Shan Herald Agency for News |
- Weekly Wrap-up, No.647 (5-11 October 2013)
- Burma’s Ethnic Challenge: From Aspirations to Solutions
- “Taiwan” killed Shan leader in 1978
- HURFOM releases “Disputed Territory” to highlight unjust land acquisition in Mon areas
- To Hopeland and Back (Part IV)
- Armed resistance mulls summit meeting
- To Hopeland and back (IV)
| Weekly Wrap-up, No.647 (5-11 October 2013) Posted: 14 Oct 2013 02:13 AM PDT
Tips to peace brokers: How 'frank and cordial' were you?  Think Piece On Burma's Asean chair
The KIO leaders did not refuse to sign a nationwide ceasefire agreement. They said they would find a way to sign it.  Hla Maung Shwe, special adviser to Myanmar Peace Center (MPC), 9 October 2013, Irrawaddy Worse place for women than Burma More than half of Pakistan girls are not educated. It also has the world's second lowest rate of female employment in the world, according to the World Economic Forum Gender Parity Report, lower even than Saudi Arabia. New York Times/ Bangkok Post, 10 October 2013 The World 10 October 2013  Malala Yousafzai, 16, wins EU's annual human rights award, beating fugitive US intelligence analyst Edward Snowden. (Reuters) International Relations 8 October 2013 President Thein Sein leaves for Brunei to take over the 2014 alternate chair. (Xinhua) 8 October 2010 Burma is yet to be one of 167 nations that have signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) that recognizes the right of peaceful assembly. (KIC) 10 October 2013  President Thein Sein accepts the gavel of Asean. (New York Times) Thai-Burma Relations 7 October 2013 Border trade between Mae Sot-Myawaddy soared to 44 billion baht ($ 1.46 billion), up 25% from 35 billion) last year, according Customs office in Tak. (NNT) 8 October 2013  Thai energy minister Pongsak Raktapongpaisal says Thailand will be buying about 10,000 MW more of electricity from Myanmar: 7,000 MW from Mai Tong (Mongton) Hydropower Plant and 2,000-3,000 MW from Dawei Coalpower plant. Myanmar needs about 12 years to construct the Mai Tong venture. (Bernama) Politics/ Inside Burma 7 October 2013 President Thein Sein announces a body to promote education standards will be formed immediately to draft action plans for educational reforms. He calls for experts to discuss their views openly. (Eleven) 10 October 2013 Over 95% of 400 people interviewed across 3 townships in Hpa-an district on 6 October want the constitution to be amended in order to reduce the military's role in politics, says NLD's Karen state chairperson Nan Khin Htwe Myint. Shan State chairperson Khin Moe Moe says she will also be conducting a survey in 13 districts. (DVB) Ethnic Affairs 1 October 2013 2 soldiers from Karen National Union (KNU) Brigade 2, based in Toungoo district, arrested by the Burma Army's IB 440. They were collecting tax from passing traders. (KIC) 8 October 2013 Negotiations in Myitkyina between KIO and UPWC. Topics: Development since May and formation of peace monitoring group. National Democratic Force (NDF) representative sees there is a good trend in the making. (DVB) 8 October 2013 U Aung Min, following today's talks, says he expects KIO leaders to join the national ceasefire in November. KIO says it will hold a meeting with top leaders of other groups in Laiza likely at the end of this month. U Aung Min has agreed with the plan, says Shan spokesman. (Irrawaddy) 10 October 2013 New Mon State Army's base in Thanbyuzayat forcibly removed by Burma Army for its advanced military training school last week. NMSP has lodged complaints with state government. (IMNA) 10 October 2013  KIO and UPWC conclude 3 day talks, agreeing to lay foundation for political dialogue, reopen roads, establish joint monitoring committee and develop plan for return of IDPs. The KIO has not ruled out signing the nationwide ceasefire, but they have to work out "their exact policy", according to peace broker Lamai Gum Ja. (DVB) 11 October 2013 The alternative constitutional draft could come out at the end of next month (November), says Hkun Okker, leader of the UNFC constitution drafting team. (Irrawaddy) Shans/ Shan State 29 September 2013 Institute for International Development (IID) has been awarded a German government development agency (GIZ) funded project to strengthen capacity of the Leading Body, local administration and civil society in the Danu Self-Administered Zone in Shan State and assist with formulation of a Regional Development Plan. (Press Release) 4-5 October 2013  Wa spokesman Aung Myint says they have made agreement to take census in 2014. The government will form six teams and provide necessary trainings and required facilities to them. It also discusses recruiting labor force from mainland Burma. (Mizzima) 4-5 October 2013 Naypyitaw delegation meets Xiao Minliang, Vice Chairman of Wa "State", in Panghsang. Discussion topics include:
