Friday, April 4, 2014

Democratic Voice of Burma

Democratic Voice of Burma

Thameelay villagers stuck for 2 nights at Karen border

Posted: 04 Apr 2014 04:31 AM PDT

Displaced villagers from Rangoon's Hlegu Township have been stuck waiting at the border between Mon and Karen states for two days.

The group were travelling with the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) who had promised to resettle them in Karen territory but were held up at the border by Hpa-an district authorities and refused entry.

80 families including young children and pregnant women have spent two nights at the border. Zaw Thet Htun, a former resident of Thameelay village, said the children are beginning to suffer.

"The DKBA handed us fried noodle boxes and water and fresh drinks, but we haven't had a proper meal until now. We are stranded here with all our children and they are suffering from the hardship," he said.

Buddhist monks and members of civil society groups accompanied the former Thameelay villagers on their journey. Well-known activist Naw Ohn Hla was part of the group. She slammed authorities for denying them entry.

"Every citizen has a right to move freely. The officials have no authority to stop them but they did, and they kept them stranded here suffering the whole day which is a violation of their citizen rights," she said. "There are also a lot of children and pregnant mothers."

Related Stories

However there were fears that the DKBA were going to force the villagers to join their ranks; however the Karen rebels denied this.

Maj San Aung of the DKBA, who was supervising the transportation, said the convoy was stopped because they hadn't informed authorities they were taking the villagers over the border.

"They gave many reasons, one being that we are bringing in people from Pegu Division without informing authorities in advance," he said.

In February, the government deemed three villages in Hlegu Township to be illegally occupied. In the early morning on 4 February, government forces moved in and began demolishing the houses.

Some 500 people fled to neighbouring Pegu Division where they took shelter in a monastery for two months. Then with the threat of eviction from the monastery looming over them and with nowhere else to go, 202 villagers accepted the DKBA's offer of resettlement.

BURMA BUSINESS WEEKLY

Posted: 04 Apr 2014 04:04 AM PDT

 

Ups and downs

The Burmese currency remains fairly stable, selling at 964 kyat to the US dollar, while the buying rate is 963. The price of gold has dropped to 659,000 kyat per tical, that's 2,600 kyat down from last week. Fuel remains the same and has not gone up for nearly a year – petrol stands at 820 kyat, diesel 950 kyat and octane 920 kyat per litre. Rice has gone up though – quality Pawhsanmwe rice now selling in Rangoon for 1,300 to 1,600 kyat per basket as opposed to 1,200 to 1,300 less than a month ago.

 

Offshore oil and gas block winners announced

Burma's Ministry of Energy announced the winners of 20 offshore oil concessions – ten shallow-water, ten deep-water – on 26 March, the results of the country's first open exploration and production tendering process for offshore resources.

Unlike earlier concessions granted to foreign oil firms, the winning companies are mostly based in Europe, the United States and Australia, although two Indian bidders – industrial conglomerate Reliance and a consortium led by state-run Oil India – were granted two shallow-water concessions each. Exploration and production activities currently take place in 18 blocks off the coast of Burma, dominated by Asian firms – including Thailand's PTTEP, Malaysia's Petronas, and CNOOC from China – granted concessions by Burma's old military regime.

Read more: http://www.dvb.no/news/offshore-oil-and-gas-exploration-block-winners-announced-burma-myanmar/38978

 

Shangri-La gets World Bank backing

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a branch of the World Bank, has pledged a loan of US$80 million to subsidiaries of Shangri-La Asia Ltd to expand operations in Burma. A statement by the IFC on 26 March said the loan will provide assistance for the expansion of the Traders Hotel in downtown Rangoon to increase its capacity from 270 to 485 rooms, as well as for construction of the 240-suite luxury Shangri-La Residences overlooking Kandawgyi Lake.

 

Man United sign food sponsorship deal for Burma

English football giants Manchester United announced on Monday a sponsorship deal with a leading Thai company, EuroFood, which now becomes the club's official partner in Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Thailand and Vietnam. The three-and-a-half year sponsorship will see the famous Manchester United crest and imagery displayed on EuroFood products in the five countries starting in April, the club said on its website.

