The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Ma Ba Tha Accuses NLD of Defamation, Demands Apology
• Military MP as Child Abuse Case Witness Awaits Burma Army Nod
• After a Long Wait, Commuter Tram May Finally Reach Rangoon
• Senior NLD Member Chides Reporter for Probing Party Plans
• Prominent Jailed Activist on Hunger Strike Over Presidential Protection Bill
• Palaung CSOs Allege Rights Abuses by Burma Army in N. Shan State
• New Parliament to Convene on Feb. 1
• Man Arrested After Botched KBZ Robbery Attempt
• The Big Bike Lovers of Mandalay
• Thai Police Websites Hacked with ‘Failed Law’ Message
• Chinese Parents Protest to Get Second Child Registered
• China Lodges Protest with Burma after Land Mine Injures One
• North Korea Says it Conducted Successful Hydrogen Bomb Test

Ma Ba Tha Accuses NLD of Defamation, Demands Apology Posted: 06 Jan 2016 04:34 AM PST About 10,000 monks, nuns and laypeople gathered at a Rangoon stadium for a Ma Ba Tha rally on Oct. 4, 2015. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Buddhist nationalist organization Ma Ba Tha has publicly solicited an apology from the National League for Democracy (NLD) over claims that two candidates defamed the group after a November election. Ma Ba Tha, an acronym for the Association for the Protection of Race and Religion, claimed that two candidates wrongfully accused the group of supporting the outgoing Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and influencing voters in Mandalay's Yamethin Township. In two letters dated Jan. 4, Ma Ba Tha's Yamethin chapter singled out Tun Tun Win and Aung Myo Oo, both of whom lost their races for the Lower House and regional parliament, respectively. Both NLD candidates subsequently filed formal objections with the Union Election Commission (UEC) against their opponents, claiming that they had attempted to use religion to sway voters during their campaigns. The letters from Ma Ba Tha accused the two candidates of linking the offense with the group, which in the lead-up to the election had held a number of public rallies nationwide to celebrate passage of four controversial "race and religion protection laws." The legislative package passed with the support of President Thein Sein, ushering in new restrictions on religious conversion, interfaith marriage, birth rates and monogamy. Critics argued the laws targeted minorities and undermined women's rights. Celebrations following the passage of the laws were broadly viewed as thinly veiled political rallies, and in some parts of the country complaints surfaced about rhetoric and materials that attempted to sway voters against political parties that would "destroy the race and religion" of the Burman majority. In both Yamethin cases, the NLD candidates have sought arbitration with their challengers, not with Ma Ba Tha. Tun Tun Win has filed an electoral objection against former Burma Army Maj. Ko Ko Naing, while Aung Myo Oo objected against Kyaw Myint, the divisional electricity minister. Both are under review by electoral tribunal. Despite the group's estrangement from the claims being investigated, Ma Ba Tha has demanded that the two NLD members apologize within 15 days of receiving their letters or risk possible defamation suits. When contacted by The Irrawaddy on Wednesday, Tun Tun Win dismissed the letter and its implicit ultimatum. "I do not plan to apologize to them," he said, "but I will inform the party headquarters about this." The post Ma Ba Tha Accuses NLD of Defamation, Demands Apology appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Military MP as Child Abuse Case Witness Awaits Burma Army Nod Posted: 06 Jan 2016 03:34 AM PST A photo that went viral on social media brought widespread attention to the child abuse case that reportedly played out at the Rangoon home of military lawmaker Maj. Kyaw Nu Maw. (Photo: Facebook) RANGOON — Police are awaiting approval from the Burma Army to bring a militarily appointed lawmaker to trial in connection with the alleged beating of a child at his Rangoon home. Kyaw Htut, the deputy police colonel of Rangoon's Western District, said authorities are waiting for the authorization of Maj. Kyaw Nu Maw's battalion before bringing the man, an unelected lawmaker in Parliament's Upper House, to court as a witness in the child abuse case, which reportedly played out at his home in Rangoon's Bahan Township. The 8-year-old victim was living in the house and the case gained widespread attention in November after a picture of her—kneeling naked with her hands tied behind her back by a woman said to be a housemaid—went viral on Facebook. Police pressed charges against Than Nwe, the housemaid, under Article 66(d) of the Child Law, pertaining to maltreatment of minors. "His mother battalion is in Myeik, and he will come for testimony only when his mother