The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Muslim Political Parties Seek Rohingya Census Recognition
• Ethnic Groups Voice Concern over Census Classification System
• Burmese Travelers Urged to Leave Time for Bangkok Flights
• Photo of the week (January 10, 2014)
• Karenni Farmers Have Few Options Besides Opium: Civil Society Groups
• Naw Ohn Hla Says Religious Disturbance Case is Political
• Suu Kyi Wraps Up Constitutional Reform Tour in Northwest Burma
• Burma Opens New Passport Offices Around the Country
• Burma Govt Health, Education Budgets Likely to Remain Low in 2014
• US Ambassador Supports Constitutional Reform, Calls Article 59F ‘Relic of the Past’
• Fires in Camps in Thailand Raise Pressure on Burmese Refugees
• Malaysia Plans High-Tech Card for Foreign Workers
• Forced Abortion Highlights Abuses in China Policy
• Bangladesh Opposition Members Go Into Hiding

Muslim Political Parties Seek Rohingya Census Recognition Posted: 10 Jan 2014 05:06 AM PST Kyaw Min, chairman of the Democracy and Human Rights Party (DHRP), speaks at a press conference on Friday in Rangoon. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Two Muslim political parties in Rangoon have asked the Burmese government to recognize their religious kin in western Burma's Arakan State as Rohingya, a minority group that is currently denied citizenship, as the country gears up for a nationwide census later this year. The two parties, the National Democratic Party for Development (NDPD) and the Democracy and Human Rights Party (DHRP), held a press conference on Friday in Rangoon, where leaders of the two parties told journalists that they would ask the government to recognize their Muslim constituents in Arakan State as Rohingya. They will seek the option to tick Rohingya among the list of ethnic groups that takers of the census will be asked to identify as. The press conference came following a meeting between the two parties and Burma's Immigration Minister Khin Ye, who asked for the political parties' help in collecting census from Muslims in Arakan State. The party leaders agreed to provide assistance, but said on Friday that they would do so while pushing the government to recognize Muslims in Arakan as Rohingya. "We are holding this press conference because we want the media to know that we are willing to help in taking the census among Muslim people in Arakan State. We wish to restore peace and rebuild Rakhine [Arakan] State," said Kyaw Min, who is the chairman of the DHRP. Government data from 2010 put Arakan State's population at about 3,340,000 people, of which the Muslim population accounts for 29 percent. Kyaw Min said recognizing Rohingya Muslims was a matter of basic human rights. "Every human race has its own identity. We have our identity already," Kyaw Min said. "This is not just now—we have had it for a long time. But we have found that there is discrimination in the country, which ignores our demand that our identity be recognized." Khin Maung Myint, an executive member of the NDPD, said the two parties would assist with administering the census in Arakan State from March to April. Muslims in Arakan State and human rights advocates among the international community have repeatedly requested that the Burmese government recognize the Rohingya, but the government has continued to adhere to a 1982 Citizenship Law that bars them from citizenship and makes reference to the minority as "Bengalis." The term derives from the fact that the government considers them illegal immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh. Many local Arakanse Buddhists worry that government recognition of the Rohingya population would precede an eventual shift in demographics in Arakan State, and with that a loss of political power and cultural identity. Kyaw Min of the DHRP sought to dispel those fears on Friday. "For many decades, the local Buddhist Arakanese and Rohingya people lived peacefully as one community in the region," Kyaw Min said. The help of the two parties could go some way toward ensuring that the 2014 census succeeds. In recent years the Burmese government has made several attempts to survey the Muslim population in Arakan State, but Muslims have refused to cooperate because the option to identify as Rohingya was not offered. In its joint statement on Friday, the two parties said recognizing Rohingya Muslims—and guaranteeing the minority group equal rights—would contribute to peace and stable development in Arakan State. "There should be no discrimination, and the government has a duty to give citizenship to its Muslims. We should have the choice to be Rohingya." During two outbreaks of religious violence in 2012, nearly 200 people were killed and about 140,000 displaced, most of them Muslims. About half of the displaced were Muslim residents who were chased out of the Arakan State capital Sittwe by local Buddhist Arakanese groups. Most of the displaced continue to reside in squalid, crowded camps. In the aftermath of the 2012 violence, Burma's President Thein Sein said Burma would not accept Rohingyas as citizens and has asked the United Nations to help to resettle them in any other country willing to take them in. There are an estimated 800,000 Rohingya in Burma. The post Muslim Political Parties Seek Rohingya Census Recognition appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Ethnic Groups Voice Concern over Census Classification System Posted: 10 Jan 2014 04:55 AM PST Ethnic Lisu women from Hsi Hseng Township in Shan State. The Lisu are one of 135 ethnic groups recognized by the Burmese government. (Photo: Lawi Weng / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Ethnic groups in Burma have expressed concern about the way a national census to be carried out in March classifies ethnic sub-groups, saying that the categories used create confusion and unnecessary divisions. "Some Karen sub-groups, such as the Kecho and Kebar, have been classified as Karenni, based on government data from 1983," said Daw Naw Sah Htoo, a central executive committee member of the Kayin Peoples Party, noting one of the more egregious errors. The issue was discussed at a workshop in Hpa-an, the capital of Karen State, on Thursday. Three Karen community-based organizations represented at the workshop said they would object to the census being conducted unless the Kecho, Kebar and Pa-O were reclassified as Karen sub-groups. It was also noted that a new "Mon-Karen" group had been created under the label Sar Phyu. The label is supposed to designate Karen who sided with the Mon when they were at war with the ethnic Burmans in the pre-modern era. However, some who attended the workshop pointed out that it is actually the name of a belief system followed by some Karen. "Some people were forced to change their ethnicity in the past based on their religion. But a Karen is a Karen, whether they are Buddhist or Christian," said Daw Naw Sah Htoo. Tu