The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Burma Readies to Host Asean Para Games
• Burma Military Investigates Alleged Rape of 13-Year Old Girl
• Hong Kong Jade Prices Soar for Fear of Burmese Jade Shortage
• Tough Shot
• Burmese Journalists Protest Ma Khine’s Jail Sentence
• State Mouthpiece to Relaunch As Broadsheet in March
• ‘It Will Be a Year With a Lot of Positive Changes’
• Seven Years for Failed Burma Embassy Bomber in Indonesia
• Rodman Lands in North Korea for Basketball on Kim’s Birthday
• China Destroys 6 Tons of Ivory in Landmark Move
• Bangladesh PM Says New Election Depends on End to Violence

Burma Readies to Host Asean Para Games Posted: 07 Jan 2014 04:16 AM PST Winning athletes receive their medals at Burma's 25th National Para Games in October 2013. (Photo: Shwe Minn Tha Foundation) Burma will hold the 7th Asean Para Games for athletes with physical disabilities in the capital Naypyidaw next week, fresh off its hosting of the Southeast Asian Games last month. Over 1,500 athletes from the 10-nation regional grouping, plus East Timor, will contest in 12 different sporting events during the week-long competition from Jan. 14-20, said Aung Nyi Nyi Maw, who serves as a consultant for the Myanmar Paralympic Sports Federation. The opening ceremony will take place next Tuesday at Wunna Theikdi Stadium in Naypyidaw, also a major venue for the 27th Southeast Asia Games that concluded on Dec. 22. Burma will send 213 athletes to the upcoming contest, supported by 57 coaches and support staff, according to Aung Nyi Nyi Maw. The sports to be contested are archery, athletics, volleyball, boccia, chess, football (5-a-side and 7-a-side), goalball, powerlifting, swimming, table tennis and basketball. "This is a very exciting moment for our disabled athletes, as we are able to host the event in our own country," said Myat Thu Win, who heads the Shwe Minn Tha Foundation, which supports disabled people in Burma. "We never had such big fan support for us in the past, but this time, being host, it is an encouragement to our athletes." Burma's athletic contingent to the Games has swelled considerably since that last iteration of the biannual competition, with nearly 180 new participants compared with the delegation that it sent to the 2011 competition in Solo, Indonesia. Burma will also field competitors in all 12 sporting events, and is one of only two participating countries, along with Thailand, to do so, according to Aung Myin Htun, who competed for Burma in international swimming competitions from 1994-2001 and has been coaching the country's swimmers ahead of next week's Games. Athletes as young as 15 years old who are visually or hearing impaired, or are otherwise physically disabled, will compete in the Para Games. "We hope for the best in this sporting event, despite that other countries provide better support to their athletes than ours," said Myat Thu Win. "We contested in the previous Games in other countries with fewer fans, but this year, we hope [the competition] will have a positive impact for Myanmar's disabled persons," he added, saying the Games offered an opportunity to raise public awareness for those with disabilities, who make up about 2 percent of Burma's estimated 60 million people, according to a 2010 survey by the Department of Social Welfare. "It [the Asean Para Games] is special as it focuses on equality for disabled athletes. The Games allow all to participate. Our motto 'Friendship, Equality and Unity,' emphasizes no discrimination for the outstanding athletes despite their being physically disabled," said Aung Nyi Nyi Maw. He said about 500 officials from the contesting countries will arrive on Wednesday of this week, followed by the arrival of contesting athletes on Saturday. Burmese nationals who hold a national ID card will be eligible to attend the Games' sports competitions for free, and can register to do so at Wunna Theikdi Stadium and Athletes Village accreditation centers. Tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies—the latter scheduled for Jan. 20—will be sold at Wunna Theikdi Stadium beginning on Saturday, said Aung Nyi Nyi Maw. The tickets can also be bought at accreditation centers and cost 3,000 kyats (US$3) for regular seats and 5,000 kyats for premium seating. There will be 8,000 tickets available to the general public and the rest will be reserved for athletes and officials, added Aung Nyi Nyi Maw. The Asean Para Games were first held in 2001 in Kuala Lumpur. Burma has sent athletes to compete in the sporting event since its inception, but it is the first time the country has played host. From Dec. 11-22, Burma hosted the Southeast Asian Games in Naypyidaw, Rangoon, Mandalay and Ngwe Saung Beach. The country took second place in the medal tally, winning 86 golds behind only Thailand, which took home 107. The post Burma Readies to Host Asean Para Games appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Burma Military Investigates Alleged Rape of 13-Year Old Girl Posted: 07 Jan 2014 04:08 AM PST Burmese soldiers march during ceremonies on March 27, 2010, marking the 65th anniversary Armed Forces Day in Naypyidaw. Soldiers