The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Calls for More Female Voices in Burma’s Peace Process
• Authorities to Investigate ‘Illegal Import’ of Hpakant Trucks, Machinery
• After Much Deliberation, Investment Law Approved by Parliament
• Suu Kyi: No Plans to Sack Workers in Public Sector Overhaul Plan
• Reporter Guilty of Praying for Persecuted Journalists Illegally
• Rights Group Calls for Better Protection of Migrant Workers in Thailand
• NLD, Ethnic Armed Groups Meet to Hash Out Peace Framework
• Activists Get Two Years for Role in Shwepyithar Industrial Strikes
• Exhibition Offers Sounds, Sights From the Golden Triangle
• China Warns of Widespread Smog, Issues Second ‘Red Alert’
• Cambodian Garment Makers Ask Government to Quash Strike
• Japan, Indonesia Boost Security Ties, Eye Defense Equipment Transfers

Calls for More Female Voices in Burma’s Peace Process Posted: 18 Dec 2015 04:57 AM PST Government chief negotiator Minister Aung Min shakes hands with Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) leader Nai Hong Sar as they exchange the draft nationwide ceasefire text on March 31. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — As Burma looks next month toward the start of a political dialogue aimed at ending decades of civil war, women's rights activists this week reiterated calls for the inclusion of more female voices in the process. In the lead-up to those talks, female participation in peace negotiations has been low and their needs have not been adequately addressed or have been left off the agenda completely, according to three women who have been involved. Doi Bu, a sitting ethnic Kachin lawmaker, on Thursday shared how she had to take the initiative in order to participate in the peace process, requesting to be on the parliamentary Ethnic Affairs and Peace Committee, whose members are also part of the national-level Union Peacemaking Working Committee (UWPC). As a member of the UWPC, she later requested to observe peace talks and in 2012 was able to sit in on the ceasefire signing between the government and the Pa-O National Organization (PNO), as well as observing peace talks with the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) in Laiza, Kachin State. Raising the issue of greater women's inclusion, however, resulted in her later being excluded from peace negotiations, she claimed, speaking at a discussion on women's participation in the peace process, hosted by the Alliance for Gender Inclusion in the Peace Process and the Swedish Embassy. "We still need to urge more inclusion of women. … We have found that there is more to be done to address the concerns of women. Rather than being excluded for having different views, [more female representation would] produce more fruitful discussion of different views," Doi Bu said. Nang Raw Zakhung, deputy director of the Nyein Foundation, recounted her experience having served as a technical advisor for the KIO and Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT), roles that put her in rarified air as women in Burma go: Over the course of nine meetings between government negotiators and their NCCT counterparts, there were two women advisors from the government-affiliated Myanmar Peace Center (MPC) and two from the NCCT. Advocates of greater women's participation want to see that number much higher going forward and, according to Nang Raw Zakhung, pushed unsuccessfully to have 30 percent female representation included in the text of the nationwide ceasefire agreement, in reference to the coming political dialogue. In the end, the text reads merely: "We shall include a reasonable number/ratio of women representatives in the political dialogue process." "[The ratio] of women participating in the NCA [nationwide ceasefire agreement negotiations] was frustrating. It's more frustrating for someone who can't participate in the discussion," said Nang Raw Zakhung, an ethnic Kachin peace facilitator, as a member of Thursday's panel. A 30 percent figure is included in the text of the framework for political dialogue finalized this week, but that proportional benchmark is not mandatory and is rather a goal that participants should strive for. Whatever percentage is ultimately arrived at, it is almost certain to be an improvement over women's representation to date. Among the leadership of the ethnic armed organizations, only one woman, Saw Mra Razar Lin, has been part of the peace talks since the creation of the NCCT, a grouping of 16 ethnic armed groups. With the nationwide ceasefire's signing on Oct. 15, a newly formed Union Political Dialogue Joint Committee to draft the framework for the talks in January fared little better in terms of female representation: Out of 48 members, only three women were included representing political parties and ethnic armed groups, while there were no women on the government side of the tripartite committee. Less impress still, there are no women among the 26 members of the Union-level Joint Monitoring Committee, likewise a tripartite body formed last month. Nang Raw Zakhung said there are still hopes that women can do better than this on the six state-level monitoring committees still to be set up. Asked why women should be included in peace negotiations, and in what ways the process might benefit from their involvement, Mi Kun Chan Non of the Mon Women's Network, recalled