The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Through the Lens: Rangoon’s Colonial Era Cantonment
• No DNA Link to Weapon in Koh Tao Murder Case: Lawyer
• From Tonzang to Tedim: Travels Through Mountainous Chin State
• Bangladesh Favors Japan for Port and Power Plant, in Blow to China
• South Korean Attacker of US Ambassador Jailed for 12 Years
• Watch What You Eat Over the Holidays, China Tells Officials
• Japan Rivers Burst Their Banks Triggering Further Floods, 25 Missing

Through the Lens: Rangoon’s Colonial Era Cantonment Posted: 11 Sep 2015 05:24 AM PDT Click to view slideshow. RANGOON — Some of Rangoon's best kept secrets lay hidden only a thirty minute stroll from the city centre. The precinct known locally as the army cantonment remains largely off limits to the public, with a small contingent of soldiers still on duty to discourage the curious—not always with great success. Up until early this year, the area had been earmarked for development as part of stage 2 of the controversial Dagon city development. Due largely to its proximity to the revered Shwedagon Pagoda, the project has since been discontinued after considerable public pressure. Overgrown with shady trees and ample undergrowth, the area remains a fascinating place to stroll and explore. Originally developed by the British army and still home to at least one ancient artillery piece, within its boundaries can be found numerous buildings designated for army use, such as soldiers' barracks, administrative buildings and the old War Office itself. The cantonment was also once the home of a Burmese Army communication's battalion. An enormous, rusting 70s era satellite dish still points skyward near the former War Office complex. The British built the now disused Daw Khin Kyi Hospital, named after the wife of revered independence leader General Aung San, close to the southern entrance of the site on Elan Pya Pya Street. At the highest point of the site sits the Signal Pagoda, so named after British colonial rulers, perhaps lacking in sensitivity to local religious beliefs, adopted the Pagoda's stupa to hoist signal flags for shipping on the Rangoon River. The pagoda itself predates the nearby iconic Shwedagon. At the height of the Second World War, the area surrounding the Shwedagon Pagoda was considered by the local population to be a safe haven from intensive Japanese bombing of Rangoon. It was during this period that the British built underground water storage tanks to sustain the war effort and the local population. Sitting almost at the base of the Pagoda itself, these massive concrete water facilities remain intact but disused. What the future holds for this cool, quiet inner city sanctuary remains to be seen, but for now, it makes an ideal destination for those with an interest in Burmese history—or even just a love of peace and quiet and a cool breeze away from the hustle and bustle of Burma's commercial capital. The post Through the Lens: Rangoon's Colonial Era Cantonment appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

No DNA Link to Weapon in Koh Tao Murder Case: Lawyer Posted: 11 Sep 2015 04:45 AM PDT Burmese migrant workers Zaw Lin, right, and Wai Phyo arrive at the Koh Samui Provincial Court in Thailand on July 8. (Photo: Athit Perawongmetha / Reuters) BANGKOK — Independent forensics tests on a garden hoe Thai police believe was used to kill two British backpackers on a holiday island show no matches to the DNA of two Burmese migrant workers accused of their murder, their lawyer said on Friday. The killings last year of Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, raised questions about Thailand’s safety for tourists, the competence of its police and its treatment of migrant workers. Lawyers for the accused Burmese men, Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun (also known as Wai Phyo), both 22, have made alleged police incompetence and mishandling of evidence central to their defence and sought help from Thailand’s foremost forensics expert, Pornthip Rojanasunand, to scrutinise evidence. Defence lawyer Nakhon Chompuchart said the court on Friday heard testimony from Pornthip’s team confirming DNA was found on the hoe police said was the murder weapon, but it did not match that of his clients, or Maung Maung, a friend of the accused and a prosecution witness. “(Pornthip’s institute) compared the DNA samples obtained from police of both the suspects and Maung Maung. There was no match,” Nakhon said outside the court on Koh Samui, a neighbouring island to Koh Tao, where the Britons were killed. Police have given conflicting statements about the DNA, saying some was lost or “used up”, then later denying that and saying the DNA samples were accounted for. The court in July ordered a reexamination of the police evidence by the justice ministry’s central forensic institute, led by Pornthip, who has clashed with police numerous times before when her examinations exposed flaws in their cases. The bodies of Miller and Witheridge were found a year ago on a beach on Koh Tao, a small island in the Gulf of Thailand popular with backpackers and divers. Post-mortem examinations showed both suffered severe head wounds and Witheridge was raped. Police said in October the accused men had admitted to killing the backpackers. But they later retracted their confessions saying they had made under duress. The post No DNA Link to Weapon in Koh Tao Murder Case: Lawyer appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

