Democratic Voice of Burma

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• Bullet Points
• Unreliable networks stem cash flow at Burma’s ATMs
• Tavoy farmers jailed for ‘disturbing’ officials
• Shwe Mann objects to MP calling ethnic armies ‘revolutionaries’
• Thai and Burmese armies to discuss refugee repatriation in August
• Mahasantisukha monks to countersue Buddhist council
• Hakha lights up

Bullet Points Posted: 17 Jul 2014 04:42 AM PDT On today’s edition of Bullet Points: 800 factory workers marched on the South Korean Embassy in Rangoon over unpaid wages. The new United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights, Yang Hee Lee arrived in Burma and heads to Arakan State. Several banks in Burma are having trouble with their electronic services due to poor network connections. Britain opens a chamber of commerce in Rangoon and will assist UK businesses in Burma. North Korean Embassy in Rangoon has invited members of Burma's Interim Press Council to tour the hermit kingdom.   Watch Bullet Points on DVB TV after the 7 o’clock news.    Related Stories Unreliable networks stem cash flow at Burma's ATMs Bullet Points 200 protest hospital corruption in Myaungmya

Unreliable networks stem cash flow at Burma’s ATMs Posted: 17 Jul 2014 04:33 AM PDT Burma, one of the final frontiers for the international financial system, now boasts over 2,000 automatic teller machines (ATM) and credit card services provided by global brands such as MasterCard and Visa. Yet in a country where electricity is provided in fits and spurts, and internet connection is difficult to guarantee, online banking and ATM access is problematic. Customers have identified banks linked to the Myanmar Post and Telecommunications ATM network as particularly unreliable. Such dubious electronic systems are deeply affecting customer confidence in a country that until 2012, operated with a solely cash economy. So while growth in the sector has been rapid, it has not been without its pains. However, domestic institutions such as the Cooperative Bank (CB), operators of the largest network of ATMs in the country, are working to overcome them. Wai Phyo Aung, Head of Core Banking at CB, says customers will have to be patient as infrastructure is rolled out. "Our aim is allow the customers access to banking services conveniently from home or via mobile phone," he said. "We are trying to make this happen, but all these new advances in technology rely on a network system." Thursday was the final day of the second annual Myanmar Banking and Business Development Conference in Rangoon, where 250 delegates from 16 countries heard from technology experts on how Burma's banking and treasuring systems could be modernised. Speaking at the event, deputy governor of the Central Bank of Myanmar, Set Aung, said progress is being made. "With the Central Bank gaining independence last year, we have reached a significant milestone in our reform journey. In order to continually develop our banking sector, I will like to call upon the leading authorities, most influential voices and the brightest minds of the region to gather to discuss the opportunities and challenges we are facing today,” he said. Related Stories Bullet Points Central Bank VP paints picture of hi-tech Burma Burma's school buildings don't meet safety standards, official says The challenge is to catch up with regional neighbours in the provision of consumer banking services. Wai Phyo Aung predicts future stumbling blocks. "The number of customers are increasing every year, and so are the number of ATMs," he began. "But the unstable network system is a big factor and the more customers we have, the more problems there will be." He went on to say that the MPT and internet service provider Yatanarpon Teleport are trying to improve the network. But it's not surprising that in a country with poor infrastructure that experiences frequent power cuts, a new electronic banking system will face hurdles.

Tavoy farmers jailed for ‘disturbing’ officials Posted: 17 Jul 2014 03:56 AM PDT Nineteen farmers in Tenasserim Division's Tavoy [Dawei] on Wednesday received various sentences of up to nine months in prison and fines of around US$10 for clashing with government officials over a land confiscation case earlier this year. The ten men and nine women were sentenced under several charges, including disturbing government officials on duty, weapons possession, and assaulting government officials last month when they were attempting to measure farmland confiscated by the military government in 1990. Aung Sein, a lawyer for the 1https://www.dvb.no/wp-admin/post-new.php9 farmers, said that the male defendants received prison sentences of different lengths, while the female defendants were ordered to pay a fine of roughly 10,000 kyat, about $10. "One of the male defendants was sentenced to nine months in prison on charges of disturbing government officials on duty, cursing, weapons possession, and assault, while another one was sentenced to six months. The rest received sentences of three and a half months each," Aun Seing said. "The female defendants were fined 20,000 kyat each." The jailed villagers were immediately transported to Tavoy prison after the court hearing. Yi Yi Htwe, one of the female defendants, said about 50 locals accompanied them to the gate of Tavoy prison for moral support. The villagers claim they held more than 300 acres of land in Tavoy's Sanchi ward, but it was confiscated by the military regime in 1990. The area now houses the offices of the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party, as well as other government department buildings. After appealing to the Union Parliament's Farmland Investigation Commission for help, the authorities offered the villagers a settlement, but they rejected it, saying the offer was unfair. Related Stories Three farmers sentenced to three years for plough protest in Sagaing Burmese army plans to return only a quarter of seized land nationwide Tada-U farmers win back half their land, vow to fight on