Ja, the chairman of the Kachin State Democracy Party (KSDP), told The Irrawaddy that all sub-groups should be properly classified as belonging to larger groups, rather than labeled in isolation. "There are six or seven Kachin sub-groups, but they should all be counted as Kachin, and only then should they be identified by their sub-group," he said, warning that treating each subgroup as completely distinct would harm national reconciliation efforts and reduce trust between ethnic groups and the government. He added that most ethnic people in Burma, including the Kachin, Mon, Shan, Karen and Arakanese, doubted the validity of the government's official tally of 135 recognized ethnic groups. Sai Than Maung, a team leader with the Shan Population Collecting Committee, said that his committee ignores the government's division of the Shan into 30 sub-groups, choosing instead to treat them all as belonging to one group, the Shan. Mon civil society activist Mi Kon Chan Non also said that census takers should be able to speak ethnic languages in order to ensure that they get an accurate count of how many people belong to each group. However, she noted that there are also other obstacles to getting an accurate figure. "I think the Mon in Rangoon will continue to identify themselves as Burmese because it isn't easy for them to change their ethnic identity on their National Identification Cards," she said. Cherry Zahau, a Chin human rights activist, told The Irrawaddy on Friday that Chin communities generally disagree with the practice of labeling people according to their ethnic sub-groups. "Our official objection on this will come soon," she said, adding that both the government and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which is assisting with the census, should have collaborated more closely with ethnic communities from the beginning, instead of waiting until the middle of last month to consult with them. "It should not be done in a rushed manner, as this is the first time in 30 years that Burma will have a census," she said. The post Ethnic Groups Voice Concern over Census Classification System appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Burmese Travelers Urged to Leave Time for Bangkok Flights Posted: 10 Jan 2014 04:50 AM PST Thai protesters demonstrate outside a government building in Bangkok in early December. (Photo Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — A Burmese travel and tour company has joined a number of international airlines in sending travel alerts to customers who need to catch flights in Bangkok on Monday, when anti-government protesters hope to block major roads in the Thai capital, although Bangkok Airways says it expect no major disruptions. More than 18 flights run daily between Bangkok and Rangoon, and they are scheduled to depart as usual, but travelers have been urged to leave plenty of time to reach the airports in Bangkok on Monday, as protesters have threatened to block 20 main roads starting that day. British Airways reportedly asked Rangoon-based Columbus Travels and Tours to alert its customers about the threat of long road delays. "Bangkok has very heavy traffic normally, so if a strike happens travelers will have a difficult time reaching the airport on time. Most international airline offices have issued a notice to their customers," Khine Su, a spokeswoman for the travel and tour company, told The Irrawaddy on Friday. "Most tourists who booked flights [to Bangkok] on Jan. 13 have shifted their travel dates, taking more time in Myanmar, but official and businesspeople do not care about the strike and will go as always," she added. The anti-government protests began in Bangkok in November after the Thai government attempted to force through a political amnesty bill that would have allowed former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to return from a self-imposed exile without serving time in prison. Protesters plan to "shut down" the capital starting Monday, ahead of an election scheduled for Feb. 2, and are calling on the current caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra—Thaksin's sister—to step down. A spokesperson at Bangkok Airways said the airline had not sent out alerts to travelers with flights booked for Monday, adding that flights would continue normally despite demonstrations. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) says the two international airports in Bangkok—Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang—as well as all other international and domestic airports throughout the country are open and operating normally. If issues arise, the TAT says airlines have made arrangements to open check-in desks up to four hours before departures to allow earlier check-ins, although travelers have been advised to inquire with airlines directly for further information. Myanmar Airways International (MAI) says it received no instructions from the Burma Embassy in Thailand to send notifications about potential travel issues to its airline agents or customers. "The tour bookings are visible down, but businesspeople have booked flights for that date [Monday] and will go according to their schedules without changing," Aye Mya Thar, an official with the Burmese flag carrier, told The Irrawaddy. The Burma Embassy of Thailand released a message earlier this week urging Burmese nationals to take precautions and avoid protests or political gatherings if they find themselves in Thailand over the coming days. "Burmese people in Thailand are urged not to get involved in any mass protest and to keep themselves away from rally sites in order to maintain the Thailand-Myanmar good friendship status; for their security; and to avoid issues that would affect the goodwill between the two countries," the notice said. Agents at Columbus Travels and Tours, Myanmar Airways International and Rangoon-based Sunflower travel and tour company said they believed more tourists would choose to come to Burma rather than Thailand amid the ongoing political unrest in Bangkok. The post Burmese Travelers Urged to Leave Time for Bangkok Flights appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Photo of the week (January 10, 2014) Posted: 10 Jan 2014 04:16 AM PST a The post Photo of the week (January 10, 2014) appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Karenni Farmers Have Few Options Besides Opium: Civil Society Groups Posted: 10 Jan 2014 03:39 AM PST A poppy flower grows at an opium plantation in Shan State. (Photo: KYAW KHA / THE IRRAWADDY) More farmers continue turning to opium poppy cultivation in Karenni State due to difficulties in growing other crops, local civil society groups say, weeks after a UN agency reported that poverty was fueling drug production in the Southeast Asian nation. Insufficient access to water for agriculture, poor transportation and a shortage of markets for other crops have encouraged farmers in the eastern Burma