from the Burma Army have been accused of sexual violence in the country's border areas. (Photo: The Associated Press) RANGOON — The Burmese military has launched an investigation into allegations that a soldier raped a 13-year-old girl in the country's southeast, amid continued reports by civilians that sexual abuse by armed forces remains a dire problem despite political reforms. A soldier from the Burma Army's Infantry Battalion 32 has been accused of raping the girl at her home in Kawzar sub-township, Mon State, while her parents were away. He was reportedly visiting the house to pick up dry vegetation to build thatched roofs for his battalion's housing. The girl was discovered by a community leader, who brought her to a local hospital. "The girl told me that her hands were tied and she was raped," he told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the case. He said a medical examination confirmed the rape. The community leader added that the victim's family reported the incident to their village head, but was threatened by the concerned battalion to keep quiet and given compensation of 500,000 kyats (US$500) in return for cooperation. The New Mon State Party (NMSP), the main ethnic rebel organization in Mon State, sent a complaint letter about the case to the state's highest government official, Chief Minister Ohn Myint. Kyi San, an NMSP leader at the liaison office in the state capital Moulmein, said the southeast regional command of the government military had launched an investigation. "We heard the colonel general staff officer is traveling to begin an investigation today in southern Ye, he said, referring to the township where the girl lives. The government army and local authorities, including the police, have been accused of 127 cases of sexual abuse over the past 15 years in Kawzar sub-township alone, according to the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM). Only one former military colonel has been punished, the rights group said, citing a colonel who was notorious for crimes against ethnic Mon and Karen women and girls. These allegations mirror similar reports of rape in many of Burma's frontier areas, which saw decades of conflict between the government army and ethnic armed groups under the former military regime. Rights activists say women have been routinely raped by government soldiers, and less frequently by rebel soldiers. Despite political reforms and ceasefires with most major rebel groups, the Mon human rights foundation said the military had failed to change its practices. Although the NMSP has signed a ceasefire and hostilities have largely died down, reports of sexual abuse continue in areas where troops are stationed to secure new development projects in the resource-rich state. "Sexual abuse of underage children should warrant a major punishment," said Aue Mon, coordinator of the human rights documentation program for HURFOM. "There should not be impunity for this type of crime, or it will set a precedent that allows more sexual abuse by the military." He added, "It will be difficult to build trust between the army and civilians if the military continues to act with impunity. It will be difficult to build trust between the army and ethnic people in the country." The post Burma Military Investigates Alleged Rape of 13-Year Old Girl appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Hong Kong Jade Prices Soar for Fear of Burmese Jade Shortage Posted: 07 Jan 2014 03:53 AM PST Prospectors look for jade at an open mine in Hpakant, Kachin State. (Photo: Saw Yan Naing / The Irrawaddy) HPAKANT/HONG KONG — Jade dealers in Hong Kong said their businesses are suffering from soaring prices for Burmese raw jade and jade jewelry due to concerns over a drying up of supplies from the jade-mining town Hpakant, in Kachin State. Li Qi, a Chinese jade trader who owns a shop in Hong Kong said he struggled to source Burmese raw jade for his business, which carves the gemstone and turns it into jewelry. Li said a few years ago he was able to buy a piece of Burmese jade at trade fairs in Jieyang City, in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, for about US $2,700 and process it into a piece of jewelry that would sell at ten times the price of the raw stone. These days, Li and other Hong Kong jade traders are struggling to turn a profit as they can barely afford to acquire raw jade, while many customers are turned off by the high prices for jade jewelry and demand is falling. "[Raw] stones that were only worth 10 thousand yuan [$1,600] before, are now is sold at least 15 thousands yuan [$2,400]," he told The Irrawaddy. "People are definitely buying less [jade jewelry] last year. So, running the business becomes a very difficult task." Yet, Li said he believes that the market situation could improve, adding that demand for high-quality jade jewelry remains strong. "Prices of those types of jades that are of high quality have actually risen with 10 to 15 percent from last year," he said. Burma produces the vast majority of the world's jade and the Burmese gemstone is of the highest quality. Most of it is sourced from the Hpakant, a small mining