The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Govt Proposes Heritage Protection Bills for Old Buildings and Objects
• NDF to Contest 400 Seats in Nationwide 2015 Poll
• Burma Army Blocked Aid to Fleeing Arakan Villagers: Relief Group
• Officials Seize $20m in Smuggled Goods Last Year
• Southeast Asian Leaders Urged to Act on Rohingya Crisis 
• Burma 9th Most Censored Country Globally: Media Freedom Index
• A High-Flying Tale of Strings and Tails
• EU Warns Thailand on Illegal Fishing, Clears South Korea, Philippines
• Paper Says Sorry for ‘Misleading’ Picture of Suu Kyi With Muslim Leaders
• Hong Kong Unveils Electoral Reform Package, Vows No Compromise
• Honeymoon Over for Indonesian Leader as U-Turns Erode Authority
• Stamina, Sea Legs a Must for Burma’s Fishermen

Govt Proposes Heritage Protection Bills for Old Buildings and Objects Posted: 22 Apr 2015 06:27 AM PDT A more than 100-year-old wooden villa, the House of Memories in Rangoon is a restaurant and a living museum. (Jpaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Burma's government has released two heritage protection bills that would help better protect heritage buildings and objects, an official said, a move that was welcomed by lawmakers and heritage protection advocates. State-run newspaper Myanma Alin on Monday published the two bills, named the Protection and Conservation of Ancient Buildings Bill and Protection and Conservation of Antiquities Bill, for public review. Kyaw Oo Lwin, director general of the Culture Ministry's archaeology and national museums department, said the bills had been created after the 1957 Antiquities Act was modified and separated in two bills in order to improve legal protection for heritage structures and heritage objects. "[W]ith some modifications, including on the interpretation of the law and penalties, we have separated [the Antiquities Act] into two drafts to make them more clear and comprehensive," he told The Irrawaddy. "Now we have a more comprehensive and modernized draft for conservation purposes, as what we have now is sort of outdated," he said, adding that the Culture Ministry had studied examples of heritage protection laws in other Southeast Asian countries during the drafting process. The bills would protect "more than 100-year-old buildings and antiquities across the country—either above or below the ground and water—that have historic, cultural, artistic, antique and archaeological values." Kyaw Oo Lwin said the bills would expand the definition of old buildings and objects in need of protection. In the case of buildings, for example, the 1957 Antiquities Act originally only offered legal protection for structures made before 1886. Penalties for damaging, removing or destroying heritage buildings and objects would be tougher than under the 1957 act, which includes prison terms of between six months to three years. The Protection and Conservation of Antiquities Bill states that anyone who attempt to bring or transport "antiquities" overseas without permission, or who destroys or collects them for business purposes, could face a five to ten years prison sentence, as well as fines. The Protection and Conservation of Ancient Buildings Bill says anyone who destroys or damages protected buildings could face prison terms of between one to seven years, while unauthorized use of photos or videos of historic buildings for business purposes could be punished. Apart from the Antiquities Act, Burma currently has the 1998 Protection and Preservation of Cultural Heritage Regions Law. The latter was mostly designed for ancient monumental sites, such as those found at Bagan, and offers limited protection for individual buildings across the country. An opposition lawmaker and a heritage protection advocate in an initial reaction welcomed the bills. "It would be good for the people and country if the bills come into law as soon as possible. But make no mistake, we would still need to implement [the law] effectively," said Moe Moe Lwin, director of the Yangon Heritage Trust (YHT). Nyo Nyo Thin, an independent Rangoon Division parliamentarian, said the two heritage bills were a step in the right direction, although she added that Rangoon's historic center in particular needed to better protected through the creation of local heritage management policies. "We still need special provisions for some individual regions. For example, like in Rangoon where there are many old colonial buildings. So, I think, we need specific regulations on which area is protected for heritage conservation and which buildings are scheduled for protection," she said. YHT and other groups have been advocating for protective measures for Rangoon's historic downtown area, where there are hundreds of colonial-era buildings that are threatened by decades of neglect and rapid real estate development. In the past two years, the YHT and a group of concerned local architects and urban planners have proposed two draft urban heritage management policies to the Rangoon Division government in order to improve protection for the city's heritage. The division government has, however, not responded to the proposals. The post Govt Proposes Heritage Protection Bills for Old Buildings and Objects appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

