The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Dog Lovers Outraged by Reports of Canine Meat Sales
• Thingyan Security Toughens Up in Rangoon
• White Elephant’s Capture Was Omen for Ceasefire Agreement: State Media
• Political Prisoner Count Soars During Month of Arrests
• Election Commission to Question Mon Party Over Joint Statement With Rebels
• Win Tin, Suu Kyi and the Perils of Trust
• China Demarcating Disputed Land in Shan State, Locals Say
• Ethnic Groups Consider Holding Ceasefire Conference in Wa Rebel Area
• President Thein Sein Sends Felicitations to Opposition Leader on the Occasion of Election Boycott Statements
• Bangladesh Opposition Leader Zia Granted Bail in Graft Cases
• Indonesia to Rule on Last-Ditch Appeal by Death Row Australian Drug Convicts
• Burmese Slave Fishermen Now Safe on Indonesian Island
• ‘I Thought It Would Be Great to Mix Traditional and Dance Music’

Dog Lovers Outraged by Reports of Canine Meat Sales Posted: 06 Apr 2015 05:50 AM PDT Stray dogs at a shelter in Shwe Pyauk, near Rangoon, in 2013. (Photo: Kyaw Phyo Tha / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Local canine lovers and senior municipal officials are outraged at reports that dog meat is being surreptitiously sold out of a number of street restaurants in Yankin Township. Shop owners in the vicinity of the Kabar Aye Pagoda Road and Sethmu Road intersection say that the vendors are catering to laborers on a nearby construction project. "I dare not eat it, and I don't sell it," said Ma Zar, a shop owner in the area. "Some shops are selling them, but secretly. There are some people killing dogs for meat and others taking dog corpses left from car accidents, cooking them and selling them to customers." Pyi Hein Taw, a 17-year-old Rangoon local, told The Irrawaddy he had taken it upon himself to investigate one of the shops. "They were usually selling in the evening and at night to construction site workers," he said. "Sometimes they sell it cooked and sometimes raw." The Irrawaddy visited shop owners around the construction area and confirmed the sale of dog meat at a number of establishments. One seller, who declined to identify himself, said that he had been selling smoked dog meat due to a shortage in recent days from his restaurant's supplier. "They said some of the meat came from Mingalar Taung Nyunt, and some from Pazundaung," he said. The restaurants appear to be servicing laborers from the Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group construction near the Sedona Hotel, a US$440 million development encompassing a hotel, commercial space and luxury condominiums, slated for completion in 2016. Rangoon has a population of stray dogs running into the thousands, with locals in many streets taking collective care of local dogs. There is a general taboo against the consumption of dog meat across much of the country. News of the sale of dog meat in Rangoon this week prompted an outcry on Facebook, with users roundly condemning the practice. Myat Thet Mon, owner of a shelter for stray dogs in Thanlyin Township, said she was appalled that people in Rangoon had been eating canine meat. "It's so brutal. They shouldn't be ordering dog meat from street sellers, it is not legal and the government should do something about it," she said. "I am so angry to hear this news," she said. She expressed concern that the government will decline to take the issue seriously, given recent campaigns to poison and kill stray dogs living on the streets of Rangoon. Khin Hlaing, a western district member of the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC), said that municipal authorities has not issued and licenses for butchers to sell dog meat in Rangoon. "They absolutely should not do it," he said. "We will take serious action if it is true. I know that the YCDC has taken action against stray dogs in the past, but this is another issue. Dogs are not for eating." He added that the YCDC would consider taking criminal action against the vendors if it was possible. Pe Tike Aung, the Bahan Township YCDC chairman, which borders the location of the restaurants, confirmed that his office would investigate the street vendors on Monday evening. The post Dog Lovers Outraged by Reports of Canine Meat Sales appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Thingyan Security Toughens Up in Rangoon Posted: 06 Apr 2015 05:39 AM PDT Police provide security during the Water Festival in 2013. (Photo: JPaing/The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Rangoon police are gearing up to curb crime during Burma's wild Water Festival, local officials said, preparing four commanding offices to ensure public safety. The Rangoon Division government said the central command as well as three other stations at the International Business Center on Pyay Road, Theinbyu Sportsgrounds on Kandawgyi Road and another near Mya Kyun Tha Park will be on call to handle any disputes. Each office will be staffed with police, local administrators and relevant department personnel. Township courts will also be kept open to quickly adjudicate in the event of arrest or dispute during the New Year celebrations, which will be held from April 13 to 17. "Because of the nature of security, I'm not allowed to disclose how many security personnel we will employ during Thingyan [the Burmese New Year festival], but we've put a special focus on security," said Col. Tin Win, Rangoon's divisional security minister. Pandals, or stages set for dancing and water-throwing, will be screened