The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Kachin MP Calls for Urgent Govt Intervention on Hpakant Jade Mines
• Burma May Boycott Trafficking Summit over Use of Name ‘Rohingya’
• China Lodges Protest With Burma After Artillery Shells Injure Five
• Fighting on Burma’s Peripheries to Be at Center of Ethnic Summit
• US: Burma’s Legislation on Birth Control ‘Dangerous’
• Rights Group Warns of ‘Mass Killing’ as Rohingya Crisis Continues
• The Collector
• Thai Junta Delays Polls, Raising Questions About Return to Democracy
• Malaysia, Indonesia Say Will Take in Migrants at Sea, Temporarily
• Australia Maintains Cattle Sales to Vietnam Despite Slaughter Scandal
• Over 430 Migrants Taken to Indonesia After Months at Sea
• Tale of Two Indias: City Auto Buyers go Upscale, No-Frills Minis Rule

Kachin MP Calls for Urgent Govt Intervention on Hpakant Jade Mines Posted: 20 May 2015 05:59 AM PDT Small-scale miners at work in Hpakant. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — A Union Parliament lawmaker from Kachin State has called for an urgent overhaul of mining in Hpakant, home to the world's most lucrative sources of jade, over local concerns about the environmental impact of the industry. Hkyet Hting Nan, an Upper House MP and member of the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party, said that mining companies had continued to behave irresponsibly since jade production resumed in March, and suggested that a government takeover of the mines might be necessary to stop environmental damage. "I submitted a proposal for government control of Hpakant jade mines in 2012," he told The Irrawaddy. "Hpakant is suffering at the moment. There are soil heaps everywhere, and residents are falling victim to landslides and flooding." Bauk Ja, the Hpakant Township chairman of Kachin State National Democratic Force, backed Hkyet Hting Nan's claims, saying that slipshod practices by various mine operators had posed various hazards to locals. "These companies left soil waste around Hpakant where residents were living," she said. "Jade mines opened up big holes in the ground and the roads were worn down from the number of trucks coming to and from the mines. Residents are facing constant accidents and transport problems." Kachin State is among the world's last remaining sources of jade. About 90 percent of the world's jadeite is now mined around the Hpakant area and predominantly sold to clients from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Jade mining was suspended in 2012 after the breakdown of a 17-year ceasefire between the government and the Kachin Independence Army the previous year. After the government approved the resumption of mining operations in late 2014, mining companies renewed their licenses and restarted the mines, halting temporarily earlier this year when renewed fighting broke out before a full resumption in March. The industry has returned with a vengeance, according to locals, who said that more powerful equipment and machinery is being used in the mines compared to 2012. Companies have reportedly scheduling round-the-clock shifts to make up for the two-year production halt. Accidents related to the mining industry remain commonplace. In early January, at least eight people illegally fossicking in one of Hpakant's disused mining areas were killed by a rockslide, according to locals. At least 100 people are estimated to have died in similar occurrences over the past five years. Hkyet Hting Nan said he believed the government was holding off from a discussion on regulating the industry to allow miners to get back on their feet. "We know that it's still a short time since the companies resumed their work," he said. "If we restricted them before, they might have had financial problems as they invested a lot in their operations. I think that's why parliament is waiting for a good time to discuss." Bauk Ja said she supported Hkyet Hting Nan's calls for urgent intervention in the local mining industry. "The Hpakant area is getting worse year by year due to these extreme jade mines," she said. "Companies are saying they will focus on environmental concerns, but it's not happening. I want the government to take action as soon as possible." Min Thu, assistant director of the Myanmar Gems Enterprise, a branch of the Ministry of Mines, said that issues concerning environmental protection had already been written into production contracts negotiated between miners and the government. "Now we're encouraging to companies to emphasize environmental concerns, and requesting them to do so in a fast manner," he said. The post Kachin MP Calls for Urgent Govt Intervention on Hpakant Jade Mines appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Burma May Boycott Trafficking Summit over Use of Name ‘Rohingya’ Posted: 20 May 2015 05:29 AM PDT President's Office Director Zaw Htay. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The Burmese government is likely to attend a regional summit to address human trafficking, according to a report by the Associated Press, though a presidential spokesperson warned that Burma could still decide to boycott the meeting if it references Rohingya. Thailand invited representatives of Burma, Malaysia and Indonesia to the May 29 summit to discuss resolving an ongoing migrant and refugee crisis in the Andaman Sea and the Malacca Strait, where thousands of people from Burma and Bangladesh are believed to be stranded on rickety boats. Many of the so-called "boat people" are Rohingya, a stateless Muslim minority, who fled persecution and poverty in western Burma's Arakan State. The Burmese government does not recognize Rohingya as a distinct ethnic group, instead referring to them as Bengali, implying that they are illegal immigrants. President's Office Director Zaw Htay, also known as Hmuu Zaw, told The Irrawaddy during a phone interview on Wednesday that accepting use of the term would falsely represent the Burmese government's position. "If they are using the word Rohingya in the official title of the meeting, we cannot join," Zaw Htay said. "If we joined, it would seem like we accept the term Rohingya." It is unclear whether the official name of the summit contains the contentious term at present. The country's estimated 1.2 million self-described Rohingya do not enjoy citizenship and remain subject to severe discrimination. Tens of thousands are believed to have left Burma by boat to seek work or asylum in neighboring countries such as Malaysia. The exodus escalated in recent years, exploding this month into a regional refugee crisis as thousands of people were found to have been abandoned at sea by human traffickers. Thailand, which has long been a transit spot on the trafficking route, invited representatives of Burma, Malaysia and Indonesia to a May 29 summit in Bangkok to discuss the issue. On Wednesday, foreign ministers of Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia convened in Kuala Lumpur for an emergency meeting attended by the UN's refugee agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The meeting concluded with an agreement to provide "temporary" assistance for the thousands of people currently stranded on trawlers, softening a highly criticized "push back" policy whereby boats were turned away from territorial waters. Burma's foreign ministry, which did not attend the meeting in Kuala Lumpur, announced in state media on Wednesday that it "shares concerns expressed by the international community." "[Burma] stands ready to provide humanitarian assistance to anyone who suffered in the sea," the statement said, adding that preventive measures were being taken to prevent human smuggling and illegal migration. Zaw Htay told The Irrawaddy that the government is restricting movement along the coast of Arakan State in efforts to prevent more departures. "We let our navy forces watch the area closely and rescue the migrants if they are found crossing the sea," Zaw Htay said. "We are restricting migrants from traveling by boats in the meantime." On Monday, a government spokesperson described the crisis as "just a problem of human trafficking," distancing the crisis from a rash of violence in 2012 that cast about 140,000 thousand people, mostly Rohingya, into isolated and underserved displacement camps. The post Burma May Boycott Trafficking Summit over Use of Name 'Rohingya' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China Lodges Protest With Burma After Artillery Shells Injure Five Posted: 20 May 2015 03:49 AM PDT A shell explodes on a hilltop in what Burma's government says was the Kokang Special Region. (Photo: Ministry of Information) BEIJING — China on Wednesday said it had lodged a protest with Burma after shelling injured five people in the southwestern province of Yunnan last week, the latest incident of cross-border fire that has strained ties between the neighbors. Burma's Parliament has extended martial law for three months in a region along its border with China that is rife with clashes between Burma government troops and a rebel group. About 60,000 people had crossed the border into China due to the clashes, the United Nations has estimated, although some started returning last month. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Burma had told China it was investigating last week's incident, and Beijing awaits the outcome. "China has lodged solemn representations on the injuries caused to Chinese people on the border from the recent shelling by Myanmar," Hong said. China had asked Burma for a "responsible explanation" for the incident and urged it to "take effective measures" to prevent such incidents, Hong said. China was infuriated in March when five people were killed by stray bombs falling into Yunnan during the fighting in northeast Burma, which has intensified in the past few months. Last Thursday, shells landed in an area near the small city of Lincang. Four houses and three vehicles were also damaged. China has repeatedly demanded effective action from Burma to contain the fighting. Burma Army soldiers have been battling rebels who were dug in as close as 500 metres (1,640 ft) from the border area, Burma's Information Ministry said in April. The post China Lodges Protest With Burma After Artillery Shells Injure Five appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Fighting on Burma’s Peripheries to Be at Center of Ethnic Summit Posted: 20 May 2015 03:38 AM PDT Ethnic leaders attend a conference in Law Khee Lar, Karen State, in January 2014. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Fighting between the Burma Army and three ethnic armed groups will be at the top of the agenda when a conference of ethnic leaders convenes in rebel-controlled territory of Karen State early next month. The conference, to be held from June 2-6 in the Karen State town of Law Khee Lar, will focus on the role in Burma's peace process played by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Arakan Army, all of which are engaged in ongoing hostilities with the government. "[At the conference we] will discuss how to settle the issue of those three groups there. But the government's position has become more important. We can work it out if the government accepts inclusion of all," Khun Okkar, a leader of the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT), told The Irrawaddy. The government has signed a draft nationwide ceasefire accord with the 16 ethnic armed groups that comprise the NCCT. The TNLA is an NCCT member, but the MNDAA and Arakan Army are not, with the government indicating reluctance to afford them a seat at the table in ongoing peace negotiations. Ethnic leaders have expressed their commitment to the inclusion of all ethnic armed groups in signing a nationwide ceasefire with the government, however, and the forthcoming conference is aimed at establishing a timeframe for warring parties to join an accord in the event that they cannot participate in its initial signing. "Even if [all ethnic armed groups] can't join [the nationwide ceasefire] at the same time, a guarantee is needed for [armed groups to join later]. If there is a guarantee, we can find ways to work on that guarantee. We won't leave behind [any armed group], but [they] may not be able to [sign the agreement] at the same time," said Khun Okkar. NCCT vice chairman Kwe Htoo Win said the NCCT would present the outcomes of the Law Khee Lar conference to the government's Union Peacemaking Working Committee (UPWC) and focus on the points crucial for finally inking the long-sought ceasefire. "Mainly, there are two things. One is we will re-present the NCA [nationwide ceasefire agreement] final draft and seek [UPWC] approval and the second is to present the framework for political dialogue and seek their approval," Kwe Htoo Win told The Irrawaddy. Although the MNDAA has said security concerns would make it difficult for the group to send representatives to the conference in Law Khee Lar, Kwe Htoo Win said the Karen National Union (KNU), which will host the conference and controls the Law Khee Lar area, has invited all ethnic armed groups including the MNDAA. He added that the KNU also planned to invite local and foreign news agencies to ensure comprehensive coverage of the conference. The forthcoming ethnic conference will be the second in Law Khee Lar, with ethnic leaders last convening there in January 2014. An alliance of MNDAA, TLNA and Arakan Army forces has since February been battling government troops in northeastern Burma's Kokang Special Region, where some of the deadliest fighting in years has killed scores of soldiers on both sides of the conflict. In late March, fighting also flared on a smaller scale in Arakan State between the government and Arakan Army troops. All three groups sent representatives to a conference early this month held in the Wa Special Region, where Burma's largest ethnic armed group, the United Wa State Army (UWSA) declared its support for the warring rebels. The post Fighting on Burma's Peripheries to Be at Center of Ethnic Summit appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

US: Burma’s Legislation on Birth Control ‘Dangerous’ Posted: 19 May 2015 10:52 PM PDT Buddhist nuns at a rally in Mandalay supporting four "protection of race and religion" bills on Oct. 30, 2014. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) WASHINGTON — The United States says legislation on population control approved by Burma's Parliament is dangerous and could undermine the democratic hopes of minority groups. State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke voiced deep concern Tuesday over the bill. He said it could provide a legal basis for discrimination through coercive and uneven application of birth control policies. Human Rights Watch says the bill directs authorities to impose "birth spacing" restrictions. It would require a 36-month interval between each child and could allow forced contraception, the group said. The bill is the first of four government-backed bills to "protect race and religion." Human Rights Watch says the legislation has been championed by activists with a racist and anti-Muslim agenda. Rathke said women who have spoken out against the bills faced sexual harassment and death threats, demonstrating the "dangerous impact." Myanmar is facing international criticism over its treatment of minority Rohingya Muslims who have fled the predominantly Buddhist country, causing a refugee crisis in Southeast Asia. The post US: Burma's Legislation on Birth Control 'Dangerous' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rights Group Warns of ‘Mass Killing’ as Rohingya Crisis Continues Posted: 19 May 2015 10:44 PM PDT   Migrants and asylum seekers who arrived in Indonesia by boat rest inside a shelter in Kuala Langsa in Indonesia’s Aceh Province May 16, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON —Minorities in Burma are among the world's most vulnerable to mass killing, a leading rights group warned on Wednesday, as the country struggles to appease the international community amid a refugee crisis at its western shore. The Peoples Under Threat index, produced by London-based Minority Rights Group International (MRG), ranked Burma as the eighth most dangerous country in the world for some ethnic and religious minorities, citing armed conflict in the country's northeast and violence against Rohingya and other Muslims as urgent indicators of future peril. "Renewed conflict in northern