The Irrawaddy Magazine |
- Bill Seeks to Modernize Parts of Burma’s Penal Code
- New Performance Space Set to Showcase Traditional Puppetry in Rangoon
- Burma Steps up Border Health Checks on MERS Fears
- Suu Kyi Seeks ‘Landslide’ Election Win for NLD
- Contractors Sued for Negligence After Deadly Scaffolding Collapse at Mandalay Hotel
- Military Promises Shwedagon Highrises ‘Will be Stopped’: Ma Ba Tha
- Rangoon Parliament Endorses Plan for 7 New Satellite Towns
- China’s Dog Meat Festival Raises Hackles of Fans and Opponents
- Myeik Islands Face Promise and Peril
- Moonshine Kills at Least 94 in India City Slum
- Rising Unemployment Piles Up Problems for Indonesian President
- Hunt for Deep Panda Intensifies in Trenches of US-China Cyberwar
| Bill Seeks to Modernize Parts of Burma’s Penal Code Posted: 22 Jun 2015 07:16 AM PDT  Burma's Parliament in Naypyidaw. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — A proposal to retrofit Burma's antiquated Penal Code—drafted in 1860 and last amended in 1974—has been submitted to the Union Parliament and published for public review, calling for fine adjustments and a handful of other minor changes related to terminology, election campaigning and rape. The Penal Code Amendment Bill, drafted by the Union Supreme Court, raises most fines by tenfold to account for inflation. "The amendment to fine payments are made relevant to this era," said Thein Nyunt, a Lower House lawmaker of the New Democratic Party, adding that some of the adjustments, such as those related to punishment for certain types of fraud, will likely undergo further revision after being reviewed by Parliament. In its current form the bill recommends increasing the sentence from one to three years in prison for deliberate deception. Thein Nyunt has previously initiated several unsuccessful attempts to change the penal code, including a 2013 bid to apply capital punishment in cases of child rape. He has also championed the softening punishments for some types of criminal defamation, also to no avail. The new proposed changes to the colonial-era document are hardly comprehensive, but notably seek to raise the legal age of sexual consent from 14 to 16 years old. The suggested change to article 375, however, which pertains to rape, does not address several other controversial provisions including an exemption that legalizes marital rape. The draft also seeks to modernize terminology, replacing the current description of "officers, soldiers, sailors of airmen" to the more general "Defense Services Personnel." Other terms will be replaced with more accurate contemporary alternatives, such as "judge" instead of "magistrate" and "life imprisonment" in lieu of "transportation." Fines for political campaigning on behalf of a candidate without his or her express written permission—either by holding a public forum or distributing advertisements—are suggested to increase from 500 kyats (US$0.50) to 50,000 kyats. The post Bill Seeks to Modernize Parts of Burma's Penal Code appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| New Performance Space Set to Showcase Traditional Puppetry in Rangoon Posted: 22 Jun 2015 06:32 AM PDT Click to view slideshow. RANGOON — Traditional Burmese puppetry is set to receive a boost in the country's commercial capital with the opening of a new performance space dedicated to showcasing the once dying art form. The small theater, with the capacity to seat 25 people, is scheduled to open officially in July on Sule Pagoda Road in downtown Rangoon. The Htwe Oo Myanmar marionette troupe will perform in the space that is being managed by Easy Myanmar Travel and Tour, who will handle ticketing and marketing arrangements at the venue. Htwe Oo Myanmar has called a number of performance spaces home over the years, including the odd family living room. Former theaters opened by the group in Rangoon were forced to close due to a lack of public interest but hopes are higher this time around. "We eventually performed puppetry at my home and after two or three customers came, our puppet group gradually attracted attention," said Tin Tin Oo, the manager of the Rangoon-based troupe. Performances at the new venue are slated to run twice daily, at 6 pm and 8 pm. But for now, the puppeteers are happy to perform whenever a crowd of at least five theatergoers turns up. Admission fees are US$10 for adults and $5 for children. "In our previous shows, we let the Burmese [patrons] watch for free… but now [the theatre] is decorated like a small cinema and we have invested so much money so we charge fees for local people," Tin Tin Oo said. Tin Tin Oo established the marionette troupe with her husband Khin Maung Htwe in 2006 with the aim of reviving interest in the culturally significant art form. Puppetry has a long history in Burma and was once performed as entertainment for the country's royalty and during carnivals and events such as Buddhist full moon days where shows, particularly popular among rural populations, often lasted an entire night. Last year, Htwe Oo Myanmar was honored with the Best Puppet Animation award at the Harmony World Puppet Carnival in Thailand, one of the world's largest puppet festivals. The post New Performance Space Set to Showcase Traditional Puppetry in Rangoon appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Burma Steps up Border Health Checks on MERS Fears Posted: 22 Jun 2015 06:05 AM PDT  The arrivals lounge of