The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• US Sends Mixed Message to Burma Military
• 2 KNLA Members Killed in Highway Bus Robbery
• Rangoon Municipality Plan to Move Street Vendors into Multi-Storey Markets
• In Muse, Promise and Perils of Development Redux
• Offshore Contracts Signed, But Delays Abound
• Rights Group Opposes Thai Fishing Jobs for Ex-Cons
• As Japan Burns More Coal, Climate Policies Under Pressure
• US ‘Troubled’ That Crimean Leader in India With Putin
• ‘We Have to Do Lots of Things to Fill the Gaps’

US Sends Mixed Message to Burma Military Posted: 12 Dec 2014 02:59 AM PST Soldiers salute Burma's army chief during a parade to mark the 67th anniversary of Armed Forces Day in the capital, Naypyidaw, in March, 2012. (Photo: Reuters) WASHINGTON — Human rights advocates and some lawmakers say the United States is sending the wrong signal by opening the door for broader engagement with Burma's widely criticized military just weeks after President Barack Obama assured opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi that closer ties weren't going to happen soon. Congress, acting at the administration's request, is expected to allow US training in some noncombat activities for the military in Burma. This would be part of a sweeping defense policy bill slated to pass Friday. The administration says this does not mean closer ties are imminent with a military known for rights abuses. Patrick Ventrell, a National Security Council spokesman, said the provision would "give us the flexibility to pursue slightly broader engagement if the military takes steps to implement reforms and support Burma's democratic transition." But lawmakers who oversee US foreign policy say it's ill-timed. Political reforms have stalled, tens of thousands of minority Muslims are still living under apartheid-like conditions in displacement camps after attacks by Buddhist extremists, and fighting is heating up between the government and ethnic rebels. "It sends the wrong message to the people of Burma who are counting on the US to uphold the values and rights they so desperately seek," said Republican Rep. Steve Chabot, who chairs a House panel on Asia. John Sifton, Asia advocacy director for Human Rights Watch, said it would be different if reforms were advancing in Burma. "But even the president (Obama) is saying they are going backward." When Obama traveled to Burma last month, his second visit in two years, Suu Kyi requested that the US not pursue new areas of military engagement at least until the national elections in late 2015, according to several congressional aides who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to divulge briefings on the trip given by administration officials. The president gave that assurance, the aides said. Ventrell confirmed Obama discussed the subject with Suu Kyi and others. He said the president's message was that the United States did not intend to go further toward "more traditional military-to-military cooperation" until the Burmese military makes clear steps toward reform. Washington has normalized diplomatic relations and rolled back sanctions to reward the former pariah state's shift away from five decades of authoritarian rule. But the United States retains an arms embargo and strictly controls ties with the Tatmadaw, as Burma's military is known. So far, engagement has been limited to seminars on human rights, rule of law and institutional reform. Myanmar has also been an observer at annual US military exercises hosted by neighboring Thailand. The defense bill would allow "consultation, education, and training" on humanitarian and disaster relief, and medical and health standards — areas that critics say should be left to Burma's civilian government agencies. The language was drafted by the House and Senate committees that oversee defense policy and are more hopeful than their colleagues on foreign policy panels that military engagement will, over time, encourage reform. "Increased contact of their troops with the US military will help to demonstrate the principles of accountability, civilian control, and rule of law that are the hallmarks of a healthy democracy," said Sen. Jim Inhofe, top-ranking Republican on the Armed Services Committee. But Sen. Robert Menendez, Democratic chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, wrote to Obama this week saying the bill's language appears to be at odds with the commitments Obama made to Suu Kyi. He called for the administration to articulate a "clear and consistent policy" on military engagement, and which of the new authorities it intends to exercise. Rep. Eliot Engel, top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told The Associated Press: "Deepening our military ties with Burma sends the perverse signal that the United States will turn a blind eye to the Burmese military's violent and regressive behavior." Five days after Obama's visit, the military shelled a Kachin rebel camp, killing 23 people, a blow to talks aimed at ending decades of war in the nation's border regions. The military said the strike was unintended. And despite Obama's appeal for reform of a junta-era constitution that guarantees a military bloc in the legislature and bars Suu Kyi from becoming president, the government has since announced that won't happen before the election. The nominee to become the next commander of US forces in the Pacific, Adm. Harry Harris Jr., said in Senate testimony last week that Burma remains "firmly under military control." The post US Sends Mixed Message to Burma Military appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