Burma's Kokang region has cast doubt on the government's commitment to democratic reform, while Muslim Rohingyas face persistent threats of communal riots," MRG said in a statement, while the full report alludes to risks posed to seven other ethnic minorities including Arakanese, Chin, Kachin and Karen. The annual assessment is intended as an "early warning tool," which identifies people and groups most at risk of genocide, mass killing or violent repression. While the purpose of the index is to assess and prevent future threats, "mass killing is already underway" in states that top the list, the report said. Burma shared the distinction of top 10 with Syria, Somalia and Afghanistan—the top three—settling at No.8 between Pakistan and South Sudan. In light of a refugee crisis unfolding in the Andaman Sea, MRG's morbid prediction could already be coming true. Thousands of people from Burma and Bangladesh are believed to be floating on rickety boats, abandoned by human traffickers and pushed away by authorities of three other Asean nations, in what Human Rights Watch has referred to as a "game of human ping pong." The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimated that as many as 8,000 people are at risk of dying on the boats, while about 1,000 are believed to have already died since 2014. The so-called "boat people" have been fleeing en masse from Burma's Arakan State and the coast of Bangladesh for years to escape violence, persecution and poverty. In Burma, deadly riots between Buddhists and Muslims in 2012 left about 140,000 people in isolated displacement camps without mobility and basic services. The conflict overwhelmingly affected Rohingya Muslims, who are denied citizenship and are viewed as illegal immigrants by the government and much of the general population, who refer to them as Bengalis. Dire conditions in displacement camps, as well as the fear of further violent outbreaks, led many to seek refuge in countries like Muslim-majority Malaysia. A pattern of human smuggling soon emerged, later found to be linked to an elaborate multi-national human trafficking circuit. Some knowingly paid smugglers to transport them to another country, later to be intercepted by traffickers and detained for ransoms of up to US$2,000. Many were found to have died in remote jungle camps in southern Thailand, succumbing to sickness or starvation. Others are believed to have died or been killed while at sea. More troubling still is recent evidence that, once established, the profitable trafficking scheme may have prompted some brokers to deceive or trick people into boarding the boats. Some reports claim that Rohingya and Bangladeshi youths had even been kidnapped and delivered to traffickers, as brokers could earn about $100 for each person they recruited for the perilous journey. The discovery in early May of dozens of shallow graves in a trafficking camp near Thailand's border with Malaysia led to an aggressive crackdown on the trade, which at least one rights group warned could backfire. As Thai authorities rushed to wipe out the camps, the Arakan Project, an NGO that has monitored the conditions of Rohingya for more than a decade, predicted that traffickers would simply avoid land altogether, leaving the victims afloat, abject and difficult to locate. That appears to be what happened, as decrepit boats were found drifting near Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, each of which said that they would nudge the ships beyond their territorial waters. The Burmese government on Monday denied that the crisis was related to unrest in Arakan State, claiming that the exodus—which has evolved into a heart-wrenching regional dilemma and a diplomatic nightmare—was caused by criminal traffickers, not the other way around. Burma's Minister of Information, Ye Htut, said the government would scrutinize the "boat people" and repatriate those who could prove that they were Burmese citizens, while the rest could fend for themselves. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Wednesday that Burma was "ready to provide humanitarian assistance to anyone who suffered in the sea," but the government has yet to address allegations that institutionalized discrimination continues to fuel departures. "The ongoing crisis in the Andaman Sea and the Burmese government's disgraceful refusal to take responsibility for the mass exodus of Rohingya send a terrifying message to Muslims in Rakhine: either accept persecution at home or face death at sea," said Hanna Hindstrom, the Asia Information Officer for MRG, in a timely defense of the group's assessment. Hindstrom said that until Burma grants basic rights to the Rohingya, such as citizenship and self-identification, "the government will have blood on its hands." Burma's Ministry of Information did not respond to The Irrawaddy's multiple requests for comment, though rights advocates were quick to interject. David Mathieson, senior Burma researcher for Human Rights Watch, agreed that the negligence of the Burmese government and all other relevant authorities would be tantamount to murder. "In regards to Rohingya and Bangladeshi boat people, any government that orders pushbacks that result in large scale death is the perpetrator of a mass killing, knowing that a failure to give sanctuary will likely result in death," Mathieson said. The post Rights Group Warns of 'Mass Killing' as Rohingya Crisis Continues appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

