The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Rangoon Peace Talks End on ‘Positive’ Note
• A Shadow of Deceit Hangs Over Info Ministry
• Lower House Approves Two ‘Race and Religion’ Bills
• Election Monitors Welcome Revised Code of Conduct
• Flawed Testimony Logged in Rangoon Crackdown Inquiry: Witnesses
• Photo Of the Week. (March 20, 2015)
• Air Force Back in Kokang Action Amid Chinese Ire Over Border Bombing
• Jade Sales Dwindle Amid Conflict and Chinese Anti-Graft Campaign
• On the Waterfront
• KIA, Govt Meeting Could Signal Shift in Peace Process
• Burma’s Military to Maintain Political Role, President Says
• Families Still Denied Access to Detained Students
• Solar Powered Plane Makes Historic Landing in Mandalay
• Peace-Building: A Chin Perspective
• Deadly Machete Attack on Burmese Boys Stuns US Neighborhood
• Sri Lanka Says Rajapaksa Officials Stashed Over $2B in Dubai
• For Hong Kong, a Chill Sets in As Rich China Tourists Shop Elsewhere
• Thai Junta Denies Torturing Grenade Attack Suspects
• “So…uh…double or nothing next round?”

Rangoon Peace Talks End on ‘Positive’ Note Posted: 20 Mar 2015 07:24 AM PDT Gen. Gun Maw, KIA deputy chief-of-staff, smiles during a nationwide ceasefire meeting in Rangoon earlier this week. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON —On the tail end of four days of peace talks between the Burmese government and ethnic armed groups, stakeholders on both sides of the table came out with a positive outlook. Negotiators said that this week's discussions brought them closer than ever to reaching a long-awaited single text nationwide ceasefire agreement, reaching the fifth chapter up for discussion. Head of the ethnic negotiating bloc Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT), Nai Hongsar told The Irrawaddy as talks drew to a close that "there were some positive [outcomes]" from the discussions. "We reached some agreement, and we will continue to talk about how to achieve the NCA," he said. Another ethnic representative said that "of course" the talks produced some positive things, but that some of the most contentious issues—such as the formation of a federal army and the creation of a code of conduct—will not enter into discussions until political dialogue begins, after a pact is reached. Ethnic leaders focused their discussions on achieving a nationwide pact, according to Khun Okkar, another chief member of the NCCT. The current conflict in northern Shan State, which was expected to be high on the agenda, was among those issues ethnic leaders believed could be solved after an accord was reached, he said. “We will bring all of the armed groups [together] and have peace talks, but at the moment we are discussing how to sign NCA,” said Khun Okkar. The NCCT tabled the issue of fighting in Kokang Special Region, where the Burma Army has been in conflict with the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army since Feb. 9, but the Burma Army said that the conflict could only be resolved by dialogue between itself and Kokng leadership. “They said Kokang leaders need to come and talk to them if they want to have peace… This is why, from our perspective, we will take a little more time before bringing the Kokang into our peace talks,” said NCCT member Twan Zaw. Another northern rebel group, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), said it will continue to allow the NCCT to negotiate on its behalf, reiterating that its policy is in line with that of the bloc. A KIA official, Col. Zau Dang, said that a recent meeting between the Kachin leaders and President Thein Sein was a "trust-building" exercise, and was not, as some believed, geared toward brokering an independent deal. "Our leaders told the president about our organization policy, which is to let the NCCT lead the peace talks, and we ourselves do not plan to reach a separate peace agreement," he said. The post Rangoon Peace Talks End on 'Positive' Note appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

A Shadow of Deceit Hangs Over Info Ministry Posted: 20 Mar 2015 07:10 AM PDT A screengrab of a Photoshopped image from the Ministry of Information that went viral among Burmese Facebook users this week. "Sunlight is the best disinfectant," a US Supreme Court justice once said, in reference to the value of transparency. This week on Facebook, that celestial orb literally was responsible for a spirited online discussion about the deceitful proclivities of one of Burma's most influential ministries. A first glance at a picture posted to the Facebook account of Burma's Ministry of Information might not have prompted a double-take. It appeared to be much like any number of similarly innocuous and, frankly, dull photos of government officials doing their jobs—in this case, a deputy minister walking on an airport tarmac. It was a snapshot for which Burmese government propagandists have always had a particular affinity. The picture was taken down shortly after its posting on Wednesday, however, after a keen-eyed follower of the ministry noticed something peculiar: The deputy minister was striding in an umbrella-shaped shadow, but the parasol itself was nowhere to be seen. Exactly why the Ministry of Information felt the need to Photoshop the image to remove the umbrella remains unclear, but the sharp-eyed Facebook whistleblower shared the picture on his account, with a message lecturing on what is a basic journalism taboo: fabrication. To the ministry's dismay, the post became probably the most shared picture of the day among Burmese Facebook users, who relished in poking fun at what was an indisputable case of failing to practice what Information Minister Ye Htut loves to preach: ethical journalism. What's worse, the ministry appears to be the first entity to breach a law that it had great influence in drafting: the Media Law, passed last year by Parliament. One provision in the legislation's fourth chapter, titled Ethics and Codes of Conduct for Media Personnel, states the following: "Journalists shall abstain from alteration of news photos, videos and audio." Perhaps realizing that it had stepped into a minefield, the ministry took down the post, but the damage had been done and another scandal gone viral was born: call it Shadowgate. After the deception was exposed, comments under the post offered insight into potential motivations for the alteration of the photo. Perhaps the most likely explanation was this: When Su Su Hlaing, the deputy minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, got off the plane at Kaw Thaung airport around noon on Tuesday, one of her dutiful male aids put up a wide-brimmed umbrella to protect his boss from the blazing tropical sun, a traditional Burmese official courtesy. One Facebook user wrote that a ministry staffer had airbrushed the umbrella from the picture because such a courtesy extended by a man to a woman is considered embarrassing for the former in male-dominated Burmese culture. And let's not forget the whole affair's Aung San Suu Kyi undertones, with many in Burma deeply revering the opposition leader known simply as the Lady. Whatever the case, the incident shows that in spite of its evangelizing on the importance of ethical journalism in Burma, the Ministry of Information is itself still failing to practice it. Rather than lecturing journalists on how and what they should do, perhaps Ye Htut should spend more time arranging trainings on journalistic ethics for his boys in the ministry. Instead of blaming others for being "unprofessional" or "unethical," he might take a lesson from this week's incident: Being professional begins at home. The post A Shadow of Deceit Hangs Over Info Ministry appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Lower House Approves Two ‘Race and Religion’ Bills Posted: 20 Mar 2015 06:46 AM PDT Buddhist nuns at a Ma Ba Tha rally in Mandalay on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2014. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Burma's Lower House on Thursday passed two bills that are part of a controversial package of four "Race and Religion Protection" bills, bringing the legislation, which is being pushed by an influential group of nationalist Buddhist monks, closer to becoming law. Parliamentarians told The Irrawaddy that the house majority approved the Population Control bill, which aims to establish government control over women's reproductive rights, and the Buddhist Women's Special Marriage bill, which would require Buddhist women to seek permission from local authorities before marrying a man of another faith. "Approximately 200 votes supported the bills, about 40 votes opposed the bill and 3 abstained," said Phyo Min Thein, a Lower House member for the National League for Democracy (NLD). He said NLD members, some ethnic party members and several members of the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) voted against the bills. May Win Myint, a Lower House lawmaker with the NLD, said she had suggested amendments to the Population Control bill so that women would have more free choice in their plans to have children, but the majority of lawmakers declined to consider her proposal. The Upper House last month voted in favor of the Population Control bill and the Religious Conversion bill. The former legislation would mandate a number of administrative hurdles for religious converts. According to May Win Myint, the Upper House will soon discuss the Buddhist Women's Special Marriage, also known as the Interfaith Marriage Law. A fourth Race and Religion bill, called the Monogamy bill, would ban polygamy in Burma. This piece of legislation is yet to be discussed by the two houses of Parliament. The Population Control bill is now scheduled for a joint vote in Union Parliament, after which it could be signed into law by President Thein Sein. The bill is in the most advanced stage among a package of four bills dubbed the Race and Religion Protection legislation, which the government has been drafting after coming under pressure from an influential group of nationalist Buddhist monks, the Ma Ba Ta, who have been accused of spreading anti-Muslim hate speech and whipping up nationalism. The government has accepted the bills proposed by the group and Thein Sein sent them to parliamentary bill committees to prepare them for a vote. The government and USDP have been accused of using the bills to play nationalist politics with the Buddhist-majority public during an election year. The Population Control bill aims to establish government control over women's reproductive rights and grants authorities the power to identify regions where women will be encouraged to have only one baby every three years. The government has said that new bill would help improve health care services for women in impoverished regions. Opposition lawmakers and women's and rights activists say it violates women's basic rights, while the vaguely-worded legislation would give local authorities broad powers to apply population control measures in areas of ethnic or religious minorities, in particular in Muslim-majority parts of northern Arakan State. The Population Control bill does not include punishments or fines for women who go against its stipulations. In December, a group of 180 civil society groups voiced their concern over the "Race and Religion Protection" bills. A brief legal analysis by the groups said the Population Control Bill would violate the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on the Rights of a Child. The briefing warned that children born not in line with the rules of the bill would be at risk of not being registered by local authorities. Khin San Ye, a NLD Lower House lawmaker, told The Irrawaddy, said the Population Control bill "violates Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women that [Burma] signed it and it should be not enacted." The post Lower House Approves Two 'Race and Religion' Bills appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Election Monitors Welcome Revised Code of Conduct Posted: 20 Mar 2015 05:29 AM PDT A voter marks her ballot in a polling booth in Insein Township, Rangoon, on Dec. 27, 2014. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Rules for elections monitors have been finalized as Burma's highly anticipated general elections near, the Union Elections Commission (UEC) announced on Thursday, after revising the regulations to address criticisms by civil society. An announcement published in Burmese state media on Friday revealed the UEC's Elections Monitoring Code of Conduct in full, detailing basic rules that will apply to both local and international observers. Additional regulations are soon to follow. The code lays out 19 rules for local and 16 rules for international organizations that will observe the voting process, Burma's first nationwide general election since the former military junta ceded power to quasi-civilian government in 2011. Following consultation with civil society organizations, the UEC agreed to most of the recommended changes to a previous draft of the code, also published on Friday for the public's consideration. The original draft was offered to CSOs in mid-December, with a window for review that closed in mid-January. "All of the points we recommended are included in the new code," Thant Zin Aung, a project manager for the monitoring group New Myanmar Foundation, told The Irrawaddy. Among the points suggested by civil society and adopted by the UEC is the right to enter polling stations, as well as permission to conduct exit polls 15 yards from polling stations, which was prohibited in the early draft. The current code requires supervisors from all monitoring groups to attend UEC trainings; the original draft demanded that all members of each group attend. A section of the original draft prohibiting monitors from making predictions or statements about election results before the UEC has announced official outcomes has been removed, as has a provision that would hold independent monitors accountable for the accuracy of all of their publications and statements. Thant Zin Aung expressed confidence in the new guidelines, predicting that "this will be more open and free than previous elections." During by-elections held in 2012, election monitors were not allowed to enter polling stations and were subject to various other restrictions. "At that time, we couldn't observe freely, we faced obstacles and threats. But now, since they were trying to accommodate us, I believe we can observe more freely this time," Thant Zin Aung said. Sai Ye Kyaw Swar Myint, executive director of the People's Alliance for Credible Elections (PACE), said that although the UEC accepted all of the recommendations made by CSOs last month, the crucial test will be putting the code into practice through nationwide networks in the lead-up to polls. "We are having a lot of discussions with the UEC, which is based in Naypyidaw, and reaching a lot of agreements. But what concerns me is how much well the UEC can distribute this information to sub-commissions at all levels," he said. "The UEC needs to train all of their sub-commissions well." Friday's announcement also laid out discrete rules for observers, prohibiting interference in voting, vote counting and publishing early results. Observers will not be allowed to interfere with official decision-making in the event of a