The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Burmese Tycoon Tay Za Claims Uranium Unearthed in Burma
• Activists Face Additional Charge for China Embassy March
• Students Resume Protests Against National Education Law
• 2 Kachin Teachers Found Dead in Shan State
• Handover of Rangoon’s Secretariat Expected This Month: Developer
• Oil Pipeline Through Burma to China Expected to Open in January
• KIA Frees Hostages, Displaced Civilians Still Out of Reach
• Burma Releases Prominent Rohingya Political Prisoner
• Threats of Jail, Walkout Put Cambodia Truce on Shaky Ground
• Diplomatic Appeals Won’t Stop Drug Executions: Indonesia
• China’s Transgender Sex Workers ‘Marginalized and Vulnerable’
• Burma’s Street Kids Turn to Sniffing Glue to Forget Hunger
• Mon IDPs Concerned About Lack of Aid in Halockhani

Burmese Tycoon Tay Za Claims Uranium Unearthed in Burma Posted: 20 Jan 2015 05:41 AM PST Tay Za talks to the media last year in Rangoon. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Tay Za, one of Burma's biggest business tycoons, has claimed that he obtained and subsequently turned over to the government a mineral believed to contain uranium. A governmental department carried out a lab test that suggested the ore contained uranium, Tay Za said on Monday, adding that he had the mineral tested by two Chinese experts before handing it over to the government. "The two [Chinese experts] said that it is 13-grade [uranium]. I handed it over to the Science and Technology Department three or four days ago. The department's lab test results and ours are the same, suggesting that it is uranium," Tay Za said during a press conference at his residence in Rangoon. According to the World Nuclear Association, there are two main minerals in which uranium is naturally found: uraninite and coffinite. Tay Za said he got the unknown ore from locals who found it near Ohn-dan village, which lies about a three-hour drive from Mogok, a mining area in Mandalay Division known for its deposits of rubies and other precious gems. "They sold me the ore, saying it was an unknown mineral," Tay Za said, adding that he bought about 3.50 viss (one viss is equal to 3.6 pounds) of the mysterious material and then gave nearly all of it to the government, keeping only a small sample. He said he would conduct a survey to gauge the size of the purported uranium deposit near Oh-dan village. "We'll find out if there is a large deposit. I want [uranium] for national security. We've even been provoked by countries like Bangladesh. National security is very important for every country," he said. It was not clear what specific "national security" purpose Tay Za envisioned uranium serving. Enriched uranium—created via a complex scientific process that Burma is not known to be capable of—is used both to fuel civilian nuclear power plants and in nuclear armaments. Tay Za claimed to be suffering from negative health effects that he attributed to exposure to the ore which, if it contained uranium, would have radioactive properties but would not pose health risks unless inhaled or ingested. The tycoon—who said he was struggling with "coughing and a fever"—did not indicate whether he suspected that particulates of the ore had entered his body. "I have suffered from radiation," he said. "But if I don't speak out about what I know, no one will know what Burma possesses. I believe the government will take the lead role in extracting it." That very same government had turned its back on him due to widespread perceptions that he is a crony, he alleged at the same press conference on Monday in a tangential swipe at Naypyidaw. The US-sanctioned billionaire denied that he was involved in anything illegal in Burma's timber trade, saying any logging carried out by his sprawling business empire was done legally and with the approval of the Forestry Ministry. "All the officials at the Forestry Ministry since we have engaged in logging are still alive and so are the locals at logging sites—you can ask them," said Tay Za. The post Burmese Tycoon Tay Za Claims Uranium Unearthed in Burma appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Activists Face Additional Charge for China Embassy March Posted: 20 Jan 2015 05:26 AM PST Protesters march through downtown Rangoon to lay wreaths in front of the Chinese Embassy a week after a villager was shot dead by police during a land rights protest in central Burma, Dec. 29, 2014. (Photo: JPaing / THE IRRAWADDY) RANGOON — Rangoon's Dagon Township Court on Tuesday laid an additional charge on seven people who participated in a protest against the fatal police shooting of a farmer in central Burma. Of the seven facing charges, one remains at large while the remaining six have been detained on other related charges since their arrest on Dec. 30. The new charge—under the controversial Article 18 of Burma's Peaceful Assembly Law—has been added to the roster of six previous offences for which they were accused. Nearly 100 protesters marched through downtown Rangoon on Dec. 29 to lay wreaths in front of the Chinese Embassy a week after 56-year-old villager Khin Win was shot dead by police during a land rights protest near the Letpadaung Copper mining project in Sagaing Division. Police foiled the demonstrators' attempts to reach the embassy and arrested three individuals the following day for their involvement. The others were apprehended at later dates. The six detained activists will apply for bail, according to lawyer Robert San Aung, who told The Irrawaddy that their trial has been postponed twice because one of the accused has eluded capture. The accused face various charges including use of assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from