Democratic Voice of Burma

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• Citizenship verification programme pilots in Arakan displacement camps
• Religious site could hail from ancient Pyu kingdom
• Local boy Thein Sein attends Irrawaddy delta rally
• Charter reform rallies draw ethnic crowds
• Ashes of WWII Chinese soldiers from Burma buried in Yunnan

Citizenship verification programme pilots in Arakan displacement camps Posted: 16 Jun 2014 05:33 AM PDT A government-led pilot programme aimed at verifying the citizenship of Muslim residents in the contentious Arakan State was carried out in a displacement camp in Myebon Township on Sunday. The programme, requested by civil society organisations and members of parliament, was launched after a meeting that included Immigration Minister Khin Yi, senior immigration officials and local community leaders, said Oo Hla Thein, Arakan State's attorney-general and the regional government spokesman. In attendance were Rohingya community representatives who reportedly agreed with their Arakanese counterparts and government officials that they should not refer to themselves as ethnic Rohingya, Oo Hla Thein said. He added that Maung Maung Than, director-general of the Department of Immigration and National Registration, led a field trip to a displacement camp in Myebon on Sunday to collect personal information from Muslim residents to ascertain their eligibility to become citizens under the 1982 Citizenship Law. "The programme aims to verify those over the age of 18 on whether they are eligible to become Burmese citizens under the 1982 Citizenship Law," Oo Hla Thein said. "Those who meet the requirements provided by the law will go through official steps to apply for citizenship with a central government board, consisting of three government ministers including Immigration Minister Khin Yi." The 1982 Citizenship Law enables those who can prove that their ancestors lived in Burma before the country's independence in 1948 to become eligible for Burmese citizenship. Arakan State has been a flashpoint for sectarian violence between the majority Arakanese Buddhists and Muslim minorities, with stateless Rohingya Muslims suffering most of the damages. Several bouts of violence in the state has left about 200 people dead and more than 140,000 displaced from their homes. The UN recently estimated that more than 86,000 people have fled the state by boat since June 2012 to seek refuge in neighbouring countries. The Myebon displacement camp has roughly 3,000 inhabitants, though only 60 people will be enrolled in the pilot programme, Zaw Zaw, a Rohingya resident in the camp said, adding that 47 people were enrolled on Sunday. Related Stories Bangladesh, Burma reach agreement on border crisis UNICEF emphasises Arakanese children over terminology UNICEF blasted for 'humiliating' concession as it tries to mend fences in Arakan "We are planning to enrol about 60 residents in the programme first and to determine whether the rest should follow or not, depending on how it turns out," Zaw Zaw said, adding that the immigration officials were prioritising the people that hold green ID cards issued before the 1990 elections. The programme offers three choices of ethnic identification to those seeking citizenship – Kaman, Bengali, or nothing at all – making the process "awkward" for inhabitants that self-identify as Rohingyas, he continued. "We are basically under pressure by everyone — the government, and both Muslim and Arakanese communities," Zaw Zaw said. "If we accept the term 'Bengali', we get phone calls from [Rohingyas] accusing us of not standing up for our own race, and if we refuse to accept the term, then we risk angering the Arakanese community and the government." "It's very frustrating and we just want to run away from here," he said.

Religious site could hail from ancient Pyu kingdom Posted: 16 Jun 2014 03:24 AM PDT Archaeologists are planning to excavate ancient ruins in Irrawaddy Division that could be as much as 2,000 years old. The ruins in Ingapu Township are believed to be the remnants of an ancient city-state that hails from the Pyu era. Archaeologists are keen to prove if it is indeed a link to the ancient Pyu kingdom. "We heard the Department of Archaeology is planning to excavate the site when they have the budget. And we are preparing more field trips to investigate the area," said archaeologist, Bhone Tint Kyaw. The site is around eight square miles and contains Buddhist temples, statues and an old city wall built in the Pyu style. "The area around the ancient site is regarded as both a religious and a cultural heritage site," said Abbot Pyinarsiri from Kyatpyin Religious Zone, an area owned by the clergy that encompasses the site. "Since it contains religious buildings, we regard it as a religious site, while the government sees it as a cultural heritage site." The city states of Pyu existed from around the 2nd Century BC to the mid-11th Century, and stretched from Sri Kestra, near modern-day Pyay, up through central Burma as far north as Tagaung, which is about 200km north of Mandalay. The Tibeto-Burman speaking Pyu people migrated from modern-day Yunnan into Burma and are the county's earliest recorded inhabitants. Related Stories A national treasure Staff suspected in macabre school poisoning Ancient Burmese sculptures on display for the first time The walled cities built along the Irrawaddy and Chindwin rivers were part of an ancient overland trade route between China and India. Ruins from these ancient cities are dotted all over central Burma and efforts are underway to preserve them as cultural heritage sites. "There are a lot of ancient sites believed to be Pyu cities that continue to be discovered across the country," said Nu Mra Zan, a special advisor to the Department of Archaeology, National Museum, and the Ministry of Culture. "Some may be as far south as the Irrawaddy delta, others in central Burma and Shan State. Their protection must be prioritised." Twelve Pyu walled cities have been excavated in Burma so far. If the site in Ingapu is found to be from the Pyu era, then it could be one of the most ancient recorded settlements in the country.