NDF to Contest 400 Seats in Nationwide 2015 Poll Posted: 22 Apr 2015 05:22 AM PDT A session in Burma's Union Parliament in Naypyidaw in 2012. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Burma's National Democratic Force (NDF) party says it is prepared to field about 400 candidates in regional and Union-level races during the nationwide parliamentary elections due late this year. Khin Maung Swe, chairman of the NDF, told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday that the party would contest about 200 races in the Union Parliament, where 498 seats are up for grabs in early November. Another 200 candidates or so will enter state and regional parliamentary races, where about 660 seats will be put to a vote nationwide. "We will run in constituencies in 11 states and divisions, excluding Kayah [Karenni], Arakan and Chin states," he said. Khin Maung Swe said that the party's township offices are sending lists of nominees, with about 140 candidates already selected to run for Union Parliament seats. "The candidates list will be finalized on May 16-17, when the party will hold its conference in Yangon [Rangoon]," he said, adding that his party planned for the list to include 20 percent female candidates. Khin Maung Swe said the party's membership numbered more than 40,000, and that the NDF had 180 offices nationwide. The NDF has not put forward a campaign platform yet, he said, but would do so once the election's campaigning season official begins 60 days before polling day. Its Facebook page says the party "has five major objectives that primarily included transforming Myanmar into a democratic union in which all ethnic nationalities have equal rights and status." NDF parliamentarians have been some of the main supporters of a controversial interfaith marriage bill that was submitted to Parliament late last year. Critics of the legislation say the bill creates unnecessary hurdles for Buddhist women seeking to marry a man of a different faith. Proponents say the bill is needed to safeguard Burma's majority Buddhist national identity. The NDF contested 161 seats in Burma's 2010 general elections, winning 12 seats in the Union Parliament and four seats in state and regional legislatures. In the 2012 by-election, the party fielded candidates in 13 races but did not win any seats in a poll that was dominated by the National League for Democracy (NLD). The NDF is an offshoot of the NLD, Burma's largest opposition party. An NLD decision to boycott the 2010 election on the grounds that it would not be a credible poll prompted Khin Maung Swe and other leading NLD members to found the new party to contest the polls, claiming that the election could pave the way for gradual democratic reform in Burma. In breaking with the NLD, the NDF in 2010 aligned itself with a so-called "third force" movement, the stated aim of which was to steer a middle path between the boycotting NLD and Burma's former military regime. The NDF was the third largest party contesting the 2010 election, following the regime-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and the National Unity Party (NUP). Khin Maung Swe on Wednesday said the party in March had forged another iteration of the third force movement, together with the United Democratic Party (UDP), Phlone-Sqaw Democratic Party and Arakan National Party, in an effort to counterbalance the influence of larger parties in Parliament. The post NDF to Contest 400 Seats in Nationwide 2015 Poll appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Burma Army Blocked Aid to Fleeing Arakan Villagers: Relief Group Posted: 22 Apr 2015 05:15 AM PDT Troops from the Arakan Army at a military training school near Laiza, Kachin State in 2014. (Photo: Thaw Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Local relief workers in Arakan State's Kyauktaw Township say that they have been barred from providing support to hundreds of villagers in the area, who were displaced after fighting between the Arakan Army and government troops. Clashes beginning on Friday and continuing over the weekend saw some 450 people from the villages of Pinglong, Aung Lan Chaung, Dan Chaung and Kalakya flee to the nearby village of Zapazeik, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of Kyauktaw town. A group of Arakan locals, who banded together to provide aid to the villagers, said they were turned back by military checkpoints outside Kyauktaw town when they attempted to deliver aid supplies on Tuesday. The team traveled 100 kilometers