duty. They have also been charged with incitement under a broadly defined clause that outlaws speech or materials that could "alarm the public." The charges were brought by officers of several different townships, which Robert San Aung has denounced before as a tactic used by local authorities to pile on charges when demonstrators pass through more than one jurisdiction on their course. In this case, police from Kyauktada, Lanmadaw, Latha and Pabedan townships have all taken action against the activists. "They sue them with a variety of charges for just one incident," said Robert San Aung. "It shouldn't be like that." Robert San Aung said that his clients could face up to 25 years in prison if found guilty of all of the charges they currently face. The group is currently being held in Insein Prison and is scheduled to return to court on Jan. 27 for trial. The post Activists Face Additional Charge for China Embassy March appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Students Resume Protests Against National Education Law Posted: 20 Jan 2015 04:14 AM PST Students marching along 84th Street in Mandalay on Tuesday, at the beginning of their planned journey to Rangoon to protest the National Education Law. (Photo: Teza Hlaing / The Irrawaddy) MANDALAY — More than 100 people set out on a march from Mandalay to Rangoon on Tuesday, as student leaders restarted a dormant campaign to protest the National Education Law. In November, student groups had called a 60-day moratorium after four days of countrywide protests against the law. In the interim, student groups requested the establishment of a 15-member committee comprising students, government leaders, parliamentarians and the National Network for Education Reform to discuss changes to the law. The moratorium expired on Friday without an official response, leading to students traveling from as far afield as Monywa, Sagaing and Pakokku to join the march. "We received no responses from the government during those 60 days," said Ei Thinzar Maung, a member of the Mandalay District Student Union. "That's why we have resumed protests, to draw attention of the government to the need to democratically amend the National Educational Law." The overhaul of the country's education system was passed by Parliament in Sept. 2014, in the face of strong criticism from students and educators. Student groups have presented a number of demands for the bill's overhaul, including a legislative guarantee for the free establishment of student and teacher unions independent of the government, changes to the exam and entrance systems at the universities, the introduction of ethnic languages, and a modernization of the syllabus at basic education schools and universities. "The government needs to increase the budget allocation for education to 20 percent, and student activists removed from school need to be allowed to return to the classroom," said Min Thwe Thit, one of the protesting students. "Hopefully the government will listen to us and they will amend the law for the sake of our future education. If not, we will have to continue nationwide protests until our demands are met." The students say they plan to link up with other protesters during the 650-kilometer (404-mile), 15-day journey to Rangoon. Upon arrival, they intend to establish a protest camp which will urge the government to negotiate with students and teachers over future changes to the law. The post Students Resume Protests Against National Education Law appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

2 Kachin Teachers Found Dead in Shan State Posted: 20 Jan 2015 04:09 AM PST Students attend classes at a school in Mai Ja Yang, Kachin State. (Photo: Simon Roughneen / The Irrawaddy) The badly beaten bodies of two young women were found dead in their bedroom on Tuesday morning in a remote village in Kutkai Township near the border town of Muse in northern Shan State. Both around 20 years of age, the women were ethnic Kachin schoolteachers who had come to Kaung Kha village about two years ago as volunteers with the Kachin Baptist Church. Villagers discovered the bodies when they checked the teachers' dormitories because they had not appeared for morning lessons. Both of the women were partially naked and showed signs of violent struggle, villagers said. Three of their neighbors said that they heard screams coming from their house at 9pm the previous evening, but that the noise had subsided by the time they went to check on the pair and they left without entering. The bodies have been transferred to a hospital in Muse for autopsy. Photographs and testimony of those who found the bodies suggest that they may have been raped and bludgeoned to death. A member of the Kachin Baptist Convention in Muse who wished to remain anonymous said he arrived at the scene on Tuesday morning shortly after the bodies were found. "They were raped and murdered," the man alleged. Images of the two women's mutilated bodies quickly spread on social media, coupled with unsubstantiated rumors that the pair had been gang-raped by Burmese soldiers. The cause of death and the incident of rape have not yet been confirmed by medical professionals. The Burma Army has been accused of sexual violence in conflict and the rumor gained traction among the local community, some of whom claimed that the area has seen a recent rise in military presence. "These two teachers have been working here for a long time," said a local member of the religious community. "There was no problem. But just as the Burma Army arrived, they were raped and killed." The Kaung Kha village administration officer told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that it was still unclear what had transpired in the young women's quarters on Monday night. The Burma Army has stated a commitment to make itself more available for media inquiries, but contact information for three recently appointed press liaisons was still unavailable at time of writing. Community members said that one of the women was from Kachin State capital Myitkyina, while the other victim's hometown was Waingmaw. The women taught kindergarten and grade one, and lived in a small room provided by the local church. The post 2 Kachin Teachers Found Dead in Shan State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Handover of Rangoon’s Secretariat Expected This Month: Developer Posted: 20 Jan 2015 03:21 AM PST A woman walks in front of stacks of old tiles at the Secretariat building in Rangoon. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The Rangoon government is expected to officially turn over the historical Secretariat office complex to private hands later this month, with the building's new lessees saying they plan to convert part of the dilapidated colonial structure into an art museum and put US$50 million toward its renovation. The 120-year-old Secretariat, which sprawls 16 acres across an entire block in Rangoon's Botahtaung Township, will be leased for 50 years to the local developer Anawmar Art Group, according to Anawmar's director, Le Yee Soe. The deal was approved by the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) in late December, she said. "We've already been allowed by the MIC to renovate and work for 50 years from now, but we need to wait for the handover by the Rangoon regional government. I expect that we will hold a handover ceremony late this month," Le Yee Soe said. Plans to privatize many of the former capital's state-owned colonial buildings were announced in 2011, more than half a decade after all Union government ministries moved their offices to the purpose-built capital Naypyidaw beginning in 2005. Among them is the Secretariat, formerly the seat of administration during British colonial rule and later for Burma's independent government. In 2012, the government announced that Anawmar Art Group had been selected as winner of the Secretariat tender, but the MIC demanded that the developers submit a detailed plan of what intended to do with the building prior to giving the group the official go-ahead. "We will spend an estimated US$50 million on renovation and conservation as suggested by the Yangon Heritage Trust," she said, referring to a prominent conservation organization in Rangoon. "I expect that we can open the art museum within two years." The building has also been the site of tragedy, when in 1947 assassins gunned down national hero Gen. Aung San on the eve of Burma's independence. Decades of neglect by successive governments have left the Baroque complex in disrepair, with foliage creeping up its crumbling Venetian domes, its ornate turrets weather-worn to a shadow of their past grandeur and boards covering many of the building's windows. Until the handover to Anawmar, the building was used as a temporary camp for security troops that were occasionally deployed downtown. "There will be an art museum, arts and crafts workshops, souvenir shops and a cultural show is expected to be included in our project," Le Yee Soe said. "We will import construction materials for the renovation as we need different materials and goods. We're now in contact with interior design firms from France," she added. The little-known Anawmar Art Group is an organization of artists and art collectors. In May 2013, Al-Jazeera reported that director Le Yee Soe's husband, Soe Thwin Tun, was the grandson of Tun Gyi, a former general under Burma's previous military regime. According to Anawmar's plan, the art museum will be sited in rooms at the Secretariat formerly used for parliamentary matters, at the corner of Maha Bandoola and Bo Aung Kyaw roads. Arts and crafts shops and workshops will open on the ground floor of the same building. Local media, quoting an MIC official, reported on Tuesday that the Secretariat's 50-year lease would also allow Anawmar to extend its hold on the property twice, for an additional 10 years each renewal. Thant Myint-U, chairman of the Yangon Heritage Trust, previously told The Irrawaddy that the Secretariat was "of immense importance to Burmese history" and was "also one of the most beautiful buildings in Asia." The Yangon Heritage Trust worked with Anawmar to conduct a technical study of potential renovation methods and building use options. "We brought in top international experts, drew on excellent existing work by Burmese officials and scholars, and closely consulted with Anawmar Group and others," Thant Myint-U told The Irrawaddy in 2013. In November, US President Barak Obama was accompanied by Thant Myint-U on a tour of the Secretariat during his visit to Burma. Under the MIC's plan to lease several state-owned properties in Rangoon to private developers, the commission will consider a variety of repurposing proposals, including hotels and restaurants. There are more than 180 colonial buildings in Rangoon, according to Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) data, while the Yangon Heritage Trust maintains that more than 1,000 buildings in Rangoon could be of heritage value. The post Handover of Rangoon's Secretariat Expected This Month: Developer appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Oil Pipeline Through Burma to China Expected to Open in January Posted: 20 Jan 2015 01:44 AM PST A section of pipeline for the Shwe gas and oil project, which connects Burma's coast to Yunnan, China, is seen on Kyaukphyu Island in February 2013. (Photo: Shwe