dispute, and must not disrupt the responsibilities of heads of polling stations. The post Election Monitors Welcome Revised Code of Conduct appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Flawed Testimony Logged in Rangoon Crackdown Inquiry: Witnesses Posted: 20 Mar 2015 05:13 AM PDT A group of plainclothes men assembled outside Rangoon City Hall on March 5. (Photo: Aung Naing Soe / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Three journalists who witnessed a violent police crackdown on protesters in front of Rangoon's City Hall on March 5 say a commission of inquiry into the incident has failed to accurately document their testimonies. The reporters, from three different private newspapers, were asked by the commission on Wednesday to describe what they saw during the crackdown. They were told that their testimonies were sought to aid the commission in uncovering the truth of the matter. Nyan Hlaing Linn, editor-in-charge of the People's Age weekly journal, said the journalists' testimonies to the commission were not transcribed correctly, with some parts of the interviews omitted and other parts fabricated. "We were asked to tell what happened; what we saw and how we think this can be prevented from happening again. The problem is that after the questioning, in the report some [testimony] was left out, some was given a different meaning," he said. "I asked them to rewrite it several times and let me read it again." The journalists were asked to sign off on their interview transcripts, but all three refused. Nyan Hlaing Linn said he received a call on Friday morning in which he was told the entirety of his interview had been accurately transcribed and was asked him to come and review it. When he met with members of the commission on Friday afternoon, changes to the transcript had been made but the document remained flaw, Nyan Hlaing Linn said, adding that the witnesses had been told that they could meet on Saturday with the inquiry commission's chairman Brig-Gen. Kyaw Kyaw Htun, who is also Burma's deputy Home Affairs minister. "We have given our time. We are disappointed. We have also become suspicious. [The record] included things I didn't say and left out lots of things that I did say," Nyan Hlaing Linn added. He said Kyaw Kyaw Htun, Tun Tun Oo, the country's deputy attorney general, and three other people were present for the journalists' testimonies. Moe Kyaw Lwin, a photographer from The Voice Weekly, echoed Nyan Hlaing Linn's allegation against the commission, and summarized his testimony for The Irrawaddy on Friday. "The protesters were not even about 50 people. … At that time, protesters were not violent or doing anything [to justify] using such forces as the red armbands," he said, referring to a group of plainclothes men wearing red armbands with the word "duty" on them, who helped police crack down on the protest. "They shouldn't have done this," Moe Kyaw Lwin continued. "The time that crackdown happened was about 4:00 [pm], when foreigners were visiting City Hall or Mahabandoola Park. I told them to think about the impact of using the red armbands on the government's image." Saw Htun Aung Myint, the commission of inquiry's secretary, told The Irrawaddy earlier this week that the investigation was underway, including looking into the plainclothes men's involvement, but he declined to disclose any details of the probe. "The commission has started to inquire. We are investigating concerns about the red armbands holistically. We can't divulge the rest yet," said Saw Htun Aung Myint, who is also Rangoon Division's Karen ethnic affairs minister. Attempts to reach him for comment in the aftermath of the journalists' allegations were unsuccessful on Friday. President Thein Sein on March 10 ordered the creation of a commission of inquiry into the violent dispersal of the Rangoon demonstration, which was held in solidarity with a group of students in Letpadan, Pegu Division, who at the time were staging a sit-in protest for education reform. The Letpadan students' protest was also forcibly crushed by police five days later. The men in Rangoon wearing the red "duty" armbands were spotted entering the City Hall building, where a local police contingent is stationed, shortly before joining the protest crackdown on March 5. It is believed they were deputized under Section 128 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, a colonial-era statute which empowers authorities to recruit male civilians to subdue "unlawful assemblies" by force. The Rangoon government reportedly defended its deployment of plainclothes men to assist in a crackdown, claiming that the move was within the law, a prominent activist group has said. Thein Sein has ordered the commission to report its findings by the end of March. Additional reporting by The Irrawaddy's Bone Myat. The post Flawed Testimony Logged in Rangoon Crackdown Inquiry: Witnesses appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Photo Of the Week. (March 20, 2015) Posted: 20 Mar 2015 04:28 AM PDT The post Photo Of the Week. (March 20, 2015) appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Air Force Back in Kokang Action Amid Chinese Ire Over Border Bombing Posted: 20 Mar 2015 04:12 AM PDT Fighter jets are seen behind Burma's flag during a parade to mark Armed Forces Day in the capital Naypyidaw on March 27, 2013. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — The Burma Army resumed using fighter jets in its war with Kokang rebels in northeast Burma on Thursday, about one week after a bomb strayed into Chinese territory, killing five Chinese nationals and angering Beijing. Finger-pointing in the aftermath of the errant bomb on Friday and China's scrambling of fighter jets to the border had appeared to temporarily ground Burma's Air Force, but both the government and sources on the ground in the Kokang Special Region reported a return to the skies on Thursday. Burma's Ministry of Information said the military had called in air strikes against Kokang troops on Thursday, in a statement that also announced the death of a Burma Army soldier and 30 injured military personnel. Fighting took place in Khut Tang, about 10 miles southeast of Laukkai, and at Konegyan southeast of the town. "They used four jet fighters and two highski [helicopters] in fighting yesterday," said Htun Myat Lin, a spokesperson for the Kokang rebels of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, on Thursday. "We had major fighting yesterday and fighting it broke out today at the same place, and they fired on us with their jet fighters." He said about 10 of his troops were wounded in Thursday's fighting, but no one was killed. The border bombing last week has brought Sino-Burmese relations to their lowest point in years, with China demanding a full investigation and that "justice" be brought to those responsible. Naypyidaw has denied that the ordnance belonged to the military, claiming Kokang rebels instead may have launched the attack to complicate the situation on the border. The Ministry of Information said on Thursday that Kokang rebels were using Burma's rugged and porous border with China to wage a campaign of guerilla warfare against government troops. The Burma Army managed to retake territory on Thursday despite the difficult conditions, the ministry said. Its report said the Air Force was called in to support ground forces as the government attempts to overrun a handful of mountaintop outposts held by the rebels. Fighting in the area first erupted on Feb. 9, and scores of soldiers on both sides of the conflict have been killed in the weeks since. "We are using defensive fighting," Htun Myat Linn said on Thursday. "We can kill many of them because we are just waiting to shoot when they come." The post Air Force Back in Kokang Action Amid Chinese Ire Over Border Bombing appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Jade Sales Dwindle Amid Conflict and Chinese Anti-Graft Campaign Posted: 20 Mar 2015 04:03 AM PDT A trader looks at jade stones at Burma's 2011 Mid-Year Emporium for jade, gems and pearls at an emporium hall in Naypyidaw on Dec. 24, 2011. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON —Jade sales at the country's biggest gems market in Mandalay have slowed to a near-halt in recent months, industry experts said, likely linked to both Chinese anti-corruption campaigns and stalled production in conflict-affected parts of northern Burma. Burma's high-quality jade accounts for billions of dollars in revenue annually, and according to the Ministry of Commerce is the country's second largest source of revenue after gas and oil. A 2013 study by the US-based Ash Center at Harvard University put the value of Burmese jade sales as high as $8 billion in 2011 alone. Most of the stones come from Hpakant, in northern Burma's war-torn Kachin State, where more than 7,000 mines sites have been allotted through government concessions, many to companies with ties to the former military government. All has not been well in the rich hills of Kachin State, where conflict has raged between the government and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) since the breakdown of a 17-year ceasefire in mid-2011. Clashes in Hpakant, in particular, have escalated over the past year, causing more than 2,000 local residents to flee as recently as January and bringing mining operations to a standstill. Many industry experts attribute dwindling sales to the conflict, as less new stones are reaching the market and buyers try to capitalize on the slowdown by offering less for lots. Many sellers, in turn, are holding onto their assets in hopes that the former free-flowing trade will eventually get back on track, according to Aung Thein, a central executive committee member of Mandalay's Myanmar Gems and Jewelry Entrepreneurs Association. "Jade production is low at the moment, so what we can do right now is keep the better quality jade lots and just sell small amounts to local traders," he said. Lots that used to be valued at around 500 million kyats (US$482,000) are now bringing in only about 150 to 200 million kyats, he said, so many sellers are opting to "wait for the good times." Aung Thein said he has also observed a steep decline in the number of Chinese buyers visiting the gems market in Mandalay. He said that just a few months back, it was common for more than 10 traders to come to the market every week. "But now, only four or five traders come here in a month," he said, "it's obvious." Beyond the slowing supply chain, Aung Thein said that the trade has also taken a hit from China's ramped-up anti-corruption campaign. Tackling corruption in government has been a major priority in China since President Xi Jinping took office in 2012, and a task force led by Wang Quishan has begun major anti-graft operations targeting various levels of governance and Chinese expatriates. The campaign has already had a chilling effect on low-level authorities, Aung Thein said, causing both businessmen and local officials in Yunnan to proceed with caution. Chinese jade traders have long been accused of paying enormous bribes to local officials in China to facilitate cross-border smuggling of goods, as raw jade is often transported in bulk across the border, where value-added processing occurs. Economist and writer Aung Ko Ko predicted that while China's anti-graft campaign has had an impact on Burma's jade sales, it will likely not have a long and devastating effect because "the Chinese know about our domestics issues well, they know how to handle the local market." Aung Ko Ko added, however, that the changes in China's management—as well as instability along the border—could start to impact other sectors in Burma, such as real estate and the rice trade. Tremors of the cooling jade market have also been felt in Naypyidaw, the only place in the country where international jade sales are legal as per the 1996 Myanmar Gemstone Law. An official from the Myanma Gems Enterprise, run by the Ministry of Mines, told The Irrawaddy that high value sales have "almost stopped," while some small-scale domestic deals are ongoing. Min Thu, assistant director of the enterprise, which coordinates a major Jade and Gems Emporium, said he usually takes recommendations from traders around this time of year about when to hold the event. This year, he said, the date has not yet been set and the event could be delayed. "Normally the emporium takes place in mid-June, but this year I've expect that it could be a little later," he said. Two international emporiums were held last year, the latter raking in a record $3.4 billion, up from about $2.6 billion the previous year. This year's apparent decline in production and demand, however, has left industry players to wonder whether the trade has reached its peak. The post Jade Sales Dwindle Amid Conflict and Chinese Anti-Graft Campaign appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

On the Waterfront Posted: 20 Mar 2015 03:51 AM PDT The view of Rangoon’s downtown skyline from the river on Thursday. (Photo: Timo Jaworr / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — About 50 local and foreign architects, along with members of the Association of Myanmar Architects, took a sightseeing tour of the Rangoon River on Thursday for a new perspective on the city's downtown skyline. Organized by the British Embassy for the Yangon Art and Heritage festival, architects from the UK were invited to share their experiences with their young Burmese counterparts as part of a four-day architecture workshop. Participants on the evening boat cruise discussed their ideas for protecting and preserving Rangoon's unique architectural heritage. A number of colonial-era structures still occupy the downtown area of Rangoon, threatened by decay and new developments sparked by a relentless property boom. "It is really key to try and come up with a plan that preserves what is good about the old, and but is also progressive," said Anna Bardos, one of the tour participants. "It's not about keeping it wrapped up as a historic thing. It's about making it work well for the modern culture of the people here." The post On the Waterfront appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