The Collector Posted: 19 May 2015 10:40 PM PDT Ko Sid at his home in Rangoon, surrounded by paintings. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy) YANGON — Stoutly built and covered with tattoos across his arms and torso, Ko Sid, at first glance, has the imposing look of a gangster. His haunts are not dodgy bars, however, but Yangon's art galleries where the affable art lover is a familiar face talking to artists young and old. Ko Sid is one of a handful of young art collectors-cum-dealers in Myanmar endeavoring to introduce the works of the country's emerging contemporary painters to a wider local and international audience. "After being a tattooist for three years, I made friends with lots of painters here, probably thanks to my childhood interest in art," Ko Sid said. "I bought my first painting in 2010 and since then, buying paintings I like has been an addiction." Among his more than 1,000-strong collection, now worth around US$1 million, some of his favorite works include paintings by Myanmar masters like Lun Gywe, Kin Maung Yin and Win Pe Myint. "It's fun to have the paintings you like," he told The Irrawaddy during a visit to his home in a Yangon suburb. "Sixty percent of them are my favorites. Forty percent are for business." In his downtown "Myanmar Ink Art Gallery," which he opened in 2011, Ko Sid regularly showcases the paintings of promising local contemporary artists such as Pho San, Khin Aung Khant and Aung Naing. "If you want to collect the paintings of young artists, you need to have a gallery to promote their works," he said. "It is for the survival, not only of you, but for the painters, to keep both parties doing what they want to do. I want to promote promising artists of the same generation as me." The veteran artist Win Pe Myint remembers Ko Sid as a young man with a great interest in art who visited him frequently over the years. "He is a good-natured guy with a huge respect for artists and he always gives a helping hand to painters in need. I have never heard of him exploiting artists," Win Pe Myint said. Even during the country's long isolation under nearly five decades of military rule from 1962-2010, Myanmar art managed to reach the outside world, sometimes with the help of art dealers who smuggled paintings out of the country. Galleries in Chiang Mai, Hong Kong and Singapore impressed international art enthusiasts with periodic exhibitions of contemporary works from one of the most oppressed countries in the world. Now with the gradual opening of Myanmar's economy in recent years, the country's contemporary art market has hit the ground running. While large art galleries and dealers remain scarce, the number of smaller galleries has been on the rise. With more foreigners visiting Myanmar each year, uncovering the country's true potential in the creative industries is a must, according to a report on the local art market by local consultancy firm Thura Swiss. "Myanmar's art business has the potential to grow exponentially, not only because of its small start, but simply because of the wealth of skills and talents of its artists," the report said. This is where Ko Sid comes in. After five years dealing in art, he rarely has money in his pocket—all his earnings have gone back into building his collection. "In this business, you can't only look for money. You need perseverance," he said. "But I believe all of my efforts will not be fruitless. Someday they will make a good return, when the artists I'm now promoting become prominent." In support of the promising young artists of today, Myanmar Ink Art Gallery is holding regular local exhibitions year-round, and is exhibiting works overseas. From 2014, Ko Sid has been involved in international art fair exhibitions in Dubai on three occasions, becoming the first Myanmar art gallery to participate there. "It's a new market for Myanmar artists, compared to Hong Kong or Singapore, where there are no longer new frontiers for Myanmar paintings," he said. "During my first trip to Dubai, people showed great interest in our paintings even though they had no idea where Myanmar was until I mentioned Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's name." His willingness to explore new markets has paid off. During the latest exhibition in Dubai this year, he sold nine paintings out of 15 up for sale, mostly by emerging artists, as well as earning plenty of new contacts. "Now I'm dreaming to have an art gallery out there," Ko Sid said. "Even though I'm thinking of expanding to other cities, I need to build firm bases here in Myanmar and the UAE." Although the local art market has strengthened in recent years, Ko Sid said, there are less than a dozen serious local collectors. Buying paintings for appreciation is still in the nascent stages in Myanmar, where the country's per capita GDP is around US$1,105, one of the lowest in East Asia and the Pacific. "Given this trend, we could lose our country's cultural treasures. But we see no other options yet. The current situation is still workable for artists, dealers and buyers," he said. This article originally appeared in the May 2015 issue of The Irrawaddy magazine. The post The Collector appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Thai Junta Delays Polls, Raising Questions About Return to Democracy Posted: 19 May 2015 10:34 PM PDT Thai Army chief Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, center, is accompanied by his officers as he addresses reporters at the Royal Thai Army Headquarters in Bangkok on May 26, 2014. (Photo: Reuters) BANGKOK — Thailand's junta delayed a general election by at least six months on Tuesday, hours after former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was banned from traveling overseas, raising questions about a promised return to democracy. Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam, installed after the military seized power in last May's coup, told reporters that the polls would take place in August 2016 at the earliest to allow for a referendum on the new constitution. "It will take place around August or in September," he said. The government had said voting would take place in February 2016. Since taking power, the junta has come under domestic and international pressure to hold elections, which they say can only take place under a new constitution. Drafters of the constitution, appointed by the junta, had recommended that a referendum be held to give the public the final say on the blueprint for restoring democratic rule. Critics say it is aimed at excluding the powerful Shinawatra family from politics. Yingluck was forced from office last year after the Constitutional Court found her guilty of abuse of power. Weeks later, the military removed the remnants of her government. She is accused of negligence and dereliction of duty for her role in a multi-billion dollar rice subsidy scheme that anti-corruption authorities alleged was plagued with graft. It is the latest in a series of cases her supporters say are part of an attempt to prolong the junta's grip on power. Yingluck, who denies the charges against her, faces up to 10 years in prison if found guilty. She has accused her enemies of conducting a witch-hunt against her in order to handicap her family. Around 200 supporters showed up outside the court on Tuesday. Some shouted: "The people's prime minister! Yingluck is the people's prime minister! You must fight on!" The court banned her from traveling overseas and agreed bail terms of 30 million baht (US$899,300). The next hearing is set for July 21. The case against Yingluck is the latest twist in a long-running political saga that includes more than a decade of on-off violence that has pitted supporters of Yingluck and her brother Thaksin, himself a former prime minister, against the royalist-military establishment that sees the Shinawatras as a threat and reviles their populist policies. Speaking on the sidelines of a conference in Seoul on Tuesday, Thaksin said he had no plans to mobilize his "Red Shirt" supporters but called the first year of the junta government "not so impressive." "I think democracy will prevail sooner or later, but we have to be patient, and we have to be peaceful," he said. "Don't resort to any kind of violence." Thaksin was ousted in a 2006 coup and fled abroad to avoid jail for a 2008 corruption conviction he says was politically motivated. The post Thai Junta Delays Polls, Raising Questions About Return to Democracy appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Malaysia, Indonesia Say Will Take in Migrants at Sea, Temporarily Posted: 19 May 2015 10:30 PM PDT A Rohingya child, who recently arrived in Indonesia by boat, rests on a barrier at a shelter in Kuala Langsa, in Indonesia’s Aceh Province, May 17, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia and Indonesia said on Wednesday they would offer temporary shelter to 7,000 "boat people" adrift at sea in rickety boats, but made clear they would take no more. More than 3,000 migrants have landed in Malaysia and Indonesia, which together with Thailand have opted for a "not-in-my-backyard" policy and pushed away boats that approach their borders. The migrants are Rohingya Muslims from Burma and Bangladeshis—men, women and children who fled persecution and poverty at home, and now face sickness and starvation at sea. "What we have clearly stated is that we will take in only those people in the high sea," Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said. "But under no circumstances would we be expected to take each one of them if there is an influx of others." Malaysia and Indonesia said in a joint statement in Kuala Lumpur that they would offer "resettlement and repatriation," a process that would be "done in a year by the international community," Thailand's foreign minister also attended the meeting in the Malaysian capital. "The international community will be responsible in providing Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand with necessary support, particularly financial assistance, to enable them to provide temporary shelter and humanitarian assistance to the irregular migrants currently at risk," the statement said. Aman said temporary shelters would be set up, but not in Thailand, a favored transit point for the migrants. "Everyone needs to follow domestic laws," he said without elaborating. "They [Thailand] are not saying they are not willing to accept [migrants]." In Bangkok, Thai Deputy Thai Defense Minister Udomdej stressed that Thailand was not a destination. "It is not the country the Rohingya want to go to… if they enter Thai waters, we will send authorities to see if they are hurt or ill. If they are ill, we will bring them to nurses. If they want to go on to a third country, then they can. We cannot force them to do anything." Indonesia had said it would prevent migrant boats from landing on its shores but would provide humanitarian assistance at sea if needed. The navy has stepped up patrols in the