| Irrawaddy Delta Land Activist Innocent in Irrigation Row: Wife Posted: 13 Jan 2015 05:00 AM PST  Than Than, whose husband has been jailed for supporting farmers in an agricultural dispute, holds a picture of the imprisoned, Thet Wai. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — An ailing land rights activist who is serving a six-month prison term in connection with a property dispute in Kyaunggon Township, Irrawaddy Division, is innocent of the crimes he was convicted of and will appeal a verdict issued late last year, his wife says. Thet Wai is an ex-political prisoner and former National League for Democracy (NLD) chairman for Rangoon's Sanchaung Township. The 60-year-old has previously spent several stints in prison for his political activism, most recently serving a two-year sentence from 2010-12. In March 2014, he was diagnosed with gastrointestinal tuberculosis, an ailment for which his family says he has been denied treatment while serving his sentence. Thet Wai's lawyer Soe Han said the charges stemmed from local outcry in 2012 over a fisherman who was operating an illegal fishery by building temporary dams across irrigation canals used by farmers in Kyaunggon Township. About 200 farmers removed the barriers in order to restore the flow of water to their fields, where crops were suffering with the irrigation conduits blocked. The fisherman, named U Mone or U Soe Tint, sued 39 people for damaging his property and related charges in September 2012. Of the 39 people, the Kyaunggon Township Court charged 37 farmers under articles 447, 143 and 427 of the Penal Code, covering trespassing, unlawful assembly and property damage, respectively. The defendants were fined 13,500 kyats (US$13) for the three charges on Nov. 20, 2014. That same day, Thet Wai and Shwe Ko Oo, whose backers say the men were merely helping to document the incident, faced two of the same charges, under articles 447 and 143, but were handed down harsher penalties, with the court sentencing them each to six months in prison. Thet Wai's lawyer, while acknowledging that his client was present when the villagers removed the dams, insisted that he had not part of the act itself. "According to the law, this is not a criminal case," Soe Han told The Irrawaddy. "We have already submitted an appeal to the Pathein District Court. The family does not accept and is not satisfied with the court's decision." The family says they have been unable to send medicine to Thet Wai as Pathein Prison has refused to accept it. Despite a verbal promise from prison officials to provide Thet Wai with treatment, he has not yet received any medical attention, according to the family. The post Irrawaddy Delta Land Activist Innocent in Irrigation Row: Wife appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| ‘I Believe That Everyone Agrees Dialogue is Necessary’ Posted: 13 Jan 2015 03:55 AM PST  Information Minister Ye Htut. (Photo: Thaw Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy) Ye Htut was appointed Minister of Information last July, two years after the nominally-civilian government moved to end the junta-era pre-publication censorship regime and began to oversee the introduction of private daily newspaper licenses. He has also served as spokesman for President Thein Sein since 2013, emerging as a staunch and articulate defender of the government's reform credentials and a frequent critic of journalists and opposition politicians on social media. The Irrawaddy spoke to Ye Htut in Naypyidaw late last month about the country's reform process and its shortcomings, criminal charges against journalists, plans for the restructuring of state-owned media and Thein Sein's political future. Question: Reforms were initiated by the government in 2011, and until the end of 2013 many in Burma and the wider international community believed that the reform process was making progress. In the time since, many have begun to claim that reforms have stalled and have even reversed. What is your view on this? Answer: The big part of the initial reform process—for example, things like releasing prisoners, abolishing censorship and allowing the return of Burmese exiles—are things that could be done by the government alone. Then, further reforms like peace building and charter reform called for negotiations with stakeholders. The pace, of course, slows down when compromises need to be negotiated. People didn't believe it when reforms were first initiated. Then, they began to believe and had high expectations of them. When the reality doesn't meet their expectations, they feel frustrated and become doubtful. Since we are making the reforms before people's eyes, the doubts fall upon us. Q: Despite the media reforms, Burma is still one of the top ten countries for the number of journalists arrested and charged by authorities. A: It is the consequence of the abolition of media censorship. It is also because journalists have no legal knowledge as well as because of ethical issues. For example, in the case of Unity Journal, a journalist with basic legal knowledge could have reported without crossing the line. In spite of the penalties given to journalists, I think there has been considerable progress in media reform. It is great that now we have to take the media's comments into consideration when adopting any policy. It [the arrest of journalists] is just a side effect, I think, but it will disappear when both sides become mature. As for the media, the only thing it needs to do is to get more training on ethical and legal issues, doesn't it? Q: Can't journalists be punished with something other than imprisonment? A: The responses to what someone says at a teashop and what is published in a journal won't be the same. The impact of what is said in a publication will be much greater because it reaches more people. Crimes related to state secrets and religious and racial issues carry a penalty of imprisonment. Q: How is the proposed transformation of state-owned media into public service media faring? A: We started to consider the idea of a public service media in 2009. Now, we are still waiting for parliamentary approval of the public service media law. In the past two years, we have been transforming the state-owned media into public service media bit by bit. [It is especially important] that we are fair and balanced during the election. We are giving training to reporters and editors from state-owned media on election reporting. Q: Most journalists do not accept the transition into public service media. They