Monday, March 10, 2014

Democratic Voice of Burma

Democratic Voice of Burma

Government, ethnic groups one step closer to ceasefire

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 04:48 AM PDT

The finalisation of the draft nationwide ceasefire agreement will fall to a joint committee of ethnic ceasefire parties and government negotiators.

In an unprecedented level of cooperation between the two sides, the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT), made up of 17 ethnic groups, agreed on Sunday to partner with the government's Internal Peace Making Working Committee (IPMWC) in the finalisation of the draft.

The agreement precedes the planned Hpa-an peace talks – reset for the end of this month after several postponements.

The sides met at a two-day Rangoon meeting ending on Sunday, which resulted in a statement pledging the formation of a bipartisan committee with the goal of producing a "single ceasefire text" to prelude political dialogue.

Ministers Khin Yi (Immigration), Thet Naing Win (Border Affairs) and Ltd-Gen Myint So of the Ministry of Defence were present at the meeting, alongside NCCT leaders Nai Hongsa of the New Mon State Party the Karen National Union's (KNU) Kwe Htoo Win and Lian H. Sakhong of the Chin National Front.

Lian H. Sakhong sees the move as a step closer to peace.

"We see the formation of the joint-committee as a progression in the peace process, otherwise we would be repeating the endless circle where we draft frameworks and then get turned down by the other side," he said.

According to Lian H. Sakhong, the joint-committee will be formed by nine representatives from each side of the divide, with government representatives on the panel sourced from the President's Office, Parliament and the Army.

Related Stories

The government has long stressed ceasefire as a prerequisite for political discussion with armed ethnic organisations. Ethnic groups such as the Kachin Independence Organisation maintain a separate focus, demanding that political dialogue should be conducted prior to a ceasefire.

Last year, the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy told DVB that "ceasefire would not be sustainable without implementing a political dialogue since there will be no mutual trust".

Burmese military Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing stressed the opposite in a meeting with KNU delegates on Friday, stating that the government would bring about ceasefire "in any way possible".

According to KNU Central Committee member Mahn Nyein Maung, present at the meeting, Min Aung Hlaing stressed the need for ceasefire before political discussion could take place.

"The commander-in-chief vowed to bring about ceasefire no matter what. He said that only the ceasefire would allow for peace building and development in the country, and that we had to have faith in the government," Mahn Nyein Maung said.

Without divulging the items on the list, state-run New Light of Myanmar reported on Saturday that Min Aung Hlaing had taken a confidential "six point wish list" to the unilateral meeting with the KNU.

Ye Htut supports press freedom – on govt terms

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 04:07 AM PDT

The Hawaii-based East-West Centre, established to forge links between the United States and the Asia-Pacific, is hosting the fourth iteration of its biennial media conference in Rangoon this week. In many respects, it serves as a testament to how far press freedoms in Burma have progressed over the past two years.

But true freedom of the press in Burma remains a long way off, and the government has shown dangerous signs of backsliding in recent weeks. Signals from the president's office indicate the press will continue to have a much wider berth than just a few years ago, but the government intends to keep it firmly under heel.

In his opening address at the conference, deputy information minister and presidential spokesman Ye Htut touted the benefits of a free press, but cautioned that it must be responsible. "The president believes that the media has a clear role in democracy," he said. "They must be in the public space, in which the democratic discourse takes place. It is a vital process for the evolution of democratic culture in our society."

Despite this effusive praise for the role of the press, recent attempts to undermine it tell a different story. Five journalists from the previously obscure Unity Weekly journal were arrested last month for alleging the existence of a chemical weapons factory in central Burma's Pauk township, and are currently facing conviction under Burma's Official Secrets Act.

Ye Htut dismissed the notion that the Unity case signified an attack on press freedom, framing it as an issue of national security.  "I think even the United States government would respond with the same action, concerning national security, like Snowden," he told DVB on the sidelines of the conference. "But we will guarantee that they will get a fair trial and that they will enjoy all their legal rights during the procedure."

The government has also taken steps to limit the ability of foreign journalists to stay in the country. In February, the government announced new, restrictive rules for foreign journalists entering the country. While journalists affiliated with established bureaus can officially be granted visas of up to six months, those coming independently or for short visits will now be granted single-entry visas lasting one month.  Robin McDowell, a reporter for The Associated Press (AP), had previously been told her agency's visa issues were the result of its reporting on sectarian violence in northern Arakan State.

Related Stories

"Last year, between the World Economic Forum in June and the Southeast Asia games in December, we tried to introduce a new visa recommendation policy, a three-month multiple entry visa, which could be extended in Yangon [Rangoon]," Ye Htut explained. "But at the end of December, at the end of the SEA games, we reviewed that policy, and we found that nearly 100 foreign journalists are still working in our country, some of them for nearly one year."

Despite the official policy laid out early last month, a number of journalists affiliated with established bureaus in Burma have been issued short-term visas or have had existing long-term visas reduced, despite bureau affiliations that should allow them to stay in the country long-term.