town located 350 km north of Mandalay, in the conflict-torn Kachin Mountains. Foreigners are barred from visiting the frontier-like town, where thousands of workers perform dangerous, back-breaking work in order to unearth the gemstone. Most of the jade is bought up by Chinese dealers who smuggle it back to their country, where jade is more highly prized than gold. Jade prices have risen over the past decade as the spending power of Chinese consumers increased. The bubble in the jade market has now reportedly occurred due to fears over a shortage of Burmese jade or the possible introduction of measures by Burma's reformist government that would limit jade exports and force jade-processing to take place in country. In Hpakant, a Burmese jade merchant named Yaw Han told The Irrawaddy recently that the jade reserves there could run out in the near future, when bigger mining companies using sophisticated technology move in to replace current labor-intensive forms of mining. Standing atop a mountain, which offered a 360-degree viewpoint of the scarred mountains where the jade-mining takes place, Yaw Han said, "All the hills and mountains you see produce jades and precious stones. If we continue to find jade through traditional hand-digging, I think that we can find jade for the next generation. But, if companies use modern technology these mountains can be gone within 15 years." Much like the timber of Burma's northern forests, most of the jade is smuggled over the country's border with China through unregulated trade, without ever being taxed. Ministry of Commerce trade data provided to The Irrawaddy last year showed that jade was the country's second-biggest source of revenue after natural gas in 2011-2012, valued at about $780 million. It remains unclear how much revenue the government generates from the gemstone trade. However, a July 2013 report by the Ash Center at Harvard University in the United States put the value sales of Burmese jade as high as $8 billion in 2011. The discrepancy in these data suggests that most of the jade flows over the border unregulated. Several times per year the government hosts the national gemstone emporium, a huge trade fair usually held in Naypyidaw where mostly jade is sold. Yup Zau Hkawng, director of Jade Land Company, a leading jade mining company in Hpakant, said that the amount of jade transported overland to China dwarfed the official amount of raw jade sold at the government trade fairs. Jade companies, he said, preferred not to sell their wares at the emporium as they would be subject to high government tax rates that could add up to 30 percent of the value of their sales. "We have to pay three types of taxations … 10 percent for domestic tax goes to the Ministry of Mining, another 10 percent goes to emporium for export tax, and the companies have to pay 10 per cent to be allowed to bid at auctions to win mining concession," said Yup Zau Hkawng. Saw Yan Naing reported from Hpakant, Echo Hui reported from Hong Kong. The post Hong Kong Jade Prices Soar for Fear of Burmese Jade Shortage appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Tough Shot Posted: 07 Jan 2014 03:38 AM PST The post Tough Shot appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Burmese Journalists Protest Ma Khine’s Jail Sentence Posted: 07 Jan 2014 03:35 AM PST Burmese journalists march peacefully on Sule Pagoda Road wearing T-shirts that say, "We don't want a threat to press freedom." (Photo: Sai Zaw / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Hundreds of Burmese journalists marched through Rangoon on Tuesday to protest the first sentencing of a local reporter to prison since a reformist government came to power. Eleven Media reporter Khine Khine Aye Cho, known by her pen name Ma Khine and based in Karenni State, was sentenced in mid-December to three months in prison for defamation, trespass and use of abusive language by a township court in the state capital, Loikaw. She was sued by Loikaw-based lawyer Aye Aye Phyo after an argument allegedly took place between them while she was seeking comments on an alleged video piracy case in late October. Over 200 people gathered in downtown Rangoon on Tuesday morning to march more than one hour from 36th Street to the Eleven Media office. The protesters included mostly journalists, as well as lawyers from the Myanmar Lawyers Network, activists from the well-known 88 Generation Students group, and members of the All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF). Many wore T-shirts that read, "We don't want a threat to press freedom," while some held a banner declaring that the "right to information is the life of democracy." "When the media becomes stronger, iniquity cannot be done because it is not possible to hide," Min Ko Naing, one of the country's most prominent activists and a leader of the 88 Generation Students, told The Irrawaddy. Elsewhere, journalists in Mandalay attempted to organize a protest but were denied permission from the relevant township police department, which said the demonstration would likely disrupt traffic and create unwanted conflict. The police urged journalists to respect the