her experience as an observer at a meeting between the New Mon State Party (NMSP) and the MPC. It was there that a female representative from the KIO initiated a fruitful discussion after the formal meeting, focusing on the situation of children in conflict-wracked Kachin State, said Mi Kun Chan Non, the third panelist for Thursday's discussion. Citing this as an example, she said women had different perspectives and priorities compared with men, which could prove helpful in discussions about conflict and peace. Nang Raw Zakhung echoed the sentiment, saying women's views and their greater propensity toward empathy might benefit the difficult negotiations to come in what is expected to be a years-long, grueling political dialogue. "Our country's leaders should know these differences. We are not saying women are better, but we have different skills and for the state, it should make use of women's skills effectively." Nang Raw Zakhung added that women were also the main victims of armed conflict, and often suffered the brunt of the consequences in the aftermath of war. "As we are those who suffer the consequences of it, we are also those who would like to think more about peace. That's why women's strengths, views and approval should be sought." The post Calls for More Female Voices in Burma's Peace Process appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Authorities to Investigate ‘Illegal Import’ of Hpakant Trucks, Machinery Posted: 18 Dec 2015 04:18 AM PST Trucks are seen at a mine dump in Hpakant, Kachin State. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters) MANDALAY — The government says it is investigating the possible illegal import of heavy machinery from China to work in the mines of Kachin State, following reports that jade production in Kachin State had ramped up in recent months due to uncertainty about the next government's intentions toward the industry. Over recent weeks, reports of a rise in the number of dump trucks seen in Hpakant have spread over social media, with locals urging the government to intervene. On Friday, state-run newspapers reported that the import of trucks and heavy machinery through the Kan Pai Tee border checkpoint would be suspended over the course of the investigation, at the same time asserting that all vehicles hitherto imported through the border were brought in legally. According to Tin Ye Win, the director-general of the Department of Transport, 880 dump trucks and earthmoving vehicles were legally imported through the checkpoint in recent months and permitted to drive through to the Kachin capital of Myitkyina. In another turn, Friday's report also claimed that the Ministry of Commerce had seized 700 illegally imported vehicles in Kachin State, but without mentioning the type of vehicles or whether they were imported to work in Hpakant's jade mines. Concerns over the the ramp-up of jade production have been raised in recent weeks, with villagers claiming the dumping of mine tailings is leaving a serious ecological impact in nearby villages and raising the risk of landslides and floods. Last week, residents of five villages around Hpakant established a roadblock to stop dump trucks from taking mine waste away from the jade mine site. Some locals, claimed to be the leaders of the blockade, were detained by a group of men claiming to be members of the Kachin Independence Army on Monday, and have not been heard from since. In late November, a deadly landslide claimed the lives of at least 114 prospectors working to find jade residue in a mine site. The government has said it will shortly announce plans to address longstanding safety concerns in the Hpakant mines. The post Authorities to Investigate 'Illegal Import' of Hpakant Trucks, Machinery appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

After Much Deliberation, Investment Law Approved by Parliament Posted: 18 Dec 2015 03:49 AM PST The Union Parliament has approved the country's long-delayed update to foreign investment laws. (Photo: Kim Hong-Ji / Reuters) RANGOON — After months of deliberation, Burma's new investment law was approved by a joint sitting of Parliament on Thursday, replacing interim laws passed earlier in the term of President Thein Sein. The law, which combines the 2012 Foreign Investment Law and the 2013 Myanmar Citizens Investment Law, alters the mandate of the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) and adds some nominal human rights protections to future foreign investment projects, among other changes. "The amendments allow more state and regional involvement in investment. They don't change the percentage of joint venture companies set out in the Foreign Investment Law," said Khin Shwe, an outgoing Upper House lawmaker and chairman of the Zaykabar Group of Companies, referring to legal requirements giving local partners a majority stake in joint ventures with foreign firms. Under the changes approved on Thursday, the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) is now authorized to delegate, pending national approval, investment decisions to divisional and state authorities. There will also be more coordination between regional and Union governments on investment decisions. "The Myanmar Investment Commission works at the national level now, but starting next year, state and regional governments will also be able to make investment