Democratic Voice of Burma

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• Acid factory “burning our eyes,” say residents
• Burmese inquiry concludes no evidence of massacre in Maungdaw
• Hpa-an peace talks postponed until March
• HRW lauds Thein Sein’s commitment to reform, but says govt is divided
• UN pledges support in Burma’s fight against malnutrition

Acid factory “burning our eyes,” say residents Posted: 06 Feb 2014 03:49 AM PST Residents in Kangon village, Latpadaung, have been expressing health concerns over a sulphuric acid plant that is making residents in the area become ill. The plant, operated by the military-owned Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings (UMEH), is just 100 yards away from the village and residents claim the factory is engulfing their homes in acidic fumes. About 200 people have taken ill with vomiting and sore throats. A resident from Kangon village said her eight-year old daughter complained of a sore throat and a stomach-ache. "She said her eyes started burning so we checked on her and noticed the fumes carried along by the wind," said the girl's mother. "Then our eyes started feeling itchy and burning." Related Stories UN pledges support in Burma's fight against malnutrition Latpadaung talks continue with ESIA review MSF, OCHA hit back at ‘anti-aid worker sentiment’ in Arakan State On Sunday, about 500 residents marched to the Mogyo acid plant to demand its suspension. Four of the protest leaders were called to a meeting with the plant's supervisors and local government officials. After the meeting, an official from the UMEH, speaking to the rest of the protestors, said they would begin inspecting the plant. "We have just discussed the situation with government officials and will be explaining this to the Chief Minister as well," said an official from the UMEH. "We will be inspecting the factory tomorrow and will present our findings to senior officials." In a report last year, the Latpadaung Investigation Commission, headed by Aung San Suu Kyi to look into operations at the nearby copper mine, said the factory was hazardous. The commission recommended an investigation into the factory's operations.

Burmese inquiry concludes no evidence of massacre in Maungdaw Posted: 06 Feb 2014 01:35 AM PST The Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (MNHRC) has concluded an inquiry into the alleged Rohingya massacre in Maungdaw's Duchira Dan-West village, saying it has found no solid evidence of any massacre taking place. The MNHRC's secretary Sitt Myaing told DVB a four-member investigation team including himself visited Duchira Dan [also written as Du Char Yar Tan] from 30 January to 3 February to investigate the alleged killing of Rohingya people in the village on two separate occasions, but found no evidence to support the allegations. "We went to investigate allegations of incidents where eight people were killed and then 40 more on another occasion," said Sitt Myaing. "We collected testimonies from regional to village-level meetings, including statements from Arakanese and Bengali [Rohingya] witnesses in Duchira Dan. "In conclusion, we did not find any evidence or testimony that could prove that either of the alleged incidents took place." He said that conflicting numbers of Rohingyas alleged to have been killed in the incident on 13 January emerged because "news articles on the internet were based on sources in the town speculating on what happened". He added the investigation also found that fears and concerns continued to run deep among both Arakanese and Rohingya communities in the area. Related Stories Shwe Maung may be 'responsible for defamation' over police allegations, says Ye Htut DVB talks to British Ambassador to Burma Rohingya MP claims police involved in Maungdaw blaze It is alleged by several foreign media agencies that several dozen Rohingya villagers were lynched, raped and killed – the UN said it has "credible evidence" that 48 were massacred – by the police and a mob of Arakanese Buddhist villagers in a retaliatory attack following the disappearance of a police sergeant who was on patrol in Duchira Dan on 13 January. The Burmese government has vehemently denied the allegations though it maintains the police sergeant was captured by a mob of several hundred Rohingya men and killed. State media has shown evidence of blooded clothing and equipment belonging to the police officer discarded at sites near the village. Sitt Myaing said trust between the two communities has been further damaged by the recent incidents. "We found that there has been an increase in suspicion between the two communities," he said. "Both the authorities and local residents need to take steps to restore trust and harmony between each other, to be able to co-exist as before." The Burmese government has also rejected demands by the UN, the UK and the US for an international-assisted inquiry to be conducted into the alleged incidents. DVB has yet to receive a response to the MNHRC statement from the UN or other related international agencies and foreign governments. The MNHRC is a government-appointed commission set up in 2011 with 15 members comprising retired ambassadors, former government ministers and other ex-officials. In August 2012 the Commission concluded a five-day mission to conflict-torn Kachin State by accusing the Burmese army of committing serious abuses against local civilians in the northern region.

Hpa-an peace talks postponed until March Posted: 06 Feb 2014 12:36 AM PST A repeatedly delayed meeting between the Burmese government's Internal Peace Making Committee (IPMC) and the ethnic armed groups' Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) has been postponed again and will not take place until March at the earliest. The meeting to discuss a ceasefire framework was to be held 20 February in Karen State capital Hpa-an, however ethnic groups said they needed more time for preparation, according to NCCT deputy-chair and Karen National Union general-secretary Kwe Htoo Win. "We believe it to be more practicable to hold the talks in March as we are yet to finish preparation for the negotiation on our side," said Kwe Htoo Win. Related Stories 18 Kachin villagers captured by Burmese army in Mansi No national ceasefire without support from Burmans Hpa-an peace talks postponed until February "We wouldn't want the public to misunderstand us, or believe that we are trying to delay the peace process — we are just working to be well prepared in order to make a step forward from talks towards genuine ceasefire, and from there to a political dialogue." Representatives from 17 ethnic armed groups met 20 January for a five-day conference at the Karen National Union's Lawkheela headquarters. A draft nationwide ceasefire framework was agreed upon by all but one of the attending NCCT delegation — The Shan State Army-South. Naypyidaw's chief negotiator Minister Aung Min received the draft proposal at a meeting between NCCT and IMPC in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Kwe Htoo Win said a March meeting in Hpa-an would see a final compact on the nationwide ceasefire between armed groups and the government.