battalion approves of it. So far, we have not yet got that approval," said Kyaw Htut. "He is still at the battalion. There's talk that he has resigned, but it is not official. If he is officially allowed to resign, we don't need to seek any approval. We just can summon him for trial," he added. Kyaw Nu Maw's battalion in Tenasserim Division's Myeik Township is currently interrogating him, according to the deputy police colonel. Than Nwe's trial began on Dec. 7, and the fourth hearing is scheduled for Jan. 18 at the Bahan Township Court. The victim and her mother have been sent to a women's vocational training school in the commercial capital. Some local media reports have indicated that Kyaw Nu Maw was discharged from the military, but there has not yet been an official statement from the Burma Army and The Irrawaddy was unable to confirm those reports on Wednesday. The post Military MP as Child Abuse Case Witness Awaits Burma Army Nod appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

After a Long Wait, Commuter Tram May Finally Reach Rangoon Posted: 06 Jan 2016 03:08 AM PST A train idles at Rangoon Central Railway Station. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — An electric commuter tram is set to launch on Jan. 10, Myanmar Railways announced on Wednesday, after months of delays left passengers weary of waiting. The 150-passenger line, originally set to launch in October but set back by infrastructure delays, was envisioned by the company in a US$3.6 million collaboration with Japanese West Corporation as a way to ease traffic in the congested city center. Myanmar Railways said the project will be rolled out in three phases, beginning this month with a four-mile track along Strand Road spanning from Wardan to Linsadaung. General Manager Tun Aung Thin told The Irrawaddy that the route will be extended to a total of seven miles over the next fiscal year. The tram's five initial stations will service some of downtown's busiest townships, with stops at Wardan, Sintohedan, Pansodan, Botahtaung and Linsadaung. Trams will make 10 rounds daily from 7am to 3:15pm at a cost of 100 kyat (US$0.8) per passenger. "We decided to start with the Strand Road route because there's already a cargo rail there," Tun Aung Thin said on Wednesday. "If we're able to successfully run a tram on this route during the early phases, commuters will become familiar with the system." While the project's corporate backers are confident that the tram will help ease congestion in the bustling former capital, others are not so sure. Maung Aung, an economist working for the Ministry of Commerce and a consultant for the city's bus rapid transit system, said the new tram line could complicate matters. "Strand Road isn't a traffic hot spot," he said. "If people from the other side [of the Rangoon River] want to use the tram, we would need another water taxi." The post After a Long Wait, Commuter Tram May Finally Reach Rangoon appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Senior NLD Member Chides Reporter for Probing Party Plans Posted: 06 Jan 2016 02:48 AM PST NLD central committee member Win Htein. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Burma's incoming leadership has already made strides in alienating the fourth estate, drawing sharp criticism from journalists who claim Aung San Suu Kyi's winning party, the National League for Democracy (NLD) is too opaque with the country's ardent media. In the party's latest brush with the press, central committee member Win Htein lashed out at a reporter during an interview with Radio Free Asia that aired on Tuesday. At the tail end of the two-minute clip, as the reporter thanked the veteran party member for his participation, Win Htein barked with annoyance. "Don't thank me, think seriously before you ask me questions," he said, after an exchange focused largely on the NLD's reluctance to reveal its presidential picks. The party won a majority of both houses of Parliament in a historic November election, granting it the power to nominate two candidates—one will be elected as president while the other will share the vice presidency with a military-backed nominee. The party's chairwoman, Suu Kyi, is ineligible due to a clause disqualifying citizens with a foreign spouse or children. Suu Kyi has repeatedly stated that she will ultimately outrank whoever the party puts forth, but has as yet given no indication of who that might be. Incessant efforts by journalists to inform the public of who is being considered as head of state are "unnecessary," Win Htein said in defense of the party's secrecy. "We don't want to mess this up just for your five- or 10-minute media reports. It took 27 or 28 years and the sacrifice of many lives to have a government led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi," he said, explaining