for explosives twice daily, he said. A number of CCTV cameras will also be installed at each site, depending on their size. Rescue teams equipped with speed boats will be on deployed on Inya and Kandawgyi lakes, he added. Special security measures will be carried out at highway checkpoints and tollbooths, while within the city police will be especially targeting pick-pockets to avoid instances of theft. "We'll take a tough line on pick-pocketing during Thingyan," Col. Tin Win said. "We will immediately detain those who fight, and we won't release them until the end of Thingyan." Statistics from the Rangoon Division Police show that the past three years have averaged 150 reported crimes during the Water Festival each year. The post Thingyan Security Toughens Up in Rangoon appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

White Elephant’s Capture Was Omen for Ceasefire Agreement: State Media Posted: 06 Apr 2015 05:25 AM PDT State media reported in March that the Forestry Department captured "a white elephant at about seven years old [and] is about 6 feet and 3 inches in height and 8 feet and 8 inches in body structure with pearl-colored eyes and 2 feet and seven inches long tail." (Photo: The Global New Light of Myanmar) RANGOON — An opinion article published in state-run media on Sunday has claimed that last month's capture of a rare white elephant had foreshadowed the in-principle agreement on a nationwide ceasefire accord that was reached last week. An author named Win Hlaing Kyaw wrote in Burmese-language newspaper The Mirror about the supposed relation between the capture of a seven-year-old albino in Irrawaddy Division in March and the government's endeavors. "In Myanmar's history, the white elephants do not appear all the time. Only if the country is prosperous, when there is a good harvest with enough food, or when there is peace," the article said. "Precious white elephants bring the signs of peace, so now the draft NCA agreement is being signed between the government and ethnic armed groups' leaders," it said in a line that was highlighted. White elephants have historically been revered in Burma, Thailand, Laos and other Asian nations, where monarchs would often keep them as a symbol of their successful reign. Burmese social media users quickly poured scorn on the article, with some viewing the practice of mixing superstition and politics as a throwback to the former military regime's propaganda. "Long live the big elephants' peace!" wrote one Facebook user in response to The Mirror's article. Hla Maung Shwe, a government advisor at the Myanmar Peace Center, declined to comment when asked about the link between the elephant's capture and the success of the ceasefire negotiations. "I don't want to give any comment related to the white elephant, but I can say that we tried for many years [to reach an agreement] and it is very difficult, but we tried and worked very hard," he said. The Mirror's article harked back to the days of junta-era propaganda when the capture of eight albino elephants between 2000 and 2011 prompted Burma's superstitious regime on each occasion to declare that the pachyderms were a supernatural sign of the success of its policies. In November 2011, President Thein Sein's then-newly installed nominally civilian government proudly announced that two white elephants had been captured. State media soon after claimed the elephants' appearance had been followed by an "improvement in the country’s foreign relations." At the time, Burma had just been awarded the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced her first official visit. Local historian Toe Hla said white elephants are rare and tied to Buddhist myths from India that speak of its significance as an auspicious sign. He went on to cite his late mentor and well-known historian Than Tun, who in 2005 criticized the government's practice of celebrating the capture of an albino pachyderm as the animal "endures a lot of suffering because it cannot live freely. So how it can be glorious for the owner?" The post White Elephant's Capture Was Omen for Ceasefire Agreement: State Media appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Political Prisoner Count Soars During Month of Arrests Posted: 06 Apr 2015 03:32 AM PDT Prisoners come out from Insein Prison after authorities released them, while their families wait outside in Rangoon on Jan. 3, 2012. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — The number of political prisoners in Burma has increased to nearly 470, according to a rights group, in a major backslide after a series of amnesties in recent years geared toward ridding the countries jails of prisoners conscience. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), among Burma's most active advocates for prisoners of conscious since it was founded on the Thai-Burma border in 2000, said that 172 people are now serving prison terms for politically motivated charges, while 296 others are awaiting trial. Those currently in prison include political and land rights activists, farmers, journalists, members of ethnic armed organizations and students, the AAPP said in its monthly bulletin. The charges include various controversial clauses such as unlawful assembly, incitement, unlawful association and rioting. The group said that a spike in arrests over the past month indicate that there is "no sign of abating" in political imprisonments, particularly in light of the detention of more than 100 people during a crackdown on demonstrators in