Democratic Voice of Burma

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• Fighting Sexism in Burma’s Parliment
• 200 ‘squatters’ evicted from Rangoon suburb
• Official probe launched into Latpadaung killing
• Thein Sein lauds ‘new political culture’ in Burma
• Rangoon stunned by flag prank

Fighting Sexism in Burma’s Parliment Posted: 02 Jan 2015 04:03 AM PST Burmese politics has always been a male-dominated world. But things are starting to change as more and more women are becoming involved in politics, despite being a notoriously tough environment. DVB speaks to some of the women who are working to put and end to gender discrimination in Burmese politics. Related Stories Suu Kyi says ‘no’ to reimposing sanctions Election commission calls for more female politicians Burmese gender rights group meet with global leaders   The post Fighting Sexism in Burma’s Parliment appeared first on DVB Multimedia Group.

200 ‘squatters’ evicted from Rangoon suburb Posted: 02 Jan 2015 03:01 AM PST Some 200 residents of the Rangoon satellite town of Dala were evicted on New Year's Eve from the homes they had lived in for more than 30 years. A combined force of around 40 police officers, fire department workers and municipal officers were on hand on the evening of 31 December to ensure that the so-called "squatters' were moved along without incident and that their makeshift homes – mostly wooden huts – were destroyed. According to a female resident of the affected barrio in Tadachaung village, the 200 evictees were left with nowhere to go. "I was born here and have been living here for over 30 years," she told DVB by phone on 1 January. "On Wednesday evening, our home was destroyed. The authorities said we are not allowed to stay here any longer. In total over 100 houses – mostly huts – were destroyed and around 200 people were left homeless," she said. On 1 January, some of the evicted residents were seen rebuilding their houses on the same site; others were camping out in a nearby field. "If we don't rebuild them today, we'll have no place to sleep tonight," the woman said. Related Stories Rangoon stunned by flag prank Nay Myo Zin, Naw Ohn Hla arrested over Latpadaung protest Low turnout mars Rangoon municipal elections "Being manual labourers, we do not have the money to move elsewhere. Our only option is to rebuild our homes where they stood. We know the authorities will come back to destroy them again, but we have no other choice." A police officer in Pyawbwegyi village-tract, which falls under the same local jurisdiction as Tadachaung, said the decision to evict the residents came from the local administration and municipal department. "It didn't have anything to do with the police," he said. "This was a decision by the local administrators and municipal officials. To the best of my knowledge, the land in question is owned by the Housing Department. So far, we have not been informed as to how or where the squatters will be resettled." Dala township administrators and municipal department officers were unavailable for comment.   The post 200 'squatters' evicted from Rangoon suburb appeared first on DVB Multimedia Group.

Official probe launched into Latpadaung killing Posted: 02 Jan 2015 12:49 AM PST Government-backed Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (MHRC) and local police in Sagaing Division's Salingyi Township launched separate investigations on 1 January into the fatal shooting of protestor Khin Win at the Latpadaung copper mine site on 22 December. On Thursday, a team of MNHRC officials in Salingyi summoned seven eye-witnesses – six local villagers and a Buddhist monk – to recount their version of what happened during the incident. Three of these villagers – identified as Khin Mar Aye, Htay Htay and U Thaung – were also summoned by the Salingyi police. Khin Mar Aye confirmed to DVB that she had met with police officials but refused to provide further details. "We were questioned as eye-witnesses at the death of Ma Khin Win by the Salingyi police's superintendent and are currently on our way to an interview with the human rights commission," she said. Meanwhile on 1 January, local farmers and their supporters staged another rally at the site of the mining project, which is jointly run by Burmese military-backed Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings (UMEH) and Chinese state mining firm Wanbao. The protestors carried placards and chanted, calling for justice for Khin Win's family and the return of farmland confiscated to make way for the project. Abbot Arlawka of the Sanmyawaddy Buddhist monastery in Salingyi told DVB on Thursday that police were at the rally site in Tonywa village, but showed restraint. "Local villagers today protested in Tonywa, calling for the return of their farmland and an investigation into the death of Ma Khin Win," he said. "They rallied in front of the police checkpoint west of the village where a fence had been built. The police, taking up positions inside the fence, did not react to the protestors." Related Stories Rangoon stunned by flag prank Nay Myo Zin, Naw Ohn Hla arrested over Latpadaung protest Latpadaung villagers tear down Wanbao fence On 23 December, the day after Khin Win's death, mine contractors Myanmar Wanbao issued a statement lamenting the "tragic and sad news" of the villager's death. "Our hearts and prayers are with her family," the statement said. This week, the mining firm released a follow-up statement, maintaining that it had abided by the recommendations laid down by the Latpadaung Investigation Commission, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, which was appointed in the wake of a brutal crackdown by riot police on protestors in 2012. "Even though Myanmar Wanbao has met its legal requirements and has paid compensation and subsidies, the company has gone further to safeguard the livelihood and well-being of its community in the long term," it said, adding that the firm had met its obligations with regard to social and environmental assessments, in addition to providing generously towards infrastructure in the local community. Myanmar Wanbao maintains that a door-to-door survey it conducted revealed that the copper mine project has the support of 91 percent of the local community, and that certain political organisations and activists are trying to manipulate the villagers for political gain. Meanwhile on Thursday, similar rallies were staged in solidarity with the Latpadaung protestors in Rangoon, Mandalay, Prome and other cities and towns across Burma. Hundreds of protestors in Mandalay, including dozens of Buddhist monks, marched through the streets on New Year's Day calling for government accountability. "We believe that the government must be accountable and take responsibility for the violence that has occurred in Latpadaung," said Thein Myint Aung, an activist from the Myanmar Democratic Current Force group, which joined in the demonstration. Activists in Rangoon staged a march from City Hall in the downtown area to the Chinese Embassy on 1 January. At the time the rally began, a State of Burma flag – symbolizing resistance to colonial rule in the early 1940s – was hoisted up the flagpole of the nearby High Court building, well within sight of the activists at City Hall. No person or group has claimed responsibility for the incident and it is not known whether the prank was intended to coincide with the Latpadaung solidarity rally. Meanwhile, activists Naw Ohn Hla, Sein Htay and Nay Myo Zin – who were arrested for allegedly leading a protest in front of the Chinese embassy in Rangoon on 29 December – have each been charged with organising an unlawful protest; disturbing officials on duty; and a charge that could amount to sedition. According to their lawyer Robert Sann Aung, the three, who were arrested on the morning of 30 December, were charged under: the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law (for organising an unauthorised protest); and Penal Code articles 353 (for disturbing officials on duty) and 505(b) (causing fear or alarm to the public or to any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the State or against the public tranquility). "The trio were charged under three articles and remanded at Dagon Township Court [on 30 December]," said the well-known human rights lawyer, adding that they were to be detained in Insein Prison to await trial on 13 January.     The post Official probe launched into Latpadaung killing appeared first on DVB Multimedia Group.

