Democratic Voice of Burma |
- KIO remains says signing ceasefire is ‘by no means certain’
- Political party leader detained in connection with Sandoway riots
- A new approach for a new generation
- Kachin activists’ expectations fall flat at Jimmy Carter meeting
- Sandoway: latest victim of communal chaos
- Burma still not ready for return of refugees from Thailand: TBC
- Terrified Muslims hiding in forests: AP
| KIO remains says signing ceasefire is ‘by no means certain’ Posted: 03 Oct 2013 05:30 AM PDT The Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) said on Thursday that it is by no means certain that it will sign the nationwide ceasefire agreement which the government is aiming to secure by the end of this year. A spokesman for the KIO, which on Thursday concluded preliminary talks with a government delegation in Myitkyina, said the Kachin army is ready to sit down again at the table for negotiations on 8 October, but that it cannot currently commit to whether it will sign a ceasefire. "We typically sign a list of agreements at the end of every meeting, but not on the issue of a ceasefire," said Daung Kha, a spokesperson for the KIO's Work Committee, who attended Thursday's talks in the Kachin state capital. "We will probably discuss the ceasefire issue during next week's talks, but whether to sign the agreement or not is another question. Related Stories"Ideally, we would like to wait until every ethnic group is involved, just as the government had originally planned," he said, adding that during the preliminary talks in Myitkyina on 2-3 October, the following issues were discussed: Kachin IDPs; demarcation of troops; and various political affairs. "Whether the government's effort to achieve a nationwide ceasefire is successful or not depends on how much trust can be built between the government and ethnic armed groups," said Daung Kha. "But it also depends on the extent of transparency in the political process. "However, as we all share the same ambition – to bring about peace via political solutions – a ceasefire will come sooner or later." |
| Political party leader detained in connection with Sandoway riots Posted: 03 Oct 2013 05:23 AM PDT The chairman of the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party (RNDP) in Sandoway township was detained for questioning by local police on Wednesday night in connection with the latest bout of Muslim-Buddhist violence to hit western Burma. The party, which is known for its inflammatory anti-Muslim rhetoric, has previously been implicated in stirring communal tensions in the restive state, but always denied any involvement. Five other people, including two members of a local nationalist group, known as the Organisation for the Protection of Race and Religion, were also detained, according to the RNDP secretary. Khine Pray Soe, told DVB that police arrested Maung Pyu late on Wednesday evening, allegedly for fuelling this week's violence between ethnic Arakan Buddhists and Kaman Muslims, which destroyed up to 70 homes and reportedly claimed five lives. "He was picked up around 10:45pm by two policemen who said they had questions for him – but he was not told he was being arrested," said Khine Pray Soe. The RNDP secretary condemned Maung Pyu's arrest as "out of order" and warned that the party was planning to take action if he was not released within 24 hours. The arrest follows four days of vicious religious clashes in which Muslims appear to have borne the brunt. Many Muslims report being terrified of returning to their homes and say that police officers just stood idly by as mobs of Buddhists torched their homes. A 94-year-old Kaman woman was reportedly stabbed to death, while four other Muslims were killed. Around 70 homes and two mosques were also burnt down, leaving over 1,000 people homeless. Local sources in Sandoway said victims who lost their homes were taking shelter at friends' houses, as there has been no tangible efforts by the authorities to provide them with humanitarian relief. Although schools were reopened in Sandoway on Thursday, the town remained quiet and uneasy, with many locals too afraid to go out. A local political party representing Kaman Muslims accused the Buddhist authorities of siding with the Arakanese during the violence. "Rule of law and tranquility in the region is crumbling due to incompetence and bias among regional