The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Emergency Care Bill Signed Into Law
• Rangoon Division Official Proposes 12-Party Constitutional Reform Talks
• Embassy Steps in on Malaysia Murder Case
• 20 Muslims Facing Trial on Terrorism Charges
• Ethnic Alliance Ponders Future Federalism, Creates ‘Federal Union Army’
• Rangoon Govt Begins Impounding Sports Cars, Motorbikes
• Coalition Targets ‘Undemocratic’ Laws on Local Governance
• Shan New Year Celebrations Help Good Cause
• Indians Ask What Has Changed Since Delhi Gang Rape as Uber Driver Accused
• Philippine Storm Weakens After Leaving 21 Dead
• China Sentences Eight to Death for Attacks in Xinjiang
• Kachin in Thailand Mark Monarch’s Birthday with Manau Festival

Emergency Care Bill Signed Into Law Posted: 09 Dec 2014 05:46 AM PST Rangoon General Hospital is pictured in downtown Rangoon. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Burma's President Thein Sein signed into law an Emergency Care and Treatment bill last week, the government mouthpiece Myanma Alin reported on Tuesday, in an attempt to fix some of the ails afflicting the country's decrepit health care system. The law, passed on Friday and published in the state daily on Tuesday, appears aimed in part at combatting widely held reluctance in Burma to help strangers in medical need. A common fear is that involving oneself with such a person will require lengthy, legally mandated commitments as a witness in any court proceedings stemming from the incident. Under the new law, any requirement that a rescuer later serve as a witness in a court hearing related to the incident must not be subject to "undue burden" in the course of fulfilling his or her obligations as a witness. The legislation also seeks to remedy another worrying aspect of Burma's health care system: the tendency for some hospitals to withhold treatment from patients until after a police report of the incident leading to their medical need is received. The law requires hospitals both public and private to give priority to cases involving emergency care. If a private hospital takes in such a patient, it must ensure the individual's condition is stable before transferring the patient to a public hospital. The provision would prevent hospitals from delaying treatment in dire cases until a police report is received, as is a common practice in Burma. Aung Kyaw Soe, 34, welcomed the new law, saying it would put the public's mind at ease in situations where an individual is imperiled. "Two years ago, two cars crashed on Pyay Road [in Rangoon]. Each car had two people bleeding and unconscious, but there was no one who took care of them out of fear of police involvement. An ambulance took nearly 30 minutes to arrive." Thura U Aung Ko, a Lower House parliamentarian, put forward the Emergency Care and Treatment bill last year. Another provision stipulates that if a person prevents or obstructs a hospital-bound patient, the offender could face up to one year in prison and a fine of US$100. Lawyer Khin Zaw told The Irrawaddy that the prison term was too harsh a punishment for offenders, and said a more clear definition of "prevents or obstructs" was needed. He also pointed out that the law contained no provision legally requiring individuals to render assistance if they are first on the scene of a situation that calls for it. So-called "Good Samaritan" laws exist in some countries and often require individuals to at minimum inform authorities in such situations. The Emergency Care and Treatment Law does state that the person in closest proximity to an injured individual "have the duty" to provide assistance or contact police or other relevant authorities, but it stops short of legally mandating assistance. The post Emergency Care Bill Signed Into Law appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Rangoon Division Official Proposes 12-Party Constitutional Reform Talks Posted: 09 Dec 2014 04:20 AM PST Lawmakers leave Rangoon Division parliament on Tuesday. (Photo: May Kha / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — A Rangoon Division cabinet member has raised a proposal in the local legislature to hold "12-party talks" on constitutional reforms, after the national Parliament's suggestion told hold six-party talks on the issue was ignored by the president and the Burma Army chief last month. Rangoon Division's Karen Nationalities Minister Tun Aung Myint on Tuesday submitted an urgent proposal to Rangoon Divisional parliament to hold 12 party talks that would include the president, the army chief, the speakers of both Houses of Parliament, Aung San Suu Kyi and representatives from the seven major ethnic groups represented in Burma's ethnic states. "I submit the proposal because rather than the six-party talks, I personally think that we should expand the number of participants up to 12, which could be better and more inclusive," he told Rangoon Division parliament. Rangoon parliament will discuss the proposal tomorrow. According to procedures, if it agrees to the proposal it will submitted to the union government. The president can then send it back to the national Parliament with a remark for further discussion. On Nov 25, the national Parliament agreed to a proposal by a ruling party lawmaker calling for six-party talks between President Thein Sein, Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing, the speakers from the Houses of Parliament, Suu Kyi and one ethnic party representative. But the proposal was quickly rejected by the president and the army chief. Tun Aung Myint, who is the president of the Karen National Party, said his proposal to include more ethnic representatives would better reflect the minorities in the constitutional reform discussions. Since early 2014, Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy and the 88 Student Generation