Democratic Voice of Burma |
- Thugs attack reporters in Mandalay: police deny involvement
- Win Tin given ‘50-50 chance’ despite regaining consciousness
- DVB Debate: Logging out
- Protestors should behave with ‘discipline’: officials
| Thugs attack reporters in Mandalay: police deny involvement Posted: 03 Apr 2014 02:20 AM PDT Police in Mandalay have denied any connection to men in civilian clothing, alleged to be informers, who attacked reporters covering a protest on Monday right in front of law enforcement officials who looked on without interfering. Three news correspondents, including one from DVB, were covering an electricity price protest in Mandalay when they were physically assaulted by about 50 to 100 men who had arrived at the protest site alongside the police. Zarni Mann, a reporter for Irrawaddy News Magazine, who was targeted along with DVB's Eain Khine Myae and Mandalay Era's Zaw Zaw, said the men immediately blended into the crowd of unsuspecting reporters before unleashing blows with their fists and elbows. "When we arrived at the scene of the protest there were no police," she said. "They showed up later along with some plain-clothed men who mingled among the crowd of reporters. I was recording an audio when one of them barged in between me and the police – I thought at first he was a fellow reporter – but then he pushed my face back and elbowed me in the chest." Several other journalists claimed they recognised the assailant, as an individual who was seen helping the police arrest four individuals at a similar protest the week before. When he was spotted by the reporters, some of whom approached him and questioned his motives, the man dashed into a nearby monastery compound and escaped. Later in the day, around 30 Mandalay-based reporters went to the Divisional Police Headquarters to inquire about the men in civilian attire, but were told by police deputy-commander Col Myint Oo that the police had no informers, according to newspaper editor San Yu who spoke for the journalists at a meeting with the official. "We asked Col Myint Oo if the men were their informers," said San Yu. "He denied it, and said his police force did not subscribe to the use of informants. He said he had no knowledge of whether the men in question were from other branches under the Home Affairs Ministry such as the Special Intelligence Department." He said the reporters are preparing to write a letter of complaint to the Mandalay Divisional Government with a request to investigate the assault. Zaw Thet Htwe, an editor and member of the Interim Press Council, said that reporters need to be careful and protect themselves when chasing news during this period before laws are adopted to protect journalists. "Burma's president recently signed the Media Law, but we still need to see how it will be applied," he said. "In the meantime, journalists need to be careful because the authorities can still harass us or arrest us. Police can press charges on us for: disturbing official duties; trespassing; defamation; or even under the Official Secrets Acts for simply entering their premises." Zaw Thet Htwe added that he believes the government authorities still see journalists as their enemy. In late January, several staffers from Unity News Journal were arrested by government authorities for publishing a report on an alleged chemical weapons factory being built by the Burmese army in Magwe division. Four of them, including the chief-editor , were subsequently sued by the government under the Official Secrets Acts, and are facing up to 14 years in prison if found guilty. |
| Win Tin given ‘50-50 chance’ despite regaining consciousness Posted: 03 Apr 2014 01:21 AM PDT The National League of Democracy (NLD) has been told that party elder Win Tin has a 50-50 chance of survival, despite the 84-year-old having regained consciousness in the intensive care unit at Rangoon General Hospital. "Win Tin is in a critical but stable condition in the intensive care unit." NLD executive committee member Han Thar Myint told DVB on Thursday. "We are remaining hopeful that things will improve in the future, but we have been told by doctors he only has a 50-50 chance of survival." According to Win Tin's doctor, Dr Myint Thein, the former journalist and 19-year political prisoner underwent an operation on his large intestine on Saturday for an infection stemming from his preexisting lung disease. Myint Thein said Win Tin was rushed to hospital with internal bleeding after doctors noticed an irregular heart rate. However Win Tin's niece, Yin Tun, speaking from the stricken democracy leader's bedside, said that his condition has improved as of Thursday morning. "He still needs help breathing and the situation is still serious, although he indicated to me that he is feeling a little bit better," she told DVB by telephone. Public concern for Win Tin's condition has prompted scores of supporters to maintain a vigil outside Rangoon General Hospital, praying for the veteran politician's health. NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi, however, has not yet visited the man considered second in charge of Burma's political opposition, despite her being in Rangoon. "She was due to visit him yesterday, however she did not come. I have not heard anything about a visit today," Yin Tun said on Thursday. Win Tin joined the NLD in 1989 and acted as a close aid to Suu Kyi as the party established itself. The senior leader vigorously campaigned for constitutional change before he was taken ill, with a particular focus on the amendment of Article 59(f), which bars Suu Kyi from running for the presidency. Han Thar Myint said that he was unsure of why the NLD leader had not checked in on her deputy. "I hope she will come soon," Han Thar Myint said. "There are a lot of people waiting." |