HRW lauds Thein Sein’s commitment to reform, but says govt is divided Posted: 05 Feb 2014 11:41 PM PST A 75-strong delegation from Human Rights Watch, wrapped up a week-long visit to Burma on Thursday, the organisation's first official foray to the country. The delegates included the organisation's board of directors, senior staff, noted philanthropists and human rights experts. The delegation met with high-level government and military officials, including President Thein Sein, as well as prominent civil society actors in Rangoon and Naypyidaw. "We saw this as such an important moment in the reform process, and we're all aware of the enormous changes that have taken place over the last two-and-a-half years," said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, speaking at the Traders Hotel in Rangoon on Thursday morning. Roth praised the Burmese president for his willingness to engage with Human Rights Watch openly, claiming he "responded with real dialogue". "It was clear, his commitment to reform," Roth said. "But frankly… it was clear that the government was divided. It was clear that there are some who are committed to a reform process, others who would like to slow it down." Related Stories Pressure needed to improve human rights: HRW Rohingya call on govt for inclusion in 2014 census International pressure on Burma, Thailand to deal with Rohingya issues He highlighted the need for comprehensive legislative reform. "Because legislative reform has not been completed, people continue to be able to be arrested and charged on political grounds. As we discussed with the president, it's almost inevitable that these ongoing political charges will be a problem, because when repressive legislation stays in place, it signals to officials around the country that these laws should be enforced. "Despite the president's stated desire to release all political prisoners, new political prisoners take their place," he said. He urged the government to drop restrictions on the provision of humanitarian assistance and open restricted areas up to the media and human rights monitors. "Officials sometimes complain that there were rumours and misinformation emanating from these areas," said Roth. "We stress that the best antidote to that is to open them up to scrutiny. Let the truth prevail. If the government insists there's nothing to hide, why are they restricting access?" The head of the US-based watchdog also noted the problem of Burmese security forces standing by or actively taking part in communal violence. "The more difficult issue is the political recognition of, and ultimately citizenship recognition of, the Rohingya people. And here, the message was much more mixed. The President himself did refer to them as Rohingya in his comments with us, which was not always the case among other officials. "We stressed the importance of amending the citizenship law, which is inherently discriminatory because it lists various ethnic groups which merit Myanmar citizenship and excludes the Rohingya." On Thursday, three regional members of Human Rights Watch – David Mathieson, Brad Adams and Phil Robertson – met with President Thein Sein at the presidential palace in Naypyidaw. According to state-run The New Light of Myanmar, Thein Sein expressed his government's willingness to cooperate with the organisation, and noted that Burma has "established closer relationships with the United Nations, as well as the Human Rights Commission and the Human Rights Council since the formation of the new government [in 2011]."

UN pledges support in Burma’s fight against malnutrition Posted: 05 Feb 2014 09:54 PM PST Thursday 6 February saw the Government launch of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement. The program will aim to combat malnutrition in Burma, where a third of all children under five are stunted in their growth. It will be run in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), World Health Organisation (WHO), World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF. SUN is designed to strengthen and fast track the implementation of the current "National Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition" (NPAFN), introduced in 2012 as a crucial element of Burma's development strategy. "Myanmar [Burma] has the third highest malnutrition rates across South East Asia after Cambodia and East Timor", said Mr Bertrand Bainvel, UNICEF representative in Rangoon. "[SUN is] an important step towards ending child malnutrition and better increasing the chances of all Myanmar [Burmese] children reaching their 5th birthdays," Bainvel continued. Related Stories Acid factory “burning our eyes,” say residents HIV positive cyclist on awareness tour Health, education spending to increase in 2014 Inadequate food, poor hygiene, lack of access to safe water and limited healthcare services provide the root of malnutrition in Burma, once known as the "rice bowl of Asia". SUN, which operates in 46 countries worldwide, has enjoyed success in South East Asian neighbours Laos and Indonesia, who will contribute delegates to a two-and-a-half day implication-strategy seminar that follows the announcement Thursday. The workshop will focus on enhancing the reach of the NPAFN into nutrition-sensitive sectors such as agriculture and fisheries, with the intention of social and economic improvement. UNICEF says that a 10 percent reduction in stunting could raise primary school completion rates from half of all children to two-thirds. Dr Krongthong Thimasarn, WHO Acting Representative in Rangoon is equally ambitious: "If all nutrition interventions combined achieved 99 percent coverage, stunting could be dramatically reduced and the lives of some 10,000 Myanmar children could be saved annually," he said.

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