2 KNLA Members Killed in Highway Bus Robbery Posted: 12 Dec 2014 02:27 AM PST Karen National Liberation Army troops on guard in Karen State. (Photo: Getty Images) RANGOON — Two members of the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) were slain by unknown assailants on Wednesday while attempting to intervene in a robbery in Tenasserim Division, according to local Karen sources. 10 armed men in full camouflage uniforms stopped and boarded an Aung Yadanar express bus at 18 Mile Village, Yebyu Township, demanding money from the passengers. KNLA captain Khin Win and enlisted soldier Maung Lay were shot and killed by the bandits after hearing that the robbery was in progress and travelling by car to where the bus was stopped, according to Bado Saw Bee Ler, Dawei district chairman from KNLA Brigade 4. "It happened around 6:30 pm," he told The Irrawaddy on Friday. "The robbers all had guns and were in full uniform. They stopped our two members and shot them on the road when they went to help." The bandits seized 2.7 million kyats (US$2600) from passengers on the bus before allowing it to continue on its route from Dawei to Rangoon. None of the passengers were injured in the incident. “This area is under control by Burmese Army. We do not know when they (robbery) are in the mean time. We are sharing information with Burmese Army at the moment about we are searching them,” said Bado Saw Bee Ler. The Karen National Union (KNU), the political wing of the KNLA, signed a ceasefire agreement with the Burmese government in 2012 after a five-decade long fight for Karen autonomy. Recent years have seen a warmer relationship between Naypyidaw and the KNU, including a January meeting between members of the organization's senior leadership, President Thein Sein and military commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing to discuss efforts to implement a nationwide ceasefire agreement. The post 2 KNLA Members Killed in Highway Bus Robbery appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Rangoon Municipality Plan to Move Street Vendors into Multi-Storey Markets Posted: 12 Dec 2014 02:06 AM PST Street vendors sell goods on Maha Bandoola Street in downtown Rangoon's Latha Township. (Photo: Ko Soe / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Rangoon municipality officials said they are working on a plan to turn the city's markets into multi-storey buildings. They hope the plan would create more space in the markets, so that street vendors can be moved indoors and off the city's busy pavements. Sithu Lwin, deputy head of the markets department of the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC), said a plan had been proposed to Rangoon Division parliament to turn market buildings, such as Dawbon Market in Dawbon Township and Padamya Market in Shwepyitha Township, into high-rise buildings. "Then we'll divide the [new] spaces among the original shopkeepers [of the market]. And we plan to put the street vendors at the top levels," he said, adding, "We've proposed the budget for the plan to [Rangoon] Division parliament to expand the existing markets in order to provide space for street vendors." Sithu Lwin was reluctant to discuss details of the proposal. He was unable to explain what the costs of the plan would be, who would finance it, or how the often poor vendors could afford to rent the newly created market spaces. "We still can't expose the details of the plan because I'm afraid more vendors will come onto streets if we do it now," he said, adding that the plan could be approved for the 2015-2016 fiscal year, which starts in May. Thousands of hawkers and street stalls have long crowded the pavements in Rangoon's old downtown area, setting up shop on streets such as Maha Bandoola, Shwebontha, Sule Pagoda Road, Merchant and Anawratha. YCDC officially allows the vendors to set up stalls from 3 pm to 8 pm and Rangoon municipal laws state that it is illegal to sell goods on the roadside outside of these hours, but the sellers can be found on the pavements for much of the day. Vendors said that as long as they regularly paid local authorities they could sell their wares. "We are not allowed to sell things by the roadside [for the whole day], but we have an understanding [with officials]. We have to pay 2,000 or 2,500 kyats [US$2-2.50] per week," said a woman running a small roadside teashop in Botataung Township. The numerous street side businesses add to the