Gas Movement) BEIJING / YANGON — A crude oil pipeline and a deep sea port meant to secure an alternative route for Chinese imports overland through Burma are set to open at the end of January, but an affiliated refinery in China is months away from completion, sources said. The finished development should help ease China's reliance on shipments via the narrow and potentially risky Malacca Strait. Although that route, through which some 80 percent of China's oil imports now pass, would still be used for the vast majority of overseas purchases. PetroChina, the main investor in the facilities, has built 60 percent of the refinery in Yunnan province that borders Burma, designed to process the crude shipped via the pipeline, a spokesman for the state energy giant said on Monday. Completion is slated for later this year. Until the 200,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Anning refinery opens, the new pipeline can only be used to pump oil into tanks, providing limited near-term support to China's crude oil imports, which expanded by nearly 10 percent in 2014 to 6.2 million bpd. The pipeline has a capacity of 440,000 bpd. A company official at China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) subsidiary Southeast Asia Pipeline Co. Ltd., which is in charge of building and managing the pipeline, said the 2,400-km (1,500 miles) line would open at the end of this month. The planned opening was confirmed by an energy official in Burma. "Things are ready to launch the oil pipeline and it's tentatively scheduled for January 30," said the official, who requested anonymity as he is not authorized to speak to media. Before the launch of the new refinery, oil will be stored in tanks in Guangxi, a region east of Yunnan. CNPC also has up to a dozen storage tanks in Burma, and could have even more in Yunnan, according to a Chinese media report. CNPC had said in 2013 that the pipeline was 94-percent complete and would be finished that year. An adjacent natural gas pipeline opened in 2013, carrying 1.87 billion cubic meters of gas in its first year. The post Oil Pipeline Through Burma to China Expected to Open in January appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

KIA Frees Hostages, Displaced Civilians Still Out of Reach Posted: 20 Jan 2015 01:35 AM PST Kachin Independence Army (KIA) soldiers in northern Burma. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) Rebels in northern Burma have released three police officers held captive for nearly a week, though access to villagers affected by the ensuing conflict remains restricted, according to local peace mediators. Lamai Gum Ja of the Kachin Peace Creation Group (KPCG), which serves as a mediator between the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Burmese Army, confirmed that the three men had been transferred to civilian hands, but expressed concern about locals who were forced to flee after fighting flared up following the initial detention. "We received [the officers] from KIA soldiers and then we handed them over to township authorities. They look well, but the KIA didn’t give them their weapons back," he told the Irrawaddy, adding that the group was unable to access some 2,000 civilians trapped in villages near Hpakant, a jade-rich area about 110 kilometers (68 miles) the state capital Myitkyina. The three officers and the state's transportation minister were arrested by the KIA while overseeing construction of a road on Jan. 14. The minister, Kaman Du Naw, was released the same day. The next morning, fighting erupted between the KIA and government troops near two villages around Hpakant. Conflict has continued sporadically and is believed to have led about 2,000 civilians to flee. The displaced have since sought shelter in several churches of Hpakant Township's Aung Bar Lay and Hka Si villages, where they are subject to interrogation by authorities and face shortages of food and water. "We heard that they are in trouble with food and supplies," said Lamai Gum Ja. "Relief groups and NGOs are not allowed access to the stranded communities for security reasons. When we met with the commander [Brig-Gen Saw Min of the Burma Army], he told us that he would be responsible for providing assistance." The commander did not explicitly forbid the KPCG from entering the area, he said, but warned that the Burma Army could not ensure their safety and if they "dare to go" they could do so at their own risk. Reports have also surfaced that more than 100 Chinese nationals who were involved in the timber and mining industries were among those who fled the fighting, though China's Foreign Ministry denied the claim. A Chinese businessman based near the Burma-China border said that about 120 Chinese were believed to be caught up in the troubled zone, while more than 200 others have lost contact with their families. The man said that many foreign businesspeople tried to flee to the border but couldn't, explaining that trains had been stopped and many vehicles confiscated by the Burma Army. "We are not illegal loggers, but the victims of a war between the Burma Army and the KIA," he said, adding that Chinese merchants in the area had acquired necessary permits and had been granted access by Burmese authorities. Cross-border trade of raw timber, however, has been illegal in Burma since April 2014. Others said that jade mining operations had been temporarily suspended because the Burma Army "blocked the way" from Hpakant to Myitkyina. "There is no way anyone can travel from one place to another, even now," according to an ethnic Chinese merchant in Hpakant. The latest outbreak of violence erupted as ethnic leaders and government negotiators scramble to reach a