decisions. That's the major change to the law," Khin Shwe told The Irrawaddy. Khine Maung Yi, a Lower House lawmaker, said that although differences of opinion between the Lower and Upper houses had been resolved, there were other important economic bills that needed the approval of Naypyidaw before the new parliament is seated at the end of January. "The two amendment bills were approved, but the most important task in the coming days will be to enact the Condominium Law and the Special Goods Law," he said. Though the bill is expected to attract more international investors to the country, Hlaing Tharyar Industrial Zone chairman Myat Thin Aung complained that the bill gave preferential treatment to foreign operators, noting that prospective local partners were not given the same five-year tax exemption provisions under the law. "We thought that the Myanmar Citizens Investment Law would provide similar domestic benefits to companies, but that didn't seem to be the case," he said. "President U Thein Sein pledged that tax exemption would be available to small- and medium-size enterprises whose net income is up to 30 million kyats (US$23,010) per year. In reality, this only applies to home industries." Aung Naing Oo, director-general of the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration, told reporters in September that the investment law addressed human rights concerns raised by non-governmental organizations in the past. The post After Much Deliberation, Investment Law Approved by Parliament appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Suu Kyi: No Plans to Sack Workers in Public Sector Overhaul Plan Posted: 18 Dec 2015 02:22 AM PST Aung San Suu Kyi addresses Thursday's meeting in Naypyidaw. (NLD Chairperson's Office / Facebook) RANGOON — National League for Democracy (NLD) leader Aung San Suu Kyi has sought to assuage concerns over her plans to reform Burma's creaking bureaucracy, promising that those aligned with the military or the current government would not be discriminated against by her administration. The NLD won a landslide victory in the Nov. 8 general election, and is all but certain to form a government at the end of March after securing a majority in both houses of Union Parliament. In its campaign manifesto, the party pledged to streamline the 36 ministries in order to "decrease expenditure and establish a lean and efficient government." There are more than 90 ministers and deputy ministers under the current administrative arrangements of the Thein Sein government, most of whom are retired military personnel. The 2008 Constitution mandates that the commander-in-chief of the Burma Armed Forces is responsible for the appointment of the Border Affairs, Home Affairs and Defense ministries. At a Thursday meeting in Naypyidaw—attended by Union Parliament speaker Shwe Mann, parliamentary officials, NLD MPs and a number of government employees—Suu Kyi sought to calm the nerves of senior ministry bureaucrats, while warning that those working in the public sector would need to improve their performance. "Employees do not need to be worried," she said. "Slashing the workforce is not our policy. Even if you are incompetent, we will help you improve. Don't be afraid of NLD lawmakers, as they won because of your votes." Flagging the merger of some ministries, Suu Kyi added that government workers would be treated fairly regardless their past ties to the military or the previous government led by the Union Solidarity and Development Party." "If you want opportunity, you have to take responsibility, too. There will be no discrimination. Government employees don't need to be afraid of us," she said. The post Suu Kyi: No Plans to Sack Workers in Public Sector Overhaul Plan appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Reporter Guilty of Praying for Persecuted Journalists Illegally Posted: 18 Dec 2015 02:13 AM PST Reporter Shwe Hmone holds up a T-shirt that reads 'Stop Killing Press' following her sentencing in Rangoon on Friday. (Photo: Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — A Rangoon court on Friday sentenced Shwe Hmone, a senior reporter for a local news journal, to a 15-day prison term or 10,000 kyats (US$7.70) fine for her involvement in a public prayer event held for persecuted journalists late last year. She was convicted under Article 19 of the Peaceful Assembly Law after charges were brought in June for her participation in a demonstration on Nov. 2, 2014, to mark International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists. About 150 people gathered at a pagoda in Rangoon to pray for the wellbeing of Burmese journalists subjected to violence or imprisonment. Organizers sought local authorities' permission to hold the event, but were only granted approval to gather at a sports field in Tamwe Township, with the activists then deciding to defy the restriction. Shwe Hmone, who works for the Thamaga News Journal, told The Irrawaddy that though she would have opted to serve the short prison stint, her media colleagues instead paid the financial penalty at the courthouse on Friday. "I believe I am not guilty. We don't need permission to pray at a pagoda from the authorities. It is clear that they intentionally persecuted me because I am a media worker," she said. Shwe Hmone is just the latest of several journalists to face persecution or criminal