Letpadan, central Burma, early last month. AAPPP Secretary Bo Kyi told The Irrawaddy that the incident proved there is "no political stability in Burma yet," urging the government to hold officers accountable for violence against and wrongful arrest of the demonstrators. "If actions are not taken against those [police officers], it shows that this is the government's policy [to use violence against peaceful protesters]," said Bo Kyi. The group said that individuals on the roster are identified by using criteria established by the AAPP and the Rangoon-based Former Political Prisoners Society in August 2014. While the AAPP once participated in a government committee tasked with identifying and releasing prisoners of conscience, which made recommendations throughout a series of presidential amnesties, the committee was reconstituted early this year, controversially excluding the AAPP. Bo Kyi described the new committee as "just for show," adding that it is ultimately under the control of Home Affairs Minister Lt-Gen Ko Ko, a controversial figure who was recently fingered as a potential war criminal by a Harvard-based legal clinic. During his time on the committee, the number of political prisoners dropped to just 33 by the start of 2014. President Thein Sein, however, had promised to free all political prisoners by that time, which he failed to accomplish. The post Political Prisoner Count Soars During Month of Arrests appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Election Commission to Question Mon Party Over Joint Statement With Rebels Posted: 06 Apr 2015 03:21 AM PDT Mon National Party members welcomed student protestors marching through Moulmein in February. (Photo: Htaw Rot / Facebook) RANGOON — The Union Election Commission has called on the Mon National Party to explain why it issued a joint statement last month with the New Mon State Party (NMSP), an ethnic rebel group that has waged an armed struggle against the central government. The election commission's branch in the Mon State capital Moulmein sent a letter to the Mon National Party on Friday ordering three party leaders to its Moulmein office for discussions on the issue. "We would like to discuss the case of [Mon National Party] issuing a joint statement with the NMSP while [the latter] is having peace negotiations with the UWPC [Union Peacemaking Working Committee]," the letter said, without explaining whether the commission was considering taking measures against Mon National Party. In February, the commission issued a similar letter to the Mon National Party after it joined the NMSP in endorsing the students' call for Education Law reform. The party's joint secretary Nai Soe Myint said, "I and two other members from our party will go to talk tomorrow with the UEC. They told us in their statement that they did not like us to issue a joint statement with the NMSP." He defended his party's decision to issue a statement on March 12, together with the NMSP, to condemn the brutal police crackdown on a student protest at Letpadan, Pegu Division, which saw security forces beat and detain dozens of protestors. The organizations said they supported the students' call for education reform, which included a demand to allow primary schools to teach students in their native ethnic language. "We need to work together with the NMSP as they are also Mon. We both are working together for the Mon people. There should be no problem as the NMSP is also a Mon party," said Nai Soe Myint. Nai Kyi Win, another party leader, said he believed the election commission did not want to see the two Mon organizations unite. "There should be no problem with our two parties working together because the NMSP signed a ceasefire agreement," he added. The NMSP is the main ethnic armed group in Mon State and has fought an insurgency against the central government for decades until it signed a bilateral ceasefire with President Thein Sein's nominally civilian government in 2012. The NMSP is not a registered political party and as an armed group it participates in the nationwide ceasefire process. The Mon National Party is a long-established political party from Mon State, but was only recognized as a registered party in Burma in 2013. Most of the party's leadership spent stints in prison as prisoners of conscience in the 1990s on accusations of supporting the armed struggle of the NMSP. Under the previous military government, ethnic political parties struggled to find a balance between gaining political recognition from the government and maintaining ties with its ethnic popular base and ethnic armed groups. The colonial-era, draconian Unlawful Associations Act was often used to lock up ethnic politicians accused of liaising with rebel groups. The post Election Commission to Question Mon Party Over Joint Statement With Rebels appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Win Tin, Suu Kyi and the Perils of Trust Posted: 06 Apr 2015 03:15 AM PDT Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi walks inside the parliament building in Nyapyidaw during a break in proceedings on Apr. 3. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters) The late veteran journalist and activist Win Tin, who spent almost two decades in prison, never resiled from his distrust of the current administration. As a political strategist for the National League for Democracy (NLD), he repeatedly warned Aung San Suu Kyi not to take part in the 2012 byelections. He was concerned that the opposition would be conceding too much ground to a government that came to power through rigged elections, and he didn't want Suu Kyi to fall into the trap of granting legitimacy to a dubious status quo. If Win Tin were still alive today, he would have no doubt been bemused by Suu Kyi's comments over the weekend, during a frank and at times combative interview with Reuters in Naypyidaw. According to the opposition leader, the government is now a "hardline regime", and President Thein Sein is "insincere". Aung Zaw is the founding editor-in-chief of The Irrawaddy. "They are not interested in negotiations or in amending the constitution or taking seriously the will of the people," she said. "You could hardly say they are moderates." Her change of tone was unmistakable, with no sign of the conciliatory language of recent years. Back in 2011, Suu Kyi declared that President Thein Sein was sincere in his desire for political reform, giving Western governments the moral cover needed to reengage with the country. She endorsed him and bolstered his reputation over the objections of many others in the opposition camp. Between then and now she has met the president several times, seemingly without substantive achievement despite the wildly exuberant hopes and expectations raised by these confabs. It is now clear that the relationship between the pair has completely deteriorated. The government of Burma is no longer a pariah—sanctions have been lifted, the West has embraced a parliament stacked by former regime members, aid packages and soft loans have been pledged and debt has been written off without conditions. Notable critics of the previous regime, like the United States and Norway, are now singing the praises of reforms and the ongoing peace process in Burma. The West is no longer using leverage to press for further reform, to the degree it did before Thein Sein's presidency. In spite of serious assaults on peaceful assemblies, student protests, media freedom and land rights, along with continuing violations of the rule of law and human rights abuses in ethnic areas, the West now sees Burma as a relatively normal member of the international community. There is virtually no prospect of constitutional changes which would allow Suu Kyi to assume the presidency. While a free and fair election later this year would almost certainly see the NLD take a sweeping majority in the lower house, any future NLD-led administration would be hamstrung by the number of ministries reserved for military appointees. Though deeply unpopular in Burma, the current government is working to shore up its legacy by finalising a nationwide ceasefire agreement. Thein Sein has yet to rule out seeking a second presidential term, and it is not beyond the realm of possibility that the military will back him to retain the top job in the absence of another compromise candidate. Attending the draft ceasefire agreement signing last week, the president stole the show; Suu Kyi was nowhere to be found. To many dissidents, '88-era activists and members of her own party, she is still a prisoner, this time in the isolated and often deserted parliamentary complex in Naypyidaw. Would Suu Kyi boycott the election, as she hinted in the weekend's interview? On past form, it is hard to believe so. Instead, she has returned to the court of international public opinion to put pressure on the government, calling on Western powers to do more to push for the constitutional amendments sought by the NLD to be put to a vote before the general election. Whether these tactics will work is another question, and recent history suggests little cause for optimism. One thing is for certain: Win Tin was right to warn of the perils of trusting a government of doubtful intentions, now reaping the benefits of its international rehabilitation and in no mind to give ground to its foes. Once again, Suu Kyi has been outmaneuvred. The post Win Tin, Suu Kyi and the Perils of Trust appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China Demarcating Disputed Land in Shan State, Locals Say Posted: 06 Apr 2015 02:11 AM PDT Chinese authorities erect flags marking the site of a planned bridge along the Sino-Burmese border. (Photo: Sai Bong Kham / Facebook) RANGOON — Long-standing land disputes along Burma's border with China were reignited on Friday as Chinese officials demarcated territories within Burma for a planned bridge linking the two countries, according to locals. Farmers who live and work in Namhkam, northern Shan State, told The Irrawaddy they are concerned that they will lose about 150 acres of ancestral lands that have now been cordoned off with flags. "It is unacceptable that China posted their flags in Burma's territory," one local, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Irrawaddy, urging the government to "seriously address the alleged encroachment. Sai Tin Oo, a state lawmaker from Namhkam, said the area is no stranger to land disputes between local farmers and Chinese authorities. In 2014, he said, a similar case was brought to the attention of the State and Union parliaments. "This problem has existed for a long time. This time, some authorities and armed personnel from China came and erected flags, saying it was for the construction of a bridge. This is an area place where Namhkam villagers farm," said Sai Tin Oo. The proposed bridge would cross the Ruili River, which runs along the border of the conflict-stricken state from Muse to Namhkam. In May of last year, government officials of the two countries erected new border posts in a number of