nationwide ceasefire agreement on Feb. 12. The KIA is one of two major ethnic armed groups that have not signed a bilateral agreement with the government. Burma Army Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing placed responsibility for achieving peace in the hands of the country's rebels in statements made during a recent interview with Channel News Asia. The commander said that the government is keen to reach a ceasefire agreement, but questioned whether ethnic armed groups are fully committed to ending Burma's decades of conflict. "This depends on the armed ethnic groups. Do they really want peace? If they really want peace, there is no reason why they should not get it," he said. Intermittent fighting has taken place in northern Burma since a 17-year ceasefire between the government and the KIA broke down in 2011. Prior to last week, the latest episode occurred in November, when the Burma Army shelled a rebel training academy near the Kachin State capital of Myitkyina, killing 23 cadets in the deadliest attack on an ethnic armed group in years. Additional reporting by Echo Hui in Hong Kong. The post KIA Frees Hostages, Displaced Civilians Still Out of Reach appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Burma Releases Prominent Rohingya Political Prisoner Posted: 19 Jan 2015 11:36 PM PST A soldier patrols a neighborhood that was burned during violence between Rohingya Muslims and Arakanese Buddhists in Sittwe in June 2012. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — Rights groups welcomed the release of a prominent Rohingya Muslim doctor who was arrested while trying to calm rioters during sectarian violence in western Burma, but noted Tuesday scores of political prisoners remain behind bars. The case against Tun Aung, sentenced to 17 years in prison following what was considered an unfair trial, received widespread international attention. He was accused of inciting violence between Rohingya Muslims and Arakanese Buddhists in June 2012, though rights groups and witnesses said the medical doctor and respected community leader was asked by authorities to try to intervene but was unable to stop the violence. Bo Kyi, co-founder of the Assistance Association of Political Prisoners (AAPP), said Aung was released Monday. Burma has freed more than 1,000 political prisoners since former military rulers handed over power four years ago, a move that has smoothed the former pariah state's international rehabilitation. But jails continue to be filled up with hundreds of peaceful protesters, journalists and farmers who stood up against land grabs by the rich and powerful. "Everyone incarcerated for their beliefs should be freed unconditionally and immediately," said Aung Myo Min, executive director of Equality Myanmar, adding the government "releases a few political prisoners, and then arrests a few more." It's like a "hostage-swap," he said. Though years were sliced from Tun Aung's sentence through regular amnesties and presidential pardons, international pressure appeared to provide the final push. The UN special rapporteur on Burma, Yanghee Lee, met Tun Aung in Insein Prison during her visit to the country last week. Tom Malinowski, a senior US human rights envoy, whose own trip coincided with Lee's, told Burma that no country wants to have the reputation of locking people up solely for peacefully protesting or expressing their views. He also noted that laws appear to be unevenly applied. No efforts were made to curtail extremist Buddhist monks who marched through the streets during Lee's visit, spewing hatred and accusing her of being biased in favor of Rohingya. Burma has been grappling with rising Buddhist nationalism since former military rulers handed over power to a nominally civilian government in 2011, largely flamed by radical monks. Violence has left more than 240 people dead and sent another 140,000 fleeing their homes—most of them members of the Rohingya minority. The post Burma Releases Prominent Rohingya Political Prisoner appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Threats of Jail, Walkout Put Cambodia Truce on Shaky Ground Posted: 19 Jan 2015 09:36 PM PST Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen shakes hands with Sam Rainsy, president of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, after a meeting at the Senate in central Phnom Penh July 22, 2014. (Photo: Reuters) PHNOM PENH — Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen took a swipe at the country's opposition on Monday and threatened its lawmakers with jail, accusing it of breaching terms of a political truce that now looks increasingly precarious. The Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) renewed threats of an another parliamentary boycott after Hun Sen urged the judiciary to expedite trials of 19 CNRP members charged with insurrection, among them seven lawmakers. Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and bitter rival CNRP, which has support from trade unions and urban voters and poses the biggest threat to the 30-year reign of the self-styled "strongman," had agreed to a truce in July. "I appeal to the court to hold trial as soon as possible, I would like to say: You have not escaped yet," Hun Sen said during a school ceremony on Monday. "The seven lawmakers still face jail time." They are accused of insurrection for trying to forcibly reopen "Freedom Park" which was closed last January following demonstrations aimed at toppling Hun Sen. The park had been the only place where protests were legally allowed. CNRP boycotted parliament from mid 2013-2014 in protest at what it said was a rigged election. It rattled Hun Sen's administration by orchestrating rallies and factory strikes, some of which turned violent. It returned to the house last year, in exchange for more legislative power and equal seats on the election commission, but despite the "new culture of dialogue" both sides recently hailed, most analysts have been skeptical. Hun Sen on Monday accused CNRP of breaking the truce by launching personal attacks on him. Opposition heavyweight Mu Sochua said they were within their rights as the government was not honoring its end of the bargain. "CNRP asked the government to solve the nation's issues," Mu Sochua, one of the indicted lawmakers, told Reuters. "If issues are becoming more serious without resolution, we've already said, we may walk out of parliament." Political expert Sophal Ear said it was clear the truce was in jeopardy and Hun Sen was now using familiar tactics. "A culture of dialogue is breaking down and giving way to a culture of threats and impunity," Sophal Ear said. "You can see the strategy already… and what you have is essentially the threat of imprisonment in order to control people better." The post Threats of Jail, Walkout Put Cambodia Truce on Shaky Ground appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Diplomatic Appeals Won’t Stop Drug Executions: Indonesia Posted: 19 Jan 2015 09:29 PM PST Brazilian national Marco Archer Cardoso Moreira in a holding cell of Tangerang court near Jakarta, shortly after his death sentence was pronounced in June 2004. (Photo: Beawiharta BEA-TW / Reuters) JAKARTA — Indonesia is sticking to its policy of executing drug offenders, including foreigners, and an official said Monday that the withdrawal of the Dutch and Brazil ambassadors would not disturb its diplomatic ties with those countries. Jakarta brushed aside appeals by foreign leaders and executed six convicted drug traffickers over the weekend. One was an Indonesian woman and five were foreigners—men from Brazil, Malawi, Nigeria and the Netherlands and a Vietnamese woman. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said the Dutch and Brazil government have recalled their ambassadors for consultation, which he called a normal right of every nation. "Indonesia should not fear in upholding the law," Nasir said. He repeated that Indonesia has been in a state of "drug emergency." President Joko Widodo, who rejected clemency requests for all six convicts in December, refused a last-minute appeal by Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and the Dutch government to spare their countrymen—Brazilian Marco Archer Cardoso Moreira, 53, and Ang Kiem Soe, 52, of the Netherlands. Brazil’s Foreign Minister Maurio Vieira said that the executions "create a stain, a shadow in the bilateral relationship." Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said the execution was "an unacceptable denial of human dignity and integrity." The Nigerian government also protested that the execution took place "against the grain" of its excellent bilateral relations. Coordinator Minister for Political, Law and Security Tedjo Edhy was confident that executions would not disturb diplomatic relations, adding that executions of Indonesians abroad had no impact on diplomatic ties. Edhy guaranteed that Indonesia would not discriminate in imposing the death penalty. "The president has insisted that this is the decision of the state and therefore the origin countries of the convicts, including those being executed, have to respect and honor our law," Edhy said. Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago nation of 250 million people, has extremely strict drug laws and often executes smugglers. More than 138 people are on death row, mostly for drug crimes. About a third of them are foreigners. The post Diplomatic Appeals Won’t Stop Drug Executions: Indonesia appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China’s Transgender Sex Workers ‘Marginalized and Vulnerable’ Posted: 19 Jan 2015 09:18 PM PST A 25-year-old transsexual displays a portrait taken when he was a 17-year-old in north China’s Tianjin municipality July 7, 2007. Being transgender in China is not illegal, but legal weaknesses leave many vulnerable to abuse. (Photo: Reuters) LONDON — Xiao Tong was selling sex on the streets of Beijing when a man lured her into his car, flashed his police badge and took her to the station. Once there, police pulled at Xiao's wig and punched her, before removing her bra and groping her during a body search. "They asked really perverted questions, like, how do you have sex," Xiao said. "I turned around and asked, 'Do you want to try?' Then he kicked me, really, he really kicked me." Transgender sex workers like Xiao are among the most marginalized and vulnerable populations in China, according to a report by Asia Catalyst, a non-governmental organization which focuses on health and human rights in China and Southeast Asia. Social stigma and workplace discrimination drive many transgender women, who were born male, away from their friends, families and hometowns and into sex work, leaving them vulnerable to HIV and abuse from police. Being transgender in China is not illegal, but the absence of non-discrimination laws, lack of professional medical resources for transitioning and lack of targeted HIV services mean transgender people are poorly protected, the report said. Prejudice is an obstacle to even the most basic, everyday tasks. Several transgender sex workers told Asia Catalyst they were afraid to use public transport, dress as they wanted or even leave the house to go shopping. "Imagine being laughed at when using a public toilet, being evicted from your home or, even worse, dangerously self-medicating hormone use because no doctor will see you," said Zheng Huang, the