south to Sittwe on Wednesday to seek permission to travel to Zapazeik from the state government. "We are now in Sittwe, at the government office, trying to meet with the Border Affairs Minister on this issue," he told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday afternoon. "It looks like we are being avoided." Representatives of the Arakan State government and Kyauktaw Township officials could not be reached on Wednesday. Zaw Worn said his relief team was formed after he received phone calls from the villagers requesting urgent support. They were turned back at the first checkpoint they encountered, which was manned by the Burma Army's 374th Infantry battalion. "We were not able to provide them with basic needs like rice, cooking ingredients, and mosquito nets,” he said. Many of the displaced came from Aung Lan Chaung village, largely populated by members of the Mro ethnic minority, which relief worker Nyo Aye said was razed by Burma Army troops over the weekend. "The refugees fled their homes after the Tatmadaw burned the village, near where the fighting was, she told The Irrawaddy. "They were scared for their lives with the sound of the gunfire." Local aid groups in other Arakan State towns are also collecting relief supplies for the area. Ko Ko Maung, a resident of nearby Buthidaung Township, said that the community had donated a stockpile of goods and he intended to make a delivery to the displaced villagers soon. The Arakan Army, which is not recognized by the Burmese government as a party to the nationwide peace process, has been operating in the state for about three years. While clashes between the Arakan Army and government forces have been rare, an earlier outbreak of fighting in the area was reported on Mar. 29. State-run newspapers reported on Wednesday that five Arakanese insurgents had been arrested on Sunday evening with some weapons and ammunition, and said the Arakan Army was in retreat. Nyo Tun Aung, the Arakan Army deputy chief of staff, said that an internal investigation was being conducted to determine whether the captured men belonged to his forces. Additional reporting by Kyaw Kha. The post Burma Army Blocked Aid to Fleeing Arakan Villagers: Relief Group appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Officials Seize $20m in Smuggled Goods Last Year Posted: 22 Apr 2015 05:10 AM PDT A cargo truck winds up a hillside road in Shan State's Kutkai Township, near the Burma-China border crossing of Muse in early January. (Photo: Kyaw Hsu Mon / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — A government task force created to tackle the smuggling of goods said it made record seizures in the last fiscal year, confiscating various goods across Burma's borderlands valued at more than 21 billion kyats (US$19.7 million). The yearly haul is worth more than double the value of seizures the previous year, which topped off at $9.5 million. From April 2014 to May 2015, the task force has handled 3,216 cases of smuggling at various border and seaport checkpoints, according to the team's Deputy Director General Yan Naing Tun. Illegal timber topped the list of smuggled goods, Yan Naing Tun said, with more than 300 cases bringing in a total of 15 tons valued at $1.9 million. A nationwide ban on all raw timber exports went into effect on April 1, 2014, making all such sales illegal. Jade came in a close second as the team seized a total of 29 lots worth $1.2 million, the official said. Other seized goods included chemicals likely used for drug production, mobile phone handsets, motorized vehicles, alcoholic beverages, tobacco, textiles, live animals and unapproved food products being shipped from neighboring China and Thailand. The anti-smuggling task force is a government-backed body comprising members of the Ministry of Commerce, Customs Department, Myanmar Police Force, media and local authorities. The 600-strong team operates mobile teams along Burma's borders with China and Thailand, as well as all international air and seaports. Since it was established in late 2012, more than $33 million worth of illegal goods have been seized. The task force has increased its presence along the Burma-China border, particularly near the Muse-Jiego border crossing, where illegal trade of high-value goods remains rampant. Muse is the largest of Burma's 15 border checkpoints, and serves as the country's main gateway to China, with hundreds of trucks passing each way daily to deliver goods. Than Win, deputy director of the Ministry of Commerce, said the teams have been very effective at curbing illicit trade by setting up surprise checkpoints along major routes. "We've seized most of these goods along the Burma-China border routes, mainly jade and various kinds of timber," he told The Irrawaddy. Some of the goods—such as unapproved foodstuffs—are destroyed, while others—such as timber and gems—are shipped to government ministries, he said. Than Win said that the amount of smuggled goods has increased proportionally to the rise in trade volume over the past few years. Ministry figures indicate that the total sea trade reached $21.4 million, while cross border trade hit $6.6 million during the last fiscal year—a 12.4 percent increase in total trade over the previous year. The post Officials Seize $20m in Smuggled Goods Last Year appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Southeast Asian Leaders Urged to Act on Rohingya Crisis  Posted: 22 Apr 2015 04:41 AM PDT A displaced Rohingya woman sits with her child outside a temporary camp in Pauktaw Township, Arakan State. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) KUALA LUMPUR) — Southeast Asian lawmakers on Wednesday urged their leaders to discuss Burma's Rohingya Muslim crisis at their summit in Malaysia this weekend, saying it has led to the highest outflow of asylum seekers by sea in the region since the Vietnam War. Burma, a predominantly Buddhist nation of 50 million, is home to an estimated 1.3 million Rohingya, and most are considered stateless. Though many of their families arrived from Bangladesh generations ago, almost all are denied citizenship by Burma as well as Bangladesh. The Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights, a grouping of regional lawmakers, said in a statement that the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations must abandon its policy of not interfering in each other’s affairs, which has been used as a justification to avoid holding a discussion on the Rohingya issue. "We are seeing a dire situation in Asean," Malaysian lawmaker Charles Santiago told a news conference ahead of the two-day summit that starts Sunday. "The Rohingya issue has become an Asean problem because we have a huge amount of refugees fleeing into Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia." "It has also led to a regional human trafficking epidemic. A human catastrophe is happening and Asean leaders cannot and should not hide behind the notion of non-interference," Santiago said. The Rohingya issue has emerged as a sensitive topic as Burma tries to move away from decades of repressive military rule toward democracy. In the last 2 1/2 years, attacks by Buddhist mobs have left hundreds of Rohingya dead and 140,000 trapped in camps where they live without access to adequate health care, education or jobs. The Asean Parliamentarians earlier released a report on the Rohingya crisis following a fact-finding mission to Burma in early April. The report will be sent to Asean leaders along with an appeal letter, Santiago said. In the letter, which was released to the media, Asean Parliamentarians said the delegation had identified "troubling signs of anti-Muslim rhetoric and broader incitement to violence," and warned that this could increase in the run-up to Burma’s elections in November. "The protracted culture of abuse and resulting high risk of atrocities threaten Myanmar’s political transition, put strains on regional economies and support the rise of extremist ideologies that pose security threats throughout Southeast Asia," the letter said. The group said the human rights crisis in Burma was exacerbated by Asean’s failure to take action and urged leaders to act to prevent a further escalation of the crisis that could affect the entire region. The United Nations has also urged Burma to give Rohingya equal access to citizenship and to crack down on Buddhist violence against them and other Muslims. The post Southeast Asian Leaders Urged to Act on Rohingya Crisis  appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Burma 9th Most Censored Country Globally: Media Freedom Index Posted: 21 Apr 2015 11:41 PM PDT Ma Thandar's late husband, known by his penname Par Gyi, was shot dead by the Burma Army while in custody in October. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has ranked Burma as the ninth most censored country in the world in a media freedom index that was released on Tuesday. CPJ's annual top 10 of countries where the press is most restricted was topped by Eritrea and North Korea, while Burma and Cuba were ranked No. 9 and No. 10, respectively. Other Asian nations in the index are Vietnam, ranked No. 6, and China, placed No. 8. "Despite an end to more than four decades of pre-publication censorship in 2012, Myanmar’s media remains tightly controlled," the New York-based organization said. "The Printers and Publishers Registration Law, enacted in March 2014, bans news that could be considered insulting to religion, disturbing to the rule of law, or harmful to ethnic unity," CPJ said of one of the laws considered a plank in the government's approach to controlling Burmese media. "Publications must be registered under the law, and those found in violation of its vague provisions risk de-registration." "National security-related laws, including