The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• New MPT Plan Gets Lukewarm Reception From Mobile Users
• USDP Comes Knocking in Voter Outreach Push
• 20 Muslims Jailed on Terrorism Charges
• Stock Exchange Licenses to be Awarded in April
• 88 Generation Leaders Talk Peace Process, Military Veto with Upper House Speaker
• Dozens of Children Among 98 Rohingya Smuggling Victims Found in Thailand
• Burma’s Political Stakeholders Converge in Capital
• As Reforms Stall, US and Burma to Discuss Human Rights 
• Divers Retrieve 1 of 2 Black Boxes from Crashed AirAsia Jet
• Pope’s Asia Trip to Address Poverty, Dialogue, Climate Change
• Pro-Democracy Hong Kong Media Tycoon’s Home Firebombed
• Vintage Rail Ride

New MPT Plan Gets Lukewarm Reception From Mobile Users Posted: 12 Jan 2015 05:31 AM PST Workers use their mobile phone in a vehicle on their way home in Rangoon on Jan. 18, 2013. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications (MPT), Burma's largest state-owned telecom provider, launched a new plan on Monday that will offer consumers internet and phone services at different rates. The plan received a lukewarm reception, however, among customers and retail sellers, who said the price changes were marginal and rates still well above those offered by foreign-owned competitors. MPT executives announced the company was lowering rates under the new "Swe Thahar plan" during a press conference on Friday. Call rates will be lowered from 50 kyats to 35 kyats (US$0.03) per minute, SMS rates from 25 kyats to 15 kyats per SMS, and users can switch from paying 4 kyats per minute for internet use to paying 15 kyats per megabyte. Foreign telecoms Telenor and Ooredoo currently offer phone calls for 25 kyats per minute, 15 kyats per SMS and 10 to 6 kyats per Mb for internet usage. "Our customers have been waiting for us to announce new tariffs. Now, we are very confident about our network and services and therefore, we want to share with you our new offers," Takashi Nagashima, CEO of MPT-KDDI-Sumitomo Joint Operations, said in a press release. MPT said its new plan would also result in increasing internet speed, which remains extremely low in Burma compared to other countries in the region. Last year, Japan's KDDI Corporation and Sumitomo Corporation announced they would invest $2 billion in a joint venture with MPT over the next 10 years to expand services. Customers and mobile service retailers on Monday were largely unimpressed with the marginal improvements offered by the new MPT plan, which also drew criticism among Burmese social media users. "Although there are slightly reduced call and SMS rates, there is no big difference because they changed the internet charges from time-based to data-based under this plan," said Lwin Mar Htun, a mobile phone user. "I'm glad that we have a choice not to use that plan," he said, adding that customers felt like they suffered from the state-owned firm's reluctance or inability to bring down rates in the past. "I don't know why they are still doing that. They are still more expensive than others," Lwin Mar Htun said. MPT monopolized the Burmese telecom sector during the long years of economic isolation and past military rule; under its control the telecom sector remained underdeveloped and rates extremely expensive. Nay Phone Latt, executive director of Myanmar ICT for Development Organization, said the new MPT plan "is still more expensive than other operators. But… it is not like with the past. If we don't like it, we can use other [telecom firms], we have options. We can choose the cheaper and better ones." "I will not use that plan. For now, I use MPT for calls and Telenor for internet," he added. In January 2014, Norway's Telenor and Qatar's Ooredoo were granted two coveted telecom licenses. The firms began rolling out their networks and have put millions of SIM cards on sale since August. In late December, Reuters reported that Vietnam's military-owned Viettel would join forces with a second, partially state-owned telecom provider, Yatanaporn Teleport, which holds Burma's fourth telecom license. Viettel reportedly plans to invest $800 million to compete for a share of Burma's telecom sector. The sector is rapidly growing and according to government figures, the number of mobile phone users jumped from 1.6 million in March 2011 to 11.6 million in September this year, with MPT still dominating the market. Pyi Soe Htun, director of Lu Gyi Min Mobile Phone Shop, which has numerous stores in Rangoon, said most consumers were using MPT to receive phone calls and using Telenor or Ooredoo to make calls and use the internet, a situation that is unlikely to change with the new Swe Thahar plan. "The plan is not reducing the overall costs. They just introduced a new package plan with a new offer," she said. "I think that because they [MPT] hold on to their [market] advantage, they are reluctant to reduce their prices. But if they keep acting like that, their existing customers could also transfer to other [telecoms]," she said, adding that one of MPT's last remaining advantages was its network coverage in rural areas, where new operators have yet to build networks. "People are using Telenor and Ooredoo more and more, and also in rural regions locals will buy the new operators when their network coverage expands there," Pyi Soe Htun said. The post New MPT Plan Gets Lukewarm Reception From Mobile Users appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