head of AIDS organization Shanghai Xinsheng. The report, which interviewed 70 female transgender sex workers across Beijing and Shanghai, found that 97 percent had left their hometown and chosen not to reveal their identity or work to their families. Sex work is illegal in China, and almost two thirds of those interviewed said they had been arrested. Many, like Xiao, said they had experienced entrapment, extortion, verbal abuse and physical violence. Transgender sex workers also face abuse from clients, but one interviewee, Xiao Huli, said she was reluctant to go to the police because of an "embarrassing identity that's not approved." "If you go to the police, nothing good will come of it. It makes more sense to just suffer in silence," she said. Chinese law only allows transgender people to change their gender on official documents if they have undergone expensive sex reassignment surgery, leading many to self-medicate and engage in dangerous transitioning practices, the report said. Globally, transgender sex workers are 49 times more likely to be infected with HIV than other adults, and nine times more vulnerable to the virus than female sex workers. The post China's Transgender Sex Workers 'Marginalized and Vulnerable' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Burma’s Street Kids Turn to Sniffing Glue to Forget Hunger Posted: 19 Jan 2015 04:30 PM PST A boy searches for usable items from a trash pile in a village on the outskirts of Rangoon, November 27, 2013. (Photo: Minzayar / Reuters) RANGOON — Sweaty hair matted to his pale, emaciated face, Thant Zin Oo starts his days early, winding through small alleyways outside Burma's biggest city, Rangoon, and scavenging through garbage piled up behind shops and factories in search of something — anything — to sell. Tucked under the 11-year-old's filthy, tattered shirt is a half-empty yellow glue tin. "It gives me a sense of peace," he says, taking a break so he can draw the strong, noxious fumes into his young lungs. "I forget my hunger for a moment and dream of things that I cannot do in my real life." Burma's long-time military rulers handed over power to a nominally civilian government three years ago, leading to the lifting of Western sanctions and a burst of economic activity. More than 500 foreign businesses have invested US$50 billion. But as poor families move from rural areas to the big city in hopes of finding work, many find themselves struggling. Without education or money to buy food—their families often squatting on land illegally seized by gangs—children are most vulnerable. Many are left to fend for themselves, easily influenced by the bad habits of other street kids, from prostitution and gambling to drug abuse and gang-style extortion, said Aung Kyaw Myint, local leader of an organization that provides help for homeless kids. Every morning before sunrise, a growing number of street kids can be seen picking through garbage, climbing on the heaps of trash at city dumps, or sleeping on the sidewalk. Rain or shine, Oo and his 15-year-old brother Ko Min are among them. The boys say they earn $2 to $3 a day—around half of which goes to their parents and the other half to a small tin of glue they share between themselves. Oo no longer imagines he will one day be a doctor, and Ko Min says even his more modest goal, being a soldier, now seems totally unrealistic. He said, "When I sniff glue, I close my eyes and in my dreams I go to nightclubs and have fun." The post Burma's Street Kids Turn to Sniffing Glue to Forget Hunger appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Mon IDPs Concerned About Lack of Aid in Halockhani Posted: 19 Jan 2015 04:00 PM PST Mi Sanda Moe making brooms with her two children in Halockhani IDP camp. (Photo: Ariana Zarleen) SANGKHLABURI, Thailand — Nestled between lush green mountain tops and surrounded by spectacular scenery, Halockhani has been a home for thousands of Mon internally displaced persons (IDPs) for decades. The village itself currently houses more than 1,000 people, but the surrounding area of five IDP villages is a home to nearly 3,000 people, according to the latest figures from The Border Consortium (TBC), an aid coordination network based on the Thai-Burma border. As aid diminishes, these hard-working IDPs have little time for anything other than earning a living. Still, their main concern is the collapsing hospital, as every time villagers need a doctor they have little choice but to cross the border into Thailand. Halockhani is located only one kilometer (0.6 miles) from the border, about 30 kilometers from Sangkhlaburi in Thailand's Kanchanaburi Province. Right next to the border crossing is the predominantly Karen refugee camp Ban Don Yang. While it is located in Karen State, Halockhani and the surrounding area is under the control of the New Mon State Party (NMSP) and its military wing, the Mon National Liberation Army (MNLA). Halockhani remains off limits to foreigners. The area is easiest to access on a four-wheel drive from the Thai side, although the inside route provides sweeping views from the mountain tops, and entails driving on winding and potholed mountain dirt roads with occasional stream crossings. Diminishing Aid At first glance, Halockhani closely resembles the Thai border refugee camps. Unlike those on the Thai side, however, many houses in Halockhani are made of permanent building materials such as wood and concrete, forbidden in Thailand where refugees can only use temporary materials. The village has one generator that provides four hours of electricity every evening to those who can pay for it; approximately 20 percent of the 240 households, villagers estimate. There is only one place to use