Thursday, June 5, 2014

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Govt Advisors Meets Ethnic Parties to Discuss Future Political Dialogue

Posted: 05 Jun 2014 05:54 AM PDT

Myanmar peace process, Myanmar ethnic issues

MPC members (L) hold talks about a future political dialogue with political parties in Rangoon on Wednesday. (Photo: Facebook / MPC)

RANGOON — The government-affiliated Myanmar Peace Center (MPC) held a meeting with an alliance of ethnic and opposition parties on Wednesday to hold the first ever talks about the nature of the political dialogue that should settle Burma's long-running ethnic conflict, political party members said.

The Burmese government and ethnic rebel groups have said that a political dialogue would start within two months after the signing of a nationwide ceasefire accord. A ceasefire agreement is yet to be finalized, however.

A political dialogue would likely be a process that lasts several years and involve trying to settle the issue of political autonomy for Burma's various ethnic regions, control over natural resources in these areas, and whether Burma will have one single, federal army.

The Federal Democratic Alliance (FDA), which comprises 11 ethnic political parties and opposition parties, said it met with MPC representatives to discuss drafting a framework for the future political dialogue.

"The MPC met with eleven parties in the FDA and discussed drafting a framework for political dialogue," Dixon Tun Lin, a central executive committee member of the Karen People’s Party, told The Irrawaddy. "We were asked to draft at least three types of framework."

"The MPC explained the current peace process [and said] that 70 percent of the [nationwide ceasefire] agreement has been completed," said Toe Toe, information officer of National Democratic Force party, which is also a FDA member.

"Drafting the framework should start within two months after a nationwide ceasefire is signed," he said. "They invited us to give suggestions" about the draft framework.

Toe Toe said the parties told the MPC that future negotiations on the nationwide ceasefire should include more participants, and the parties suggested that 300 participants each from the army, Parliament, and ethnic rebels and parties take part.

During the discussion Wednesday, Aung Naing Oo, Associate Director of the MPC's Peace Dialogue Program, explained how the government planned to complete the nationwide ceasefire negotiations and how it wants to set the conditions for a comprehensive political dialogue and carry out the dialogue.

A statement by the National Democratic Force said the government advisors at the MPC had asked the parties to draft a framework for a future political dialogue.

"FDA member parties already held a workshop about the terms that should be in place for a political dialogue. The basic draft is ready," the statement said. "A complete framework will be ready after developing it during more discussions."

The FDA comprises small opposition parties, such as the National Democratic Force, the Democratic Party Myanmar and the Unity and Peace Party, and ethnic minority parties, such as Karen People's Party, Karen Democratic Party and the Chin Progressive Party.

Burma has another alliance of ethnic parties, the National Brotherhood Federation, which includes organizations such as the Shan National League for Democracy and the All Mon Region Democracy Party.

It is unclear whether this alliance or Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party is scheduled to meet with the MPC for talks about a future political dialogue with Burma's ethnic minorities.

It also remains to be seen when a nationwide ceasefire would be reached.

An alliance of 16 ethnic armed groups met with the government's peace negotiations team and Burma Army representatives in Rangoon last month, for a second round of talks on single text for the ceasefire. The sides are scheduled for another round of negotiations later this month.

Burma's reformist government has signed bilateral ceasefire agreements with more than a dozen major ethnic armed groups since taking office in 2012 and is keen to complete a nationwide ceasefire with all groups.

However, in northern Burma ethnic conflict continues to fester and the Kachin and Palaung rebels there do not have a bilateral ceasefire agreement.

The post Govt Advisors Meets Ethnic Parties to Discuss Future Political Dialogue appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Kayan Rebels Mark 50 Years Since Birth of Armed Struggle

Posted: 05 Jun 2014 04:44 AM PDT

Kayan

Kayan National Liberation Army troops hoist their guns during Kayan Revolutionary Day in Cebu village, southern Shan State, on Wednesday. (Photo: Sai Zaw / The Irrawaddy)

PEKHON, Shan State — Hundreds of ethnic Kayan in Pekhon Township on Wednesday marked the golden jubilee of the founding of the Kayan National Liberation Army, a rebel militia formed 50 years ago to wage a campaign of armed resistance against Burma's central government.

The golden jubilee celebration was held in Cebu village, southern Shan State. About 200 armed soldiers from the Kayan National Liberation Army, the armed wing of the Kayan New Land Party (KNLP), marched to commemorate "Kayan Revolutionary Day."

Cebu, a rebel-controlled village located about three hours by car northwest of the Karenni State capital Loikaw, serves as the headquarters of the KNLP, which signed a ceasefire with the government in the mid-1990s.

The event was held early on Wednesday morning, with hundreds of ethnic Kayan gathering to mark the occasion, arriving to the hilltop base by foot or motorbike.

Kayan leaders addressing the crowd spoke of the need for the Kayan people to "maintain their armed revolution" until the ethnic group achieved equality and the right to self-determination.

"Our people need to maintain their armed revolution until the country has a new Constitution," said Than Soe Naing, chairman of the KNLP.

He said a new charter was needed because the 2008 Constitution—written by Burma's former junta—granted the military continued influence over the country's politics, despite reforms from the government of President Thein Sein in recent years.

The KNLP made its declaration of armed revolution on June 4, 1964, some two years after the late dictator Gen. Ne Win took power and undertook a campaign to suppress many of Burma's ethnic minority groups, including the Kayan.

Saw Lwin, a colonel from the Kayan National Liberation Army, recalled the rebel armed group's humble origins.

"Our people used homemade guns and knives—that is all they had. They fought back against the regime because our people were treated badly and unfairly," Saw Lwin said.

The colonel acknowledged that reforms had been enacted since 2011, but said members of the former military regime continued to rule the country, masked as civilian leadership.

The KNLP signed a ceasefire agreement with the central government in 1994, after three decades of fighting in which the KNLP says some 500 armed rebels lost their lives.

