Democratic Voice of Burma

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• Oracle monk denies Dhammazedi Bell was found
• Burma’s teachers chime in on education reform
• Political parties gear up for post-ceasefire dialogue
• Missing mountaineers: bad weather stalls rescue effort
• No deal on Pa-O, SSA-S land dispute

Oracle monk denies Dhammazedi Bell was found Posted: 15 Sep 2014 03:03 AM PDT A Buddhist monk rumoured to have sightseeing powers — who was involved in efforts to retrieve the Great Bell of Dhammazedi from the Rangoon River – has dissociated himself from announcements that the fabled bell had been found. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Than Hlin Nat Sin Tayar Sayadaw denied ever proclaiming that the bell had been found or would be found, and accused Burmese newspapers of misquoting him. The revered monk said that search crew leader San Lin had falsely announced on 26 August that the bell had been found on the seabed. Several media outlets have now reported that it is believed Rangoon authorities were going to pull the plug on search efforts, and San Lin announced the discovery of the bell in the hope of buying time. Than Hlin Nat Sin Tayar Sayadaw said that the search is continuing nonetheless. According to Kyi Win, a member of the support team on the underwater search, the discovery on 26 August was just a piece of iron, not the elusive bronze bell –thought to be the largest in the world and weighing nearly 300 tons – which has reputedly lain at the confluence of the Rangoon and Pegu rivers since a ship carrying it sank more than 400 years ago. Though many historians have questioned the accuracy of the tale, the Dhammazedi Bell is thought to have been cast in 1484 under the patronage of King Dhammazedi, a much-loved Mon monarch who ruled the Hanthawaddy Kingdom. It was reportedly intended as a gift for the Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon, where it remained until the 1600s when a Portuguese mercenary, Filipe de Brito e Nicote, stole the bell and ordered that it be taken from the city to be melted down as material for cannons. Related Stories Political parties gear up for post-ceasefire dialogue Ethnic leaders discuss final ceasefire accord Culture ministry to protect buildings, nature It was on that fateful journey from Rangoon's port that the Europeans' boat capsized under the weight of the bell – at a reputed 270 tons, the same weight as a Boeing 747 or 25 double-decker buses. Over the years, several unsuccessful missions have been launched to find the Dhammazedi Bell, and salvage efforts were renewed again this year when a Burmese team was able to raise more than US$250,000, mostly from local business people. According to the treasurer of the search team, no donated funds have yet been used to fund the underwater mission, only the 70 million kyat ($70,000) contributed personally by San Lin. He said they have a detailed list of expenses. Than Hlin Nat Sin Tayar Sayadaw was invited to join the effort in August, and he sat on the main salvage boat where he tried to determine the exact site of the wreckage through his supernatural skills. Several historians and researchers have now come forward expressing their doubts whether the boat containing the bell sank on the Rangoon River some 400 years ago, with some even questioning whether the enormous bell existed in the first place.

Burma’s teachers chime in on education reform Posted: 15 Sep 2014 02:57 AM PDT Opposition to Burma's National Education Bill continues to grow as the draft moves closer to approval. The Myanmar Teachers Federation (MTF) has joined the long list of students and educators that oppose the legislation. "We would like to announce to the people that we strongly believe the National Education Law affects not only the education sector but the entire country and the people," the MTF said in a statement released on Monday. "Therefore, the Myanmar Teachers Federation will fully cooperate with student unions across the country who are pushing for education reform that will truly benefit the country." Related Stories University Students Union opposes Education Bill Sagaing students protest controversial Education Bill Bullet Points The bill, drafted by the government's Education Promotion Implementation Committee (EPIC) and submitted to parliament in March 2014, was recently passed by both houses of parliament and now awaits the president's signature. Controversial from the outset, the bill has sparked heated demonstrations in Mandalay, Sagaing and Rangoon divisions. The bill's detractors claim that the education reform process lacks transparency and could ultimately serve to centralise education, granting too much power to the government. History has shown a tendency to marginalise minorities through the education system, which is in poor shape after decades of fiscal and administrative neglect. MTF pointed out that the national Network for Education Reform (NNER), an independent body of academics and educators that was formed to oversee the school reform process, is also critical of the legislation. The group also denounced the government's response to peaceful opposition to the bill, claiming that "authorities have investigated, threatened, arrested, pressured and tried to control students who have protested peacefully against the education bill." Burma has a high literacy rate – 93 percent, according to World Bank data released in 2012. However, the country's education system was stymied under decades of military rule, and remains sorely short of highly-skilled instructors. The budget allocated for education in Burma is under six percent of national spending.