 

Tobacco products to feature graphic health warnings

Cigarette companies may soon be forced to feature graphic photographs depicting the potential health impacts of smoking on products sold in Burma. The Ministry of Health's Tobacco Control Project (TCP) is drafting a bill which would insist that 30-40 percent of a product's package is covered with a graphic health-related image. Currently, tobacco products sold in Burma must only display written health warnings. The TCP says it has collected a series of images and submitted them to the ministry to have them appear on packaging.

 

Mitsubishi Electric moves into Rangoon

Mitsubishi Electric Asia Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi, announced this week that it will open a branch office in Rangoon. According to a statement released Tuesday, the office in Burma's financial centre will be set up to "conduct market research, information and provide support for infrastructure projects and local distributors." Mitsubishi is set to be a dominant player in the burgeoning Burmese manufacturing sector. The Japanese firm is now brokering investment deals within Burma's controversial Thilawa Special Economic Zone.

 

Thilawa SEZ seeks only serious relationships

Plots of land at the Thilawa Special Economic Zone will go on sale to bidders in early May, but only to businesses which are committed to developing the economic zone and generating employment, said Win Aung, the president of Thilawa SEA Holdings Public Ltd, speaking at talks with a Hong Kong business mission in Rangoon on 31 March. He said the zone's operators will introduce a monitoring system under which plots left unused will be reclaimed.

 

Burma gets $55m to upgrade public finance system

The World Bank, the Australian government and the UK Department for International Development are to invest US$55 million to help modernise Burma's public financial management system and ensure spending is targeted on the right sectors, according to a report on Thursday by Public Finance International. The project is expected to boost revenue administration and increase the efficiency of tax and non-tax revenue mobilization, the report said.

 

Govt to investigate illegal mobile phone imports

Mobile phone stores will be targeted as the Burmese Government launches an attempt to crack down on illegally imported goods in the country. A task force has been assigned to investigate potential breaches of customs law in the import of mobile telephones. According to a member of the task force, millions of mobile phones were being sold and used in the country however customs duties have only been paid on 70,000 imported phones in the past three years.

 

Japan announces funding for UN programmes in Burma

Coinciding with Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida's visit to Burma last week, Japan announced 1.6 billion yen (US$16m) in support for UN programmes in Burma. The funds will assist UNHCR, UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP), according to a UN press release. The contribution is part of an overall US$75.2 million aid package, which will also fund government projects such as hospital and railway infrastructure upgrades, according to state media.

Read more: http://www.dvb.no/uncategorized/japan-announces-more-aid-loans-to-burma-myanmar/38962

Related Stories

UN’s Nambiar urges greater KIO commitment to peace as battles rage in Kachin

Posted: 04 Apr 2014 03:07 AM PDT

The UN Secretary-General's special advisor on Burma, Vijay Nambiar, met with the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) in the armed group's Laiza headquarters on Wednesday.

Gathering information ahead of a presentation on Burma to be made to the UN General Assembly in New York later this month, Nambiar spoke with KIO leaders including the organisation's president, Lanyaw Zawng Hra, and a technical advisory team made up of party members and civilians.

The meeting was facilitated to discuss the topic of ceasefire, as clashes between government troops and the KIO's armed wing, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), continue to mar the peace process.

San Aung, mediator in ceasefire discussions between the KIO and the Burmese government, was present as KIO officials met Nambiar. He told DVB that three separate battles raged as the UN delegate urged greater sincerity on the part of the KIO in regards to peace talks with the government.

"The KIO leaders said their group was engaged in three clashes concurrently as they held their meeting with the UN official, two of which were provoked by the government forces assaulting KIO positions," said San Aung.

According to media outlet Kachinland News, the Burmese army is committing further troops to the war against the KIA in southern Kachin and northern Shan states.

The news agency quoted local sources as saying that a convoy of 13 military trucks carried Burmese government troops from Myitkyina to Man Dawng village in the area under the control of the KIA's 3rd Battalion on Wednesday. A second convoy of 13 trucks carried government troops from Lashio to Nam Hkam and Muse in northern Shan state later that day, Kachinland News reported.