judiciary, saying Ma Khine could appeal the township court's verdict to a higher court. Though they did not proceed with their planned protest, a group of journalists reportedly gathered peacefully on Tuesday in front of a prison in Mandalay to show their condemnation of Ma Khine's imprisonment. International and local press-related groups have urged the judiciary to reconsider her case. "The ruling is not just," Myint Kyaw, general secretary of the Myanmar Journalist Network, which led the protest in Rangoon, told The Irrawaddy. "Criminal charges have been placed on a journalist for doing her job. It's infringing on the right to report freely. We have urged and issued a statement to reconsider the case. "An ordinary citizen, even non-journalists, have the right to appeal an unjust ruling. If we keep silent about this case, it will set a precedent and more journalists may be imprisoned later in similar circumstances under criminal charges." Media freedom has improved in Burma since the former military regime ceded power to a nominally civilian government in 2011. Journalists are no longer required to submit articles to the government for prior censorship, and private daily newspapers have been allowed to publish for the first time in decades. Journalists have also been released from prisons, but some publications have been sued for defamation, including by government agencies. Draft laws have been submitted to Parliament that have drawn criticism from journalists as being too restrictive. Ma Khine's arrest being the first of a reporter under Thein Sein's administration. Aye Min, a Supreme Court lawyer from the Myanmar Lawyers Network, questioned the ruling in Ma Khine's case, saying a person can only be convicted of trespass if he or she enters a house without permission. "Ma Khine was asked to leave the house after she was permitted to enter and have a conversation. The punishment should not exceed a fine of 10,000 kyats [US$10]," he said. The Constitution, he added, guarantees the right to free speech and expression. "It's a contradiction if journalists cannot openly write and reveal information," he said. Thiha Saw, a member of the interim Press Council, said he believed the government still wanted to control media. "We have urged those who may be concerned to ensure a fair verdict and the free right to report," said the well-known Rangoon-based journalist, who is in regular communication with the Information Ministry in his work with the Press Council, an interim body of mostly journalists and some government representatives that has drafted a proposed law that lays out reporters' rights and responsibilities. He added that it was important for journalists to understand media ethics to avoid lawsuits. Meanwhile, the Burmese-language People Image Journal is facing pressure from the government for publishing an editorial and news articles critical of Thein Sein. The weekly journal was warned by the Ministry of Home Affairs on Friday after publishing an editorial that accused the president of holding power over the judiciary, as well as news articles that said a change in president, or "king," could occur this year, ahead of the general election in 2015. The Ministry of Information plans to issue a warning to the journal about media ethics, according to presidential spokesman Ye Htut, who is the deputy minister of the information. Additional reporting by Thuzar. The post Burmese Journalists Protest Ma Khine's Jail Sentence appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

State Mouthpiece to Relaunch As Broadsheet in March Posted: 07 Jan 2014 02:25 AM PST The state-run New Light of Myanmar daily will be revamped in a few months. (Photo: Simon Roughneen / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The New Light of Myanmar, Burma’s English-language government newspaper, will relaunch as a broadsheet within the next two to three months, according to its chief editor. Than Myint Tun said that "approximately at the beginning of March we will relaunch The New Light of Myanmar." The chief editor hinted to The Irrawaddy that The New Light of Myanmar—long-derided as vehicle for Panglossian government PR—will have a gravitas-laden new look. "We will have a broadsheet, as opposed to the current tabloid format, and will have a wide variety of news," he said. Last year, newspaper staff and government ministers said that they hoped to see the new version of the newspaper launch in time for the recently-concluded Southeast Asia Games, a regional athletics competition which was held in Burma for the first time since 1969. Now the target, it seems, is to have the new-look 'New Light' ready in time for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summits to be held in Burma this year. Burma is chairing Asean, the ten-country, Southeast Asian regional bloc, for the first time. Burma was granted the 2014 chair in late 2011, in what was an acknowledgement of the political reforms undertaken by the Thein Sein government—changes which include the ending of government censorship and permission for foreign news agencies to operate in Burma. The New Light of Myanmar is itself benefitting from these