Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Democratic Voice of Burma

Democratic Voice of Burma

Census-takers fail to count Rohingyas

Posted: 01 Apr 2014 05:30 AM PDT

The current census of the Burmese population is failing to include thousands of Rohingya Muslims due to a standoff over semantics – on one hand, enumerators refuse to record the subjects as "Rohingya" on their questionnaires, while in other cases the householders refuse to answer any further census-related questions if their request to record their ethnicity as such is ignored.

Speaking to DVB on Monday, Rohingya activist and community leader Aung Win said that enumerators in the Sittwe neighbourhood of Bumay, when faced with a Rohingya family, had been writing in "Bengali" – the preferred term for the stateless minority among many Burmese – while other census-takers had left blank the column: "Question 8 – Ethnicity". He said in either case, the Rohingyas refused to continue to answer the survey.

However, the following day, Aung Win said that the approach had changed in Rohingya homes in Sittwe's Thay Chaung neighbourhood. He said that on Tuesday, it was the enumerators who refused to continue the survey.

"When the census-collectors enter homes in these [Rohingya] areas, they immediately ask the people: 'What is your race?' When the people say 'Rohingya', they walk out."

He said that the same version of events had been relayed to him by Rohingya residents in Maungdaw and Budithaung on Tuesday.

Chris Lewa, coordinator of the Arakan Project, a Rohingya support group, said that she had received similar reports from residents in Maungdaw.

"Local Arakan authorities have been putting pressure on Rohingya community leaders to get their people to take part in the census, and they have threatened those who do not participate with punishment," she said.

"I have been told that when people identify themselves as 'Rohingya', the enumerators just stop writing," Lewa told DVB on Tuesday. "I also hear that they are taking photographs of those who proclaim their ethnicity as 'Rohingya'."

She added that she believed "tensions are mounting".

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A source in the Aung Mingalar enclave of Sittwe, where more than 4,000 Rohingyas are sheltered, albeit under strict security conditions, said that the census enumerators had yet to conduct the survey in that neighbourhood. However, he said on condition of anonymity, many people were anxious because reports from Maungdaw indicated that census-collectors were arriving at the doorsteps of Rohingya households accompanied by police, military personnel and immigration officials in a bid to force the Muslims to comply with the census conditions whereby they register themselves as "Bengalis".

Oo Hla Saw, the general-secretary of the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party, said he backed the enumerators' actions. "Actually there are some Muslims identifying their ethnicity in the census as 'Bengali' and some as 'Kaman'," he said. "However, others are bitter and defiant, and insist on calling themselves 'Rohingyas', a term that is recognised by neither the Arakan State government nor the central government."

The Arakanese politician continued: "If they refuse to cooperate with the schoolteachers who are collecting the data, then there is little more they [the enumerators] can do but to turn around and walk out. This is my understanding of the situation."

He pointed out to DVB that although there were some hiccups with the census in some places, it went smoothly in other areas.

William Ryan, the regional communications adviser to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), which is a major international backer of the census, confirmed to DVB that he had been made aware of reports alleging that Rohingyas had not been counted in the census in some parts of Arakan State.

Ryan said the UNFPA was looking to the Burmese government to protect the rights of the populace and conduct the census according to international standards.

In a statement on Tuesday, UNFPA said it is "deeply concerned about the Myanmar [Burmese] Government's decision not to allow census respondents who wish to self-identify their ethnicity as Rohingya to do so.

"In its agreement with the United Nations on the 2014 census, the Government made a commitment to conduct the exercise in accordance with international census standards and human rights principles. It explicitly agreed with the condition that each person would be able to declare what     ethnicity they belong to, including those who wish to record their identity as of mixed ethnicity. Those not identifying with one of the listed ethnic categories would        be able to declare their ethnicity and have their response recorded by the enumerator."

The nationwide census, Burma's first in more than 30 years, started on Sunday, 30 March, and is due to conclude on 10 April. Teams of more than 80,000 enumerators – made up mostly of schoolteachers who have been trained to conduct the survey during school holidays – are accompanied by domestic and international observers as they fan across the country.