USDP Comes Knocking in Voter Outreach Push Posted: 12 Jan 2015 05:20 AM PST Members of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) rally support in Rangoon in January 2015. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — The ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) has launched a door-to-door voter outreach campaign ahead of Burma's 2015 national elections, according to party officials, amid lingering uncertainty over the scope of partisan initiatives permitted by the Union Election Commission. Party officials acknowledged this week that the campaign was a preemptive effort aimed at countering a widely held view that the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party will pose a formidable challenge to the USDP's ability to hold power in elections slated for late this year. The voter outreach is in recognition of the fact that the party is unlikely to win a landslide victory as it did in 2010, when the NLD boycotted the widely discredited polls. "The USDP is campaigning door to door. It is targeting to rally the support of three groups—workers, farmers and youths," Hla Swe, a USDP Central Committee member, told The Irrawaddy, adding that the party was also conducting a survey on voters' needs. The USDP door-to-door outreach would appear to fall within a gray area of campaign rules laid out by Burma's Union Election Commission (UEC), one restriction being a limitation that some have interpreted to be a blanket ban on campaigning more than 60 days prior to Election Day. At a Dec. 15 meeting between political parties and UEC chairman Tin Aye, however, the elections chief reportedly told attendees that pre-campaigning to gain general party support was not prohibited, and that the 60-day by-law only applied to campaigning by individual candidates. Last week, both the USDP and NLD were accused by some of Burma's smaller parties of skirting campaign rules, which both parties have denied. Neither party has yet decided on the candidates it will field in the election, expected in late October or early November 2015. The USDP is carrying out its door-to-door campaign mainly in rural villages. "The USDP has come to four or five villages in our region and asked which party we voted for in 2010 [election] and which party we will vote for in 2015. They also asked if we need electricity or water for regional development," said Zigon village resident Tin Lwin in Thaegon Township, Pegu Division. U Shwe, whose Thaebyahla village-tract in Thaegon Township was visited, said it had been years since the ruling party had stopped by, with the long-absent USDP showing up recently offering to repair roads and disburse loans. "They are campaigning saying they will lend 50,000 kyats [US$50] to each family. They ask those who want to borrow money to sign. Many people will take it if they offer it as people here are poor," said U Shwe. "They said they would take our photos to give us USDP membership cards. They said it is more convenient to travel and stay overnight at others' houses with the card," he added. Shwe Mann, the ruling party chairman, has been meeting recently with farmers in Burma, where incentives were reportedly offered to those attending the USDP-organized rallies. When Shwe Mann met locals in Dawei, Tenasserim Division, on Jan. 2, enticements were offered to attend the meeting, according to Yi Yi Htway from the Dawei Farmers Union. "They provided ferry, meals, saying that farmers who attend the rally would get agricultural loans and other inputs," said Yi Yi Htway. The USDP is set to hold a behind-closed-doors Central Committee meeting in Naypyidaw from Jan. 15-17, with its list of candidates expected to be announced sometime thereafter. The post USDP Comes Knocking in Voter Outreach Push appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

20 Muslims Jailed on Terrorism Charges Posted: 12 Jan 2015 05:10 AM PST A prisoner grips the bars on the window of a prison van as he leaves a court in Rangoon in 2012. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) MANDALAY – Twenty Muslims accused of having links with terrorists have been sentenced to 7 to14 years in prison in Taunggyi, Shan State, following a five-month trial that their lawyer has decried as biased and without evidence. Fifteen men and four women were sentenced to 14 years each, while a boy under 15 years old was given a seven-year sentence, according to the defendants' lawyer. One of the men, Thein Zaw, also faces an additional sentence of five years for an immigration offense. "They were sentenced under articles 5(j) and 5(l) of Burma's Emergency Provisions Act. They were given the maximum sentence even though no one could provide evidence that they have links to terrorists," said attorney Thein Shwe. "These sentences are unfair because… the evidence presented, which was based only on a police report, is insufficient to prove them as terrorists. They are just normal people," he added. The 20 convicted Muslims were arrested in August while traveling to a wedding in Konhein, Shan State. The bride, her mother-in-law, her sister-in-law and their cook were among those sentenced on Monday. Thein Shwe said that his clients were not carrying any weapons and bore no evidence of links with terrorists, suggesting that they had been profiled based on their appearance and religion. "What police seized from them were foods and materials for making Biryani," he said. All of the prisoners are being held at a prison in Taunggyi. Thein Shwe, who said that the group will appeal the verdict next week, claimed that the judicial proceedings had been tampered with by Buddhists affiliated with the nationalist group 969, who he said attended most hearings and harassed the families of the accused. Members of 969 and its affiliate Ma Ba Tha, however, did not attend Monday's hearing and could not comment on the accusation. The post 20 Muslims Jailed on Terrorism Charges appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Stock Exchange Licenses to be Awarded in April Posted: 12 Jan 2015 03:16 AM PST A worker at the Myanmar Securities Exchange Center in Rangoon updates a white board detailing world markets in September, 2011. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — Burma's Ministry of Finance will begin issuing licenses for financial services on the Yangon Stock Exchange—set to open in October—in April, according to Deputy Finance Minister Maung Mg Thein. "We're going to start calling on companies from four services to seek securities exchange licenses," the deputy minister announced on Saturday at the offices of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers and Commerce Industry. Licenses will be granted to underwriting, brokerage, dealing and consulting firms based on investment and clean-spending criteria. Applications will be available on Jan. 19, and interested firms must submit materials to the ministry's Security Exchange Working Commission by Feb. 27, the deputy minister said. Maung Mg Thein estimated that about 10 public companies are currently in compliance with all requirements and ready to apply, though several other institutions could be included. The list of companies likely to be approved could include Forest Joint Venture Company, Myanmar Thilawa SEZ Holdings, Myanmar Citizens Bank and Yoma Strategic Holdings, according to a financial analyst. Brokerage firms are required to commit to a 7 billion kyat (US$7 million) initial investment before applying, while dealing, underwriting and consulting firms must invest 10 billion, 15 billion and 30 million kyats, respectively. The stock exchange, which is being developed by the Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM) and two Japanese partners, is expected to be a major advancement in Burma's financial field; offering stability to what has long been an unregulated and volatile investment landscape. CBM's partners, Tokyo Stock Exchange and Daiwa Securities Group, will own a 49 percent share in the $32 million investment. Daiwa, a Tokyo-based investment firm, has been active in Burma since 1996, when it teamed up with state-owned Myanma Economic Bank—which until 2013 was subject to US sanctions—to create the Myanmar Securities Exchange Center, Burma's sole organized stock market. Economists have welcomed the development of a more sophisticated trading center, though some have warned that the costs are too steep for Burma's underdeveloped financial institutions. Senior consultant to Burma's ministry of Commerce, Maung Aung told The Irrawaddy that the ministry ought to take a more prudent approach to allow for a diverse and inclusive marketplace. "We understand that the amount [of capital required to apply] is in line with international norms, but as an initial step in Burma it's too much," he explained. Even the 7 billion kyat benchmark for brokers, he said, is too high and should begin at a lower rate, adding that, "as a developing country, there will be many challenges." The post Stock Exchange Licenses to be Awarded in April appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