villages in Namhkam Township, including Kongsa, Bannaung, Saekhun and Hatkin. Shortly after the demarcation, locals staged a protest and destroyed the border posts, claiming that around 150 acres of land owned by locals had been absorbed into Chinese territory. Shan State Chief Minister Sao Aung Myat made field visits to the area in June to assess the dispute, and locals wrote to President Thein Sein to call for intervention. Burma's Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin vowed in August that the two governments were working toward a resolution. Border demarcation in the area was based on a 1995 agreement between Burma and China, lawmakers said. The post China Demarcating Disputed Land in Shan State, Locals Say appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ethnic Groups Consider Holding Ceasefire Conference in Wa Rebel Area Posted: 05 Apr 2015 11:56 PM PDT Panghsang is Shan State is the headquarters of the United Wa State Army (UWSA). (Photo: Sai Zom Hseng / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Burma's ethnic armed groups are considering convening at the headquarters of the powerful United Wa State Army (UWSA) in northern Shan State to discuss the potential signing of a nationwide ceasefire accord, a UWSA representative said on Monday. "Some [ethnic] leaders told us that they will come if the meeting is held in our area, but for some leaders we are not sure yet as we do not have a chance to talk to them," said Aung Myint, a UWSA spokesperson. "We have not sent an invitation yet to all ethnic armed groups. [But] we told them that we would welcome holding a meeting in our area of control," he told The Irrawaddy. Aung Myint said some leaders of Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT), which represent 16 ethnic groups engaged in nationwide ceasefire talks with the government, had contacted the UWSA to ask whether they could hold the conference at Wa headquarters in Panghsang, a town located on the Burma-China border. NCCT representative Lian H. Sakhong told BBC Burmese language that the ethnic groups are considering convening in either the UWSA area, the Kachin Independence Army's Laiza headquarters, or at the Karen National Union (KNU) area of control. Last week, the NCCT and the government's Union Peacemaking Working Committee (UWPC) succeeded in negotiating an in-principle agreement on the content of a ceasefire accord text. The understanding between the sides represents a potential breakthrough if the government, the Burma Army and a significant number of ethnic armies can sign the ceasefire in coming weeks. NCCT representatives have said they need to hold a conference with the leaders of their ethnic groups to discuss if each group can accept the content of the more than 100-point text, which has been kept under wraps. State media have celebrated the in-principle agreement as a historic breakthrough and government negotiators have said Naypyidaw is ready sign an accord that could help end Burma's decades-old ethnic conflict. It is understood, however, that a number of key political differences—such as disarmament of ethnic armies, federal autonomy for ethnic regions and the army's demand that the groups come under the 2008 Constitution—have been left out of the text. These issues will have to be discussed in the extended political dialogue phase that is supposed start soon after the accord's signing. The UWSA are Burma's most powerful rebel army, with an estimated 20,000 soldiers under arms and sophisticated Chinese-supplied weapons. The Wa have had a fairly stable ceasefire with the government for more than two decades. The group controls are large swathe of territory between the Salween River and the Burma-China border called the Wa Special Region. The UWSA have observed the ceasefire talks but are not a NCCT member. Aung Myint said the UWSA would consider joining the nationwide ceasefire accord after it was signed, adding, "We would need to talk about it more, before we could sign." Naypyidaw is likely to accept the Wa as a signatory to an accord, but has objected to several other groups that are considered NCCT members. It declines to recognize the Kokang rebels of the Myanmar Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), the Arakan Army and several other small ethnic armed groups. Since February, the Burma Army has been engaged in fierce fighting with the MNDAA is northern Shan State, where tens of thousands of civilians have been displaced and dozens of soldiers and rebels have been killed. The post Ethnic Groups Consider Holding Ceasefire Conference in Wa Rebel Area appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

President Thein Sein Sends Felicitations to Opposition Leader on the Occasion of Election Boycott Statements Posted: 05 Apr 2015 11:00 PM PDT President Thein Sein Sends Felicitations to Opposition Leader on the Occasion of Election Boycott Statements The post President Thein Sein Sends Felicitations to Opposition Leader on the Occasion of Election Boycott Statements appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Bangladesh Opposition Leader Zia Granted Bail in Graft Cases Posted: 05 Apr 2015 10:03 PM PDT Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia waves to activists as she arrives for a rally in Dhaka last year. (Photo: Andrew Biraj / Reuters) DHAKA — Bangladesh’s former premier and main opposition leader Khaleda Zia was granted bail in two graft cases on Sunday after she appeared before a special court, a potential sign of easing tension in the politically unstable South Asian country. Zia appeared amid tight security before a special anti-graft court in the capital, Dhaka, to request bail more than a month after warrants for her arrest were issued, her lawyers said. Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has intensified protests this year in a bid to force Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to step down and hold a new vote under a neutral caretaker administration after a disputed 2014 poll. The BNP refused to take part in the 2014 general election, saying it was rigged. Zia’s lawyer, Sanaullah Miah, told reporters she had been unable to appear for previous court hearings "for health and security reasons". Her next court appearance was set for May 5. The 69-year-old former leader has been staying in her office in Dhaka’s diplomatic enclave since she was prevented from holding a mass rally on Jan. 5, the first anniversary of the disputed election. Zia waved to dozens of chanting supporters as she left the court to return to her home. The court’s decision to grant her bail could be a sign of easing tension. More than 120 people have been killed and hundreds injured in political violence, most in petrol bomb attacks on vehicles, amid transport blockades and strikes by the opposition aimed at toppling the government. Political unrest over the past three months cost at least 49 billion taka ($630 million) or 0.55 percent of the country’s gross domestic products, Centre for Policy Dialogue, a leading private think-tank, said on Sunday. It said it had analysed 11 major sectors of the economy, including agriculture, transport, education and garments, which accounted for 80 percent of the country’s exports. Zia is accused of embezzling $650,000 in two corruption cases involving charitable funds during her last term as prime minister, from 2001 to 2006. She and leaders of her party have denied the charges, saying they are politically motivated. She is also facing charges of instigating the latest violence. Bangladeshi politics have been mired for years in rivalry between Hasina and Zia. Both women are related to former national leaders, and they have alternated as prime minister for most of the past two decades. The post Bangladesh Opposition Leader Zia Granted Bail in Graft Cases appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Indonesia to Rule on Last-Ditch Appeal by Death Row Australian Drug Convicts Posted: 05 Apr 2015 10:00 PM PDT Indonesian President Joko Widodo, right, speaks to journalists as Indonesia's Ambassador to Brazil Toto Riyanto looks on in Jakarta on Feb. 24, 2015. (Photo: Reuters / Antara) JAKARTA — An Indonesian court will rule on Monday on an appeal against President Joko Widodo's refusal of clemency for two Australian drug convicts who are facing execution by firing squad. Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan were convicted in 2006 as the ringleaders of a plot to smuggle heroin out of Indonesia. The pair are among a group of 10 drug convicts due to be executed by firing squad at the prison island of Nusakambangan. Others in the group include citizens of France, Brazil, the Philippines, Ghana, Nigeria and Indonesia. Widodo has denied clemency to the convicts despite repeated pleas from Australia, Brazil and France. Sukumaran and Chan are challenging in an administrative court the president's blanket rejection, with their lawyers arguing that he did not give due consideration of each case. If the court rules in their favor, Jokowi may have to reconsider their pleas for clemency. Lawyers said that if their appeal is rejected they will have exhausted all avenues of legal recourse. The attorney general is awaiting the outcome of legal appeals by three remaining death row inmates before setting a date for executions. A spokesman in his office previously said the intention was for all executions to be carried out together but they could be conducted in batches. Indonesia has harsh penalties for drug trafficking and resumed executions in 2013 after a five-year gap. The post Indonesia to Rule on Last-Ditch Appeal by Death Row Australian Drug Convicts appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Burmese Slave Fishermen Now Safe on Indonesian Island Posted: 05 Apr 2015 09:33 PM PDT Fishermen working at Muara Baru port in Jakarta. (Photo: Beawiharta / Reuters) TUAL, Indonesia — The same trawlers that had enslaved countless migrant fishermen for years carried more than 300 of them to freedom Saturday, following a dramatic rescue from a remote Indonesian island that many men believed would likely be their final resting place. After 17 hours overnight at sea, the men, mostly from Burma, took their first steps of freedom. They filed off the boats and walked to the site of their new temporary home where they were finally safe. They moved in an orderly, single-file line with colored ribbons tied around their wrists to identify which of the six vessels had brought them. They were tired from the long, cramped journey, but smiled and laughed while talking about the new lives they were about to start. At one point, a group sang and clapped their hands. But mostly, the fear of being beaten or killed by their captors had finally lifted. "I’m so happy, I wanted to go home for so long," said Aung Aung, 26, who lifted his hair on the left side of his head to show a fat, jagged scar stretching from his lip to the back of his neck—the result of a machete attack by his captain’s son. "I missed home and especially after I was cut…I was