The Irrawaddy Magazine

---

• US Embassy: Thein Sein Summons on Rohingya ‘Unrelated’ to Burma Policy
• Villagers Flee as Govt Troops Clash with KIA in Hpakant
• From the Archive: Photos of Burma’s Historic By-elections
• Paunglaung Dam Violates Norms and Destroys Lives, Study Finds
• KIA Suspected in Shooting Death of Hpakant Jade Trader
• Murder Victim’s Body Discovered in Travel Suitcase Near Mount Yankin
• House of Schemes: Office No. 37 in Naypyidaw
• Christian Pastor Survives Knife Attack at Home in Bangladesh
• Australian Court Tests Legality of Offshore Detention for Asylum Seekers
• Japan’s Abe Set to Keep Allies in Key Posts as Attention Returns to Economy

US Embassy: Thein Sein Summons on Rohingya ‘Unrelated’ to Burma Policy Posted: 07 Oct 2015 06:12 AM PDT US President Barack Obama sits with Burmese President Thein Sein in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on May 20, 2013. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — The US Embassy in Rangoon said Wednesday that a federal court summons for President Thein Sein and several Burmese ministers for human rights violations allegedly committed against the stateless Rohingya Muslim minority has nothing to do with Washington's policy toward Burma. Last week the US District Court for New York's Southern District issued the summons after a lawsuit was filed by the Burma Task Force USA, a coalition of 19 Muslim-American organizations. The case was submitted under the Alien Tort Claims Act and the Torture Victim Protection Act, and charges Thein Sein and his ministers with crimes against humanity, extra-judicial killing, torture, and mental and physical trauma. It was filed on behalf of three plaintiffs, all US resident Rohingya refugees who claim to have experienced torture and discrimination in Burma. The lawsuit is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. A spokesperson from the US Embassy in Rangoon told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday that the mission was aware of reports about the lawsuit and added that "federal court actions occur independently of the executive branch." "This lawsuit is unrelated to US policy toward Myanmar," the spokesperson added. The Burmese government has not officially responded to the summons nor the accusations it was based on, and presidential spokesman Ye Htut has made clear that no response should be expected. "We are surprised to learn that a US court accepted the case filed by an unknown coalition that constructed the case on weak evidence," he told Radio Free Asia last week. "We will not respond to it and couldn't care a fig," he said, before adding that the case was a "cheap stunt" by groups that have been putting pressure on the Burmese government over its handling of "the Bengali issue," using the government's official term for Rohingya. Through official diplomatic channels, the United States has not shied away from criticizing the treatment of Burma's Rohingya Muslims, a persecuted minority residing mostly in western Arakan State that the Burmese government considers to be illegal immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh. Most recently that criticism has focused on the systematic disenfranchisement of Rohingya voters ahead of Burma's Nov. 8 general election, and the disqualification of most Muslim candidates hoping to stand for election in Arakan State. Tens of thousands of Rohingya have fled Burma by boat since violence between Arakanese Buddhists and the Muslim minority flared in 2012, displacing more than 100,000 people—mostly Rohingya—to temporary camps where most still live today. Conditions at the camps have deteriorated severely since the violence, with movement of Rohingya inhabitants restricted and access to health care and jobs limited, prompting the mass exodus. The post US Embassy: Thein Sein Summons on Rohingya 'Unrelated' to Burma Policy appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Villagers Flee as Govt Troops Clash with KIA in Hpakant Posted: 07 Oct 2015 06:06 AM PDT A soldier from the Kachin Independence Army puts on his shoes as he and his comrade cross a stream towards the front line in Laiza, Kachin State, January, 2013. (Photo: David Johnson / Reuters) RANGOON — Fighting broke out in Kachin State's Hpakant Township on Wednesday between government troops and the Kachin Independence Army, one of several armed groups that elected not to sign a long-awaited ceasefire deal with Naypyidaw. The fighting began at 7 am Wednesday and continued into the afternoon, with the Burma Army's Infantry Battalion No. 336 facing off against Kachin Independence Army (KIA) Battalion 6, under Brigade 2, according to KIA major Tang Seng. "The engagement started as government troops crossed into our territory," Tang Seng told The Irrawaddy. "They had deployed in the area since last night. Since then, we told them not to cross the territory to avoid clashes. But they started the attack with 60 mm and 120 mm artillery." Tang Seng said casualties were not yet known but one artillery explosion sent villagers fleeing