Peace and Open Society have been calling and campaigning for reforms to Burma's undemocratic and unpopular charter, which guarantees the Burma Army considerable political powers and blocks Suu Kyi from the presidency. However, despite some parliamentary discussions and vague promises by the ruling Union Solidarity Development Party, there has been no progress. In recent weeks, it has appeared that the Thein Sein administration and Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing are intent on blocking significant charter reforms. The post Rangoon Division Official Proposes 12-Party Constitutional Reform Talks appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Embassy Steps in on Malaysia Murder Case Posted: 09 Dec 2014 04:16 AM PST Myo Pai, a leader of a Kuala Lumpur-based free funeral services group, standing right in a white shirt, beside the coffin of Ko Tony on Wednesday, before he was also killed in early July, 2014. (Photo: Sakhunna Ung) The Burmese Embassy in Malaysia is verifying police claims that at least 15 detained murder suspects are Burmese nationals, the embassy said on Tuesday. Malaysian police arrested the suspects over the past two weeks for their suspected involvement in at least 18 murders of Burmese migrants in Penang, a popular tourist destination in the country's northwest. The spate of murders occurred throughout the year, but no related arrests were reported until late November. Some of the victims were severely mutilated, with one recent incident leaving investigators with what the government-owned news agency Bernama described as a "jigsaw of heads, arms, leg and a torso." Police claimed last week that the suspects were also migrants from Burma, and local media reported that Penang Police Chief Abdul Rahim Hanafi suggested the violence was a spillover of ethno-religious tensions in Burma, where clashes between Buddhists and Muslims have left more than 200 dead and about 140,000 displaced since mid-2012. Others have fled Burma by boat, many of them stateless Rohingya Muslims seeking refuge in Muslim-majority Malaysia. The Burmese Embassy told The Irrawaddy that it has received the police reports and is in the process of verifying the nationalities of the accused. "We are scrutinizing the information, and we cannot tell yet whether all of them are from Myanmar," said Lin Maung Maung, assistant to the secretaries at the Burmese Embassy in Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur. About one-third of the suspects have Burmese passports, while the rest are still being verified as they don't all have legal documentation, he said. Some of the suspects may also be residing in Malaysia with documents issued by the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, but may not have passports or birth certificates. Lin Maung Maung added that the verification may take some time as the police provided only very basic information about the suspects, limited to their names, their fathers' names, and their addresses. San Win, a Burmese charity worker living in Malaysia, said that at least two migrants are murdered each month, and that many of the recent victims were Buddhists. As chairman of the Malaysian chapter of the Kepong Free Funeral Services, he and his colleagues often provide ceremonies and family support for migrants who pass away abroad. San Win said that police in Malaysia are not providing adequate support and information to victims' families. "The news here in Malaysia said that the suspects were arrested, but none of the victims' families were informed," he said, adding that the only way victims' families can request the identities of the suspects is through diplomatic channels. Despite police allegations that the murders were motivated by tensions back home, the embassy's Lin Maung Muang disagreed, claiming that "most of the cases we are informed of were related to disputes over money." Nearly 100,000 people may have made the dangerous boat journey from western Burma to Malaysia or other neighboring countries since 2012, according to the UNHCR, a number that has swelled considerably since the inter-communal violence erupted. While most new arrivals in Malaysia are believed to be Muslims, some parts of the country also have considerable Buddhist migrant populations, many entering the country legally via employment agencies. A recent report by Reuters said that many ethnic Arakanese Buddhists are also heading to Malaysia in search of opportunity in light of economic woes linked to the violence. The post Embassy Steps in on Malaysia Murder Case appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

20 Muslims Facing Trial on Terrorism Charges Posted: 09 Dec 2014 03:30 AM PST An aerial view of Mandalay prison, where 20 Burmese Muslims are detained on terrorism charges. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Twenty Burmese Muslims remain in prison awaiting a verdict almost five months after they were detained and accused of links to terrorism, with a lawyer representing some of the defendants saying odds for a fair trial look slim despite a dearth of credible evidence against the accused. The detained men and women are from Taunggyi, Kyaukse and Naypyidaw, and were arrested in August in Konhein Township, Shan State, while they were traveling to a wedding in the town of Konhein. "They were charged with Article 5(j) and 5(l)" of Burma's Emergency Provisions Act, said Khin Moe Moe, a lawyer for 12 of the detained. "They did not have any contact with insurgent armed groups, they were just traveling for a wedding. … They are just normal people. Even the police bringing charges could not provide evidence at court about links to an armed group." Win Khaung, the national police chief, has disputed that claim, telling Radio Free Asia that the 20 detainees had links to an unspecified armed terrorist group and