The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Arakan State Govt ‘Condemns’ UN Rohingya Statement
• Doubts, Warnings After Speaker Nixes 2015 Charter Change
• Kyat Continues Slide Against Greenback
• 22 Dead as Burma Army Fires on Kachin Military Academy, Rebels Say
• Blacklistee’s Backers Brawl in Biryani Backlash
• Landmark YCDC Election Campaigns Underway
• As Lawmakers Raise Pay, Minimum Wage Law Languishes
• UN Push Against North Korea on Rights Moves Ahead
• Hong Kong Protesters Break Into Govt Building, Four Arrested
• China blames rise in violence on drug smuggling from Southeast Asia
• ‘There is No Support From the Government’

Arakan State Govt ‘Condemns’ UN Rohingya Statement Posted: 19 Nov 2014 06:10 AM PST United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon shakes hands with Burma President Thein Sein as he arrives for the East Asia Summit (EAS) plenary session during the Asean Summit in Naypyidaw on Nov. 13, 2014. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — The Arakan State parliament voted unanimously on Tuesday in favor of a non-binding resolution formally condemning UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his use of the word "Rohingya" during his most recent visit to Burma. Arakanese politicians told The Irrawaddy that the motion was intended to publicly register the state government's disapproval of the term. Aung Myat Kyaw, an ethnic Arakenese lawmaker representing the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party (RNDP), proposed the motion to the state parliament on Monday. "According to our existing laws, there are no people in our country called Rohingya. Ban Ki-moon kept using this word, 'Rohingya,' which is why I proposed this urgent issue in parliament to discuss and condemn it," Aung Myat Kyaw told The Irrawaddy. "He is the head of the United Nations, he should be careful when he uses this word," he added. The motion follows unconfirmed reports that Arakan State Chief Minister Maung Maung Ohn told reporters on Saturday that the state would reject assistance from aid organizations that use the word Rohingya to refer to the stateless Muslim minority that self-identifies as such. "I encouraged Myanmar [Burma] leaders to uphold human rights, take a strong stance against incitement, and ensure humanitarian access to Rohingya living in vulnerable conditions," the secretary-general told reporters during the 25th Asean Summit in Naypyidaw on Nov. 12. Ban said he stressed the urgency of the humanitarian situation in Arakan State during a closed-door meeting with senior Burmese government officials. He also reaffirmed the UN's known position on referring to ethnic minorities in accordance with how they self-identify. "The affected population—referred to as Bengalis by the government of Myanmar but known as Rohingya in the United Nations and in much of the international community—the United Nations uses that word based on the rights of minorities," said Ban. The following day, Burma's Ministry of Information published a letter to the secretary-general signed by Maung Maung Ohn criticizing his use of the term, claiming it "has alienated the [Arakanese] population and further fueled their distrust of all the United Nations agencies and international organizations." Rohingya are a Muslim minority living primarily in western Burma, where the majority of the population is ethnic Arakanese and Buddhism is the dominant religion. The Rohingya population is estimated to be about 1 million, though they were categorically excluded from Burma's 2014 census—the country's first in more than 30 years—because they were not included among an official roster of national ethnicities. Rohingya are denied citizenship by Burma's controversial 1982 Citizenship Law, with the government and much of the general population viewing them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Many Rohingya families have resided in Burma for several generations, but often they are unable to prove it. The group bore the brunt of several rounds of inter-communal violence between Muslims and Arakanese Buddhists that began in June 2012. Riots in several of the state's most densely populated areas left more than 100 people dead and about 140,000 displaced, many still living in isolated camps where they are routinely denied access to aid, income and education. About 100,000 more have reportedly fled the country since the crisis began, seeking refuge in neighboring countries. A staggering number of those asylum-seekers never reach their destinations; some die at sea while others fall victim to human traffickers. Those who remain face severe discrimination, while Muslims living in displacement camps suffer lack of basic resources like food, water, medicine and education. In February, frontline health provider Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) was expelled from the state shortly after making statements that it had treated patients it believed were the victims of an alleged massacre in the state's north in January. A month later, mob violence targeting aid groups in the capital Sittwe forced all foreign aid workers to flee. Months of bureaucratic and political roadblocks prolonged an eventual, conditional and partial return of assistance that still has not returned to its former capacity. The Burmese government recently drafted a "Rakhine Action Plan," detailing plans for resettlement, aid provisions and reintegration for displaced persons. A leaked version of the plan was roundly criticized by the United Nations and many Western governments, primarily because it risked lasting segregation and denied citizenship rights to those who identified as Rohingya. A senior US advisor on Thursday said that the United States would like the Burmese government to draft an entirely new plan, "[one] that