for safety. About 30 villagers sought out KIA troops to request shelter, the major said. "We heard the gunfire," Thet Zaw Oo, a police officer in downtown Hpakant told The Irrawaddy. "But it is not in our area, it is in Lone Kin [village]." Some villagers sought shelter in downtown Hpakant on Wednesday, according to Da Chi La Seng, a member of the National League for Democracy (NLD) and a state candidate for the Hpakant constituency. "Fighting occurred at two places: near Nam San Chaung Phyar village and Jayayang [or, Ja Ya Yang] village," Da Chi La Seng said, "Mostly plantation workers near those villages fled." In June and July, fighting between government troops and the KIA in the jade-rich northern township caused scores of villagers to flee their homes. Tang Seng said the KIA's political wing, the Kachin Independence Organization, had ordered that engagements with the Burma Army be avoided during the election period. However, Wednesday's fighting was unavoidable, he said. "Our headquarters ordered us not to go into the villages or the town [and] to avoid any confrontation, as the election is close. If something happened [that would affect] the election, we don't want to be blamed, especially by the international community. So we follow our orders," he said. Further south, in Shan State, government forces also clashed with the Shan State Army-North (SSA-N) near the armed group's headquarters in Mong Hsu Township on Tuesday. The SSA-N and the KIA are among several major ethnic armed groups that have elected not to accede to a nationwide ceasefire agreement that government negotiators say will be concluded on Oct. 15.   The post Villagers Flee as Govt Troops Clash with KIA in Hpakant appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

From the Archive: Photos of Burma’s Historic By-elections Posted: 07 Oct 2015 04:33 AM PDT Click to view slideshow. In the days leading up to the early April by-election that put opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Parliament, the streets were alive with enthusiasm and excitement over The Lady and her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD). Iconic imagery lined the avenues of Rangoon and nearly every taxi that traversed them. Photographers clambered up trees and over fences to catch a glimpse of Suu Kyi as she arrived at polling stations or rally points. In Wah Thin Kha village, where Suu Kyi spent the night on the eve of the vote, locals said the crowds surpassed any festival the area had ever seen. Children donning NLD T-shirts and stickers on their faces shouted "Mother Suu! Mother Suu!" whenever a vehicle passed by. Local people, young and old alike, were outspoken when interviewed by journalists from all over the world. There was no fear on their faces, even in front of large TV cameras. A 95-year-old Karen woman, Daw Aye, said openly just before entering the polling station, "I will vote for Aung San Suu Kyi." As a general election nears on Nov. 8 and Suu Kyi once again takes to the road to rally her supporters, The Irrawaddy looks back on this photo series documenting the historic vote and the exhilarating atmosphere that swept the nation just before the poll. The post From the Archive: Photos of Burma's Historic By-elections appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Paunglaung Dam Violates Norms and Destroys Lives, Study Finds Posted: 07 Oct 2015 04:09 AM PDT Households displaced from Paunglaung because of Upper Palaung Dam. (Photo: Physicians for Human Rights) RANGOON — Displacement caused by the Paunglaung dam in eastern Burma's Shan State was carried out in violation of human rights and has resulted in the deterioration of health, food security and livelihoods, according to a survey carried out by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR). The findings, published earlier this week in a report titled, "Forced Displacements and Destroyed Lives Around the Upper Paunglaung Dam in Shan State, Myanmar," showed that international guidelines were not followed during the displacement process leaving lasting effects on the communities moved to make way for the 61 square kilometer reservoir. "Myanmar [Burma] authorities have, once again, not bothered following international guidelines when evicting families, forcing them deeper into poverty," said Widney Brown, PHR's director of programs and the report's principal author. PHR surveyed a total of 80 consenting households, interviewing participants about the displacement procedures, relocation process and post-move conditions. Over the course of nine months, the researchers found that the project ultimately resulted in a loss of jobs and income, increased food insecurity and poverty, and limited access to improved water sources. Sixty-four percent of those surveyed said they accepted a relocation scheme because they felt threatened or afraid of what would happen if they refused, and 84 percent dropped below the poverty line after the relocation. Ninety-three percent of respondents said their overall living situation had become worse since they