prosecution in recent years, most after their reporting offended people or institutions in positions of power. In July of last year, a Pakokku Township court sentenced four journalists and the CEO of the Unity weekly journal to 10 years' imprisonment with hard labor under the State Secrets Act, after reporting allegations that a Burma Army facility in Magwe Division was being used to manufacture chemical weapons. A divisional court later reduced the sentences of the five men from 10 to seven years, following an appeal by the defendants. About three months later, the freelance journalist Aung Kyaw Naing, also known as Par Gyi, was shot dead after being apprehended by the Burma Army, ostensibly under suspicion of affiliation with a Karen ethnic rebel group operating in Mon State, where he was killed. In April of this year, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) ranked Burma the world's ninth most censored country. "There were many unfair cases against journalists who were detained, charged, and jailed in the last year but the real culprits of the cases are not yet held accountable," Shwe Hmone said Friday, adding that her defense team would file an appeal in the coming days. The post Reporter Guilty of Praying for Persecuted Journalists Illegally appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rights Group Calls for Better Protection of Migrant Workers in Thailand Posted: 18 Dec 2015 12:23 AM PST A group of labor activists and migrant workers pose for a photograph during a Friday march in Mahachai to mark on International Migrant Day. (Photo: Migrant Worker Rights Network / Facebook) CHIANG MAI, Thailand — A Thai-based rights group has marked International Migrants Day on Friday by calling on the governments of Thailand and its regional neighbors to guarantee better conditions for the estimated four million migrant workers in the country. An estimated three million migrant workers in Thailand are Burmese nationals, according to the Migrant Worker Rights Network (MWRN), which was founded in 2009 by Burmese expatriates seeking to improve working conditions in Thailand's precarious migrant labor market. The rest largely hail from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. A statement released by MWRN on Friday called on regional governments to implement more transparent policies on living and working permissions for migrants in Thailand, as well as adopting a system for safer migration routes and programs to combat human trafficking. British labor rights activist Andy Hall, MWRN's international affairs adviser, told The Irrawaddy on Friday that two of the biggest issues facing migrant workers in Thailand are the uncertainty of the legal framework and the unscrupulous behavior of intermediaries brokering jobs for prospective migrants. "The main problem now is that a lack of transparent policy between Thailand and countries of origin such as Burma and Cambodia. They have no long-term policy. And there are a lot of problems with the brokers and agencies," said Hall. Migrants are typically permitted to work in Thailand for four to six years. According to an MWRN statement, many hundreds of thousands of migrants are facing the imminent expiry of their work permits and will choose to stay on as undocumented workers rather than pay exorbitant fees to travel to their home countries and renew their permissions. Migrant workers in this position are often unaware of their rights and are vulnerable to exploitation or extortion by brokers, agents and local authorities, said Hall. The MWRN has appealed to Thailand and its neighbors to implement new rules to allow in-country renewal of work permits without the need for brokers or employment agencies to mediate the process. According to the MWRN's Friday statement, the majority of migrant workers in the country arrived without following any formal processes arranged between their country of origin and Thailand. Workers were often compelled to pay through brokerages several times the cost of required identification documents to organize their passage abroad.  In Burma's case, the government fixed the price of a temporary passport at 550 baht (US$15.20), with their Thai counterparts charging 500 baht ($13.85) for a two-year visa. Employment agencies and brokers usually charge between 5,000 and 9,000 baht ($139-$249) to secure the documents, which allow them to become documented workers under Thailand's national verification process. "As a result, these millions of Burmese migrants have over the decades faced various serious challenges such as exploitation by brokers and have also too often become victims of human trafficking due to a risky irregular status," it said. Rights groups estimate approximately 1.7 million migrant workers from Burma have completed the national verification process and hold a temporary passport. Andy Hall said that the MWRN had worked to educate migrant workers about their rights and advocate for improved working conditions in the industries they dominate, but safety problems and exploitation were entrenched problems. "There are still a lot of problems in their workplaces, for example diseases and accidents," he said. "There are a lot of construction accidents. These are problems and the migrants don’t get compensation." A public march and information seminar organized by MWRN on Friday saw representatives from other rights groups and Thailand's Ministry of Labour descend on the port town Mahachai, a port town near Bangkok home to a large community of Burmese migrants. The post Rights Group Calls for Better Protection of Migrant Workers in Thailand appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

