Thursday, November 27, 2014

Democratic Voice of Burma

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Democratic Voice of Burma

DVB Bulletin 27 November 2014
MPs approve Suu Kyi bill to speed-up bylaws
Military MPs snub Suu Kyi
Pa-Oh army pledges to protect children
Ethnics appoint Aye Maung for sexpartite talks
Japan, Thailand ‘hesitating’ on Dawei
Football: Burma’s hopes hang by a thread
56 parties approve framework for political dialogue

DVB Bulletin 27 November 2014

Posted: 27 Nov 2014 04:13 AM PST

On tonight's bulletin:

NCCT says no ceasefire this year
No reprieve for jailed Unity Weekly journalists
Norwegian royals to visit Burma

You can watch DVB Bulletin every weeknight on DVB TV after the 7 o'clock news.

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MPs approve Suu Kyi bill to speed-up bylaws

Posted: 27 Nov 2014 02:30 AM PST

Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi put forward an urgent proposal on Wednesday in Burma’s bicameral parliament urging government ministries to speed-up the issuance of bylaws and regulations necessary to implement laws enacted by parliament.

In her formal proposal, the leader of Burma’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party told the Union Parliament: "The Hluttaw, as the country's legislative estate, is primarily tasked with introducing laws that are in the interest of the people and the country. However, we can only declare that we have truly fulfilled the interests of the people when these laws have a real effect on their lives.

"[For example,] we adopted the law on Protecting Rights and Raising Interests of Farmers on 8 October 2013, but it still has not taken effect because the bylaws and regulations have yet to be issues. Therefore, to this day farmers are still forced to leave their homes, move elsewhere and face various difficulties due to heavy indebtedness and the lack of access to technology and resources need to compete in the market and deal with other challenges.

"If we cannot follow up with bylaws and regulations for laws that have been approved by parliament, then it will give people the impression that these laws are only superficial, and the public's confidence might decline. This would damage the credibility of both the legislative and executive estates."

Suu Kyi's proposal was supported by Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) MP Thura Aung Ko and Deputy Attorney General Tun Tun Oo. Thereafter, the proposal was unanimously approved by the Union Parliament.

Burma's parliament—now in its 10^th session—has adopted over 120 pieces of legislation in total, but relevant government ministries have yet to introduce bylaws and regulations required to implement laws governing farmers and workers, who make up 85 percent of the country's population.

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Military MPs snub Suu Kyi

Posted: 27 Nov 2014 01:51 AM PST

Military representatives in parliament have declined an invitation by opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to have an informal meeting in Naypyidaw on Thursday.

Myo Aung, parliamentary lower house member of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party, said the military MPs responded to her invitation in a letter saying they could not attend the meeting as the invitation came on very short notice and they had other appointments in place.

Suu Kyi on Wednesday invited 70 military MPs to an informal dinner a day ahead of scheduled sexpartite talks which will include herself, Commander-in-Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, President Thein Sein and others, when constitutional reform will be discussed.

The opposition leader earlier this week enjoyed a similar informal meeting with MPs from ethnic-based parties.

Earlier on Thursday, ethnic-based political parties appointed Rakhine National Party leader Aye Maung as their representative at the sexpartite talks on constitutional reform scheduled for Friday.

There is said to be cautious optimism ahead of the talks. Khin Maung Swe, the Federal Democratic Alliance, told DVB on Wednesday: "There are different views: Aung San Suu Kyi and Shwe Mann on one side, and the government and army on the other. We need to wait and see how successful they will be."

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Pa-Oh army pledges to protect children

Posted: 27 Nov 2014 12:39 AM PST

The Pa-Oh National Liberation Organization (PNLO) and its armed wing, the Pa-Oh National Liberation Army (PNLA), pledged to protect children from the effects of armed conflict by signing a "Deed of Commitment" (DOC) in Geneva on 17 November, according to a statement issued by NGO Geneva Call.

The PNLA/PNLO signed the DOC at a conference called the "Third Meeting of Signatories to the Deeds of Commitment", where 35 armed non-State actors (ANSAs) from 14 countries gathered in Geneva from 17-20 November.

In its statement following the conference, Geneva Call quoted PNLO Chairman Khun Myint Tun as saying, "To protect our children is to protect the future of the Pa-Oh people."

DOCs are similar to international treaties which bind countries to international humanitarian norms, except that they are designed for ANSAs, which generally cannot sign international treaties. Geneva Call's website on Burma indicates that the PNLA is now the fifth armed ethnic group in Burma to sign the DOC on protecting children from the effects of armed conflict.

The other four groups that have signed the document are: the Chin National Front/Army (CNF/CNA); the Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army (KNU/KNLA); the Karenni National Progressive Party/Karenni Army (KNPP/KA); and the New Mon State Party/Mon National Liberation Army (NMSP/ MNLA), according to the Geneva Call website.

The international NGO says it was initially established in 2000 to engage with ANSAs worldwide on landmine issues and encourage them to sign a landmine DOC called the "Deed of Commitment for Adherence to a Total Ban on Anti-Personnel Mines and for Cooperation in Mine Action."

So far, 48 ANSAs from various countries have signed Geneva Call's landmine DOC, including six armed ethnic groups in Burma. However, only two ANSAs in Burma are still active signatories of the landmine DOC— CNF/CAN and the PSLF.