waters off Aceh, deploying warships to intercept boats. Hundreds of Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants landed in Indonesia's northwestern Aceh province early on Wednesday, an Indonesian search and rescue official said. "I urge all NGOs, of all races and religions to step forward to volunteer to help these Rohingya migrants," Malaysian Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said. "Even though they are a migrant community that is trying to enter the country illegally, and breaking immigration laws, their well-being should not be ignored." The post Malaysia, Indonesia Say Will Take in Migrants at Sea, Temporarily appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Australia Maintains Cattle Sales to Vietnam Despite Slaughter Scandal Posted: 19 May 2015 10:27 PM PDT Cows are seen at a farm in Moc Chau town, 200km northwest of Hanoi, October 14, 2014. (Photo: Reuters) SYDNEY — Australia will investigate claims by an animal rights group that cattle in Vietnam are being slaughtered with sledgehammers but it will not suspend live cattle exports to that country, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Wednesday. Animals Australia said it had "shocking and distressing" footage of animals being slaughtered by repeated blows from a sledgehammer in an abattoir in the north of Vietnam, the second-largest buyer of live cattle from Australia. It said the film was too graphic to be released but it published one photo. There was no evidence that the animals in the footage were Australian, but animal rights groups demanded that exports of live cattle to Vietnam be suspended, saying that the method of slaughter seen was traditional there. However, Abbott ruled out any suspension. "We will carefully investigate any allegations. If there's anything in them, we will take appropriate action but the last thing we'll do is close down this trade," he told reporters in Brisbane. Shipments to Indonesia were halted for a month in 2011 after footage emerged of cruelty to animals there, at huge cost to the industry. Australian Agricultural Company, the country's biggest beef producer, said the suspension cost it about A$50 million (US$39.6 million). Sales of Australian live cattle to Vietnam jumped more than 700 percent between 2008 and 2014, industry body Meat and Livestock Australia said. According to Australian government forecasts, live cattle exports to Vietnam are expected to be worth A$117 million in the coming season from July 31, second only to sales to Indonesia, which will be worth a forecast A$549 million. Australia's cattle industry condemned the actions seen in the footage although it said abattoirs that used such methods of slaughter were not approved as slaughterhouses for Australian cattle. "This latest report captures our worst fears for welfare—that Australian cattle have been illegally removed from our supply chains for quick-buck processing in non-approved slaughterhouses in northern Vietnam," said Alison Penfold, chief executive officer of the Australian Live Exporters Council. The post Australia Maintains Cattle Sales to Vietnam Despite Slaughter Scandal appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Over 430 Migrants Taken to Indonesia After Months at Sea Posted: 19 May 2015 10:09 PM PDT Rohingya migrants, who recently arrived in Indonesia by boat, watch the sunset at a shelter in Kuala Langsa, in Indonesia’s Aceh Province, on Thursday. (Photo: Beawiharta / Reuters) SIMPANG TIGA, Indonesia — A flotilla of Indonesian fishermen rescued more than 430 migrants who were stranded at sea and brought them ashore to safety Wednesday, the latest victims of a humanitarian crisis confronting Southeast Asia. The migrants were rescued early Wednesday by more than a dozen fishermen’s boats, said Herman Sulaiman, from East Aceh district’s Search and Rescue Agency. It was unclear if the migrants were on one boat or had come from several, but an initial batch of 102 people were the first brought to shore in the village of Simpang Tiga in Indonesia’s eastern Aceh province, Sulaiman and other rescuers said. “They were suffering from dehydration, they are weak and starving,” Khairul Nove, head of Langsa Search and Rescue Agency in Aceh province. Among the 102 passengers were 26 women and 31 children, he said. One of the migrants, Ubaydul Haque, 30, said the ship’s engine had failed and the captain fled, and that they were at sea for four months before Indonesian fishermen found them and took them to shore. “We ran out of food, we wanted to enter Malaysia but we were not allowed,” he said. The rescue came just hours after Indonesia’s foreign minister said late Tuesday the country had “given more than it should” to help hundreds of Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants stranded on boats by human traffickers. The foreign minister, Retno Marsudi, was meeting Wednesday with his counterparts from Malaysia and Thailand in an emergency meeting called to discuss how to solve the migrant problem. Representatives from the UN refugee agency and the International Organization for Migration were also expected to attend the meeting. “This irregular migration is not the problem of one or two nations. This is a regional problem which also happens in other places. This is also a global problem,” Marsudi told reporters after a Cabinet meeting at the presidential palace. Marsudi said Indonesia has sheltered 1,346 Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants who washed onto