sense of congestion in downtown, which has suffered from worsening traffic jams following a sharp increase in sales of motorized vehicles in Burma in recent years. Rangoon authorities, acting on advice from Japanese experts, responded to the increase in traffic by halving the city's colonial-era wide pavements and broadening roads, further reducing the space for vendors and pedestrians, often pushing them onto the streets. Rangoon resident Myo Naing said he felt that the street vendors were contributing to the city's congestion problems that affect both pedestrians and cars, but added that any measures to deal with the problem should not hurt the incomes of the poor vendors. "I don't want them [vendors] to sell things on crowded streets. But then, if they are banned, it would affect their livelihoods. They should be given spaces at small lanes," he suggested. The post Rangoon Municipality Plan to Move Street Vendors into Multi-Storey Markets appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

In Muse, Promise and Perils of Development Redux Posted: 12 Dec 2014 02:01 AM PST A motorcyclist drives on a road within the Muse Central Economic Zone in northern Shan State. (Photo: Kyaw Hsu Mon / The Irrawaddy) MUSE, Shan State — The Muse Central Economic Zone project, spearheaded by the Shan State government and a local private venture, is moving forward in an effort to boost commerce along the Chinese border, despite land grievances from some local residents. Located on the banks of Shweli River in Muse, a major trading hub on the Sino-Burmese border, the nearly 300-acre space allotted for the economic zone has been undergoing development since 2012. The project aims to establish six zones that will include residential areas, shop houses, hotels, shopping areas, a jade market and other business-related infrastructure, according to Ngwe Soe, the project director of the New Star Light Company, which is implementing the project jointly with the Shan State government. Muse is the largest trading point between Burma and China, and has long served as the conduit through which Burmese exports and Chinese imports pass. Proponents of the economic zone say the plan will be a major boon for cross-border commerce. The project covers about 295 acres, with investment by the Mandalay-based New Star Light expected at 94 billion kyats (US$94 million). Developers are aiming to complete the project by 2017, after opening a Zone 1 phase in May of next year. The 89-acre Zone 1 will include condominiums, shop houses, a jade bazaar, hotels and an Ocean supermarket. "We plan to open Zone 1 next year, 80 percent of construction is finished," Ngwe Soe said. However, beginning in 2009, residents living on the allocated economic zone land have been forced to relocate in exchange for compensation from New Star Light. Like many development projects in Burma, the economic zone has provoked a backlash from some affected landholders who claim the compensation that they have been offered is inadequate. Sai Ike, 58, has yet to be paid for his one acre of land, which he said the company "grabbed" from him. "My parents had been cultivating paddy on their land since I was young. I was continuing to do that, but the company grabbed my land to develop this area. Although I don't have an official land ownership record issued by the government, I have some receipts showing that I paid [land] taxes to the government," he said. "My little land plot was grabbed by the company during the harvest season. There's nothing left, everything has been destroyed by the company." New Star Light says it has compensated those relocated using on a four category system based on how the land was used by its owners. Project director Ngwe Soe said the company paid compensation in accordance with the four-tier system, as well as a sum deemed equivalent to the value of any crops cultivated by the compensated party. "There are only 17 acres remaining that have yet to be compensated, the rest of the landowners have already received compensation," Ngwe Soe said. "Except for these remaining landowners, the rest of the people agreed to take compensation for their lands." He defended the compensation scheme, saying the company was offering at minimum more than double the government's fixed price of 3 million kyats per acre for even landholders who lack official land ownership records. "The district and township authorities collaborated with us when dispensing compensation. Even if they don't have ownership records, if they have receipts from dealings with the government for crops, we have paid them," Ngwe Soe said. Some former landowners, however, claim that the compensation amounts, which they say they were effectively forced to take, were well below current market rates. Ei Phyu, a holdout who has not taken the compensation offered, spoke to The Irrawaddy from seven acres of land within the project area that is increasingly surrounded by development. "They offered me 80 million kyats for seven acres of land. I have not taken it to