liberalizations, with staff at the newspaper receiving what Than Myint Tun called "technical support" from Japanese news agency Kyodo over recent months. "There is no financial support involved, but Kyodo is teaching our staff how to use printing presses and other technology," said Than Myint Tun. Two reporters from The New Light of Myanmar travelled to Tokyo during 2013, where they were given journalism training by Kyodo staff. "They have returned to Myanmar and now can write much better in English," said Than Myint Tun. And revamping the staid and easy-to-lampoon "New Light" means that Than Myint Tun is also on the lookout for new staff. "We are trying to build the capacity of our current team," he said. "But we need new reporters as well as native speakers [of English] to work as copy editors," he added. A new Public Service Media Bill is likely to come before Burma’s Parliament in 2014, with the measure including a proposal to keep putting public money into The New Light of Myanmar and other government Burmese-language newspapers, such as Kyemon and Myanma Ahlin. The overhaul of state media and creation of Burmese public service broadcasting has been generally well-received, but the Interim Press Council (IPC) has criticized continued government funding for public service newspapers as it would give the papers unfair advantages over Burma’s fledgling private media. "They already have support of the government in logistics, and get advertising," said Myint Kyaw of the IPC, a journalist lobby group that has long been at loggerheads with the government over media reforms. "Public funding for government newspapers will mean the playing field is not level, especially for private daily newspapers that are new here," he said. Daily newspapers published by private operators returned to Burma on April 1 2013, after previously being banned under the military government, with the permitted weekly newspapers having to run content by a censor. Content-wise, it remains to be seen whether or not the new version of The New Light of Myanmar can successfully shed its government-spin skin. The New Light of Myanmar was part-privatized in in a 2013 deal, giving 49 per cent of the newspaper to Global Direct Link, and with the Ministry of Information retaining a 51 per cent stake. This arrangement, believes Ko Ko, publisher of The Yangon Times, means that the revamped New Light will not have editorial independence. "It is hard to see how it will leave the propaganda behind under this arrangement," he told The Irrawaddy. Ko Ko has long-term plans to launch an English-language newspaper in Burma, so is a potential competitor for The New Light of Myanmar. But he feels that the appetite for news in English is limited, even in reforming Burma, meaning that new market entrants are likely to struggle. "You can see the new Freedom Daily is having a tough time, and the same could be the case for The New Light of Myanmar," he said. "Even graduates who speak good English prefer to read news in Burmese," he concluded. The post State Mouthpiece to Relaunch As Broadsheet in March appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

‘It Will Be a Year With a Lot of Positive Changes’ Posted: 07 Jan 2014 12:50 AM PST Burmese astrologer San Zarni Bo at his Rangoon home in 2013. (Photo: Paul Vrieze / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — At the start of a new year, The Irrawaddy visited renowned Burmese astrologer San Zarni Bo at his Rangoon home in order to get his predictions for 2014. The soothsayer and former political prisoner forecasts that this year will see be year with many positive changes that will set Burma on a path to a better future. Question: Last year, you predicted that Aung San Suu Kyi would become president of Burma in 2014. Do you still stand by this prediction? Answers: I confirm again that Suu Kyi will become the president. She will win the election in 2015 and then become the first woman president of Burma before July 13, 2015. Q: What kinds change may take place in Burma's politics in 2014? A: The executive power will not remain the same, and there will be many amendments and changes in politics. So it will be in laws. Also, there will be a group that represents both legislative and executive powers. Q: What will happen with the armed conflict and the peace process this year? A: A nationwide ceasefire will be completed, but peace talks will continue until 2020. A foundation for a federal union can also be laid. Besides, Burma will have an opportunity to become a landmine-free zone in 2014. Q: What will happen with foreign investments in Burma this year? A: It will be difficult for Burma and other countries around the world to receive foreign investments. Q: What about health conditions of Burmese people? A: We must be careful about health, since 2014 will be a year with many diseases. Health care and education in Burma are still very worrisome. Compared to others, budget allocation and capacity for educational development and health care in our country are lower than it should be. Q: Will there be any chance for educational development? A: Educational development will be brought up only