Democratic Voice of Burma

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• Mandalay miners sentenced to jail
• DVB Debate: Will the ASEAN chair boost Burma?
• Wanbao to sue Latpadaung activists for kidnapping
• Rangoon to host youth film festival
• Constitutional reform rally held in Irrawaddy division

Mandalay miners sentenced to jail Posted: 26 May 2014 04:42 AM PDT Ten miners from Mandalay's Yamethin Township have been sentenced to one and a half years in prison following months of protest against privatisation of the Moehti Moemi gold mines. Protests over the Moehti Moemi mines have been relentless since June 2013, shortly after a private company, Myanmar National Prosperity Co Ltd (NPPCL), reneged on a five-year agreement for joint-venture with local operators. When NPPCL won a government tender for a 6,015-acre site, the company vowed to work with small-scale miners who had been working the mines independently for years. Locals say that the company neglected the agreement and left them severely disadvantaged among incoming large operators. Making matters worse, a nationwide ban on small-scale mining left thousands of miners abruptly jobless. After being evicted from the mines in 2013, they found refuge in a nearby monastery, which also served as a protest site. Hundreds of people were said to have occupied Shwemyintin Hill, on monastic grounds near the Moehti Moemi site, and more than 25 people have faced charges related to the ongoing protests. In March, 50 people were detained during an early morning raid on their protest camp, which they had been ordered to evacuate. Sixteen people were originally sued by Yamethin's township administrator, arraigned on charges of inciting unrest, defamation of the state, disturbing civil servants and breaking curfew. Six of them have since accepted compensation from private stakeholders and ceased opposition to the project. The remaining ten were sentenced on 21 May. Each received one year for violating Article 505(b), three months under Article 188 and three months under Article 143. "I think the sentences are really unfair," one miner remarked to DVB, in tears outside the courthouse. "We aren't defying the authorities, it was just a dispute between an employer and their employees." Another Moehti Moemi worker said sentencing is indicative of pressure being put on the miners to accept a settlement scheme from the company in exchange for amnesty. This agreement would also legally strip them of the right to bring any further complaints against the company regarding their lost homes and jobs. "There were 16 of us detained on the same charges, but on 7 May they dropped charges on six [who accepted the scheme]. This led me to think the authorities, police and the court are in cahoots with cronies," he said. Related Stories Suu Kyi rallies Mandalay on Article 436 Arakan National Day celebrated in Rangoon Mandalay villages' river water polluted with toxic waste