state to continue growing opium poppy, according to the Union of Karenni State Youth (UKSY). "Opium does not need much water, and can even survive with mist," said Kyaw Tin Aung, a UKSY central committee member. "We cannot grow other crops in our area. People here also make more money from opium. That's why they have focused on it." He said the government's plan to eradicate opium production had been unsuccessful in Karenni State, although the plan has been extended for another five years until 2019. "More opium plantations are found in Pekon Township," said Mu An Jalar, joint secretary of Kayan Women's Organization (KYWO). "A police station is based there but hasn't taken any effective action." One viss of opium, or about 1.6 kilograms, is reportedly worth about 700,000 kyats (US$ 700) in Burma. Opium eradication efforts have been under way since 2007 in major growing areas such as the Karenni State capital Loikaw, as well as Demoso and Hpruso townships, and some 215 acres of opium fields have been destroyed since 2012. Burma is the world's second-biggest grower of opium, after Afghanistan. Last month, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime estimated in its annual Southeast Asia Opium Survey that Burma would produce 870 metric tons of opium in 2013, a 26 percent rise over 2012 production. It said official efforts to eradicate opium production were falling flat because poor farmers did not have alternative ways to make a living. The post Karenni Farmers Have Few Options Besides Opium: Civil Society Groups appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Naw Ohn Hla Says Religious Disturbance Case is Political Posted: 10 Jan 2014 03:30 AM PST Visitors take photographs and walk around Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — Prominent activist Naw Ohn Hla is calling on Burmese authorities to drop charges filed against her for allegedly causing a disturbance when she held prayers at Shwedagon Pagoda to support opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in 2007. The rights activist says her case is political, and should have been included when President Thein Sein recently dropped charges against 200 people standing trial for politically related crimes. He also pardoned all prisoners in jail for various political offenses—including organizing protests without permission. In that amnesty, announced at the end of last month, Naw Ohn Hla saw charges dropped against her in a separate case, related to her participation in a protest in Rangoon last year in which a Chinese flag was burned. In November she was also released from prison in a mass presidential amnesty for political prisoners; she had been jailed for protesting against the controversial Letpadaung copper mine in northwest Burma. But the religious disturbance charge, filed this year, has not been dropped. "This case also relates to politics, so the president should also grant her amnesty," her lawyer Robert San Aung. In 2007, Naw Ohn Hla went to Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon and led a prayer service for the release of Suu Kyi, who was under house arrest at the time by the former military regime. The pagoda is a famous Buddhist monument that is frequently visited by not only religious devotees but also Burmese and foreign travelers. "When I was praying for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners to be released, pagoda security pulled us out of the compound one by one, roughly," she told The Irrawaddy. "I went to the Bahan [Township] police station to file a complaint and press for legal charges, but the police officers did not accept my objection." Instead, charges were filed against her. The governing body of Shwedagon accused her of causing a religious disturbance, a crime under Article 296 of the Penal Code that carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison. "I thank the president for releasing political prisoners who were jailed under Section 505(B) and Article 18," she said, referring to the most recent amnesty. Section 505 of the Penal Code and Article 18 of the Peaceful Assembly Law have been used frequently by authorities to imprison political activists. "But I am not satisfied that the judiciary is pursuing this lawsuit against me from a case that is six years old," she said, adding that she hoped to later press charges against the police department for ignoring her complaints about harsh treatment at Shwedagon. "Buddhism is freedom for all. I wonder why they are trying to sue me. I did it [the prayers] for other political prisoners. It shouldn't be like this." A judge reportedly said the religious disturbance case was being brought to court now, after such a delay, because previously the authorities "couldn't catch" the activist, according to her lawyer. "This case is already six years old, and we have questions about that," he said. The activist has been freed from detention on bail and has appeared for three hearings in the Dagon Township Court for the case. The post Naw Ohn Hla Says Religious Disturbance Case is Political appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Suu Kyi Wraps Up Constitutional Reform Tour in Northwest Burma Posted: 10 Jan 2014 03:23 AM PST Aung San Suu Kyi looks out on the crowd gathered at an athletic field in the Sagaing Division town of Kalaymyo on Friday. (Photo: Zarni Mann / The Irrawaddy) KALAYMYO, Sagaing Division — Tens of thousands of people from Chin State and western Sagaing Division turned out to show their support for opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Friday, the last day of her visit to the region on a tour to promote constitutional change. "We strongly believe in her because she repeatedly assured us that she would do her best to change the Constitution," said San Myint, who traveled from Maw Lite Township to hear Suu Kyi speak in Kalaymyo, a town on the Myittha River in Sagaing Division. A sea of supporters waving National League for Democracy flags, many wearing traditional Chin attire, gathered on Friday morning at an athletic field in Kalaymyo, where Suu Kyi concluded constitutional talks during a tour of the Kalay region, which straddles Chin State and Sagaing Division in northwestern Burma. Suu Kyi, the chairwoman of the National League for Democracy (NLD), has been attempting to drum up support for her campaign to change the country's Constitution, a military-drafted document that bars her from presidential eligibility and contains several other provisions widely considered to be undemocratic. Wrapping up a week that drew thousands of local residents to speeches made across three towns in the region, Friday's turnout was the biggest yet for the opposition leader. "Kalay is the town where the most people came to the public meeting on my Chin State trip. Thank you for showing your support for us," she said. On her four-day trip, the Nobel laureate repeatedly called for amending Burma's Constitution, saying