Aceh and North Sumatra provinces last week. The first batch came on May 10 with 558 people on a boat, and the second with 807 on three boats landed on Friday. Even before the crisis, nearly 12,000 migrants were being sheltered in Indonesia awaiting resettlement, she said, with most of those Rohingya Muslims who have fled persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar. No more than 500 of those migrants are resettled in third countries each year, she said. “Indonesia has given more than it should do as a non-member-state of the Refugee Convention of 1951,” she said. The crisis emerged this month as governments in the region began cracking down on human trafficking. Some captains of trafficking boats abandoned their vessels—and hundreds of migrants—at sea. About 3,000 of the migrants have reached land in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, but all three countries have pushed some ships away. Aid groups estimate that thousands more migrants—who fled persecution in Burma and poverty in Bangladesh—are stranded in the Andaman Sea. Burma cooperation is seen as vital to solving the crisis, but its government has already cast doubt on whether it will attend a conference to be hosted by Thailand on May 29 that is to include 15 Asian nations affected by the emergency. The post Over 430 Migrants Taken to Indonesia After Months at Sea appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Tale of Two Indias: City Auto Buyers go Upscale, No-Frills Minis Rule Posted: 19 May 2015 10:06 PM PDT   Mayank Pareek, President of Tata Motors’ Passenger Vehicle Business Unit (PVBU), stands next to the company’s new GenX Nano car during its launch in Mumbai on Tuesday. (Photo: Shailesh Andrade / Reuters) NEW DELHI — As India’s auto industry matures, manufacturers are facing up to a new reality—from Mumbai to the provinces, they now have two different markets to serve, with costs to shoulder and a challenge to sales and profits. In big cities, rising incomes and aspirations mean buyers want compact models with features absent from the bare-boned minis that first bridged the gap from two-wheeled motorbike transport to four-wheeled cars. Automatic transmission, extra luggage space and daring colours are objects of desire. Across a sluggish rural economy, meanwhile, incomes are often informal, access to bank loans is tougher, and customers favor cheap motoring over fancy flourishes—with simple maintenance and reliability a must. “Automakers have to be aware that India works at different levels and segments, and they have to keep up,” R.C. Bhargava, chairman of Maruti Suzuki said by telephone. With that awareness comes investment in new or upgraded production lines to produce the compact vehicles that will account for one in every four vehicles sold in India in 2019, up from a 17 percent share in 2010, according to IHS Automotive. Symbolising the new dynamics, Tata Motors, the maker of India’s cheapest car, unveiled a facelift of its ultra-cheap Nano on Tuesday. With power steering and bluetooth connectivity, Tata’s “GenX” Nano—with a basic sticker price equal to $3,127—will seek to shift the model from budget to desirable. Meanwhile France’s Renault SA will on Wednesday launch its first-ever small car in the country, a premium hatchback. The new attempts at producing autos with flair appeal to buyers like Sajan Kedia, a 25-year-old IT professional in Bangalore who spent an extra 80,000 rupees ($1,257) to buy Hyundai Motor Co’s premium hatchback, the i20. “The car should look good and not feel like you have bought a cheap car,” said Kedia, who looked at smaller cars before settling on the i20 “supermini”. “In India, we don’t want only convenience, we want to show off as well.” Long dominated by Maruti Suzuki, which sells about one in every two cars in India, the small car business is in flux. Even as the compact market grows, sales of mini cars, which include Maruti’s Alto, Hyundai’s Eon and Tata’s Nano, are expected to shrink to 12 percent of India’s total light vehicle sales in 2019 from 24 percent in 2010, according to IHS Automotive. Rivals like General Motors, Toyota Motor Corp and Renault once looked to small, inexpensive cars to boost sales in the country. Now they too are reworking plans to focus on compact cars or adding features like dual air bags and automatic gearshift technology to woo urban buyers. But market watchers say the automakers can’t afford to neglect the traditional rural market for basic vehicles, which can sell for roughly half the price of a higher-end compact. “This makes business a lot more complicated. But if you have ambitions to have a big share of the market, you need to expand your portfolio,” said Deepesh Rathore, director at Emerging Markets Automotive Advisors. At Tata, sales of the Nano fell to 16,901 cars in the year to the end of March, a fifth less than a year earlier, according to industry body data, as city buyers spurned a car seen as ‘cheap’. Newly added features designed to reel in urban 25- to 35-year-olds include quality audio and a front grille shaped like a smile. “Aspirations have gone up and that has figured in our planning,” said Girish Wagh, who works for Tata Motors’ programme, planning and project management division and is credited with being the engineer behind the Nano. The post Tale of Two Indias: City Auto Buyers go Upscale, No-Frills Minis Rule appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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