do not believe that state-owned media can be transformed into public service media. You don't share this opinion? A: We will have to prove it with our actions. Public service media is necessary and print media also needs public service media. For example, state-owned newspapers publish long bills. Private dailies can't do that for free. We do it at a loss because we think people should be adequately informed about legislation. Public service media is needed to do things like this. But then, if the public service media is not up to the mark, you can complain to the parliament which approves the public service media law. You should at least allow a trial run of public service media, as it is being practised in other countries. Shouldn't it be so? Q: There have been calls for political dialogue since 1988. From the meeting between former Snr-Gen Than Shwe and Aung San Suu Kyi to the 14-party talks last year, nothing has happened. The Burmese people are doubtful that stakeholders have trust in political dialogue, or plan to hold it just for show. A: I believe that everyone agrees dialogue is necessary. The problem is the mutual distrust of past events has led to the hindrance of dialogue. That's why the president wants to break the ice first. We'll meet [with stakeholders] for the first time, and then a second time, and then frequently to become friendly toward each other. Then, we'll be able to adopt a framework and we will be able to move on within that framework. Q: Can they go beyond the 'ice-breaking' stage in 2015? A: Most importantly, the president tries to avoid playing the blame game. If we are to find blame, everyone has a share since the problems Burma is facing have existed since 1948. The president will try to find out the causes of problems and solve as much as he can during his term. For the problems he can't solve during his term, he will by all means try to establish a framework and institutions to solve them. We want to build a sound foundation to proceed even if we can't solve the problems right now. The president wants to make sure there is a secure future for people beyond 2015 by developing concepts and frameworks. We are determined to solve problems as much as we can during the remaining period of our government. Q: President Thein Sein has said that he would get rid of those in the administrative mechanisms of government who hinder the reform process, but he has rarely taken action. Are there people in the cabinet or other branches of government who hinder the reform process? A: No one has spoken against reforms. The problem lies in implementing reforms. First, although discretion is given, departmental personnel still fear that they will lose their entire civil service career like they did in the past when they made mistakes. Second, departmental personnel ranging from township authority to director-general levels may be reluctant to abandon the authority and associated perks they used to enjoy. It is the nature of humans. However, there are no people who are opposing the reform process as a group. Q: It is said that people now feel the restrictions relaxed and lifted in 2011 and the years afterward have now been restored by the government or authorities, for example the issuance of visas for exiles. Is this because their mindset has not changed? A: It is not that they are taking back the freedoms granted. The entire system has not changed. There may need to be adjustments in particular cases. Some people were allowed to come back [to Burma] without any restrictions. But then, they have come back with bad intentions. Anyone can come back. It is not that we are only inviting the supporters of our government. Anyone can criticize and point out the mistakes of our reform process. But we expect them to be constructive. We won't accept it if someone tries to play the same old tricks [to hinder the reform process]. Therefore, there may be restrictions in certain cases as with regard to visa issuance. Q: Which role do you think President Thein Sein will play in politics after the 2015 election? Do you think he will run for a second term? A: As the president has said repeatedly, it depends on the situation of the country and the wishes of the people. Again, the president still does not want to announce whether he will stand for election or not because he has said he would create good foundations for the country in 2015 and after 2015. He does not want his actions to lead people to think that either he is trying to gain public support for a second term, or that he is acting irresponsibly because he is not prepared to run for a second term. I think he would honestly take bold steps to strengthen institutions and solve the country's problems. When it is time to make the decision, he will decide depending on the situation of the country and wishes of the people. The post 'I Believe That Everyone Agrees Dialogue is Necessary' appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Officials Seize $27M in Smuggled Goods on Burma-China Border Posted: 13 Jan 2015 03:41 AM PST  A cargo truck winds up a hillside road in Shan State's Kutkai Township, near the Burma-China border crossing of Muse in early January. (Photo: Kyaw Hsu Mon / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Mobile government teams tasked with curbing smuggling along the Burma-China border near Muse have seized illicit goods, including gemstones, timber, wildlife and precursor drugs, with an estimated total value of US$27 million in the past two years, according to Ministry of Commerce officials. Yan Naing Tun, deputy director general of the ministry's commerce and consumer affairs department, said mobile teams had set up checkpoints and conducted surprise checks on the road to the Muse-Jiegao border crossing and other known smuggling routes in northern Shan State to seize unregistered goods on cargo trucks on their way to and from the Burma-China border. "Smuggled jade and jewels are the largest number [of goods] that we have seized in the past two years. These are going to China via Muse border areas, but smugglers weren’t going through the border check points, they used other ways around the check points," he told The Irrawaddy. Yan Naing Tun said 600 officials had formed several teams—comprising officials from the ministry, the Customs Department and police officers—that seized smuggled jade and rubies worth $3.8 million. He said illegal timber, forest products and wildlife was also being smuggled out of Burma on a large scale, with officials seizing various kinds