were displaced. Ninety-one percent said they did not have enough money to make ends meet. Forty-five percent cited insufficient access to drinking water. Eighty-one percent of respondents should be referred to a professional consultant to seek treatment for depression, the report said, as mental illness and alcoholism appear on the rise. The Upper Paunglaung dam supplies electricity to the capital Naypyidaw and lies on the Paunglaung River in southern Shan State, an area prone to conflict between the Burmese government and ethnic rebels. The project was jointly developed by Chinese, Swiss, and British firms, and was completed in 2013, according to PHR. Some 8,000 people from 23 villages were relocated to make way for the development. Deputy Minister for Electric Power Aung Than Oo recently told the Lower House of Parliament that the ministry had developed a acceptable system for dealing with displacement related to energy projects, which included construction of new villages complete with homes, roads and water supply. He also testified that measures were in place to ensure that compensation reached the hands of those displaced. "Though [authorities] have given verbal promises, the situation is very bad, in reality," affected villager Min Min Htay told reporters in Rangoon. "We don't have enough food, sources of livelihood are scarce and we have difficulty accessing drinking water. Some people got depressed because they lost their farms, and even tried to commit suicide by taking poison." PHR is a New York-based advocacy group that focuses on physical and psychological impacts on communities on the frontlines of human rights crises. Operating in more than 60 countries, PHR specializes in using forensic documentation to assess human rights conditions. A number of Burma-based civil society organizations assisted PHR in carrying out the Paunglaung survey, including Land In Our Hands (LIOH), Kayan New Generation Youth (KNGY) and six other local organizations. The post Paunglaung Dam Violates Norms and Destroys Lives, Study Finds appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

KIA Suspected in Shooting Death of Hpakant Jade Trader Posted: 07 Oct 2015 03:17 AM PDT Hand-pickers search for jade through rubble dumped by mining companies at a jade mine in Hpakant Township. (Photo: Minzayar / Reuters) RANGOON — Colleagues of a 35-year-old man shot dead in a Hpakant village have accused soldiers from the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) of responsibility for the killing. The deceased, Tun Lwin, was a member of the Shan Ni, or Red Shan, ethnic group and a member of the Tai-Leng Nationalities Development Party (TNDP) who operated as a mineral trader in the jade-rich village of Namt Maw. "[He] was shot four times in his head and chest by two gunmen on a motorbike at his home at 4:15pm on Monday," said Khin Maung Lwin, the head of the TNDP's Tun Lwin's brother has filed a murder case at the Hpakant police station. Local residents told The Irrawaddy that his brother believed the killing had resulted from a taxation dispute over jade products. Hpakant police officer Thant Zaw Oo told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that the suspects were believed to be two KIA soldiers in their thirties. Several local KIA sources contacted by The Irrawaddy said they were unfamiliar with the incident. Jurisdiction of Hpakant Township's lucrative jade mines is contested between the Burmese government and Kachin rebel troops, and mining operations in the area have periodically halted since the breakdown of a ceasefire between the government and KIA in 2011. Locals and police officers have told The Irrawaddy that the area is facing heightened tension in the wake of recent military operations in Kachin State. Khin Maung Lwin, who is also an Upper House candidate for the TNDP in Hpakant, said that Tun Lwin's body had been sent to the Shan Ni Literature and Culture Association office in Seik Mu village, two miles away from his home in Namt Maw, after an autopsy in Hpakant hospital. Tun Lwin is survived by his wife and daughter. The post KIA Suspected in Shooting Death of Hpakant Jade Trader appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Murder Victim’s Body Discovered in Travel Suitcase Near Mount Yankin Posted: 06 Oct 2015 11:53 PM PDT The suitcase containing the man found dead on Mount Yankin. (Photo: Mandalay News Images) RANGOON — The body of a man aged in his forties has been found in a suitcase* on the road leading to the summit of Mount Yankin in Mandalay's eastern outskirts, according to the Patheingyi Township police force. Officers said they investigated the scene on Tuesday morning after receiving a report that the deceased man, whose body showed signs of beating and torture wounds, had been found stuffed inside the 2 by 1.5 foot suitcase. "We're still investigating the case and identifying the victim. We have not yet determined what the charge will be," a township police officer told The Irrawaddy. Police said the victim had a two-inch long stab wound on the left side of his head, along with bruising on his forehead and lips. *Correction, Oct. 7, 2015: This article originally stated the deceased’s body was found inside a packing crate.  The post Murder Victim's Body Discovered in Travel Suitcase Near Mount Yankin appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

