Democratic Voice of Burma

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• Burma minister warns Arakan NGOs against aid ‘bias’
• Burmese transgender beauty debuts at Miss International Queen
• Burma calls on USA to provide ‘solid reason’ for surveillance
• Locals, monks resume sit-in protest at Latpadaung
• Ethnic groups sign accord aimed at nationwide ceasefire
• Fifty Rohingya feared drowned as boat sinks off Arakan coast

Burma minister warns Arakan NGOs against aid ‘bias’ Posted: 04 Nov 2013 04:07 AM PST The Burmese government on Monday gathered a group of international humanitarian agencies working in the restive Arakan state to remind them that they must distribute aid "fairly" to local communities. It follows the latest eruption of violence in the western state, where communal clashes between Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims have claimed hundreds of lives since last year. On Saturday, at least four people, including three Rohingyas, were killed in Pauktaw township, an area about two hours northeast of the state capital Sittwe. Local Buddhists later accused Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) of "bias" for taking three injured Muslim men to hospital. Government spokesperson Hla Thein told DVB that a group of 18 major aid groups, including UN agencies, were subsequently called to a meeting to remind them that they must be impartial in the provision of humanitarian aid. "This morning, the [Arakan state] chief minister [Hla Maung Tin] summoned 18 INGOs and UN agencies in Sittwe and reminded them to be transparent with their operations in conflict areas to show the locals that they are impartial," he said, warning that international aid groups are not entitled to "special privileges" because they are foreign. Hla Thein said that Sittwe residents were upset with MSF for taking three Muslim men, who were injured in a confrontation with police on Saturday, to treatment at Sittwe hospital. "They said that MSF is biased and only care for the Bengalis but not the Arakanese," he explained, using the government's term for the Muslim Rohingya who are denied citizenship in Burma. Six Rohingyas from Sintatmaw displacement camp in Pauktaw township disappeared on Saturday after going in search of firewood in the nearby hills. One of the men were later discovered dead, allegedly from physical wounds, and taken back to their local mosque. The remaining five are still missing. Another three Rohingya were injured by police during a confrontation at the camp, one of whom later died in hospital. Hla Thein said police officials were forced to shoot into the crowd. Related Stories Anti-Muslim violence threatens Burma's reforms: UN Suu Kyi rejects allegations of ethnic cleansing in Burma UN warns of 'profound crisis' in Arakan state Three Arakanese women were later targeted in the nearby Sinaigyi village as part of a revenge attack, which claimed the life of one and injured another. "Some individuals were injured in Sintatmaw during the confrontation where the police had to fire some shots to make a way out and an MSF member brought them to Sittwe on a speedboat and residents in Sittwe were upset because the group didn't provide same treatment to the women who were attacked in Sinaigyi," said Hla Thein. Some 140,000 people have been uprooted and at least 200 people killed during several bouts of communal clashes to ripple through Arakan state since June 2012. International aid groups have been treated with hostility by local Buddhists who say they favour the Rohingya. Aid workers report enormous difficulties in distributing aid to the Rohingya, who make up the majority of the displaced, often facing threats of violence from Buddhists. The UN has previously criticised the government for failing to ensure unhindered access for aid groups working in Arakan. Hla Thein said that Sittwe residents on Sunday attempted to organise a protest against the alleged NGO "bias" but later changed their minds after negotiating with the local authorities. Some 800,000 Rohingya Muslims are believed to reside in western Burma, where they are considered illegal Bengali immigrants and heavily persecuted.

