Democratic Voice of Burma

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• DVB Bulletin: 9 December 2014
• E-bikes also banned in Rangoon
• Modern trams to follow historical route
• Burma’s boxing champ knocked out by US opponent
• Calls for probe into army killing of Kachin girl, 14
• Rangoon govt to debate legalising sex work venues

DVB Bulletin: 9 December 2014 Posted: 09 Dec 2014 04:35 AM PST On tonight's bulletin: Kachin govt denies accusations of blocking aid to IDPs Squatters rebuild bulldozed Irrawaddy homes SNLD exodus continues Rangoon police crack down on illegal drag racers You can watch DVB Bulletin every weeknight on DVB TV after the 7 o'clock news. The post DVB Bulletin: 9 December 2014 appeared first on DVB Multimedia Group.

E-bikes also banned in Rangoon Posted: 09 Dec 2014 02:39 AM PST Electric bikes will be included in the Rangoon Division government's ban on motorbikes, according to the regional Border and Security Affairs minister, Col. Tin Win. In response to a formal question from Thingangyun Township MP U Kyaw, minister Tin Win confirmed that e-bikes will be targeted just as standard motorbikes are. Motorbikes have been banned in Rangoon since 2003, though some have proposed lifting the ban to help relieve the severe traffic congestion the city has experienced over the last few years. In the Rangoon regional parliament session on Monday, U Kyaw also questioned if the government aimed to completely forbid the use of motorbikes, or if special license plates would be issued to civil servants who use bikes for official duties. Minister Tin Win said the government has seen encouraging statistics: "Government organisations are successively taking action on the illegal use of motorbikes. Previously, during a campaign period to educate the public, 865 warnings were issued. In 2014, a total of 3,270 bikes were seized as disciplinary measure." Related Stories Modern trams to follow historical route Rangoon govt tackles traffic congestion Disabled athletes complete 434 mile wheelchair journey The Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) in February 2014 warned a crackdown on motorbikes being driven within the city limits in accordance with YCDC Article 72. The officials said there are some municipal and electricity department staff were given special permission to travel on bikes, but other civil servants seen on bikes or e-bikes will face the same punishment as civilians. "We will see effective action against e-bikes, the same way we restrict motorbikes," he said. "There is no plan to issue special license plates for civil servants. We have some important municipal civil servants registered to use bikes, but like everyone else they will face action if they ride in the city." He added the municipality is planning to promote awareness of the bike ban via billboards and advertisements. Despite these initiatives, transport in Rangoon remains a contentious issue. The population has risen in the last few years, and the city experiences regular traffic jams on badly maintained roads. There have been moves to improve Rangoon's public transport network, such as new tram services operating in downtown area. The post E-bikes also banned in Rangoon appeared first on DVB Multimedia Group.

Modern trams to follow historical route Posted: 09 Dec 2014 01:56 AM PST Two new tram services were unveiled in Rangoon on Sunday. Myanmar Railways says the services are set to relieve serious congestion in the downtown area. Passengers will make tracks down the Strand Road, where the British Colonial administration ran steam and electric services over one hundred years ago. Related Stories E-bikes also banned in Rangoon Burma ratifies biological weapons treaty Burma one of most corrupt countries in world: report The post Modern trams to follow historical route appeared first on DVB Multimedia Group.

Burma’s boxing champ knocked out by US opponent Posted: 08 Dec 2014 11:38 PM PST Burmese traditional boxing (Lethwei) champion Tun Tun Min lost a championship match in Rangoon to American Muay Thai number one, Cyrus Washington. Washington, a Taekwondo expert, claimed the fight with a spinning back-kick which knocked out Tun Tun Min. The win meant the American claimed top place at the AIR KBZ Flagship International Lethwei Challenge Fight in Rangoon on 7 December. The event hosted eight challenge matches, including three between Burmese Lethwei and foreign Muay Thai boxers. The Burmese fighters were defeated in two of these matches. Burma's Kyar Pauk was also knocked out by his Thai opponent in the third round, and Burma's Htet Aung Oo drew with and Thialand's Sang Tien Noi. Washington was awarded the organiser Air KBZ's golden flag, following his victory against Tun Tun Min. Related Stories Bullet Points: 25 August 2014 Burma braces for late-night football fever Burma's rising stars aim for Bayern Munich tournament The post Burma's boxing champ knocked out by US opponent appeared first on DVB Multimedia Group.