Yangon International Airport. (Photo: Damir Sagolj / Reuters) RANGOON — After Thailand confirmed its first case of Midde East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) on Friday, Burma's Ministry of Health has ordered an increase in medical screenings for foreign arrivals at border checkpoints. Though authorities have yet to record a confirmed MERS case within the country, security has been stepped up at seaports, airports and land crossings, according to Dr Soe Lwin Nyein, the acting director-general of the Department of Public Health, adding that the ministry was preparing contingencies for quarantining those exposed to the virus. Ministry of Health teams are using infrared scanners to screen arrivals for fever at the country's international airports after concerns were raised over the spread of MERS by Health Minister Than Aung last week. Dr Su Mon Oo, Rangoon Airport's chief medical officer, said that two scanners installed in the arrivals hall during last year's Ebola scare had the capacity to screen 3000-3500 arrivals per day. "Since the Ebola disease broke out, the Ministry of Health set up two machines to test passengers, which will be used to screen those from MERS infected countries like South Korea," she said. "About 60-100 passengers come from South Korea every day, so we've been checking them seriously, but we haven't seen any suspected cases." On June 19, Thailand became the fourth Asian country to confirm a positive case of the virus, in this instance a 75-year-old businessman from Oman. The outbreak has claimed 23 lives in South Korea so far, with another 165 reported cases. On receiving news of the Thai case, authorities have ordered screenings at land border checkpoints, including on the Thai-Burmese Friendship Bridge connecting Mae Sot to Myawaddy and the Muse-Riuli crossing between Shan State and China. Screenings have also changed focus at airports to scrutinise arrivals from Thai airports. "As most airline routes here are from Thailand, we've become more alert to check passengers with the screening system," Myint Htay, assistant general manager of Mandalay Airport, told The Irrawaddy. "Passenger awareness and cooperation have also been good." Dr Aung Myat Kyaw, chairman of the Union of Myanmar Travel Association, said that a strong response to the spread of MERS was necessary to prevent a long-term slump in foreign arrivals. "Normally, if a strong disease is found in the region, tourism declines across the region. As Thailand is one of our international gateways, we need to be even more alert," he said. The post Burma Steps up Border Health Checks on MERS Fears appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Suu Kyi Seeks ‘Landslide’ Election Win for NLD Posted: 22 Jun 2015 04:21 AM PDT  Aung San Suu Kyi speaks at the close of an executive committee meeting of the National League for Democracy in Rangoon on Sunday. (Photo: Tin Htet Paing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has said the success of democracy in Burma would depend on the National League for Democracy (NLD) securing a "landslide" victory in the upcoming general election, with the chairwoman promising that her party would not be a "bully" should it take power. "When we succeed in the election, we will not bully," she said at the close of the NLD's two-day executive committee meeting in Rangoon on Sunday. "We will make friends with enemies as well as making our friends stand for us, with no grudge, to move forward in unity toward a democratic union. I want you all to know this." Suu Kyi said the party's executive committee had used the weekend meeting to discuss important issues and had made several key decisions, though the chairwoman was short on specifics. "Among our decisions was to succeed in the election. It is not for my party's success but for a democratic union and to get people their rights in full," she said. According to an NLD press release, the party will help scrutinize nationwide voter lists, many of which have been posted publicly in recent weeks and are reportedly riddled with errors. Despite its victory rhetoric, the party maintains that it has not yet committed to contesting the election, which is expected to take place in early November. At the press conference, executive committee member Win Myint told reporters that the party would announce whether it intends to compete in the poll after the Union Election Commission (UEC) announces a date for Election Day. He added that the party's decision would have nothing to do with whether the country's Constitution is amended to enable Suu Kyi to become president. "We have never said that we would join only if [the Constitution allows] Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to become the president," he said. Suu Kyi is currently barred from the presidency because her two sons are British, a disqualifier under Article 59(f) of the Constitution. Asked to elaborate on Suu Kyi's remarks about befriending enemies, fellow executive committee member Win Htein said: "To tell you frankly, the USDP is our rival. If they want to do something good for the country, we will engage with them. National reconciliation is not about one party. It has to be all inclusive. That's why we have to make friends with all, including the USDP and the military." Suu Kyi's conciliatory tone could also be interpreted as a pre-poll olive branch with Burma's election history in mind: The NLD won