of hardwood and luxury timber. Goods smuggled from China into Burma included textiles, tobacco, alcohol, electrical appliances such as mobile handsets, and precursor chemicals used in illegal drug production in Shan State. "More than 10,000 logs of various kinds of timber have been seized within two years," said Yan Naing Tun, adding that 11,000 kilograms of precursor chemicals were confiscated on their way from China into Burma. Seized goods were later auctioned by the ministries involved in the anti-smuggling operations. He added that the mobile teams inspected cargo on trucks while police teams conducted the search for illicit drugs, such as opium, heroin and methamphetamine, being trafficked from Burma to China. Muse is Burma's largest border crossing and its main gateway to China. Some 900 trucks cross into China daily, while around 500 trucks head in the other direction. There are another five crossings on the Burma-Thailand border, most important among them Myawaddy-Mae Sot crossing, but the government anti-smuggling teams have yet to step up operations there. Recently, mobile teams expanded their operations to international airports and ports in Rangoon and Mandalay. A Drop in the Bucket? President Thein Sein's nominally-civilian government launched a drive to crackdown on smuggling along Burma's northern border in November 2012 in an attempt to reign in unregistered trade, which blossomed under the former-military regime. It is unclear how much of an impact the operations are having on the large-scale trade, while Chinese border authorities have been reluctant to crackdown on the inflow of illegal goods from Burma. Jade has long been smuggled into China and the trade in Burma's most valuable natural resource, estimated to be worth between $6-9 billion per annum, leaves the country mostly untaxed and unregistered. Similarly, the forests of northern Burma are being raided by illegal loggers who smuggle enormous amounts of timber into China. The UK-based Environmental Investigation Agency estimated that timber worth $5.7 billion was smuggled out of Burma into China from 2000 to 2013. Ongoing ethnic conflict has destabilized the Burma-China border in Kachin State, while the trade through unruly northern Shan State has also been difficult to regulate. Endemic corruption among authorities continues to hamper efforts to reduce smuggling, as has the willingness among smuggling rings to use violence against officials enforcing laws. Last month, four Forestry Department officials were shot dead and two were injured in southern Shan State when illegal loggers ambushed their vehicle in retaliation for the seizure of illegal timber. Win Myo Thu, managing director of Ecodev, an environmental NGO based in Rangoon, said the government has yet to come up with a comprehensive plan to reduce rampant illegal logging on the ground and stem the lucrative trade and smuggling of timber. "Rule of law is important and to take action, but it is difficult to stop timber smuggling without improving the rules and regulations for timber export," he said, adding that, despite government measures, timber trade was thriving and an estimated 100,000 cubic meters of timber was imported by China from Burma last year. "Smuggled timber will keep going to neighboring countries, whatever checks they do, because there will be smugglers who want to be rich and some do it to survive poor conditions, while some armed force group will do it to gather funds," he said. The post Officials Seize $27M in Smuggled Goods on Burma-China Border appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| After Meeting of 48, Suu Kyi Urges Narrowed Dialogue Posted: 13 Jan 2015 03:01 AM PST  President Thein Sein shakes hands with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi before 48-party talks on Monday. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) NAYPYIDAW — Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has accused President Thein Sein of ignoring proposals for a limited dialogue among herself and a handful of senior government leaders and politicians, following the president's convening of a 48-party meeting here on Monday. The president has so far declined to hold four-party talks, as proposed by Suu Kyi, or six-party talks put forward by Parliament, both of which would put reform of Burma's controversial Constitution at the top of the agenda, as a centerpiece of peace negotiations with the country's ethnic armed groups and the broader democratic reform program. The opposition leader said the government had sought to "avoid" the six-party proposal by instead convening 14-party talks in late October of last year, and an even larger gathering of 48 politicians and other political players for talks on Monday. Asked about the difference between the meetings in October and on Monday, Suu Kyi wryly replied that "today's meeting had more people." "Is it a meeting between government and political parties? I am not clear on what the principle behind that meeting was," Suu Kyi told the press at her residence in Naypyidaw on Monday after the meeting. "It is a little difficult to understand. They are neither party leaders nor chairs of parliamentary committees. I told the president, the meeting shouldn't be an excuse to avoid the six-party talks. He didn't respond to anything I said." The 14-party talks, held on Oct. 31, were criticized as political theater in some quarters, having failed to produce a breakthrough and coming less than two weeks before world leaders arrived in Burma for two regional summits. On Tuesday, Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party released a statement saying the 48-party discussion had likewise been "hardly a fruitful one." The NLD highlighted constitutional reform as of paramount importance in ensuring the success of Burma's democratic transition. It said Suu Kyi at the meeting had conveyed a view that reforms had stalled due to a lack of political will from government leaders, unbridled corruption and a failure by the government to collaborate with Parliament, including by acting on the legislature's endorsement of six-party talks. Information Minister Ye Htut, however, said Monday's talks were not intended to find concrete solutions to the country's problems, and were rather a brainstorming session to be followed by further discussions. "We explored ideas for what we have to do. Then, we'll present those ideas at the next meeting. Then, we'll present them to other concerned parties. Participants discussed and exchanged views at [Monday's] meeting. Ideas will be brought together at the next meeting," said Ye Htut during a separate press conference at the Ministry of Information on Monday. Under Parliament's six-party proposal, Suu Kyi, Thein Sein, Lower House parliamentary Speaker Shwe Mann and his Upper House counterpart Khin Aung Myint, a representative of the country's ethnic minorities and Burma Army commander in chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing would meet to discuss constitutional reform. Among the participants at Monday's meeting were Min Aung Hlaing, vice presidents Sai Mauk Kham and Nyan Tun, Shwe Mann and 28 ethnic affairs ministers, as well as leaders of ethnic political parties and the general secretary of the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), Htay Oo. In a transcript of Thein Sein's opening remarks at Monday's meeting, the state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper on Tuesday quoted the president as saying, "Constitutional amendment will be based on the results of political dialogues and peace process in line with the 2008 State Constitution." The president also looked ahead to elections later this year that he said would be "a remarkable milestone in the history of Myanmar," and emphasized the importance of signing a nationwide ceasefire with Burma's many ethnic armed resistance groups. "In spite of different viewpoints, opinions and standards for internal peace process, there are progresses and concerted efforts are being made for signing of nationwide ceasefire agreement by all as the NCA is vital to move forward to political dialogues which aims to build the union based on flourishing democracy and federalism," Thein Sein was quoted as saying. But the NLD rejected the notion that a nationwide ceasefire was necessary before political dialogue between the government and opposition could begin, saying: "Talks on the peace process and national reconciliation should proceed at the same time. National reconciliation talks like the six-party talks should not be postponed using the peace process as an excuse." Ye Htut said those in attendance on Monday expressed support for a deadline on signing a ceasefire of Feb. 12, which is celebrated as Union Day in Burma. "All the participants welcomed that he would like to have the ceasefire signed on February 12," Ye Htut said. "They discussed the things to be done. They discuss if they should wait for the inclusion of all or sign the ceasefire accord first, and hold a dialogue while keeping the door open for the rest." Shwe Mann, meanwhile, was due to meet privately with ethnic leaders at the Parliament building on Tuesday. The post After Meeting of 48, Suu Kyi Urges Narrowed Dialogue appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Mandalay Birdwatchers Cry Foul as Rare Populations Dwindle Posted: 13 Jan 2015 02:50 AM PST  Mandalay Division's Paleik Lake, once a refuge for rare migratory birds, has become something of a trap. (Photo: Maung Kyan) Birdwatchers have reported a stunning decline in wildlife at the Paleik Lake in Mandalay Division, with some suggesting that the animals are poisoned and sold in local markets. Local avian enthusiasts said that the lake is a wintering ground for more than 20 species of migratory birds, including a rare species of wild swan. But not everyone, they said, comes to the lake to enjoy the extraordinary view. Thein Aung, vice-chairman of the Mandalay Birdwatchers Association, said local authorities are doing little to educate people about conservation, while low incomes are driving up incentive for illegal bird-catching. Villagers sometimes come to the lake to hunt for birds and then sell them as deep-fried snacks at nearby tourist attractions, such as U Bein Bridge, he said. "Fried birds are being sold and people are still not aware that they shouldn't eat them. Even owls are sold at U Bein Bridge," Thein Aung said, lamenting that the practice "affects the image of the country." A wildlife photographer known by his online alias, Solo Mdy, has documented some of the damage. He wrote recently on social media sites that he had seen moorhens he believed were killed by sodium cyanide, a toxic salt most commonly used in gold extraction. The poison is sometimes used to kill fish and other animals because of its high toxicity. Solo Mdy wrote that a "boat owner showed us a bird whose neck was cut. He said that it died from sodium cyanide, locally known as 'neck cutter' because it cuts off the throat veins when consumed." Following pleas from conservationists to enforce wildlife protection measures, police and local administrators recently inspected local markets around the lake in search of illegal bird products. Officer Zaw Win Kyaw of the Paleik Township Police told The Irrawaddy that inspectors did not find any bird meat. Zaw Win Kyaw added that birdwatchers themselves ought to take more preventative action by educating hunters, vendors and consumers about conservation. "We can't decide whether [poisoning birds] is a police issue or not. So far, we haven't taken any action against bird hunters," he said. Zay Maung Thein, a local bird watcher and nature enthusiast, said the problem is too big to be handled by people like himself, without the help of law enforcement. "All we can do is give talks and put up posters," said Zaw Maung Thein. "It is simply not enough. There are wildlife protection laws and authorities have to make sure they are followed. So far, I haven't seen them do anything to stop it." The post Mandalay Birdwatchers Cry Foul as Rare Populations Dwindle appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Prospects Dim for Religious Insult Accused Posted: 13 Jan 2015 02:15 AM PST  Aye Than Than Htoo, the mother of V Gastro bar manager Htut Ko Ko Lwin. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Hopes for the exoneration of three men on trial for insulting Buddhism appear to be fading, after a court refused on Monday to accept a defense submission and the mother of one of the defendants expressed her lack of confidence in her son's counsel. V Gastro Bar owner Tun Thurein, general manager and New Zealand national Philip Blackwood, and bar manager Htut Ko Ko Lwin were apprehended on Dec. 10 after their business distributed a promotional flyer on social media depicting an image of Buddha wearing headphones. Under sections of the Penal Code relating to causing religious offence, as well as a separate charge for operating the V Gastro Bar after authorized hours, the defendants face up to four years in prison if convicted. In the Bahan Township court on Monday, Blackwood's counsel Mya Thwe attempted in vain to draw a parallel between the commercial sale of Buddhist images and the V Gastro case, an argument ultimately rejected by the court. "I tried to point out that there are people who are selling pictures of Buddha, pagodas, and Jesus on streets across the country, including in Rangoon," Mya Thwe told reporters outside the courthouse. "Those photos are not consecrated and therefore those who sell them on streets are not guilty [of insulting religion]. The Buddha Image on Facebook is also not consecrated. But the court did not accept it." Mya Thwe, who earlier told reporters that he had received death threats for representing Blackwood, predicted last month that his client was likely to be convicted. Meanwhile, on Tuesday the mother of Htut Ko Ko Lwin told The Irrawaddy that she did not believe that her son's lack of involvement in the affair had been adequately conveyed to the court by his defense team. Aye Than Than Htoo, who has lived abroad for 25 years, said that her son had been living in Singapore and Japan for the last two decades and returned to Burma in April 2014 against her advice. Htut Ko Ko Lwin had only been working at V Gastro Bar for one week before he was detained and charged alongside Blackwood and Tun Thurein, and his mother said that the defense seemed inadequately briefed on the nature of his employment at the bar. "When the plaintiff witnesses stood to give evidence, the defense lawyers were weak in their questioning. For example, they had to ask the witness whether they knew my son was employed on probation," she said. "Did they not know that my son was lower in position than Philip? They had to ask to find out. My son couldn't have known what Philip had done."
The Irrawaddy spoke briefly with Blackwood on Monday as he was escorted from an Insein Prison van into the Bahan courthouse. Looking healthy and relaxed, he said he felt well and was adjusting to life in confinement, and was enjoying the opportunity to read and spend time in the sun. A long-time associate of Blackwood, South African national Tim Buma, also appeared in court to testify on behalf of the accused's character, stating that the defendant was a person of gentle character who had founded the Yangon Dragons Rugby Club and mixed well in the local community. Outside the courtroom, Buma said that Blackwood and his wife had returned to New Zealand recently for the birth of their child, and both at wanted to return to Burma at the earliest possible time as they loved their life in the country. The trial resumes at 10am on Jan. 22, with witnesses for defendants Tun Thurein and Htut Ko Ko Lwin to be heard before a presentation of final arguments. Steve Tickner, Sean Gleeson and Nobel Zaw contributed to this report. The post Prospects Dim for Religious Insult Accused appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Police in China Shoot Dead 6 in Restive Xinjiang Posted: 12 Jan 2015 09:01 PM PST  Paramilitary policemen walk past Erdaoqiao Grand Bazaar on Nov. 17, 2013, in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uighur autonomous region, where 11 people were killed and two injured when a group of people armed with axes and knifes attacked a police station. (Photo: Reuters) BEIJING — A group of "mobsters" on Monday tried to set off an explosive device in a business district in China's troubled western region of Xinjiang, prompting police to shoot six of them dead, the local government said. Hundreds of people have been killed in resource-rich Xinjiang, strategically located on the borders of central Asia, in violence in the past two years between the Muslim Uighur people who call the region home and ethnic majority Han Chinese. The government has also blamed attacks elsewhere in China, including Beijing, on Islamist militants from Xinjiang. Monday's violence came two months after 15 people were killed when a group threw explosives into a crowded street of vendors selling food in Xinjiang. Police in Shule county, south of the old Silk Road city of Kashgar, had acted on a tip-off about "a suspicious person carrying an explosive device," the Xinjiang government said on its official news website. An axe-wielding individual tried to attack police officers and set off an explosive device, prompting the officers to shoot him, the government said. The report added that police trying to dispose of an explosive device were attacked by five "thugs" who sought to detonate it, but did not make clear if this was a separate incident. Police killed the men, according to the government. The report said there were no other casualties, but gave no details of the assailants. China's allegations were an "excuse to cover up the excessive use of force", said Dilxat Raxit, spokesman for exile group the World Uyghur Congress. "China's hostile policy will only provoke more turbulence there," he said in emailed comments. Many Uighurs call Xinjiang East Turkestan. China often blames frequent outbreaks of violence there on extremists agitating for an independent nation. Exiled Uighur groups and human rights activists say the government's repressive policies in Xinjiang, including controls on Islam, have provoked unrest. Beijing denies this. In a previous outbreak of violence in Shule in 2008, at the time of the Olympic Games in Beijing, three security officers were stabbed to death and another wounded by attackers police described as "terrorists." Xinjiang is crucial to China's growing energy needs, but analysts say the bulk of the proceeds from sales of its resources has gone to majority Han Chinese, stoking resentment among Uighurs. China has blamed the East Turkestan Islamic Movement for past attacks, but experts and rights groups have cast doubt on its existence as a cohesive group. The post Police in China Shoot Dead 6 in Restive Xinjiang appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| US: Anti-Muslim Attackers in Burma Unpunished Posted: 12 Jan 2015 08:54 PM PST  Women pass their time in a Rohingya internally displaced person (IDP) camp outside of Sittwe, Arakan State, in 2013. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters) WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's UN ambassador said Monday the humanitarian situation in Burma's Arakan State continues to deteriorate and virtually no one has been held to account for attacks on minority Muslims. Samantha Power said more than 100,000 Rohingya Muslims are confined in "squalid camps." She also criticized proposed legislation that would force Rohingya to renounce their ethnicity in order to be registered as citizens. Power was speaking on foreign policy Monday at an event in Louisville, Kentucky, hosted by Republican Mitch McConnell, the Senate's new majority leader. McConnell, from Kentucky, has long been an influential voice in Congress on US policy toward the country. Power highlighted how Republicans and Democrats had cooperated to impose sanctions on Burma's former ruling junta and then to offer a diplomatic opening when political reforms began. But she said Burma "is still a long way from being a rights-respecting democracy." She said journalists in the country are "under serious assault," citing the cases of five who were sentenced to 10 years in prison—later reduced to seven years—for reporting on an alleged chemical weapons program. Her remarks come ahead of a high-level, US-Burma human rights dialogue this week, and as a UN special rapporteur visits Arakan State in western Burma and assesses the conditions faced by stateless Rohingya displaced in attacks by Buddhist extremists. Power said the United States still has great hope for Burma's future. She said as well as providing incentives for democratic reform, the United States can shine a bright light on the government's shortcomings and impose targeted sanctions on individuals who "stand in the way of change." In October, the US Treasury blacklisted a hardline, ruling party lawmaker Aung Thaung, accusing him of fueling violence and corruption, and undermining key democratic reforms. The post US: Anti-Muslim Attackers in Burma Unpunished appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Pope Calls for Pursuit of Truth Over Sri Lanka’s Violent Past Posted: 12 Jan 2015 08:38 PM PST  Pope Francis board a plane for his trip to Sri Lanka in Rome on Monday. (Photo: Max Rossi / Reuters) COLOMBO — Pope Francis said on Tuesday Sri Lanka needed to find out the truth of what happened during its long civil war in order to consolidate peace and heal scars between religious communities. Francis appeared to make the case for a truth commission to investigate the Buddhist-majority nation’s 26-year civil war, an election pledge of the government voted into office on Thursday. "The process of healing also needs to include the pursuit of truth, not for the sake of opening old wounds, but rather as a necessary means of promoting justice, healing and unity," he said on arrival at Bandaranaike international airport. The war pitted mainly Hindu Tamils against the Sinhalese, and mostly Buddhist, majority. It ended in 2009 with a crushing defeat of the Tamil rebels in an army onslaught that killed up to 40,000 civilians, according to a 2011 UN estimate. On his second Asian excursion, Francis will spend two days in Sri Lanka before going to the Philippines, part of his outreach aimed at shoring-up the Church’s presence in developing nations. Francis carried a message of inter-faith dialogue that chimed with an unusually harmonious atmosphere in Sri Lanka that last week elected a government promising increased respect for long-suffering religious minorities. About 70 percent of Sri Lankans are Buddhists. Hindus make up about 13 percent and Muslims 10 percent. Catholics are about 7 percent, split between ethnic Sinhalese and Tamils. In comments that seemed directed at former president and wartime leader Mahinda Rajapaksa, who lost office after a resurgence in religious tensions, Francis called for a more inclusive society in Sri Lanka. "The great work of rebuilding must embrace improving infrastructures and meeting material needs, but also, and even more importantly, promoting human dignity, respect for human rights, and the full inclusion of each member of society," he said. Rajapaksa is feted as a hero for ending three decades of war. He also presided over a period of fast economic growth and infrastructure reconstruction. However, he refused to allow a fully independent inquiry into alleged war crimes and presided over a period of growing repression of religious minorities as well as political opponents. Pope Francis had first-hand experience of devastating civil strife as a priest in his native Argentina during its "Dirty War". A 50,000 page truth report after that war revealed shocking details of kidnappings, rapes and torture by the military junta. He also carried a message with a wider resonance in the wake of Islamist militant violence in Nigeria and France last week. "It is a continuing tragedy in our world that so many communities are at war with themselves," he said. "The inability to reconcile differences and disagreements, whether old or new, has given rise to ethnic and religious tensions, frequently accompanied by outbreaks of violence." The post Pope Calls for Pursuit of Truth Over Sri Lanka’s Violent Past appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Divers Retrieve 2nd Black Box From AirAsia Crash Posted: 12 Jan 2015 08:27 PM PST  Military policemen carry the flight data recorder of AirAsia QZ8501 to an awaiting military plane for transport back to Jakarta, at the airbase in Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan, on Jan. 12, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) PANGKALAN BUN, Indonesia — Divers have retrieved the crashed AirAsia plane's second black box from the bottom of the Java Sea, giving investigators the essential tools they need to start piecing together what brought Flight 8501 down. Transportation Ministry official Tonny Budiono says the trapped cockpit voice recorder was freed from beneath the wing's heavy ruins early Tuesday from a depth of about 30 meters (100 feet), a day after the aircraft's flight data recorder was recovered. It will be flown to the capital, Jakarta, to be downloaded and analyzed with the other box. Since it records in a two-hour loop, all discussions between the captain and co-pilot during the 42-minute journey should be available. The plane crashed Dec. 28, killing all 162 people on board. Search and rescue workers were preparing balloons and other equipment Tuesday to lift debris from the AirAsia plane wreckage to allow divers to retrieve the cockpit voice recorder, the search coordinator said. Divers had recovered the flight data recorder on Monday, but the second black box—which is actually orange—was pinned under chunks of the plane's wing at a depth of 32 meters (105 feet) in the Java Sea. "The divers can see it clearly as an orange object, but it's difficult for divers to retrieve it as layers