changes to the charter were important for stability, equality, unity and democracy in the country. Less than two weeks into the new year, Suu Kyi predicted on Thursday that 2014 would be a critical period for the country's future. "People have said 2015 is the year of importance for the country, but actually this year, 2014, is important," she said. "Every political thing we do this year will affect 2015. "That's why we will try our best to amend the Constitution within this year," she said, adding that Burma's powerful military should not stand in the way of these changes. Asked by supporters what her NLD would do if lawmakers failed to amend the Constitution, Suu Kyi said it was too early to speculate. "We have to wait and see if they [Parliament] will amend it or not. We will decide depending on their work. But it is too early yet to talk about what we will do or what we will decide," Suu Kyi said. Those comments followed mixed messages from Suu Kyi and her party last month about whether they would participate in the 2015 national elections if the Constitution was not amended. On Dec. 15, Suu Kyi for the first time raised the possibility of an NLD boycott of the polls under such circumstances, saying the party risked losing its "dignity" if it were to participate in elections under the current Constitution. However, two weeks later an NLD spokesperson sought to dispel talk of a boycott by the country's largest opposition party by confirming its intent to participate in 2015. The opposition leader on Friday urged young members in the audience to help educate the people about the need to amend the Constitution, which she said was holding back reforms in the former military dictatorship. "The 2008 Constitution is preventing national reconciliation, which is very important for the democratic development of the country. People need to understand that, and of course, that's one reason that amendments are needed," she said. Although it was Suu Kyi's first visit to Chin State in a decade, the long-time democracy icon's popular standing among those living in Burma's poorest state appeared undiminished by her absence. Each stop on the tour brought people out into the streets to greet her, and a show of hands indicated that an overwhelming majority of those in the crowd at speeches in the Chin State towns of Tedim, Falam and Hakha supported constitutional reform. "We now understand that amending the Constitution first is important to develop the region. I believe development and the other changes will come later, after amending the Constitution," said Pu Lian Kyone Nuon from Sann Township. "We have no doubts about her; if she says so, she will do it for sure. We wish her to be our future president. But I believe she will do everything she can for changes in the region and the country, whether she is president or not in 2015," he added. Despite some logistical difficulties, including bumpy roads and at times bitterly cold weather, the NLD deemed their leader's trip a success. "We can say this was a successful trip for Daw Suu as we witnessed all of the people in the region showing their support. More than 90 percent of the public has raised their hands and agreed to amend the Constitution. We will submit the results [in favor of amending the Constitution] that we got from the public to Parliament," said Kyi Toe, a member of the NLD's central information committee who accompanied Suu Kyi on the trip. Suu Kyi departed for Naypyidaw on Friday afternoon. According to the NLD, she will travel to Hpa-An in Karen State on Jan. 18 and will proceed to Nam Sam in southern Shan state on Jan. 25, where she will continue her push for constitutional reform. The post Suu Kyi Wraps Up Constitutional Reform Tour in Northwest Burma appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Burma Opens New Passport Offices Around the Country Posted: 10 Jan 2014 02:44 AM PST Burmese nationals hold up their passports outside the Burmese embassy in Singapore on April 27, 2008. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — Burmese citizens can now apply for and directly receive passports at 15 locations around the country. Previously the country had only one passport office, in Rangoon. The government opened new passport offices last week on Friday due to an increasing number of applicants who required the document for work or medical reasons, says Maung Maung Lin, a police officer from the Myanmar Passport Issuing Board who is based in Mon State. Last year the government began taking steps to streamline the application process, reducing the waiting period from 21 days to 10 days to receive a passport. Application forms were condensed from 14 pages to five pages, while applicants were no longer required to submit documents proving they had fully paid their taxes. With the new offices in states and divisions, applicants pay 20,000 kyats (US$20) in Rangoon for a passport and 25,000 kyats ($25) at other locations, due to extra processing fees. Passports are valid for five years and may be issued within three to five working days in certain cases, such as medical emergencies. "Everyone with a National Identity Card and the original household registration card can apply for a passport," Maung Maung Lin told The Irrawaddy. "There are already more than 50 people who have applied in Mon State." But former prisoners, including political detainees, must present additional documents and may be subjected to longer waiting periods, a senior official at the Myanmar Passport Issuing Board told The Irrawaddy last year. Thet Oo, a member of the Former Political Prisoners Society, said this week that former political prisoners in his society were still waiting to receive passports after applying more than two months ago. One group that will likely benefit from the new passport services are Burmese citizens who plan to travel abroad as migrant workers, says migrants' rights activist Tun Tun Lwin. He is an education coordinator for the Migrant Worker Rights Network, based in Thailand with a branch in Rangoon, and plans to offer workshops to teach Burmese migrants about the pre-departure process, in a bid to stem workers from entering neighboring countries illegally. "Once they have a passport in hand, the process will not be costly anymore," he said. But he added that it might still be a good idea to visit Rangoon before departure, to make use of official employment agencies that can assist with legal job placement abroad. "They can apply for and receive their passports in the states and divisions, but the migrants will need to come to Yangon [Rangoon] and contact agencies to work officially in Thailand," he said. Last year Burma's Ministry of Labor announced plans to issue regular passports to Burmese migrants in Thailand. Since 2009, the Burma government has issued only temporary passports to them. An estimated 3 million Burmese migrants reside in Thailand. Of these, about 1.7 million have been issued temporary passports, while1.3 million are undocumented, according to labor rights groups. The Burma government has set up five offices in Thailand near the Burma border to issue regular passports, but the offices have not been opened due to ongoing political instability in Thailand. The post Burma Opens New Passport Offices Around the Country appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Burma Govt Health, Education Budgets Likely to Remain Low in 2014 Posted: 09 Jan 2014 11:41 PM PST Burmese soldiers are seen on parade. Burma's government has long prioritized defense spending while allocating small budgets to health and education. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Despite calls to increase spending on health and education, Burma's government is facing a budget deficit and does not plan to substantially boost its allocation of funds for either sector in the next fiscal year. The Financial Commission led by President Thein Sein has proposed to allocate 5.92 percent of the national budget for education in the 2014 fiscal year, up from 5.43 percent in the 2013 fiscal year, state media announced Wednesday. It has proposed to allocate 3.38 percent of the national budget to health, up from 3.15 percent last year. State media did not reveal how big the total national budget would be, nor did it share the percentage that would be allocated to defense spending, which stood at just over 12 percent of the total 19 trillion kyats (US$19 billion) budget in 2013, slightly lower than in 2012. Under nearly half a century of military rule, a major share of funds went to defense while the health and education sectors were largely neglected. Since assuming office in 2011, Thein Sein's government has pushed through a raft of political and socio-economic reforms, but the powerful military continues to hold great political power and is still allocated the largest share of expenditure. The proposed budget must be approved by Parliament. Last year lawmakers approved the government's proposed $2.4 billion military budget with an overwhelming majority. Steven Thar Bate, a lawmaker from the Chin National Party, said he earlier proposed a reduction in military spending and an increase in funds for education and health, but was unsuccessful. "We want to increase these [education and health] to perhaps 7, 8, 9 or 10 percent," he told The Irrawaddy, adding that with the current budget allocation for health care, hospitals struggled with low supplies of necessary equipment and medicines. "CT scans and X-rays are needed in the states. There are no skillful practitioners, either." He said that at vocational colleges in his Chin State, students also faced a shortage of academic materials. "It seems there is no budget for equipment for students to practice and participate in workshops," the lawmaker said. Wanna Htun, a government program officer from the international NGO ActionAID, called on the government to reconsider its priorities. "If they do national planning well, they will know how much of the budget is needed in each sector. Then they will be able to handle budget proposals well," he said. He added that the government could allocate more funds to social services from a supplemental budget that is valid until the end of this fiscal year. International aid money is also often reserved for education and health care. He cautioned that it was important to consider not only the percentage of funds allocated to certain sectors, but the amount of funds allocated, and to ensure that those funds were used in the most cost effective way. Burma had revenue of more than 16 trillion kyats ($16 billion) in the 2013 fiscal year but spent 19 trillion kyats, leaving a deficit of about 3 trillion kyats. After meeting with the Financial Commission on Monday, Thein Sein is calling for a crackdown on tax evasion and recommending a system to provide incentives to taxpayers in the next fiscal year, state media reported. In addition, the president has called for the effective use of foreign aid and loans to reduce the country's debt burden. "Only then can more emphasis be placed on development tasks," the state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper wrote. Despite the budget shortfall, the newspaper added that Thein Sein has announced an effort to promote free education for middle school students, following an initiative to do the same for primary school students last year. Students are not required to pay tuition at basic education schools, but families have traditionally spent money on books as well as tables and chairs for classrooms, school building repairs and registration fees. The government is seeking to cover these additional fees to provide a free education for primary and middle school students. The post Burma Govt Health, Education Budgets Likely to Remain Low in 2014 appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

US Ambassador Supports Constitutional Reform, Calls Article 59F ‘Relic of the Past’ Posted: 09 Jan 2014 11:33 PM PST US ambassador to Burma, Derek Mitchell, speaks to Aung San Suu Kyi at her home in Rangoon in March 2012. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — As Burma's ruling party faces growing pressure from the public and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to amend the Constitution ahead of the 2015 elections, the United States Ambassador has expressed support for changing the charter's controversial Article 59 (f), which he called "a relic from the past." The article prevents National League for Democracy (NLD) leader Suu Kyi from becoming president, as it states that a president's spouse or children cannot be citizens of a foreign country. Suu Kyi was married to British national Micheal Aris, who died in 1999, and she has two sons who are British subjects. Derek Mitchell said in remarks that he could not understand how a democratic Burma could have a provision in its charter that prevents Suu Kyi from running for the presidency. "[I]t seems curious to me that someone who is the leader of a major political party, chair of a major parliamentary committee, who has sacrificed herself for decades as a courageous patriot committed to the success and strength of the country, someone clearly very popular with the people, will be excluded from presidential contention," he said. "I can understand perhaps in 1947, even in 1974, there might be a constitutional provision that reflects fear of family connections to the outside world. But not in the 21st century, in a new, open democratic Burma that seeks to integrate itself to the world. This provision, this fear, seems a relic of the past," Mitchell said. He said the US did not want to see the Constitution changed because it favored any of Burma's presidential candidates, adding, "We simply want to see a fair fight that reflects the will of the people." The 2008 charter is widely seen as undemocratic because