NLD, Ethnic Armed Groups Meet to Hash Out Peace Framework Posted: 17 Dec 2015 11:39 PM PST Aung San Suu Kyi and a delegation of nationwide ceasefire agreement signatories after a meeting in Naypyidaw on Dec. 17, 2015 (Photo: Facebook / Center for Development and Ethnic Studies) At a meeting on Thursday, National League for Democracy (NLD) chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi revealed to signatories of Burma's so-called "nationwide" ceasefire agreement why she opted not to sign the contentious pact and explained her plans for advancing the country's peace process. The opposition leader, whose party won a landslide victory in Burma's Nov. 8 general election, hosted leaders from the Karen National Union (KNU), Chin National Front (CNF), Pa-O National Organization (PNO), Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) and All Burma Students Democratic Front (ABSDF), among other groups, at Suu Kyi's rule of law office in the capital Naypyidaw. "Aung San Suu Kyi told us she wants to avoid additional disunity between ethnic armed signatories and non-signatories," said KNU secretary Pado Kwe Htoo Win, adding that although Suu Kyi agreed with the ceasefire text, which was drafted by ethnic armed groups and the government, she wanted all ethnic groups to be involved in efforts to resolve ethnic conflict. So far only eight ethnic armed groups have signed the agreement, which was inked on Oct. 15. Several others have abstained, while some ethnic rebel armies have been shut out by the government. Pado Kwe Htoo Win also said Suu Kyi "appreciates our political dialogue framework because it makes it easier to accommodate changes." He said the framework for political dialogue was based on different versions drawn up by participants of the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee, which signed off on a draft on Tuesday before handing it over to President Thein Sein on Wednesday for approval. The NLD has also approved the text, and the dialogue is expected to begin in the coming weeks. "And if necessary, we can change some of the text under the NLD government," Pado Kwe Htoo Win said, referring to questions that were raised by some framework observers who are wary of proceeding with talks without having the consent of non-signatory ethnic armed groups. Some of these groups are still engaged in fighting with the Burma Army in the country's north. However, the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), a coalition of ethnic armed groups, said recently that they would collaborate with the new government to achieve peace. The nationwide ceasefire text stipulates that a framework for political dialogue must be drafted within 60 days of signing the agreement—which the committee has done—and that this dialogue must commence within 90s days. Talks are slated to start in January, under the outgoing government. It is as yet unknown when there will be another such meeting between the NLD and ethnic armed groups, but Pado Kwe Htoo Win said ethnic stakeholders are ready to collaborate with the new government in its peacebuilding efforts. The post NLD, Ethnic Armed Groups Meet to Hash Out Peace Framework appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Activists Get Two Years for Role in Shwepyithar Industrial Strikes Posted: 17 Dec 2015 11:31 PM PST Thu Zaw Kyi and Naing Zaw Kyi arrive at the Yankin Township Court in Rangoon on Dec. 17, 2015. (Photo: Facebook / ThuZaw) RANGOON — A pair of activists were sentenced to two years in prison with hard labor on Thursday in connection with labor strikes at Rangoon's Shwepyithar Industrial Zone earlier this year. The two brothers, Thu Zaw Kyi Win and Naing Zaw Kyi Win, were arrested on charges of instigating the strikes for more pay in the Shwepyithar Industrial Zone in March, after the Rangoon Division government's attempt to negotiate with the picketing laborers ended in clashes between police, vigilantes and the workers that resulted in some injuries. The two were charged under Article 505(b) of the Burmese Penal Code, covering behavior with "intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public or to any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offense against the state or against public tranquility." The article carries with it a maximum sentence of two years' imprisonment. The judge in Yankin Township ruled Thursday that the two men's period of detention while awaiting the verdict, more than nine months, be deducted from their term of imprisonment. At least 10 labor rights activists and workers who participated in the strikes are facing trial under a variety of charges. At its height in February, thousands of workers in the industrial zone had staged strikes against their foreign-owned employers, demanding higher wages. The violent confrontation that led to the breakup of one such strike on March 4 was notable for the way in which police were aided by vigilantes wearing red armbands marked with the word "duty," a scene that would repeat itself a day later in Rangoon to quell a protest against Burma's controversial