of heavy metal and debris are above it," said Suryadi Bambang Supriyadi, operation coordinator for Indonesia's national search and rescue agency. The two instruments, which emit signals from their beacons, are vital to understanding what brought Flight 8501 down. They should provide essential information about the plane and all of the conversations between the captain and co-pilot for the duration of the flight. More than 80 Indonesian navy divers plunged into the shallow sea early Tuesday about 20 meters away from the flight data recorder had been found, Supriyadi said. Workers were readying balloons and lifting bags to raise the debris, he said. Supriyadi also said that an Indonesian warship had found pieces of the plane's windows and interior cupboards near the Java port of Semarang, about 720 kilometers (450 miles) southeast of where the jet had lost contact with Indonesian air traffic control, showing how far some debris has drifted over the 17 days since the accident. It could take up to two weeks to download and analyze the data records' information, said Nurcahyo Utomo, an investigator at the National Committee for Safety Transportation. Based on past crashes, the information retrieved from the black boxes could be vital. The two separate devices—designed to survive extreme heat and pressure—should provide investigators with a second-by-second timeline of the plane's flight. The voice recorder takes audio feeds from four microphones within the cockpit and records all the conversations between the pilots, air traffic controllers as well as any noises heard in the cockpit, including possible alarms or explosions. It records on a two-hour loop, so investigators here won't just capture the plane's final minutes but the entire 42-minute trip. The flight data recorder captures 25 hours' worth of information on the position and condition of almost every major part in a plane. It includes a multitude of data, including altitude, airspeed, direction, engine thrust, the rate of ascent or descent and what angle up or down the plane was pointed. "There's like 200-plus parameters they record," said aviation safety expert John Goglia, a former US National Transportation Safety Board member. "It's going to provide us an ocean of material." The pilots of the AirAsia jet last had contact with air traffic controllers less than halfway into their two-hour flight from Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city, to Singapore. Saying they were entering a stormy area, they asked to climb from 32,000 feet (9,750 meters) to 38,000 feet (11,580 meters) to avoid threatening clouds, but were denied permission because of heavy air traffic. Four minutes later, the plane dropped off the radar. No distress signal was sent. Searchers also have been trying to locate the main section of the plane's cabin, where many of the victims' corpses are believed to be entombed. So far, only 48 bodies have been recovered. Decomposition is making identification more difficult for desperate families waiting to bury their loved ones. Nearly all of the passengers were Indonesian. "I still believe many victims remain trapped there, and we must find them," said Gen. Moeldoko, Indonesia's military chief, who uses one name. The post Divers Retrieve 2nd Black Box From AirAsia Crash appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Tenasserim Coal Mining Stokes Ire of Local Villagers Posted: 12 Jan 2015 08:19 PM PST  Trucks at the Heinda mine in Tenasserim Division dump tin-rich alluvium for further processing. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) Villagers have voiced concerns over ongoing large-scale coal mining in southern Burma's Tenasserim Division, saying the extractive project is affecting the livelihoods of residents in five area villages. Residents say mining operations have brought flooding that has killed off crops and contaminated local water supplies, with some villagers nonetheless forced to use the unpotable water in rivers and streams surrounding the mine. "The companies are expanding their mining area," said Naw Pe Law, a leader of the local community-based organization Takapaw Youth Group. "It [mining operations] has entering into betel nut plantations that belong to villagers. So, when it rains, waste soil floods plantations nearby and kills betel trees." Naw Pe Law, who lives in Tenasserim Division's Dawei district, complained of a lack of transparency from the project's implementers. "We don't know the degree to which they are expanding the mining. We want to know how many acres they have done [mined] and how many acres are left. We worry that it will exceed the permitted area. We worry it will be like the Letpadaung mining project," she said, referring to a controversial copper mine in central Burma. The Takapaw Youth Group leader said the Karen National Union (KNU), a rebel armed group controlling some territory within the mining site, had permitted coal extraction on 60 acres of land, but Burmese authorities granted 2,100 acres to miners. Water supplies in five villages have been affected by the mining: Ka Htaung Ni, Tanin Kler, Htu Ler, Gaw Htee and Mawng Thatu. Tanin Kler has also begun to see its betel trees negatively impacted by the mining. Three companies are involved in the coal mining, according to Naw Pe Law and KNU sources. Two Thai firms—Thai Asset Company and East Star Company—have partnered with local firm Mayflower to jointly develop the project. Operations began in 2010, initially without informing local residents, critics say. Attempts by The Irrawaddy to contact the companies on Monday were unsuccessful. In October 2014, local villagers, representatives of community-based organizations and the companies involved, local political parties and Burmese authorities met to discuss problems associated with the mining. Local residents at that time called for a total end to coal mining, but the companies instead requested—apparently with success—to expand the project. The coal mining project in Tenasserim Division is partly controlled by the KNU's Brigade 4, which holds territory including the road linking Thailand's Kanchanaburi province and the multi-billion dollar Dawei special economic zone (SEZ). An official from KNU Brigade 4 who is familiar with the situation said local residents had sent complaints to both Burmese authorities and the KNU, saying the mining operations were polluting their water sources and damaging farmlands. The official, who asked for anonymity, told The Irrawaddy that KNU Brigade 4 had responded to