Nyein Maung, a senior military officer from the Kayan National Liberation Army, said relations with the Burmese Army were cordial at present, but added that the Kayan rebel group would not react passively to any government provocation.

"We have not gotten our freedom after 50 years. If we need to fight one more time, we will not be hesitant to do so. We will protect our people and pay with our lives," Nyein Maung said.

A 2006 diplomatic cable from the US Embassy in Rangoon, published by Wikileaks, described relations between the KNLP and the ruling junta of the time as "hot and cold." The cable cited as an example the Kayan group's decision to send a delegate to Burma's National Convention, which aimed to draft a new Constitution and ultimately produced the 2008 charter, while on multiple occasions denouncing the process as a sham.

Kayan leaders said on Wednesday that they would cooperate with other ethnic groups in the fight for a federal system in Burma.

"We need to have a federal system. We should have self-determination for our people," said Than Soe Naing.

Khun Hla Moe, a cofounder of the Kayan National Liberation Army, said that he had helped to form the Kayan National Liberation Army—a modest fighting force of 30 men initially—when he was just 12 years old.

With the armed group growing in strength, the Burmese Army launched a major offensive against the Kayan National Liberation Army in 1975, during which Khun Hla Moe said the regime forced civilians to serve as porters and detained civilians accused of supporting the Kayan rebels.

"I served as a porter when they [the Burmese Army] came to my village. They did not know me as a rebel. After portering, I took my gun from hiding, and shot them," Khun Hla Moe said.

The late Shwe Aye, a KNLP cofounder and longtime chairman of the group, was remembered with reverence on Wednesday.

"He was a good leader. I hid him whenever he would come to Pekhon town and the Burmese Army could not find him," said Khun Hla Moe.

Most of Burma's Kayan populations live in Loikaw and the lower reaches of neighboring Shan State. The Kayan have one legally registered ethnic political party, the Kayan National Party.

The post Kayan Rebels Mark 50 Years Since Birth of Armed Struggle appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

KNU Wants Thein Sein to Remain President After 2015

Posted: 05 Jun 2014 03:49 AM PDT

Thein Sein

President Thein Sein meets with the Karen delegation, including KNU chairman Mutu Say Poe, on Wednesday in Naypyidaw. (Photo: President's Office)

RANGOON — A delegation from the Karen National Union (KNU) and its armed group urged President Thein Sein to extend his presidency for another term, during a meeting in Naypyidaw on Wednesday.

During the meeting with high-ranking government officials, the delegation from the KNU and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) said they wanted the president to stay in office after the 2015 election because they feared a change in the government's top leader might affect negotiations with ethnic armed groups.

"Peace talks have happened under the regime of President Thein Sein, and he is the one who already understands what has happened in past years. If there's a change in president, we all will have to start the whole thing from the beginning," Mahn Nyein Maung, a member of the KNU's central executive committee, told The Irrawaddy on Thursday.

He said the president told the Karen delegation that his health was not strong enough to retain the post for another five years, but that he would do so if the people desired it.

"First we urged President Thein Sein to speed up the [peace] process and let the signing of the nationwide ceasefire and peace happen, within this year. Telling him to be president for the next five years is another option for the sake of a nationwide ceasefire and peace," the KNU member said.

The signing of a nationwide ceasefire accord between the government and ethnic armed groups across the country has been delayed several times. The KNU delegation said it would take time to reach an agreement after decades of conflict.

"It's been over 60 years, and we have lost trust. Now we are trying to build back trust through the peace process … If there are changes in the government, we have to take time to build back trust again with the new people," Mahn Nyein Maung said.

The Karen delegation, led by KNU chairman Mutu Say Poe, arrived in Naypyidaw on Monday. They met with Thein Sein, Commander-in-Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, and Union Parliamentary Speaker Shwe Mann on Wednesday.

According to the delegation, Thein Sein said he wanted to complete the peace process quickly to ensure national stability and development.

"Gen. Min Aung Hlaing also assured that he wants to take part in the peace process for the stability, peace and development of the country," said Mahn Nyein Maung.

"Since the general and the top leaders made these assurances, we believe there will be a countrywide ceasefire agreement very soon, which is the most important first step to achieve the long-lost nationwide peace," he added.

The post KNU Wants Thein Sein to Remain President After 2015 appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Constitution Signature Campaign Off to Strong Start in Rangoon

Posted: 05 Jun 2014 02:04 AM PDT

constitution

A woman signs a petition in support of constitutional reform. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy)

RANGOON — More than 380,000 people in Rangoon have already signed a signature campaign to amend Burma's Constitution, an NLD official says.

The countrywide signature campaign—organized by the opposition party along with the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society, an activist group—is calling for amendments to Article 436, which gives the military an effective veto over constitutional reform. The campaign began last week on Tuesday and will last for two months.

"In Rangoon alone, we had 380,000 signatures as of Monday. And this is only the list from NLD offices in the districts and townships—more people have signed at 88 Generation offices and in the villages," Myint Htay, chairman of the Rangoon branch of the NLD, told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday.

He said government officials had not prevented anyone from adding their name to the campaign, but added that ward administrators and police officers were standing guard at some signature collection points and requesting copies of the signature lists.

Tin Htut Oo, chairman of the Mandalay branch of the NLD, said about 100,000 signatures were collected within one week in seven townships of Mandalay District.

"In one township, there are about 20 places to collect signatures. We have not counted all the lists, since the campaign is still going ahead," he said.

Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi, a well-known Burmese film director, has already added his name to the campaign. He told The Irrawaddy last week that the 2008 Constitution was designed by the former military government to benefit the military.

"To become a government of the people, by the people and for the people—for which many lives have been sacrificed—the Constitution must be amended. So I signed," he said.

After the signature campaign ends on July 19, the NLD and the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society will review all entries before submitting them to Parliament's Constitution Review Committee.

