The Irrawaddy Magazine

---

• Toxic Levels of Lead, Arsenic Found in Drinking Water, Industrial Waste
• Jade Mine Protesters Freed After Alleged KIA Detention
• $3bn Deficit Forecast for 2016-17 Budget
• Finally? Kyaukphyu SEZ Tender Due Next Week, Official Claims
• Government Invites Wa, Mongla Groups to Peace Dialogue
• Memorial Held for Slain Letpadaung Protester in Sagaing
• Chinese Lawyer Gets Suspended Sentence in Online Speech Case
• Indonesia Hunts Militant Leaders After Foot Soldiers Arrested
• Junta Leader Writes New Song, Leaving Thais to Face the Music
• Women in Burma Conflict Zones Face Rape, Lack of Healthcare—UN

Toxic Levels of Lead, Arsenic Found in Drinking Water, Industrial Waste Posted: 23 Dec 2015 04:08 AM PST A stream flowing into the Pun Hlaing River at Hlaing Tharyar, Rangoon. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Commonly used sources of drinking water around Inle Lake contain dangerous levels of lead and other contaminants, according to test results by a leading local environmental group. Advancing Life And Regenerating Motherland (ALARM) has examined water quality in Rangoon's Hlaing Tharyar and Shwepyithar industrial zones, as well as water inflows into Mandalay's Taungthaman Lake and drinking water sources such as wells in villages near Inle Lake in Shan State. Each study showed dangerous levels of pollution posing substantial threats to human health. According to laboratory testing, traces of lead, iron and cadmium in drinking water samples, taken from around Inle Lake in November, were well above safety standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Union. The amount of lead in the samples was 60-110 times higher than the WHO maximum of 0.01mg per liter. "Drinking lead could lead to stillbirths, inhibited body growth and hypertension," said ALARM director Win Myo Thu. "There are a higher number of hypertension cases around Inle. It is hard to say that this is the reason…but we can certainly say that lead is harming people's health." No data on the health consequences for local communities has been collected. Win Myo Thu said that byproducts from the nearby Te Gyit coal-fired power station were a possible culprit for the contamination. Tests conducted at Taungthaman Lake between September and December show dangerously high levels of biochemical oxygen demand, a measure of water pollution. Lead contamination in the lake was recorded at 50-60 times the WHO standard in November at all three test sites. Three instances of mass-death of marine life in Taungthaman have been recorded since April. Win Myo Thu said that the lead contamination could pass into the food chain from the lake's fish stocks. "We have to look whether there is an effect from blacksmithing, dyeing and printing businesses," he added. "There are also distilleries which could be discharging waste products that absorb the lake's oxygen. If the level of oxygen in the lake declines too much, this could kill fish and plant life." Drainage water tests in Rangoon's industrial zones have shown that water quality in Shwepyithar is substantially worse than Hlaing Tharyar, with higher arsenic, lead and cadmium levels. All three chemicals are extremely toxic. Between them, chronic exposure at unsafe levels can cause cancer, respiratory illnesses, kidney and liver failure, heart disease and brain damage, amongst a litany of other diseases. In Shwepyithar, two water samples show arsenic concentrations 100 times above the UN Food and Argiculture Organization's standards, while two other samples showed lead 60 times above the WHO's safety limits. "Some of this water, in some manner, will inevitably reach drinking wells, lakes and rivers," Win Myo Thu said. ALARM, under its subsidiary Eco-Dev, reported abnormally high levels of arsenic in the groundwater at Hlaing Tharyar in June, based on two years worth of test results. Waste water from factories in the Hlaing Tharyar Industrial Zone is being discharged into the Pun Hlaing River, a tributary of the Rangoon River. He added that the testing highlighted the urgent need for the development of waste water treatment systems in Burma. "There needs to be water treatment systems for individual factories and across industrial zones," he said. "If water continues to discharge into nature [untreated], there will be severe impacts in the long term." The post Toxic Levels of Lead, Arsenic Found in Drinking Water, Industrial Waste appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Jade Mine Protesters Freed After Alleged KIA Detention Posted: 23 Dec 2015 03:17 AM PST Miners search for jade stones at a Hpakant jade mine in Kachin State, November 28, 2015. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters) MANDALAY — Seven locals of Kachin State's Hpakant, who were allegedly taken from their homes by members of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) last week, were freed on Wednesday, one of the detained told The Irrawaddy. Five men and two women who blocked trucks from dumping jade mine waste near their homes in Hpakant were allegedly apprehended by members of the Kachin armed group on Dec. 14. The detained group included members of a local social organization and hailed from Seng La, Mazut Pyan, Aung Larang and Seng Khar villages in the Hpakant region. "We don't know where the place [of detention] was, but they said it was the KIA's battalion number six," said Naw Lun, who was among the apprehended group. "They urged us not to [cause unrest] as the country is in a time of transition and to cooperate with them [the KIA] first." Hpakant locals had staged a roadblock from Dec. 10 to halt dozens of trucks planning to dump mine waste in nearby villages. The blockade was formed in response to what locals said was a spike in recent mining activity in the jade-rich region, which was hit by a deadly landslide in November that claimed the lives of over 100 prospectors. Despite the release of all seven villagers, Naw Lun said locals still worried about their security. "They didn't threaten us but the way they took us to their place without explanation saddened us," he said. "We feel that we have no one on our side to protect us, stand before us and speak for us." Unchecked mining in the region has prompted concerns among Hpakant residents over negative social and environmental impacts. According to figures from local jade merchants, more than 500 jade mining companies are now working in the area since mining resumed in late 2014. "We are going to hold a meeting very soon and will invite opinions from locals and the authorities on how we can cooperate to take care of our region," said Naw Lun. The post Jade Mine Protesters Freed After Alleged KIA Detention appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

$3bn Deficit Forecast for 2016-17 Budget Posted: 23 Dec 2015 02:51 AM PST Stacks of Burmese kyat are seen on the counter of a bank in Rangoon, Oct. 19. (Photo: Minzayar / Reuters) RANGOON — Observers say the next government will face a massive challenge in overhauling public spending when it takes office at the end of March, after the Finance Ministry submitted a budget proposal forecasting another rise in the Union government's deficit. During a Lower House session on Tuesday, lawmakers considered a 21 trillion kyat (US$16.1 billion) spending bill for the 2016-17 fiscal year, which begins on Apr. 1, after its submission by Union Finance Minister Win Shein. The bill estimates a 3.9 trillion kyat ($3 billion) deficit for the period, an 8 percent rise on the current forecast budget deficit of 3.6 trillion kyats ($2.8 billion) for 2015-16. In previous years, the budget bill was debated by the Union Parliament in February. The 2016-17 budget has been brought forward due to the transfer of power to the new government after the Nov. 8, resoundingly won by the National League for Democracy (NLD). New lawmakers will take their seats in Naypyidaw at the end of January. The budget was proposed according to the current structure of Burma's bureaucracy and includes funds allocated to state and divisional governments, according to the bill's explanatory notes. The NLD has pledged to reduce the overall number of ministries currently in operation, but at a recent Naypyidaw meeting with selected civil servants, party leader Aung San Suu Kyi said that there would be no job cuts in the public sector. Phyo Min Thein, an NLD lawmaker member of the Lower House Finance and Development Committee, said that the government's consistent deficits since the transfer to quasi-civilian rule in 2011 had taken a toll on Burma's economic prospects. "Every budget needs more money every year, that's the big barrier for the country's economic development," he said. "If country continues down the path of budget deficits it faces a dangerous situation. It is a big challenge for the new government. Our inflation rate has risen from 8 to more than 11 percent. The government has said they will try to lower it to 5 percent, but at present it's impossible." Burma's current gross domestic product is around $64 billion on current exchange rates, according to Ministry of Finance Figures, with the 2016-17 budget proposal forecasting a deficit to GDP ratio of 4.66 percent. Offsetting expenditure is 350 billion kyats ($268 million) of direct aid from international agencies for the next fiscal year. Nyo Nyo Thin, an outgoing independent lawmaker in the Rangoon Division Parliament, said that