a phone, which is a clever set up of plastic bottles and rope on a hilltop that allows the phone to stay both stationary and elevated enough to find and keep a signal. Sitting on the floor of his house, Nai Chit Toe, the Halockhani village chief explains that they used to get a lot more aid, but since 1997 consistently declined. "We want help," he says with a sigh. "In the past, international organizations supported [us with] rice, blankets, student jackets, mosquito nets, everything. Now only rice. And they cut down, it's not enough," said Nai Chit Toe. Other villagers also voiced concerns over lack of rice, among them Mi Sanda Moe. "In the past, we got enough support like rice and other [things]. But now we don't have enough. It has changed a lot." The only other source of rice for the villagers is the nearby refugee camp, where villagers go to buy rice. But rice is expensive and getting it can be risky. "Even when they [Thai police] allow us to enter, when they see rice they take it,"Mi Sanda Moe explained. With diminishing aid, villagers are forced to survive on their own. "Most people make a living by making floor brooms. It depends on the season," says the village chief Nai Chit Toe. Mi Sanda Moe is among the majority who do seasonal work. Although she is a nursery school teacher in the village, she needs to find additional income. "You know staying here we don't have time to rest, we have to work all the time." Twenty-two-year-old Layin Chan, who moved to Halockhani four years ago to be a teacher, shares Mi Sanda Moe's concerns of a low salary. "For a single person it's OK, but for the people who are already married and who have children it is very difficult." On the other side of the village, rubber is hung to dry outside almost every house. "Even when I'm sick I cannot take a rest. I have to go to farm and work. Sometimes I feel sad. It is really hard to survive," says Nai Layi Mon, a 50-year-old rubber farmer. For others still, working is not even an option. Among them are Mi Thin Nyant, 76, and her son Nai Win Halyit, 40. Mi Thin Nyant says she used to do farming and planting rubber, but her son has never been lucky enough to work. "Since four years old, I got polio. I cannot walk," Nai Win Halyit said as we sat together on the floor of their house. His mother explained that "he only can sit so we have to pick him up and carry him. I want to buy a wheelchair for him, but I can't." Collapsing Clinic The villagers now only use the hospital building during emergencies, as villagers are afraid to stay inside. "The wooden bars might fall down on your head," warns Nai Layi Mon. Walking across the clinic, the monk showing us the way accidentally stepped through the rotting floor planks, illustrating the urgent need for renovation. Every time villagers need a doctor, they cross the border to Ban Don Yang refugee camp, and sometimes have to travel further inland to the Kwan River Christian Hospital (KRCH). Mi Thin Nyant, who is too old to work and finds traveling strenuous, has been to the KRCH four times. "I've been treated with my own money, and go with my own money." "We just need the clinic. We don't have enough medicine," says Mi Thin Nyant while urging me to share the information with the outside world. Nai Layi Mon echoes her concerns: "We have one main difficulty. We don't have a clinic… The village set up a clinic about twenty years ago, but five years ago the clinic started to break." The only international NGO raising funds to rebuild the hospital is the Swedish group Varma Handen. Mirjami Bäckman, the organization's founder and vice-chairperson, explains that no other international donors are helping to fund the hospital or the village. For the villagers, hope of a new clinic is already in the air. "The clinic means a lot to us. There's no place to go. We are hoping the clinic will be rebuilt," says Nai Layi Mon. "If they rebuild it, we all, the whole village, will be happy." The villagers' hopes might indeed come true with the help of the Swedes who have already raised funds to begin the construction. Bäckman says that the timetable is entirely dependent on their ability to raise funds. "We will use the money that we have raised so far, but it's not enough for rebuilding the whole hospital. So we'll build as much as we can, then raise more funds and build more, and continue like that." Changes in Burma Even with the difficulties, Nai Layi Mon has no intention of moving away from Halockhani. "No one will move to a new place. Just stay here and die here," he said. Nai Layi Mon is a former member of the NMSP, and is skeptical about change in Burma. "Just look at the changes in Burma, it is gradually changing. But it is small changes. For ethnic people there is no sign, no changes." The NMSP first signed a ceasefire with the government in 1995, which broke down in 2010 as a result of the government's demand that all ceasefire groups transform into a Border Guard Force. The NMSP refused to meet the demand, and the ceasefire broke. In February 2012, the NMSP signed a new ceasefire agreement. At the NMSP office in Sangkhlaburi, Nai Boung Khine, head of the NMSP foreign affairs department, is cautiously optimistic. "We want to establish a federal democratic union in our country. We want Mon rights, self-determination," Nai Boung Khine explained. "We can change our country. We can change for the people." Ariana Zarleen is a co-founder of Burma Link, a Mae Sot-based NGO that works to amplify the voices of Burma's ethnic nationalities and displaced people. The post Mon IDPs Concerned About Lack of Aid in Halockhani appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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