House of Schemes: Office No. 37 in Naypyidaw Posted: 06 Oct 2015 11:33 PM PDT Click to view slideshow. Government office building No. 37 is located on a quiet corner of Yaza Thingaha Road near the Ministry of Livestock & Fisheries in Burma's capital. Though the compound appeared empty when The Irrawaddy recently visited, a few well-equipped police officers manned the main gate, eager to prevent attempts to photograph. This is the office that a recent article in the local "Tomorrow News Journal" suggested was planned to be the headquarters of a proposed "Supreme Council," to be headed by former dictator Gen Than Shwe and his deputy Maung Aye. The plan, however, was reportedly aborted after Maung Aye refused to join. On Google Maps, the location of the office appears to fall under the Ministry of Industry (1). When calling the office telephone number however, the receiver offered only vague responses. A military source affirmed the theory that Office No. 37 was intended to house a council to be chaired by Than Shwe. The compound, which hosts a meeting room and a large car park, is now empty, the source said. Future plans for the building remain unknown. When I mentioned the office to several current senior government ministers, they seemed to register the name. Yes, one minister said, there was a plan to form a supreme council, but it didn't eventuate. Perhaps in its place, since 2011, Burma's top body has been the National Defense and Security Council—an 11-member council comprised of the president; the commander-in-chief and his deputy; the two parliamentary speakers and vice-presidents; and four ministers that has a lead role in a State of Emergency. Adding to the intrigue, not far from Office 37 stands Than Shwe's lavish residence, near Water Fountain Park. Sources said the office was supposed to be the administrative locale from which the ex-dictator would oversee the country's political transition. A former military officer serving in the bureaucracy told me recently there was nothing wrong with the idea of a patron guiding a country through a period of political change. "Like in China or North Korea or Singapore, the country [Burma] needs guidance," he told me through a sea of cigarette smoke. His reference to North Korea was curious. The Korean Workers' Party maintains a secretive complex called Office 39 in Pyongyang that the US Treasury Department has described as "a secretive branch of the government of North Korea… engaging in illicit economic activities and managing slush funds and generating revenues for the leadership." Did Burma's military leadership take inspiration from the North Korean regime, with whom it strengthened ties during the 1990s when both countries were internationally ostracized? Enduring Intrigue Senior government and military figures insist ex-junta leader Than Shwe no longer exercises influence. However, many leading officials still meet with him to pay their respects on various anniversaries or special occasions. Regular visitors to Than Shwe's residence include heavy-hitters President Thein Sein; army chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing; parliamentary speakers Khin Aung Myint and Shwe Mann; and Htay Oo who is currently joint chairman of the ruling party after the ouster of Shwe Mann. The late Aung Thaung, widely known as a political hardliner who was believed to be among the wealthiest men in the country before he died in July, was also a Than Shwe acolyte. Why? Aside from access to power, Than Shwe provided the political and financial stability that patrons such as Aung Thaung could count on. Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing spoke of his respect for the former junta supremo during a recent interview with Radio Free Asia, emphasizing that he did not continue to wield any influence over the current government. "He's living peacefully by himself in retirement. I sometimes go to see him to pay my respects on religious occasions, but I do this because he's the father of the Tatmadaw," Min Aung Hlaing said. "He gives advice on the betterment of the Tatmadaw, but he won't say, 'Do this' or 'do that.' He often stresses the need for us to maintain unity and to work for the country. We don't discuss the current political process." Debate over Than Shwe's lingering influence resurfaced when Union Parliament speaker Shwe Mann was removed as head of the Union Solidarity and Development Party in a dramatic late night purge in August. Other dictators such as Gen Ne Win continued to exercise influence following their ostensible departures from the political stage. Four years after Ne Win stood down amid the political turmoil of 1988, he still reportedly played a role in the dismissal of regime leader Gen. Saw Maung. But Than Shwe wasn't forced to step down. He carefully planned his retreat, even earning discreet praise from some Rangoon-based diplomats as a skilled political "chess player." 