were planning to carry out an act of terrorism, allegations to which the police chief said the accused had confessed. Both charges carry a maximum sentence of seven years in prison. "I do not think that these victims will get fair justice," Khin Moe Moe added. "I believe that there are instructions for the court in Taunggyi from top officers about how to punish these victims. The judge will sentence the victims even though the victims are innocent and even though police do not have [sufficient] evidence." The 20 Muslims are all Burmese nationals, and some are even members of the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), according to their lawyer. The accused have been held in a prison in Mandalay since August, with their lawyer objecting to their incarceration while the investigation is ongoing. "Prison is for those who have been sentenced. These people are not guilty yet," she said. "An investigation is ongoing. They should not be in prison." She said prison authorities have refused to let the families of the detained Muslims visit them. The four women and 16 men have appeared in court 20 times already, according to the lawyer. Khin Moe Moe also claimed that monks aligned with the Buddhist nationalist 969 movement were interfering in the case. A group of 969-affiliated monks has attended every court hearing convened, and Khin Moe Moe said she had received a threat from a 969 member on Facebook. "They come to show their power whenever the victims appear in court. They were waiting in front of the court during the victims' trial. They showed their power to create trouble sometimes. I told the victims' families not to come to the court out of concern," she said. Members of Burma's Muslim minority are severely repressed in western Arakan State, but elsewhere in the country they have largely managed to avoid discriminatory treatment by authorities, despite rising interreligious tensions in recent years. More than 200 people, mostly Muslims, have been killed in clashes between Buddhists and Muslims that have broken out sporadically since mid-2012. The most recent violence erupted in Mandalay in July, when one Buddhist and one Muslim were killed during rioting that lasted two days. In Arakan State, more than 100,000 Muslims remain confined to displacement camps after they fled their homes in the 2012 violence. The post 20 Muslims Facing Trial on Terrorism Charges appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Ethnic Alliance Ponders Future Federalism, Creates ‘Federal Union Army’ Posted: 09 Dec 2014 02:37 AM PST Ethnic leaders of the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team and representatives of the government and Burma Army met in Myitkyina, Kachin State, earlier this year. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) The 12 ethnic armed groups of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) officially announced that they planned to form their own so-called Federal Union Army, an initiative they said that would bolster defense cooperation and help with the creation of a single federal army for Burma in the future. "We intend to form the Federal Union Army with the aim of integrating it into a model federal army of Burma in the future," said Gen. Bee Htoo, chief of staff of the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), referring to a time when the government, Burma Army and ethnic groups have signed a nationwide peace agreement. News of the plans for the creation of a Federal Union Army had circulated for some time but was officially confirmed by the UNFC this week. Col. Khun Okkar, joint secretary of UNFC and a leader of the Pa-O National Liberation Organization, said the Federal Union Army initiative also served to strengthen defense cooperation between the 12 UNFC members, who he added would "help each other if one is attacked" by the Burma Army. The UNFC includes most major rebel groups, such as the Kachin Independence Army, units from the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and the Shan State Army-North, but several powerful groups, such as the United Wa State Army (UWSA), Shan State Army-South and the Mongla militia, are not members. Bee Htoo said he was appointed chief of staff of the planned Federal Union Army at a UNFC meeting in late November, while KNLA vice chief of staff and Lt-Gen. Baw Kyaw Heh was named commander of Federal Union Army's southern region. KIA Chief of Staff Gen. Gam Shawng has been appointed commander of the new army's northern region. The UNFC troops when unified under a Federal Union Army could potentially field a total of some 25,000 fighters. The UNFC representatives said an important reason for creating the Federal Union Army was to help further the process of the creation of a federal army comprising ethnic groups and the Burma Army, a demand of the ethnic groups during the ongoing national ceasefire process. Since mid-2013, the government, Burma Army and an alliance of 16 ethnic groups have held a number of high-level negotiations to reach a comprehensive ceasefire agreement. But the sides are still far apart on the ethnics' demands for a degree political autonomy for ethnic minority regions under a federal union of Burma, the formation of a federal army and calls for reforms to the undemocratic 2008 Constitution. The issue of a federal army is scheduled to be discussed in the political dialogue, a protracted phase of negotiations that would follow a nationwide ceasefire. In recent months, the nationwide ceasefire process has hit deadlock, however, and trust in the process has fallen, in particular in the wake of a surprise attack by the Burma Army on a KIA training camp on Nov. 17 that killed 23 cadets. "We will talk about how to form a model federal army based on the results of the political dialogue. If we reach an agreement over a federal