From Tonzang to Tedim: Travels Through Mountainous Chin State Posted: 11 Sep 2015 04:45 AM PDT Click to view slideshow. TONZANG, Chin State — Just outside the Chin State town of Tonzang, on the way to Kale, our car was forced to make another stop. Up ahead, a landslide had blocked the road. For Taung Paw Thar, meaning: those who live in the mountains, transportation difficulties—including blocked, destroyed or otherwise impassable roads—are a common occurrence. Rule number one when traveling in Chin State: always fill your stomach in anticipation of long delays on the road. It was my last day in this remote, northwestern state which has been ravaged by severe floods since late July and early August. After taking lunch at a nearby house while workers cleared the way, four hours later we were back on the road. We arrived in Kale, Sagaing Division, at 7 pm that night, with time to reflect on theprevious days spent visiting the flood-wracked regions of western Burma. On our first day in Chin State, we tried to reach Tonzang, but flooding, landslides and ongoing rain meant we were forced to stop several times. There is an expression in Burma: "Don't drive if you're drunk and if you drive don't drink." In my experience, drivers in Chin State don't strictly follow this maxim. Faced with delays on the road, some drivers' simply say "time to relax," turnup the music and produce a bottle of whiskey. Drinking may also have the effect of boosting drivers' confidence to traverse the state's often perilous mountain roads. Chin State is Burma's poorest and least densely populated and this year locals have been forced to grapple with the impact of extreme weather, with floods and landslides affecting at least 20,000 people and destroying hundreds of homes. Traveling through the state, evidence of recent landslides is frequent. Most areas impacted are located close to rivers or small streams where increased water flow dislodged large sections of soil. Many dwellings in the mountainous region start at over 4,000 feet above sea level and locals are still anxious as to whether landslides will hit their villages. Some have elected to move to valley areas where they feel safer. High Prices, Limited Opportunities With poor transportation, the cost of commodities in Chin State is high—a fact exacerbated by the recent flooding. The price of a 50 kg bag of rice is 50,000 kyat, a bottle of drinking water is 1,000 kyat, a bottle of Myanmar beer, 2,500 kyat. Many civil servants are reluctant to be posted in the state, but the government has offered the inducement of increased salaries. However, one civil servant in Tonzang told The Irrawaddy that although he received additional money in his first year, in his second, his wage was lowered. A police officer in Tonzang said that when he first heard he had to serve in the town, he had no idea where it was. "I didn't wantto tell my wife that I had to come to Tonzang because she would worry for me," he said. Chin people however are more willing to serve in government-backed jobs in a region where unemployment is high. School teachers can earn around 200,000 kyat per month. Some ethnic Chin seek work in Malaysia or other countries in the region and send money back home to their families—a crucial lifeline of support. Tonzang, with a population of around 8,000 people,is typical of many towns in the isolated region. There is no phone line or electricity; only one guesthouse and a solitary restaurant. Six villages in Tonzang Township were hit hard by floods and landslides. Perhaps the worst-affected was Hakha Lay, which has been abandoned as the danger of landslides still looms. In Nat San village, one police officer was killed in flooding which destroyed a 170-foot long colonial-era bridge on the border with India. As one of many bridges damaged or destroyed along the border, trade with the state's neighbors in India has suffered—another reason why the price of commodities has risen. Politics and Religion  All is quiet in Tedim on Sunday, with its predominately Christian population busy visiting their local church. Food was impossible to come by in the small town, with most shops shuttered for the day. Locals, young and old, file to church holding bibles from the early morning. They reappeared after prayers and sermons with bright faces, some breaking into Christian songs as evening begins to fall. There are many different languages spoken across the state, which is officially home to 53 ethnic minority Chin subgroups. But the Christian religion binds many together, although their modes of worship and beliefs differ. Churches in both Tedim and Tonzang townships often bear small signboards with messages such as "In God We Trust" or "We Must Be Born Again." Flooding and landslides across much of the state have also raised concerns over preparations for Burma's upcoming general election, with some Chin politicians speculating whether the election should be postponed. Cheery Zahau, an ethnic Chin human rights activist who is contesting a Lower House seat for the Chin Progressive Party, told The Irrawaddy earlier this month that candidates would face difficulties campaigning in the state, with some almost impossible to access. At least six small ethnic parties will compete for seats in Chin State, alongside major parties the National League for Democracy (NLD) and the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). Laang Siam, a member of Tedim'selection commission,whose Burmese name is San Htoo, said the Chin parties would have been a more formidable electoral force if they had formed a coalition. But there were issues over personal interest, he said, adding that the language barrier between different candidates may also have worked against any coalition force. Dal Lian, a resident in Tonzang, said he would vote for the NLD as it was the only party he believed would work for his town. He didn't trust the ethnic Chin parties to follow through on their promises. "They speak very sweetly," he said."But after they win, they may not look after us." The post From Tonzang to Tedim: Travels Through Mountainous Chin State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Bangladesh Favors Japan for Port and Power Plant, in Blow to China Posted: 10 Sep 2015 10:00 PM PDT Ships are seen anchored in Karnafuli river before cyclone Mahasen approaches in Chittagong May 16, 2013. (Photo: Reuters) NEW DELHI/DHAKA — Bangladesh