Burmese transgender beauty debuts at Miss International Queen Posted: 04 Nov 2013 04:02 AM PST For the first time ever a contestant from Burma took part in the annual Miss International Queen beauty pageant on 1 November. A total of 16 countries, such as the United States, South Korea, Brazil and Japan, were represented in this battle of glittering tiaras which is highly popular every year at the Thai beach resort of Pattaya, about 130 kilometres (81 miles) south of Bangkok. But more than just a beauty contest, Miss International is a platform to promote the acceptance and civil rights of transgender and transsexual persons. Tanya Maung, 28, represented Burma, and said that when she was younger, she was shunned by her family. But as Burma opens up to the wider world, she said she now finds people are now more accepting of her. “At the beginning of my transition, my family had real problems with me. I had to fight hard for my rights. It's such a difficult life in this situation. But nowadays, people are more accepting and many are proud of who I have become.” South African contestant Anastasia, 37, said she wants to emphasize that people should be open-minded. “Everybody has a misconception when they associate transgender people with a freak show or think that we are just here to fulfill fantasies. Actually, I'm a flight attendant, I fly for a very well recognized airline and I think that people should not judge." Related Stories Miss Universe winner ‘feels like a soldier’ LGBT community uses Nat Festival to let their hair down Head judge of the competition, Dr. Seri Wongmonta, said the panel is searching not only for beauty, but for intelligence as well. “We emphasise the contestant’s beauty first, followed by their intelligence and opinions. Combined, you discover the prettiest and smartest girl.” In the end, 18-year old Marcelo Ohio from Brazil took the top prize and was crowned Miss International Queen 2013. “I’m very happy to the people who supported me. I want to thank them." Ohio will receive 300,000 Thai baht, a one-year residency at a hotel resort in Pattaya, and will serve as a goodwill ambassador to promote equal rights for the transgender community. The first and second runner-ups were Ms. USA, Shantell D’Marco, and Ms. Thailand, Nethnapada Kanrayanon, who will receive 70,000 THB (2,333 U.S. dollars) and 50,000 THB (1,666 U.S. dollars). Other titles included best evening gown, best talent and best costume and went to Ohio, Ms. Malaysia, Nur Sajat Fariz and Ms. South Korea, Arisa. Proceeds go to educating communities on transgender issues, the Thai Red Cross and supporting tourism in Thailand.

Burma calls on USA to provide ‘solid reason’ for surveillance Posted: 04 Nov 2013 03:37 AM PST Burmese presidential spokesperson Ye Htut has said that Burma expects the USA to provide a "solid reason" as to why it used its embassy in Rangoon as a surveillance outpost to hack phone calls and electronic communications for Washington. According to a recent leak by US intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden, the US has 90 surveillance facilities set up around the world including its embassy in Burma. "We only know from what we read in the international media, however we would like to second the remarks made by the EU and other US allies such as Brazil and Mexico that the US needs to provide a solid reason to have hacked into emails and telephone conversations by leaders and citizens of their countries otherwise it will signify a lack of diplomatic ethics," said Ye Htut. Speaking to DVB, he added: "If you want to peep into someone's house, you need a solid reason for doing so." Related Stories Burma shrugs off US spy claims Burma and N Korea continue to boost secret military ties: report Burma denies military ties with North Korea He also said it was "no surprise" to learn that the US was spying on other countries. "It is not surprising to find out that the US has been spying on us given that they have the technology to do so. However they need to consider whether it is an appropriate thing to do or not," he said. Responding to DVB, a US embassy spokesperson in Rangoon, Sarah Hutchison, said, "We know these matters have created significant challenges in our relationships with some of our closest foreign partners. As the [US] President has said, the United States is reviewing the way that we gather intelligence to ensure that we are properly balancing the security concerns of our citizens and international partners with the privacy concerns that all people share. We want to ensure we are collecting information because we need it and not just because we can. We are going to continue to address these issues with our partners in diplomatic channels."

Locals, monks resume sit-in protest at Latpadaung Posted: 04 Nov 2013 02:16 AM PST Dozens of residents and Buddhist monks set up a new protest camp on Saturday at Latpadaung copper mine to protest a decision by authorities who denied them permission to visit a historic Buddhist temple which the locals suspect was damaged recently by explosives used when mining operations resumed. Sandar Thiri, one of seven monks at the Ingyin Hill site near the city of Monywa in Sagaing division, said they reached out to authorities for permission to visit the Buddhist ordination hall and temple where revered monk Lete Abbot, or Sayadaw Ledi, had taught sermons and meditated until his death in 1923. "We heard that the ordination hall and temple were fractured by dynamite blasts, so we wanted to visit the site to inspect the damage," he told DVB. "We were told by the authorities to seek permission in advance. We agreed to do so, but on the condition that if we did not get a reply within three hours we would open a protest camp. "We applied for permission around noon and waited till 3pm – but the only response we received was that permission to visit the site was denied. We then set up a protest group under the name 'Committee to Safeguard Religious Buildings'." Related Stories Parliament to review govt spending on security for mining projects Suu Kyi: I started as a politician not a human rights defender Pope calls for inter-religious dialogue in Burma Khin San Hlaing, the National League for Democracy's lower house representative from the nearby town of Pale, said the mining company should take the initiative of inviting some protestors to the temple. "It is also important to question who approved the mining company to resume operations and whether it is in accordance with the recommendations in the [Latpadaung Investigation Commission] report," he said. "Whoever is responsible should consider ways to negotiate with the locals to reduce their concerns. These issues will persist if the company continues to ignore residents' demands. Nothing good will come of it." The Latpadaung copper mine project, which is a joint Burmese military and Chinese venture, has provoked outrage from locals who say it will cause irreversible environmental damage and has forced hundreds from their homes. A previous sit-in protest was broken up brutally by riot police on 29 November last year. Some 80 protestors were injured, many with horrific burns that several experts have attributed to white phosphorous bombs. A subsequent investigation headed by opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi failed to pronounce anyone guilty for the violent crackdown, and to many villagers' dismay, recommended to the government that the project be resumed.