a landslide in the nation's last free and fair vote, a result that the ruling junta annulled in 1990. The post Suu Kyi Seeks 'Landslide' Election Win for NLD appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Contractors Sued for Negligence After Deadly Scaffolding Collapse at Mandalay Hotel Posted: 22 Jun 2015 04:20 AM PDT  The steel scaffolding collapsed on Saturday afternoon as workers poured concrete, trapping more than 20 laborers in a tangle of rods and cement. (Photo: Zarni mann / The Irrawaddy) MANDALAY— Police in Burma's second largest city have filed a lawsuit against a contractor at construction site where a scaffolding collapse left two workers dead and 18 in hospital on Saturday. Nyan Family Construction Group, which oversees part of a new Pullman Hotel in the Mingalar Mandalay development zone, faces charges of negligence that could land its chief contractor in prison for up to 17 years, police said. "Nwae Oo Maung, the contractor of Nyan Family Construction, was sued under three acts: penal code articles 337, 338 and 304 (a)," Khin Zaw, deputy police superintendant of Chan Mya Thazi Township, told The Irrawaddy. "These [charges] relate to causing minor and grievous hurt by acts endangering the life or personal safety of others, and causing death by negligence, as at least 18 workers were injured and two died." Steel scaffolding on the back side of the hotel site collapsed on Saturday afternoon as workers were pouring concrete, trapping more than 20 laborers in a tangle of rods and cement that was thickening quickly. Eighteen people were initially removed from the debris by rescue workers and taken to Mandalay General Hospital for treatment, two others died at the site. Another, 20-year-old San Myint Aung, was reached by rescuers—still alive—more than 30 hours after the incident. A spokesperson for Mandalay General Hospital said 10 workers sustained minor injuries and have already been discharged, while the rest remain in treatment. San Myint Aung suffered serious damage to his blood vessels and had both of his legs partially amputated. His right hand could also be affected. "He is currently in the ICU and we are worried that the functionality of his right arm will not come back," the hospital spokesperson said, adding that he is still being examined for further internal injuries. The patient's brother, Aung San Myint, who also works at the site, said rescuers were quick to respond but that the debris was difficult to work around, causing lengthy delays. "I was out from the site for a while quenching my thirst, and suddenly I heard roaring sounds," Aung San Myint recalled. "My brother, San Myint Aung, and my friends were buried under the concrete and trapped between the steel pipes. We tried to pull them out but we couldn't do it on our own," he said. A team of rescuers comprising police, firemen, Red Cross and other volunteers arrived at the site within minutes, but they lacked the equipment for safe and efficient removal. Rescuers had to cut through hardening cement and a tangle of steel to reach the victims. An officer from the Myanmar Red Cross Society said one worker, Aye Myat Ko, 19, died as rescuers attempted to reach him. Another, whose identity has not yet been disclosed, is believed dead and buried beneath the rubble as searchers attempt to locate and remove his body. The chief of the Mandalay Division Fire Brigade, Than Zaw Oo, lamented the loss of two lives and delays in the rescue operation, stating that "we have the manpower, but we don't have the machinery" to reach emergency victims in such difficult circumstances. "The lack of technology and equipments slow the response down," he said. "If our work was delayed any longer, I can't imagine what would have happened to San Myint Aung. We are happy that he survived but we are sorry for losing two men there." The exact cause of the collapse is still under investigation, though Mandalay-based engineer Tint Lwin speculated that it was likely caused by miscalculations about how much weight could be supported by the steel rods used to build the structure. "There may have been a failure in the scaffolding because the pipes were too small to support the weight, and the base was too high off the ground," Tint Lwin said, explaining that other factors, such as groundwork that was not sturdy enough to support the structure, may have complicated its integrity. The Pullman Hotel project is being carried out by three primary contractors: New Star Light, CAD and Nyan Family Construction, which manages the portion of the site where the accident occurred. The project's primary investor is Regal Hospitality Co., Ltd. Nyan Family officials said the company will take full responsibility for those injured and deceased. The incident is being investigated by Singaporean iBuild Project Management with the support of Mandalay municipal and divisional departments of construction. The post Contractors Sued for Negligence After Deadly Scaffolding Collapse at Mandalay Hotel appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Military Promises Shwedagon Highrises ‘Will be Stopped’: Ma Ba Tha Posted: 22 Jun 2015 04:06 AM PDT  Monks in the audience at the Association for the Protection of Race and Religion’s two-year anniversary conference in Insein Township. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The Association for the Protection of Race and Religion claimed on the weekend that senior military figures have promised to halt or substantially alter five high-rise developments near Shwedagon Pagoda. At a Saturday conference held for members and supporters of the Buddhist nationalist group, also known as Ma Ba Tha, an association spokesman said that two generals met with the association to promise that the projects would not continue in their current form. "Some Burma Army members phoned us, telling us they wanted to discuss the projects," said Maung Maung, a Ma Ba Tha committee member. "They asked about our campaign collecting signatures for a petition against the project. "They told us that they did not intend for there to be a misunderstanding between the army and the public and they promised us they would stop all the projects." Rangoon Regional Commander Maj-Gen Tun Tun Naung and Rangoon Division Border Affairs Minister Col. Tin Win were present on behalf of the military at the meeting, according to Maung Maung. He added that the men promised a statement would be issued no more than 15 days from the date of the meeting to announce the halt of the five developments in their current form, in return for Ma Ba Tha ceasing their campaign against the projects. "They will issue a statement within 15 days to say that all the projects will be stopped," he said. "We will wait and see what will happen…If they issue the statement, this will be a historical victory of our people showing unity to protect Shwedagon Pagoda." The Dagon Township developments, built on 72 acres of land leased from the military's Quartermaster General's Office in 2013, have been mired in controversy since the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) issued a suspension notice for all five projects in late January. In the time since, a growing number of urban planners, elected officials and professional associations have voiced their concerns about the high-rises, amid claims that the developments would block sight lines to Shwedagon and risk damaging the foundations of the iconic pagoda. Ma Ba Tha entered the fray last week, organizing a petition drive and promising nationwide protests if the government refused to halt the projects. Echoing the increasingly strident opposition to the developments, prominent Ma Ba Tha figure U Wirathu said that protests remained on the table if the military failed to bring a halt to the projects. "Our Ma Ba Tha duty is to protect our land," he said. "Shwedagon is the heart of our Myanmar people. Without Shwedagon, there will be no more Myanmar." The Irrawaddy was unable to independently confirm details of the meeting with military sources, who have yet to establish a press liaison service promised during discussions with the Interim Myanmar Press Council last year. Whether the reported meeting signals the end of the projects outright or a commitment to revise the development to reduce heights and excavation depths is similarly unclear. The Marga Landmark consortium, which has a 70 percent stake in the flagship 22-acre Dagon City 1 development in partnership with local firm Thu Kha Yadanar, told The Irrawaddy it is still waiting for an MIC decision based on a reevaluation of the project's master plan. "We are making all the necessary preparations, adhering to the existing laws and advice of engineers, geologists and architects," said a Marga Landmark spokesman in a statement. "We take all concerns of the public into due consideration. We understand the concerned government bodies have not made a final decision and that the concerned authorities will officially inform us upon making the final decision." The reported meeting between the two generals and three senior Ma Ba Tha monks occurred during the association's two-year anniversary conference over the weekend. Known for its protests against the international community on issues concerning the Rohingya population of Arakan State, and its sponsorship of legislation widely understood to target the marital and reproductive rights of the country's Muslims, Ma Ba Tha claimed the conference was attended by 3,000 monks and 2,500 supporters. The post Military Promises Shwedagon Highrises 'Will be Stopped': Ma Ba Tha appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Rangoon Parliament Endorses Plan for 7 New Satellite Towns Posted: 22 Jun 2015 02:55 AM PDT  Lawmakers leave the Rangoon Division Parliament. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The Rangoon Division Parliament has voted to approve the Greater Yangon Strategic Development Plan, which will establish seven new satellite towns over the next 25 years to accommodate the city's booming population. Friday's session—held to consider the proposal tabled by Rangoon Mayor Hla Myint the previous week—voted overwhelmingly in support of the development plan, with 113 lawmakers in favor, two against and one abstention. Those few lawmakers against the proposal renewed their criticisms on the floor of parliament, claiming the plan lacked transparency. "The Greater Yangon Strategic Development Plan 2040 is about the leading committee for implementing the project," said U Kyaw, a lawmaker representing Thingangyun Township (2). "Nothing is mentioned about the members of that committee…If the project is to be presented to the people, I think the committees should also be presented in a transparent manner." Bahan (2) lawmaker Nyo Nyo Thin said she remained concerned at the high priority given to the southwestern satellite