may shelve an $8 billion deepwater port project it has been negotiating with China, a government minister said on Thursday, as it looks to pursue a nearby facility financed by the Japanese instead. Such a decision would be a setback for Chinese President Xi Jinping's  "One Belt One Road" initiative to build a network of ports and expressways and help expand trade, investment and influence in the region. Dhaka has cleared Japan's proposal to finance and build a seaport in Matarbari, located some 25 km from Sonadia, where Beijing had offered to construct the country's first deep water port, Planning Minister Mustafa Kamal said. He told Reuters that the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) had offered 80 percent financing on easy terms to build four coal-fired power plants of 600 MW each and a port complex in Matarbari. That offer prompted a review of whether the Sonadia project was needed at all. "Matarbari is designed in such a way that it will be comprehensive, with power plants, an LNG terminal and a port," he said in a telephone interview. "Matarbari is sufficient, we may have to give up the other port project," he said, adding that the government was still reviewing the proposals. Generous Rates Two Japanese companies, Sumitomo Corp and Marubeni Corporation, have bid to participate in the power plant construction project. A Sumitomo spokesman said the project was in the early stages, and "nothing has been decided." Marubeni declined to comment, while JICA said a loan agreement had been signed with Bangladesh for the power plant and that the project was in the procurement stage. Shamsul Alam, senior secretary of Bangladesh's Planning Commission, said JICA, the main conduit for Japan's overseas development aid, had offered $3.7 billion at an interest rate of 0.1 percent over 30 years with an initial 10-year grace period to build the $4.6 billion port and power complex in Matarbari. "We are going ahead with the Matarbari seaport and power plants as JICA is financing the project," Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan told Reuters. But he said that there was no plan to sideline China and Beijing remained a key player in the country's efforts to build new roads and bridges. Japan and India have been vying for influence over smaller nations in South Asia that sit astride vital shipping lanes, amid concerns about Chinese naval forays into the region. State-owned China Harbor Engineering Company was the front runner for the contract to build the Sonadia port, and last year the two sides were expected to seal an agreement during the visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Beijing. But officials in Dhaka said financing was an issue, as Beijing was willing to offer only partial support for what would be Bangladesh's biggest foreign investment. China Communications Construction Company, parent of China Harbour Engineering, was not immediately available to respond to emails and calls outside office hours. Financial Clout Rajiv Biswas, Asia-Pacific chief economist at IHS, said Japan had beaten out China by offering Dhaka financing for the construction of the port as well as an industrial corridor with rail, road and electricity infrastructure. "This has made the Japanese bid very attractive for Bangladesh from a long-term economic development perspective." Last week, Indonesia cancelled a multi-billion contract to build the country's first high-speed railway which China and Japan had been battling over, each sweetening the terms of their deal up to the deadline. Henry Tillman, editor of China Investment Research which tracks China outbound investments said: "It wasn't just Bangladesh this week. It's the second occurrence of this happening, where Japan has substantially bested China on interest rate terms on a major infrastructure project, in the last fortnight." Beijing's bid to build the port in Sonadia in the Bay of Bengal caused disquiet in India, because it would extend a network of Chinese port projects including in arch-foe Pakistan to the west and Sri Lanka off its toe. New Delhi sees Chinese development of commercial ports in the Indian Ocean as a first step towards greater Chinese naval forays. Last year it was alarmed when Chinese attack submarines docked at a port facility built by China in Colombo. "There are [also] significant geopolitical issues at stake, since the strategic location of the new port project in the Bay of Bengal may have raised concerns amongst other international powers had China been heavily involved in developing [it]," said Biswas. The post Bangladesh Favors Japan for Port and Power Plant, in Blow to China appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

South Korean Attacker of US Ambassador Jailed for 12 Years Posted: 10 Sep 2015 09:55 PM PDT US ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert waves as he leaves a hospital in Seoul, March 10, 2015. (Photo: Kim Hong-Ji / Reuters) SEOUL — A South Korean man who slashed the US ambassador in the face with a fruit knife was jailed for 12 years on Friday after being found guilty of attempted murder. Kim Ki-jong, 55, who attacked Ambassador Mark Lippert in March at a forum discussing Korean reunification, was also found guilty of assault of a foreign envoy. He was acquitted of a third charge of violating the National Security Act. Lippert suffered a deep gash to his face that required 80 stitches and injuries to his wrist, putting him in hospital for five days. Kim has said the attack was a protest against joint military drills by US and South Korean troops. Prosecutors last week sought a 15-year prison term for Kim, whose seven trips to North Korea had raised questions about a possible Pyongyang connection. Kim has denied any connections to the North. The North's official media said the attack was "deserved punishment" for Lippert but denied any role in it. North and South Korea are technically still at war after the 1950-1953 Korean War ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty. South Korea and major ally the United States hold regular joint military exercises, which North Korea condemns as preparations for war. The attack prompted an outpouring of public support in South Korea for Lippert, whose outgoing and approachable style has made him popular since he took up his post in November.   