88 Generation Leaders Talk Peace Process, Military Veto with Upper House Speaker Posted: 12 Jan 2015 01:56 AM PST 88 Generation leaders meet with Khin Aung Myint in Naypyidaw. (Photo: The 88 Generation Open and Peace Society / Facebook) RANGOON — The leaders of Burma's most prominent student group, the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society, have held a landmark meeting with the country's Upper House Speaker in Naypyidaw. Pyone Cho, one of the 88 Generation activists, told the Irrawaddy that the delegation, meeting with Khin Aung Myint for the first time, discussed the importance of advancing national reconciliation and the peace process, as well as calling for the reduction of military power in political affairs during the one and a half hour discussion on Sunday. "We discussed only these topics as we think they are the most important issues at the moment," said Pyone Cho. "He told us there are many people who should be involved in the reform process, and that the will of other stakeholders is important as well." Mya Aye, another 88 Generation leader, said the activists urged Khin Aung Myint to seriously consider the need to amend Article 436, a controversial provision in the Constitution that requires more than 75 percent of the Union Parliament to approve any constitutional amendments. With a quarter of parliamentary seats reserved for the military, Article 436 effectively gives the armed forces a veto over proposals for constitutional reform. Mya Aye also told The Irrawaddy that the delegation strongly expressed to the Speaker their desire for a durable peace agreement which would satisfy the desires of the country's ethnic minorities. "We told him we want a strong peace process with no backsliding that would guarantee the federal union all ethnic people here want," Mya Aye said. Discussing recent proposals for 12-party talks between representatives of the government, military and opposition—which themselves grew out of earlier agitation for a six-party dialogue—Pyone Cho said that there was broad agreement between Khin Aung Myint and the 88 Generation leaders that peace and reform discussions should focus more on outcomes than ensuring every sectional interest seeking representation had a seat at the table. "[The Speaker] said it's more important to have a concrete agenda to discuss at the talks rather than the number of people involved," said Pyone Cho. Many members of the 88 Generation Students played a crucial role in organizing the 1988 pro-democracy uprising and were subsequently imprisoned under the former military regime. Members of the pro-democracy group have over the last two years held talks with the government's chief peace negotiator, Minister Aung Min, Union Parliament Speaker Shwe Mann and President Thein Sein on issues related to the release of political prisoners and ongoing efforts to reach a nationwide ceasefire agreement. Last year, the '88 Students also joined forces with the National League for Democracy to campaign for changes to the military-drafted 2008 Constitution before the 2015 general election, declaring that they would prioritize reform to Article 436. The post 88 Generation Leaders Talk Peace Process, Military Veto with Upper House Speaker appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Dozens of Children Among 98 Rohingya Smuggling Victims Found in Thailand Posted: 12 Jan 2015 01:48 AM PST In 2009, a group of boat people said to be Rohingya from Burma were detained on the Thai island of Koh Sai Baed. (Photo: Reuters) BANGKOK — Dozens of children were among 98 suspected Rohingya trafficking victims from Burma discovered in pickup trucks in southern Thailand, police said on Monday, as more checkpoints were set up in the region to combat the trade. Two Thai drivers suspected of trafficking the Rohingya, a mostly stateless Muslim minority from western Burma, were being interrogated, said Police Captain Somporn Thongchee, a deputy inspector for Hua Sai district, where the group was found. Police intercepted five vehicles, including three pickup trucks, at a checkpoint in Hua Sai district in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, around 700 km (435 miles) from Bangkok on Sunday and discovered dozens of "very thin and tired men, women and children". Of the group, 42 were boys and girls under the age of 14. One of the Rohingya was dead. "This is our first discovery of a group of Rohingya which suggests that smuggling in this region might have increased in recent years," said Police Captain Somporn Thongcheen. They were being held in a government shelter in Hua Sai. If police follow the usual routine, they will be sent back to Myanmar or could languish in a shelter for months before the government decides what to do with them. Thailand is ranked one of the world’s worst centers of human trafficking. It was downgraded to the lowest "Tier 3" status last June on the U.S. State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report for not fully complying with minimum standards for its elimination. Last week, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said his government would step up measures against human trafficking as the country scrambles to improve its record. An October Reuters report suggested trafficking routes in Thailand were thriving, with some Rohingya held for ransom by trafficking gangs at jungle camps near the border with Malaysia until relatives pa—usually several thousands dollars—for their release. Interrogation of the two Thai drivers suggested the trucks were heading for Songkhla, near the Thai-Malaysian border, Somporn said. Tens of thousands of Rohingya have fled Burma since 2012, when violent clashes with ethnic Arakanese Buddhist killed hundreds and made about 140,000 homeless. Authorities in southern Thailand have increased road checkpoints to try to intercept smugglers, said Manit Pianthong, chief of Takua Pa district in Phang Nga province. "The scale of the smuggling problem in this region is big," said Manit." These road checkpoints are one way of intercepting smugglers." The post Dozens of Children Among 98 Rohingya Smuggling Victims Found in Thailand appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Burma’s Political Stakeholders Converge in Capital Posted: 11 Jan 2015 10:21 PM PST Political stakeholders convene at the president's home in Naypyidaw for an unprecedented conference of 48 leaders representing ethnic, military and political interests on Jan. 12, 2015. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) NAYPYIDAW — President Thein Sein received various political stakeholders at his residence in the Burmese capital Naypyidaw on Monday, in an unprecedented conference of 48 leaders representing ethnic, military and political interests. "I believe this meeting will reflect the views of the entire country," the president said during his opening remarks. "That's why I have invited ethnic affairs ministers from different states and regions." Among the attendees were Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services Vice Snr-Gen Soe Win; parliamentary Speakers Shwe Mann and Khin Aung Myint; Vice Chairman of the Union Solidarity and development Party Htay Oo; Chairwoman of the National League for Democracy Aung San Suu Kyi; Chairman of the National Unity Party Than Tin; Khin Maung Swe of the Federal Democratic Alliance; Sai Ai Bao of the Nationalities Brotherhood Federation; Khun Htun Oo of the United Nationalities Alliance; Dr. Manan Tu Ja of the Kachin Democratic party; Chairman of the All Nationals' Democracy Party Phoe Yel; and ethnic affairs ministers representing Lisu, Rawan Pa-O and several other minorities. The post Burma's Political Stakeholders Converge in Capital appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

As Reforms Stall, US and Burma to Discuss Human Rights  Posted: 11 Jan 2015 09:57 PM PST Displaced Rohingya mother Sinnuyar Baekon, 25, sits with her twin babies inside her hut at a refugee camp outside Sittwe, the capital city of Arakan State June 8, 2014. (Photo: Reuters) WASHINGTON — The United States is hoping to nudge Burma’s quasi-civilian government on stalled reforms during a high-level human rights dialogue, yet expectations are limited as the former pariah nation enters a crucial election year. International scrutiny of Burma’s rights record is intensifying as it gears up for its first nationwide vote since a repressive junta ceded power in 2011. Optimism that greeted its initial opening and release of hundreds of political prisoners has faded, and skepticism is growing over its transition to democracy. The military is resisting constitutional reform and Buddhist nationalism is growing. Top State Department human rights envoy Tom Malinowski’s trip, beginning Sunday, will coincide with a 10-day visit by U.N. special rapporteur on Burma, Yanghee Lee. She arrived this week and on Friday examined the grim conditions faced by 140,000 minority Rohingya Muslims who have been dumped in dirty camps since they were displaced in sectarian violence that began three years ago. The government’s failure to prevent Buddhist-Muslim clashes, and continued discrimination against the stateless Rohingya—an estimated 100,000 fled the country also known as Burma in the past two years—are at the top of a long list of enduring human rights concerns. During two days of talks in Naypyidaw, the capital, starting Wednesday, U.S. officials will also discuss with Burma officials reforms needed to its outdated legal system, the growing problem of land grabs, and recent detentions of peaceful demonstrators and journalists. The Obama administration views its diplomatic opening to Burma, which began in 2012, as a major foreign policy achievement, and says problems on the path to democracy were to be expected. On a visit last November, President Barack Obama acknowledged backsliding in reforms but underscored Washington’s continued support. U.S. lawmakers and rights activists, however, have become increasingly critical both of President Thein Sein’s government and the U.S. approach. "Until the U.S. government stops wagging their finger at the Burmese government’s human rights record with one hand while using the other hand to give them economic handouts, the Burmese government can and will continue to ignore complaints about their human rights record," said Jennifer Quigley, president of the U.S. Campaign for Burma, a Washington-based advocacy group. Changes to a junta-era Constitution before elections in late 2015 appear increasingly slim, meaning opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi—Malinowski is scheduled to meet with her—will be unable to contest for the presidency. The Constitution also guarantees the military 25 percent of parliamentary seats. On Sunday, Malinowski will visit the northern Kachin state, where clashes between government forces and ethnic rebels have rumbled on for the