The post Constitution Signature Campaign Off to Strong Start in Rangoon appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Myanmar’s Labyrinthine Peace Process

Posted: 05 Jun 2014 01:50 AM PDT

Myanmar peace process, Myanmar Peace Center

Ethnic rebel leaders and government officials hold talks in Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State, in October 2013. (Photo: Saw Yan Naing / The Irrawaddy)

A deadly clash occurred between DKBA (Democratic Karen Buddhist Army) and the government's BGF (Border Guard Force) in Karen State in April 2013. This was not the first time these rival groups engaged in a firefight. There had been sporadic clashes before, but by April 2013 the MPC (Myanmar Peace Center) was established and its operations were already in full swing and ceasefires between the government and 14 of the 16 ethnic armed groups had been signed.

So we were asked to visit various stakeholders in the areas in Karen State where the clashes occurred. Dr. Min Zaw Oo, who is the Director of MPC's Ceasefire Negotiation and Implementation Program, and I went to Karen State. The purpose was to listen to all sides in the conflict.

We traveled to Sone-See-Myine, the DKBA headquarters, about one kilometer from the former All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF) Camp at Thay Baw Boe where I was based in 1988-89 near the Thai-Myanmar border in Karen State. We also visited Myawaddy and another town in Hlabwe Township. And for two days and two nights, we listened to various officials from rival groups, local authorities and local commanders of the Myanmar armed forces.

By the second night of listening to these various accusations, counter-accusations, local situations and history of these local conflicts, my notebook was almost full. But most importantly, I could no longer take notes. So I just wrote one word "Tha-book-oo," which is the name of a fruit. It has a labyrinth of fabric inside so intricate that no one knows the beginning, the middle or the end.

Put differently, I thought I knew the protagonists and conflict situation in Karen State since I once worked with the Karen National Union. But my trip proved that I was wrong. Even within groups that broke away from the mainstream Karen armed movement, there were many layers of relationships, feuds, history of conflicts, friendships and camaraderie. Thus, I wrote "Tha-book-oo" to demonstrate the complexity of a localized conflict.

I can say with certain conviction that for the majority of Myanmar citizens, it will not be easy to appreciate the complexities in the conflict or the situation I described earlier. IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) and civilians living in areas of active conflict may wonder why the fighting cannot be stopped. Blame is likely to be heaped on one side or the other.

And peace and political activists cry foul when fighting erupts during peace talks. The media reports on the armed conflict and peace process are generally shallow and often focus on black-and-white descriptions of the conflict.

It is natural for them to look at the armed conflict and peace process from a simple analysis of what is perceived as right or wrong. It is equally natural for them to have hope for peace and wish that peace be restored as soon as possible.

But take a moment and try to imagine. If a localized situation in Karen State is extremely complex, how complex it can be for the whole country. Hypothetically, the DKBA-BGF conflict can be multiplied at least 16 times because the Government of Myanmar has officially recognized 16 ethnic armed groups.

How about groups that are not officially recognized by the government? How about thousands of militia groups scattered all throughout the conflict areas?

How about all of these groups with their localized situations, with their own layers of allegiances, kinships, alliances, tribal divides, broken social fabric, grievances, war economy, territorial interests and political and negotiation cultures?

This is not to mention the Government of Myanmar with its own internal politics and relationship with the armed forces and parliament which are also part and parcel of peace negotiations. Then there are political parties, groupings, civil society and the media. Likewise, there are many substantive issues such as resource-smuggling, drug trafficking, land grabs, illegal arm sales and security issues. And there is an age-old practice of taxation by ethnic armed groups of which legality has been hotly debated.

And as some of the ethnic armed groups are based on the borders, we need to pay attention to geopolitical issues and conditions. The UN Special Envoy is involved in the peace process as an observer. So is the Chinese Special Envoy when there are negotiations related to the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO). The Naga, which has signed truces with the government, have their sister organization over the Indian-Myanmar border. And we take into account Myanmar's current chairing role within ASEAN, bearing in mind the larger regional issues such as the tensions in South China Sea.

And there is politics. We in the peace process have to pay attention not only to relationships among all the stakeholders but also their politics as well. We have to pay attention to what Myanmar leaders say about the peace process. We have to listen to ethnic and opposition leaders. And we must take into account what civil society says about the peace process.

Extrapolate all that I have mentioned above and what we have is an extremely complicated 'Tha-book-oo' situation of a peace process.

And this is a situation not everyone can really understand nor appreciate.

A foreign expert who has been involved in the Myanmar peace process recently visited MPC. He has worked in seven major armed conflicts around the world. He openly admitted that he was learning many new things in the Myanmar situation because the situation here is more complex than any other country he had worked on.

Armed conflict is described as a situation in which individuals, groups, issues, interests and conditions are pulling and pushing in all directions. Given my experience with the peace process, I can say the same thing with peace-making, peace-building and the peace process as a whole. They are in a 'Tha-book-oo' situation pushing and pulling in all directions.

Both situations have an element of unpredictability and uncontrollability at the same time.

The purpose here is not to encourage the readers to see a negative side of the peace process. Rather, it is to instill an appreciation among the stakeholders regarding what has been achieved so far in the peace process. It is also to invite them to participate in the process so that we can cement the achievements in an all-inclusive manner. And the purpose is also to encourage belief in our country's ability to achieve peace at long last no matter how complex and difficult the task ahead of us may be.

Aung Naing Oo is the Associate Director, Peace Dialogue Program, Myanmar Peace Center, which advises the Myanmar government.

The post Myanmar's Labyrinthine Peace Process appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

KNU-Govt Talks Yield Troop Withdrawal Pledge

Posted: 05 Jun 2014 01:41 AM PDT

Karen

KNLA Commander-in-Chief Gen. Saw Johnny (left) shakes hands with Ye Htut, President Thein Sein's spokesman, during a meeting in Naypyidaw this week. (Photo: Ye Htut / Facebook)

During a series of high-level talks taking place this week in Naypyidaw, the Burmese government has agreed to withdraw some of its troops from areas close to territory controlled by ethnic Karen rebels in eastern Burma, according to a Karen National Union (KNU) official.