efforts to restrain government expenditure at a regional level had failed. "The current government is not leaving a healthy inheritance for the new government," she said. "Every year we have fought in parliament to solve the budget deficit, but we always lost. For as long as the current government couldn't take action on it, it will be a challenge for the next government too." In October, the World Bank forecast economic growth to reach 8.5 percent in 2014-15 before dropping back to 6.5 percent in the following fiscal year. The post $3bn Deficit Forecast for 2016-17 Budget appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Finally? Kyaukphyu SEZ Tender Due Next Week, Official Claims Posted: 23 Dec 2015 02:35 AM PST Oil tanks are seen at the oil pipeline project on Madae Island, Kyaukphyu Township, Arakan State, October 7, 2015. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters) RANGOON — Successful bidders for development of the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ) will finally be announced next week, an official has claimed, after an opaque and long-winded tender process beset by delays.  After bidding for the project, slated to include an industrial zone, a housing estate and two deep sea ports on Ramree and Maday islands in western Arakan State, closed in November 2014, the announcement of successful proposals was originally expected the following January.  Aung Kyaw Than, joint secretary of the Kyaukphyu SEZ bid evaluation committee, told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that winning bids would be revealed before the end of the year, with the body considering seven proposals.  His comments follow a directive from the president on Monday, as reported in the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar, that the tender results be swiftly announced "so that the next government can continue to implement the project."  Thein Sein supports the systematic implementation of the zone, Aung Kyaw Than said, after he met with the president, alongside two other SEZ committee members, in Naypyidaw on Monday.  Local media have speculated for months that Chinese companies are among the successful project developers, a projection Aung Kyaw Than declined to confirm on Tuesday, citing confidentiality concerns.  "What I can say is that one Burmese company is in a consortium with a foreign company," Aung Kyaw Than said, without revealing the prospects of that joint-bid. As the president sought to push the project along on Monday, over 100 local civil society groups called for development of the SEZ to be suspended until the new National League for Democracy (NLD)-led government takes power in 2016. The groups cited concerns over the project's societal impacts, particularly for farmers, with the SEZ slated to be set up on over 4,000 acres of land. Local groups that convened the All Arakan Civil Society Organization Forum (AACSOF) on Dec. 18-20 to discuss the project claimed that existing infrastructure, such as the completed oil and gas dual pipeline project, led to issues such as land confiscation and inadequate compensation that remain unresolved. "When the next project starts again, people will worry about it. We demand a temporary halt to the project and are willing to discuss it with the new government," said Tun Kyi, a forum participant on behalf of the Kyaukphyu Rural Development Association. Aung Kyaw Than said he was aware of such criticism over past development, but stressed the Kyaukphyu SEZ heralded a new approach. "What they mention is true, people suffered a lot, especially over land compensation and resettlement plans that were not properly implemented. We have heard about that whenever we go on field trips. [But] they have to know very clearly, the SEZ is a different project and a different approach," he said. The project will implement a resettlement plan according to World Bank guidelines, Aung Kyaw Than said, with successful companies also required to pay relocation fees and ensure sustainable livelihoods and suitable living conditions in relocation areas. However, while noting civil society concerns, Aung Kyaw Than speculated as to whether "cronies" were partly behind community opposition to the economic zone. "Crony groups would like to manipulate the [tender] process; they have been trying from the very beginning, which is why we are standing very firm," he said. "I think they are trying to use CSOs and other peoples. In fact, [opposition] is not the voice of residents, it is the voice of a group of business cronies." The Kyaukphyu SEZ would cover 4,289 acres of land, with an industrial zone scheduled to be built across five village tracts in the first phase of the project next year. Singapore's