Democratic Voice of Burma

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• DVB Bulletin: 7 January 2014
• 88 Gen delegates meet Myitsone villagers
• DVB Debate: ‘Who benefits when the rivers are dammed?’
• Irrawaddy salt production continues to slide

DVB Bulletin: 7 January 2014 Posted: 07 Jan 2015 04:05 AM PST On tonight's bulletin: Yanghee Lee arrives in Burma 16 year old trafficking victim returned to family Shan activist allege army murder White House chef a sensation in Rangoon You can watch DVB Bulletin every weeknight on DVB TV after the 7 o'clock news. The post DVB Bulletin: 7 January 2014 appeared first on DVB Multimedia Group.

88 Gen delegates meet Myitsone villagers Posted: 07 Jan 2015 12:15 AM PST Representatives of the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society (88GPOS) civil society group and the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) met in state capital Myitkyina on Monday to discuss the ongoing peace process in Burma, though indications suggest that the suspended Myitsone mega-dam project featured prominently in their talks. Mya Aye of the 88GPOS wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday that his organisation was hopeful it would see progress at the upcoming round of ceasefire talks between the ethnic bloc's Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team and the government's Union Peace-making Work Committee. He also said that the 88GPOS delegation was taken 30 kilometres north of the capital to meet the residents of Aungmyintha village who were forcibly relocated four years ago to make way for the controversial Chinese-backed dam project. Though neither the 88GPOS nor the KIO chose to mention details of the Rangoon-based group's trip to the site, Ja Khon, a local Aungmyintha villager, said the 88 Generation delegation arrived on Tuesday morning and listened to their woes. "They [88GPOS representatives] met with more than 20 villagers at the communal house and listened to us telling them how we were relocated and lost our livelihoods," he told DVB on Tuesday. "We also explained how we now have little access to healthcare and education. "They promised to raise our issues with the government." The villagers also stressed their concerns that the dam would be resumed when the current government's term ends. Related Stories 300 protestors march from Monywa to Latpadaung mine Latpadaung protestor was killed by gunshot, says coroner Activists charged for staging unauthorised protest Dau Hka, a member of the KIO's Technical Advisory Team (TAT), said that the Kachin army did not accompany the 88GPOS to Aungmyintha, but instead spoke with the activists about the current state of affairs with regard to the ceasefire talks and peace process. "We spoke in general terms about each other's viewpoints and discussed means to strengthen the peace process," he told DVB. The 88GPOS team met later on Tuesday with members of the Peace Creation Group (PCG), which has played a mediatory role in recent talks with the central government. PCG spokesman San Aung said, "We discussed the possibilities with regard to a successful nationwide ceasefire, and we said we expect a positive outcome from the upcoming preliminary talks ahead of the seventh round of ceasefire negotiations. "We believe that peace will be delayed unless there is progress," he added. "The president has suggested signing the nationwide ceasefire agreement next month on Union Day, and so we shall wait and see whether that will happen." The post 88 Gen delegates meet Myitsone villagers appeared first on DVB Multimedia Group.

DVB Debate: ‘Who benefits when the rivers are dammed?’ Posted: 06 Jan 2015 11:15 PM PST On this week’s episode of DVB Debate, the panel questions just who stands to gain from the damming of Burma’s mighty rivers. Hydropower is the single largest source of energy for Burma’s people, accounting for around forty percent of energy used. But many households remain in the dark, with only one third having access to regular electricity. More dams will mean more electricity, but just where will it go? Watch the debate clip in English, then find the full debate in Burmese at dvbdebate.net Related Stories 300 protestors march from Monywa to Latpadaung mine Nay Myo Zin, Naw Ohn Hla arrested over Latpadaung protest Remembering the tsunami The post DVB Debate: ‘Who benefits when the rivers are dammed?’ appeared first on DVB Multimedia Group.

Irrawaddy salt production continues to slide Posted: 06 Jan 2015 10:00 PM PST Refined salt production in the Irrawaddy delta has been in decline since the area was devastated by Cyclone Nargis in 2008, said an official at Myanmar Salt Enterprise. Statistics compiled by the government body show that there were 803 farmers working over 121,406 square metres (30,000 acres) of salt fields in the region in the first production season after the disaster. In the 2014-15 fiscal year, however, only 233 farmers sought permits for salt production and worked just over 10,000 acres. A local salt farmer who spoke to DVB said the main factors contributing to the industry's decline include unstable market prices and high investment fees that drive many to switch careers. Related Stories Burma's missing millions 400 fishermen rescued after storm Cyclone to miss Burma, Met Office says The Irrawaddy delta is home to Burma's largest salt fields, which used to sprawl over the townships of Laputta, Ngapudaw, Dedaye and Bogale until Cyclone Nargis destroyed massive swaths of land. The Post-Nargis Joint Assessment (PONJA) conducted in the wake of the disaster reported that more than 97.12 square kilometres (23,999 acres) – 80 percent of delta salt fields – were affected. The area comprised roughly 35,000 farms, threatening the livelihoods of tens of thousands of people. The post Irrawaddy salt production continues to slide appeared first on DVB Multimedia Group.

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