Ethnic groups sign accord aimed at nationwide ceasefire Posted: 03 Nov 2013 10:49 PM PST Seventeen of 18 ethnic armed groups attending a conference in northern Kachin state have signed an agreement which could pave the way toward a nationwide ceasefire. The only armed group in attendance that did not sign was the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) which reportedly wanted time to consult with Shan political parties and civic groups before committing itself. Two other invited parties, the United Wa State Army (UWSA) and the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), did not attend the summit; however, ethnic leaders at the Laiza conference on Saturday told DVB that they are confident the UWSA and NDAA will also sign once they explain the terms of the agreement to them. Related Stories Tuja's bid to establish political party is finally approved Will Burma achieve peace in 2013? Multi-ethnic conference begins in Kachin rebel HQ The conference was hosted by the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) and also included the participation of other major ethnic groups such as the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), the Karen National Union (KNU), the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) and the New Mon State Party (NMSP). Hkun Okker, a spokesman for the conference, was reported by Xinhua as saying: "If negotiations on the ceasefire draft are approved, gunshots will no longer be heard after 2015.” Many of the ethnic leaders have now headed to Myitkyina where a scheduled meeting between the KIO and a Burmese government delegation is due to commence on Monday.

Fifty Rohingya feared drowned as boat sinks off Arakan coast Posted: 03 Nov 2013 07:37 PM PST Around 50 members of a Muslim minority in Burma are feared drowned after trying to flee Arakan state in a boat that sank in the early hours of Sunday, according to a community leader and a security official. Rohingya have been leaving Burma in droves since clashes with ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, who make up the majority of the state’s population, erupted in June and October 2012. The government said at least 192 people died in the violence and the United Nations says about 140,000 people remain in camps. The vast majority of those killed and displaced were Rohingya and growing numbers are now making treacherous journeys by boat to countries including Malaysia and Indonesia. Many have been in Arakan state for generations, but the government considers them illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and severely limits their movements. Families of the missing people kept watch on the beach throughout Sunday, said Aung Win, a leader of the Muslim Rohingya community. “I saw people waiting there to find dead bodies,” he told Reuters by phone from the state capital, Sittwe. A security officer said seven passengers on the boat that sank were rescued and there were unconfirmed reports that eight more may have reached land north of Ohntawgyi, a village about 12 miles north of Sittwe where there is also a camp for displaced Rohingya and where the boat departed from. Related Stories Arakan displaced running out of food Anti-Muslim violence threatens Burma's reforms: UN Suu Kyi rejects allegations of ethnic cleansing in Burma Some survivors clung to debris while fisherman rescued others, said the officer who requested anonymity. The boat was carrying 60 people, he said. Ohntawgyi was the site of clashes in August between Rohingya and police who opened fire on a crowd that had gathered to protest after the battered corpse of a Rohingya fisherman washed ashore. The security officer said more violence erupted on Saturday in Pauktaw, an area about two hours northeast of Sittwe by boat, killing at least three Rohingya and one Rakhine. The body of a Rohingya man was discovered in an area near a Buddhist pagoda where a group of Rohingya had gone from their camp to collect firewood, he said. Police confronted an angry crowd at the camp and opened fire, wounding three people, including one who later died in hospital. A Rakhine woman was killed in what appeared to be a retaliatory attack, and the body of another Rohingya man was discovered on Sunday morning, he said. The United Nations refugee agency has warned of a mass exodus of Rohingya as the rainy season ends in coming weeks. A spokesman for the agency in Geneva said about 24,000 Rohingya were thought to have left Burma by boat this year, and more than 400 had died or gone missing during the journey.

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