town, which was suspended indefinitely last year after allegations that developers involved in the project had ties to Chief Minister Myint Swe. During Friday's session, she was instructed by Speaker Sein Tin Win to cease discussing the southwestern proposal, after parliament voted on Thursday to approve an expansion of the city's western boundary to accommodate the project. "I tried to discuss it and was told that I need to stop talking about the project, which was already approved previous day. I was warned that what I discussed did not match the topic and I was not allowed to continue," she told the media afterwards. The expected initial cost of the development plan is 8.1 trillion kyats (US$7.4 billion), which will include land acquisitions northeast of East Dagon Township, followed by the southwestern site on the western bank of the Hlaing River, Dala, Thanlyin, Htantabin, Hmawbi and Hlegu. The development plan anticipates paying 5-10 million kyats (US$4500-9000) per acre for the lands it will acquire within the seven project areas. The post Rangoon Parliament Endorses Plan for 7 New Satellite Towns appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| China’s Dog Meat Festival Raises Hackles of Fans and Opponents Posted: 22 Jun 2015 02:26 AM PDT
 Butchered dogs are seen at a slaughter house in a dog meat market ahead of a local dog meat festival in Yulin, Guangxi Autonomous Region, June 21, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) YULIN, China — For many residents of China's southern town of Yulin, the peak of summer is the perfect time to get together with family and friends—and consume copious amounts of dog meat. Thousands of dogs are expected to end up on the chopping block during the city's annual dog meat festival, which has become increasingly controversial in China. Dog ownership was once looked down upon as a decadent bourgeois habit, but China's growing middle class has started to fight what it sees as barbarous abuse of man's best friend. On Monday, a group of about 25 animal rights activists briefly unfurled banners in front of the city government office, demanding an end to the festival, but they were quickly hustled away by unidentified men. The city's dog market has become a site for clashes of supporters and opponents of the trade. In the sweltering heat, tempers can often flare. "There are all sorts of cultural norms about what you can eat, you eat turkey, so why are you trying to force us to not eat dog meat?" shouted one dog meat supporter. Eating dog is good for your health at the hottest time of the year, say supporters, and it is just like any other meat. "It's healthy, just like raising pigs or chickens, it's fine," said Teng Jianyi, as he tucked into a dog dish with some friends. While many Chinese have signed online petitions seeking a ban on the festival, others take a more direct approach. Last year, Yang Xiaoyun made the headlines after spending 150,000 yuan (US$24,160) to rescue about 350 dogs. Yang, who comes from northern China, has returned this year with funds raised from around the country, but she would not say exactly how much. She hoped to set up a home for the rescued dogs near Yulin, she said, undeterred by the prospect of any hostility there. "At the moment we don't have the ability to change people's habits, this is the government's responsibility, isn't it?" Yang said. Despite the complaints, many Yulin residents vowed to continue eating dog. "This is one of our traditions," said Liang Xiaoli, who had returned home especially for the festival. "They criticize us, saying we don't have compassion or humanity, but I think every person has different circumstances," she added. "You can't just lump all people together. For example, if I think eating pork is really brutal, then no one can eat pork. That's not ok." The post China's Dog Meat Festival Raises Hackles of Fans and Opponents appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Myeik Islands Face Promise and Peril Posted: 22 Jun 2015 12:45 AM PDT Click to view slideshow. Bailey Island is located at the remote outer northern end of the Myeik archipelago, and on December 16 last year it looked in good shape. At around 2.30 pm a boat carrying photographer Lawrence Davis and scientists approached the island's picturesque southeast bay on the seventh day of a trip investigating the archipelago's northern coral reefs. Mr. Davis dived into the water and down towards the long stretch of coral he had first visited about eight months earlier. Floating about in a glorious abundance of color, he worked fast to record a kaleidoscopic variety of slug-like nudibranches, staghorn coral, fish and an array of other small marine life. A juvenile emperor fish swam into view, along with angel and parrot fish. After about an hour of recording the reef the team from conservation organization Flora and Fauna International (FFI), the government and others moved on to the next dive site, wasting no time on a trip that is part of new efforts to understand the life contained below and above water within the 14,000 square miles of the archipelago. Researchers are excited at the start of efforts to rediscover the natural treasures that survive in the maze of some 800 islands. Little solid information exists still about mammal, reptile and birdlife on the 7,767 square miles of island territory where deer, pangolin, squirrels, bats, langurs, boars, gibbons and macaques have