release a statement in due course," the NLD representative said. "But they didn't allow me to meet with the suspects and they didn't tell me where they were being detained. "Where is the transparency?" he said. "This incident occurred due to a lack of preparation by the township administrators." Myint Naing added that he intends to visit Shwebo prison where a Muslim youth is being held on suspicion of attempting to rape a Buddhist woman in Htan Gone on Saturday evening. When rumours spread in the town that a Muslim had been detained over rape allegations, a mob of Buddhists quickly ascended upon the local police station where he was being held and demanded he be handed over. When police refused, the mob began looting and burning Muslim properties. Myint Naing said he was told that many of the rioters were not from Htan Gone. DVB tried to contact the police and administration office for independent verification but were unable to get a reply.

Rice exports down but annual forecast positive Posted: 26 Aug 2013 05:51 AM PDT Burma exported some 200,000 tonnes of rice between April and July, but that's 100,000 tonnes short of last year's figures. According to the chairman of the Myanmar Rice and Paddy Traders Association, the 50 percent decrease in shipments is due to an increase in the Burmese rice price, a decrease in Indian prices, and adverse weather conditions. The price per tonne for low-quality Emata rice (25 percent broken) in Rangoon today stands at US$360- $370, compared with $330 on the international market. Related Stories Danish freight giant confirms Burma license Severe weather affecting rice fields across Burma Foreign trade exceeds $7 billion for first quarter In addition, Burma has been hit with adverse weather conditions recently, with floods in the Irrawaddy delta and a drought in Upper Burma. However, exports at the Sino-Burmese border are up significantly according to a local trader from Muse. "Last week only 600 tonnes of rice passed through the border, but this week it's up to 1,000 tonnes," he said. The chairman of Myanmar Rice and Paddy Traders Association, Aung Than Oo, remained upbeat, saying that while Burma exported some 1.4 million tonnes of rice in 2012, this year he expects the total to hit 2 million tonnes.

Activists slam Association Law that would ‘criminalise’ dissent Posted: 26 Aug 2013 05:40 AM PDT Burma must reject or amend a draft association law which would allow the government to ban or impose criminal penalties on civil society groups for exercising free speech, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Monday. If passed in its current format, the law would require non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to register with a military-backed body that can arbitrarily reject applications, leaving activists vulnerable to arrest and prosecution. HRW described the legislation as "contrary" to international law, including the right to freedom of association and speech, and accused the quasi-civilian regime of backtracking on its democratic reform programme. "It seems the government wants to keep its stranglehold over civil society, effectively muzzling watchdog groups during this critical reform period," said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at HRW. Activists who fail to register with the government board face up to three years in jail, and its decisions are not open to appeal. The legislation is likely to prevent exiled groups, set up by pro-democracy activists who fled Burma during decades of military-rule, from returning home. Related Stories Burma's lower house to discuss amending electronics law Media law unresolved in Parliament Ministry to meet with civil society groups to discuss controversial association bill Wong Aung from the Shwe Gas Movement, which campaigns for the sustainable use of Burma's natural resources, described the law as "unconstitutional" and "repressive". "Because this law can control and punish civil society groups by means of various charges, it seems likely to create even more prisoners and exiles if abused by the authorities," he told DVB on Monday. "There is already a huge commitment to civil society activity inside Burma, and we fear that these activities could disappear at any time." He added that the Thailand-based Shwe Gas Movement would like to set up formal operations inside Burma where it has become increasingly active, but the government could easily block these efforts. "Because our organisation focuses on human rights and corporate accountability, we are concerned that the law could inhibit our work," said Wong Aung. "We are also concerned that if this law passes we will not be able to obtain registered status due to the nature of our work." It comes amid growing pressure on Thailand-based groups to relocate back to Burma, as international donors continue to slash funding for exiled NGOs and step up diplomatic relations with Naypyidaw. Under the new law, international organisations would also be required to sign a memorandum of understanding with the government, which according to HRW "could severely hamper their legitimate activities". The UN's special rapporteur for human rights, Tomás Ojea Quintana, has previously said the law would be "a serious setback for the development of a strong and vibrant civil society" in Burma. The association draft is the latest example of legislation introduced since the nominal end of military rule in March 2011 that could be used to stifle democratic dissent. For example, a new printing and publishing law passed by the upper house of parliament on Monday includes some similar provisions to the regulation it is set to replace such as requiring media outlets to "register" with a government-backed board. Meanwhile, dozens of peaceful activists have been prosecuted and jailed under a 2011 law, which criminalises the right to protest without permission. "Burma is slowly emerging from decades of harsh authoritarian rule where many groups faced either control by the government or being forced into exile," warned Robertson. "The draft Associations Law threatens the recent gains made by Burmese civil society groups and will undercut efforts to hold the government to account in the reform process."