those concerns by opting not to authorize an expansion of the mining project in 2013, the same year that tax collection—a common practice by armed groups in territory they control—by the KNU ceased. "We don't permit them [companies] and don't collect tax anymore. But, the operation is still going on. About seven to eight 18-wheel trucks are going in and out every day," the KNU official said, claiming that "good relationships" between the companies and some senior KNU leaders were making it difficult to prevent the mine's expansion. Local residents near the mining area have repeatedly called for an end to the coal mining, petitioning Burmese authorities and the KNU several times. They have also staged several protests against the project to no avail, according to local residents. Khin Maung Aye, president of the Tenasserim Division Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told The Irrawaddy last year that many domestic and foreign companies from Thailand, China and elsewhere were eager to explore the largely uncharted Tenasserim hills for mineral wealth, with many foreign firms applying for licenses in recent years. The post Tenasserim Coal Mining Stokes Ire of Local Villagers appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Light at the End of the Tunnel? Posted: 12 Jan 2015 04:00 PM PST  A child walks by posters of Myanmar independence leader General Aung San at an event in Maha Bandoola Park, Yangon in December. 2015 marks the centennial of the birth of the national hero. People are saying that it is difficult, these days, to stay optimistic about the immediate future. My friends who are Buddhists say nothing is permanent, and so they wait patiently for things to change. Sure, change will happen, but how and when? Since reforms began in 2011, it has often been hard not to feel as though one were watching a badly produced Hollywood movie, with a flawed plot, a poorly written script and a cast of incongruous characters. In the long run, I keep telling myself, things must get better. But meanwhile, many of my friends feel that our generation will not see what we wish for: a free, prosperous and united Myanmar with a federal system, governed by the people. The kind of Myanmar envisaged by independence leader Gen. Aung San all those many decades ago. So what hope is there for the year ahead? According to a nationwide public survey conducted by The Asia Foundation in Myanmar, 62 percent of respondents are generally positive about the direction the country is heading in, while 77 percent believe that planned democratic elections will bring about positive change. The non-profit organization carried out interviews with more than 3,000 respondents in the regions and states, asking a wide range of questions concerning government, democracy, and the political, social and economic values of people from various ethnic and religious backgrounds. "The survey results show that in the early stages of Myanmar's transition to democracy, people are generally hopeful about the future, though that optimism is tempered by a number of challenges," The Asia Foundation said. My blood flowed a little more freely after reading this, though doubts lingered. As the Foundation points out, a number of challenges do indeed remain. Signs of government backtracking include renewed fighting in ethnic regions; a clampdown on independent media; the unchecked rise of religious extremism and tension between Buddhist and Muslim communities; and the military's ongoing role in politics. As I mentioned in a recent speech in New York to accept an International Press Freedom Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists, Myanmar is a land of green. I was not referring to its beautiful forests and trees. Rather, I meant that those in uniform continue to rule the country.  Aung Zaw is the founding editor-in-chief of The Irrawaddy. In November, a colleague in his early fifties, who works at an international organization in Yangon, told me, "We have the potential to grow, but it is being squandered [by leaders]." The optimism we felt over the past few years has slowly been fading away. In reality, many people feel that they have no power to institute the change they want. This is the real problem. Moreover, fear of the unknown is still pervasive. This fear can be found among top leaders, who are afraid of losing political and economic power. It is also present among ordinary people who fear that the status quo will endure. Amid the growing concerns over the reform process, Myanmar continues to attract investment and international recognition. On his trip to the country in November for the ASEAN and East Asia Summits, US President Barack Obama said that the democratization process was "real." The US has also opened the door to small-scale military to military engagement. Other donor countries continue to pledge more aid and investment. The European Union recently announced it would send US$900 million in aid to Myanmar over the next seven years. Many international actors seem convinced that the situation in Myanmar is, inexorably, improving. A colleague who has worked in various aid agencies told me that within the international community, "Everyone is drinking the Kool-aid. They try hard to convince themselves that they are working for solutions in the country." Notwithstanding The Asia Foundation's survey results indicating that the majority of respondents feel positive about the country's prospects, it is my experience that many people feel the immediate future looks bleak. After the ups and downs of 2014, we still hold out hope for fundamental change. There are small glimmers of light amid the darkness. As the survey found, although fears of expressing political views in public continue to linger following decades of military rule, 93 percent of respondents said they would vote in the upcoming elections. So what will 2015 bring? There will be no overnight miracle or shortcut to a free and prosperous country. We continue to tell ourselves to remain cautiously optimistic, but this is really only a defense against deep disappointment. Aung Zaw is the founding editor-in- chief of The Irrawaddy. This article first appeared in the Jan. 2015 issue of The Irrawaddy Magazine. The post Light at the End of the Tunnel? appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
Between the shops selling bamboo toys and fruit jam near Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda in Mon State, another trade trade takes place: that of the body parts of endangered animals.