will allow the Rohingya to become citizens through a normal process without having to do that type of self-identification." International support for the minority has swelled as tolerance within Burma dwindles. A social media campaign urged US President Barack Obama to "just say their name" during his visit to Burma last week, where he also attended regional summits and met with Burma's leaders. Obama has likewise been criticized by Arakanese leaders for his use of the contentious terminology, but he was not identified in Tuesday's resolution. "Obama and Ban Ki-moon both used the word Rohingya," said Htet Tun Aung, a parliamentarian representing Arakan State's Pauktaw Township. "We feel they are interfering in domestic affairs, they are trying to play with our internal politics." The view that international actors are meddling in a domestic issue is pervasive among the state's politicians, shared by every Arakanese politician that The Irrawaddy spoke to. Pe Than, a Lower House MP and member of the RNDP, echoed the sentiment, adding that outsiders who use the "irresponsible word" risk inflaming tensions. Sources within the Arakanese community in Sittwe told The Irrawaddy that the public supports the views of the state legislature, and activists have planned a demonstration in the capital on Sunday. Additional reporting by Saw Yan Naing. The post Arakan State Govt 'Condemns' UN Rohingya Statement appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Doubts, Warnings After Speaker Nixes 2015 Charter Change Posted: 19 Nov 2014 05:52 AM PST A member of Parliament from the military holds a copy of the Constitution as he speaks to other fellow MPs during a Parliament meeting in Naypyidaw on April 24, 2012. (Photo: Reuters / Soe Zeya Tun) RANGOON — In the wake of parliamentary Speaker Shwe Mann's declaration on Tuesday that constitutional changes would have to wait until after a new government is sworn in in 2016, lawmakers this week are questioning Naypyidaw's reformist credentials anew. "It's like saying clearly that there is no situation in which the 2008 Constitution will be amended," said Saw Than Myint, deputy chairman of the Federal Union Party. As constitutional reform discussions continue in Parliament this week, Lower House lawmaker Khine Mg Ye said there was little chance to change articles that democratic forces have been campaigning against for years. The reason, he said, was military representatives' intransigence. In particular, holding back proponents of reform is military representatives' opposition to Article 436, a key clause that gives the military an effective veto over amendments to most of the Constitution. "It's almost impossible to amend Article 436 without the acquiescence of a single military representative," Khine Mg Ye said, calling on the highest reaches of the military establishment to lend their support for change. "Since all the military representatives, being unified, listen to orders from higher officials, it's impossible to amend the Constitution with involvement of the commander-in-chief [Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing]." Khine Mg Ye noted that constitutional reform was an important step in moving the country toward a genuinely civilian government. In comments posted to the Facebook account of her National League for Democracy (NLD), Suu Kyi reacted less shrilly to the Shwe Mann announcement. "He [Shwe Mann] is talking about 'process.' This will be what the process looks like," she said. "Let's say it is decided to amend Article 436: Only after it is decided to amend Article 436 can some other [provisions] be amended. … According to the process, it must be done like this." She also said constitutional reform was necessary to complete the country's democratic transition. "The role that the 2008 Constitution has given to the military is not in line with democratic norms," said Suu Kyi, whose NLD has spearheaded a campaign to amend Article 436. A separate constitutional clause, Article 59(f), currently bars the NLD chairwoman from the presidency because her late husband and two sons are foreign nationals. At a press conference on Tuesday, Shwe Mann said the need to maintain administrative continuity was the reason that the enactment of constitutional reform would have to wait until 2016, subject to the results of a national referendum in May of next year. But postponing amendments to the charter could also deal a blow to efforts between the government and ethnic armed rebel groups to achieve a lasting peace after decades of civil war, according to Mya Aye of the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society. "If a few amendments are not made to this Constitution, there will be more doubts about how it will be possible to build a democratic federal union, which the ethnic [minorities] are expecting. This is the immediate impact," he said. Saw Than Myint questioned whether Shwe Mann's mentality would lead to political paralysis in Parliament. "The Parliament must do their job [legislating]," he said. "No one knows who is going to be elected to the next Parliament. … We still have time. Does this mean the Parliament is not going to do anything?" Additional reporting by The Irrawaddy's Kyaw Kha. The post Doubts, Warnings After Speaker Nixes 2015 Charter Change appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Kyat Continues Slide Against Greenback Posted: 19 Nov 2014 05:38 AM PST People exchange kyat banknotes at a local bank in Rangoon. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — A continued resurgence of the US dollar and a widening trade deficit has seen the kyat hit a new low on the exchange market. The exchange rate rose 8 percent in the last two months, from 970 kyats per dollar mid-September to 1048 kyats on Wednesday, according to the Central Bank of Myanmar "It is related to the increased strength of the US economy, but there is also the issue of the imbalance in [Burma's] imports and exports," economist Maw Than told The Irrawaddy. Since Oct. 28 last year, the US dollar has risen 7.9 percent against the currency benchmark known as the US Dollar Index, according to Bloomberg. Burma's trade deficit for the first six months of the fiscal year, from April to September, was US$3 billion. Exporter Hnin Oo told The Irrawaddy that the weakening kyat was positive for export sales but gave no net benefit, as many businesses depended on imported goods for their product lines. "When we only look at the export sector, it can give a positive effect, but exporters living locally still need to buy imported things. So it's nothing special for us." He added that most businessmen wanted long-term stability in exchange rates to guard against uncertainty and fluctuating prices. Maw Than has cautioned against the Central Bank taking aggressive action to stabilize exchange rates. "If the Myanmar Central Bank had large reserves of US dollars like the Chinese central bank, it could sell them in the market [and maintain a constant exchange rate]," he said. "But the Myanmar Central Bank doesn't have many US dollars to sell in the market—if they increased their selling, it would lead to a dangerous situation." The Ministry of Commerce has reportedly said that it plans to address the trade deficit and take measures to gradually increase the exchange rate. The post Kyat Continues Slide Against Greenback appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

22 Dead as Burma Army Fires on Kachin Military Academy, Rebels Say Posted: 19 Nov 2014 04:54 AM PST KIA sources say 22 Kachin soldiers were killed by artillery fire launched by the Burma Army on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2014. (Photo: Jade Land Kachin / Facebook) RANGOON — Twenty-two ethnic Kachin soldiers were killed and 15 others wounded when Burmese troops fired on a rebel base in Laiza on Wednesday, rebel officers confirmed. La Nan, a spokesperson for the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), which is headquartered in Laiza, told The Irrawaddy by phone that "22 military academic trainees died and 15 were injured due to artillery shelling by the government [military base] at Hkarabum." All of the injured are currently being treated at Laiza General Hospital. The soldiers were all under 30 years of age and were training for combat in a rebel base at Jawng Rung. La Nan said that the fighting is still ongoing in some areas and described the Laiza encounter as an "ambush." "Government troops attacked with artillery. At 12:15pm, Light Infantry Battalion No. 390 attacked with 105mm [caliber ammunition]. At 12:36pm, Hkarabum Infantry No. 389 shot a 105mm into the military academy," he said, adding that the academy is within close range of a camp for internally displaced persons (IDP). A military official representing the northern command of the Burma Army in Myitkyina could not offer any confirmation or further details as of Wednesday afternoon. "We need to find out what is going on on the ground. We can't provide any detailed information at the moment," the officer said on condition of anonymity. At least two other offensives against KIA soldiers were reported this week in Kachin and Shan states. KIA sources said that clashes beginning on Monday left one dead in northern Shan State, while fighting that erupted in Kachin State's Hopin Township continues after causing one casualty. Fighting has continued in northern Burma's Kachin State since a government offensive led to the breakdown of a 17-year ceasefire in mid-2011. More than 100,000 people have been displaced by the conflict to date, many living in isolated and impoverished IDP camps. The KIA is one of Burma's only major ethnic armed groups that has not secured a bilateral ceasefire with the government as negotiators continue to push for a nationwide pact. The post 22 Dead as Burma Army Fires on Kachin Military Academy, Rebels Say appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Blacklistee’s Backers Brawl in Biryani Backlash Posted: 19 Nov 2014 04:42 AM PST Members of a demonstration in support of USDP lawmaker Aung Thaung storm a truck dispensing biryani parcels promised to the crowd. (Photo: The Ladies News Journal / Facebook) RANGOON — A demonstration in Mandalay Division was talk of the town on Sunday, after an ostensible show of support for a senior USDP politician devolved into a food fight more reminiscent of a Marx Brothers film than a political gathering. The rally, held in Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) hardliner Aung Thaung's constituency of Taung Thar Township, condemned the Oct. 31 decision by the United States Treasury to sanction the lawmaker. Although it was unclear who organized the protests, locals told The Irrawaddy that they had identified some of the demonstrators as USDP members, and said they were informed before the demonstration started that participants would be given a parcel of biryani for their troubles. About a thousand people joined the rally, brandishing placards with statements of support such as "We oppose US sanctions against our representative", "We love our representative" and "Our representative is a nice person". Trucks carrying takeaway Biryani packs and bottled water arrived and began to distribute food as planned, but the crowd quickly became restive after an announcement that the food would soon run out. "They suddenly dropped the placards, nudging each other and fighting for the biryani," said Aung Myo Tun, a resident of Taung Tha. "After that, the road was left with pile of garbage, broken placards and plastic bottles. At some places, rice grains from broken biryani