afraid I would die there." The Burmese men were among hundreds of migrant workers revealed in an Associated Press investigation to have been lured or tricked into leaving their countries to go to Thailand, where they were put on boats and brought to Indonesia. From there, they were forced to catch seafood that was shipped back to Thailand and exported to consumers around the world, including the United States. In response to the AP’s findings, an Indonesian delegation visited the island village of Benjina on Friday and offered immediate evacuation after finding brutal conditions, down to an "enforcer" paid to beat men up. The officials from the Fisheries Ministry offered the men a chance to leave, fearing they would not be safe if they stayed on the island after speaking out about the horrendous labor abuses they endured. About 320 men took up the offer. Even as a downpour started, some dashed through the rain. They sprinted back to their boats, jumped over the rails and threw themselves through windows. They stuffed their meager belongings into plastic bags, small suitcases and day packs, and rushed back to the dock, not wanting to be left behind. After arriving on the island of Tual on Saturday afternoon, the men were given traditional packets of Indonesian rice wrapped in paper. Those who were sick or injured were offered medical care by paramedics inside ambulances. The ministry has expressed some concern over how to feed so many people for an extended period of time, but a large open-air pavilion is being provided for the men to sleep under. The accommodation is crude with a concrete floor, but it has a roof to keep them dry and, most importantly, they are safe. Officials from Burma are set to visit the islands next week and will assist with bringing the men home and locating others who are still trapped. Friday’s unexpected rescue came after a round of interviews Indonesian officials held with the fishermen, where they confirmed the abuse reported in the AP story, which included video of eight migrants locked in a cage and a slave graveyard. The men talked of how they were beaten and shocked with Taser-like devices at sea, forced to work almost nonstop without clean water or proper food, paid little or nothing and prevented from going home. There was essentially no way out. Benjina is in the far reaches of Indonesia and so remote, there was no phone service until a cell tower was installed last month, and it is a difficult place to reach in the best of circumstances. Some of the men said the abuse went even further at the hands of an Indonesian man known as "the enforcer." He was deeply feared and hated by the workers, who said he was hired by their boat captains to punish them for misbehavior. The findings documented by Indonesian officials and the AP came in stark contrast to what a Thai delegation reported from a visit to Benjina earlier this week when they searched for trafficked Thai nationals. They denied mistreatment on the boats and said the crews were all Thai, even though the AP found many migrant workers from other countries were issued fake documents with Thai names and addresses. Thailand, the world’s third-largest seafood exporter, has been under further pressure to clean up its industry since the AP tracked a boat of slave-caught seafood by satellite from Benjina to a port outside of Bangkok. Records then linked it to the supply chains of some of America’s largest supermarkets and retailers and among the most popular brands of pet foods. The US State Department said Friday that it is pressing Burma to quickly repatriate the men. US companies also called for action and commended Indonesian officials. "We don’t condone human trafficking in the supply chain, and we applaud the government’s work to end this abuse. Our hearts go out to these men, and we wish them well on their journeys home," said Marilee McInnis, spokeswoman for Wal-Mart, the largest retailer in the US, which was among those the AP found with supply chains linked to tainted seafood. The International Organization for Migration has said there could be as many as 4,000 foreign men, many trafficked or enslaved, who are stranded on islands surrounding Benjina following a fishing moratorium called by the Indonesian Fisheries Ministry to crack down on poaching. The country has some of the world’s richest fishing grounds, and the government estimates billions of dollars in seafood are stolen from its waters by foreign crews every year. Three-quarters of the more than 320 migrant workers who left the island on Friday were Burmese. Others were also from Cambodia and Laos, and a few Thais were allowed to board the boats. However, the Indonesians said most Thai nationals could stay on Benjina more safely, since Thai captains were less likely to abuse them. Many of the men hugged and jumped in the air when they learned they were finally leaving the island, but others worry it will be difficult to readjust to the countries they left behind. Phong Myant Aung, 37, worked on trawler for six years and said he was constantly physically and verbally abused and not given medicine when he got sick. His face lit up when asked how he felt as a free man. But when the question turned to what he would do when he returned to Burma, his eyes slowly filled with tears and he struggled to find words. "I really don’t know. I have no education," he said, pausing to wipe his cheek. "My parents are old, I want to be with them." The post Burmese Slave Fishermen Now Safe on Indonesian Island appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