Economy/ Business 8 October 2013 The World Bank has revised its 2013 economic forecast for Myanmar up from 6.5% to 6.8% following a record setting $ 4 billion in the 2012-13 fiscal year from gas exports, surpassing $ 3.5 billion last year. (Myanmar Times) Human Rights 4 October 2013 Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) chairman Dr Akihiko Tanaka says JICA will contribute $ 910 million to aid the growth of internal infrastructure, including rural and social development. (Development) 8 October 2013  Burma announces plan to free 56 more political prisoners. About 135 remain and another 232 facing trials, says Bo Kyi of AAPP. (VOA) 9 October 2013  UN human rights expert Tomas Ojea Quintana says release of political prisoners must be unconditional. The Code of Criminal Procedure enables attachment of conditions to the discharge of prisoners, such as the imposition of the remaining sentence if the President judges that a condition of release has been broken. (UN News Center) 10 October 2013 Burma removes 1,010 doctors from its blacklist, according to Myo Win Aung, ministry director at the President's Office. (Irrawaddy) 10 October 2013  NLD spokesman Nyan Win, 70, says he has been fined 1,000 kyat ($1) for claiming that a thin layer of wax had been put over check boxes for candidates of his party during the 2012 by-elections. Marks made on the wax could later be rubbed off to cancel the vote. (AFP) Environment 11 October 2013 Recent winners of 16 onshore energy blocks are required to perform environmental impact assessments (EIA) before final approval, according to an energy ministry official. They include:
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| Burma’s Ethnic Challenge: From Aspirations to Solutions Posted: 14 Oct 2013 02:10 AM PDT For more, Please read 15-page paper by Transnational Institute – Burma Centrum Nederland (TNI-BCN)'s http://www.tni.org/sites/www.tni.org/files/download/bpb_12_def.pdf. |
| “Taiwan” killed Shan leader in 1978 Posted: 14 Oct 2013 02:02 AM PDT History/General Taunggyi — One of the biggest mysteries in the history of the Shan resistance was who had assassinated the Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA)'s most colorful military leader Col Sam Möng (Zarm Mong) in 1978 and why. In early 1978, he, Lt-Col Pan Aung and a staff officer, Mao Khio, had secretly visited the Shanland United Army (SUA) headquarters in Ban Hintaek, Chiangrai province. They were never see again since, dead or alive.  Lt-Col Pan Aung and Col Sam Möng Later, other SSA leaders working in Thailand were also gunned down by assassins. They included:
Khun Sa, chief of Loimaw Homeguard, was imprisoned in Mandalay, 1969-74. He was released a year after his chief of staff, Zhang Suquan aka Falang "Thunder", staged a daring operation of kidnapping 2 Russian doctors working in Taunggyi.  Zhang Suquan aka Falang He later withdrew this stand and told the Shan monks who visited him at his residence in Homong, "I promise I'll disclose everything that had happened when freedom comes." In the end, it wasn't him but Falang who made the disclosure, according to a former MTA leader who had surrendered together with him in 1996. "Falang told us in 1995 that he and Lieng Zeun (Liang Zhongying) had re-enlisted in the Kuomintang after Khun Sa was thrown in jail by the Burmese," he recounted. "It was during the Cold War and without the KMT's support, they feared the SUA wouldn't have survived. As a result, they were obliged to carry out instructions from Taiwan." One of them was the assassination of SSA leaders, which came about after several members of Taiwan's intelligence network in China were taken into custody and executed by Chinese authorities. "They were said to have received information written in Chinese from the SSA that had seized a number of documents from a truck at a location between Tangyan and Lashio," Falang was quoted as saying. A former senior SSA officer concurred. "It was Sao Sai Awng, an officer from the 1st Brigade of Sao Hso Noom that had made the seizure," he said. "Nobody read Chinese, so we turned them over to the CPB (Communist Party of China) that in turn turned them over to the Chinese." (The names of the sources have been withheld to avert possible inconvenience to them.) Khun Sa died in Rangoon in 2007 at the age of 73. His former sidekick Falang followed him 4 years later after a brief visit to his homeland Manchuria. He was 84. |