it was drafted by the then ruling military junta and pushed through in a referendum that has been criticized as rigged. In addition to blocking a Suu Kyi presidency, the Constitution also concentrates great political power in the hands of the military, which has permanent control over 25 percent of Parliament seats, while ethnic regions are under tight control of the central government. Since becoming an MP in 2012, Suu Kyi has called for broad-ranging changes to the Constitution, but the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and Burma's powerful military have dragged their feet on such discussions. In recent months, however, the NLD leader has been increasingly vocal about the need for constitutional reform and at one point threatened to boycott the 2015 elections if amendments are not made. This week, during a visit to Chin State, she again focused attention on the issue and called on Burma's powerful military to back amendments. "We need to convince them [the military]. The situation of the Constitution is dividing the military and the people," she told a crowd of 1,500 residents of Tedim town. Last week in Rangoon, several dozen activists, including leading activists the 88' Generation Students Group, gathered in front of the City Hall to protest and demand that Parliament amend Article 59(f) and scrap other oppressive laws. In his remarks, Mitchell raised questions about those who oppose constitutional reform but praised USDP Chairman Shwe Mann, who has come out publicly in favor of amending provision 59 (f). "He has said he would like a fair fight, in which the people will have a choice between parties and leaders, and the winner wins, and the loser becomes the loyal opposition," the ambassador said. "That is a very honorable position, and very democratic. I salute him for this principled view. Again as an observer, I just wonder why others don't view it that way." Last month, the USDP announced that the party was putting forth 57 amendments to the Constitution, including an amendment to Article 59 (f) that would allow Suu Kyi to become president as long as her two sons renounce their British citizenship and become Burmese citizens. Suu Kyi reportedly said this amendment would make little difference and suggested that it is strange that she would have to ask her adult sons to change their nationality. "I know the proposed deletion of this requirement is not to benefit me, but I don’t know who will benefit from this," she told Radio Free Asia. In a televised speech to the country this month, President Thein Sein said changing the Constitution could promote national reconciliation, adding that he "would not want restrictions imposed on the right of any citizen to become the leader of the country." Meanwhile, a parliamentary committee has been formed to review the Constitution and consider amendments, with political parties and members of the public submitting recommendations. Earlier last week, the committee said it had received 323,110 suggestions via 28,247 letters ahead of the Dec. 31 deadline for public feedback. It is expected to submit its report during the next house session, which starts on Jan. 13. The post US Ambassador Supports Constitutional Reform, Calls Article 59F 'Relic of the Past' appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Fires in Camps in Thailand Raise Pressure on Burmese Refugees Posted: 09 Jan 2014 10:27 PM PST Refugees at Mae La camp trying to restore their burned-down wooden housing. (Photo: Border Consortium / Facebook) BANGKOK — Back-to-back fires that ravaged two refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border—killing one person and affecting 900—have added to mounting pressure on the refugees to return home, amid talks on repatriating them as Burma opens up after half a century of brutal military rule. Fires are a regular hazard in the nine camps that house some 130,000 refugees along the border. The Thai government forbids the use of materials that might suggest a more permanent stay – even though many of the camps have been around for more than two decades – so homes are built using highly flammable materials such as bamboo, thatch and eucalyptus. Last March, a devastating fire swept through Ban Mae Surin camp, killing 37 people and leaving 65 percent of the camp homeless. The latest fires, however, came at a time when opportunities to resettle in a third country are diminishing, and officials from both countries are talking about repatriating the refugees, many of whom fled war and persecution decades ago. Many international donors are also turning their attention to funding projects within the country, and the camps have been hit with reduced funding. Sally Thompson, executive director of the Border Consortium (TBC), a non-government organization (NGO) that has been working in the camps since the 1980s, said refugees' future return to Burma should be voluntary, yet lately they feel they are being nudged out. "When you get things like the fire, the reduction in services in the camps – it's seen as a push factor. All these incidents served to put pressure and anxiety on the refugees that they're actually being pushed into making decisions to go back," she said. Mitos Urgel from WEAVE, a small NGO that works mainly with female refugees from the camps, agrees. "Every day they face uncertainty, whether it's about repatriation or the day-to-day struggle to earn a living. There's no clarity on what the future will hold," she said. "(Fires) are not something new in the refugee camps, but because of talk of resettlement, funding going down and the reduction in the food basket, it's making them feel really bad." Urgent Needs The first blaze occurred on Dec. 27 in Tak province's Mae La camp, the biggest Burmese refugee camp in Thailand with some 44,000 refugees, most of them ethnic Karens. A second fire swept Ban Mai Nai Soi camp, home to Karenni refugees, in Mae Hong Son province the next day, killing one woman. Both are in northern Thailand. Thai authorities are currently conducting investigations as to how the fires started, but it is believed no foul play was involved. Oftentimes, fires in the camps are sparked by cooking accidents and quickly spread out of control because the huts are built close together of highly flammable materials. Around 180 homes were damaged or destroyed by the fire or pulled down to prevent the fire from spreading, and 854 people were affected. Aid agencies say shelter and ongoing trauma counselling are the most urgent needs. "A fire is always bad because these people have so very little, yet whatever they've managed to put together and build as a family is gone in an instant. They're having to rebuild from nothing," Thompson said. "Emergencies like this are really an acute reminder of how vulnerable the refugees are on a day-to-day basis and how they still do need ongoing support." Local Thai communities, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) and