KIA, Govt Meeting Could Signal Shift in Peace Process Posted: 20 Mar 2015 03:34 AM PDT Gen. Gun Maw, KIA deputy chief-of-staff, smiles during a nationwide ceasefire meeting in Rangoon earlier this week. (Photo: Jpaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — After more than three years of fighting, Burma's President Thein Sein finally shook hands with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) leaders during the group's first ever visit to Naypyidaw on Monday. The KIA, one of Burma's strongest ethnic armed groups, has been engaged in occasionally intense fighting with the Burma Army since mid-2011 when a 17-year-old ceasefire collapsed. The meeting comes at a time of an escalation in the fighting between the Kokang rebels of the Myanmar Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and the Burma Army, a conflict that has killed dozens of soldiers and displaced tens of thousands of civilians in northern Shan State since Feb. 9. The Kachin leaders visited Naypyidaw while on their way to a nationwide ceasefire meeting between the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) and the Union Peacemaking Working Committee of Minister Aung Min in Rangoon this week. Following the ceasefire negotiations on Tuesday, NCCT leader Khun Okkar said the latest round of talks had proceeded smoothly, aided by an "understanding" reached between the government and the KIA during their meeting—an understanding that could help reduce the conflict in northern Shan State. The KIA is an influential member of the NCCT, which represents 16 ethnic armed groups involved in the ceasefire process, and it currently chairs the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), an alliance of ethnic groups. It seems that ethnic leaders and the government have realized that the KIA is a key player in reducing conflict in northern Burma and in bringing the nationwide ceasefire process back on track after it hit deadlock in September. Until now, the government had blamed the KIA for the Kachin conflict and even claimed that the group doesn't want a ceasefire. Instead, the government actively courted its oldest foe, the Karen National Union (KNU), which has enjoyed good relations with Naypyidaw since singing a bilateral ceasefire in 2012. The government put a special emphasis on cultivating its relations with KNU leader Mutu Say Poe, who has met with Thein Sein and Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing several times, in the hope that the group could further the nationwide ceasefire process. On Union Day, Thein Sein offered a ceasefire process pledge to ethnic leaders but only the KNU, two smaller Karen rebel groups and the Shan State Army-South signed it. The KNU's influence on other ethnic groups appears limited and Mutu Say Poe's standing among NCCT leaders seems low. Instead, KIA deputy chief-of-staff Gen. Gun Maw has proven himself a pragmatic and capable leader who has earned the respect of fellow ethnic leaders in the NCCT and UNFC. Following the escalation in the Kokang conflict, the government might now feel it needs to shift its focus northward and improve relations with the KIA if it wants to advance peace among ethnic groups in Shan and Kachin states. This new government approach could produce results for Burma's peace process, yet fundamental problems remain in Naypyidaw's plans. These have long included a strategy of "divide and rule" among the various ethnic groups, and smaller groups have been actively marginalized by the government. The Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) is an ally of the KIA and was supposed to join KIA leaders during their Naypyidaw visit, but the government refused to meet the ethnic Palaung leaders. The latter have been invited for a meeting with the government only twice in recent years, even though the Palaung insurgency in northern Shan State has widened and gained popular support. The number of TNLA fighters has grown from a few hundred to several thousands in recent years and clashes between the TNLA and government forces are becoming increasingly frequent. The government refuses to recognize the Kokang rebels of the MNDAA and the Arakan Army, both relatively small rebel groups. Now, the TNLA, the MNDAA and the Arakan Army have linked up and are jointly putting up tough resistance against the army in northern Shan State. Unless the government begins to treat all ethnic armed groups equally Burma cannot have peace. Improving only the relations with major armed groups is not enough to resolve the country's long-running ethnic conflict. All groups should be treated with equal respect so that a permanent solution can be found. The post KIA, Govt Meeting Could Signal Shift in Peace Process appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Burma’s Military to Maintain Political Role, President Says Posted: 20 Mar 2015 12:57 AM PDT President Thein Sein, in dark suit, flanked by vice presidents Sai Mauk Kham, left, and Tin Aung Myint Oo, right, after returning from an overseas trip. At far right is Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, the commander in chief of the Burma Army. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Burma's military will maintain its role in politics in order to support a transition to democracy but will eventually submit to civilian rule, President Thein Sein said in an interview broadcast on Friday. Burma was ruled by the military for 49 years before a semi-civilian government took power in 2011 and initiated widespread political and economic reforms. But under a 2008 Constitution drafted under military rule, a quarter of parliamentary seats are reserved for unelected serving officers, along with some key cabinet posts, giving the military an effective veto on any constitutional reform. The opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party, led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, has called for the military to step away from politics. Thein Sein, a former general, said the military initiated the reform process and still needed to play a political role in order to support the transition to democracy. "In fact, the military is the one who is assisting in the flourishing of democracy in our country," he told the BBC. "As the political parties mature in their political norms and practice, the role of the military gradually changes." Thein Sein did not say when the military would transition out of politics, but said it would be done according to the "will of the people." Parliamentary elections are scheduled for early November, and the Parliament that emerges from the vote will choose the next president. Suu Kyi's party swept a 1990 vote that the ruling generals ignored, and she remains hugely popular but the military-drafted Constitution bars her from the presidency because she has two sons with British citizenship. Her late husband was a British academic. Thein Sein denied that the clause was written in order to exclude Suu Kyi from the presidency, and said the requirement was actually drafted in 1947 when the country, also known as Burma, was preparing for independence from Britain. Thein Sein said he was not opposed to changing the Constitution, but said it would be up to Parliament to support an amendment, which would then require a referendum. Such an amendment would require more than 75 percent approval in a Parliament dominated by military representatives and their allies in the ruling United Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), which is made up mainly of former officers. The post Burma's Military to Maintain Political Role, President Says appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Families Still Denied Access to Detained Students Posted: 20 Mar 2015 12:50 AM PDT Parents of detained student protestors wait in front of Tharyarwaddy Prison, March 2015. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Anxious parents still loiter outside Pegu Division's Tharyarwaddy Prison, hoping to catch a glimpse or even a just a health update of their children, who have been locked inside for more than a week. Ninety-eight students, many of them members of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions, remain in detention since their arrest during a brutal crackdown on a protest site in Letpadan on March 10. Family members of several inmates said they have been denied visits from day one. Prison officials could not be reached for comment. "Since our children were arrested, we have waited at the entrance everyday to send things to them," said Khin Khin Yu, whose son, Min Thwe Thit, is behind bars. She said the prison guards won't let parents see or speak with their children, or deliver basic items such as mosquito nets. Infrequent health updates are sometimes relayed by the guards, but parents and a lawyer said that was not sufficient access. Lawyer and rights advocate Robert San Aung told The Irrawaddy that the lack of access violates not only of human rights, but Burma's prison rules. "The prison guidebook clearly states that prisoners are entitled to meet their family members," Robert San Aung said. "This shows disrespect for human rights and a return to the old practice of intelligence personnel of not allowing those arrested for political reasons to hire a lawyer or meet with their family members." Police dismantled a core column of student demonstrations in Letpadan earlier this month in a violent display of baton-wielding authority that left many injured and 127 jailed. Twenty-nine people have since been released, including two journalists, while those who remain face various charges including rioting, incitement and intentional harm to public servants.   