Among all of Burma’s non-state actors, CNF/CAN is unique because it is the only group that has signed all three of Geneva Call's DOCs: the landmine DOC; the child protection DOC; and the DOC prohibiting sexual violence and gender discrimination.

In August 2012, DVB reported that both the KNPP/KA and the NMSP/MNLA signed the children protection DOC not long after Burma's government decided to sign a Joint Action Plan with the UN to stop the recruitment and use of child soldiers in the Burmese military on 27 June 2012.

DVB reported that the recruitment and use of children by both sides of the armed conflict between ethnic groups and the Burmese army has been a recurrent feature in Burma's post-independence history.

This article was edited on 27 November 2014 to correct the following: a previous version of this article published on the same day indicated that the Palaung State Liberation Front (PSLF)—the political wing of the armed ethnic group known as the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA)—is among one of the non-state actors in Burma that is no longer an active signatory of Geneva Call's landmine "Deed of Commitment" (DOC), also known as the "Deed of Commitment for Adherence to a Total Ban on Anti-Personnel Mines and for Cooperation in Mine Action." However, there is no evidence to support this assertion. Rather, the PSLF is still an active signatory of the landmine DOC. The mistaken assertion made in the previous version of this article came from an erroneous source and DVB was unable to corroborate the information prior to publication.

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Ethnics appoint Aye Maung for sexpartite talks

Posted: 27 Nov 2014 12:33 AM PST

Ethnic-based political parties on Thursday appointed Rakhine National Party leader Aye Maung as their representative at the sexpartite talks on constitutional reform scheduled for Friday.

Aye Maung was appointed via secret ballot at a meeting of ethnic MPs in Naypyidaw.

On 25 November, the Burma union parliament approved an urgent proposal to facilitate a sexpartite dialogue – with President Thein Sein representing the government; house speakers Shwe Mann and Khin Aung Myint representing parliament; Commander-in-Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing sitting on behalf of the military; Aung San Suu Kyi for opposition political parties; and one ethnic representative.

Aye Maung, a strong Arakanese nationalist, was nominated for a vice-presidential position after winning a seat in the 2010 elections.

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Japan, Thailand ‘hesitating’ on Dawei

Posted: 26 Nov 2014 11:22 PM PST

Speaking in Burma's lower house of parliament on Wednesday, Minister for National Planning and Economic Development Kan Zaw announced that Japan and Thailand – assumed to be the prime investors in the Dawei deep-sea port project in Tenasserim – are hesitating.

Responding to a question from MP Aung Soe of Launglon Township in Tavoy (Dawei), Kan Zaw said "implementation is taking place on a step-by-step basis as the project area is immense."

He said the initial phase of the project will be completed within the next year and will be followed up with another three-year phase, adding that "potential investors" are hesitating on moving ahead with the special economic zone (SEZ), which is estimated to cost some US$50 billion.

Japan has recently focused its attention on attracting investment for the Thilawa SEZ, situated farther north on Burma's eastern Andaman coast and with a viable port situated close to Rangoon.

The Dawei SEZ has been put on hold several times, while Naypyidaw has advertised quietly for other investors.

Thai construction giant Italian-Thai Co initially had the contract to implement the Dawei project, but it pulled out last year over a series of setbacks and a failure to attract investment.

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Football: Burma’s hopes hang by a thread

Posted: 26 Nov 2014 09:08 PM PST

The Burmese national football team's hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals of the 2014 AFF Suzuki Cup hang by a thread after it lost 4-2 to Singapore in a thrilling encounter on Wednesday night.

With Thailand defeating Malaysia 3-2 in the other Group B fixture, Burma is now lodged at the foot of the table with one point alongside Malaysia. Thailand has a 100 percent record with six points and the Singaporeans have four points. This means Burma must convincingly beat Thailand in the final match and hope that Malaysia beats Singapore by a single goal.

But the Burmese can once again feel proud of their performance. Indeed they looked dead and buried in the first half when Singapore marched into a comfortable 3-0 before the interval. Playing in front of a passionate home crowd at the National Stadium, Singapore went ahead as early as the 15^th minute when Shaiful Esah scored from a free-kick. The Lions then netted another two just before half-time.

Burma had been playing a rather defensive 4-4-1-1 formation, but came out for the second half with an attacking attitude and began launching feverish assaults on the opponents' goal. The Singaporean crowd were hushed when Kyaw Zayar Win pounced first to score, followed by a penalty which Kyaw Ko Ko converted. Suddenly it looked like the impossible was possible.

But 15 minutes from time, a cruel deflection from another Shaiful Esah free-kick landed in the back of the net, giving the home team a 4-2 lead, which it held onto until the final whistle.

Burmese fans must know hope for a miracle on Saturday when the White Angels come up against old rivals Thailand.

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56 parties approve framework for political dialogue

Posted: 26 Nov 2014 07:23 PM PST

Fifty-six Burmese political parties have approved a framework for post-ceasefire political dialogue.

The Peace and Political Framework Drafting Committee submitted a draft document to representatives of 56 parties on November 25-26, after which it was swiftly approved.

"The main aim is to establish a federal union," said Saw Than Myint, the vice-chairman of the Federal Union Party. "The results [of the political dialogue] will involve decisions taken by all stakeholders, and they will include amendments to the Constitution.”

The representatives of the 56 political parties are now scheduled to meet with other parties that were not included in the Drafting Committee, the opposition National League for Democracy being the most noteworthy.

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Thursday, November 27, 2014