been reported. In the sea, dugongs, turtles, otters, dolphins, whales and sharks are among the known residents. Some 1,056 square miles of coral provides fish and other marine life with breeding grounds and protection. After recent expeditions by FFI and others, it's known now that the area contains some 300 species of coral, including two branching corals, Acropora roseni and Acropora rudis, that are on the IUCN red list of endangered species. Though not as great a variety as that found in global coral hotspots in Indonesia, it's still a high tally for surveyed reef territory of which up to 80 percent has been graded as "excellent." Scientists' interest has also been piqued by coral reefs able to support rich fish life even in murky water off inshore islands. "This finding excited the team and these reefs were among the most species-rich we visited," FFI's marine coordinator U Zau Lunn said after the group's first expedition to the area earlier last year. And there is a theory that floating coral larvae from unusually resilient coral from the Myeik area have helped seed coral revivals further south in Thailand. Wake up call Early this year, Robert Howard of FFI in Yangon was reviewing data from the December 2014 trip when he made an unwelcome discovery. Colleagues from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) had visited southeast bay on Bailey Island a few weeks after the FFI team had departed. A part of the coral "wasn't there anymore," Mr. Howard was told. "All that habitat was just… gone." It takes about 30 years to grow complex coral that illegal blast fishing can destroy in 30 minutes. "Destructive fishing practices are still rampant. It's very worrying," said the IUCN's Southeast Asia deputy Petch Manopawitr. Its teams had heard the sound of blast fishing in the distance on recent trips, he said. They also recorded the bombed remains of previously healthy reefs. Light-luring night fishing in the area was catching too many species indiscriminately, and too many juvenile fish, he said. And even spear fishing is being overdone. "We came across a boat load of mature parrotfish caught by four men in just over two days," Mr. Petch said. "It's not eaten locally. It's all for export, mainly to China, and some to Thailand." As algae-eaters, parrot fish are vitally important to the health of coral systems. Overfishing mainly by bottom trawling is now seen as an issue for all the ocean off Myanmar's 1,740 miles of coastline. In May month the government announced a three-month moratorium on ocean fishing from June 1, due to concerns over diminishing fish catches and exports since 2012. That was since amended to allow some 1,000 boats to continue fishing. Since last year, foreign boats are no longer permitted to fish in Myanmar waters. Future The archipelago's old reputation as a wild and pristine place home only to Salon seafarers and as a one-time pirate stronghold is out of date. For centuries the region's peripheral location and long monsoons helped it evade the administrative orbit of the Myanmar, Siamese, or British rulers who claimed suzerainty over it, but that has changed in recent decades. Increasing numbers of Bamar as well as some Kayin and others have made their home on the islands where they work mainly in fishing and small agriculture. Fruit and rubber are grown on some of the larger islands. Intermarriage and pressure to settle is altering the traditional lifestyle of the Salon whose roaming territory already shared with fishers, settlers and the Myanmar navy is in the sights of yet more newcomers, including developers, tourists, government departments and international organizations. Protection The government's decision to put forward the region for consideration on UNESCO's list of world heritage sites suggests an interest in preserving the integrity of the archipelago. But legal and regulatory protections still apply chiefly on paper, even for the national park designated on Lampi Island since 1996. Meanwhile activities and pressures on the ground are speeding up before protections are in place. It was revealed in May that scores of developers are waiting for permission from the Myanmar Investment Commission to build tourist resorts. A Singapore-based group is seeking to transform an entire so-called "Salon Island" to the south into a resort and casino. While weak regulations clearly pose risks for islands already said to have lost most of their valuable trees to illegal logging, and to be suffering pressure on shoreline mangrove and sea grass habitats, efforts are increasing to safeguard the environment. Conservationists hope to see a network of mini Marine Protected Areas (MPA) throughout the archipelago, including some areas that would be largely managed by local communities. Working with Salon, Karen and Bamar fishing and farming communities, FFI is currently in the early stages of piloting two locally managed marine areas on Langann and Thayawthadangyi islands. Petch Manopawitr suggested that a properly set up system of protected areas, connected to a similar system that already exists further south in Thailand, would "greatly boost the archipelago's chances of a World Heritage Site listing." This article originally appeared in the June 2015 issue of The Irrawaddy magazine. The post Myeik Islands Face Promise and Peril appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Moonshine Kills at Least 94 in India City Slum