containers were scattered everywhere. Later, some police and USDP members arrived to clean up the trash." Photos of the crowd discarding their signs and storming the truck were uploaded and shared by nearly 2000 people. "We love U Aung Thaung, but we preferred the biryani most," read one of the comments on Facebook. Another rechristened the subject of the demonstrations as "Biryani Aung Thaung." Others defended the actions of the demonstrators and criticized the drafting of the villagers for an act of political theatre. "A plate of biryani costs around 2000 kyats [$US2], and most of the people there could not afford it," wrote Htet Naing Linn. "Nudging each other for a free biryani is not a surprise. The USDP knows the weak points of the people and used food and money to gather a crowd in order to organize a demonstration for their own interests." The practice of recruiting demonstrators through food, money or coercion has a storied tradition in recent Burmese history. During military rule, the junta recruited well-paid thugs to infiltrate or attack opposition and activist demonstrations, most infamously during the 1988 democracy protests. In the 2003 Depayin massacre, a pro-junta group known as the Swan Ah Shin militia and members of the government-backed Union Solidarity and Development Association attacked the motorcade of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, killing at least 70 people. During the Saffron Revolution in 2007, the Swan Ah Shin and thugs equipped with sharpened bamboo rods were reportedly given 3000 kyats (US$3), lunch and alcoholic drinks to attack, disperse and arrest crowds of protesting monks. It has been alleged that USDP members are responsible for flashes of anti-Muslim violence in Shan State and Mandalay Division over the last two years. Singapore's Straits Times newspaper published a report in 2013 hinting at Aung Thaung's possible connection to anti-Muslim riots in Burma. The report described the emergence of a new Buddhist militia known as the Taung Tha Army, and noted that Taung Tha "happens to be home to the notoriously hardline Aung Thaung." Aung Thaung has previously told The Irrawaddy that the report is nonsense, stating that he has never formed an organization and has neither the right nor the ability to do so. When communal violence spread to Mandalay in June, residents reportedly complained that a highly organized group of thugs suddenly appeared to create the unrest. These accounts have yet to be independently verified. Critics believe that the USDP will continue to use paid demonstrators in the lead-up to next year's elections. "The recent food fight in Taung Tha showed clearly that demonstrations and public rallies conducted to support the USDP use paid participants," said Ashin Issariya, an ex-political prisoner and one of the leaders of the 2007 uprising. "They did this in the past, they are doing it now and they will do it in the future as well." "Since they have every single penny of the government at their disposal, there's no doubt they will buy the support of people in the 2015 election," he added. The post Blacklistee's Backers Brawl in Biryani Backlash appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Landmark YCDC Election Campaigns Underway Posted: 19 Nov 2014 04:26 AM PST City Hall, which hosts the offices of the Yangon City Development Committee, is pictured in downtown Rangoon. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The first candidates in more than 50 years to run for municipal office in Rangoon have begun preparations for campaigns that will conclude late next month ahead of a landmark election set for Dec. 27. The Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) has opened up a total of 115 seats on committees at the divisional, district and township levels of Burma's biggest city. Since a military coup in 1962, these 115 seats had been appointed by the country's former military regimes. However, the nine-member Divisional Municipal Committee will still be comprised of five appointed seats, and the municipal voter rolls will be limited to one vote per household. The elections will be held on Dec. 27, and candidates are permitted to campaign up until one day before the poll. "I will start campaigning at the end of this month. Now, I am preparing pamphlets and posters," said Aung Hla, an approved candidate for a Township Municipal Committee who serves on a local fire brigade. He said that during the campaign, he would inform voters of his biography. "I want to serve as a bridge between the public and YCDC. I would like to present the public's needs and difficulties to the municipal body," the candidate said. Aung Hla said that he would like to see some YCDC regulations reduced, while ensuring enforcement of existing rules that he views as necessary. Though the concept of municipal elections is new to Rangoon residents, candidates appear to be employing tried and true campaign tactics. "I will begin campaigning in the first week of December," said Naw Wah Wah Htoo, a candidate from Insein Township. "I will distribute pamphlets in public places and send posters to the ward administration offices." The candidate said she would like to find solutions to shortcomings in YCDC's garbage collection program and the city's drainage system. "Why can't the municipal [government] solve these problems? I would like to know," she said. She said that with candidates elected by voters, committee members would be expected to perform in their roles as city leaders. Out of 305 applicants who applied to run in the upcoming poll, a municipal election commission approved 291 applicants, with seven applicants withdrawing their applications and seven others rejected because they did not meet candidature requirements laid out by YCDC. Win Cho, a former political prisoner and land rights activist who was rejected by the city election commission, said he was turned down due to a "misunderstanding." "The commission rejected me for providing an incomplete biography including the prison sentences [served as a political prisoner] and holding [unauthorized] demonstrations," said Win Cho, who added that he had decided to attempt to contest the elections to provide the voice of the public. The activist has appealed the ruling, and hopes to hear the result soon. "Although I believe I can run in the elections, it is up to the decision of YCDC's election commission," he said. The post Landmark YCDC Election Campaigns Underway appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