army, the [UNFC's Federal Union Army] will be abolished," said Khun Okkar. Bee Htoo said the UNFC's initiative was not intended to rival with the Burma Army, but to begin to set up an army in which the different ethnic peoples of Burma feel they have a place. He added, "We don’t accept the current structure of the Burma Army that was founded by the ethnic Burmans." The road to establishing such an inclusive army will be long, however, as the Burma Army remains militarily and politically powerful, and the Burman majority-dominated army appears unlikely to give up centralized control over the country for which it has fought during decades of internal conflict. Burma Army Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing in a recent interview with sVoice of America rejected the idea of the UNFC forming its own Federal Union Army. "In fact, we already have the Tatmadaw, like all nation states have their own national army. But there are not two or three national armies in any nation. Not in the United States, not in neighboring India, China, Thailand, nor in Bangladesh," he was quoted as saying. Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing added, "There are differences in defining federalism in the constitution written by UNFC and in the [2008] Constitution" of Burma. Under British colonial rule, the army was made up of different units that were formed by the country's ethnic groups, such a Burman units, Karen and Chin units. Shortly after independence in 1947, civil war erupted in Burma and the army fell apart along ethnic lines. Veteran journalist and Burma expert Bertil Lintner said the creation of a federal union and federal army for Burma would be extremely complex, adding that he believed that the ethnic groups had not formed a clear idea yet of how to approach negotiations over these issues with the government. Lintner said India's federal states and federal security forces structure offered the best example for a country as ethnically diverse as Burma. In India's federal states, he said, ethnic groups are allowed to maintain law and order through their own security forces in their regions, while issues of national importance, such as border affairs, fall under control of India's national army that is under central government command. The best option, Lintner said, "would be if the ethnic armies could become state police forces in their respective states, under the command of a democratically-elected state government, but then Burma would have to become a federal union first." The post Ethnic Alliance Ponders Future Federalism, Creates 'Federal Union Army' appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Rangoon Govt Begins Impounding Sports Cars, Motorbikes Posted: 09 Dec 2014 02:24 AM PST Seized sports cars in the compound of Rangoon's divisional parliament building. (Photo: May Kha / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The Rangoon Division government announced on Monday that it had impounded a number of sports vehicles, automobiles fitted with power exhaust systems and motorbikes as part of a crackdown on reckless driving in the city. Since Dec. 4, the government has impounded 52 modified or high performance vehicles and four motorbikes, in an effort to curb the number of traffic accidents and improve road safety. "We are impounding cars under the aegis of the divisional government. Previously, all we did according to the traffic rules and regulations was just fine drivers for speeding," traffic police captain Zaw Myo Tun told The Irrawaddy. "We'll take actions against [drivers] in line with relevant laws," said Col Tin Win, the divisional minister for border affairs and security, at a press conference on Monday. "In the past, we only fined them, and they did not take it seriously and continued to drive on Yangon's streets. But now, we'll take severe action." The crackdown has been prompted in part by frequent complaints from Rangoon residents about the reckless driving of sports cars, said Col Tin Win. The divisional government will check whether seized cars have been imported illegally and sanction drivers accordingly, in line with laws on illegal importation and the Yangon City Development Committee's municipal traffic laws. The government said the impounding of high performance vehicles would continue until all such vehicles are removed from the city's roads. The post Rangoon Govt Begins Impounding Sports Cars, Motorbikes appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Coalition Targets ‘Undemocratic’ Laws on Local Governance Posted: 09 Dec 2014 01:52 AM PST A street-level view of the No. 11 ward administrator's office in Pabedan Township, Rangoon. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The Action Committee for Democracy Development (ACDD) has released a report claiming that provisions in Burma's Ward and Village Tract Administrative Laws are undemocratic, with the committee calling for amendments to provisions of the Constitution that pertain to local governance. Although ward and village administrators, the lowest rank of the country's administrative hierarchy, are elected by the people, their appointment requires approval from higher level officials appointed by the Home Affairs Ministry, said Ye Kyaw Thu of ACDD, calling the practice unacceptable. "The way [ward/village] administrators are selected is not reasonable. They are elected by the people, but their appointment needs to be approved by township and district administrators who have the authority to reject [administrators-elect] if they don't see eye to eye with them. Only a small proportion of current ward and village administrators were elected by the people," he said. He added that the eligibility criteria in the law afford an unfair advantage to retired civil servants, favoring them over other potential candidates in the selection of