| HURFOM releases “Disputed Territory” to highlight unjust land acquisition in Mon areas Posted: 14 Oct 2013 02:08 AM PDT Human Rights Foundation of Monland – Burma The Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) has released a report titled "Disputed Territory: Mon farmers' fight against unjust land acquisition and barriers to their progress," to illustrate contemporary struggles against past and on-going land disputes. Drawing from almost 100 interviews conducted in Ye, Yebyu, and Kyaikmayaw townships, the report presents cases of land confiscation and abuse in Mon areas and elevates the voices of farmers who are actively pursuing justice. "Based on the findings from our field research, we can say that several problems and obstacles exist for local farmers who want to reclaim their lands," said Nai Aue Mon, HURFOM's documentation coordinator. "It is quite disappointing to see that the current civilian government seems unable to resolve both past land abuses by the former military government and new land conflicts perpetrated by companies in the Kyaikmayaw area of Mon State. New legislation passed in 2012 cannot guarantee farmers' rights to land when they face unjust land acquisition or prevent future injustice regarding land issues." The report primarily utilizes two case studies – farmers' appeals against past military land confiscations in Ye Township and on-going misconduct by various investors in Kyaikmayaw Township – to analyze the legal and communal challenges inherent in Mon land disputes. According to the report, few victims of unjust land acquisition have had land returned, private investment continues to exploit farming families, and secure land rights remain largely absent from Burmese law. "I want to provide a livelihood for my family," said one of the report's interviewees. "So when my plantation was confiscated I was like a person with broken legs." HURFOM contends in the report that farmers' increasing willingness to demand justice and express concerns about land abuse presents an important opportunity for President Thein Sein's administration. Substantive government action that ensures independent and impartial dispute resolution, implements mechanisms to provide fair compensation or land return, and amends the country's laws to protect farmers' customary land rights would signal a clear break from previous policies and genuinely initiate democratic reform. Data collection undertaken to verify and report on cases in Ye Township also revealed the difficulties encountered when investigating former confiscations. Reporters described that, in some villages, accurately tracking decades of land ownership was problematic due to sale, rental or re-confiscation of land that may have occurred since the original acquisition took place. Similarly, land acreage and the number of agricultural assets (trees or plants) involved at the time of confiscation proved difficult to confirm due to falsified military records, insufficient land documentation, inflated claims by victims, and human error when remembering exact circumstances. However, HURFOM calls on all relevant persons in positions of authority to undertake these endeavors to change the course of Burma's history of land abuse and stand behind farmers that have crafted the country's social and economic landscape for generations. The Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) was founded in 1995 by a group of young Mon people aiming to seek truth and justice for a peaceful democratic transition in Mon State in Burma. Since 2004, the Human Rights Foundation of Monland – Burma (HURFOM) has been one of the key member organizations of the Network for Human Rights Documentation – Burma (ND-Burma). ND-Burma was formed in 2004 and is a multi-ethnic network providing a mechanism for Burma's human rights organizations to collaborate on the human rights documentation process. For more information, please contact: Nai Aue Mon, Coordinator of the Human Rights Documentation and Dissemination Program, Human Rights Foundation of Monland – Burma (HURFOM). Phone: +66 (0)86 167 9741 Email: auemon@gmail.com, monhumanrights@gmail.com Full PDF copies of the report can be downloaded at: http://rehmonnya.org/reports/DisputedTerritory.pdf. Report-in-Brief (Burmese) http://rehmonnya.org/reports/Brief-in-Burmese.pdf Hard copies of the report can be obtained by emailing monhumanrights@gmail.com. www.rehmonnya.org |