authorities," the Kaman National Progressive Party (KNPP) said in a statement on Wednesday. Speaking to DVB on Thursday, KNPP secretary Tin Naing Win said it was the government's responsibility to address the tide of anti-Muslim violence, which has spread through Burma since June 2012, displacing over 140,000 people and claiming at least 200 lives. "It is the government's responsibility to resolve the situation – I see that [violence] under the pretext of religion only arises as a result of the government's lack of leadership and accountability," he said. Unlike the Rohingya, who are stateless and heavily persecuted in Burma, Kaman Muslims are among the 135 official ethnic nationalities recognised by the government. But over the past year, all Muslims in Buddhist-majority Burma have become the targets of a coordinated religious hate campaign led by the ultra-nationalist movement known as 969. The RNDP has also been accused of targeting the Rohingya who they consider to be illegal Bengali immigrants. In December 2012, the party received a formal warning from the central government for describing Muslims in one of their newsletters as "animals" who disturb the community by making "noises like cows" when they pray. President Thein Sein, who was on a scheduled visit to Arakan state this week, has also been accused of failing to quell the violence. Four major Muslim groups published an open letter to Thein Sein on Tuesday, calling on him to take swift action to protect religious minorities. Both UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the US embassy in Rangoon have issued statements condemning the unrest and urged ethnic reconciliation. In a report published on Tuesday, the International Crisis Group (ICG) warned that religious violence could derail Burma's fragile transition from military dictatorship to nominal democracy. "At a moment of historic reform and opening, Myanmar [Burma] cannot afford to become hostage to intolerance and bigotry," said Jim Della-Giacoma, ICG's Asia programme director. |
| A new approach for a new generation Posted: 03 Oct 2013 03:49 AM PDT Young people in Burma have long struggled to play a significant role in the country's political landscape. Conservative ideals in a society where age is often valued over innovation mean that the country's leaders are mostly seniors. However, as the country opens up, young people are finding their own platform through technology. Moe Thway is the co-founder and president of Generation Wave, a youth group founded after the 2007 Saffron Revolution. "I feel guilty. I feel I have a responsibility to stand up to injustice, so I am becoming more and more involved in politics," said Moe Thway. When Generation Wave first formed, under the former military rule, they had to work underground and spread their message through art—distributing music, publishing poems and drawing graffiti. Now that Burma is reforming, political youth groups have been allowed to operate openly and a whole new youth movement has emerged, with members flocking online to join their party of preference. "I think that Facebook, Twitter and email are really helping to mobilise young people so you can reach many places in a very short time to distribute and share your news," said Moe Thway. The political scene in Burma is dominated by the older generation. Government ministerial positions are reserved for those over 40 and several notable MPs are in their 80s. For a technologically savvy generation, the Internet has become a critical tool to express views on politics and to connect with others. "If we want to be at the front row I feel like we need to make our own road, we need to build our own stage," said Moe Thway. "I feel like some of the youths are creating their own space and they are building their own platform to walk on. " Even within well-established political parties, the obstacle of age routinely blocks the ambitions of many young people, who are rarely able to assume leading roles. Parties such as the National League for Democracy (NLD) have been criticised for failing to promote their young members. But with more than half the country's population aged under 30, young people are increasingly recognised as vital for Burma's future. Technology, business opportunities and improved information flow are now providing the young generation with opportunities their parents never had.