ward and village administrators. ACDD is comprised of 18 civil society groups engaged in social and political affairs. Its public opinion survey pertains to two laws enacted in 2012. The committee interviewed more than 1,600 people in 72 townships across three states and six divisions from June to August, gauging public awareness of the laws and surveying whether people ultimately had the right to elect their ward/village administrators. The survey found that more than 75 percent of respondents did not know of the existence of the Ward and Village Tract Administrative Laws and only 9 percent had studied the legislation, said Aung Myin, who took part in the survey. "The respondents think that the selection method is not fair. Again, most of the people do not even know of the very existence of this law," he said. A provision in the laws requires ward/village administrators to follow any instructions communicated by the Home Affairs Ministry, Aung Myin said, leading some local leaders to make decisions based on the dictates of Naypyidaw and not in the public's interest. The ACDD said it hoped the survey would contribute to discussions about amending Burma's controversial 2008 Constitution, with the committee putting a focus on Articles 288 and 289 of the charter, which deal with local administration. Article 288 states that township and district administrators are to be appointed, and the subsequent Ward and Village Tract Administrative Laws have given these appointees the final say in who serves as village and ward administrators. Article 289 states that village and ward administrators "shall be assigned in accordance with the law to a person whose integrity is respected by the community." A ward administrator from Thingangyun Township in Rangoon said he could accept that ward administrators are required to follow instructions from higher up, likening the post to that of civil servants. He acknowledged, however, that some of those instructions were not in wards' best interests. "For example, we have to accompany [police] in conducting surprise checks on vehicles. This is in no way concerned with the ward's interests. It is like we are asked to accompany them so that we can appear as a witness in court in case something happens," he said. "We are paid, so let it be. But 10-household and 100-household administrators, who also have to accompany us, receive no remuneration at all. We have to arrest reckless drivers, but what if one of them stabs us? What they are doing is not effective at all," he said. The post Coalition Targets 'Undemocratic' Laws on Local Governance appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Shan New Year Celebrations Help Good Cause Posted: 09 Dec 2014 01:12 AM PST Performers in traditional Shan costume on stage. (Photo: Mark Inkey) CHIANG MAI, Thailand — Not only are the Shan New Year celebrations in Chiang Mai at Wat Ku Tao the biggest outside of Shan State, they also raise about 300,000 Baht (about US$10,000) for underprivileged people in eastern Burma. San Ya, a director of the Chiang Mai branch of the Tai Literature and Culture Society, which organizes the event, said that the festivities get bigger each year as more Shan people have been moving to the area of Chiang Mai over the last decade. "Before, Shan people used to live mainly in the countryside and work in agricultural jobs, and the Thai government would not really let Shan people come to Thailand and work. But since about ten years ago, it has become much easier ," San Ya said. Prior to that, there was no large Shan population in any one area, making large congregations difficult. Smaller celebrations in Chiang Mai used to be held at Wat Pa Pao, a small Shan temple on the moat surrounding the historic old city. Following a steady influx of Shan arrivals in Chiang Mai eventually caused celebrations to outgrow the venue. Sometime around 2004, coordinators of the New Year event suggested a change. "About ten years ago," said Prakruba Jantarangsri, the abbot of Wat Ku Tao, representatives of the Tai literature and Culture Association, "came and asked me if they could hold their New Year celebrations here and I said yes." The abbot, whose name translates as Moonshine, explained that Wat Ku Tao is not a Shan temple, but a 650-year-old Lana, or northern Thai temple. He said that although he could speak Shan, had been to Shan State many times and was sympathetic to the ethnic minority, the main reason the Shan representatives chose his temple was that it was next to a sports stadium with ample parking facilities. Jantarangsri said that the first New Year celebrations at the temple attracted about 1,000 people while the most recent celebrations from Nov. 21-23 this year attracted more than 10,000. San Ya said that unlike previous generations of Shan immigrants who lived and worked in rural areas, newer arrivals lived in towns because they came to work in factories and construction. Chiang Mai is particularly popular as it is the nearest large Thai town to Shan State. According to San Ya, there is another reason so many Shan people have been coming to Thailand. "Because of land grabs in Shan State, people have no work so they come to Chiang Mai. Soldiers take the land," he said. "There are many people in Chiang Mai this has happened to." Another difference between new arrivals and previous Shan immigrants is that many migrants have had children who were born, educated and raised in Thailand. Their distance from Shan customs has left many of them more culturally Thai, having lost some of their traditions and language. Because more recent arrivals grew up immersed in Shan tradition, they often speak Shan language and lead a culturally distinct lifestyle. This is immediately obvious at New Year celebrations at Wat Ku Tao. Most people are wearing traditional clothing and headwear. Some