other NGOs have provided support in this instance, but Thompson says it is now very difficult to hold donors' interest in refugee camps as the focus is on the changes inside Burma. As Burma reforms politically, donors are now looking at funding projects within the country or those that assist the refugees' eventual return to Burma. "That's where the interest lies when in fact now is really time when we need to be preparing refugees here so that when the time comes for them to return, they're in a good position in terms of skill sets, knowledge and understanding of the situation inside the country, and they will be able to go back and reintegrate with communities that never left," she said. Rebuilding is now under way and TBC anticipates the majority of reconstruction to be complete by the end January. The same flammable materials will be used as Thai authorities have not approved TBC's request to use tin roofs, Thompson said. "The Thai policy is that the refugee camps are temporary, and in the current climate of an evolving situation inside Burma there is little willingness to revisit or change that policy," she said. The post Fires in Camps in Thailand Raise Pressure on Burmese Refugees appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Malaysia Plans High-Tech Card for Foreign Workers Posted: 09 Jan 2014 10:20 PM PST A 'mobile police station' used to carry out passport and work permit checks on migrant workers is pictured near Kuala Lumpur's Berjaya Times Square. (Photo: Kyaw Hsu Mon / The Irrawaddy) KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia's government said Thursday it will issue high-tech, security-enhanced identity cards to more than 2 million foreign workers to make it easier to find people who entered the country illegally. Home Minister Zahid Hamidi said the cards will be embedded with chips containing the worker's employment details and biometric thumbprint, and will be color-coded according to sector of work for easy identification. He said the "i-Kad" also will have barcodes that allow enforcement officers to scan the cards using a smartphone to assess the workers' details. "These security elements are important to prevent fraud and forgery of the card. It will strengthen our enforcement. We hope that by the end of this year, all foreign workers will have this card," he said at a ceremony announcing its introduction. Immigration Director-General Alias Ahmad said there are 2.25 million documented foreign workers in the country, and more may be registered under an extended amnesty that ends Jan. 20. Zahid said authorities are planning to launch a nationwide crackdown on foreigners who entered illegally when the amnesty ends. No further details were available. Malaysia is dependent on foreign labor to fill low-paying menial jobs at palm oil plantations, factories, construction sites and restaurants shunned by Malaysians. Authorities believe hundreds of thousands of foreigners, mostly from neighboring Indonesia, are working illegally in Malaysia. As a relatively wealthy nation in the region, Malaysia attracts people from impoverished places including Indonesia, Bangladesh and Burma who are looking for jobs or a way to enter other countries such as Australia. The post Malaysia Plans High-Tech Card for Foreign Workers appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Forced Abortion Highlights Abuses in China Policy Posted: 09 Jan 2014 10:06 PM PST A young Chinese surrogate mother who said she was forced into an abortion by district family planning officers in Guangzhou, displays the scar on her pregnant abdomen where she said she was injected with a drug. (Photo: Reuters / James Pomfret) BEIJING — When her mind is clear, Gong Qifeng can recall how she begged for mercy. Several people pinned her head, arms, knees and ankles to a hospital bed before driving a syringe of labor-inducing drugs into her stomach. She was seven months pregnant with what would have been her second boy. The drugs caused her to have a stillborn baby after 35 hours of excruciating pain. She was forced to have the abortion by officials in China's southern province of Hunan in the name of complying with national limits on family size. "It was the pain of my lifetime, worse than the pain of delivering a child. You cannot describe it," Gong, 25, said in a recent interview in Beijing. "And it has become a mental pain. I feel like a walking corpse." Since the abortion more than two years ago, Gong has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. She traveled with her husband to the capital to demand help paying for her treatment, but she ended up being hauled away in her pajamas by police, a detention recorded on video by The Associated Press. Forced abortions are considered an acceptable way of enforcing China's population limits, but they are banned when the woman is more than five months pregnant. Yet no one has been held accountable for Gong's late-term abortion, and other women in similar cases also struggle to get justice and compensation. Observers believe forced late-term abortions are on the decline, though reports continue to surface. A British broadcaster reported one in the eastern province of Shandong in September. Although China in November announced an easing of its "one-child" policy to allow more couples to have a second child, the overall system remains in place and local governments are still required to keep to population quotas. The new policy would not have applied to Gong because it allows couples to have a second child only if both the mother and father have no siblings. "The system has not changed at all," said Liang Zhongtang, a demographer at Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences. "It still forbids you from having more children than permitted by the government, so the game—and forced later-term abortions—are unavoidable if you want to have children the government does not allow." China's government bans abuses by local enforcers, but nevertheless requires them to successfully carry out family-planning policies. A pregnancy could be several months along by the time they hear about it, or it could become late-term while officials attempt to negotiate a settlement—probably a hefty fine—with the parents. "The problem arises when the enforcers are serious about implementing the policy. If the enforcers are not brutal, the policy cannot be enforced," Liang said. "So, who in the government can be the arbiter of justice in such cases?" Beijing introduced measures around 1980 to restrict family sizes, limiting most urban couples to one child and rural families to two if the first-born is a girl. Forced abortions and sterilizations became prevalent. An outcry over forced late-term abortions peaked in June 2012 when family of Feng Jianmei in the northwestern province of Shaanxi revealed her forcibly aborted 7-month fetus on the Internet, drawing widespread fury, attracting