National Education Law. The post Activists Get Two Years for Role in Shwepyithar Industrial Strikes appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Exhibition Offers Sounds, Sights From the Golden Triangle Posted: 17 Dec 2015 10:03 PM PST A selection of headgear of the ethnic Akha. There are more than 30 Akha sub-groups who, while holding similar worldviews and cultural practices, distinguish themselves through their unique styles of dress. (Photo: Sam Cartmell / The Irrawaddy) CHIANG MAI, Thailand — It's the culmination of Victoria Vorreiter's 10 years documenting ethnic minority music and culture in the region where Burma, Thailand, China and Laos meet—a new exhibition titled "Cultural Crossroads of the Golden Triangle," now showing at Chiang Mai University in northern Thailand. Vorreiter, a classically trained violinist, was originally drawn to the unique music emanating from the highlands of Southeast Asia. She was fascinated with how traditional music of the region encapsulated all aspects of the people's lived experiences and served as a vessel to transfer oral history from one generation to another. "I was interested in documenting the traditional music, which goes beyond the music that we know in the West, because being peoples who have an oral heritage, [their music] connects the very first ancestors to the present generation," she tells The Irrawaddy. "In this exhibit I've extended the musical traditions into the way that people dress and their spiritual beliefs," says Vorreiter, adding: "The title 'Cultural Crossroads of the Golden Triangle' represents the mixture of all these different aspects." In addition to photographs, the exhibition features displays of textiles, musical instruments and other cultural objects. Ethnographic video filmed by Vorreiter will also be screened over the duration of the exhibition. Recognizing that moving images and sound together are a powerful tool for sharing culture, Vorreiter says the videos "give you a sense of the people as they live, and as they celebrate, and as they communicate with one another through music and through ritual." "Cultural Crossroads of the Golden Triangle" will be on display at Chiang Mai University's Uniserv Center through Dec. 21 during the "Communication/Culture and Sustainable Development Goals" conference hosted by the Regional Center for Social Science and Sustainable Development. More of Vorreiter's photographs and ethnographic recordings can be found at her website, Tribal Music Asia. The post Exhibition Offers Sounds, Sights From the Golden Triangle appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China Warns of Widespread Smog, Issues Second ‘Red Alert’ Posted: 17 Dec 2015 09:57 PM PST An electric car is parked next to a street as a bicycle travels past, amid heavy smog, after the city issued its first ever "red alert" for air pollution in Beijing on Dec. 9, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) BEIJING — China warned residents across a large part of northern China on Friday to prepare for a wave of choking smog arriving over the weekend, the worst of which is expected over th3e capital Beijing, prompting the city to issue its second ever "red alert." The National Meteorological Center said the smog would stretch from Xian, home to the Terracotta Warriors, across part of central China, through Beijing and up into Shenyang and Harbin in China's frigid northeast. The air pollution will begin rolling in from about Saturday evening and last until Tuesday, with visibility in the worst affected areas such as Beijing likely to fall to less than one kilometer (0.6 miles), it said. In Beijing and parts of Hebei province, which surrounds the capital, the pollution index will probably exceed 500, it said. At levels higher than 300, residents are encouraged to remain indoors, according to government guidelines. The Beijing city government issued its first "red alert" last week following criticism that previous bouts of smog had failed to trigger the highest warning level. A red alert is triggered when the government believes air quality will surpass a level of 200 on an air quality index that measures various pollutants for at least three days. The US government deems a level of more than 200 "very unhealthy." In Beijing, a red alert means around half the vehicles are removed from the roads with an odd-even license plate system enforced, schools are recommended to close and outdoor construction banned. Beijing is not the only city to have a colored alert system, and the restrictions rolled out in the most severe cases are broadly similar. Beijing's neighboring city of Tianjin also aims to remove about half of all cars from the road in the event of a red alert. Shenyang said it was issuing an orange warning for the weekend, meaning it recommended people not spend too much time outdoors, while the Harbin government said it expected generally clear skies over the coming days with some smog spells. After decades of unbridled economic growth, China's leadership has vowed to crack down on severe levels of air, water and soil pollution, including the heavy smog that often blankets major cities. Beijing's second red alert comes after a landmark climate agreement was reached in Paris earlier this month, setting a course to move away from a fossil fuel-driven economy within decades in a bid to arrest global