Political parties gear up for post-ceasefire dialogue Posted: 14 Sep 2014 10:47 PM PDT Representatives of 53 political parties met in Rangoon on 13-14 September to discuss the framework for forthcoming political dialogue between Burma's ethnic armed groups and the central government. The country's two biggest parties, the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party and the opposition National League for Democracy, were notably absent. In all, 63 parties had been invited to participate in the discussions. Politicians are currently preparing for their participation in tripartite dialogue that will begin within 90 days of reaching a nationwide ceasefire agreement, which negotiators now say will happen by the end of 2014. "The role of political parties will be important in tripartite dialogue," said Sai Hla Kyaw, spokesperson for ethnic political alliance Nationalities Brotherhood Federation. Related Stories Oracle monk denies Dhammazedi Bell was found No deal on Pa-O, SSA-S land dispute Ethnic peacemakers reach 'non-negotiable' position "We want to have a framework agreed upon by all stakeholders. So far, both sides (ethnic and government negotiators) have established their frameworks, only we haven't finished preparations. Today we will hear the views of political leaders on peace in Burma," he said. Chairman of the National Democratic Force, Khin Maung Swe, said that the attendees will try to reach a consensus even though not all parties were present. "We can't say that this meeting is representative of all parties, as some delegates could not attend because they were not in Rangoon. Some sent in their views via email, others deliberately didn't attend the meeting," he said. "We can't speak for those who didn't want to join. That's up to them." The government's negotiating bloc, the Union Peace-making Work Committee, invited 34 party representatives and members of the ethnic peace committee, Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team, to meet on 18 August to discuss proposed frameworks. The discussions, reportedly meant to brief politicians on the peace process, followed complaints by some parties that they were being excluded from the negotiations.

Missing mountaineers: bad weather stalls rescue effort Posted: 14 Sep 2014 10:34 PM PDT A Chinese mountain rescue team brought in to search for two missing Burmese mountaineers on Hkakabo Razi has delayed the mission due to inclement weather. The Blue Sky rescue team arrived on Saturday, 13 September, at the Kachin town of Putao, the setting off spot for scaling the 5,881m peak, which is Southeast Asia's highest. But following discussions with the Burmese rescue effort, the mission has been postponed until rainy conditions on the Himalayan mountain subside. "We need to discuss how the work should be pursued," said a member of the Burmese rescue team. "Some difficulties currently exist. They [Blue Sky] thought they could head directly to the base of the Hkakabo Razi, but the weather conditions do not allow it." Related Stories Two Burmese mountaineers missing on Hkakabo Razi Rescue team on stand-by as Himalayan radio silence puts nerves on edge Base camp loses contact with Burmese mountaineers According to postings on social media by the Htoo Foundation, one of the main sponsors of the mountaineering mission, a preliminary search for Aung Myint Myat and Wai Yan Min Thu was already undertaken by teams in an aircraft provided by the Htoo Foundation and two helicopters from the Burmese air force. Eight climbers from the Rangoon University Hiking and Mountaineering Club set off from Putao on 31 July to scale Hkakabo Razi. Team leaders Aung Myint Myat and Wai Yan Min Thu were the only two to reach the peak, recorded on their GPS at 5:01pm on 31 August. However, either a technical problem with their satellite phone or a lack of battery power caused a cut in contact with the main party. The two have not been heard from since.

No deal on Pa-O, SSA-S land dispute Posted: 14 Sep 2014 09:08 PM PDT Delegates from the Pa-O National Liberation Organisation (PNLO) and the Shan State Army-South/ Restoration Council of Shan State (SSA-RCSS) failed to find an agreement on a territory dispute during a day of talks at the SSA headquarters in Loi Taileng on 11 September. The meeting followed a clash between the militias around the village of Nong Ton Ki in Mauk Mae Township, Shan State, on 3 September. Speaking to DVB this weekend, SSA-RCSS spokesperson Second General Officer Sai Ngin said the two sides had agreed to sit for another round of talks. "We made two agreements: first, to solve these land disputes peacefully; and second, for our top leaders to sit face to face again in the near future," he said. "It seems there are issues outstanding that cannot be compromised right now. Both sides will have to negotiate. We also need to discuss the matter within our group. It appears the government kind of handed over the Mauk Mae area to them. In our opinion, this is our land." He said that both sides discussed agreements that were made in 2007, according to which the PNLO can operate west of Pun Chaung while the SSA operates east of that town. However, matters are more complicated now because the Pa-O have moved several camps east of the agreed demarcation, the Shan army spokesman said. Related Stories Political parties gear up for post-ceasefire dialogue Ethnic peacemakers reach 'non-negotiable' position Ethnic leaders discuss final ceasefire accord Both sides pledged not to use violence to settle the dispute, he said. PNLO President Hkun Okker said that even if an agreement is made, Pa-O commanders are under instructions to shoot at any SSA soldiers who get too close or try to surround the disputed Nong Ton Ki area. He said that Aung Min, the vice-president of Union Peace-making Work Committee, had authorised the Pa-O to build 114 houses in the disputed area, of which 30 had already been constructed. Last week's negotiations were led by SSA/RCSS Vice-president (1) Gen. Sai Yee and the PNLO's Khun Myint Tun. Representatives of the Karenni National Progressive Party and the United Wa State Army, who attended the talks, urged both sides to resolve the dispute peacefully, said SSA's Sai Ngin. The President's Office has reportedly sent a letter urging both ethnic armed groups to resolve the matter peacefully.

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