CPG Corporation was awarded the US$2.5 million consulting contract for the project in March 2014. The post Finally? Kyaukphyu SEZ Tender Due Next Week, Official Claims appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Government Invites Wa, Mongla Groups to Peace Dialogue Posted: 23 Dec 2015 12:44 AM PST Burma government peace negotiators hold talks with United Wa State Army (UWSA) leaders in Panghsang, Shan State, on Dec. 19. (Photo: Ministry of Information) RANGOON — The government has invited leaders of the Wa and Mongla special regions to attend the Union Peace Conference scheduled to convene on Jan. 12, an invitation that de facto applies to the United Wa State Army (UWSA), Burma's largest ethnic armed group, and the National Democratic Alliance Army. Thein Zaw, vice chairman of the government's Union Peacemaking Working Committee (UPWC), urged leaders of the Wa to take part in Burma's peace process as government negotiators met with them in Pangsang, the Shan State headquarters of the UWSA, on Saturday. "We'd like to invite Wa ethnic leaders to take part in the peace process of the Union. The door to the Union Peace Conference and NCA [nationwide ceasefire agreement] is always kept open," government newspapers quoted Thein Zaw as saying in state-run newspapers on Tuesday. The UWSA is a non-signatory to Burma's so-called nationwide ceasefire agreement, which was signed by the government and eight non-state armed groups on Oct. 15. Lt-Gen Yar Pyae of the Burma Army accompanied the government negotiators and stressed the need for national reconciliation and national reconsolidation on the occasion, echoing Thein Zaw's comments about an open door for the Wa. Though state media reports indicated that it was the leadership of the Wa and Mongla special regions that were invited, the overture applies also to the two regions' ruling ethnic armed groups, which share the same leadership. The President's Office announced on Dec. 18 that the Union Peace Conference next month would be held with a view to finding peaceful solutions through political means for national reconciliation. Ending armed conflict and resolving points of contention would be based on the framework for political dialogue adopted on Dec. 15, the announcement said. Government peace negotiators also met leaders of the Mongla Special Region, led by its chairman Sai Lin, on Sunday, inviting the latter to attend the Union Peace Conference as a special guest, state media reported on Wednesday. Thein Zaw told the Mongla leaders on the occasion that the government would not leave behind any group in the peace process, a statement that would appear at odds with the continued exclusion of some ethnic armed groups from the January dialogue. The National Democratic Alliance Army is also a non-signatory to the nationwide peace accord. UWSA spokesperson Zhao Xiaofu told The Irrawaddy that leaders of the Wa group had not yet decided whether or not they would attend the Union Peace Conference. Government-run newspapers reported that leaders of both the UWSA and Mongla groups said they "welcome and support the peace efforts of the president and the progress [made]," and "would not secede from the country." UWSA vice chairman Xiao Minliang also reportedly said the UWSA would like to cooperate and enhance trust with the Burma Army. Khu Oo Reh, general secretary of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), an alliance of ethnic armed groups, told The Irrawaddy that the UNFC also had not yet decided whether or not to attend the Union Peace Conference. None of the active members of the UNFC has signed the nationwide ceasefire agreement. Non-signatories have been offered the opportunity to attend with "observer" status, a senior member of the government-affiliated Myanmar Peace Center (MPC) told The Irrawaddy this week. "We've not yet discussed with them [the government]. So it is too early to say whether or not we'll attend," Khu Oo Reh said. The powerful UWSA is believed to have more than 20,000 troops. It has been 26 years since the UWSA agreed to a ceasefire with the government, and the group has said that it need not sign on to the nationwide ceasefire agreement as its bilateral truce remains intact. The post Government Invites Wa, Mongla Groups to Peace Dialogue appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Memorial Held for Slain Letpadaung Protester in Sagaing Posted: 22 Dec 2015 09:01 PM PST Grief-stricken family and friends gather outside a mortuary in Salingyi Township, where a post-mortem was conducted on the body of Khin Win in December 2014. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The first anniversary of the death of Khin Win, a woman shot down by police while protesting a land seizure near the Letpadaung copper mine, was commemorated by the victim's family on Wednesday. On Dec 22 last year, Khin Win joined around 60 other residents of Sagaing Division's Moe Gyo Pyin village who were attempting to obstruct contractors fencing off farmlands on behalf of Chinese company Wanbao. Police opened fire after villagers threw stones and fired slingshots at the authorities. Khin Win, 56, was struck in the head and died at the scene. Locals said that at least 10 other villagers were injured during the fateful confrontation. Win Khaing, the deceased's daughter, told the Irrawaddy that over 100 people attended Wednesday's memorial at Moe Gyo Pyin. She added that the criminal investigation into the circumstances around Khin Win's death had stalled since her family filed the case at the Salingyi Township police station. "They confirmed my mother was shot dead by a bullet. But there is still no justice for her as we haven't got any response from the court," she said. "We will keep pushing for justice when the new government comes to power." The Salingyi police station unavailable for comment on Wednesday morning. The Letpadaung copper mine is a joint venture between China's Wanbao mining company—itself a subsidiary of weapons manufacturer Norinco—and Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited, a conglomerate owned by the Burmese. Khin Win's death triggered riotous protests outside the Chinese Embassy in Rangoon last December. Several participants were subsequently jailed on unlawful assembly and incitement charges. The Letpadaung project, based primarily in the Sagaing township of Monywa, has been no stranger to controversy. In November 2012, during an early morning raid, police fired on protesters using white phosphorous rounds, the use of which against civilians is prohibited under international law. Most of the more than 100 people injured in the assault were Buddhist monks protesting the encroachment of the project on a nearby monastery. The post Memorial Held for Slain Letpadaung Protester in Sagaing appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Chinese Lawyer Gets Suspended Sentence in Online Speech Case Posted: 22 Dec 2015 08:56 PM PST  Chinese rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang speaks at a court session in Beijing in this still image from a December 14, 2015 video. (Reuters) BEIJING — After months behind bars, one of China's most prominent human rights lawyers left a detention center Tuesday after receiving a suspended prison sentence in a case involving online comments critical of the ruling Communist Party. The court convicted Pu Zhiqiang on charges of disturbing public order and inciting ethnic hatred, and sentenced him to three years in prison but said the sentence will be suspended for three years. Six hours after the hearing, Pu was driven out of Beijing No. 1 Detention Center in the company of his wife and police officers. From the car, Pu said he was "safe and sound" in a text message sent to The Associated Press. His wife, Meng Qun, wrote: "He's well and still under residential surveillance. His health needs to recover, he needs some calm and adjusting time." The United States and human rights groups welcomed Pu's release, but said the conviction was unjust and should be overturned. Lawyer Shang Baojun said the verdict wouldn't take effect for 10 days, during which Pu can appeal, and he can be kept in detention or under residential surveillance, which may be at a place which isn't his home. The guilty verdict disqualifies Pu from practicing law, and he must comply with certain restrictions and not commit crimes during the three-year period or risk being jailed. Since coming to power in 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping has spearheaded crackdowns on civil activists, rights lawyers and online freedom of expression, in moves aimed at snuffing out any potential threats to the Communist Party's grip on power. Pu was detained shortly after attending a May 2014 meeting to discuss commemorating 25 years since the Tiananmen Square massacre. Hundreds, possibly thousands, of protesters were killed in the crackdown, and the topic remains taboo in China. After a prolonged investigation, Pu stood trial on Dec. 14—after more than 19 months in detention—for several online comments that questioned Beijing's ethnic policies and poked fun at some political figures. Pu's supporters believe the case was politically driven to punish the outspoken lawyer, who has become a leading figure among China's human rights lawyers. Pu was active in defending free speech and represented artist Ai Weiwei in a tax evasion case that Ai's supporters said was politically