Deconsecration stokes rumour of Latpadaung temple’s destruction

Posted: 01 Apr 2014 03:50 AM PDT

Many locals in Latpadaung believe that the destruction of a Buddhist stupa on the site of the copper mining project is set to go ahead after the structure was deconsecrated in a 30 March ceremony.

Rumour as to the planned destruction of the religious buildings — made famous by venerated monk Ledi Sayadaw Ñanadhaja who presided over the complex almost 100 years ago — has been a major driver of local consternation towards the joint venture project, run by Chinese firm Wanbao and the military-owned Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings (UMEH).

The rumour abounds despite repeated government statements that the stupa and hall are to be relocated, as opposed to destroyed.

The deconsecration ceremony is the second of its kind to be held in relation to the buildings.

In February, local residents dismissed a ritual observed by high-ranking monks of the government-linked Manhana, the National Head Monks Association, on grounds that there was no local participation.

Ashin Arlawka, a monk who presides over the local Sanmyawadi Monastery in Zeetaw village, Latpadaung, was shut out of that previous ceremony.

He believes that Sunday's event is an indication that the structures will soon be levelled.

"The ritual was observed early on Sunday morning, which means the structures can now be demolished at any point — I don't think the site will be blown up with mines or explosives, but it may be bulldozed."

The inability of locals to view the fenced off temple site has contributed to the uncertainty regarding its future.

Khin San Hlaing, a Burmese lower house representative of Sagaing Division and member of the parliament's Latpadaung Copper Mining Project Investigation Commission, said the destruction of the religious structures would contradict recommendations made by the commission in its report.

"In the commission's report we recommended that Wanbao and UMEH ensure the structures stay intact upon the relocation and to seek approval from local people before making move — it is very clear now that the operators are not heeding the recommendations," said Khin San Hlaing.

"The responsibility for this mainly lies upon the committee that was formed to implement the recommendations in the commission's report."

That commission was formed after a protest by Latpadaung villagers and Buddhist monks, calling for suspension of the mining project, felt the brunt of a brutal police crackdown, which left over 70 people injured in November 2012.

The Aung San Suu Kyi-led commission recommended the publication of an environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA). Australian consultancy firm Knight Piésold compiled the report, a draft of which was released in February.

Now Wanbao is fighting off criticism stemming from information released in the draft ESIA, which states that there is "acid and metals generation arising from waste rock" which pose an "extremely high" level of risk that cannot be mitigated. This is of particular environmental concern due to the vulnerability of a high water table that exists under the Latpadaung site.

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In a publicly available letter from Knight Piésold to Burmese media group Eleven, who first reported the threat, the consultancy defended the environmental integrity of the project on behalf of Wanbao:

"Knight Piésold holds the view that compliance with the environmental and social management plans, as well as the monitoring and reporting proposed in the ESIA, will limit the potential for significant issues arising from operation of the Latpadaung Copper Project."

The Australian firm, while deflecting blame away from Wanbao, noted the sensitivity surrounding the issue of the forced relocation of farmers, who have continued protests and refused compensation en masse.

"Land compensation and resettlement and the associated provision of job opportunities are known to be key concerns to the community," the letter reads. "A perceived failure to address these issues is strongly influencing the communities' trust that commitments made in the ESIA will be fulfilled.

"This issue is not an issue for Wanbao alone as each of the parties in the Product Sharing Contract has a role to play in the process of land compensation, resettlement and provision of employment to those who have lost land."

Last week, Thaw Zin, a prominent anti-mine activist was sentenced to 15 months jail for his part in past protests.

Rock bands tune up for Thingyan

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 10:05 PM PDT

Beloved Burmese rock bands Empire and Iron Cross will take the stage at Thingyan water festival celebrations this year in Rangoon.

The water festival is the highlight of the Burmese New Year holiday, which runs from 12 to 21 April.

Construction of roadside pavilions began this week along Pyay, Kabaraye Pagoda and Kandawgyi Lake roads, as well as other areas in the city.