| To Hopeland and Back (Part IV) Posted: 14 Oct 2013 02:03 AM PDT As reported by Democratic Voice of Burma, the Shan-Kayah-Mon Trustbuilding for Peace forum was attended by a total of 331 individuals and representatives from 21 political parties, 17 armed groups (3 of which were Burma Army-run People's Militia Forces) and 3 civic groups. They had called for:
Which were essentially no different from earlier forums that the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) had organized.  Organizers (Photo: SNLD) Any objective observer would be able to conclude that the 5 resolutions could be taken as genuine wishes of the people. Indeed, both the government and the opposition have succeeded in sounding off what the people want (that is not to forget better health care, education, food and lodging conditions). All the same, it is obvious that if future forums are to be held in the same style — reading out presentation and drawing conclusions from them — the results will be essentially the same. In fact, same participants, including one SNLD insider, were already complaining that the forums were just "talkshops" and "not action-oriented." I asked Col Saw Lwin, one of the organizers, what the organizing committee's future plan was. "This time we will, together with like-minded Burman political parties and civil society organizations, hold workshop to work out how we are going to respond to these common demands." I therefore hope we will be witnessing interesting developments in the quest for a federal democracy. Talking to both participants and non-participants on the sidelines, I also received several fascinating comments:
Of course, I myself couldn't avoid being asked whether I preferred amendment or a new constitution. My answer was that: People who are thirsty with only polluted water to drink should dig a well. But while they are digging, they should also do something about the polluted water at hand so they could stay alive while waiting for clean water from the well." (I later found out Marcus Brand had called it "a bird in hand.") "Before you throw away a system that's worked for so long, be sure it's not because you see only problems. Be sure you know what's to replace it," reads Water Margin, a famous Chinese revolutionary classic.  The Water Margin Book
A lot of education, the right kind, will be needed to change these mindsets. Count me in, if such education comes to the country, I told my friends. "And I'll show you the adage 'It's hard to teach old dogs new tricks' is just a joke." Then, once more, I returned to Thailand, a land that is fine but not home. |
| Armed resistance mulls summit meeting Posted: 14 Oct 2013 02:11 AM PDT The United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), the alliance of 11 armed groups, has been considering a proposed summit among some 18 armed groups to deal with it. (According to the government's count, only 16 of them count.)  KIO and UPWC holding peace talks today, 8 October 2013. (Photo: Nyo Ohn Myint) "It's now or never," said a non-Burman leader. The UNFC's 3-day meeting, 7-9 October, in Chiangmai, overlaps the 3-day peace talks between the Kachin Independence Organization/Kachin Independence Army (KIO/KIA) and the government's Union Peacemaking Work Committee (UPWC), 8-10 October, in Myitkyina. The KIO/KIA is the leading member of the UNFC. "It means how the UNFC sees the situation will influence the UNFC, and vice versa," a border security official who monitors the meeting in Chiangmai told S.H.A.N. The armed resistance's formal proposal in August is comprised of 4 parts: common principles, nationwide ceasefire accord, framework for political dialogue and transitional arrangements. The government's counter proposal has however bisected it, leaving the framework and transitional arrangements for post nationwide ceasefire agreement signing period. At the same time, the draft has promised that negotiations for the framework will begin right after the ceasefire agreement is signed. Speaking on the draft, Sao Yawdserk, leader of the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) said, "We should not try to bind each other hand and foot in order to have an agreement that suits each's tastes. That will only unnecessarily prolong the process. My suggestion is that if the government agrees to the following conditions, it should be enough:
According to U Aung Min, Minister for President's Office and Vice Chiangmai #2 of the UPWC, the nationwide ceasefire agreement signing ceremony will "hopefully" be held by the end of October, to be witnessed by prominent world leaders including UN chief Ban Ki-Moon. The Commander-in-Chief of the Burmese armed forces is also expected to be one of the signatories. |
| Posted: 14 Oct 2013 02:05 AM PDT Day 2 (23 September 2013) Today (7 October 2013) there are more serious matters concerning the peace process. But at the time of my arrival in Taunggyi, the hot story on the grapevine was the KNU and the RCSS, the two that had gone to present the all-in-one framework, were going to sign the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement with Naypyitaw, whether or not the rest of the resistance groups were ready to follow suit. Since 17 armed groups were attending the forum, the matter was a crucial one. I therefore decided to stop being a Temi (the prince in one of the Buddhist Jatakas who refused to speak) and take the floor, on rather the stage, today.  Opening ceremony Shan-Kayah-Mon Trustbuilding for Peace in Taunggyi, on 23 September 2013 (Photo: SNLD) One of the presentations that drew my attention came from the PaO National Organization (PNO), the group that had accepted a Burma Army run militia status and, as a result, is now an elected party as well. "The PaO (one of the major non-Shan ethnic groups in Shan State) have been granted a Self-Administered Zone (SAZ) by the 2008 constitution," its representative said. "But we have yet to enjoy full self-rule." According to the constitution, each SAZ or SAD (Self Administered Division) is entitled to the following list of legislation: (P.191) Urban and rural projects, construction and maintenance of roads and bridges, public health, development affairs, prevention of fire hazard, maintenance of pasture, conservation and preservation of forest, preservation of national environment "in accord with law promulgated by the Union," water and electricity matters in towns and villages and market matters. I remember one of the fellow villagers on the Thai border, a former activist, commenting that even a Thai village tract seems to enjoy more powers. "Why, the Or Baw Taw (Tambon Administrative Organization) here can even decide on the teaching of Shan and approve on the budget including the teacher's salary." (Tambon is the equivalent of Burma's village tract) Any amendment to the list therefore would be welcomed not only by the PaO but also Palaung, Wa, Kokang, Danu and Naga, who also have been accorded the same status. Then came Dr Min Zaw Oo from MPC, whose talk I have already reported. It was an excellent food for thought, I thought and I had liked it. Unfortunately, it didn't go well with many of the participants' ambitious mood. Then came my turn. I related to them the events leading to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement, the first draft of which was delivered to the KNU and RCSS on 12 September. According to my understanding, the two groups, whom I knew sufficiently well, are not going to sign it without some amendments and without consulting other groups. "It's not only the KNU-RCSS problem, it is also one for the government's negotiating team," I told them. "While on the side of the resistance movement as a whole, the key is the KIO (Kachin Independence Organization) consent, on the government's side, it will be the Tastmadaw (Military) consent." "Under these circumstances," I asked them 3 rhetoric questions:
I don't think you need to consult any fortuneteller to find out the answers." If I had any satisfaction out of it, it was the appreciation expressed by several delegates of the armed movements who met me during the break. Today, things have moved further:
"We might still be fighting after the signing," commented Lt-Gen Yawdserk leader of the RCSS. "But the major difference is that the world will by then know who's right and who's wrong." So if things turn out as planned:
we may be seeing the first major hurdle cleared in the coming month. Let us all hope I'm not wrong. |
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