instead wear Shan New Year tee shirts sold at one of the many stalls selling clothing and other goods. Also on offer are traditional Shan foods rarely seen in Chiang Mai, such as tofu products, many varieties of Shan noodles and buffalo jerky. Alcohol, however, is not on the menu inside the temple grounds. The yellow green and red of the Shan flag is everywhere, and most of the younger revelers have a small Shan flag sticker on one or both cheeks. Also very popular is a temporary Shan cultural museum with old photos from Shan State. Probably the most popular attraction is the stage where Shan singers perform. One of the highlights was a performance by Nong Nairn, a young Shan woman who originally came to Chiang Mai as a migrant worker and made it big. She went on to become a model and now is a famous actress in Thailand, having appeared on television and in films. With attendance of more than 10,000 people over three days, San Yai said that this year's celebrations were the biggest in the world outside of Shan State. Everyone who attends the celebrations is charged 60 baht (roughly $2) and vendors also pay a fee. San Ya said that this year he expected to raise about 300,000 baht, which would go towards helping orphans and other disadvantaged people in Shan State. He explained that the Tai Literature and Culture Association also has branches in Shan State that help to identify people and projects in need of funding, and distributes the money raised over New Year. "All the money goes to Burma. The association gives money to people who have problems, poor people, orphans, people in troubled areas, people in [displacement] camps and refugees. It helps to buy them food," he said. But beyond providing basic assistance to those in need, the funds also help to preserve a vital part of Shan identity. "Some money also goes toward paying for the teaching of Shan language in schools, [and] Shan study books," San Ya said. The post Shan New Year Celebrations Help Good Cause appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Indians Ask What Has Changed Since Delhi Gang Rape as Uber Driver Accused Posted: 08 Dec 2014 10:31 PM PST A student prays during a vigil for a gang rape victim, who was assaulted in New Delhi, in Ahmedabad. (Photo: Reuters) NEW DELHI — The alleged rape of a woman by a taxi driver in India's capital, just days before the city marks the second anniversary of a notorious gang rape on a Delhi bus, has sparked debate over whether security for Indian women has improved. A 27-year-old financial executive accused a taxi driver licensed by Uber, a popular US online cab service, of raping her late on Friday as she travelled home from a party. The alleged attack was a chilling reminder of the fatal gang rape of a woman by six assailants aboard a moving bus on Dec. 16, 2012. The crime sparked outrage around the world and calls for greater protections for women moving around India's cities. "I think it is time for some introspection over what has changed in the last two years," said Kamala Bhasin, a prominent feminist who founded the women's rights charity Jagori. "Laws have become better, there is greater public consciousness but we need to do much more in terms of addressing the question of why men are doing this and what can be done to stop them behaving like this." The accused driver, Shiv Kumar Yadav, was taken to court on Monday, a black cloth bag over his head. Police say he was arrested for raping a woman in 2011, but later acquitted. Public outrage over the Delhi gang rape forced authorities to stiffen penalties against sex crime offenders and criminalize activities such as stalking. What is lacking is a strategy aimed at tackling patriarchal attitudes towards women, said activists. India was ranked as the fourth most dangerous place for a woman to take public transport in a poll published in October by the Thomson Reuters Foundation. It polled second-worst on safety at night and for verbal harassment. On average 40 cases of crimes against women are registered daily by Delhi Police, including at least four cases of rape, according to government officials. More Awareness, More Reports Over the last two years there has been voracious reporting on the issue and campaigns by the media and NGOs which have emboldened more victims to come forward to report crimes such as rape, molestation and sexual harassment. The city's police force has established a women's help desk in most of the city's 160 police stations and conducts gender sensitization classes for officers and constables. A toll-free women's helpline receives more than 250 calls daily. Under a law introduced after the Delhi gang rape, police face up to three years in jail if they fail to register sexual offences—forcing them to take a "zero tolerance" approach to reports of gender crimes which often used to be dismissed. Delhi Transport Corporation also conducts gender classes for its bus drivers and has begun fitting buses with GPS systems so that they are easy to monitor and locate. Fast-track courts have been set up to deal with sex crimes and 'one-stop' rape centers have opened where victims can report the crime and access medical and psychological support. "The registration of rape, molestation and other crimes against women has increased as an outcome of increased awareness of general public… women are now feeling encouraged to come forward," Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary, State Minister for Home Affairs, told parliament last week in a written reply. There had been a 15 percent increase in the number of reports of crimes against women, with 13,230 reports registered in Delhi to Nov. 15 this year, against 11,479 cases during the corresponding period in 2013, added Chaudhary. 