'Supreme' Exit Strategy So what happened to the idea of a "Supreme Council?" After a 2010 election widely viewed as rigged, in March 2011, Than Shwe officially handed power to the new quasi-civilian regime, dissolving the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). Executive power was transferred to the loyal general Thein Sein who first served under Than Shwe as General Staff Officer in the War Office in the mid-1990s. Today, almost all of the country's key political players are former military men. According to his grand strategy, Than Shwe wanted to leave politics "alive"—avoiding a scenario that befell several former regime figures, from Gen Ne Win to former intelligence chief Khin Nyunt, who spent time in jail or under house arrest. A senior member of the previous regime recalled that during a meeting Than Shwe once remarked that he worried for his children's future after his tenure. He did not elaborate and those present were left to silently decode the comment. But the dictator's wish to create a council through which power could be exercised behind the scenes was reportedly met with firm resistance. According to the "Tomorrow News Journal," five senior members of the SPDC, including Than Shwe and Maung Aye, were to be on the council which was ultimately shot down by the latter regime second-in-command. Maung Aye's Low-Key Withdrawal Interestingly, the article effectively portrays Maung Aye as a hero and a professional soldier. After the military reigns were officially handed to Min Aung Hlaing and deputy Soe Win, Maung Aye diligently packed his bags, the journal wrote. A graduate from the first intake of the Defense Services Academy in 1959, the battle hardened general was known for his heavy drinking and, of course, a penchant for golf. But he was not seen as politically savvy, despite heading Burma's Trade Policy Council, and was more attuned to matters of defense and security. When a nationwide pro-democracy uprising was brutally crushed in 1988, Maung Aye was serving as Eastern Region regional commander, based in Shan State. In 1992, he was summoned to Rangoon to become army chief and the junta's number two. This was interpreted as a shrewd move to calm rising tension among field commanders at the prospect of ambitious intelligence chief Gen Khin Nyunt rising to the top post. It is safe to say Maung Aye's appointment ushered in a temporary truce between competing top leaders. Maung Aye saw himself as a soldier, not a politician. He was, thus, an unthreatening choice as Than Shwe's deputy. According to the journal, at his farewell gathering in Naypyidaw, Maung Aye told senior staff that he "wouldn't make the same mistake" as others by clinging to power. This was interpreted as a parting shot at the proposed supreme council. "We should all leave politics once and for all," he was reported to have said to his staff officers. The journal states that upon learning of Maung Aye's opposition, Than Shwe aborted plans for the council as he didn't want to be seen as a typically "power hungry general." After leaving the capital, Maung Aye traveled to his native Kantbalu in Sagaing Division, where he ordained as a monk. He spent several weeks in the monkhood before holidaying in some of his favorite places such as Putao in Kachin State and Pyin Oo Lwin in Mandalay Division. Maung Aye didn't return to Naypyidaw where a plush residence was built for his family next to Than Shwe's own compound. In July 2012, he suffered a serious stoke and flew to Singapore for medical treatment. He has been in a wheelchair since. A 'Pleasant' Retirement In contrast to Maung Aye, Than Shwe seems to enjoy the leafy surrounds of his residence in Naypyidaw. The ex-general and his family reportedly often visit Mt. Pleasant Hotel on the outskirts of Naypyidaw where he can take in the hilltop view of the capital he ordered built from scratch over a decade ago. Several armed guards are known to accompany him and his family on this regular sojourn and when the ex-general is in the hotel's observation tower, no one is allowed to enter the building. From this vantage point, which has also been visited by foreign dignitaries and ministers in the past, Than Shwe likes to take his lunch. Hotel staff and several officers said he can often be seen using a pair of heavy duty binoculars to look out over the country's administrative center. With possible plans for a more hands-on role as political overseer behind him, the former regime leader is perhaps reconciled to a retirement spent simply watching on. The post House of Schemes: Office No. 37 in Naypyidaw appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Christian Pastor Survives Knife Attack at Home in Bangladesh Posted: 06 Oct 2015 10:30 PM PDT Muslim devotees at the Bishwa Ijtema gathering in Dhaka, Jan. 11. (Photo: Reuters) DHAKA — A Bangladeshi pastor survived an attempt on his