Shwe Mann objects to MP calling ethnic armies ‘revolutionaries’ Posted: 17 Jul 2014 02:37 AM PDT Speaker of the Union Parliament Shwe Mann warned a lower house parliamentarian on Tuesday not to use the word "revolutionary" when referring to ethnic armed groups. Nang Wah Nu, a lower house MP from Shan State's Kunhein Township, referred to the Shan State Army-North (SSA-N) as a "revolutionary group" in a discussion about ongoing clashes between the Shan militia and the Burmese army. Shwe Mann informed her that she should not use such a word. "In the parliament session on Tuesday, when discussing the clashes, I urged the government to immediately halt clashes and military activities between the Burmese army and ethnic revolutionaries, and to resolve issues via negotiations and political means," Nang Wah Nu said. "I was warned by the speaker against using the word 'revolutionaries' – he claimed that using that word can be detrimental to the peace process and he suggested I refer to these groups as 'ethnic armed organisations'." Nang Wah Nu defended the use of the term, adding that it is common parlance. "I don't know how the speaker defines the word 'revolutionary', but I used it with an honest intent as it is commonly used among the public, especially among locals in the ethnic regions," she said. "I believe that using the term 'revolutionary' is not detrimental or harmful to peace." Related Stories Ceasefire language must be 'simple and coherent', says Thein Sein KIA requests two deserters be handed over by Burmese army Mandalay's parliament discusses tattoos of Burma's map

Thai and Burmese armies to discuss refugee repatriation in August Posted: 17 Jul 2014 01:36 AM PDT Thailand's 3rd Army commander will discuss preparations to repatriate refugees from nine camps along the Thai border during a summit on 1 to 3 August with Burmese officials. An army source said Lt Gen Preecha Chan-ocha, co-chairman of the Thai-Burma Regional Border Committee (RBC), will attend the RBC meeting in Mergui. The regularly scheduled sessions typically focus on joint drug suppression, co-existence of Thai and Burmese residents in the border zone, migrant workers and other issues. During this meeting, however, Lt Gen Preecha will inspect progress of a port-construction project in Mergui and discuss preparations to relocate about 130,000 Burmese refugees. National Council for Peace and Order chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha and Burmese supreme commander Gen Min Aung Hlaing last week agreed that the camps will be closed and all the refugees returned. The repatriation process currently is on hold and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees has stopped interviews of the refugees at all the camps as Burma and third countries targeted for resettlement are not yet ready. Thailand has divided the refugees into three groups: elderly Burmese who want to go home, but must be grouped according to ethnicity and origins; those who wish to resettle in the US and Europe; and younger refugees – many of whom were born in the Thai camps – who fear for their safety in Burma and wish to remain in the kingdom. There are also about 3,000 other refugees whose original backgrounds are not clearly known. The army source stressed, however, that “the NCPO’s policy is to send back all of them and close down all of the nine camps to end chronic security problems posed by the refugees.  This matter is also related to the problem of migrant workers being solved by the NCPO”. Related Stories Thai Army spokesman says refugee return will be a 'long process' Bullet Points Bullet Points

Mahasantisukha monks to countersue Buddhist council Posted: 17 Jul 2014 12:08 AM PDT Five Buddhist monks from the Mahasantisukha Monastery in Rangoon are attempting to countersue the National Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee, commonly known as the mahana. According to one the monks involved, Uttara, the group's legal team on Wednesday filed a legal motion against the mahana at the Bahan Township Court. He told DVB the suit was rejected; however, his lawyer later clarified that the motion had been "returned" but not "rejected". The five monks, apprehended by religious affairs officials and riot police on 10 June from the monastery — which has been the subject of ownership dispute between the National Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee and a revered abbot, Penang Sayadaw — were subsequently charged for Defamation of Religion and a 1990 law relating to insubordination and inciting "mutiny" within the monastic order. On 22 June, the group were released on 20 million kyat (US$20,000) bail each. Related Stories Sacked religious affairs minister swears he is innocent Religious Affairs Minister stripped of title and charged Mahasantisukha monks released on bail Uttara, a British passport holder, said on Wednesday that the group's legal team on 16 July filed a legal motion against the mahana at the Bahan court, but that it was "summarily rejected". "The [Bahan] court did not accept our motion – the judge said the decision to deny was based on 'administrative grounds' and not on 'legal grounds'," said Uttara. However, Than Tun Aung, one of the lawyers representing the monks, said the court had in fact "returned" the motion, not rejected it, and therefore the group may continue to pursue the matter through other legal avenues. "The court said that as per an administrative directive dealing with motions, the monk's suit was 'returned' but not 'rejected'," said Than Tun Aung. He noted that the Mahasantisukha monastery is in Tanwe Township, which does not fall under the Bahan court's jurisdiction. "The court said we may continue by following other legal avenues," the lawyer said.

Hakha lights up Posted: 16 Jul 2014 10:13 PM PDT Residents of Chin State capital Hakha can now enjoy 24-hour electricity since the town was connected to the national grid at the beginning of July. Speaking to DVB on Tuesday, an official at Hakha's Electricity Office said, "Most of Hakha has been connected now for about two weeks. Other areas are waiting for power lines to be installed." He added that the government has also announced its intention to extend the national grid to the town of Falam in the coming months. Chin State is arguably the most remote and underdeveloped region in Burma. Almost the entire population survive either without electricity or have alternate sources of energy such as private generators. Until now, Hakha and Falam were allocated an electricity supply of just a few hours every three or four days from the Laiva Hydropower Dam near Falam. An officer at Hakha Fire Department said that having a non-stop supply of electricity would make their work much more convenient. Salai Ceu Bik Thawng, secretary of the Chin National Democratic Party, said he welcomes the development and urges the government to connect other towns in the state to the national grid. "We would urge the government to prioritise the three district capitals [Hakha, Falam and Mindat], and then connect the grid further to the nine townships across the state." He said majority of the budget for installing the necessary infrastructure to connect Hakha with the grid was raised by local residents. Last month, the towns of Taungup and Sandoway [Thandwe] were among several areas in Arakan State that were likewise connected to the national grid. Related Stories Bullet Points Burma Business Weekly Chin party slams Religious Law proposals

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