motivated. He also was instrumental in pushing for the eventual abolishment of China's labor camp system, which allowed police to lock up people for up to four years without a trial. "Pu Zhiqiang is a courageous defense attorney recognized around the world for his work to strengthen the rule of law in China. Civil society leaders such as Mr Pu should be allowed to contribute to the building of a prosperous and stable China," State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement Tuesday. "He is no criminal and this guilty verdict effectively shackles one of China's bravest champions of human rights from practicing law," William Nee, China researcher for human rights group Amnesty International said in a statement. The verdict also stirred mixed feelings from Pu's supporters, who celebrated his release but also said it was an injustice to find him guilty. "After all, an innocent man has been locked up for 19 months. Under the suspended sentence, he finally can get out," said supporter Ren Jianyu. "It's good news but with a feeling of helplessness." In one of his online comments, Pu urged Beijing not to treat the ethnic region of Xinjiang as a colony and act as a conqueror and looter. In another, Pu questioned why there were bloody incidents involving the Muslim minority of Uighurs when Beijing keeps touting how great its ethnic policies are. He also derided a veteran delegate to the national congress known for her six decades of never casting a dissenting vote. Pu said she was either truly dumb or played dumb. "How can you convict someone because of words?" Pu supporter Guan Jing said near the court. "Which words are wrong, or which are the ones that we can use and the ones that we cannot? Is there a legal basis to regulate what a person can say or not say?" The official Xinhua News Agency said the court believed Pu's comments on ethnic issues were provocative, effectively fanning ethnic hatred, and that his remarks on public figures were so vulgar and malicious they disturbed the public order. Xinhua said Pu admitted to the actions and repented in court, but his lawyers said Pu only apologized for being impolite and insisted that he broke no law. On Tuesday, hundreds of police barred foreign journalists from approaching the court. About a dozen diplomats who attempted to watch the verdict said they were turned away on the ground the courtroom was full. At least one supporter who rallied outside the court was hauled away by police. The post Chinese Lawyer Gets Suspended Sentence in Online Speech Case appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Indonesia Hunts Militant Leaders After Foot Soldiers Arrested Posted: 22 Dec 2015 08:49 PM PST Indonesian Navy special forces take part in an anti-terror drill in Jakarta on Dec. 20, 2015, in this photo taken by Antara Foto. (Photo: Reuters / Antara Foto) JAKARTA — Counterterrorism forces are searching for the leaders of an estimated 1,000 Islamic State sympathizers across Indonesia after a string of raids that led to the arrest of several men suspected of planning bomb attacks, police said on Tuesday. Nine people were arrested and bomb-making equipment was seized from towns across the island of Java over the weekend, heightening fears of militant attacks by radicalized Indonesians returning from fighting with Islamic State in Syria. National Police spokesman Anton Charliyan said authorities were aware of plans to attack officials—including President Joko Widodo—government offices and public landmarks. The weekend sweep, which was reportedly prompted by intelligence shared by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Australian Federal Police, had captured "only subordinates" from a network of Islamic State supporters. "We are searching for the leaders of this group," he said, adding that the group was based in Solo, a Central Java city. "This group has a leadership that is regarded as a representative of ISIS in Indonesia," he said, using a common acronym for Islamic State. He said officials believe there are over 1,000 supporters of Islamic State in Indonesia, a nation of more than 250 million. The country is home to the world's largest Muslim population, the vast majority of whom practice a moderate form of Islam. Indonesia saw a spate of attacks in the 2000s, the deadliest of which was a nightclub bombing on the holiday island of Bali that killed 202 people, most of them tourists. Police have been largely successful in destroying domestic militant cells since then, but they now worry that the influence of Islamic State could pitch the country back into violence. The post Indonesia Hunts Militant Leaders After Foot Soldiers Arrested appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Junta Leader Writes New Song, Leaving Thais to Face the Music Posted: 22 Dec 2015 08:42 PM PST Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha gestures after presiding over a corporate event at the Government House in Bangkok on Sept. 9, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) BANGKOK — Thailand's junta leader released the lyrics to a new patriotic ballad on Tuesday, the second song he has written since seizing power in 2014. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who as army chief led the May 2014 coup, first wrote the song "Return Happiness to Thailand," which is played constantly on television and radio stations as part of a public relations campaign by the junta to win over Thais. The tune has racked up more than 1 million views on YouTube but has been mocked by critics of the junta. His second song, "Because You Are Thailand," includes lyrics like "If we join hands … the day we hope for is not far away" and "Because you are Thailand, you will not let anyone destroy you." Prayuth told reporters the song was his New Year present to the Thai people. The junta, or National Council for Peace and Order, overthrew an elected government, putting an end to months of protests in Bangkok led by the middle class and elite who wanted to get rid of the civilian government of populist Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. A military government installed after the coup has largely stifled dissent and has gone hard after critics of the junta and monarchy by using a harsh royal insult law to detain dozens of people, prompting stern criticism from rights groups, the United Nations and some Western governments. The junta has repeatedly delayed planned elections, claiming the country is not yet stable enough to hold a poll. Prayuth comes from a musical family. His daughters enjoyed brief fame in Thailand as a pop duo called BADZ. The post Junta Leader Writes New Song, Leaving Thais to Face the Music appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Women in Burma Conflict Zones Face Rape, Lack of Healthcare—UN Posted: 22 Dec 2015 08:19 PM PST A woman stands at the door of her bamboo shack on the outskirts of Rangoon, November 4, 2015. (Photo: Jorge Silva / Reuters) BANGKOK — Women and girls uprooted by fighting in Burma risk sexual violence and lack access to reproductive healthcare, said the UN Population Fund, which is launching a health project for women and girls in conflict-hit areas. Communal violence in Arakan State in the west and fighting between government troops and ethnic rebels in Kachin and Shan states in the north have caused massive displacement in Burma, where as many as 645,000 people are displaced, the highest number in Southeast Asia. "While on the run or while living in shelters, [women] often lack access to basic sexual and reproductive health support," the UNFPA said in a statement. "Without assistance by midwives or provision of contraceptives, women and girls are at increased risk of unsafe sex, unwanted pregnancy and unsafe delivery." The UNFPA's $11.8 million, three-year programme will provide healthcare for expectant and new mothers and emergency care for women who have suffered violence, such as post-rape treatment and counseling, in Arakan, Kachin and northern Shan states. In Arakan, ethnic Rohingya Muslims face persecution and live in apartheid-like conditions, confined to camps and townships with restrictions on movement and deprivation of food and medical care. "Imagine women there who want to deliver a baby, and they don't have means of transport, or they do not have proper documents to move within their areas: These are factors that contribute to maternal death," said Stenly Sajow, humanitarian affairs specialist for UNFPA. "They do not go to school, they are illiterate, they have their own language, and unfortunately there is very little information available to make them understand the importance of health especially during pregnancy," he said from Yangon. The health programme, supported by Finland and Sweden, will set up mobile clinics, equip health facilities to perform safe deliveries and give clean delivery kits to women in their last trimester of pregnancy. "One item [in the kit] is a sterile blade that will be used to cut the umbilical cord. In most of the places, they use bamboo or whatever will cut," Stenly said. Burma's maternal mortality rate is 200 per 100,000 live births, compared to the Southeast Asia average of 140, and only four in Finland and Sweden, UNFPA said in a statement, adding that higher rates have been documented in conflict areas. The post Women in Burma Conflict Zones Face Rape, Lack of Healthcare—UN 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