through self-reliant ways. However, government support and encouragement on this matter are still weak. Q: How will the economy perform this year? A: People's believe in their currency is stronger so, their spending will be high. Life improvements of those who are in the upper class will gradually come to a halt, while that of the middle class will be a bit weaker. But, despite facing difficulties, ordinary people will have better job opportunities and their daily spending will be higher. Q: What will be differences between 2014 and previous years? A: There will be many differences and because of them I consider 2014 as a foundational year to establish a beautiful future for Burma. It will be a year with a lot of positive changes. Q: Will anything special occur in relation to Fridays in 2014? A: Are you wondering about [retired] Snr-Gen Than Shwe's health? He is old now. According to our astrological calculations, if he was actually born on a Friday as people assume, his health is worrisome and he has to take care of it. Likewise, the health condition of Aung San Suu Kyi will be poor since she was born on a Tuesday, but she will have to undergo an operation, that's all. She now has already recovered from a minor surgery for bunions, a painful deformity at the base of the big toe, so she is fine. Another one is [Union Parliament Speaker] Thura Shwe Mann, who in my astrology-based understanding was born on Tuesday. So, his health will be poor but not be harmed. As for President Thein Sein, I think he has two birthdays—a real and a made-up one. I don't think his birthday is on a Friday in April, like people celebrated last year. If he was born in April, he doesn't have any [astrological] position to become president. The post 'It Will Be a Year With a Lot of Positive Changes' appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Seven Years for Failed Burma Embassy Bomber in Indonesia Posted: 06 Jan 2014 09:33 PM PST Indonesian police are deployed outside the Burma Embassy in Jakarta in 2013. (Photo: Reuters) JAKARTA — The South Jakarta District Court on Monday sentenced Achmad Taufik to seven years and six months in prison over his role in a failed plot to bomb the Burma Embassy in Jakarta. The panel of judges, presided over by Suprapto, said Achmad was proven guilty of conspiring to bomb the embassy in Menteng, Central Jakarta, on May 3, 2013. "We're handing down seven years and six months in prison [for Achmad]," Suprapto said as he read out the verdict on Monday, according to Indonesian news portal liputan6.com. The sentence is slightly lower than the eight years in prison sought by prosecutors. National Police's anti-terror unit Densus 88 thwarted the planned attack just before it was launched and arrested Achmad and another man identified as Sigit Indrajit. Police seized five home-made pipe bombs carried inside a black backpack from the two suspects. Since then, five others have been arrested in connection to the plot. Sigit, believed to have masterminded the plan, is being tried separately in relation to the case. His verdict was supposed to be handed down on Monday as well, but judges rescheduled the hearing for Jan. 21 without giving a reason why. Some terrorist cells in Indonesia have started targeting the Burma Embassy and local Buddhist temples in what they claim to be acts of solidarity with Rohingya Muslims suppressed by the Burmese authorities. The post Seven Years for Failed Burma Embassy Bomber in Indonesia appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Rodman Lands in North Korea for Basketball on Kim’s Birthday Posted: 06 Jan 2014 09:25 PM PST Former NBA basketball star Dennis Rodman (L) arrives at Pyongyang airport in Pyongyang, in this photo released by Kyodo January 6, 2014. (Photo: Reuters) BEIJING — Former NBA basketball star Dennis Rodman arrived in North Korea on Monday with a team of retired professional basketball players to mark the birthday of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. This marks Rodman’s fourth trip to the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, where he and his team of fellow former National Basketball Association stars will hold basketball games on Kim’s birthday, which is believed to fall on Wednesday, although it has never been officially confirmed. On previous visits, Rodman spent time dining as a guest of Kim, with whom he says he has a genuine friendship, though he did not meet Kim on his third trip. Rodman, however, said he will not interfere in the country’s politics. "People always say that North Korea is like a really communist country, that people are not allowed to go there," Rodman told reporters at an airport in Beijing. "I just know the fact that, you know, to me he’s a nice guy, to me," he said of Kim. "Whatever he does political-wise, that’s not my job. I’m just an athlete, an individual who wants to go over there and play something for the world. That’s it," he added. Rodman’s latest visit follows the rare public purge of Kim’s powerful uncle Jang Song Thaek, who was executed in December. South Korean President Park Geun-hye has described recent events in North Korea as a "reign of terror." The purging of Jang, considered the second most powerful man in the north, was widely seen as a sign of factionalism within the secretive government. The visit also comes as the United States government is trying to secure the release of Kenneth Bae, a Korean-American who worked as a Christian missionary before his arrest by North Korea and conviction in May on charges of crimes against the state. 