DVB Debate: Will the ASEAN chair boost Burma? Posted: 26 May 2014 04:18 AM PDT The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, more commonly referred to as ASEAN, is a political and economic organisation of ten countries in Southeast Asia. ASEAN was formed in 1967, but due to xenophobic economic policies under the former socialist regime, and concerns over the country's human rights abuses, Burma did not become a member until 1997. This year Burma has been awarded the chairmanship of ASEAN. But, after so many years in the dark, is Burma is ready for the ASEAN chairmanship? On the DVB Debate panel this week: Khin Ohmar from Burma Partnership, Kyaw Lynn Oo from Myanmar People's Forum; Kyaw Su Mon from Irrawaddy magazine; and Zeya Thu from The Voice Weekly. "If we cannot see any development in people's daily lives, human rights development or healthcare development, then we can't say this chairmanship, or being a member of ASEAN, brings any benefit to us," said Khin Ohmar. But Zeya Thu could see some advantages to chairing the economic bloc. "We can't always meet the heads of state of Russia and America individually, but if we are part of ASEAN then we can meet with them," he said, "Now is the time for the chairmanship and it is worthwhile if it allows us to move forward." Lawyer and audience member Kyaw Naing Win said Burma must sort out its domestic problems before taking on the responsibility of hosting ASEAN. “The internal situation in the country – for example, with civil wars and land confiscation cases – means the government is unable to handle all its problems. So this is not an appropriate time to take on the chairmanship of ASEAN," he said. The studio disagreed over who actually benefits from the ASEAN community. "Is ASEAN structured for the people or the government? At the moment I think it is not for the people, it is just for the government," said Thet Swe Win from the ASEAN Youth Forum. But Kyaw Lynn Oo thinks the ASEAN approach will benefit the people. "Nowadays, the leaders of ASEAN seem to have a people-centred mindset, whether it is practical or not," he said. Khin Ohmar believed the public should be given more opportunity of becoming involved in the ASEAN community. "In practice, if we don't have belief in our people and we don't give them opportunities to participate, then building up the community is quite challenging, not just for our country but for all the countries in the region," she said. One of ASEAN's aims is to build a strong economic community that encompasses the whole region. The studio discussed how beneficial this economic alliance would be for Burma. Kyaw Su Mon from Irrawaddy magazine said many businesses are looking forward to the prospect of a free trade arena. But Zeya Thu was conflicted about who will benefit. "If these imported goods come here then some of the local businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, will face difficulties. But, at the same time, if we prevent them from entering the country for the sake of our domestic businesses, then what about our consumer? Do we let the general public buy cheaper poor-quality products, just like before?" he said. Kyaw Su Mon said it was up to the government to ensure local businesses benefitted from the ASEAN market. Related Stories Electricity price hike impacts households, businesses DVB Debate: The power of celebrity South China Sea dispute dominates ASEAN Summit in Naypyidaw "It is the responsibility of the government to bring benefits to the people and to promote local businesses so that they benefit from the opportunity," she said. In 2006, Burma was given the chance to chair an ASEAN summit, but because of its poor human rights record chairmanship was denied to avoid a damaging Western boycott of the bloc’s meetings. Panellists discussed how the ASEAN alliance could improve the human rights situation in Burma. "Regarding benefits for the people, they [ASEAN leaders and policymakers] are improving economic affairs but they are not focusing on human rights," said Kyaw Su Mon. Zeya Thu said human rights issues are pervasive in many ASEAN member states. "Regarding the human rights concern, we can't say exactly. None of the ASEAN member states fulfill the basic standards of human rights. In many ASEAN states, such as Singapore, Vietnam, and Cambodia, human rights affairs are not popular subjects," he said.   You can join the debate or watch the full programme online at dvbdebate.com Or share your views with us by commenting on our website below.

Wanbao to sue Latpadaung activists for kidnapping Posted: 26 May 2014 04:13 AM PDT Myanmar Wanbao Mining Copper Ltd has confirmed that it has pressed kidnapping charges against activists who detained two of its Chinese employees overnight while demanding that the mining project be closed down. Speaking to DVB on Monday, Wanbao spokesman Dong Yunfei said that the firm had pressed charges of kidnapping at the police station in Monywa against whoever was responsible for detaining their staffers on 18 May. "We cannot accept this kind of criminal action, whether it is against our Chinese or Myanmar employees," he said. "It is terrible." He said that the two Chinese employees – Lu Yuanhao and Miu Jie, both 23 – had their hands bound with rope and held for more than 30 hours by local villagers. He told DVB that the men were not hurt or harmed during their detention, although an earlier press release stated that the men had been beaten and that death threats had been issued. The Wanbao spokesman said that one of the detainees, Lu, was now suffering from mental trauma because of the ordeal. "He [Lu] wants to return to China for treatment, but we have requested that he stay here [in Burma] while legal proceedings take place," he said. A third abductee, a 21-year-old Burmese driver for the company named Khin Aung Moe, was released by his captors shortly after the three had been taken to the village of Seté. Related Stories Chinese 'hostages' released in Latpadaung Wanbao employees held hostage in Latpadaung standoff Local staff at Latpadaung rally for pay hike Locals villagers from Latpadaung held a press conference on 22 May at the Myanmar Journalists Network office in Rangoon where they sought to clarify the abduction of the two Chinese nationals. A spokesman for the Latpadaung villagers insisted they did not kidnap the company staffs but only "detained" them for a short time while they stressed their demands regarding disputes over confiscated farmland. Sanda Thiri, the abbot of a Buddhist monastery in neighbouring Zeetaw village who helped mediate the situation, said the villagers decided to detain the two Chinese as they were surveying the area to build fences on farmland for which the locals had not agreed to accept compensation. "The villagers were disappointed with the company employees who continued fencing off their land even though compensation had not been agreed upon, despite repeated calls to desist sectioning off the disputed lands," said Sanda Thiri. "The two Wanbao employees were handed over to the company in the late afternoon on 19 May in front of the district administrator and a police commander who witnessed and confirmed that they had sustained no injuries," he said. "This was neither an abduction nor a kidnapping." Seté residents at the press conference said locals from 26 villages in the area agreed on 19 May to hand over the two Chinese at Wanbao's liaison office in Latpadaung after local district administrator Zaw Myo Nyunt pledged to prevent the company from building fences on local farmland, and to allow farmers to work on vacant land plots that are not being utilised in the mining project. "I would like to make it clear that we did not kidnap the Chinese," said Mar Mar Shwe, a villager from Zeetaw. "They even admitted to us that they came to lay markers on the land to build more fences, and we treated them well before we handed them back to officials after the negotiations."