warming. City residents have previously criticized authorities for being too slow to issue red alerts for heavy smog, which often exceeds hazardous levels on pollution indices. Environmental Protection Minister Chen Jining vowed this month to punish agencies and officials for any failure to implement a pollution emergency response plan quickly, the state-run Global Times tabloid said. Many cities around China suffer from high levels of pollution, with Shanghai schools banning outdoor activities and authorities limiting work at construction sites and factories earlier this week. The post China Warns of Widespread Smog, Issues Second 'Red Alert' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Cambodian Garment Makers Ask Government to Quash Strike Posted: 17 Dec 2015 09:22 PM PST Garment workers on their lunch break in Phnom Penh, Oct. 8. (Photo: Samrang Pring / Reuters) PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Garment factory owners in Cambodia asked the government on Thursday to help stop a strike by workers for higher wages, saying the labor action is damaging the investment climate for the industry, the country's main source of exports. The Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia made the appeal after workers in eastern Svay Rieng province went on strike Wednesday to boost their monthly wage to US$148. The factory owners said the strikers caused injuries and serious property damage, but the provincial governor said the damage was minor and limited to one factory. Gov. Chieng Om said the strike ended Thursday when workers agreed to wait for the government's response. He said the number of strikers was less than the 30,000 claimed by union leaders. In an open letter to Prime Minister Hun Sen, the factory owners said violent strikes "severely affect the investors' feeling and their long-term investment vision." They said that on Thursday, all production in the Manhattan Special Economic Zone where the main strike action occurred was "completely stopped, causing millions of dollars in losses." However, Chieng Om said most factories were not shut by the strikers, but were closed for the sake of security, with workers just going home. Wages are a volatile issue in Cambodia, where about 700,000 people are employed in more than 700 garment and shoe factories. In 2014, the Southeast Asian country shipped about $6 billion worth of products to the United States and Europe. Unions sought an increase in the minimum monthly wage to $160 in 2016, but most settled for $140. Factory workers in Cambodia are generally better organized and more militant than in other low-cost manufacturing countries, and also are loosely allied with the political opposition. Aggressive labor strikes around the capital, Phnom Penh, in 2014 were suppressed with deadly force and led to a crackdown on government opponents. The post Cambodian Garment Makers Ask Government to Quash Strike appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Japan, Indonesia Boost Security Ties, Eye Defense Equipment Transfers Posted: 17 Dec 2015 08:45 PM PST Regional leaders gather for a family photo with US President Barack Obama at the Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Nov. 21.  (Photo: Jonathan Ernst / Reuters) TOKYO — Japan and Indonesia will strengthen their security cooperation and begin talks on transfers of defense equipment, their foreign and defense ministers said on Thursday, as China's maritime expansion leads its neighbors to forge closer ties. China's reclamation work and building of airfields on artificial islands in the Spratly archipelago have alarmed the region and raised concerns that Beijing is extending its military reach deep into maritime Southeast Asia. Thursday's agreement between Japan and Indonesia comes days after Tokyo reached an agreement with India on the legal framework for transfers of defense equipment and technology. "As the security environment in the region gets tougher, we've confirmed in today's meeting that we will fortify cooperation with Indonesia, a core Asean member, in the fields of security and defense," Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said. Kishida made the comment at a joint news conference after a meeting of the two nations' foreign and defense ministers. Indonesia is the largest member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in terms of economy and population. China has overlapping claims with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei in the South China Sea, through which US$5 trillion in sea-borne trade passes every year. For its part, Japan has been mired in a territorial spat with China over a group of tiny, uninhabited islets in the East China Sea. Japan and Indonesia agreed at Thursday's meeting that the South China Sea issue should be resolved through dialogue. Indonesian Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said he intended to work with China to improve the situation. "I believe China's stance is not as hardline as before … We intend to proceed with talks with countries including China on such matters as joint training and joint patrols in the South China Sea," the minister said through an interpreter. The post Japan, Indonesia Boost Security Ties, Eye Defense Equipment Transfers appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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