'Cruel Joke' Rodman has faced both ridicule and harsh criticism from some quarters for his trips, which some U.S. politicians and activists view as serving only as fodder for propaganda efforts by the North Korean regime. "It’s a cruel joke," Eliot Engel, a Democrat in the US House of Representatives and the ranking minority member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said at a Monday press conference in New York City. "There has to be some modicum of behavior before you sit down with people," he said. "The people of North Korea are suffering and we’re offering them basketball." Engel was joined by several North Koreans who have fled the country for political asylum in the United States at the press conference, which was organized by the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human-rights group. "I want to say to NBA player people, please don’t make Kim Jong Un happy," said Jo Jinhye, an exiled North Korean now living in Virginia who also runs "NK in USA," an organization that helps fellow exiles. "If you want to help North Korea," she told reporters, "just help normal North Korean people, not North Korea’s government or Kim Jong Un." The NBA also criticized the trip on Monday. "The NBA is not involved with Mr. Rodman’s North Korea trip and would not participate or support such a venture without the approval of the U.S. State Department," David Stern, the NBA’s commissioner, said in a statement. "Although sports in many instances can be helpful in bridging cultural divides, this is not one of them." At the US State Department, spokeswoman Marie Harf said that Rodman had not contacted the government about his trip. "He’s not there as a representative of the U.S. government trying to effect anything," Harf said. "We were not contacted by him and he’s not there representing us." She also repeated the US government’s advice that Americans avoid traveling there. While in transit at Beijing’s airport, the flamboyant Rodman – wearing sunglasses, a sequin-encrusted cap and a pink scarf – was asked about his response to critics who said he should not play in the reclusive state. "Are they going to shoot me? Are they going to shoot me? Come on, man," he said. The post Rodman Lands in North Korea for Basketball on Kim’s Birthday appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

China Destroys 6 Tons of Ivory in Landmark Move Posted: 06 Jan 2014 09:18 PM PST Police officers stand guard next to ivory and ivory sculptures before they are destroyed in Dongguan, Guangdong province, on Jan. 6, 2014. (Photo: Reuters / Alex Lee) DONGGUAN, China — China destroyed about 6 tons of illegal ivory from its stockpile on Monday in an unprecedented move wildlife groups say shows growing concern about the black market trade by authorities in the world's biggest market for elephant tusks. Authorities displayed a pile of ornaments, carvings and tusks to reporters, diplomats and conservationists before feeding them into two crushing machines. Tusks that were too long were cut up into smaller chunks by workers with circular saws before they could be pulverized. Forestry and customs officials organized what they said was the country's first large-scale ivory destruction in Dongguan in southern Guangdong province, where much of China's ivory trade is focused. Conservation groups say China is the world's biggest market for ivory. Demand is fueled by rapid growth in the world's second biggest economy, which has created a vast middle class with the spending power to buy ivory carvings prized as status symbols. Ivory can fetch up to US$2,000 a kilogram on the black market, earning it the nickname "white gold." Officials said the 6.1 metric tons of ivory destroyed was just a portion of the illegal ivory held by China, though they wouldn't disclose how big the country's total stockpile is. The destroyed ivory came from shipments from Africa intercepted by customs officers as well as from carving factories and shops in China. China is following other countries that have destroyed their ivory stocks in the past year. In June, the Philippines burned and crushed more than 5 tons of ivory worth an estimated $10 million confiscated since 2009, becoming the first Asian country to do so. In November, the United States destroyed 6 tons of ivory seized over 25 years. Gabon burned nearly 5 tons in 2012. The United States, which sent officials to Monday's ivory destruction, commended China. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said such actions "will send a powerful message to wildlife poachers and traffickers and to the consumers of illegal wildlife products." The International Fund for Animal Welfare said the destruction was a powerful symbolic act that shows that the Chinese government is "concerned about the toll ivory trafficking is taking on elephant populations, as well as the other threats to regional security that arise in connection with wildlife crime." Ivory destruction in countries along the trade chain "clearly tells consumers everywhere that ivory buying is unethical and wrong," IFAW CEO Azzedine Downs, who attended the event, said in a statement. IFAW estimates that more than 35,000 elephants were killed last year by poachers for ivory. The post China Destroys 6 Tons of Ivory in Landmark Move appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Bangladesh PM Says New Election Depends on End to Violence Posted: 06 Jan 2014 09:02 PM PST Activists of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chase activists of the Awami League during a clash in Rajshahi on Sunday. (Photo: Reuters) DHAKA — A day after rolling to victory in an election that was boycotted by the main opposition party and marred by deadly unrest, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held to her stance that a fresh poll can be called only if her rivals halt violence. With the opposition already having called a 48-hour strike and seven people killed in clashes on Monday, the crisis showed no sign of easing, risking further unrest and damage to the $22 billion garment industry, which accounts for 80 percent of the country's exports. Hasina's Awami League ended with more than two-thirds of seats in a contest that was shunned by international observers as flawed and derided as a farce by the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). With fewer than half the seats contested, the outcome was never in doubt. "An election can happen any time when BNP comes for a dialogue, but they must stop violence," Hasina, 64, said on the lawn of her official residence. Many BNP leaders are in jail or in hiding, and party chief Begum Khaleda Zia says she is under virtual house arrest, which the government denies. "The ongoing crisis will not be resolved by keeping me virtually confined to my house and carrying out oppression on the opposition," Khaleda said in a statement on Monday, urging a new election. Hasina and Khaleda, 68, are bitter rivals who have alternated as prime minister for all but two of the past 22 years. The United States said it was "disappointed" by the election. "The results … do not appear to credibly express the will of the Bangladeshi people," a statement from the US State Department said. It called on the government and opposition to engage in immediate dialogue to find a way to hold "free, fair, peaceful, and credible" elections as soon as possible. It condemned the violence and said citizens must be free to express their views. "Bangladesh's political leadership—and those who aspire to lead—must do everything in their power to ensure law and order and refrain from supporting and fomenting violence, especially against minority communities, inflammatory rhetoric, and intimidation," the statement said. Robust Growth Ataur Rahman, a professor of political science at Dhaka University, said the standoff imperils the momentum of five years of robust growth in the impoverished nation of 160 million. The economy grew 6 percent in the fiscal year that ended in June, and multilateral agencies expect growth of 5.5 to 5.8 percent in the current year. "The longer the impasse, the longer Bangladesh suffers," Rahman said. "And unfortunately everyone understands this other than our two top leaders." The BNP denounces Hasina's scrapping of the practice of having a caretaker government oversee elections. The Awami League says the interim government system has proved a failure. With the BNP on the sidelines and voters worried about violence, turnout was expected to have been low. An election official, who declined to be identified because the figure was not final, told Reuters that turnout was nearly 40 percent. A monitoring organization, the Election Working Group, had put turnout at 30 percent, according to the Dhaka Tribune. In the last election, in 2008, a record 83 percent of voters cast ballots. In a 1996 election boycotted by the Awami League, 21 percent voted. The European Union, a duty free market for nearly 60 percent of Bangladesh's garment exports, refused to send election observers, as did the United States and the Commonwealth, a grouping of 53 mainly former British colonies. "It is … disappointing that voters in more than half the constituencies did not have the opportunity to express their will at the ballot box and that turnout in most other constituencies was low," Sayeeda Warsi, a senior British Foreign Office minister, said in a statement. Five people were killed on the outskirts of Dhaka on Monday in a clash between supporters of rival parties, with two more fatalities in rural areas, continuing a spate of violence in which 18 people were killed during polling on Sunday and more than 100 in the run-up to the election. Additional reporting by Ruma Paul and David Brunnstrom of Reuters on Washington. The post Bangladesh PM Says New Election Depends on End to Violence appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

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