Rangoon to host youth film festival Posted: 26 May 2014 01:04 AM PDT Rangoon will host the first Myanmar Youth Film Festival with selected Burmese films due to be screened publically on 7- 8 August. The event is being organised by the Myanmar Youth Association (MYA), in collaboration with the publishing group House of Media and Entertainment, and is due to coincide with International Youth Day. Amateur film-makers have been invited to submit entries before 21 July on any subject under three categories: Documentary Film; Short Film; and Animation. Related Stories Motion picture association chairman steps down BURMA BUSINESS WEEKLY Zarganar to take on Than Shwe through Hollywood Zwe Yan Naing, chairman of the MYA, said the event will feature several well-known faces from the world of film and literature. Comedian and film director Zarganar and blogger Nay Phone Latt are founder-members of House of Media and Entertainment, though it is as yet unconfirmed whether they will appear at the festival. "We are organising this film festival with the aim of promoting knowledge and creativity among Burma's youth," he said, "and to help portray their struggle and challenges through the medium of motion pictures. "We are collaborating with professional artists for this event," the MYA chairman added. "This is the first time we have organised something like this, and we are excited to be judging the work of Burma's talented youths."

Constitutional reform rally held in Irrawaddy division Posted: 25 May 2014 11:45 PM PDT Continuing a tour to gather support for constitutional reform, the National League for Democracy (NLD) and the '88 Generation Peace and Open Society (88GPOS) rallied in Henzada, Irrawaddy Division on Friday. Hundreds gathered to hear Tin Oo, Vice-Chairman of the NLD, as well as regional party official Myo Nyunt, and 88GPOS leaders Min Ko Naing and Ko Ko Gyi speak on the importance of constitutional amendment. Speaking to the crowed gathered in a local hall, Ko Ko Gyi urged the Burmese armed forces [known as the Tatmadaw] to join amending the constitution. "As the generations flow, we are now becoming older citizens and so are the servicemen in the Tatmadaw from our generation, Ko Ko Gyi said. Ko Ko Gyi pointed out that many of those former servicemen are now military leaders, and can play a positive role in the construction of peace by relinquishing their hold over constitutional reform. "They have a chance to take part in our country's reforms and by doing so, redeem its dignity and their own, and also to reconcile with the people by amending Article 436," said Ko Ko Gyi. Article 436 of the 2008 Constitution introduces the need for a 75 percent parliamentary vote to change certain constitutional articles. As 25 percent of the Burmese legislature is appointed to the military, their support is almost certainly necessary for changes to go through. Related Stories Review Committee supports overturning Article 436 Suu Kyi rallies Mandalay on Article 436 Thousands join NLD, 88 Gen rally for constitutional reform One of the articles that 436 affects is 59(f), which bars anyone with foreign relatives from the Burmese presidency. The NLD and 88GPOS hold that this clause is solely intended to block NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi from the position. The Henzada rally is the third since the NLD and 88GPOS launched their constitutional reform campaign in Rangoon on 17 May. A rally has also been held in Mandalay. Petitions and surveys have circulated among supporters at the rallies, designed to assert the public's will for change.

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