The post Families Still Denied Access to Detained Students appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Solar Powered Plane Makes Historic Landing in Mandalay Posted: 19 Mar 2015 10:58 PM PDT Solar Impulse 2 on the runway at Mandalay Airport on Thursday. (Photo: Teza Hlaing / The Irrawaddy) MANDALAY — Solar Impulse 2, an aircraft powered entirely by solar energy, made a successful landing at Mandalay's Tada-U Airport shortly before 8pm on Thursday evening. Mandalay Chief Minister Ye Myint, Minister of the President's Office Soe Thein, Swiss ambassador Christoph Burgener and pilot Andre Borschberg were on hand to welcome Bertrand Piccard, who had flown the plane from Varanasi in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. “It is important to show that renewable energy, clean energy and solar energy are the forces for peace and development," Piccard said on Thursday. "We want to encourage the younger generations to do more experimentation with solar energy for a greener environment." Piccard and Borschberg are taking turns to fly the plane in a world record attempt at solar-powered circumnavigation of the globe. The pair will stop in China, the United States and Europe before an expected return to Abu Dhabi in August, where the plane began its journey on Mar. 9. Piccard's 1400-kilometer (870-mile) leg from Varanasi was accomplished in 13 hours and 29 minutes. "The message is that renewable energy is very important for the future of our work to maintain the environment and to reduce pollution," Ambassador Burgener told the crowd on Thursday evening. "The young generations here today can witness the role of solar power in developing a better quality of life." Traditional dancers, cheerleaders and bands performed at the airport to greet the aircraft on Thursday, and President Thein Sein and Burma Army chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing traveled to Mandalay on Friday morning to meet with the pilots. The aircraft will next travel to Chongqing in China after a layover in Mandalay of at least three days, depending on weather conditions early next week. Piccard and Borschberg conducted their first solar energy flight in 2009. In 2012, the pair successfully flew a solar-powered aircraft from Switzerland to Spain and Morocco, and the following year completed a cross-continental journey across the United States over the course of two months. The post Solar Powered Plane Makes Historic Landing in Mandalay appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Peace-Building: A Chin Perspective Posted: 19 Mar 2015 05:00 PM PDT Pu No Than Kap serves as chairman of the Chin Progressive Party and also as the Chin national affairs minister for the Sagaing Region government. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) President U Thein Sein's government hoped to sign a nationwide ceasefire accord with various ethnic armed groups on Feb. 12, Union Day. Bogged down by lingering unresolved differences and imperiled by intermittent clashes between a handful of ethnic armed groups and the Myanmar Army, as with past target dates, Union Day came and went with no deal reached. Naypyitaw has signed bilateral ceasefire agreements with more than a dozen armed groups since 2011, but a nationwide deal remains elusive. Pu No Than Kap, the chairman of the Chin Progressive Party and Chin national affairs minister for the Sagaing Region government, spoke to Kyaw Zwa Moe, the editor of The Irrawaddy English Edition, about obstacles to an agreement and the way forward. Q: Why is it taking so long to sign a nationwide ceasefire agreement? What are the major hurdles? A: In my view, both ethnic groups and the government desperately want a ceasefire. However, something is wrong somewhere. I don't want to put blame on anyone in particular. The president has taken steps and opened the door. I think ethnic groups welcome his move, because everyone accepts the fact that fighting all the time has served no one's interests. But the president himself has to do more. It is taking so long on the ground, I think perhaps, due to too much suspicion. Q: How should they dispel that suspicion and build trust? A: It is the president who should and can start to make a move for a breakthrough. The government understands this and it should therefore open the door wide, not just ajar. The government and the military could declare a unilateral ceasefire, but with a time limit—for example for 15 days, or a month or three months—and say, 'We will not launch attacks during that period and will invite ethnic groups for political dialogue.' Ethnic groups would certainly join it, I believe. Q: That is the first step toward building trust? A: Even if a nationwide ceasefire accord can't be signed right now, the government should open the door fully by declaring a unilateral ceasefire, and they should invite ethnic groups to a political dialogue during the ceasefire. It would help a lot, I think, because doing so would earn the trust of ethnic groups. They then have no reason to believe that the government does not want a ceasefire. Then the burden is on them [ethnic armed groups]. All national peoples will think that the political dialogue to which they aspire can be started when the government declares a unilateral ceasefire. Q: There has been a great deal of debate over what form political dialogue should take, and how many participants it should include. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the government and ethnic groups all have different opinions on the matter. A: For me, I accept any type of dialogue—four-party or six-party or 12-party talks and so on. I am not so rigid as to stick to only one form. The important thing is that the talks be genuine. The outcome should be fruitful for our country. Without dialogue, I don't think we can get any results. Even the last time, when we 48 political and ethnic leaders met with the president, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the commander-in-chief of the military, I think we managed to have a dialogue to some extent. Each of us could share our perspectives. That, at least, is a good outcome from such a meeting. Q: How important is political dialogue for our country? A: I think all we urgently need is to start a political dialogue to solve the problems. Unless and until the political dialogue is started, we will not be able to solve this lingering problem. A mere ceasefire can't guarantee peace. There will be gunfire anyway, either necessarily or accidentally, on this broad battleground. Because the problem is based on national chauvinism, I think political dialogue should begin as early as possible to solve this problem. This is a chronic cancer that Myanmar has suffered for 60 years. We all know what kind of disease we are suffering from and what kind of remedy we need to cure it. Ethnic leaders know