| Posted: 03 Apr 2014 12:25 AM PDT On 1 April a new directive came into force prohibiting the export of all raw timber. Firms will still be allowed to process timber in the country and export value-added products such as teak furniture and semi-processed wood that have been chopped or sliced. But how absolute is this ban and how will it be enforced? On DVB Debate's panel this week: timber exporter Soe Maw; environmental expert Nyo Maung; Barber Cho, from Myanmar Timber Merchants Association; and Maung Maung Than, from the Regional Community Forestry Training Centre. Panellists disagreed on how effective the ban will be in tackling deforestation and the ban's potential effect on the timber industry. Barber Cho said the directive, issued by the Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry, would have a negative effect on timber production companies. "The log timber export ban, will bring benefits to the wood-based industry as it will increase the raw timber in the domestic market. But for timber production companies, it will be harmful because their businesses will have to be closed," he said. Nyo Maung agreed that some domestic businesses will benefit, but claimed that the ban will have a negligible effect on deforestation. "With value-added exports, we will gain more income while employment opportunities will improve. But deforestation will continue as long as the trees are cut for the purpose of exporting log timber or in any other way," he said. However, timber exporter Soe Maw insisted the ban will have a positive impact on deforestation. Related Stories"Actually, deforestation is not caused by the local timber industry, the main cause is raw log timber exports," he said. After military rule began in 1962, corruption in the extractive industries became endemic and deforestation accelerated. Government figures put Burma's current forested area at around 47 percent, though some officials have said this figure could be as low as 24 percent. Military generals gave logging concessions to crony businessmen to export raw logs in exchange for the cash needed to support their rule after sanctions and economic mismanagement starved them of hard currency. A recent report released by the Environmental Investigation Agency on 25 March revealed US$6 billion worth of unauthorised timber exports between the years 2000 and 2013. Front row guest Tony Neil from EcoDev criticised panellists for avoiding the more controversial side of this issue. "Today people have spoken about the technical side, the impact and loss of revenue, but we haven’t spoken about the rampant corruption that plagues the whole sector," he said. "We need to tackle the corruption and the political issue first." Barber Cho admitted that there are some flaws in the system. "Monitoring is not really effective because the forestry management institution is a government institution and the official timber cutter is MTE [Myanmar Timber Enterprise] which is also a government institution," he said. "So there are weaknesses in compliance." Forestry expert U Ohn said more measures needed to be taken if Burma is going make an impact on deforestation. Tree felling, as well as exports, needs to be stopped or reduced in order to save Burma's forests, he said. He went on to say that strict measures needed to be put in place to stop illegal cross-border trade. "We must protect it in many different ways and as much as we can. To speak honestly, the border areas should be watched and controlled, even with armed personnel," he said. However, others on the panel were more positive about the direction the country is taking on environmental issues. Maung Maung Than said the timber ban showed a change in attitude from the government and is evidence of improvement. "The Forestry Department is the main institution. And the political changes in the country have given power to the media and civil society," he said. "Even though I don't want to say it is perfect, I think our first steps are going in the right direction." The studio generally agreed that the ban is a positive step towards improving the sector, but it will not end deforestation. The law may only work if other reforms are implemented to tackle the endemic corruption in the industry.
You can join the debate and watch the full programme in Burmese at dvbdebate.com Or share your views with us by commenting on our website at dvb.no
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| Protestors should behave with ‘discipline’: officials Posted: 02 Apr 2014 08:54 PM PDT Citizens of Burma that stage protests have a right to freedom of expression, but at the same time they must show courtesy and make an effort to avoid causing disturbances to the general public at their rally sites, security officials have warned. On Tuesday, Col Tin Win of the Security and Border Affairs Ministry met with participants in a two-month-long sit-in in Rangoon's Tamwe Township, where he urged them to respect the public's right not to be disturbed by their activities. "Protestors need to consider the public in the area of rally sites – having crowds of people chanting slogans every day in front of their houses; defecating and urinating in the street, activities which cause a great deal of disturbance," colonel Tin Win said to the protestors' representatives in the meeting. "They must ensure that practicing their freedom of speech does not disturb the liberty of others." Police Brig-Gen Thura Bo Ni said showing a sense of discipline at the rallies is the best way for the protestors to best practice their freedom of expression. "Nowadays, we can enjoy our freedom of speech and debate, and protest with official permission, as our country is gaining momentum on its track to democracy and conformity with international standards," he said. "If the citizens can adopt a custom of discipline when staging protests to highlight their problems, it would be in the best interests of our country's development." The Tamwe protestors are demanding compensation for their forced eviction in 1994 to make way for the construction of navy barracks, which were never built. The land was subsequently acquired by Wah Wah Win, a private construction company, which is currently building a housing project on the now-vacant plot. Following a pledge by the officials in the meeting to mediate negotiations with company for compensation, the protesters agreed to disband their camp and return to their homes in Dagon Seikkan township, a Rangoon satellite town that has absorbed thousands of evictees priced out of accommodation closer to the city centre.
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