The post South Korean Attacker of US Ambassador Jailed for 12 Years appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Watch What You Eat Over the Holidays, China Tells Officials Posted: 10 Sep 2015 09:46 PM PDT A screen shows Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivering the government work report during the opening of the annual full session of the National People's Congress in Beijing, March 5, 2015. (Photo: Jason Lee / Reuters) BEIJING — Chinese officials have to watch what they eat and where they go over two upcoming holidays to make sure they don't break frugality rules, and regret after the fact will not be accepted as an excuse, China's top graft-buster said on Friday. Since President Xi Jinping's appointment in 2013, the government has cracked down on official corruption and extravagance in China, where the flaunting of personal and often illicit wealth and wasteful public spending have led to widespread criticism of the party. Gift giving is particularly popular over holidays, such as mooncakes at the Mid-Autumn Festival later this month. The first week of October is the National Day holiday. In a letter written to more than 300,000 officials at central government departments and state-owned industries, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said that cadres needed to be aware they represented the Communist Party. "Having a 'clean' holiday starts with you; steadfastly do not eat what you are not supposed to eat, steadfastly decline gifts you're not supposed to accept and steadfastly don't go to places you're not supposed to," reads the letter, excerpts of which were released by the graft watchdog. Since the corruption crackdown began, Chinese media has been filled with stories of officials downing bottles of expensive imported liquor, carousing with prostitutes at private clubs, or playing golf at exclusive courses, often using public money. Serious cases are prosecuted, but less serious ones generally result in a slap on the wrist, like a demotion. The party is using such a novel and "homely" way as this letter to drive home its point to make sure officials understand potential corruption problems must be nipped in the bud before they become more serious, the watchdog said. "Everyone feels regret when we see officials expressing penitence during the course of an investigation, but there is no drug to cure regret in this world. Once something has happened, it’s too late for regrets," an unidentified watchdog official was quoted as saying. The anti-graft campaign has over the past two years or so dragged down sales of high-end products from the fiery sorghum-based liquor, baijiu, to mooncakes, both traditional popular gifts for smoothing business and official ties. The post Watch What You Eat Over the Holidays, China Tells Officials appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Japan Rivers Burst Their Banks Triggering Further Floods, 25 Missing Posted: 10 Sep 2015 09:40 PM PDT A local resident riding a bicycle through a residential area flooded by the Kinugawa river in Joso, Ibaraki prefecture, Japan, September 11, 2015. (Photo: Issei Kato / Reuters) JOSO, Japan — Floods that swept houses off their foundations and crushed others under landslides spread across Japan on Friday as more rivers burst their banks, leaving at least 25 people missing and forcing more than 100,000 to flee. A severe rain warning remained in effect for parts of northern Japan but floodwaters were retreating in the city of Joso after toppling trees and washing houses away, sometimes with their owners still inside. One 63-year-old woman was killed after her house was crushed by a landslide and another when her car was swept away. At least 27 people were injured, eight seriously. Two eight-year-old children were believed to be among the missing, NHK national television said. Helicopters crisscrossed skies over the largely rural city of Osaki, some 350 km north of Tokyo, where the brown waters of the Shibui river inundated rice fields and houses as rescuers in rubber boats ferried people to safety. Some parts of Japan had received more than twice the usual September amount of rain in 48 hours by noon on Thursday, sparking some of the worst flooding in more than 60 years. Japan has put heavy emphasis on disaster prevention since a 2011 earthquake and tsunami killed nearly 20,000 people and authorities are keen to avoid the kind of criticism they faced then for what was seen as a sluggish response. The government set up an emergency centre, and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told a meeting of ministers that the "unprecedented" rain had created an emergency. "The central government, police, fire officials and military are all working as one," chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference. "We are doing everything in our power to rescue those in need as soon as possible." Some 51 helicopters and nearly 6,000 rescuers worked into the night on Thursday to pluck stranded people from houses as floodwaters raged below. More than 100 were temporarily trapped on the second floor of a shopping centre in Joso. Toyota Motor Corp said it had suspended production at three plants in northeastern Japan on Friday morning, but that there had been no damage at any of the facilities. A spokeswoman said they would make a decision at noon on whether to resume production from Friday evening.   The post Japan Rivers Burst Their Banks Triggering Further Floods, 25 Missing appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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