Rangoon Division authorities have this year approved the construction of over 100 pavilions across the city, with many famous musical acts set to entertain revelers.

Iron Cross lead guitarist Chit San Maung will perform at the Htoo Company-sponsored Pyay Road pavilion, as he did last year. The lead man said the band has organised guest acts to join them on stage for the special show.

"We have singers including Lay Phyu, Ange and Wine Wine lined up for performance. We are still discussing who the female singers will be," Chit San Maung said.

"There will also be DJ performances during the band's break."

Rockers Empire will perform at a pavilion in Rangoon's 8-Mile, said their manager Thant Zaw.

"We are preparing to begin building our stage, which will feature performances by hip-hop acts and pop stars Ye Thwin, Saung Oo Hlaing, Marizza and Haymar Newin," said Thant Zaw.

"There will also be a funfair and breakdancing performances."

In 2010, a series of grenade attacks killed nine people and injured over 100 during Thingyan festivities in central Rangoon.

Operators of the "X20" stage, which was targeted in the attacks, are struggling to gain approval to set up for this year's festival.

Day tickets for staged Thingyan parties vary from 10,000 kyat (US$10) to 20,000 kyat.

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*This article was amended on 1 April to say that Chit San Maung is the lead guitarist of Iron Cross, as opposed to the lead singer as was previously reported.

Myanma Freedom Daily suspends publication

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 08:59 PM PDT

Burma's first privately owned English-language daily newspaper in 50 years, Myanma Freedom Daily, is suspending publication from 1 April. The decision was announced on the cover of the 31 March edition, stating that the suspension will last "for a while", adding that it will be back "soonest."

Editor-in-Chief Thiha Saw, a veteran journalist who launched the newspaper last year after receiving one of the first licenses awarded by the government to print a private daily, told DVB: "We'll be closed for one month – or two months max. Our editorial team isn't going to change and our content isn't going to change, but we need to restructure our business model."

"Everybody's shocked," said managing editor Nyan Win.

"We've been trying so hard for the past two months – we were trying up until this morning. It's a complicated story of investment matters, but basically we're looking for a new investor," he told DVB on Monday.

Myanma Freedom Daily had received initial funding from the UK-based Overseas Development Institute (ODI); posing a stark contrast to the majority of other newspapers in Burma, which have the financial backing of local tycoons.

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Thiha Saw said he'd been in talks with potential investors that morning and will spend the next four to eight weeks meeting others. He said that the need to travel both abroad and domestically would hamper the day-to-day operations of the newspaper, which was another factor in the decision to suspend its publication, along with the likelihood of moving its office from Bo Myat Tun Street in Pazundaung Township, "depending on the requirements of the new investor."

Myanma Freedom Daily had a circulation of 10,000 copies a day and in a 31 March editorial it was stated that the electronic version of the newspaper had just exceeded 100,000 clicks.

“We've received a lot of messages of support from our readers," he said.

However Thiha Saw cautioned that Burma's media landscape is changing so quickly that by the time his newspaper re-emerges, competition may be even fiercer.

"There's a price war going on and our new business model will have to take that into account. The Yangon Times Daily is just 50 kyat (US$0.05) a copy, as is the [state-run] New Light of Myanmar; and Eleven is the same price as us [120 kyat per copy]. It will take some time for The Myanmar Times to go daily, but there are so many newspapers now and some of them have deep pockets. They can afford the high operational overheads it takes to run a daily paper."

Thiha Saw, who is also a member of the Interim Press Council and vice-president of the Myanmar Journalists Association, voiced criticism of the draft Public Service Media Law, which would see state-run media, such as The New Light of Myanmar, transformed into a government-funded, yet independently monitored media service.

The Interim Press Council has opposed the bill since it was first submitted to parliament last year. Several prominent members of the media have criticised the bill – whose details remain vague – for potentially allowing state-run media to outrun its private rivals on the basis of having access to funds from the state budget and a lack of transparency in regulation.

"The government isn't attempting to confer any benefits on privately run media, such as giving us a two-year tax free period," said Thiha Saw.