Leaders of the KNU and its armed wing, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), are meeting top Burmese government and military officials. The talks come as relations between the Karen ethnic armed group and the Burmese government—who have been fighting a civil war for decades—appear at a high, and as talks are continuing with most of the country's rebel armies toward a nationwide ceasefire agreement.

Saw Kwe Htoo Win, general secretary of the KNU, told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that the purpose of the meetings this week was to have positive "tripartite dialogue" with the army, the government and Parliament.

The Karen delegation, led by KNU chairman Mutu Say Poe, met with Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the Burmese military, and Burmese President Thein Sein on Wednesday. Parliamentary speaker Shwe Mann was set to meet the delegation Thursday.

According to Saw Kwe Htoo Win, the government side agreed to withdraw some troops from around KNU-controlled territory. Coming in response to a KNU request, it is not the first time the government has made such a pledge, and it is unclear how it will translate into action.

The two sides signed a ceasefire in 2012, but the military retains a large presence in Karen State. Local civil society groups have called for a code of conduct to be finalized and implemented to reduce human rights violations by soldiers.

Relations between government representatives and the Karen rebel leadership—which has been one of the most enthusiastic among Burma's ethnic groups about a nationwide ceasefire—appear to be friendly. Burmese presidential spokesman Ye Htut, in a post on his Facebook account, said that he was particularly pleased to see KNLA Commander-in-Chief Gen. Saw Johnny in the capital.

"Today at the meeting between President [Thein Sein] and the KNU chairman, there is a person that I wanted to see the most. He is the commander-in-chief of the KNU," Ye Htut said on Wednesday evening.

Ye Htut explained that as a low-ranking Burmese official in 1980s, he was well aware of Gen. Saw Johnny, who was then serving as a commander of a KNLA battalion and was renowned for his fighting ability.

"Because his ability was great in fighting, when we heard news about his military activities, we had to be alert, aware and keep our eyes on it," Ye Htut said in the post.

"Although, Gen. Johnny is a rival to us, as a soldier, I respected his ability in war. It is the result of peace that we now see him as a negotiation counterpart at the table, not on the battlefield."

Aside from Gen. Saw Johnny, it is reported that there are two other KNLA leaders that the Burmese government peace delegation wanted to see the most at peace talks. They are KNLA's vice commander-in-chief, Gen. Baw Kyaw Heh, who is described by some as a "hardliner" who advocates a cautious approach the peace talks with the government, and Gen. Saw Isaac, brother of KNU's vice chairwoman, Naw Zipporah Sein.

Also present at the meetings in Naypyidaw were other government officials such as President's Office Minister Aung Min, the government's key peace negotiator, and Minister of Immigration Khin Yi. The KNU delegation also includes executive committee members such as Mahn Nyein Maung, Col. Saw Roger and Col. Htoo Htoo Lay.

The meetings this week have received widespread coverage in private and state-owned media in Burma, but Karen civil society organizations voiced concerns over the lack of transparency about the content of the meetings.

A group of community-based organizations (CBOs) and civil society organizations (CSO) in a statement welcomed the talks, but said they are "concerned about the lack of transparency in the process under the guise of 'informal meetings.'"

"The talks must be open and transparent so the people are informed how they are progressing," the statement said.

"Both sides must recognize and allow the active role that CBOs and CSOs should play in the peace process as they are immediately in contact with the grassroots communities in conflict-affected areas."

The post KNU-Govt Talks Yield Troop Withdrawal Pledge appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Burma Home to 26 New Species Discoveries in 2012-13

Posted: 04 Jun 2014 10:51 PM PDT

WWF species

The sawtooth-necked bronzeback snake is one of 26 new species discovered in Burma in 2012-13. (Photo: World Wide Fund for Nature)

Twenty-six species in Burma are among 367 new species that were discovered by scientists in the Greater Mekong region in 2012-13, according to a new report by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), a non-governmental organization working on wildlife conservation globally.

Michelle Owen, conservation program manager at WWF-Myanmar, told The Irrawaddy, "I hope that this report inspires people in Myanmar to go into environmental science as a profession. Scientists and communities play a crucial role in discovering new species and there is a great opportunity across the country for more species to be found."

Titled "Mysterious Mekong," the WWF report was released on Thursday, World Environment Day, "highlighting creatures both bizarre and beautiful" in the Mekong region. Among the 26 species in Burma, there were 14 plants, seven fish, four amphibians and one reptile newly discovered in 2012-13.

"Of particular interest are a new species of dragonfish with striking and complex maze-like markings on each individual scale; a species of ginger plant found in western Myanmar's Rakhine [Arakan] Yoma cloud forests above the Bay of Bengal; a catfish from a tributary of the mighty Irrawaddy River with a unique flame-shaped 'suction cup' on its throat; and a Tanintharyi stream toad with bumpy, chocolate-colored skin and long, slender limbs," according to a press release accompanying the report.

Owen said the discoveries of these new species affirmed that the Greater Mekong was one of the world's most biologically diverse regions. The discovery of 26 species in relatively unexplored Burma was testament to the need to invest in conservation and the development of a green economy in the country, added Owen.

"Our biggest concern is ensuring that areas of high biodiversity are conserved and managed so that known and unknown species are protected," Owen told The Irrawaddy. "The 26 new species discovered in Myanmar only begin to scratch the surface of what is possible, given that Myanmar's ecosystems are so rich and varied."

The conservation program manager highlighted southeastern Burma and the adjacent Kaeng Krachan National Park in Thailand as areas ripe for further new discoveries in future.

"Kaeng Krachan National Park and Tanintharyi National Park the forests across the border in Myanmar [in Tenasserim Division] are some of the least explored areas in Southeast Asia," Owen said in the WWF report.

"They are the beating heart for species recovery in Thailand and Myanmar and Kaeng Krachan is home to one of the world's most important tiger populations," added Owen.