Ethnic minorities schedule conference for September Posted: 26 Aug 2013 03:16 AM PDT Political representatives of Burma's ethnic minorities including the Shan, Karen, Chin, Mon and Karenni have announced that they will hold a trust-building conference in September aimed at establishing a unified voice with which to engage in dialogue with the Burmese government. The announcement comes after a meeting of ethnic politicians and representatives of various ethnic armed groups on 23 August in Taunggyi, capital of Shan state. Speaking to DVB on Monday, Sai Leik, a spokesman for the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, said the delegates had requested permission from the minister of Shan state to hold such a conference and that they were looking forward to forming a political agreement. "We will discuss issues relating to democracy, federalism and amendments to the 2008 constitution," he said, adding that topics such as self-determination and equality would also be tabled. Related Stories Suu Kyi's silence Mon party given approval to register Ethnic parties to reach out to armed groups Smaller ethnic groups such as the Pa-O will be represented at the conference while civic groups including 88 Generation and political prisoners campaign groups will attend as observers. Sai Leik said that the ministers for Shan, Karenni and Mon states and their respective house speakers will be invited to attend, as will representatives of the Myanmar Peace Center.

Muslim homes left smouldering after night of mob violence in Htan Gone Posted: 26 Aug 2013 02:57 AM PDT Reporting by AFP Hundreds of Muslim people have been made homeless in Sagaing Division after rioters looted and burned homes, shops and at least one mosque in the village of Htan Gone on Saturday night. No deaths or serious injuries have been reported. Local officials were quoted as saying that calm had returned to the town although dozens of buildings belonging to Muslims were left in charred ruins. Myint Naing a local MP for the opposition National League for Democracy, told AFP that 160 men and 158 women who had lost their homes had taken shelter in a local school. The report said 12 people had been arrested in relation to the unrest, which began after a Muslim youth was detained by police on suspicion of attempting to rape a Buddhist woman in the village on Saturday evening. Related Stories MP blames local authorities for Htan Gone riot Security forces step in as anti-Muslim riot erupts in Sagaing Quintana talks to DVB A crowd of about 150 people and three Buddhist monks gathered at the local police station demanding that the accused be handed over to them, according to a message on the Ministry of Information website on Sunday. When the police refused, the crowd attacked Muslim property in the area. According to Burma's state-run New Light of Myanmar, the accused youth was transferred into custody in Shwebo, some 100 km southeast of Htan Gone; however the crowd grew in numbers and a mob began torching buildings, including houses, a poultry farm, two shops and a rice brokerage. Security forces confronted the mob and at least one shot was fired into the air to quell the unrest. Members of the crowd then attempted to prevent firefighters tackling the blaze by hurling stones from catapults. At about 1.15 am a second shot was fired by the police to try to disperse the crowd. Several regional ministers or their assistants travelled to Htan Gone on Sunday to meet local officials and discuss measures to prevent violence from happening in the town again, New Light of Myanmar said.

Vietnam rues slow start in tapping Burmese markets Posted: 25 Aug 2013 09:23 PM PDT Vietnamese businesses have been slow to tackle Burma's emerging markets and are missing opportunities while its ASEAN neighbours, China, Japan, South Korea and western nations move in, several of the country's entrepreneurs have complained. Quoting a delegation of Vietnamese business leaders, Thanh Nien News last week said: "There is plenty of scope to sell Vietnamese products in Myanmar [Burma], especially low-cost ones, but manufacturers have done little promotion to tap the market." Meanwhile Saigon Tiep Thi newspaper on Monday quoted Le Duc Duy, the marketing director of Vietnam's leading dried fruit producing company, Vinamit, as saying Burma is a "promising destination", which offers foreign firms a tax waiver for the first five years. Than Nien News said that many supermarkets in Burma display Vietnamese brand products including instant noodles, canned foods, cleaning products and coffee. However, it said. "They come straight from Vietnam, without changes made to labels or tastes to cater to Myanmarese [Burmese] preferences." Vietnamese companies need to make English labels and analyse Burmese culture and tastes to make their products accordingly, a leading distributor was reported as saying. Related Stories Foreign trade exceeds $7 billion for first quarter Ooredoo vows to provide affordable telecoms service in Myanmar Ministry set to rewrite colonial-era business law The Vietnamese daily noted that Burma's traditional markets are full of cheap products from China, Malaysia, India, and Thailand, meaning there is plenty of opportunity for Vietnam's low-cost products. It added that the average wage in Rangoon is only around half the Vietnamese average, and even less in other parts of the country. Pham Dung, Vietnam’s ambassador to Burma, is quoted by Thanh Nien as saying that the embassy in Rangoon has been busy receiving and assisting Vietnamese businesses coming to explore the market. But not many have returned or stayed, he said. There are currently 23 Vietnamese companies with a presence in Burma, the report said.

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