Calls for probe into army killing of Kachin girl, 14 Posted: 08 Dec 2014 08:16 PM PST The family of a Kachin girl allegedly shot dead by the Burmese army in Kachin State two years ago has called on the government to investigate her death. Fourteen-year-old Ja Seng Ing sustained a fatal gunshot wound when she was reportedly shot by a Burmese soldier on her way home from school on 13 September 2012 in the jade-mining town of Hpakant. The incident came at a time when the Burmese army was engaged in clashes with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in the area. The 14-year-old's father, Brang Shawng, subsequently filed a complaint at the government-backed Myanmar National Human Rights Commission, demanding the army be held accountable for her death. The army, in response, asserted that she had been killed by shrapnel when the KIA remotely detonated a mine, and sued Brang Shawng under the Burma penal code Article 211 for lodging a false accusation. Ja Seng Ing's family held a press conference on 6 December in Rangoon calling for the government to establish a committee to investigate the circumstances of her death. Related Stories Tatmadaw expanding presence, says Karenni NGO Govt 'doesn't speak the truth': Gun Maw Latpadaung mine 'must be halted' pending EIA, says Amnesty Mya Aye, a leader of the civil society group 88 Generation Peace and Open Society, said, "I feel that the army, when they recklessly shot this girl, did not just kill her but they also killed a part of Burma's future – I am deeply saddened." According to military code, servicemen in the Burmese army traditionally can only be tried at military courts for crimes committed against the civilian population. However, there have been recent cases where soldiers have been tried at civilian courts for crimes against civilians outside of conflict. They are still exempt from punishment for crimes allegedly committed during skirmishes. The post Calls for probe into army killing of Kachin girl, 14 appeared first on DVB Multimedia Group.

Rangoon govt to debate legalising sex work venues Posted: 08 Dec 2014 07:32 PM PST A proposal to legalise and regulate karaoke bars and massage parlours in Rangoon Division was put forward at a regional parliament session on Monday. Karaoke bars, commonly known as KTVs, and massage parlours are generally regarded as fronts for businesses offering sex workers in Burma. The proposal, which was lodged by Thaung Kyaw, an MP from the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) representing Yankin Township, is to be debated in the regional parliament session on 12 December. On the same day, another USDP MP, Myo Khin, who is also based in Yankin, a neighbourhood situated just east of Inya Lake, raised a formal question in the Rangoon parliament, asking whether there is a plan to create a Night Zone specifically for KTVs, massage parlours, nightclubs, bars, and other night entertainment venues – currently scattered across the city in residential areas. Regional Border and Security Affairs Minister Col. Tin Win responded that there was no such plan. Speaking to DVB in January, Eamonn Murphy, the Myanmar country coordinator for UNAIDS, said that it is "well understood that additional services may be provided" at KTVs, massage parlours and nightclubs, although the majority of managers on the premises will vehemently deny the fact that any sex work takes place if questioned. Related Stories High risk and no reward for the 'in-betweens' of Burma's sex industry 384,000 Burmese people live in slavery Rohingya at 'significant' risk of human trafficking: US report Burma maintains stiff legal penalties against prostitution. The Suppression of Prostitution Act (1949) was adapted from a colonial era law and stipulates a punishment of one to three years imprisonment for sex workers and pimps – however clients are not penalised. The legal definition of a brothel was broadened in 1998 to include any place used habitually for sex work, which Murphy said was in response to a surge in the number of massage parlours and karaoke lounges. While government data from 2012 estimates there are 60,000 sex workers in Burma, Population Services International claims the actual figure is closer to 80,000 – and that there are 15,000 sex workers in Rangoon alone.   The post Rangoon govt to debate legalising sex work venues appeared first on DVB Multimedia Group.

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