The WWF report lists 290 plants, 24 fish, 21 amphibians, 28 reptiles, 3 mammals and 1 bird all described as new species in 2012-13 from the Greater Mekong.

Regional highlights included a giant flying squirrel, a skydiving gecko, a fish that mates head-to-head and an eyeless cave-dwelling spider. The region spans Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam and China's southwestern Yunnan province.

The post Burma Home to 26 New Species Discoveries in 2012-13 appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

European Donors Fund Savings Co-Ops in Karen State

Posted: 04 Jun 2014 09:55 PM PDT

cooperative

Ethnic Karen traditional dancers wait to perform at a fair in Karen State Day in the state capital Hpa-an. (Photo: Brennan O'Connor / The Irrawaddy)

The European Union and the French government will put about US$1.3 million into a project to establish savings cooperatives in Karen State, in an attempt to address poor access to financial services in one of Burma's most remote and poorest ethnic states, a statement said.

The statement Wednesday said a total of 965,509 euro would be spent on the three-year project—with the European Union providing 82 percent of the money and the rest coming from Agence Française de Développement, France's international development agency.

The project, titled "Supporting Financial Access via Cooperative Upgrading and Enterprise and Farm Development in Kayin State," will be implemented by PlaNet Finance, an international microfinance development NGO, working with Burmese group the Community Development Association (CDA).

"The project will establish three savings and credit cooperatives to provide financial inclusion to at least 2,000 households in 30 villages in Hlaingbwe Township [Hpa-an District] where currently no financial service provider operates," read the statement.

"With these cooperatives in place, it is expected that farmers will have a safe place to save in order to increase income and build wealth in this post-conflict area of Myanmar."

Karen State has suffered from decades-long civil wars, due to which thousands of villagers have been displaced. Many families have less than $1 per day for food. More than 140,000 people from the state have fled into Thailand, where most have lived in nine refugee camps on Thai-Burma border for more than two decades.

A recent UN study found that very limited access to financial services across Burma, with only 4 percent of the population holding a savings account with a bank. As a result of this and other barriers to saving, the survey said, 62 percent of people in the country do not put any money aside.

This week, PlaNet Finance is holding training on how to implement the project with participants including CDA staff, officials from the Burmese government's Cooperative Department and Small-Scale Industries Department, and representatives from the Union Cooperative Syndicate of Karen State.

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‘They All Become Like My Children’

Posted: 04 Jun 2014 06:00 PM PDT

IDPs school

Daw Eainda Sar Ri holds a 3-month-old baby that her monestary cares for in Bhamo, Kachin State. (Photo: Kyaw Hsu Mon / The Irrawadddy)

HO PONG, Shan State — Daw Eainda Sar Ri, 62, has lived at the Thathana Kari Monastery in Bhamo, Kachin State, since she was 9 years old. Since last year, she has helped the children of internally displaced persons (IDPs) whose schooling was disrupted by fighting in Burma's north, taking them under her wing and providing them with a monastic education. The Buddhist nun and her school are also providing accommodation and food to the IDP children.

The Irrawaddy met with Daw Eainda Sar Ri while she was attending a monastic education seminar in Ho Pong, Shan State, last week, to discuss her role in helping the girls learn amidst hardship.

Question: Who are you helping in Bhamo Township? How many students are there at your school?

Answer: Here many ethnic Palaung children are living around my school. Their parents are working in the brick-making industry. They are poor, so we're helping to educate their children. I'm providing them with stationery for their schooling. There are more than 30 IDP children, I've opened the school up to them.

Palaung children can't speak Burmese, and they have been beaten frequently by their teachers for that. Now, gradually, they have learned to read and write [in Burmese]. There are 205 primary students who are living at my school, 34 middle school students and 13 high school students, as well as two university students.

Q: How many IDP children have come to your school from conflict areas?

A: Since last year, many IDP children have come to my school. It's about a one-day trip from conflict areas to my school. There were 28 children who came here last year and 17 this year. Parents who have fled from conflict areas send their children to this school. They said that it [being displaced] is no problem for them, but that they worry for their children and want them at my school for the sake of their futures.

Q: How are you helping them? Are you also taking in orphans?

A: All are included—orphans, some have their father, some have only their mother. Most IDPs are Palaung. They came here from Nant Lwe [Man Wain Gyi] in Kachin State. Their villages have almost been destroyed due to civil war.

Q: How do you help these children—some of whom were living in active conflict zones—to regain a sense of normalcy in their lives?

A: We provide food, accommodation and clothes, all these things are our responsibility. They all become like my children. I support them in any way I can and I advise their parents not to take them back [to their former villages].

Q: How old are they?

A: Normally, they are girls from 4 years old to 13 years old. Like my school, some other schools are also accepting them.

Q: Are the IDP children and non-IDP children living together in the same compound?

A: Yes, they are living together.

Q: What difficulties do you have in caring for them under the circumstances? There must be religious and cultural differences.

A: All of them become Buddhists after they reach out to the school. They always pray three times a day, and then everything becomes easy for them.

Q: How do you manage to feed all those mouths?

A: I receive rice donations from residents every weekend. I've received some other rice bags, beans and other kitchen materials from donors. I can't even calculate how much I spend for them every day.

Q: What do you want for these children's futures?

A: I want them to receive a degree and expect them to become educated. I will support them as much as we can. If they want to become a nun, I will welcome them. If not, they can do as they like.

The post 'They All Become Like My Children' appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Hindu Festival Celebrates Renovation of Pyin Oo Lwin Temple

Posted: 04 Jun 2014 05:30 PM PDT

Hindu devotees are sprinkled with holy water collected from in India during a festival to mark the renovation of the Hindu Ganesh temple in Pyin Oo Lwin. Click on the box below to see more photos. (Photo: Brennan Conner)

PYIN OO LWIN —In Pyin Oo Lwin, a former British hill station located on the western edge of the Shan Plateau, several thousand devotees gathered last week for a festival to mark the completion of a four-year-long renovation of the town's Hindu Ganesh temple.