life by three men who came to his home pretending to want to learn about Christianity, police and the victim said Tuesday. The attempt follows two killings of foreigners last week in the predominantly Muslim country grappling with violence claimed by hardline Islamic groups. The Islamic State group claimed it had carried out last week’s attacks on a Japanese agricultural worker and an Italian aid worker. The IS claim has been rejected by Bangladesh’s government, which accused the opposition of trying to destabilize the country. On Monday, the Rev. Luke Sarker, 52, suffered minor injuries when three men attacked him with a knife at his home in the northwestern district of Pabna, police official Siddikur Rahman said. Sarker, the pastor of Faith Bible Church, said the men had phoned him about two weeks ago saying they wanted to visit him to learn about Christianity. After they arrived at his home on Monday, the men suddenly attacked him with a knife and tried to slit his throat, Sarker said by telephone. But as he shouted, his wife came to his rescue and the men fled. Police later recovered a motorbike from outside his home. On Tuesday, police arrested a member of the Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of the opposition Jamaat-e-Islami political party, related to the attack on the pastor. Obaidul Islam was detained in a raid at his home at Ishwardi in Pabna, local police official Biman Kumar said. “We are questioning him,” Kumar said. Meanwhile, police said they have arrested two suspects in Saturday’s attack on Japanese agricultural worker Kunio Hoshi in northern Bangladesh. Local businessman Humayun Kabir Hira and opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party activist Rashedunnabi Khan Biplob were produced before a magistrate and arrested, said local police Chief Rezaul Karim. Biplob, Hira and three others were detained soon after the killing but were not initially named as suspects. The others are still being questioned but so far are not considered suspects, Karim said. Hira owned a fishery near the farm where Hoshi was producing high-yielding grass as cattle feed and had helped the Japanese man lease the land he was farming, Karim said. The Islamic State group issued a statement claiming responsibility for that attack, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadi postings online. The report could not be independently confirmed. The Islamic State also claimed responsibility for the Sept. 28 killing of Italian aid worker Cesare Tavella in Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital. Foreign Minister A.H. Mahmood Ali brushed aside the Islamic State allegations while briefing foreign diplomats Tuesday. “We don’t have any proof (about IS claim). We don’t have any credible information. The US is also working to verify the claim,” the United News of Bangladesh agency quoted the minister as saying. Robert Gibson, British high commissioner to Dhaka, said that they discussed the overall situation. He said the government assured them of a fair investigation. “We’re assured by the government that no stone will be left unturned,” the agency quoted Gibson as saying. The government has blamed the country’s main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its key ally, Jamaat-e-Islami, for the attacks, accusing the groups of trying to destabilize the country. The BNP denied the allegations. Bangladesh has been struggling in recent months with a rise in violence claimed by hardline Islamic groups, banning several that have been blamed for killing four secular bloggers this year. The post Christian Pastor Survives Knife Attack at Home in Bangladesh appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Australian Court Tests Legality of Offshore Detention for Asylum Seekers Posted: 06 Oct 2015 10:20 PM PDT Demonstrators hold a banner during a rally in support of asylum seekers in central Sydney. (Photo: Daniel Munoz / Reuters) SYDNEY — Australia’s highest court will begin considering on Wednesday whether the policy of sending asylum seekers to the tiny South Pacific nation of Nauru for long-term detention is in breach of the constitution, a major challenge to the controversial policy. The hearings at the High Court, which are scheduled to last two days, will test for the first time whether Australia has the legal right to participate in the offshore detention of asylum seekers—the backbone of its immigration policy for five years. Asylum seekers have long been a contentious political issue in Australia, although it has never received anywhere near the number of refugees currently flooding into Europe as they flee conflict in the Middle East and North Africa. Successive Australian governments have vowed to stop asylum seekers reaching the mainland, turning boats back to Indonesia when it can and sending those it cannot for detention in camps on Manus island in impoverished Papua New Guinea and on Nauru. Harsh conditions at the camps, including reports of systemic child abuse, have been strongly criticised by the United Nations and human rights