As Lawmakers Raise Pay, Minimum Wage Law Languishes Posted: 19 Nov 2014 02:47 AM PST Workers from the Indian wood processing firm Century Ply in Rangoon's East Dagon Industrial Zone hold a strike calling for more labor rights on Nov. 19, 2014. (Photo: Sai Zaw / The Irrawaddy) Government efforts to conduct a survey on laborers' socioeconomic conditions and set a daily minimum wage have been delayed for more than a year and a half, even as salaries for lawmakers and civil servants are once again due to increase. Parliament passed a Minimum Wage Law in March 2013 and the Ministry of Labor said in January that it would set the minimum wage by year's end, pending data collection covering current wages, the size of the workforce, laborers' living standards and their families. But a labor alliance, the Myanmar Trade Union Federation (MTUF), said the law and related bylaws have not been implemented because the workers' survey is not yet completed. Aung Lin, the MTUF chairperson and member of a national committee tasked with determining the minimum wage, told The Irrawaddy that "it is because of delays by the [Labor] Ministry." The MTUF conducted its own survey in pilot areas in July 2013, the results of which were shared with the national minimum wage committee. It suggested the daily minimum wage be set at 7,000 kyats (US$7) for a household of three people, according to Aung Lin, who added that the Labor Ministry disregarded the findings. The majority of Burma's 51 million people are either wage laborers or farmers who reside in rural areas. Workers at several factories in industrial zones have held wage-related strikes in recent years, facing a job market where a general laborer earns about 60,000 kyats per month while a skilled laborer earns about 150,000 kyats per month. "The standard minimum wage should be implemented as soon as possible to reduce the workers' survival problems," said Mar Mar Oo, the deputy team leader of the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society, who added that an additional impending burden on workers would be rising commodity prices expected as a result of a hike of civil servants' salaries. Amid the delay in setting a minimum wage, lawmakers last week authorized a salary raise for themselves, as well as for civil servants and soldiers. Parliament on Nov. 12 approved a motion to implement salary increases for civil servants, soldiers and lawmakers in the next fiscal year, which begins in April 2015. According to the Ministry of National Planning & Economic Development, more than one million people in Burma work as civil servants. The motion included provisions on setting minimum wage bylaws and the implementation of protections for the country's farmers, but there have been no new developments on these labor issues since then. A Union-level lawmaker receives a salary of 300,000 kyats per month, and a per diem of 10,000 kyats while they are attending sessions of Parliament. Divisional and state-level parliamentarians earn less, at 200,000 kyats per month. On Tuesday, the Lower House agreed to a range of salary increases, stipulating that the 2015-16 pay rise would put salaries at 1 million to 1.6 million kyats for each Union-level lawmaker and 500,000 to 1 million kyats for each state and divisional lawmaker. Parliamentarians this week defended the proposed pay rise. "Our effort for the salary increases is not solely for us—our successors would have much benefit from that," said Ye Htun, an ethnic Shan lawmaker who passed blame on the delay to the minimum wage's implementation. "We can only make laws, and the respective ministries then implement it. Now the salary issues have been agreed to, but the exact amount on the raise is the executive's decision." The current Parliament's term expires in March 2016, following national elections slated for late 2015. Ba Shein, an Arakanese lawmaker, said the agreed salary boost would help parliamentarians to focus on their work. While some sitting members of Parliament are wealthy, others struggle to afford even basic things like their children's school fees, he said. "How can we work if we cannot support our families?" Ba Shein said. The amount of each salary increase is yet to be determined by relevant ministries of President Thein Sein's administration. The president has two weeks to review and sign into law any proposal passed by Parliament, and can also send it back to the legislature with suggested changes. The post As Lawmakers Raise Pay, Minimum Wage Law Languishes appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