Thein Sein lauds ‘new political culture’ in Burma Posted: 02 Jan 2015 12:01 AM PST Political inclusiveness in the lead-up to Burma's 2015 general elections will help the country's democratic transition, Burmese President Thein Sein said in his New Year's Day speech to the nation. Speaking at his monthly radio broadcast on 1 January, Thein Sein said the general election, scheduled for later this year, would provide a platform for Burmese politics to mature by allowing opposition parties a more active role through opening up dialogues with the government. "Today – and because of our combined efforts – a new political culture where we value finding solutions through dialogue is taking root in place of unconstructive confrontational tactics," he said. "Because of this new political culture, the 2015 elections will mark the fist time since our independence where elections will be contested by all the political stakeholders freely and fairly." The political transparency on offer is also designed as an initiative for armed ethnic groups operating in various regions across Burma to take part in the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement with the Burmese government, he said, adding that the government believes that by opening up political dialogue, ethnic armed groups will be able to take a proactive roll in politics rather than insurgency, which has been ongoing in ethnic regions for decades. It was announced via state media on Friday that the leaders of the Kachin Independence Army and the Ta-ang National Liberation Army had been invited to the 67th Anniversary Independence Day Grand Military Review ceremony on 4 January. This is the first time these usually pariah groups have been encouraged to participate in a national event, and comes at a time when peace talks are continuing throughout the region. Related Stories Suu Kyi says ‘no’ to reimposing sanctions Will ASEAN be a conduit for transnational organised crime? Rights groups urge justice for Ja Seng Ing, Brang Shawng "It is critical and imperative to merge the developments arising from the 2015 elections with the national reconciliation process originating from the peace process. The day we can do this is the day we can begin to build a new nation based on the ideals of a federal union and finally fulfil the needs of our nation and society at large," Thein Sein said in his radio address. "The government has established the Land Utilisation Management Committee all the way down to the village level in order to ensure transparency of the land reform process." The president also addressed the issue of land reform in Burma, which has grabbed headlines and caused protests and demonstrations throughout the country. While the president conceded that land reform had become a contentious issue, where businesses had exploited outdated laws or loopholes, which had allowed controversial land seizures in recent years, he pledged steps were being taken to address the issue responsibly. "The land issue is one of major challenges facing our country," he said. "The fact of the matter is that land reforms are never easy in any country; they are particularly difficult in a transitional country like ours. The land problems we are now left to deal with were caused by unnecessarily complicated procedures practised by the previous governments and problems relation to documentation and record of ownership." President Sein went on to congratulate his country for holding the ASEAN chair for 2014, and for holding the Southeast Asia Games, thereby showing that Burma can stand alongside other nations in the international community. Burma's image-rebrand during the political transition appears to be working, as the president went onto discuss the country's growth figures in 2014, noting that foreign investment amounted to US6.3 billion. Also, over three million tourists visited Burma in 2014, which accounted for around $3 billion in revenue. The post Thein Sein lauds 'new political culture' in Burma appeared first on DVB Multimedia Group.

Rangoon stunned by flag prank Posted: 01 Jan 2015 09:17 PM PST The Rangoon Division Justice Department has filed a report with police requesting them to investigate and take action against whoever hoisted the State of Burma flag on top of the Divisional High Court building in Rangoon city centre on New Year's Day. Many residents in Rangoon were astonished while tourists may have been confused by the sight of the flag – yellow, green and red stripes, the same as the current flag, but with a dancing peacock symbol instead of the Myanmar star – which represented Burmese independence aspirations in the early 1940s under Japanese occupation. Related Stories 200 'squatters' evicted from Rangoon suburb Official probe launched into Latpadaung killing Nay Myo Zin, Naw Ohn Hla arrested over Latpadaung protest The flag was hoisted by party or parties unknown at the High Court building on Thursday afternoon around 2pm while a rally was simultaneously taking place in front of the nearby City Hall demanding justice for the family of Khin Win, who was fatally shot by riot police on 22 December while protesting the Latpadaung copper mining project in Sagaing Division. The flag was taken down after about half an hour. DVB has learnt that a deputy-director at the Rangoon Division Justice Department filed a police report later in the day with a request to investigate and take legal action against whoever raised the emblem on the flag-pole. The post Rangoon stunned by flag prank appeared first on DVB Multimedia Group.

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