date. I won't give my land up for this project because the market land prices in this area are rising. It has reached 700 million to 1 billion [kyats] for one acre on the market," she said. Hlaing Han Pha, who was relocated, said his parents had owned seven acres of land in the project area that they were forced to give up when the project was first put forward in 2009. "One of New Star Light's subcontractors, Great Haokham Company's MD [managing director] Sai Ohn Myint, told us to sell our lands, but we refused. Then, without our knowledge, he changed our land to his name in the government's land records department," he said. "We've been offered 3 million kyats for each acre as compensation by him. He said if we don't accept this amount, we will not get more money and will lose our land. … Now, we just want our land back," Hlaing Han Pha said. Development projects including the Thilawa and Dawei special economic zones (SEZs) and smaller-scale private ventures have faced similar difficulties as Burma's government seeks to spur growth in the long-isolated economy. The Muse Central Economic Zone was initiated by Vice President Sai Mauk Kham, who is a Muse native. In his second visit to Muse as vice president last October, he urged the project team to negotiate with former landowners to resolve the compensation issue. For those holdouts still residing on the 17 acres of as yet uncompensated land, Ho Saung village may serve as an inspiration, after its inhabitants' recalcitrance forced project developers to redraw their plans. "We've extended our project beyond the original map because we can't take seven acres, which are owned by one group [in Ho Saung]," Ngwe Soe said. The post In Muse, Promise and Perils of Development Redux appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Offshore Contracts Signed, But Delays Abound Posted: 11 Dec 2014 11:45 PM PST Oil wells on the banks of the Irrawaddy River in Chauk, Magway Division. (Photo: Reuters) One of the 13 foreign companies to win offshore oil and gas exploration licences in March has announced it has finally negotiated a production-sharing contract with the state Myanma Oil & Gas Enterprise (MOGE). But an industry report said it could be the next decade by the time any new oil or gas is actually produced from 20 licensed blocks. The final contract was signed by Britain-based Ophir Energy, but it did not disclose any terms. The other 12 foreign businesses, including some major international oil firms, plus eight Burmese companies, are continuing to negotiate contract terms. "Nine months after the [Burma] government awarded exploration licences for 20 new offshore blocks to 21 foreign and domestic firms there has been only one production-sharing contract signed," the Asia Oil & Gas Monitor said this week. "[Ophir] has not made any information on contract terms available." Its Block AD-03 covers an area of 10,000 square kilometres and is in the same region of the Bay of Bengal as the big Shwe natural gas field operated by South Korea's Daewoo International, said Natural Gas Asia news website. The Shwe field's production will mostly go to China under a contract signed during the military junta era. Most of the 20 offshore blocks still under contract negotiation have little or no research data on potential oil and gas reserves. Ten are in shallow water locations and ten in deep waters where exploration and production work is much more expensive. The energy industry news agency Platts of Singapore quoted a Burmese oil services firm, Smart Technical Services, saying it did not anticipate any drilling in the 10 shallow water blocks before 2017 and thought it would be at least a year later for the deep water projects. Major foreign firms which won licences in March include Shell, Chevron, Total, Japan's MOECO and ConocoPhillips. With plummeting crude oil prices threatening to undermine the viability of many new exploration and production projects globally, especially in costly offshore deep water sites, Shell made a statement earlier this month saying it was reassessing contract terms with MOGE on its March block licence award. "We have to be confident in our future investment. We are clarifying details within the models of production sharing contracts with the [Burmese] government, trying to understand some of the language," Shell vice president Graeme Smith told journalists. The business law firm VDB Loi, which has offices in Rangoon, was quoted by Asia Oil & Gas Monitor saying that negotiations for new offshore oil and gas deals in Burma is much more complex than had originally been anticipated. "The awarded operators have underestimated the effort that goes into a market entry in Myanmar. That is why the [production sharing contract] executions are slower than hoped. Same goes on the government side," VDB Loi's Edwin Vanderbruggen was quoted as saying. However, the much smaller Ophir appears confident of success in Burma. "Ophir is continuing to act counter cyclically to expand its exploration portfolio. The Block AD-03 [production sharing contract] contains multiple mapped prospects with world class potential and we now look forward to completing a 3D seismic survey to refine this prospectivity," chief executive Nick Cooper was quoted by Natural Gas Asia as saying in a statement. The slow progress in finalising actual operational contracts for the new offshore development blocks is due to more than hesitancy by big oil companies worried over the plummeting oil market, according to Asia Oil & Gas Monitor. "MOGE and various government departments are overwhelmed by new laws, changing rules and a bureaucratic system made worse by Naypyidaw's bid to ditch its past image of corruption by applying to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative," the industry magazine said. "Add to that the hesitancy of the foreign oil companies on cost grounds, following the collapse of crude oil prices, and the prospect of the rapid development of [Burma's] upstream looks unfeasible." It notes that the pace of contract agreements is so slow, MOGE is still negotiating with some of the 13 winners of licenses for onshore blocks which were awarded as long ago as Nov. 2013. "[Burma] is unlikely to reap any major financial rewards from its post-military regime oil and gas discoveries until the next decade," it said. The post Offshore Contracts Signed, But Delays Abound appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Rights Group Opposes Thai Fishing Jobs for Ex-Cons Posted: 11 Dec 2014 09:16 PM PST Human Rights Watch has warned the Thai fishing industry is rife with forced labor, physical abuse and dangerous working conditions. (Photo: Sukree Sukplang / Reuters) BANGKOK — An international human rights group urged Thailand’s government on Thursday to cancel a plan to encourage freed prisoners to work on fishing vessels, saying the industry abuses its workers. The appeal by New York-based Human Rights Watch came after Thailand’s Labor Ministry announced plans last week for prisoners serving sentences of one year or less to work on fishing boats on a voluntary basis after being released. "Thailand is the third largest exporter of seafood in the world, supplying supermarkets in Europe and North America," Human Rights Watch said a statement. "It has long been accused of forcing Thai, Burmese, and Cambodian fishing crews to work in dirty, dangerous and difficult conditions." It said the problems include use of forced labor, physical abuse leading in some cases to extrajudicial killings, excessive work hours, non-payment of wages, inadequate food and medical care, and dangerous working conditions. It said the abuses have been documented by many groups, including UN-affiliated organizations and Thai academic institutions. "It is dangerously irresponsible for the Labor Ministry to urge prisoners to work on board Thailand’s notoriously abusive fishing fleets," Brad Adams, the group’s Asia director, said in the statement. "The Labor Ministry can’t even figure out how to inspect such boats, let alone prevent hundreds of prisoners from being abused by fishing boat crews." Viwat Jiraphanvanich, a senior official at the Labor Ministry’s Employment Department, said Thursday the program could help ease labor shortages in the fishing industry and find jobs for released convicts. "Moreover, those who want to do these jobs would be protected by law, which means their employers can’t abuse them or else face penalties," he said. The post Rights Group Opposes Thai Fishing Jobs for Ex-Cons appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

As Japan Burns More Coal, Climate Policies Under Pressure Posted: 11 Dec 2014 09:12 PM PST A barge sails during an open-sea transshipment in Berau district in Indonesia’s East Kalimantan province August 17, 2010. The coal is exported to Japan, China and other Asian countries. (Photo: Reuters) TOKYO — Once at the forefront of the fight against global warming, Japan is now facing calls from other big economies such as China to set fresh emissions targets as Tokyo increases its use of dirty coal energy to replace nuclear. Japan is the world's fifth-biggest emitter of CO2, but has watered down emissions targets due to the shutdown of its nuclear plants after the 2011 Fukushima disaster, with utilities burning a record amount of coal for power generation. China and the United States, the world's biggest economies and polluters, as well as the European Union, have committed to new targets in the last few months. Japan now finds itself alongside India and Russia, the world's third- and fourth-biggest polluters, by not yet declaring goals. Officials at Japan's industry and environment ministries denied any backsliding on climate policies and said by phone a joint committee was discussing new emission cut goals and aimed to come up with proposals as soon as possible. But analysts say Japan's room for maneuver is limited after Tokyo eased rules for coal plants amid plans to raise coal-fired capacity by nearly 40 percent. "We expect Japan would certainly come up with an ambitious