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| Kachin activists’ expectations fall flat at Jimmy Carter meeting Posted: 03 Oct 2013 02:36 AM PDT When the delegation of Elders, a group formed of former world leaders and Nobel Peace laureates, led by former US President Jimmy Carter visited Myanmar [Burma] for three days in September, Kachins had high expectations of making their voices heard, as the stated purpose of the visit was "to listen and give support to all those committed to a peaceful political transition in Myanmar". Kachin hopes fell flat however, after Khon Ja and May Sabe Phyu of the Kachin Peace Network met with President Carter and the other two Elders, former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari and former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland. The perception the peace activists had was that the Elders were anything but attentive to what they had to say. Khon Ja said it was "a big challenge" trying to explain their concerns, as the Elders seemed predisposed to the narrative provided to them in their earlier meetings with government officials and the Myanmar Peace Center. President Carter was dismissive of their role as civil society representatives and kept urging them to persuade the KIO to participate in the upcoming nationwide ceasefire agreement, as if they were part of the KIO. It would seem President Carter needs to be acquainted with the lessons learned from the 1994 peace accord signed by the KIO under pressure from the then military government and other stakeholders. The KIO leadership buckled under intense pressure from these quarters and other extenuating circumstances like the collapse of the Burma Communist Party, and the decision to agree to a ceasefire was made without seeking a Kachin consensus. There is reason to believe that the decision was not entirely unanimous even among the KIO leadership. The Kachins have suffered mightily from the mistake of entering into a 17-year ceasefire without first insisting for guarantees for a specific time frame for political dialogue from the government, and a commitment to undertake certain crucial steps in the implementing and monitoring phases of the ceasefire. The argument that ceasefires will lead to reconciliation and political reform does not hold water with the Kachins anymore. Past experience has taught them that applying leverage for guaranteed rights comes before, not after, a ceasefire agreement. Related StoriesAfter the 1994 ceasefire, Kachins saw their state militarized with the Burma army dramatically increasing its presence from 24 battalions in 1994 to over 60 in 2011, the year the ceasefire broke down. The Burma army, its cronies, and Chinese enterprises have exploited Kachin natural resources to such a degree that there is now widespread environmental devastation throughout the Kachin area. Opportunities for livelihood and social advancement dwindled, and Kachins found themselves relegated to second-class citizen status in the land of their forefathers. Kachin trust in the government is now at an all-time low. Questions about the need to sign a new ceasefire abound as clashes and heavy army deployment continue, even as peace negotiations take place between the KIO and the government. Other ethnic groups that have signed ceasefire agreements with State- and Union-level delegations also doubt the sincerity of the government due to the clashes with the Burma army that continue even after the signing of these agreements. Instead of viewing Kachins recalcitrant for not falling in line with the government's grandiose plan of a nationwide ceasefire signing ceremony, which chief peace negotiator U Aung Min says will be graced by his "dear friends" Bill and Hilary Clinton, Tony Blair and the likes, it is more important to try to understand why Kachins are wary of ceasefire agreements that fail to lead to genuine and lasting political transition. Kachin leaders and civil society groups therefore, are pressing the KIO to hold off signing any agreement with the government without first setting these conditions:
Understandably, President Carter is eager to have the little matter of ethnic discontent swept away under the nationwide ceasefire mat, paving the way for the bigger picture of the Carter Center's engagement in the 2015 elections and the national census taking process as international observers. However the cautionary tale here is that peace cannot endure without political reform, that if ethnic concerns are not properly addressed—nationwide ceasefires or not—discontent will continue to boil, and the possibility of new disenfranchised groups taking up arms, renewing the cycle of violence and suffering all over again remains very strong. Pangmu Shayi is a political analyst at the Kachinland News |
| Sandoway: latest victim of communal chaos Posted: 03 Oct 2013 01:27 AM PDT Security forces have restored calm after a fresh bout of deadly violence in Arakan state's Sandoway district. For three days mobs descended on local villages in Sandoway, killing five people and setting fire to 70 homes, shops and mosques. A 94-year-old Muslim woman was stabbed to death in her village and four Arakanese Buddhists were being treated in hospital after being attacked on a rural road, said a police inspector by telephone, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. Security forces said they had control of the situation on Wednesday but Muslim residents say they were slow to react. "About 1,000 people approached us. Police didn’t do anything to protect us. Also, they didn’t shoot toward the mob," said Muslim resident, Hlaing Myint. Hla Hla Yi, also a Muslim resident, said she was afraid to return to her home. Related Stories"I don’t dare to go back to my home because they murdered people. I think it was about five or six who died that day," she said. The violence is the first flare-up in three months in the coastal state, the flashpoint of the communal unrest that has dogged Burma's reformist, quasi-civilian government since June last year. President Thein Sein on Tuesday made his first visit to Arakan state since taking office and urged the public not to incite violence. The former general, lauded internationally for his liberal reforms, has struggled to maintain order as deep-rooted tensions that were largely contained under the army’s strict rule boil over in different parts of the country. “Our international reputation was damaged by the violence. But our explanation to the United Nations and to countries in our region convinced them to understand us," said the president on Tuesday while addressing a gathering in Maungdaw. "The most important thing is we shouldn’t allow these things to happen again." Clashes between Buddhists and Muslims since June last year have killed at least 237 people in Burma; 192 of those deaths were in Arakan state where Rohingya Muslims, most of whom are stateless, bore the brunt of the attacks.