Posted: 21 Jun 2015 10:58 PM PDT  Relatives mourn the death of Lata Jadhav, 35, who died after consuming bootleg liquor, at a slum in Mumbai, India, June 21, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) MUMBAI, India — Toxic homemade liquor has killed at least 94 slum dwellers in India's financial capital Mumbai, with more than 45 in hospital, police said on Sunday, in the latest disaster involving moonshine. Police have arrested five people in connection with the deaths in a western neighborhood of the city, on the west coast of India, which started on Wednesday. “More than 150 have consumed this alcohol. The death toll may rise,” said Dhananjay Kulkarni, Mumbai's deputy police commissioner, adding that eight police officials had been suspended for suspected negligence. Homemade liquor, often using poisonous industrial methanol, is popular among the poor in India because it is cheap. More than 140 people were killed in West Bengal state, in eastern India, in 2011 from drinking homemade liquor. The post Moonshine Kills at Least 94 in India City Slum appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Rising Unemployment Piles Up Problems for Indonesian President Posted: 21 Jun 2015 10:53 PM PDT  Indonesian youths fill up job application forms on laptops provided by organizers at the Indonesia Techno Career in Jakarta on June 11, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) JAKARTA — Indonesian companies are shedding jobs as they grapple with the weakest economic growth in six years, adding to the troubles facing President Joko Widodo, who was elected last year on pledges to dig the country out of a rut. Government data might suggest no cause for alarm—unemployment was 5.81 percent in February, up only slightly from 5.70 percent a year earlier—but the official numbers are notoriously unreliable and don't adequately cover the informal sector, which is two-thirds of Southeast Asia's biggest economy. Recent reports of heavy layoffs across the country paint a bleaker picture, and business executives, recruitment firms and jobseekers say it is getting worse. Young people are being hit hardest; the International Labor Organization estimated the youth jobless rate was more than 20 percent in 2013, and economists believe it is higher now. About a third of the workforce is aged 15 to 29, a youth bulge that could bring Indonesia, a country of 250 million people, the sort of demographic dividend China and South Korea enjoyed a generation ago—but only if there are jobs for the 2 million people joining the workforce every year. "The government doesn't have a blueprint for labor absorption," said property businessman Hariyadi Sukamdani, chairman of the Indonesian employers' association. "If this condition is allowed to continue, what we would get is not a demographic bonus, but a demographic disaster. There could be social turmoil and higher crime rates." When he took office eight months ago, Widodo said he would pour billions of dollars into infrastructure and foster growth in manufacturing. But the promised splurge on roads, power plants and ports has not materialized, largely because of bureaucratic hold-ups and land disputes, and a shortage of skilled labor is holding back growth in value-added industries. Miners have been hammered by a double whammy: a ban on mineral ore exports and a sharp drop in commodity prices. Meanwhile, labor-intensive industries such as textiles and manufacturing have been hit by the rupiah's slide to a 17-year-low, which has raised the cost of imported raw materials. Hundreds of redundant garment factory workers protested for hours this week in the financial district of Jakarta, the capital, after their company was declared bankrupt and its assets seized by two banks. Unemployment in turn is hitting consumption, which makes up more than half of Indonesia's economy. Automobile sales in May fell 18.4 percent from a year earlier, the ninth decline in a row. "Stocks are piling up because nobody is buying. The people's purchasing power is weak," said Ade Sudrajat, head of Indonesia's textile association. "This has never happened before in the last 45 years." Arif Budimanta, adviser to the finance minister, said the government was introducing measures such as halving lending rates for small businesses and exempting most goods from a luxury tax to stimulate consumption. At job fairs in Jakarta the gloom is palpable. Naomi Octiva Naibaho, a manager at the Kompaskarier.com portal that ran one such fair recently, said about 6,000 jobseekers turned up every day, roughly triple the number of positions on offer. Gita Harahap, 26, has been sending resumes for weeks since the bank where she worked as a teller started a round of layoffs, but she has had no luck. "No one has called me back," she said. "The competition is tighter." In the first five months of this year, 79 companies approached Universitas Indonesia for potential recruitment, down from 110 over the same period of 2014, said Sandra Fikawati, head of the university's career development center. The slowdown is also affecting higher-paid jobs, including in financial services, said Rob Bryson, Indonesia country manager for recruitment firm Robert Walters. From mid-2013 to late last year, the number of foreigners holding work permits in Indonesia is estimated to have dropped 20 percent to around 62,000, partly because expatriate jobseekers saw more opportunities in Western