it, and especially the president knows it. But they don't seem to apply that remedy to cure the disease. Q: Why do you think the government leaders don't want to use the remedy? A: We've been fighting for more than 60 years. Why have ethnic people taken up arms to fight the government? The government does know what the ethnic people want, doesn't it? Frankly speaking, I think we ethnic people made a mistake because we believed in Bogyoke Aung San and we wanted independence from Britain to set up a federal union. We believed in what Bogyoke Aung San promised to us: equality to all ethnicities in the country. But so far, his successors and their governments have not given it. In fact, the federalism we have asked for is not to separate from the country. We can't build a federal union by coercion or political ploys. It should be built up with satisfaction, agreement and follow-through. And then, no one will want to separate from that union. Q: The major political parties, the government and the army are all dominated by ethnic Bamar, and as an ethnic leader, you have had to deal with them constantly since entering into politics. Do you still see Burmanization and chauvinism? Do you still see any discrimination in dealing with authorities as well as democratic forces, including leaders like opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi? A: In my view, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi does not seem to hear our voices. She may be someone who can understand us well under certain circumstances. I don't want to talk about it. We gained independence 60 years ago. Suppose a Chin Christian man joins the army; generally, he will not be given a promotion higher than the level of colonel. It is restricted for two reasons: the first is because he is Chin and the second is because he is Christian. We Chin people call it the two Cs factor. The question has been, is it an underlying principle that only Bamar nationals and Buddhists can be generals? Q: Is it fair to say that Aung San's successors did not fulfill his aspirations for Myanmar? A: Many think that his aspirations were not fulfilled by his successors. Whatever the case may be, our view is we signed [the Panglong Agreement] because of him—we trusted him more than he should be trusted—and he died; and whenever we think about our situation, we think of him. Q: What if he had survived? A: Who will answer the question: what if he survived? In fact, he did not. We are pragmatic. The post Peace-Building: A Chin Perspective appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Deadly Machete Attack on Burmese Boys Stuns US Neighborhood Posted: 19 Mar 2015 10:45 PM PDT A Burmese refugee mother and child bid fare farewell to friends and family as they leave Ban Tham Hin camp in Thailand to be repatriated to the United States in 2002. (Photo: Reuters) NEW BERN, North Carolina — A frantic and bloodied mother whose three young sons were killed in a machete attack jumped from an upstairs window and ran across the street for help, according to neighbors. A couple, who, like the suspect and victims, were Burmese refugees, was startled Tuesday night by pounding on their door by the mother. They said she was bleeding from a wound in her back and asking for help. "We were scared," said A Bu, who took in the mother and a surviving daughter while they waited for police to arrive. The suspect, identified as 18-year-old Eh Lar Doh Htoo, attacked the family in their home Tuesday night. The brothers, ages 1, 5 and 12, were killed, police said. New Bern Police Lt. Ronda Allen confirmed on Thursday that a machete was used in the attack. She said the father of the children was away from the house at work during the attack. When officers arrived, he was still holding the weapon, New Bern Police Chief Toussaint Summers Jr. told The Associated Press. Htoo also wounded the brothers' mother and their 14-year-old sister. Police said they don't know a motive for the attack and a language barrier hampered their investigation. The sounds of screaming and dogs barking, followed by police sirens, awakened several neighbors who live in what they describe as a normally quiet neighborhood. The diverse neighborhood includes several families of Burmese refugees. Htoo was charged with three counts of murder and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill. Police said they don't know whether he has an attorney. New Bern is a coastal town and home to about 1,900 Burmese refugees, who resettled in the area after fleeing persecution from the country once called Burma, now known as Myanmar. "Anytime this happens in any community, any part of town, it's surprising," the police chief said. The stabbings happened on a street of about 10 homes that face a railroad track and several dilapidated commercial buildings. About 11pm Tuesday, officers were called there to a report of a person with a knife. They entered the home and found two dead boys. A third died at a hospital. Police did not release the victims' names. Another neighbor said the suspect had scared his family by knocking on their door several times in the middle of the night. "He's crazy," neighbor Ner Wah said Wednesday. "I told my wife: 'Be careful. Don't answer the door.'" Wah said that like him, Htoo was a member of the Karen ethnic group, an oppressed people whose language has been banned back home. Htoo once came to Wah's house during the day to ask him to help translate documents, but Wah said they weren't friends. "We felt very scared of him," Wah said. Htoo's first court appearance was scheduled for Friday. The post Deadly Machete Attack on Burmese Boys Stuns US Neighborhood appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Sri Lanka Says Rajapaksa Officials Stashed Over $2B in Dubai Posted: 19 Mar 2015 10:31 PM PDT Former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa during his final rally ahead of a presidential election in Piliyandala on January 5, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) COLOMBO — Sri Lankan investigators have located more than $2 billion that was secretly transferred to accounts in Dubai by figures close to the administration of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, the government said on Thursday. Cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said the funds represented about of fifth of the total amount of so-called ‘black money’ that the authorities suspect was illicitly stashed abroad. "We have information that more than $10 billion, more than our country’s foreign reserves, is kept outside the country by those closely related to the last government," he told reporters. A former top official in Rajapaksa’s administration dismissed as "nonsense" the government’s suggestion that the money found was evidence of corruption. President Maithripala Sirisena, who defeated Rajapaksa in a January election, has ordered an investigation into all financial deals sealed by his predecessor. Rajapaksa and his former government officials have rejected allegations of corruption and nepotism and said they are ready to face any investigation. Describing the accounts found in Dubai, Senaratne said: "One person from a leading family held $1.064 billion. Another account under a parliament member’s name had over $500 million and a secretary to a very important person had over $500 million jointly with another person, who is very famous for corruption." Senaratne did not say who held the accounts, as the probe is still under way. He said it had also identified large withdrawals, including one of $600 million, from accounts belonging to people who had worked with Rajapaksa’s government. "We have given these details to the U.S. and Indian