‘I Thought It Would Be Great to Mix Traditional and Dance Music’ Posted: 05 Apr 2015 05:00 PM PDT Burmese musician Thxa Soe is known for fusing his native country’s traditional music and electro. (Photo: Ko Sein Lin / Aroma) When Thxa Soe made a debut with his album "Yaw Thama Hmwe" in 2006, Burmese listeners were awed by his music. For many of them it was a revelation that traditional folk songs they had heard onstage performed by Burmese traditional troupes could be blended with Western electro music. Due to the lively rhythms of both music forms, his songs are heartily embraced both in cities and the Burmese countryside, where local Top 10 songs are rarely popular. The 35-year-old musician spoke with The Irrawaddy's Kyaw Phyo Tha about his music, his views on piracy in the music industry in Burma and local artists' obsession with doing cover songs. How did you get the inspiration to blend Burmese traditional folk songs and electro music? Basically, it is all started with my indomitable spirit. I went to London to study music in 2001 and during classes I hardly found any popular original Burmese music to play as all songs I had were covers. I felt quite ashamed [for the lack of originality]. Through reading, I learned about the fact that local music had long flourished, even in the Bagan-era. I was very curious to know what kind of music they were listening or playing at the time. Luckily, I had access to the British Library in London, I found some Nat Doe, a lively Burmese traditional music with strong beats performed at Nat Pwe (traditional spiritual musical performances), there. At the time, I was studying dance music and surprisingly found that they share, in some range, the same tempo. Then, the idea popped up in my mind that it would be great to mix them. I went back to Burma in 2003, 2004 to travel upcountry, doing some more research on Nat Doe. As a result, I could release 'Yaw Thama Hmwe' (which means 'Mixed') in 2006. In the Burmese music scene at the time, the genre you chose was quite revolutionary. What was the audience's response? Some people liked it. But I was hugely criticized, too. I was labeled as "someone who ruined Burmese traditional music." I have never been condemned like that before. But for me, what I did was something like dressing up a Burmese girl in Western clothes. So I have kept doing that kind of music and now I have six albums under my name. What do you think of the music you have produced so far? I have not changed, but people's points of view have. I have earned applause from senior people from the traditional Burmese music circle. They even advised me on what song I should choose as I'm the only young musician who is interested in traditional music. Now, I have been asked to write music for a state-level event. For example, the Minster of Immigration and Population requested me last year to write a theme song for the nationwide census gathering and for the SEA Games in 2013. Before that I was banned [from performing] and accused of 'destroying traditional music.' Haha. You have complained a lot about pirated music albums here as you are also one of the victims. What is the current situation? Piracy has been a cancer for the music industry here since around 2003. Even though we tried to fight against it, we still can't overcome. We reformed the Myanmar Music Association in 2011 and organized an anti-piracy team of which I'm the secretary. So far we have seen some light at the end of the tunnel. Due to the team's effort, we saw a double increase in [local] album sales in the market. Despite the government's cooperation in anti-piracy, it would be much better if they are more helpful. If you compare with other art forms, most music here still can't gain international recognition. Why not? Because most of the musicians here have no shame—they have been singing cover songs as if they were their own. I have been an anti-cover song artist so many people in the industry here hate me. The more Burma is exposed to the internationally community these days, they should be more careful in what they are doing. Basically, as an artist you must have your own creation. What mostly happens here is that people either do cover songs or take some parts of music from international hits to blend them into their own. They know very well it is unethical, but they just keep doing it as it doesn't require much effort. Plus, it is easy money. What about your international performances. How did the audiences out there respond to your music? Last year, I performed in Vietnam where I was invited by BBC world. In 2013, I toured in Europe. I found they liked my music. For them, that kind of mixed songs between traditional and electro is not very strange as they have already experienced something like that from mixing African and electro music. But they heartily responded to my music as it is very lively and good to dance to. Do you think the Burmese music industry could potentially one day leave cover songs behind? I see a growing number of young artists trying to make their way with their own creation. But they still can't overcome those who make cover songs using international hits. It's very sad. But if they keep what they are doing, they could make it. The situation will be better, I think, probably in next five decades. The post 'I Thought It Would Be Great to Mix Traditional and Dance Music' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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