the colonial-era 1923 Official Secrets Act, are used to threaten and imprison journalists who report on sensitive military matters," CPJ said of other laws restricting media. After taking office in 2011, President Thein Sein's nominally-civilian government lifted a number of draconian, junta-are restrictions on local media, such a pre-publication censorship and a ban on daily newspapers. New media laws that were since introduced, such as the Printers and Publishers Registration Law, received a mixed reaction. In the last year or so there has been a marked decline in press freedom in Burma. At least 20 journalists have been arrested since 2013 and 12 media workers are currently serving prison sentences. CPJ highlighted the murder of freelance journalist Aung Kyaw Naing (also known as Par Gyi) at the hands of the Burma Army in early October, the sentencing in July of five journalists to seven-year prison terms for a report on a secret military facility, and the sentencing in October of three Be Mon Te Nay journal reporters and two publishers to two years in prison for republishing a false statement. The post Burma 9th Most Censored Country Globally: Media Freedom Index appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

A High-Flying Tale of Strings and Tails Posted: 21 Apr 2015 11:07 PM PDT Click to view slideshow. RANGOON — The 11th annual Traditional Kite Design and Dueling Competition kicked off in Rangoon on Tuesday, drawing hundreds of flight-loving participants to the city's sporting grounds. The competition, coordinated by the Myanmar Traditional Sports Federation, will take place from April 21 to 26 at the Kyaikkasan Sports Grounds in Tamwe Township. Ohmar Than, the federation's general secretary, told The Irrawaddy that 115 contestants, mostly from Burma's largest city and commercial capital of Rangoon, will compete for cash prizes for innovative hand-made design and flying tournaments. Winners are vying for prizes ranging from US$120 to $250, with $30 consolation awards. Participants in the kite design contest will each receive $50 for materials and related expenses. Observers are welcome to come and enjoy the sights and activities, Ohmar Than said, with the hope that this traditional art form will take off among future generations. "We host this every year," she said, "so that one of Myanmar's cultural traditions won't disappear." The post A High-Flying Tale of Strings and Tails appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

EU Warns Thailand on Illegal Fishing, Clears South Korea, Philippines Posted: 21 Apr 2015 10:59 PM PDT Migrant fishermen from Burma sort the catch after returning from the ocean to Ban Nam Khem in Thailand on Dec. 14, 2014. (Photo: Reuters) BRUSSELS — The European Commission on Tuesday warned Thailand, the third-largest seafood exporter in the world, for failing to crack down on illegal fishing, and threatened it with a trade ban if it did not take action. The EU executive also lifted warnings on South Korea and the Philippines following the reforms of their legal systems to be able to tackle illegal fishing. Since 2010 the EU—the world's biggest fish importer—has taken action against countries that do not follow international standards to prevent over-fishing, such as policing their waters for unlicensed fishing vessels and imposing penalties to deter illegal fishing. Thailand was given a so-called "yellow card" for failing to certify the origin and legality of its fish exports to the EU. It now has six months to implement a corrective plan to address the shortcomings in its monitoring, control and sanctioning systems, the Commission said in a statement. "By using our market weight the EU is getting important players on board," said Karmenu Vella, commissioner for environment, maritime affairs and fisheries. "Both Korea and the Philippines have taken responsible action, amended their legal systems and switched to a proactive approach against illegal fishing." The Commission will work with the Thai authorities to help them improve their legal standards. The EU imported 145,907 tons of fish products worth 642 million euros (US$689 million) from Thailand last year, according to the Commission. Campaign groups such as the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Environmental Justice Foundation, Oceana and WWF welcomed the warning against Thailand. "Thai authorities exert very little control over their fishing vessels, with many activities illegally damaging fish stocks and the marine environment," said Steve Trent, executive director of the Environmental Justice Foundation. Between 11 and 26 million tons of fishing—at least 15 percent of global catches—are caught illegally each year and are worth between 8 billion euros and 19 billion euros, the Commission said. Fish imports from Sri Lanka, Guinea and Cambodia are also currently banned pending progress from their governments. The