In Muse on Tuesday, the KIA's 9th and 36th battalions fought the Burmese army's 14thand 568th light infantry battalions respectively. No casualties were reported, however Kachinland News reported that the KIA's 36th battalion were forced to relinquish their frontline position to a government assault on their lines.

Related Stories

According to San Aung, the KIO told Nambiar on Wednesday that such "clashes signify a weak effort in building confidence among the troops and that the Burmese Army needs to be magnanimous and participate more in the trust building."

The KIO perceive the government to be reluctant to engage them in political dialogue and retain fears that the peace process will stall after the signing of a nationwide ceasefire pact.

According to San Aung in the meeting, Nambiar pledged that he would stay involved in the process until peace is achieved, a statement welcomed by KIO chiefs.

Suu Kyi listens to land grab victims

Posted: 04 Apr 2014 02:44 AM PDT

Land grab victims from Rangoon's Mayangon Township rallied on 3 April in front of the University Avenue home of Aung San Suu Kyi, where they chanted and held banners requesting the assistance of the Burmese opposition leader.

After listening to their woes, Suu Kyi said that while she could not promise anything, she would speak to lawyers on their behalf. Suu Kyi is the current chairperson of Burma's parliamentary Rule of Law Committee.

Related Stories

Arakan govt say they can meet food, medicine needs

Posted: 03 Apr 2014 10:39 PM PDT

In response to a UN statement saying that hundreds of thousands of people have been affected by the evacuation of international aid groups from Arakan, the state government has said that there is still enough food for impoverished villagers and those displaced people in shelters.

The UN announced on 2 April that last week's evacuation of 170 aid workers has already impacted the region, with the provision of water, health services, food and protection of particular concern.

"Nearly 15,000 children in IDP camps no longer have access to psycho-social support, while life-saving therapeutic treatment for more than 300 children with severe acute malnutrition in Sittwe has been suspended," UNOCHA said in a statement. "A total of 1,300 metric tonnes of food will need to be distributed in Rakhine [Arakan] within the next two weeks, which will be a challenge in the absence of the NGOs as implementing partners."

However, according to State government spokesman Win Myaing, food and medical needs have already been distributed and are covered until 16 April.

Related Stories

"We have already distributed them [vulnerable communities and internally displaced persons] both food and medicine through state-level government departments to last until 16 April," he said. "We also have a store of rice – more than 3,000 sacks at a Sittwe warehouse and another 1,000 more at the Myanmar Port Authority warehouse.

"In fact, that is enough; we can do the math," he told DVB on Thursday. "In the past, aid from donor countries was distributed through organisations set up by state-level government departments – it did not always go through the UN and INGOs."

Win Myaing said that 12 people suspected of involvement in violence last week targeting UN and INGO offices in Sittwe have been detained and are under investigation.

A commission formed by the President's Office to probe the violence wrapped up its investigation on 3 April and is due to submit its report to the president on 7 April.

Ceasefire paves the way for Karenni New Year celebrations

Posted: 03 Apr 2014 10:06 PM PDT

Karenni New Year has been openly celebrated inside Burma for the first time in recent history.

Residents of Demoso Township in Karenni State joined representatives from the Burmese government, as well as Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) members in an official ceremony on Tuesday.

Traditional song and dance accompanied prayers and political speeches.

In the past, celebrations were limited to territories in eastern Burma held by the KNPP or at Karenni refugee camps on the Thai side of the border.

However this year's celebration was approved by the government as per the terms of their initial ceasefire agreement with the KNPP, said the party’s deputy-chair, Khoo Oo Rah.

Related Stories

"The agreements we have for the ceasefire include cooperation with the Karenni State government on national activities, including organising events. We can now start celebrating New Year and grow closer to our people," said Khoo Oo Rah.

Late last year, the KNPP signed a 13-point deal with the Burmese government in advance of a nationwide ceasefire pact, which continues to be discussed. That deal featured the introduction of resettlement programs for Karenni IDPs, de-mining projects and future development programs, such as the installation of electricity networks in the state.

Importantly, that deal has now paved the way for the reclamation of social and cultural aspects of Karenni life, such as New Year celebrations, previously impossible in a state of conflict with the regime.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

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

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)