'Different World' But activists say authorities can do much more. "There is still a lot which needs to be done when it comes to safe mobility for women in the city," said Kalpana Viswanath, co-founder of Safetipin, an app which helps users by providing safety-related information. "Delhi isn't an easy city to move around in… We need better street lighting across the city and better last-mile connectivity services from metro stations." More police deployed around metro stations, GPS in auto-rickshaws, extended hours for underground trains and more buses on the roads would also help, said activists. Awareness campaigns, school classes on gender issues and training for those working in public transport were also needed. "Banning tinted windows on buses, more police on the streets and better checks and monitoring on drivers are good outside measures," said Monica Kumar, head of Manas Foundation which has run gender classes for thousands of Delhi's rickshaw drivers. "But we need inside measures. We need to understand their mindset and engage with such drivers, who are often migrants who come from a hugely different world where women are not respected and afforded their equal rights." The post Indians Ask What Has Changed Since Delhi Gang Rape as Uber Driver Accused appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Philippine Storm Weakens After Leaving 21 Dead Posted: 08 Dec 2014 08:51 PM PST Vehicles drive under a fallen coconut tree, after strong winds and heavy rain brought by typhoon Hagupit battered Atimonan town, Quezon province, south of Manila on Dec. 8, 2014. (Photo: Reuters) SAN JUAN, Philippines — Typhoon Hagupit weakened into a tropical storm Monday after leaving at least 21 people dead and forcing more than a million into shelters, while sparing most of a central Philippine region still reeling from last year's monster Typhoon Haiyan. Hagupit made landfall shortly before nightfall in the resort town of San Juan in Batangas province, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) south of Manila, the capital, with maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers (53 miles) per hour and gusts of 100 kph (62 mph). But a few hours later, Manila still was experiencing only slight winds and light rain. Forecasters, however, said Hagupit could still generate storm surges that could overwhelm coastal villages. In the capital, police officers were asking people to stay away from a promenade beside Manila Bay for safety reasons. More than 2,800 villagers moved to emergency shelters in San Juan, a low-lying and flood-prone town popular for its beach resorts, including 220 people huddled inside a gymnasium as torrential rains pounded. "It's really scary if you've watched what happened during Haiyan," said Amy de Guzman, a 34-year-old mother of three who sought refuge in the gymnasium. "I hope the storm blows away from here as far as possible." While officials expressed relief that the typhoon had not caused major damage in Tacloban and other central cities that were devastated by Haiyan, they warned that it was still barreling across the southern tip of the main northern island of Luzon, where Manila is located. The storm was expected to blow away Tuesday into the South China Sea. Hagupit (pronounced HA'-goo-pit), which first made landfall in Eastern Samar late Saturday, was moving slowly at 10 kph (6 mph) and could dump heavy rain that could possibly trigger landslides and flash floods, according to forecasters. Many of those in eastern areas who evacuated to shelters started to troop back home after the typhoon had blown past their provinces, Philippine Red Cross Secretary-General Gwendolyn Pang said. Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada said more than 5,000 residents of a shantytown on the edge of Manila Bay have been evacuated due to possible storm surges. Sandbags were stacked along a portion of a seawall to prevent possible storm surges in Manila Bay from spilling into a scenic boulevard and a tourist belt of restaurants and hotels. "We've prepared and trained for this," Estrada told The Associated Press, adding that his greatest fear was widespread flooding. Metropolitan Manila has a population of more than 12 million people. Like villagers in the central Philippines, Estrada said Manila residents were readily moving to safety because of haunting memories of Haiyan. The strongest typhoon on record to hit land, Haiyan's tsunami-like storm surges leveled entire villages and left more than 7,300 people dead or missing in November last year. Hagupit left at least 21 people dead, including 16 villagers who drowned in Eastern Samar province, where the typhoon made its first landfall, according to the Philippine Red Cross. The government disaster-response agency has reported only five other deaths, including three people who died of hypothermia, saying it was still verifying other reported casualties. Displaced villagers have been asked to return home from emergency shelters in provinces where the danger posed by the typhoon had waned, including Albay province, where more than half a million people were advised to leave evacuation sites. Nearly 12,000 villagers, however, will remain in government shelters in Albay because their homes lie near a restive volcano. President Benigno Aquino III has decided to cancel a trip to South Korea, where he and other Southeast Asian heads of state were to attend a diplomatic summit later this week, so he can deal with storm's aftermath. He will send two Cabinet members to represent him at the event, presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte said. The post Philippine Storm Weakens After Leaving 21 Dead appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