countries, he said. "Companies here are looking to increase productivity," Bryson said. "They will happily hire one person and let go of two in many circumstances, so that adds pressure to the employment scene." The post Rising Unemployment Piles Up Problems for Indonesian President appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Hunt for Deep Panda Intensifies in Trenches of US-China Cyberwar Posted: 21 Jun 2015 10:46 PM PDT  A man types on a computer keyboard in Warsaw in this February 28, 2013. (Photo: Reuters) SINGAPORE— Security researchers have many names for the hacking group that is one of the suspects for the cyberattack on the US government's Office of Personnel Management: PinkPanther, KungFu Kittens, Group 72 and, most famously, Deep Panda. But to Jared Myers and colleagues at cybersecurity company RSA, it is called Shell Crew, and Myers' team is one of the few who has watched it mid-assault—and eventually repulsed it. Myers' account of a months-long battle with the group illustrates the challenges governments and companies face in defending against hackers that researchers believe are linked to the Chinese government—a charge Beijing denies. "The Shell Crew is an extremely efficient and talented group," Myers said in an interview. Shell Crew, or Deep Panda, are one of several hacking groups that Western cybersecurity companies have accused of hacking into the United States' and other countries' networks and stealing government, defense and industrial documents. The attack on the OPM computers, revealed this month, compromised the data of 4 million current and former federal employees, raising US suspicions that Chinese hackers were building huge databases that could be used to recruit spies. China has denied any connection with such attacks and little is known about the identities of those involved in them. But cybersecurity experts are starting to learn more about their methods. Researchers have connected the OPM breach to an earlier attack on US healthcare insurer Anthem Inc, which has been blamed on Deep Panda. RSA's Myers says his team has no evidence that Shell Crew were behind the OPM attack, but believes Shell Crew and Deep Panda are the same group. And they are no newcomers to cyber-espionage. CrowdStrike, the cybersecurity company which gave Deep Panda its name due to its perceived Chinese links, traces its activities to 2011, when it launched attacks on defense, energy and chemical industries in the United States and Japan. But few have caught them in the act. Shell Crew in Action In February 2014 a US firm that designs and makes technology products called in RSA, a division of technology company EMC, to fix an unrelated problem. RSA realized there was a much bigger one at hand: Hackers were inside the company's network, stealing sensitive data. "In fact," Myers recalls telling the company, "you have a problem right now." Myers' team could see hackers had been there for more than six months. But the attack went back further than that. For months Shell Crew had probed the company's defenses, using software code that makes use of known weaknesses in computer systems to try to unlock a door on its servers. Once Shell Crew found a way in, however, they moved quickly, aware this was the point when they were most likely to be spotted. Spearphishing On July 10, 2013, they set up a fake user account at an engineering portal. A malware package was uploaded to a site, and then, 40 minutes later, the fake account sent emails to company employees, designed to fool one into clicking on a link which in turn would download the malware and open the door. "It was very well timed, very well laid out," recalls Myers. Once an employee fell for the email, the Shell Crew were in, and within hours were wandering the company's network. Two days later the company, aware employees had fallen for the emails—known as spearphish—reset their passwords. But it was too late: The Shell Crew had already shipped in software to create backdoors and other ways in and out of the system. For the next 50 days the group moved freely, mapping the network and sending their findings back to base. This, Myers said, was because the hackers would be working in tandem with someone else, someone who knew what to steal. "They take out these huge lists of what is there and hand it over to another unit, someone who knows about this, what is important," he said. Then in early September 2013, they returned, with specific targets. For weeks they mined the company's computers, copying gigabytes of data. They were still at it when the RSA team discovered them nearly five months later. Myers' team painstakingly retraced Shell Crew's movements, trying to catalogue where they had been in the networks and what they had stolen. They couldn't move against them until they were sure they could kick them out for good. It took two months before they closed the door, locking the Shell Crew out. But within days they were trying to get back in, launching hundreds of assaults through backdoors, malware and webshells. Myers says they are still trying to gain access today, though all attempts have been unsuccessful. "If they're still trying to get back in, that lets you know you're successful in keeping them out," he said. The post Hunt for Deep Panda Intensifies in Trenches of US-China Cyberwar appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
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