The festival called Shree Ma Harr Kubar Auisha Jum also celebrated the temple's 105-year history in the Mandalay Division town, which in the late 19th to early 20th century served a resort for British colonial administrators looking for respite from the blistering heat in Burma.

The festival is only celebrated when a Ganesh temple is constructed, or in this case, expanded upon, and drew a huge crowd. Ganesh is the Hindu elephant head god of wisdom and learning, and the remover of obstacles.

Many of the town's Hindu residents settled in the town (then called Maymo) after they were brought from India and other parts of Burma to work in colonial administrative positions, or as farmers growing vegetables favored by the English.

As many as seven Hindu temples are said to be located in Pyin Oo Lwin alone, and still more can be found in the surrounding villages.

Although the temple's Burmese followers' ancestries are in Tamil Nadu in southern India, the festival was also attended by Burmese Hindus who trace their heritage to other parts of India.

Devotees donated contributions for the lengthy and expensive renovations that included 369 stone deities from India.

Participant Myint Thein Gi Htun described the five-day event, which was presided over by several Hindu priests, some from as far away as Malaysia, as a "once in a lifetime opportunity."

The chemistry teacher, who could be seen every day greeting visitors near the entrance of the temple, said this is only second time that a Hindu event of this scale has happened in Burma.

On the final day, holy water collected from 108 sacred areas of India was sprinkled on followers gathered in the temple grounds. This was followed by a parade led by a decorated elephant trucked in from Mandalay who greeted devotees that lined the streets offering prayers, food and donations.

The post Hindu Festival Celebrates Renovation of Pyin Oo Lwin Temple appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Burmese Feature to Open Czech Film Festival

Posted: 04 Jun 2014 05:00 PM PDT

Culture

The 49th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival will be held in Prague, Czech Republic, from July 4-12. (Photo: Facebook / Karlovy Vary Film Festival)

RANGOON — A Burmese film, "The Monk," was selected this week as the opening feature for the 49th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, which will be held in Prague, Czech Republic, from July 4-12.

"The Monk" was one of 12 films selected from 11 countries around the world. It was directed by the Burmese filmmaker The Maw Naing.

"The film is based on an evolution of a Buddhist monk from a novice to his monkhood and his choice in life: whether he will stick to clergy life or change to lay manhood," the director told The Irrawaddy.

The Karlovy Vary IFF announced on June 3 that "The Monk" would screen in the Forum of Independents competition. The website announcement said the 93-minute long production is the first independent feature film from Burma in 50 years.

It was created with the help of Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts (FAMU) in Prague, which has been working in Burma since 2005. The FAMU's Burma program in 2011 organized the first Burmese film festival, the Wathann Film Festival, and runs an informal film school in the Southeast Asian nation.

The post Burmese Feature to Open Czech Film Festival appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Activists to Hold Events to Mark Start of Kachin War

Posted: 04 Jun 2014 09:48 PM PDT

war in Kachin State

A protester holds a large collage of photos relating to the Kachin State conflict during a demonstration in September 2012. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy)

Anti-war activists in Rangoon will hold a series of events over three days starting from Saturday to mark the third anniversary of the outbreak of war in Kachin State, according to the events' organizers.

The events, which will be held both indoors and outdoors at various locations around Rangoon, will include singing, dancing, dramatic performances and art exhibitions, the organizers said.

Outdoor events will be held near Sule Pagoda in downtown Rangoon, at the People's Park near Shwedagon Pagoda in Dagon Township, and near Inya Lake in Hlaing Township.

The whole program will culminate with indoor events on June 9, exactly three years after the collapse of a 17-year ceasefire in Kachin State and the start of a war that has displaced at least 100,000 civilians.

The indoor events will include interfaith prayers for peace, speeches by keynote speakers and testimonies from civilians affected by the conflict, art exhibitions, performances by youth groups, and fundraising activities to benefit internally displaced persons.

The post Activists to Hold Events to Mark Start of Kachin War appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Thai Junta Claims Support from Neighbors amid Western Unease

Posted: 04 Jun 2014 09:41 PM PDT

support for Thai junta

A man sings as soldiers dance at the Victory Monument during a military event in Bangkok on June 4, 2014.

BANGKOK — China and Vietnam have expressed support for Thailand's new military government, an army spokesman said on Wednesday, as pro-army supporters held a small gathering at the Australian embassy in protest against downgrading of relations after last month's coup.

Several foreign governments have voiced disapproval of the coup, which saw General Prayuth Chan-ocha take power after months of political unrest that undermined the government of Yingluck Shinawatra.

"China’s and Vietnam's ambassadors to Thailand met Supreme Commander General Thanasak Patimaprakorn yesterday and assured us that they still have a good relationship with Thailand and that they hope the situation will return to normal quickly," Yongyuth Mayalarp, a spokesman for the military’s National Council for Peace and Order, told reporters.

Meanwhile, Burma's Foreign Ministry said it also recognized Thailand's new military rulers.

"Thailand is a sovereign state and the military government has been endorsed by their king," Aung Linn, a director-general at the ministry, told Reuters on Wednesday.

"Of course we do recognize them."

China’s Foreign Ministry had no immediate response to the report.

The United States scrapped joint military programs with Thailand days after the May 22 coup, while the European Union has urged the military to free political detainees and end censorship.

Australia downgraded its ties with Thailand on Saturday, imposed a travel ban on junta leaders and cut defense cooperation, the toughest measures taken by a foreign government since the change of regime.

A handful of pro-military demonstrators gathered outside the Australian embassy on Wednesday to protest against what they see as foreign meddling in Thailand’s internal affairs. Some handed roses to police guarding the embassy.

The coup was the latest convulsion in a decade-long conflict between the Bangkok-based royalist establishment, dominated by the military, old-money families and the bureaucracy, and supporters of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, who are adored by the poor in the north and northeast.