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| Burma still not ready for return of refugees from Thailand: TBC Posted: 02 Oct 2013 09:47 PM PDT Conditions are not in place yet for the organised repatriation of thousands of refugees along the Thai-Burma border, according to a report released Tuesday by The Border Consortium (TBC). The semi-annual report—detailing programmes, aid, development and preparations for the eventual return of the refugees and conflict-affected persons from Burma—indicated that the situation is not conducive for the "organised return" of the refugees. Currently, 129,000 refugees are living in camps in Thailand, while there are an estimated 400,000 internally displaced persons in southeast Burma. In addition, there are an estimated 2.5 million migrants from Burma in Thailand, including documented and undocumented workers who should be taken into account when the plan to wind down the camps begins. Despite the general agreement that conditions are not right, the Bangkok-based TBC, which has been providing humanitarian relief and development assistance to refugees and conflict-affected people from Burma since 1984, remains cautiously optimistic over prospects for a lasting peace, meaningful political reforms and the return of the refugees and others. The report focused on preparations for the refugees’ return. That involved skills development, employment experience, training, community governance and coping strategies to help them when the time comes for them to go home. Related Stories"This period of transition and cautious optimism regarding the prospect of return represents an opportunity to continue building on the work that we have done in order to ensure that refugees not only get the opportunity to return, but that they have an opportunity to contribute to Burma/Burma's future," said Sally Thompson, executive director of TBC. "Investing in conflict-affected peoples, investing in community development, and investing in preparation for return on both sides of the border is central to making sure that 'return' isn't just a logistical exercise of sending people back, but is also a process of ensuring that reintegration is sustainable," Ms Thompson said. She said there was currently no timeline for organised return. "It is important to note that currently, TBC, the refugee community, the Royal Thai Government, the Government of the Republic of the Union of Burma and UNHCR all agree that conditions do not yet exist for an organised return," Ms Thompson added. As of June 30, there was a net population increase of 300 people inside the camps. Elections were held for the Karen Refugee Committee with ensured representation for women voters, a secret ballot and the participation of unregistered refugees. Elections for the Karenni Refugee Committee are scheduled for the current reporting period. On 1 August, TBC opened an office in Rangoon, following an invitation from the Burmese President's Office. On the devastating fire at Ban Mae Surin camp in March, the report noted recovery was proceeding well. It said the disaster was met with a coordinated response from the Thai government and NGOs and an outpouring of financial and material support. New houses have been constructed, most community buildings have been completed and services restored. The fire killed 37, injured 200 and left more than 2,300 homeless. TBC’s 2013 operating budget was set at 1.06 billion baht (US$35 million). This article first appeared in the Bangkok Post on 2 October 2013. |
| Terrified Muslims hiding in forests: AP Posted: 02 Oct 2013 08:27 PM PDT Terrified Muslim families hid in forests in western Burma on Wednesday, one day after fleeing a new round of deadly sectarian violence that erupted even as the president toured the divided region. Tuesday’s unrest near the coastal town of Sandoway [Thandwe] saw Buddhist mobs kill a 94-year-old woman and four other Muslims and burn dozens of homes. Related StoriesThe violence, underscored the government’s persistent failure to stop the sectarian violence from spreading since it first erupted last year, costing hundreds of people their lives and many thousands their homes. Some rights groups accuse the government of tolerating, or even abetting, what they describe as ethnic cleansing directed against the Muslim Rohingya minority in Burma, also known as Myanmar. They say President Thein Sein, visiting the region for the first time since clashes flared there last year, has done little to crack down on religious intolerance and failed to bridge a divide that has left hundreds of