past three years, harming the prospects for wider peace with insurgent groups. He’ll visit camps holding some of estimated 120,000 uprooted by the fighting. Malinowski will meet with civil society activists in the main city of Yangon before the talks in Naypyidaw, which will be the second such human rights dialogue since the normalization of diplomatic relations. Lt-Gen. Anthony Crutchfield, deputy commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, will join the dialogue, meeting senior representatives of the Burma military to discuss military conduct and reform. The post As Reforms Stall, US and Burma to Discuss Human Rights  appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Divers Retrieve 1 of 2 Black Boxes from Crashed AirAsia Jet Posted: 11 Jan 2015 09:25 PM PST An Airbus investigator walks near part of the tail of the AirAsia QZ8501 passenger plane in Kumai Port, near Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan January 12, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) PANGKALAN BUN, Indonesia — Divers retrieved one of the black boxes Monday from the AirAsia plane that plummeted more than two weeks ago into the Java Sea, a major breakthrough in the slow-moving hunt to recover bodies and wreckage. The flight data recorder was found under part of the plane's wing and brought to the surface early in the morning, said Henry Bambang Soelistyo, head of the national search and rescue agency. Divers began zeroing in on the site a day earlier after three Indonesian ships picked up intense pings from the area, but they were unable to see it due to strong currents and poor visibility, said Suryadi Bambang Supriyadi, operation coordinator at the national search and rescue agency. He earlier said the black box was lodged in debris at a depth of about 30 meters (100 feet), but Soelistyo did not provide additional details about the discovery. Searchers will continue to scour the seabed to try to locate the other black box, the cockpit voice recorder, which is believed to be emitting a separate signal between 2 to 20 meters (22 yards) away, he said. "Hopefully, it can be retrieved within hours today," Supriyadi said from Pangkalan Bun, the town closest to the site on Borneo island. He added that diving conditions were not favorable. The two instruments are vital to understanding what brought Flight 8501 down on Dec. 28, killing all 162 people on board. They provide essential information including the plane's vertical and horizontal speeds along with engine temperature and final conversations between the captain and co-pilot. The flight data recorder will be taken to Jakarta, the capital, for analysis. It could take up to two weeks to download its information, said Nurcahyo Utomo, an investigator at the National Committee for Safety Transportation. Officials recovered the aircraft's tail on Saturday, the first major wreckage excavated from the crash site. They were hopeful the black boxes were still inside, but learned they had detached when the plane crashed into the sea. On Sunday, the ships detected two strong signals near each other. Search efforts have been consistently hampered by big waves and powerful currents created by the region's rainy season. Silt and sand, along with river runoff, have created blinding conditions for divers. On Sunday, Soelistyo said divers located the wing and debris from the engine. Officials initially were hopeful it was the main section of the Airbus A320's cabin, where many of the corpses are believed to be entombed. So far, only 48 bodies have been recovered. Three more were identified Sunday, including Park Seongbeom, 37, and his wife, Lee Kyung Hwa, 34, from South Korea, said Budiyono, who heads East Java's Disaster Victim Identification unit and, like many Indonesians, uses only one name. He said they were discovered Friday on the seabed, still strapped to their seats. Their baby has not yet been found, but the infant's carrier was still attached to the man. The last contact the pilots had with air traffic control, about halfway into their two-hour journey from Indonesia's second-largest city, Surabaya, to Singapore, indicated they were entering stormy weather. They asked to climb from 32,000 feet (9,753 meters) to 38,000 feet (11,582 meters) to avoid threatening clouds, but were denied permission because of heavy air traffic. Four minutes later, the plane dropped off the radar. No distress signal was sent. The post Divers Retrieve 1 of 2 Black Boxes from Crashed AirAsia Jet appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Pope’s Asia Trip to Address Poverty, Dialogue, Climate Change Posted: 11 Jan 2015 09:20 PM PST A Catholic priest blesses military officers, standing beside a cut-out of Pope Francis during a mustering of troops ahead of the Papal visit, inside the military headquarters in metro Manila on Jan. 11, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) COLOMBO / VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis returns to Asia for the second time in less than six months, traveling to Sri Lanka and the Philippines in coming days to