The suspension of Myanma Freedom Daily serves as a reminder that times are uncertain for journalists in Burma. The newspaper's 40-odd staff were reportedly stunned by the announcement on Monday morning. Its offices and equipment were almost deserted by noon.

One staff member, who declined to be named, said, "This has totally messed up my April. I was even hoping it was just an April Fool's joke."

Govt pledges safety of UN, INGO workers in Sittwe

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 08:15 PM PDT

Government authorities and police officials say they are taking appropriate measures to ensure the safety of foreigners and Burmese nationals working for the UN and other INGOs in the Arakan State capital, Sittwe, following a bout of violence last week when homes and offices of aid workers were targeted by local mobs.

Burma's state-run media said on Sunday that 29 foreign nationals working for international agencies had remained in Sittwe as of Saturday.

To date, no details have been forthcoming regarding the arrest of suspected rioters and instigators of the violence despite repeated calls to state authorities by DVB.

No aid workers were injured in the riots which took place last Wednesday and Thursday; however an 11-year-old girl was killed by a stray bullet when security forces fired into the air to disperse a mob.

Following the violence, many aid workers took refuge in a local police station or at the Sittwe Hotel. Under a police escort, the majority of foreign aid workers were later taken to the airport and flown to Rangoon.

President Thein Sein has subsequently called for commission to investigate the incidents and also to probe the motives and actions of Arakan State government officials.

Sittwe MP Aung Myat Kyaw said he concurred with the president's decision, noting that "there were weaknesses in the state government's handling of the situation".

The newly formed Rakhine Investigation Commission is to be headed by Deputy Minister of Border Affairs Brig-Gen Maung Maung Ohn and will comprise of five members. Thein Sein has instructed the Commission to submit a report to him by 7 April.

The Burmese government has declared that 29 houses, seven warehouses and two vehicles were destroyed in the 26-27 March attacks.

The violence flared on Wednesday evening when a foreign NGO staff member, working for Germany-based Malteser International, was accused by local Arakanese of disrespecting a Buddhist flag. A mob quickly grew and began shouting and throwing stones, smashing windows at her residence.

However, in an exclusive interview on Sunday with DVB in Rangoon, the Malteser International staffer in question, Yvonne Dunton, denied she had acted improperly.

She said that the Buddhist flag had been placed on the organisation's warehouse property as a mark of political support for a local boycott against the national census.

"I decided to take the flag down because we are a humanitarian organisation, and we must remain neutral and impartial in this situation," she said. "When I took down the flag, I took it down from the stick and folded it, and put it into the basket of my bicycle. But then I noticed that, despite the darkness, people in the neighbourhood saw me do this, and they came and asked me: 'What is going on?'"

Dunton said the warehouse owner arrived and insisted the flag be put back up, at which point she gave it to him. She said the number of people at the scene was increasing, and the situation was "getting very tense". She said she decided to leave and cycled back to her residence, but was followed. Dunton said she attempted to pacify the crowd by explaining to them but they would not listen, and after she locked herself inside her house the mob began to shout and smash the windows.

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Malteser International spokesperson Johannes Kaltenbach backed Dunton, saying she was sensitive to local culture.

"She did not disrespect the flag in any way," he said in an interview with DVB.

Kaltenbach suggested that the riot was not spontaneous and showed signs of being orchestrated.

On Monday, Reuters reported that Muslim Rohingyas could face food shortages due to the evacuation of aid workers and the ransacking of warehouses storing rice and food supplies.

"With the departure of the aid workers, the supply chain has been disrupted," the report said. "Merchants say anti-Muslim Rakhine ethnic groups have ordered them not to trade with the IDPs [internally displaced persons] and threatened to take retaliatory action if they do."

The instability has affected the price of rice in Sittwe.

"This morning the price of rice rose from 15,000 kyats (US$15) to 18,000 kyats per bag. And then by late afternoon it was 20,000 kyats to 25,000 kyats depending on the rice quality. The price of other food products like salt, oil, chilli and onions are going up too,” Hla Maung, a 40-year-old Muslim IDP, was quoted as saying by Reuters.

 
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