Local boy Thein Sein attends Irrawaddy delta rally Posted: 16 Jun 2014 02:24 AM PDT The people of Irrawaddy Division should put their support behind President Thein Sein and his Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), said the region's Chief Minister Thein Aung, himself a member of Burma's ruling party. Speaking to local residents at a ceremony in the town of Myaungmya, which is situated only 20km from Ngapudaw, birthplace of the president, Thein Aung said that the public should not forget that Thein Sein is limited by the responsibility he carries as the country's president and is therefore unable to take part in party activities, but people should nevertheless support and admire him as the party chairman. "The president came to attend this event in Irrawaddy Division despite the pouring rain and wind," he said, "and as he is an Irrawaddy native, we should all respect him and appreciate him." The event, the fourth of its kind in Irrawaddy Division, was also attended by cabinet members and some 700 members of the Irrawaddy Division Cooperatives Association. A micro-loan package of 11.2 billion kyat (over US$11.2 million) was pledged by the Cooperatives Ministry to the more than 100,000 members of the 252 Cooperative Associations in 26 townships of Irrawaddy Division. Remarking on the assistance plan, Thein Sein said it may provide some comfort to those left impoverished by the devastating Cyclone Nargis in 2008, though it "won't completely cure their woes". Related Stories Upper house votes for proportional representation Charter reform should come after ceasefire agreement: Thein Sein Electoral commission seeks assistance for political parties

Charter reform rallies draw ethnic crowds Posted: 16 Jun 2014 01:38 AM PDT Rallies in support of constitutional reform were held across Burma on Saturday, drawing crowds in three administrative regions. Burma's main opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), and the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society (88GPOS), organised the gatherings in Tenasserim Division, Kachin and Mon states to garner public support for amending Article 436 of Burma's military-drafted Constitution. In Mon State capital Moulmein, NLD central committee member Nyan Win joined Htay Kywe of 88GPOS to address hundreds of supporters, including representatives of several ethnic Mon and Karen political parties. Originally to be held at a local Chinese temple, the event was relocated on short notice. "It was raining that day and the temple's manager apologetically withdrew their offer for unknown reasons, so we moved to the New Sky Hall. We had a full house, around 600 to 700 people," said Htay Kywe. Though permission for a rally in Bhamo, Kachin State, was denied by authorities, a crowd of about 1,000 people convened in the state capital Myitkyina. An NLD representative, Zaw Myint Maung, spoke on behalf of his party in support of change. Related Stories Opposition party claims harassment in Shan State Constitutional reform campaign builds steam NLD will 'never give false hope to the people', says Suu Kyi "I mentioned, as an elected MP, that the 2008 Constitution is one-sided and undemocratic," he said. "The NLD has been against this Constitution since it was adopted, and we are trying to see it changed through the parliament." The movement also reached Burma's southernmost border with Thailand, where the NLD's Thura Tin Oo and Tin Linn Oo teamed up with Tun Myint Aung of 88GPOS to advance the same agenda of changing Article 436. The clause has been prioritised by the NLD in their recent push for charter reform. Article 436 requires 75 percent parliamentary support for any changes to the Constitution, effectively granting veto power to the military, which holds 25 percent of seats. Amending the article could open the possibility of revoking Article 59(f), a clause that prevents Burmese citizens with foreign relatives from running for the presidency. Presently, NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was married to a British man and has two children, is effectively banned from running for president in the November 2015 general elections. Last year, public demand for charter reform led to the creation of a committee for gauging opinion and recommending changes. The committee revealed in January that 97 percent of respondents supported constitutional change, and in May announced that they will propose amending Article 436 during the current parliamentary session. The NLD and 88GPOS teamed up for a nationwide campaign for charter reforms on 17 May in Rangoon, and have since been touring nationwide to build up public support.

Ashes of WWII Chinese soldiers from Burma buried in Yunnan Posted: 15 Jun 2014 10:36 PM PDT Twenty-two urns containing the ashes of soldiers from the Chinese Expeditionary Forces who fought against the Japanese during World War II were transported from Burma and reburied in China's Yunnan Province last week. In 1942, two brigades of Chinese soldiers from the Chinese Expeditionary Forces were part of the Allied Forces led by US commander Gen Joseph "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell. Held in 22 urns, the ashes of the Chinese soldiers who died in Burma were buried at Guoshang Cemetery in Teng Chong County on 12 June. Local government representatives joined the public to commemorate the fallen soldiers. In mid-May, two urns containing earth from Bhamo in Kachin State, and Namkham in northern Shan State – sites of intense fighting against the Japanese army — were also transported and buried in the border town of Ruili in Yunnan. Chinese fighters were recruited by US and British forces in WWII after both China and Burma were occupied by Japanese forces. The first Chinese Expeditionary Force was led by Gen. Lo Cho-ying from Yunnan in the spring of 1942 into Burma to participate in the defense of that country. Related Stories Hundreds commemorate Hellfire Pass New hotels banned in ancient Bagan Last of the 30 Comrades dies The first Burma campaign failed because of inadequacy of Allied preparedness and the lateness in the arrival of the Chinese forces. However, counter-offensives were launched, culminating in the Siege of Bhamo in November 1944, when the Japanese resorted to a desperate defense strategy and a torrid campaign of jungle warfare was prolonged in the malaria-infested jungles of Kachin State. By 15 December, Japanese lines were finally penetrated, and the Chinese force pushed from Bhamo towards Namhkam — which was captured on 15 January 1945 — followed by Mongyu in southwestern China on 27 January, thus securing a route from India to China which would become known as the "Ledo Road" or "Stilwell Road", enabling Allied Forces to supply Chinese battalions in Yunnan.

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