underscore his concern for inter-religious dialogue, poverty and the environment. Security will be a main issue in both countries, particularly in the Philippines, Asia's only majority Catholic country, where up to six million people are expected to attend an outdoor Mass on Jan. 18. Up to 40,000 police, troops and reservists will take part in what military chief Gen. Gregorio Catapang has called the country's biggest ever security operation. "There will be soldiers rappelling up and down helicopters to rescue the pope in case he will be pinned down by a sea of people. We may airlift or use naval boats to bring the pope to safety if necessary," he said. When Pope John Paul visited Manila in 1995, security perimeters were breached and he had to be taken by helicopter to a Mass site because his car could not get through a sea of some 5 million people. One theme of the Jan. 12-19 trip will be climate change. During his stay in the Philippines he will visit Tacloban, where Typhoon Haiyan killed 6,300 people in 2013. Sri Lanka is among the Asian countries experts say will see sea level rises likely to displace people and adversely affect tourism and fisheries. The Vatican says Francis, who is preparing an encyclical on the environment, will speak about the issue several times. While Pope John Paul made a number of trips to Asia—visiting both countries in 1995—Francis' immediate predecessor Benedict, who resigned in 2013, made none to a region the Vatican sees as a potential growth area. "We have to recover the presence of a pope in this preponderant area of humanity," Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said. Only about 3 percent of people in the region are Catholic. "This continent in many ways represents a frontier for the Church," said Father Antonio Spadaro, editor of the Italian Jesuit magazine Civilta Cattolica. "Inter-religious dialogue is tested every day and young Churches there are growing." The 78-year-old arrives on Tuesday morning in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, days after President Mahinda Rajapaksa lost his bid for a third term, ending a decade of rule that critics say had become authoritarian and marred by nepotism and corruption. Lombardi said he hoped the surprise election result in the former British colony would not give rise to any "inconveniences that will affect the serenity and tranquility of the trip." The main purpose of the three-day stop in Sri Lanka is to canonize Joseph Vaz, a Catholic priest credited with rebuilding the Church there in the 17th and 18th centuries after Dutch occupiers imposed Calvinism as the official religion. The Indian Ocean island nation is about 70 percent Buddhist, 13 percent Hindu, 10 percent Muslim and only about 7 percent Catholic. Francis will stress the need for worldwide inter-religious dialogue, and, speaking after the recent attacks in France, again condemn the concept of violence in God's name. He will also preach a message of reconciliation during a visit to Madhu, in the north that was the center of a 26-year civil war that ended with the defeat of ethnic Tamil rebels in 2009. Vatican officials say that despite its minority status, the Church in Sri Lanka can help reconciliation because it includes members of both ethnic groups—Sinhalese and Tamil. Francis arrives on Thursday in the Philippines, where more than 80 percent of people are Catholic. One main topic in the former Spanish colony will be the effect of immigration on the family. The search for jobs outside the country—mostly in domestic work—has put strains on many families. The post Pope's Asia Trip to Address Poverty, Dialogue, Climate Change appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Pro-Democracy Hong Kong Media Tycoon’s Home Firebombed Posted: 11 Jan 2015 09:14 PM PST   Tycoon and Apple Daily Newspaper owner Jimmy Lai outside the government headquarters in Hong Kong in December. (Photo: Athit Perawongmetha / Reuters) HONG KONG — The home and former offices of Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, an outspoken critic of Beijing who also played a prominent role in large pro-democracy protests last month, were firebombed early on Monday, a spokesman said. The first attack took place around 1:30am local time when an unknown car reversed up to Lai’s house and threw an object that exploded into flames when it hit the gates. About 20 minutes later, one or two other incendiary devices were thrown at the gates of Next Media Ltd. "This is a continual effort to try to intimidate the press in Hong Kong," said Next Media spokesman Mark Simon. "This is raw and pure intimidation." Hong Kong police confirmed they are looking into two incidents, one at a residence on Kadoorie Avenue in Kowloon and one at the offices of Next Media. Lai, who stepped down as chairman of Next Media and as publisher of the popular, pro-democracy Apple Daily tabloid in December, is a well-known critic of Beijing. He was arrested for refusing to leave a pro-democracy protest site in central Hong Kong last month as police cleared protesters who had shut major thoroughfares