target for the post-2020 period. That is not just China's expectation, I think it is the expectation of the world," said China's delegation leader Su Wei at climate talks taking place in Lima ahead of a 2015 UN summit in Paris (COP21). Japanese delegates in Lima also said the government aimed to have targets as quickly as possible but gave no timeline. China, the European Union and environmentalists criticized Japan last year after it threw out a plan to cut emissions by 25 percent from 1990 levels and diplomatic sources say they are alarmed about its shift towards coal. Japan was a leading proponent behind the 1997 Kyoto Protocol that committed countries to binding emissions reduction targets and pushed for it to be named after its former imperial capital. "Japan cannot excuse itself in Paris COP21 by saying 'sorry we don't have nuclear power so we can't reduce CO2 emissions'," said Nobuo Tanaka, an adviser at the government-affiliated Institute of Energy Economics, Japan. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who called an election for Dec. 14, wants to restart reactors but is facing strong public opposition from voters wary of nuclear power after Fukushima. Record Japan Emissions The Paris UN summit in 2015 aims to finalize an agreement as part of long-term efforts to limit average temperature rises to 2 degrees (3.6 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times. Countries are meant to announce plans for emissions reductions after 2020 by an informal deadline of March 31, 2015. In November, China and the United States pledged to set new limits on carbon emissions from 2025. Carbon emissions in Japan rose 1.6 percent in the year through March to a record. Encouraged by eased environmental rules, companies are planning to install about 14.8 gigawatt of coal-fired capacity, an increase of 37 percent, in coming years. Japan's appetite for cheap coal, to counter a soaring oil and gas bill after the nuclear shutdown, saw it import a record 109 million tonnes of coal in 2013. Two nuclear reactors have cleared basic safety standards and may restart next year. But analysts and environmentalists say even with these utilities, Japan will not cut coal, which supplies about a third of power. "Japan is losing a golden opportunity to reduce emissions by turning to coal to deal with nuclear power stoppages instead of building on its forte, energy savings, and developing modern ways of efficiency and conservation," said Aileen Mioko Smith, Executive Director, Green Action. The post As Japan Burns More Coal, Climate Policies Under Pressure appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

US ‘Troubled’ That Crimean Leader in India With Putin Posted: 11 Dec 2014 09:03 PM PST Sergey Aksyonov, center, the leader of Crimea, walks inside a hotel after having his lunch as Indian businessman Gul Kripalani, right, watches, in New Delhi on Dec. 11, 2014. (Photo: Reuters) NEW DELHI — The leader of Crimea, the former Ukrainian territory annexed by Russia, visited India on Thursday as a member of President Vladimir Putin's annual summit delegation, and the United States said it found the reports troubling. India does not back Western sanctions against Russia, but the unofficial trip by Sergey Aksyonov could spoil the mood before Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosts US President Barack Obama for India's Republic Day festivities in January. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the United States was "troubled" by reports that Aksyonov may have been part of Putin's delegation and was seeking more information. "We understand that the Indian Ministry of External Affairs have said they were not officially aware of his visit or his participation in the delegation … We are seeking further clarification on that." Psaki also referred to reports of new nuclear and defense deals between India and Russia and reiterated Washington's view that it was "not time for business as usual with Russia." Aksyonov arrived at the upscale Oberoi hotel in New Delhi accompanied by Russian diplomats to be greeted by Gul Kripalani, a Mumbai-based seafood merchant who wants to boost trade with Russia. Speaking to reporters after signing a memorandum of understanding to promote business, Aksyonov said his visit had "a private character" and he did not take apart in any official events. He tweeted separately, however, that he had come to India as "a member of the delegation under the leadership of the president of the Russian federation, Vladimir Putin." The towering 42-year-old, previously an obscure nationalist politician, was elected in a closed session of the regional parliament after Russian forces in February took control of the Crimean peninsula in a bloodless operation. He masterminded a quick-fire referendum to join Russia that was recognized by Moscow. Kiev and the West say it was rigged. It was clear that his visit enjoyed Russia's full diplomatic backing, with the consul general to Mumbai and an aide to Ambassador Alexander Kadakin present