international media and prompting the top family planning official to reiterate the state stance against such misconduct. Several officials in Feng's township were fired or admonished, and the local government paid her family more than 70,000 yuan (US$11,400). Yet even in this rare victory, no one was criminally prosecuted and the payout was called assistance, not compensation. Beijing-based artist Wang Peng collected what he said were four late-term fetuses clandestinely recovered from forced abortions in Beijing in 2013 and used them for a graphic art installation in the capital. The exhibit is closed to the public and Wang keeps its location secret; he said about 100 people have viewed his work by private invitation. "It has violated a woman's birthright, bestowed to her by the nature," Wang said of the policy-driven abortions. "And it does not respect life." Any reliable tally of such cases is impossible. Victims can be silenced by local authorities with threats or money, and may be unaware that such conduct is forbidden. "They won't say anything unless they cannot endure the pains anymore and must seek assistance," said Yang Zhizhu, a Beijing professor and advocate for birthing rights. Gong's husband, Wu Yongyuan, said he did not worry too much when he first learned she was pregnant for a second time. Some families in his village have two or even three children. But when local family planning officials caught wind of her pregnancy, she was taken away. Wu said his wife was different after the abortion. She easily burst into tears, picked fights with him, punched at him and their son and refused contact with others. In May 2013, about 18 months after the abortion, a doctor diagnosed her with schizophrenia, he said. Believing the abortion triggered his wife's mental disorder, Wu sought compensation from local authorities to pay for his wife's treatment. But family planning officials in their home city of Lianyuan produced a medical report that said her physiological traits could be responsible for her illness rather than the abortion. Last month, Wu brought his wife to Beijing to petition higher officials. "We demand those involved in the case be punished, and we want an open apology and justice," he wrote in a copy of the petition. "And we demand compensation for the losses inflicted upon us physically and mentally." On Monday afternoon, Wu and Gong—clad in a padded pink pajama set—were chased out of a tiny rental room by their landlord into Beijing's wintry coldness after a reporter showed up. Soon, policemen arrived and took the couple away in a van. A few hours later, Wu sent a text to a reporter. "We probably will be sent home," he wrote, "The party chief of our township called us, asking us to go home for negotiations." AP producers Aritz Parra and Isolda Morillo in Beijing contributed to this report. The post Forced Abortion Highlights Abuses in China Policy appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Bangladesh Opposition Members Go Into Hiding Posted: 09 Jan 2014 09:54 PM PST Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's (pictured) ruling Awami League is involved in a bitter political feud with the Bangladesh National Party. After her party swept the largely uncontested elections, she said her first priority was to contain the election-related violence with an "iron hand." (Photo: Reuters) DHAKA — Opposition members in Bangladesh have gone into hiding as police carry out sweeping raids after the country's violent national election, a news report and a rights group said Thursday. The ruling party easily won Sunday's election, which was marred by street fighting, low turnout and an opposition boycott, with at least 18 people dying in election-related violence. The vote only exacerbated tensions in this South Asian nation, which has a grim history of political unrest. Political violence has convulsed Bangladesh in recent months as opposition activists staged attacks, strikes and transportation blockades to protest Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government. Nearly 300 people have been killed in the violence since last February. After her party swept the largely uncontested elections, Hasina said Monday that her first priority was to contain the violence with an "iron hand." On Tuesday, detectives arrested four opposition leaders, including an adviser to opposition chief and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. All four are still in jail. Many other senior opposition leaders, including a former law minister, have been arrested in recent months on charges of fueling violence and also remain jailed. Police say they are investigating the charges, which the opposition says are politically motivated. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, acting secretary-general of Zia's main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, or BNP, said this week that hundreds of party leaders and activists had gone into hiding because of harassment by authorities. On Thursday, Kaler Kantho, a leading Bengali-language daily, named at least 18 leaders of BNP and its student wing who had gone into hiding. The paper quoted Mahbubur Rahman, a former army official and a senior BNP leader, as saying the government "cannot suppress the BNP [Zia's party] this way." New York-based Human Rights Watch said "many opposition leaders and activists have gone into hiding," and accused Bangladesh of conducting arbitrary arrests of opposition members before and after the election. "While in some cases the government has acted appropriately to stop violence by some opposition forces, this spate of arrests is part of a pattern of weakening critics, limiting dissent and consolidating ruling party power," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. Mass arrests are common during political turmoil in Bangladesh, where power transfers are often bloody affairs. Since its independence from Pakistan in 1971, Bangladesh has seen two presidents assassinated and 19 failed coup attempts. Opposition activists typically take shelter in relatives' homes or slip out of the country, pretending to be tourists or business travelers. Bangladesh's newly elected lawmakers took the oath of office Thursday as Hasina moved forward with forming the new government. The opposition had demanded that Hasina's government resign so a neutral administration could oversee the polls, saying Hasina might rig the election if she stayed in office. She denied that. The political gridlock plunges Bangladesh deeper into turmoil and economic stagnation. The country also is struggling to reinvigorate its $20 billion garment industry, which has been hit by a series of horrifying disasters—including a factory collapse last April that killed more than 1,100 workers. The post Bangladesh Opposition Members Go Into Hiding appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

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