China Sentences Eight to Death for Attacks in Xinjiang Posted: 08 Dec 2014 08:44 PM PST   Paramilitary policemen stand on a truck as they travel past the Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar during an anti-terrorism oath-taking rally in Urumqi on May 23. (Photo: Reuters). BEIJING — A Chinese court on Monday sentenced eight people to death on charges of leading terror groups and setting off explosives in two attacks that left 46 people dead in the far western region of Xinjiang, home of the Muslim Uighur minority, state media said. The Urumqi Intermediate People’s Court in the capital of Xinjiang also handed out suspended death sentences to five others, China Central Television said, without mentioning when the trials were held. In a separate case, the same court jailed seven minority students of a prominent Uighur scholar for three to eight years after convicting them of separatism, rights lawyer Li Fangping said Monday. Violence linked to Xinjiang has killed about 400 people in and outside the region over the past 20 months. Beijing has blamed the attacks on radical separatists with foreign ties, although critics and human rights advocates say Uighurs have chafed under the repressive rule of the Han Chinese-dominated government. Uighurs also complain of economic disenfranchisement with the inflow of Han Chinese to their homeland. Beijing says it is pumping investments into the region to help it grow. Most attacks have been mounted against state targets, such as police stations, military checkpoints and government buildings, but assailants also have struck at civilians in several recent incidents, slashing at crowds with knives or setting off bombs at train stations and commercial areas. On April 30, as Chinese President Xi Jinping was wrapping up a tour to the ethnic region, an explosion shook a train station in the regional capital, killing three people, including two attackers. CCTV said two men were sentenced to death in the train attack. The defendants said on national television that they were instructed by a man outside China to carry out the attack. CCTV said the man was connected to the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, a group that China has designated a terrorist organization. About three weeks later, on May 22, four men drove two SUVs through a crowded market in central Urumqi and tossed explosives out of the car windows, killing themselves and 39 others. Initial state media reports said that attack was the work of a five-member terror group, including the assailants who died. However, CCTV said on Monday that six people were sentenced to death on charges of terrorism, use of explosives and endangering public safety. It did not explain why the number of suspects grew. Dilxat Raxit, spokesman for the Munich-based World Uyghur Congress, said the harsh sentences were politically motivated and the defendants had no chance of a fair trial. "China will never seek the root causes in its extreme [ethnic[ policies," he said in a statement. Authorities responded to the attacks by launching a one-year crackdown on violence in Xinjiang, where security was already tight following riots in Urumqi in 2009 that left nearly 200 people dead, according to official count. Among those sentenced in the clampdown is Ilham Tohti, a former economics professor at Minzu University of China in Beijing. Known for his candid criticisms of Chinese ethnic policies in his home region of Xinjiang, he was found guilty of separatism and sentenced to life imprisonment in September. Authorities accused him of fanning ethnic hatred, advocating violence and instigating terror through his classroom teaching and a website on Uighur issues. Seven of his students—six Uighurs and one ethnic Yi—who helped him run the website were accused of being part of a criminal gang led by him. At least three had testified against Ilham Tohti on national television. While Beijing insists there are no flaws in its ethnic policies, the top leadership has made some adjustments. It has agreed to provide free high school education in southern Xinjiang, which has the highest concentration of Uighurs, and promised employment for at least one member of each household in the poverty-stricken region.   The post China Sentences Eight to Death for Attacks in Xinjiang appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

Kachin in Thailand Mark Monarch’s Birthday with Manau Festival Posted: 08 Dec 2014 03:30 PM PST Members of northern Thailand’s Kachin community were joined by visitors from Burma, as well as their Jingpo and Singpho cousins from China and India, for a Manau celebration in honor of the Thai King's birthday in early December, 2014. (Photo: Seamus Martov) CHIANG DAO, Thailand—The normally sleepy village of Ban Mai Samakee, located in northern Thailand’s Chiang Dao district, was teeming with activity this past weekend as villagers held a traditional Kachin festival in honor of the Thai King's 87th birthday. The village, home to a group of aging Kachin exiles left stranded in northern Thailand in the 1970's and their descendants, has celebrated the Manau festival every other year for the last decade on the King’s birthday to commemorate his granting them the opportunity to live in his country. During this year's festival, members of northern Thailand’s Kachin community were joined by a large number of visitors from Burma, as well as their Jingpo and Singpho cousins from China and India. The Manau dance, which originates from the animist faith practiced in the Kachin hills before the arrival of Christianity, involves dance leaders guiding two groups of dancers, weaving around Manau posts in a complex pattern. This year’s festivities also included a series of concerts held over the four days of celebration. Performers included the popular 88 generation musician Mun Awng, a long exiled native of Kachin state. The post Kachin in Thailand Mark Monarch’s Birthday with Manau Festival appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

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