at the meeting and lunch with businessmen. No Indian officials were present. News of the event leaked out on Wednesday when the Russian Embassy invited reporters to a signing ceremony only to cancel late in the evening. A spokesman for India's Ministry of External Affairs said he was not officially aware of the Crimean visit. It is highly unlikely, however, that such an event would have taken place without New Delhi being in the loop. Modi, addressing a joint news conference after meeting Putin, emphasized India's deep security ties with Russia. Moscow was long India's top arms supplier until the United States, which is keen to forge closer ties with New Delhi, took top spot recently. "Even if India's options have increased, Russia remains our most important defense partner," Modi told reporters. No potentially awkward questions were allowed at the tightly stage-managed event held at an old princely palace. India, which observes a policy of non-intervention, has refrained from criticizing Moscow's takeover of Crimea and support for an uprising in eastern Ukraine that has killed more than 4,300 people since April. Kripalani, who said his Pijikay Group has annual turnover of about 150 million euros (US$190 million), signed the memorandum on behalf of the India-Crimean Partnership—a previously unknown group that he said represented five businesses. The post US 'Troubled' That Crimean Leader in India With Putin appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

‘We Have to Do Lots of Things to Fill the Gaps’ Posted: 11 Dec 2014 04:00 PM PST Shwe Shwe Sein Latt runs the Phan Tee Eain (Creative House) organization, which works to empower women. (Photo: Nang Sen Nom / The Irrawaddy) Phan Tee Eain (Creative House) is a civil society organization established in 2009 that works to empower women and rehabilitate those who have suffered from sexual violence. At present, the organization is giving training in women's development and leadership, networking with women's organizations at home and abroad. It has taken a lead role in organizing women's forums in Burma, and has consistently served as a voice for women's rights in the culturally conservative country. Shwe Shwe Sein Latt, director of Creative House, recently sat down with The Irrawaddy to talk about the role the organization is playing in empowering women and protecting and promoting women's rights in Burma. Question: Creative House is planning to build a shelter to help rehabilitate sexually abused women. Would you elaborate on that? Answer: Yes, Burma is in dire need of this shelter. I've told the government and other organizations [to establish such a shelter], but no one cared. Therefore, we have to create it, as our name is Creative House. I will build the first shelter with my own money, but I have no prior experience. Q: What does the plan entail? A: I'm thinking of renting an apartment where women who suffer from domestic violence can pour out all their troubles to us, and we'll comfort them. I hope at least they will be able to stay overnight at the apartment and help put their minds at rest. Women will no longer need to keep their feelings suppressed. The shelter will be a place where they can pour out their feelings and find comfort. However, the best thing that could happen would be political changes. If there were real changes in politics, we wouldn't need to engage in social work. But, presently, we have to do lots of things to fill the gaps. Women account for 51 percent of the population and the country therefore will not see development if the status of women doesn't improve. Q: In which towns do you plan to set up shelters? A: I'm still considering it. I plan to run it on a manageable scale. At first, I need to build the required capacity. I have attended relevant training in management of shelters in Bangkok. I plan to run it in cooperation with the Social Welfare Department. I plan to launch a hotline for them [women subjected to abuse] to reach the police. I need to negotiate with the government on this. I'll network with police, political parties and lawyers. The shelter will be free of charge and serve as a safe haven for them. There will be persons who will comfort them and be sympathetic toward them. Q: Since the shelter aims to ease the mental suffering of women, what type of volunteers will you bring in? A: I will bring in psychologists. The Department of Social Welfare also has experts. And we have studied international experiences. Other organizations are providing training. We know how to heal the mental wounds of these women. What they need is someone who will listen to their feelings with sympathy. First, we'll comfort them, and secondly, we'll need to talk to their families to make sure they do not suffer again. We'll also work together with the media to educate about women's rights and eliminating domestic violence. The post 'We Have to Do Lots of Things to Fill the Gaps' appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

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