UN Push Against North Korea on Rights Moves Ahead Posted: 18 Nov 2014 09:36 PM PST Michael Kirby, chairman of the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in North Korea, holds a copy of his report during a news conference at the UN in Geneva on Feb. 17, 2014. (Photo: Reuters) UNITED NATIONS — The world's boldest effort yet to hold North Korea and leader Kim Jong-un accountable for alleged crimes against humanity moved forward Tuesday at the United Nations, where a Pyongyang envoy threatened further nuclear tests. The UN General Assembly's human rights committee approved a resolution that urges the Security Council to refer the country's harsh human rights situation to the International Criminal Court. The non-binding resolution now goes to the General Assembly for a vote in the coming weeks. China and Russia, which hold veto power on the council, voted against it. The resolution was inspired by a groundbreaking UN commission of inquiry report early this year that declared North Korea's human rights situation "exceeds all others in duration, intensity and horror." The UN committee has adopted similar resolutions on the North's abysmal human rights conditions in the past. But the fact that this year's resolution includes the new idea that their absolute leader could be targeted by prosecutors has pushed the communist country to make a more furious response as that would pose a setback to its recent efforts to improve ties with the outside world to lure foreign investment and aid and revive the country's troubled economy. North Korean officials would also view the resolution as a potential embarrassment to their young leader who took power after the death of his dictator father Kim Jong-il in late 2011. North Korea sent a sharp warning in comments before the vote. Trying to punish it over human rights "is compelling us not to refrain any further from conducting nuclear tests," said Choe Myong-nam, a foreign ministry adviser for UN and human rights issues. His colleagues gave no details on that threat. Choe also accused the European Union and Japan, the resolution's co-sponsors, of "subservience and sycophancy" to the United States, and he promised "unpredictable and serious consequences" if the resolution went forward. The European Union quickly issued a statement welcoming the support of 111 countries in the vote. Nineteen countries voted against, and 55 abstained. "It is admirable that the member states of the United Nations are acting to protect the people of North Korea when their own government fails to do so," the head of the commission of inquiry, retired Australian judge Michael Kirby, said in an email, adding that he is confident the Security Council will "act responsibly." Human rights groups turned their attention to China and Russia, which could block any Security Council move. "No Security Council country, including China, can deny the horror endured by so many North Koreans," Kenneth Roth, director of Human Rights Watch, said in a statement just after the vote. "The time has come for justice." North Korea and its allies have argued that a resolution that targets a single country would set a dangerous precedent and that other developing countries could be singled out, too. The resolution says the commission of inquiry report found grounds to believe that crimes against humanity have been committed under policies "established at the highest level of the State for decades." It calls for targeted sanctions against the people who appear to be most responsible. The commission of inquiry earlier warned Kim Jong-un that could include him. Cuba proposed an amendment that would have stripped out the tough language on the ICC, but the committee's member countries voted that down earlier Tuesday. The mere possibility that its leader could be targeted by prosecutors has put North Korean officials, once dismissive of human rights issues, on edge. In recent weeks, it dangled the possibility of a visit by the UN human rights chief, among other attempts at outreach. "The North Koreans are strongly responding to the UN resolution because they think it's shaking the young leader who's been trying to consolidate his power since inheriting power only a few years ago," said Lim Eul Chul, a North Korea expert at South Korea's Kyungnam University. "They would think their international image has been seriously hit." But the North is unlikely to make good on its threat to conduct a nuclear test because the country knows such an action would invite further international condemnation. Also, there is little chance that Russia and China will let the Security Council refer the North's human rights situation to the ICC in The Hague, analysts said. "North Korea's reaction will mostly be verbal. They may threaten nuclear and missile tests, but they probably won't carry them out," said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. In the chamber Tuesday, a North Korean foreign ministry adviser, Kim Ju-song, was witnessed trying to get a UN official to eject Shin Dong-hyuk, a young man who fled North Korea and has since spoken out against the Pyongyang regime. The commission of inquiry report was based on interviews with dozens of people like Shin who had fled and detailed abuses including starvation and a system of harsh prison camps containing up to 120,000 people. North Korea has accused people who cooperated with the commission of inquiry of lying, and it produced a video showing Shin's father in North Korea condemning him. But Shin, who bowed to Japan's ambassador in thanks after the vote, said North Korea's attempt to intimidate him and others backfired. "This was an overwhelming defeat," he said. The post UN Push Against North Korea on Rights Moves Ahead appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Hong Kong Protesters Break Into Govt Building, Four Arrested Posted: 18 Nov 2014 09:01 PM PST Masked pro-democracy protesters try to break a glass window of the Legislative Council in Hong Kong early November 19, 2014. (Photo: Reuters) HONG KONG — A small group of Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters broke into the city's legislature via a side door early on Wednesday and police stopped others forcing their way in as tensions in the Chinese-controlled city escalated following a period of calm. The flare-up came just