groups. The case has been brought on behalf of a pregnant Bangladeshi asylum seeker, who was brought to Australia from Nauru because of serious health complications and is now being forcibly returned with her infant child. “This woman has a 10-month-old baby and she wants to rebuild her life somewhere safe and somewhere where she can move on with certainty. It is abundantly clear that can’t happen on Nauru,” Daniel Webb, Director of Legal Advocacy at the Human Rights Law Centre, told reporters. Nauru unexpectedly said on Monday that all 600 asylum seekers held there would be allowed to move freely around the island and that all their asylum applications would be processed this week. New Australia Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said last month he was concerned about conditions in the camps but gave no indication of a major policy change. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said Nauru’s decisions were unconnected to the High Court challenge. Australia has defended its detention policy as necessary to stop deaths at sea. No one processed at the Nauru or Papua New Guinea camps is eligible to be settled in Australia, even if they are found to be genuine refugees. The camps have also been criticized because it has become almost impossible for outside observers to gain access. An independent UN investigator postponed an official visit to Australia last month, citing a lack of government cooperation and “unacceptable” legal restrictions. Some investors in the company that runs the camps, Transfield Services Ltd, have said they will push for greater transparency and oversight. The post Australian Court Tests Legality of Offshore Detention for Asylum Seekers appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Japan’s Abe Set to Keep Allies in Key Posts as Attention Returns to Economy Posted: 06 Oct 2015 10:09 PM PDT Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks during a news conference at his official residence in Tokyo, Oct. 6, 2015. (Photo: Yuya Shino / Reuters) TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is set to retain close allies in key posts in a cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday, playing it safe as he refocuses on the economy after enacting divisive security legislation that dented his popularity. Half of the current 18 cabinet members will retain their portfolios, including Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, Finance Minister Taro Aso and Economics Minister Akira Amari, according to media reports. Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida will also stay. Maverick lawmaker Taro Kono, a frequent government critic, is expected to be appointed minister for administrative reform, a position similar to that he recently held in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Abe tapped veteran lawmaker Motoo Hayashi, 68, for the trade and industry portfolio, replacing Yoichi Miyazawa after just over one year. Hiroshi Hase, a former professional wrestler, will replace Hakubun Shimomura as education minister, media reported. Shimomura had said he would stand down over missteps that forced the scrapping of plans for a new national stadium as the centerpiece of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Abe's attempt to boost his ratings with a broad cabinet makeover, including five women, backfired in September 2014 when two ministers quickly resigned over scandals. This time he was expected to opt for stability as he refocuses on the economy after the unpopular security legislation passed. Abe will also promote Katsunobu Kato, a deputy chief cabinet secretary, to a new post in charge of his latest goal to build a "Society in Which All 100 Million People Can be Active". The slogan, Abe aides say, is meant to show that all Japanese will be included in economic growth. However, some have said it echoes wartime propaganda. Kato will also take over the job of promoting a more active role by women in society, one of Abe's pet policies. The number of women in the cabinet, however, dropped to three from five. He will coordinate policies to raise the low fertility rate and reform Japan's creaking social security system. Koichi Hagiuda, an LDP aide to Abe, will replace Kato, media said. Hagiuda, 48, has sometimes caused headaches for Abe's government with outspoken comments on Japan's wartime past, a topic that often frays ties with China. Abe has been trying to demonstrate renewed commitment to fixing the stale economy. He recently unveiled three new policy "arrows" that aides say subsume an original trio of hyper-easy monetary policy, public spending and reform. The new targets are to expand the economy by one-fifth to 600 trillion yen (US$5 trillion), boost the fertility rate and reform the overburdened social welfare system. The post Japan's Abe Set to Keep Allies in Key Posts as Attention Returns to Economy appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

You are subscribed to email updates from The Irrawaddy. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States