financial intelligence agencies which are helping us in the investigations," he added. His assertion was dismissed by a former government official and Rajapaksa ally, who declined to be named. "In the context of money laundering, you can’t take $600 million at once," he told Reuters, adding that the government should name the holders of the alleged accounts. "Why can’t he say the names if they have the information?" the former government official said, describing Senaratne’s comments on Thursday as "absolutely nonsense". Sri Lanka’s anti-corruption body has so far barred former central bank governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal and Sajin De Vass Gunawardena, a parliamentarian close to Rajapaksa, from leaving the country because of corruption complaints. Both have rejected allegations they misused public funds. Senaratne also said the government had cancelled an $85 million airport runway project awarded to Colombo-based Access Engineering Plc, which won a number of infrastructure contracts during Rajapaksa’s time in office. No comment was immediately available from the company. The post Sri Lanka Says Rajapaksa Officials Stashed Over $2B in Dubai appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

For Hong Kong, a Chill Sets in As Rich China Tourists Shop Elsewhere Posted: 19 Mar 2015 10:16 PM PDT A shopper walks past a mainland Chinese visitor sitting at Canton Road, a shopping hotspot for Chinese tourists, in Hong Kong March 13, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) HONG KONG — Chinese tourists are rapidly deserting Hong Kong, leaving retailers who built businesses around once insatiable demand from mainland neighbors with bigger but emptier stores and squeezing the whole city’s visitor-dependent economy. With cross-border tensions exacerbated by pro-democracy Hong Kong protests, tour groups visiting Hong Kong from China plunged about 80 percent in early March. A Beijing crackdown on conspicuous spending by mainlanders also shows no signs of letting up, sending tourists further afield. While day trippers from just outside Hong Kong continue to buy daily essentials there, Chinese travelers with cash to burn are homing in on places like South Korea and Japan. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, Chinese visitors lured by the weaker yen and easier visa rules nearly tripled in February to a monthly record: With one in four tourists in Japan, Chinese became the biggest visitor group in a country with which relations have often been fraught. That’s bad news for Hong Kong retailers like Chow Tai Fook Jewelry and cosmetics chain Sa Sa International Holdings Ltd. To the chagrin of some Hong Kongers, these firms expanded networks in the former British colony by about 50 percent over the past five years to cater to then-surging demand from Chinese tourists. "The old shops are squeezed and replaced by chain stores like Chow Tai Fook, Sa Sa and other popular shops for them (mainland buyers)," said one 22-year-old Hong Kong shopper, who gave his surname as Yu. "That is crazy!" While some Hong Kong residents accuse mainland tourists of pushing up prices and clogging already crowded streets, resentment rides high also on the other side of the border. Many have expressed shock, saying Hong Kong people are rude and pledging to take their money elsewhere, with some Internet users going so far as to post pictures of Hong Kong re-entry permits cut into pieces. Destination South Korea? The net effect is a tourism slowdown that leaves a gaping hole in an economy where Chinese visitors—47 million last year, about 40 percent of them from areas beyond border zones—account for about a third of retail spending. In a report this week, Credit Suisse cut its economic growth forecast for Hong Kong to 1.6 percent from 2.4 percent for this year, citing weaker mainland tourist spending, and rated stocks dedicated to the city "underweight". Chow Tai Fook, the world’s largest jewelry retailer, has so far relied on mainland Chinese for nearly 60 percent of its sales in Hong Kong and the nearby casino hub of Macau. At Sa Sa, reliance is even bigger, with mainlanders accounting for 71 percent of its sales in Hong Kong and Macau. But as tensions grew last year, even before Hong Kong’s ‘Occupy’ pro-democracy protests, Chow Tai Fook pointed the way toward one option for Hong Kong retailers: It opened its first point of sale in South Korea’s popular tourist destination Jeju island last September, and said it’s looking at further expansion overseas to tap affluent Chinese tourists. Like Japan, South Korea is a big beneficiary thanks to its currency weakening even as the strength of the U.S. dollar eroded competitiveness in Hong Kong—its currency is pegged to the greenback. More than 6 million mainland Chinese visited South Korea last year, up 42 percent from 2013, spurred by an easing of visa rules. In Hong Kong, observers are bracing for a chill settling over the city’s stores for some time. "We are going to see very weak data from May 1 [Labour Day holiday]," said Renee Tai, analyst at UOB Kay Hian in Hong Kong. "It will be a cold winter for retail this year." The post For Hong Kong, a Chill Sets in As Rich China Tourists Shop Elsewhere appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Thai Junta Denies Torturing Grenade Attack Suspects Posted: 19 Mar 2015 09:26 PM PDT Thai soldiers patrol around Bangkok's Army Club in May 2014. (Photo: Chaiwat Subprasom / Reuters) BANGKOK— Thailand’s junta on Thursday denied accusations of torturing suspects in a bombing investigation, as human rights groups stepped up their criticism of the military regime. Lawyers for four suspects in a Mar. 7 grenade attack outside Bangkok Criminal Court said their clients alleged they were punched and tortured with electrical shocks to try to get them to confess. The grenade caused minor damage and no casualties. New York-based Human Rights Watch said a statement that the allegations of torture in military custody heightened concern about abuses while the country remains under martial law, imposed last May. Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, called for a prompt and impartial investigation. Junta spokesman Col. Winthai Suvaree called the torture allegations false, saying they were made to discredit authorities. He said the torture claims were one-sided and that the suspects needed to be examined by medical personnel to prove their claims. The junta, which ousted an elected government in May last year, finds itself increasingly on the defensive. It initially promised to restore calm after Bangkok was wracked by months of raucous and often violent political street protests, and institute political and economic reforms, especially targeting corruption. Calm has been restored, but authorities have mostly clamped down on dissent. Efforts to make a new constitution less democratic also have drawn criticism, even from parties sympathetic to last year’s army takeover. Earlier this week, Winthai initially denied reports that the army had secretly detained a witness to the fatal shooting of anti-government protesters in 2010, allegedly by troops. He backtracked the next day, saying that the woman had been held but it was kept secret to aid in the investigation of her alleged links to the Mar. 7 attack. The post Thai Junta Denies Torturing Grenade Attack Suspects appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

“So…uh…double or nothing next round?” Posted: 19 Mar 2015 09:17 PM PDT “So…uh…double or nothing next round?”   The post “So…uh…double or nothing next round?” appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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