hours after court bailiffs managed to clear part of a protest camp in the heart of the city that has been occupied by pro-democracy demonstrators for nearly two months, while leaving most of the main protest site intact. About 100 riot police with helmets, batons and shields stood guard outside the government building in the early hours of Wednesday, facing off with protesters who are demanding free elections for the city's next leader in 2017. Four people, aged between 18 and 24, were arrested while three officers were treated in hospital for injuries, police said in a statement. The protest site was peaceful later in the morning, with just a handful of police on guard. It was the first time protesters had broken into a key public building, defying the expectations of many political analysts who had predicted that Hong Kong's most tenacious and protracted protest movement would slowly wind down. A small group of protesters charged toward the legislature and used metal barricades and concrete tiles to ram a glass side door. They eventually smashed through, with several managing to get inside, witnesses said. Scores of riot police, some with shields and helmets, rushed over, using pepper spray and batons to keep other demonstrators from also smashing their way in. A democratic lawmaker at the scene, Fernando Cheung, said he and other protesters had tried to stop the activists from breaking through. "This is a very, very isolated incident. I think it's very unfortunate and this is something we don't want to see happen because the movement so far has been very peaceful," he said. Hong Kong, a former British colony, returned to China in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula that gives the city more autonomy and freedom than the mainland, with an eventual goal of universal suffrage. The protesters are demanding open nominations in the city's next election for chief executive in 2017. Beijing has said it will allow a free vote, but only for pre-screened candidates. On Tuesday, about 30 court bailiffs arrived at the 33-storey Citic Tower, also in the Admiralty district, to enforce an injunction forbidding street barricades. A similar injunction has been issued for a street in the gritty district of Mong Kok across the harbor. The post Hong Kong Protesters Break Into Govt Building, Four Arrested appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

China blames rise in violence on drug smuggling from Southeast Asia Posted: 18 Nov 2014 08:56 PM PST Paramilitary policemen carry seized crystal methamphetamine in Guangdong Province last year. (Photo: Reuters) BEIJING — An increase in the smuggling of synthetic drugs like methamphetamine from Southeast Asia has fuelled a rise in violent crime in China this year, a state-run newspaper reported on Wednesday. In the first nine months of the year, police recorded more than 100 incidents of violent crime blamed on methamphetamine, more than the total number seen in the previous five years, Liu said. "China is facing a grim task in curbing synthetic drugs, including ‘ice’, which more and more of China’s drug addicts tend to use," the official China Daily quoted Liu Yuejin, head of the public security ministry’s Narcotics Control Bureau as saying, referring to the street name for methamphetamine. "Compared with traditional drugs, such as heroin and opium, methamphetamine can easily lead to mental problems," he added. "Addicts will be prone to extreme and violent behaviour, including murder and kidnapping." Methamphetamine was being smuggled into China’s southwestern province of Yunnan and region of Guangxi, both of which border Southeast Asia, the newspaper said. Last year, Yunnan police confiscated more than 9 tonnes of methamphetamine that had been smuggled in from Myanmar, while drugs have also been coming in from Vietnam, it added. China has stepped up cooperation with Laos, Myanmar and Thailand to help tackle the problem, the report said. Liu added that China was suspected of having 14 million drug users, five times more than official numbers, and about half of them use methamphetamine. Over the past 50 days, police have detained almost 24,000 people suspected of involvement in drugs and seized 12.1 tonnes of drugs, the ministry said in a statement on its website on Wednesday. Drug-related crimes carry harsh penalties in China including death or life imprisonment in serious cases. The government has in recent months stepped up its fight against the problem, arresting a string of celebrities, including the son of Hong Kong kung fu movie star Jackie Chan. The use of drugs in China, particularly synthetic drugs like methamphetamine, ketamine and ecstasy, has grown along with the rise of a new urban class with greater disposable income. The post China blames rise in violence on drug smuggling from Southeast Asia appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

‘There is No Support From the Government’ Posted: 18 Nov 2014 04:00 PM PST Aung Myint at the International Conference on Salween Studies in Chiang Mai, Thailand on Friday, Nov. 14, 2014. (Photo: NYEIN NYEIN / The Irrawaddy) Burma's emerging renewable energy sector is still undeveloped and lacking in government support, while about 65 percent of the country's rural population is living outside of the national power grid. Many isolated communities meet their own energy needs with independently provided biomass, solar projects and small-scale hydropower. Often this assistance is supplied by non-governmental organizations focused on sustainable rural development, not from state institutions. One such organization, the Renewable Energy Association of Myanmar (REAM), has worked in Burma's rural communities since 1993 to improve energy technology and replace fire-wood fuel with more efficient methods. The Irrawaddy spoke