post EU Warns Thailand on Illegal Fishing, Clears South Korea, Philippines appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Paper Says Sorry for ‘Misleading’ Picture of Suu Kyi With Muslim Leaders Posted: 21 Apr 2015 10:48 PM PDT This image, circulated widely online, was posted by The Voice Weekly on Tuesday. RANGOON — A local newspaper has apologized after posting a picture of Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi online that caused a religious furor among the country's netizens. The photo, posted on the Facebook page of The Voice Weekly on Tuesday, appeared to depict Suu Kyi paying respect to Christian and Muslim leaders in the traditional Buddhist style, causing controversy among some readers who at first questioned the propriety of the gesture. One Facebook commenter wrote: "Is it a Muslim man to whom Aunty Suu is paying respect? We see it clearly, friends!" The picture was taken at an event commemorating the one-year anniversary of Burmese democracy activist Win Tin's death. Closer scrutiny, however, revealed that in fact Suu Kyi was greeting Buddhist monks who were sitting a few feet away from the Christian and Muslim leaders in the same row. The revelation prompted other commenters to question the newspaper's intentions in publishing the picture, with one user writing: "What's the motivation behind The Voice? My hat's off to you for causing problems! I can't help wondering why the picture was taken as if Suu Kyi was paying respect to a Muslim religious leader. In fact she is paying her respects to the Buddhist monks. Check the pics!" Soon after the picture and attendant criticism went viral, the editor of the newspaper posted a message, saying: "The paper apologizes to the relevant persons for the controversial and misleading picture due to the negligence of the paper's online editorial team." The image has since been removed from The Voice's Facebook page. It is not the first time that Suu Kyi, chairwoman of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party, has been unwittingly embroiled in a religious controversy. In June 2014, a Photoshopped image of the opposition leader wearing a hijab and being crowned as "Woman of the Week" went viral, with even the wife of presidential spokesman Ye Htut sharing the post. Ye Htut later apologized on behalf of his wife. The incidents are particularly delicate in Burma, where political reforms have been accompanied by a rise in anti-Islamic sentiment and violence that has at times been fueled by social media. The post Paper Says Sorry for 'Misleading' Picture of Suu Kyi With Muslim Leaders appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Hong Kong Unveils Electoral Reform Package, Vows No Compromise Posted: 21 Apr 2015 10:32 PM PDT Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying (2nd right) looks on beside Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Raymond Tam (left), Chief Secretary Carrie Lam (2nd left) and Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen, ahead of a Hong Kong Legislative Council meeting on Wednesday. HONG KONG — The Hong Kong government gave lawmakers their first look on Wednesday at a long-awaited electoral blueprint for selecting the city’s next leader, a plan that reflects China’s desire for a tightly controlled poll despite calls for more democracy. The controversial government proposal follows huge pro-democracy protests last year in one of the greatest challenges to Beijing’s Communist Party rule since the former British colony returned to Chinese control in 1997. Analysts said the blueprint, which lawmakers will vote on early in summer, could stir political tensions again after a lull of several months. However, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying told reporters before the blueprint was officially tabled that the political climate in the city could be less accommodating in the future. "As of now, we see no room for any compromise," he said. "To initiate any political reform process is not easy. If this proposal is vetoed, it could be several years before the next opportunity," Leung said. Hundreds of flag-waving protesters gathered outside the Legislative Council. A large group waved Chinese flags in support of the proposal, saying Hong Kong must move forward. A smaller group held yellow umbrellas, which have become a symbol of the democracy movement. They demanded "true universal suffrage" and called for Leung to step down. Democratic lawmakers wearing yellow crosses on black shirts, some carrying yellow umbrellas, walked out of the chamber after the government’s presentation. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators blocked major roads in four key districts in the city last year, demanding Beijing grant a truly democratic vote and open nominations for Hong Kong’s next chief executive in 2017. Their pleas were ignored and police forcefully cleared away the last of the protest encampments in mid-December. The blueprint for the proposal that the public vote on two or three candidates pre-selected by a 1,200 member pro-Beijing nominating committee was first outlined by China’s parliament, the National People’s Congress, last August. The Hong Kong government stood by that blueprint, offering no concessions to win over democratic lawmakers who have vowed to veto it when the government seeks formal approval. The opposition camp holds a one-third veto bloc, but Beijing-backed Leung said he remained hopeful that four or five democrats could be persuaded to change their minds. Democracy activists who launched last year’s "Occupy" movement describe a vote without open nominations as "fake democracy". While Hong Kong is part of China, it is governed as a special administrative region, which means it has a different legal system and freedoms not permitted in the mainland. The post Hong Kong Unveils Electoral Reform Package, Vows No Compromise appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Honeymoon Over for Indonesian Leader as U-Turns Erode Authority Posted: 21 Apr 2015 10:05 PM PDT Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo gestures during a rally in Proklamasi Monument Park in Jakarta July 9, 2014. (Photo: Reuters) DENPASAR, Indonesia — When Indonesian President Joko Widodo wanted to push this year's budget through the opposition-dominated parliament, he left it to his advisers to hash out a deal with lawmakers. Among the sweeteners his aides offered parliament members was to roughly double their allowance for down payments on new cars to US$15,000. The plan backfired. Amid public fury over the concession in a country where graft is pervasive, the aides scrambled to reverse it, one of several policy flip-flops that have eroded support for Widodo since he took office six months ago. His meteoric rise from furniture businessman to president of the world's third-largest democracy, and the first to come from outside the political or military establishment, was widely seen as a watershed moment for Indonesia. Here was a leader, his supporters said, who would root out corruption, promote people based on merit rather than connections and create an environment where the stalling economy could reignite and investment flourish. But in interviews with Reuters, government officials and palace insiders portrayed the president as sometimes out of his depth and struggling to get around entrenched vested interests. Mis-steps like the car allowance decree have hurt Widodo's reputation and cost him time. His strained relationship with the powerful head of his political party, former president Megawati Sukarnoputri, further complicates his job. "The 'realpolitik' situation is taking energy away from the real work; the economic program, the roads and ports that need to be built," Eko Sulistyo, a member of the presidential office, told Reuters. "[His] concentration and focus can be fragmented and broken because of the politics [around him]," he added. "That affects the ministers' and government's performance." But Sulistyo, like others interviewed, believes Widodo can run the government successfully and still enjoys the support of Indonesians. 'On the Right Path' One of the president's main problems is structural. He does not have a parliamentary majority allowing him to push through all the reforms he would like to. Despite that, he has delivered on some of his promises that investors say are key to setting Indonesia on the path to sustainable economic growth, including slashing fuel subsidies and revamping the budget to boost infrastructure spending. "It's only been six months, and to significantly improve the state of the country, it will take time," said a minister and presidential adviser who asked to remain anonymous. "I believe we're on the right path. There is a lot of interference from different angles … Because of that, people don't see the good things that are happening." There have been setbacks, however. Widodo conceded that he had not read the decree on car allowances before signing it, drawing widespread scorn on social media and in newspapers, which drew up lists of other U-turns. They included reversing a visa waiver for citizens of 30 countries, dropping a ban on government bodies using hotels for meetings and backtracking on a requirement for foreigners working in the country to pass Indonesian language tests. Police Trouble Widodo has also been weakened in the eyes of his people by the domineering Megawati, leader of Widodo's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and his political patron. At a recent party congress on the island of Bali, the president sat hunched in a front-row seat while Megawati harangued members to follow party directions, saying that this included the president himself. Widodo left the three-day convention after only a few hours and without