thousands of Muslims marginalized and segregated, many of them confined by security forces in inadequately equipped camps for those who fled their homes. Thein Sein arrived in Sandoway on Wednesday, the second day of his visit to Arakan [Rakhine] state, and was to meet religious leaders from both communities. Critics say his security forces have not done enough to contain it. They also say his government has failed to crack down on radical monks who have instilled hatred and fear of the nation’s Muslim minority, arguing they pose a threat to Buddhist culture and traditions. In a message to religious leaders that ran in Burma’s state-run newspapers Wednesday, Thein Sein said the sectarian unrest threatens the government’s reform process “and tarnishes the national image internationally.” State television broadcast a statement Wednesday night from the president expressing sadness over the violence and saying the government would pursue justice. It did not say how many people were injured or killed. Thein Sein has been widely praised for overseeing an unprecedented political opening in the Southeast Asian nation since the army ceded power two years ago to a nominally civilian government led by retired military officers. “It’s just a political game,” said Hla Sein, a 54-year-old Muslim man speaking at a house in Sandoway. “The president is the most responsible person in the country. Up until now, when Muslim people have been killed, their property destroyed, he’s been silent,” he said, as six men sitting with him nodded in agreement. He blamed ultra-nationalist Buddhists for sowing divisions between Buddhists and Muslims who until now have been living peacefully together. Two of his cousins’ houses were burned down y a day ahead of Thein Sein’s arrival. Witnesses said soldiers and police made no efforts to step in to try to stop violence that afflicted several villages. In Thabyuchaing, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Sandoway, more than 700 rioters, some swinging swords, took to the streets, police officer Kyaw Naing said. A 94-year-old Muslim woman died from stab wounds in the clashes that followed, the officer said, adding that between 70 and 80 houses were set on fire. Another officer, however, said only 19 homes were burned. Sandoway township police confirmed Wednesday that the bodies of four Muslim men were found in the village. A Muslim resident of Sandoway, Myo Min, said he was concerned about the safety of families who fled Tuesday’s violence. Many families in Thabyuchaing, he said, fled into forests when their village was attacked. “Many of them, including women and children, are still hiding, and they are cornered and unable to come out,” Myo Min said. “They need food and water, and Muslim elders are discussing with authorities to evacuate them or send food.” There was at least one account of a revenge attack. Thaung Shwe, 40, said a group of Muslims including some women attacked him and five other persons who were passing through the village of Shwe Hlay on Tuesday. Four managed to escape with injuries but two were missing, he said. An Associated Press reporter saw building smoldering in the village, which is about 32 kilometers (20 miles) from Sandoway. Sectarian clashes that began in Arakan in June 2012 have since morphed into an anti-Muslim campaign that has spread to towns and villages nationwide. So far, hundreds of people have been killed and more than 140,000 have fled their homes, the vast majority of them Muslims. Most of those targeted in Arakan state have been ethnic Rohingya Muslims, considered by many in the country to be illegal migrants from Bangladesh, though many of their families arrived generations ago. But in the latest flare-up this week, the victims were Kamans, another Muslim minority group, whose citizenship is recognized. Muslims, who account for about 4 percent of Burma’s roughly 60 million people, have been the main victims of the violence, but they have been prosecuted for crimes related to the clashes far more often than members of the Buddhist majority. A statement issued Wednesday by the U.S. Embassy in Burma expressed deep concern about the reports of violence, and urged the authorities to bring to justice those responsible for the attacks. It called on “religious and civil society leaders, and all citizens throughout the country, to stand against continued violence targeting Muslim communities, and to promote understanding, mutual respect and peaceful co-existence among all people in this diverse country.” |
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