Ye Htut claimed the issues caused by the AP’s reporting were the result of its poor "ethical standards," and not its coverage of sectarian violence itself, and criticised the measures taken by the agency to protect its sources against reprisal.  "The issue with the Associated Press is that they are only using anonymous sources, without verifying with the government," he said. "Even if you look at the AP code of conduct, there are very strict criteria about using these kinds of unconfirmed sources." The government routinely limits journalists' access to sensitive parts of the country, often forcing reporters to rely on second-hand accounts.

Hannah Beech, TIME Magazine's China bureau chief, was denied a visa to attend the conference, exemplifying the political pressures foreign journalists are subject to. Last June, Ye Htut's office banned Beech's article on inter-religious violence in Burma, which featured notorious monk Wirathu on the cover, proclaiming him to be the "Face of Buddhist Terror" and describing his "religious chauvinism."

On Sunday, Ye Htut stated that Beech's presence at the conference "could bring undesirable consequences on the event and to her," and therefore she would not be issued a journalist visa. The Ministry of Information stated that Time journalists would be welcome to apply for journalist visas at "appropriate" times in the future.

While the government has become much more accessible to journalists over the past two years, Ye Htut claimed the ministries still have a long way to go. "They don't clearly understand the concept of the right to information. There has to be trust between the government officials and journalists," he said.

Hundreds of new media outlets have sprung up across Burma over the past few years, and Ye Htut urged them to improve their reporting standards. "I appreciate that while some of the media agencies are young and lack adequate resources… the quality of the news and ethical standards are questioned by many people," he said. "Most entry-level journalists do not have training in basic journalism."

Ye Htut emphasised the fluid nature of Burma's media landscape, and underscored the fact that nothing is set in stone yet. "There are some people who doubt our media reforms and Myanmar's reform agenda as a whole," he said. "Yes, over the last few years, we made some mistakes. We are not perfect. We still have challenges to overcome. But we have a clear vision of a new Myanmar [Burma]. We have a reform strategy. And most importantly, we have the political will to implement it."

Suu Kyi and Yeoh launch health and education foundation

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 12:24 AM PDT

Burma's opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, launched the Suu Foundation on Sunday, together with Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh.

Suu Foundation is a non-profit initiative of Suu Kyi, aimed at improving health care and education in Burma. Among its board members are Yeoh, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and former first lady Laura Bush.

“As a member of the board of the Suu Foundation, I am incredibly proud and honoured to join with Daw Suu as she begins the next chapter of her life and continues to improve the lives of her fellow citizens. The focus of the Suu Foundation will be the simplest but most fundamental things — health care and education,” Yeoh said.

Yeoh was deported from Burma in 2011 after she played role of Suu Kyi  in “The Lady,” a film by Luc Besson that chronicles the pro-democracy leader’s experience under house arrest, separated from her husband and sons who were prohibited from visiting the country.

Related Stories

The foundation aims to revive the University of Rangoon, which was once one of the top schools in Southeast Asia.

The initiative will also seek out investment to rebuild Rangoon General Hospital, which is in need of funding, training and adequate equipment.

Mobile libraries are being set up throughout the country.

Suu Kyi launched her foundation a day ahead of the 2014 East-West International Media Conference to be held in Rangoon, where hundreds of local and international delegates will gather for three days to discuss the challenges of a free press.

“Many people have talked about the amazing changes that have taken place in this country. And I would like to say quite frankly that these changes have been not all that great and not all that amazing. But, but, there is one thing that none of us can deny — there is greater freedom of the press,” Suu Kyi said, addressing journalists.

Burma's presidential spokesperson and Deputy Minister of Information, Ye Htut, will speak on the country's media reforms at the conference, where more than 300 journalists from 25 countries will take part.

The quasi-civilian government that took over from the military junta in 2011 has implemented sweeping economic and political reforms, giving more freedom to the media including those who lived in exile.

Recently, however, the government has tightened access for international media. It is widely believed that this was in response to critical coverage of an alleged massacre of Rohingya Muslims in mid-January, which the government denies.

Monasteries in Naypyidaw sued for illegal land use

Posted: 09 Mar 2014 10:19 PM PDT

More than 20 monasteries have been sued by Naypyidaw Council Ministry of Religious Affairs for refusing to relocate after property was deemed forest land by authorities.

Min Thu, lower house MP, said charging monks and removing monasteries is unfair, and proposed that, "there should be a solution by negotiation, rather than putting monks in jails."

Union Parliament Speaker Shwe Mann said that cartographic demarcations aren't always realistic; many people in in Burma — both within the Sangha and the civilian population — simply do not have sufficient records of land ownership.

"The requirement of ‘strong documentation’ is very controversial. Farmers will not have strong documents because in the past there was no regulation to get them," he said.

Sayadaw Aindra from Nyaung Hnitpin Monastery, which was removed, said they will continue to dispute the government's charges that they are illegally occupying land.

"We have records of donations made to us. We built the monastery in line with the rules and regulations of the monk council. We didn’t intrude on forest land or farm land. We didn’t cross the lines of the monk council," he said.

Of the 37 monasteries that had been built in the Naypyidaw Council's jurisdiction, 13 were removed and more than 20 are now facing legal action for contesting the order vacate.

Related Stories
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)