in the city for two-and-a-half months. A self-made millionaire, Lai is a long-time supporter of Hong Kong’s democracy movement. This is not the first time he and Next have come under attack. In 2013, masked men torched tens of thousands of copies of two Apple Daily editions at distribution points. Last year, Next said HSBC Holdings and Standard Chartered had pulled millions of dollars worth of advertising from Apple Daily after being pressured by Beijing, decisions both banks said were commercial. Lai’s home has been attacked before, including being rammed by a car and having a machete, axe, and threatening messages left in his driveway. He remains the majority shareholder in Next Media, which publishes Next Magazine and the Apple Daily. The post Pro-Democracy Hong Kong Media Tycoon’s Home Firebombed appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Vintage Rail Ride Posted: 11 Jan 2015 04:09 PM PST The steam train that runs from Bagan to Mount Popa. (Photo: Sai Zaw / The Irrawaddy) BAGAN — Have you ever imagined riding a vintage train like the one in the Harry Potter films? If you have, well, Myanmar's ancient city Bagan now has one. The train was manufactured in England in 1947 and was used on the Myanmar rail system for 55 years between 1950 and 2005. Now it is operating again from Bagan to Kyauk Padaung near Mount Popa, to cater to Myanmar's expanding boutique tourism sector. Running at a sedate speed of 10 miles per hour, the train allows passengers to take in bucolic, gold-tinted rural scenes. Sometimes you are so close to farmers working in their fields that you receive a smile and a wave. The service has been introduced because the number of foreigners interested in riding the country's trains is increasing and this heritage ride is likely to improve the tourism sector near Bagan, according to Rail Transportation Minister U Than Htay. The train has just three carriages and can take a maximum of 120 passengers. It takes between three and four hours to boil the 3,300 gallons of water needed to power a return journey. Train driver U Hla Win said he has worked with steam locomotives since he was young and the job fills him with nostalgic memories of days gone by. For passengers too, the ride provides insights into a rural way of life that stretches back to far distant times. As we rode through scenery that sometimes looked almost like a painting a cool breeze blew through the window. From the left we could see palm trees and golden farmlands. On the right were views of mountains. The train's interior is not very different to that of the commercial train that runs from Yangon to Bagan. There are two seats on each side of the passageways and small fans are attached to the roof; in the summer time, it may be a little hot. On the way to Kyauk Padaung, we stopped at Taung Zin station for about 45 minutes to get an insight into central Myanmar village life. Huge trees provided welcome shade as we walked around and saw people at work making knives and turning palm wine into jaggery. With the help of their cows, others were at work milling beans for oil. Blacksmith U Lu Aye said he was happy to show people how he worked and to introduce them to village culture. He said the knife-making trade was handed down to him from his forefathers and has been carried out in the Bagan area since ancient times. Householders welcomed visitors with green tea and jaggery and were happy to talk. Guides also helped explain local history and culture. The service began on Dec. 16 and at a whopping US$199 per return ticket will price out all but the most dedicated, or wealthy, rail fans. Included in the price is the village stop and transportation by car for a trip between Kyauk Padaung and Mount Popa. A typical return journey from Bagan to Mount Popa by private taxi costs 35,000 kyats (US$34). Some feel the rail trip should have been priced lower at the start of the service. "The hot-air Balloon over Bagan service started out at $75 in 2000 and they increased the cost gradually to $320. But the train service has launched at a steep rate,'' said tour guide Ko Kyaw Myint Thu. U Zaw Weik, director of train operator, Bright View Steam Locomotive Tours, defended the cost. "In foreign countries this kind of train runs perhaps only once a year and a ride could cost thousands of dollars." Those who know the train market understand the pricing, he said. His company pays the government $1,000 per return journey, he added. U Zaw Win Cho, president of the Bagan Tourist Guide Organization, said he believed the locomotive would prove popular with wealthy travelers despite the price. But he said that to really improve the tourism sector, the government should introduce a high speed, reliable Yangon-Bagan train service that could carry many passengers northwards at a reasonable cost.  This story originally appeared in the Jan. 2015 issue of The Irrawaddy Magazine. For more information, visit www.brightviewtravel.com. The post Vintage Rail Ride appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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