'Friends Not Foes'

The army is determined to silence dissent and has summoned around 300 activists, journalists, academics and politicians since taking power two weeks ago.

Many have been detained for varying periods of time and, in order to be released, have had to sign statements that they will step away from politics and halt anti-coup activities.

The junta has deployed thousands of security forces across the country to search for weapons in a bid to crack down on armed groups on both sides of the political divide. It has ordered Thais who have "war weapons," including explosives and grenade launchers, to hand them in before June 10.

The order did not include registered handguns. On a per capita basis, Thailand has more guns than most countries in the world.

However, the country in general has remained calm since the bloodless coup. There is little military presence on the streets and resistance to military rule has so far been peaceful.

In May, Thailand's consumer confidence index hit its highest level since January on hopes the military can bring the economy back from the brink of recession. The economy shrank 2.1 percent in the first quarter as political turmoil depressed demand.

The junta lifted a curfew on Tuesday in the resorts of Pattaya, Phuket and Samui, in order to "relieve areas that are peaceful and free from political protests" and to support Thailand’s vital tourism sector.

The midnight to 4 am curfew has not been lifted in Bangkok but the junta seems determined to win over hearts and minds in the capital.

Supporters of the military are trying to hijack a gesture used by demonstrators opposed to the coup, saying the three-fingered salute signifies the ills of the deposed government, and not resistance to the takeover.

The salute, inspired by the hit film "The Hunger Games," has been flashed as a symbol of defiance at street protests in Bangkok since the weekend. The military has warned demonstrators against making the salute.

Security forces detained at least seven people who joined flash mob protests over the weekend and held up three fingers against the junta, according to the ruling National Council for Peace and Order.

"We are monitoring those who use this signal but have no plans to ban it yet," deputy army spokesman Winthai Suvaree told Reuters.

"But if there are gatherings of five people or more doing this salute, then we will make arrests in some cases."

In its latest charm offensive, the army put on a concert on Wednesday evening at Victory Monument, one of Bangkok’s busiest junctions and briefly the focus of protests after the coup.

"We want to show the public that the military is here to protect the people and will do its utmost to ensure stability," Winthai said. "Soldiers are friends not foes."

Panarat Thepgumpanat and Erik de Castro in Bangkok and Aung Hla Tun in Rangoon contributed reporting.

The post Thai Junta Claims Support from Neighbors amid Western Unease appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Mourning, Tight Security on Tiananmen Anniversary

Posted: 04 Jun 2014 09:32 PM PDT

Tiananmen anniversary

Tens of thousands of people take part in a candlelight vigil at Hong Kong’s Victoria Park on June 4, 2014, to mark the 25th anniversary of the military crackdown on the pro-democracy movement at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in 1989. (Photo: Reuters)

BEIJING — Yin Min held the ashes of her son and wept, she said, as she marked 25 years since he was killed in the crackdown by Chinese tanks and troops on protests at Tiananmen Square. Outside, guards kept a close eye on her home while police blanketed central Beijing to block any public commemoration of one of the darkest chapters in recent Chinese history.

"How has the world become like this? I don’t even have one bit of power. Why must we be controlled so strictly this year?" Yin said in a telephone interview. "I looked at his ashes, I looked at his old things, and I cried bitterly."

China allows no public discussion of the events of June 3-4, 1989, when soldiers backed by tanks and armored personnel carriers fought their way into the heart of Beijing, killing hundreds, possibly thousands, of unarmed protesters and onlookers.

On Wednesday, scores of police and paramilitary troops patrolled the vast plaza and surrounding streets in Beijing’s heart, stopping vehicles and demanding identification from passersby. Chinese censors scrubbed domestic blogs and social media websites of comments marking the crackdown.

The silence in the mainland about the anniversary of a pivotal event that shocked the world contrasted with boisterous commemorations in Hong Kong.

Large crowds gathered Wednesday night in the city’s Victoria Park for an annual candlelight vigil to remember the Tiananmen victims, holding candles aloft that turned the vast area into a sea of flickering light.

Activists laid a wreath at a makeshift memorial as the names and biographical details of people killed in the crackdown were read out. Organizers said more than 180,000 people took part, with many overflowing into the streets around the park’s main entrance.

Elsewhere, US Secretary of State John Kerry urged China to release those jailed in connection with the events. "For all people who seek freedom, Tiananmen Square still stirs our conscience," he said in a statement.

Some relatives of the crackdown’s victims in Beijing were allowed to pay their respects at cemeteries—but only with police escorts. Others did so at home under surveillance, expressing frustration at the restrictions placed on their remembrances.

"I told my son this morning, 'Your mother is powerless and helpless, after more than 20 years I don’t even have the chance to appeal for support,'" said Yin, whose 19-year-old son, Ye Weihang, was killed in the crackdown. Police have kept a round-the-clock surveillance of her home since April, she said, and the relatives' hopes of gathering and holding a public commemoration were dashed.

"You’re not only re-opening my scars, you’re spreading salt and chili powder into them," Yin said she told her minders.

The Chinese government has largely ignored the relatives' demands for an admission of wrongdoing and for a complete, formal accounting of the crackdown and the number of casualties. Beijing's verdict is that the student-led protests aimed to topple the ruling Communist Party and plunge China into chaos. Protest leaders said they were seeking broader democracy and freedom, along with an end to corruption and favoritism within the party.

Near the square in Beijing, reporters were told to leave following the daily crack-of-dawn flag-raising ceremony and there were no signs of demonstrations or public commemorations. Dozens of dissidents and other critics have already been detained by police, held under house arrest or sent out of the city in what they say is a more restrictive clampdown than usual reflecting the increasingly conservative political atmosphere under President Xi Jinping.

On normal days, the vast plaza is closely watched by surveillance cameras and plainclothes police and officers riding Segways, but most people are allowed to enter without having their IDs checked. Wednesday’s measures, including the deployment of hundreds of security and emergency services personnel, were a dramatic tightening.