having delivered a prepared speech of his own. Relations between the two were strained earlier this year over who should be made national police chief, party insiders said. Widodo waited for weeks before bowing to pressure and ditching candidate Budi Gunawan, who is close to Megawati, after he had been implicated in a bribery scandal. Gunawan maintained his innocence, and the case against him was eventually dropped by the anti-graft agency, but not before a public outcry over Widodo's wavering. "These days they (Widodo and Megawati) talk less frequently. There is definitely a problem with communication between PDI-P and Jokowi," said PDI-P official Andreas Pareira, using Widodo's popular local nickname. Megawati declined to comment for this article. For some foreign investors, Widodo's floundering threatens to dampen sentiment at a time when the economy is growing at its slowest pace in five years and needs a kickstart from investment in infrastructure and manufacturing. "Six months in we're still facing a big question mark about whether Jokowi is really in the driver's seat," said Jakob Sorensen, head of the European Business Chamber of Commerce in Jakarta. In a rare speech in English, Widodo told a business forum this week: "Please come and invest in Indonesia. Because where we see challenges, I see opportunity. And if you have any problem, call me." The post Honeymoon Over for Indonesian Leader as U-Turns Erode Authority appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Stamina, Sea Legs a Must for Burma’s Fishermen Posted: 21 Apr 2015 05:30 PM PDT Click to view slideshow. RANGOON — Near Rangoon's downtown business hub, on the banks of the Pazundaung Creek, lies a unique and lively neighborhood. Nyaung-dan jetty, located between the Thaketa and Maha Bandoola bridges, paints a gritty tapestry of livelihoods as day laborers, fishermen and their captains, and merchants play out their everyday lives. Small wooden boats rowed by men wearing bamboo hats to shield them from the blazing tropical sun ferry passengers to and fro as groups of large fishing trawlers unload blue barrels filled with their catch, the product of what can be months at sea. Most of these fishing boats set a course for the Gulf of Martaban or the Arakan coast four times a year, with each trip lasting about three months. After spending about a dozen weeks isolated at sea, the fishermen return to Rangoon to drop off their catch, staying ashore for about 10 days. This brief window is the only time that family members of the fishermen, some of whom are not from Rangoon, get the chance to reunite with their loved ones before they pull up anchor and ready themselves for another three months on the water. The fishermen who work on these trawlers at Pazundaung creek mainly come from Lower Burma and earn a salary of around 100,000 kyats (US$100) a month for their labor. There are about 30 groups of boats with about 15 boats in each group. Each boat has about 25 people onboard. Most of the fishermen are unmarried, young men whose ages range from 20 to 35 years old. Ye Min Htun comes from Bilu Gyun, a pastoral island across the river from the city of Moulmein in Mon State, and has been working as a fisherman for eight years. The 23-year-old started when he was 15, joining his elder brothers who were already in the profession. He said he dropped out of school after sixth grade not because of poverty but because life in his village bored him. He earns a salary of 100,000 kyats and makes some extra money, typically another 100,000 kyats, by selling fish caught but not wanted by the fleet owner, which he and his fellow fishermen dry on the boat while at sea. "A lot of people go to foreign countries now. There aren't many people left in this profession," said Ye Min Htun, pointing to fishermen's meager income as reason for its dwindling appeal. Unlike most of the crews, Ye Min Htun's trawler only stays out at sea for 10-15 days at a time, after undertaking a 20-hour journey to the fishery. Their employer provides the food, water, oil and other necessary provisions. Another essential item for the crew is their government-issued "fisherman IDs." "We get into trouble if we can't show IDs to military boats. Sometimes you can even get arrested," said Ye Min Htun. Life on the boat is not easy. The fishermen rarely get enough sleep. They have to cast out a net that sinks to the ocean floor and haul it in every four-and-a-half hours. After the net has been hauled onboard, the catch must be sorted by type of fish, and then packed with ice in the large blue barrels. This process plays out day after day, regardless of weather conditions. "The work is not so tiring," Ye Min Htun said. "It's just that we don't get enough sleep." The post Stamina, Sea Legs a Must for Burma's Fishermen appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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