with REAM Secretary and co-founder Aung Myint about their people-centered approach to development and institutional challenges to sustainable change. Question: Could you briefly explain what kinds of projects REAM supports in Burma? Answer: We work to conserve the environment and increase awareness of renewable energy technology in developing rural communities. Our current focus is on community-based strategic environmental assessment, which we have been conducting in 17 villages along the bank of the Irrawaddy River. This project is a collaboration between REAM and the Mekong Energy and Ecology Network (MEENet). We also have some solar power projects in Nat Mauk and Pauk, in Magwe Division, but right now we are focused on the Irrawaddy River. The research methodology is the same for each village, whether they are educated or illiterate. We train them to conduct research on fish, trees, water flows and seasonal changes, as they—the local people—know best about their surroundings and can provide long-term, systematic data. We coordinate between the villages, which stretch from Tangphrae near the Myitsone dam to the Irrawaddy Delta, and bring them together every three months to share their findings and experiences. After compiling the information and experiences shared by villagers from several parts of the river bank, our team meets with experts and lawmakers to inform them of known effects of development like pollution, problems with water supply and sanitation, depletion of fishery resources and erosion. We include local representatives in these advanced-level meetings. Once we have identified the problem areas, we then plan to begin more comprehensive, scientific assessments that will last for six months, beginning in December. Q: How does REAM select villages for research? A: We communicate with local CSOs, because they have the strongest knowledge about villages that are either affected by development or most in need of development. We make a selection after their guidance, typically based on which villages are most keen to do the research. Ultimately, this research is for their benefit, and we try to encourage those communities that show a real desire to improve. It's a lot of work, and we don't provide much material assistance, so it's really very people-centered development. Q: Thus far, what have been the findings of REAM's research in these areas? A: REAM conducts studies and creates networks for river and mangrove protection, while trying to provide energy solutions to communities that live along major waterways. We also carry out solar power projects and awareness raising efforts. Many villages and private households are finding their own energy solutions, powering their homes and factories with no support from the government. But they go below the radar, without being recognized by the authorities. Q: Is future support from the government likely for sustainable development projects along the Irrawaddy River? Might the government nationalize these already existing small-scale energy projects?  A: The government should recognize these efforts and offer them support, both by granting capital and technical assistance. Ultimately, it will depend on policy makers and their willingness to let go of their own businesses, which are linked to foreign investments. Even if they want to, they may not be able to back out of commitments made by the former government. Of course, many of those in power were also part of the former regime, so they are not inclined to change. We can raise our concerns with the government when we meet with them, but there's an overall lack of collaboration across ministries, and it's difficult to change those habits and mindsets. Q: What are the biggest challenges for small-scale sustainable development in Burma's rural communities? A: The biggest challenge is that there is no support from the government. Despite the fact that many officials are aware of the situation, the mechanisms needed to solve problems simply aren't there. He highest officials need to hear our voices. The government doesn't want to surrender projects supported by the World Bank or JICA [Japan International Cooperation Agency]. A lot of foreign-backed developments come with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects, which they assume means that they are supported by local communities. But in reality, investors are liaising with the government, not the local populations, so they often end up not meeting the needs of communities and not getting the public support they want. For instance, the Chinese company implementing the Shwe gas and oil pipeline project [China National Petroleum Corporation] was required to create some CSR projects. One of those developments was building a hospital in Mandalay, at the request of the government. But what is the point of that? The Ministry of Health should be doing that. This doesn't really help that people who actually live where the pipelines are being built, who are feeling the direct impacts of the development. It's the same situation around the Myitsone dam. Q: What can the government do to better address the needs of communities affected by development projects? A: The government must listen to stakeholders' voices and study global norms. They should also allow and encourage the private sector to implement sustainable development projects. Burma badly needs development of commercial skills, and the renewable energy sector is a great opportunity for that kind of experience. The government should play a management role and let the private sector take over these industries. The problem is that they are afraid to let go. The post 'There is No Support From the Government' appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

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