Authorities allowed about a dozen relatives of four people killed in the crackdown to pay their respects at a cemetery in Beijing, but they were under police escort and were watched by several dozen plainclothes officers, according to Zhang Xianling, a member of a group that campaigns for the crackdown’s victims.

The relatives laid flowers and bowed three times as is customary in Chinese mourning, Zhang said, and one of them read from a prepared text.

"A quarter of a century has passed since the June 4, 1989, massacre. In these endless 25 years, not a moment has gone by that we didn’t miss you," said the text, provided by Zhang to the AP.

"Our tears have run dry, our voices are already hoarse," it said. "Our temples have grayed, our gaits are already faltering. With the passage of time, we will bury our sorrow deep in our hearts and strengthen our faith and determination to pursue justice."

Activist lawyer Teng Biao said the government’s repression only betrayed its frailty and fear of dissent. "Although the government appears stronger, they are more fearful, less confident and have less sense of security," Teng said from Hong Kong, where he is a visiting scholar at the city’s Chinese University.

Foreign media in Beijing have been warned not to meet with dissidents or report on issues related to the anniversary. In an unusual burst of activity, the Foreign Ministry and Cabinet office held news conferences and called in Associated Press reporters for meetings on Wednesday.

In Hong Kong, the Tiananmen protests remain a totem for political expression and Western-style civil liberties in the former British colony that retained its own liberal social and legal systems after reverting to Chinese rule in 1997.

"The reason that I’ve come here is that I want to see the sunshine of freedom," said Rany Cao, a 30-year-old mainland Chinese electronics importer based in Hong Kong who joined the Wednesday night vigil.

"I can feel that there’s something about Hong Kong that is different from China, and that is, people are striving for freedom, striving for democracy," Cao said. "I expect to learn more about the truth of what happened 25 years ago."

For the first time, a pro-Beijing group, the Voice of Loving Hong Kong, was planning a counter-rally at the park’s entrance in support of the military crackdown, in a sign of increasing polarization in the former British colony.

Along with concerns about political unrest, China has recently been shaken by violence blamed on separatists from the far northwestern region of Xinjiang, adding to the increased security measures.

Associated Press writers Christopher Bodeen and Didi Tang in Beijing and Kelvin Chan and researcher Theodora Yu in Hong Kong contributed to this report.

The post Mourning, Tight Security on Tiananmen Anniversary appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

China State Media Calls for ‘Severe Punishment’ for US Tech Firms

Posted: 04 Jun 2014 09:25 PM PDT

cyber-espionage in China

A demonstrator from the pro-China "Caring Hong Kong Power" group protests over claims from former US spy agency contractor Edward Snowden that the NSA hacked computers in the Chinese territory, outside the US Consulate in Hong Kong on July 9, 2013. (Photo: Reuters)

BEIJING — Chinese state media lashed out at Google Inc, Apple Inc and other US technology companies on Wednesday, calling on Beijing "to punish severely the pawns" of the US government for monitoring China and stealing secrets.

US companies such as Yahoo Inc, Cisco Systems Inc, Microsoft Corp and Facebook Inc threaten the cyber-security of China and its Internet users, said the People’s Daily on its microblog, in comments echoed on the front page of the English-language China Daily.

It is not clear what sparked this latest round of vitriol or what information the US firms are alleged to have stolen. But Chinese media have repeatedly attacked American tech companies for aiding the US government’s cyber espionage since US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden revealed widespread spying programs including PRISM.

Under PRISM, the NSA seized data from companies such as Google and Apple, according to revelations made by Snowden a year ago.

Chinese state-owned firms have since begun dispensing with the services of US companies such as IBM Corp, Oracle Corp and Cisco in favor of domestic technology. As a result, Snowden’s revelations may cost US companies billions of dollars, analysts say.

"US companies including Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, etc. are all coordinating with the PRISM program to monitor China," the People’s Daily said on its official microblog.

"To resist the naked Internet hegemony, we will draw up international regulations, and strengthen technology safeguards, but we will also severely punish the pawns of the villain. The priority is strengthening penalties and punishments, and for anyone who steals our information, even though they are far away, we shall punish them!" it said.

Google has already had problems in China this week. On Monday, a China censorship watchdog said Google services were being disrupted ahead of Wednesday's 25th anniversary of the 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators around Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

"We cannot say this more clearly—the [US] government does not have access to Google servers—not directly, or via a back door, or a so-called drop box," said Google Chief Legal Officer David Drummond in an emailed statement on Wednesday. "We provide user data to governments only in accordance with the law."

Microsoft declined to provide immediate comment. Facebook, Yahoo and Cisco were not immediately available when Reuters sought comment. All of them have previously denied participating in sweeping surveillance efforts.

Apple on Wednesday referred to its previous statements on the matter.

"Much of what has been said isn’t true. There is no back door. The government doesn’t have access to our servers. They would have to cart us out in a box for that," Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said in an April interview with ABC Television.

Rocky Time

Facebook is currently blocked by Chinese censors but said last month it may open a sales office in China to provide more support to local advertisers who use the website to reach customers overseas.

In December, Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, Yahoo and other Internet companies issued an open letter to US President Barack Obama and Congress to reform and introduce restrictions on surveillance activities.

Even so, US tech companies have had a rocky time in China since the NSA revelations. Just last month, central government offices were banned from installing Windows 8, Microsoft’s latest operating system, on new computers.

But the US has responded with its own measures. In May, the US Department of Justice charged five Chinese military officers with hacking US companies to steal trade secrets.

The indictment sparked outrage in China and added urgency to Beijing's efforts to promote the development of local information technology (IT) companies.

Chinese media called the United States "a high-level hooligan" and officials accused Washington of applying "double standards" on issues of cyber spying.

After the charges were announced, China said it will investigate providers of important IT products and services to protect "national security" and "economic and social development."

The post China State Media Calls for 'Severe Punishment' for US Tech Firms appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.
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