impatiently that the transition period will require secrecy so as not to alarm the outgoing military-backed party. The comments went viral on social media, prompting criticism of the NLD's respect for the press. Commentators chimed in that "there are no stupid questions in journalism." Htein Lin, an artist known for his work on political prisoners—himself formerly among them—wrote on his Facebook page that the incoming government's attitude toward the press was "alarming." "The media is just doing their job," he said, "He should not call this 'unnecessary,' it's just not the right time [to ask those questions]." Other users suggested that the party needed to professionalize its media relations. One commented that because politicians are judged by their public remarks, the NLD "urgently needs a proper PR person." The NLD, which has long been the opposition party in a country ruled by a brutal military regime and its civilianized successor, has enjoyed a relatively friendly relationship with the press for decades. As it prepares to assume power, however, that rapport has suffered. Since securing a major electoral victory late last year, the party and its leader have been tight-lipped about its plans and who its leadership has been meeting, leaving the press to rely on scant public statements instead of NLD officials. MP-elects have also been advised not to engage the media to avoid making comments that could be misconstrued, Win Htein said during Tuesday's interview, reminding listeners of an incident following the NLD's first landslide victory in a 1990 election, later nullified by the generals. Kyi Maung, then-vice chairman of the party, was asked whether the NLD government would prosecute generals who had been accused of war crimes and other offenses. His answer—while not exactly forthright—was perceived as a threat by Maj-Gen Khin Nyunt, then a powerful intelligence agent who would later become prime minister before eventually falling out of favor. Shortly after Kyi Maung's comments, Khin Nyunt ordered the arrest of an estimated 200 NLD members. The transfer of power never took place. Recalling the ill-fated episode, Win Htein sent a warning to the media, telling RFA that, "we have suffered enough." Some of Burma's most seasoned journalists offered a nuanced approach to today's predicament of balancing caution with transparency. Thiha Saw, executive director of the Myanmar Journalism Institute and one of the most prolific figures in the country's print media, said the party should cultivate a more respectful rapport with the press, despite the need for secrecy. "I think they're being too sensitive right now, as this is the transition period; they probably don't want to make any mistakes that would affect the transfer of power," he told The Irrawaddy. "Everyone has the right to answer a question or not, but [Win Htein's remarks] make it seem as though journalists are not rational thinkers." Additional reporting contributed by Kyaw Hsu Mon. The post Senior NLD Member Chides Reporter for Probing Party Plans appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Prominent Jailed Activist on Hunger Strike Over Presidential Protection Bill Posted: 06 Jan 2016 02:41 AM PST Activist Naw Ohn Hla is pictured at her home in Rangoon in November 2013. (Photo: Sai Zaw / The Irrawaddy) Political prisoner Naw Ohn Hla began a prison hunger strike on Tuesday to protest proposed legislation that would grant wide-ranging legal immunity for ex-presidents' conduct in office. The 53-year-old democracy activist has been frequently imprisoned for her advocacy of causes ranging from peace and justice to the release of political prisoners in Burma over the past two decades. She is currently serving time for a Dec. 29, 2014 protest in front of the Chinese Embassy in Rangoon following the death of a woman in Letpadaung about one week earlier. She was sentenced last year to six years and two months' imprisonment for that protest, on charges including Article 18 of the Peaceful Assembly Law and Article 505(b) of the Burmese Penal Code. She and several fellow protesters had urged the government to carry out an investigation into the killing of Khin Win, who was shot dead on Dec. 22, 2014, by police at the Chinese-back Letpadaung copper mine in Monywa, Sagaing Division. Other protesters were also sentenced to between three and five years in prison, while one participant, Myat Nu Khaing, is still standing trial and ran unsuccessfully for a seat in Parliament in Burma's Nov. 8 general election. Naw Ohn Hla heads up the Democracy and Peace Women Network, which she cofounded in 2011. Min Nay Htoo, a spokesperson for the network, told The Irrawaddy that he had received a message from her through other labor rights activists who are standing trial and appeared at a court hearing he attended on Wednesday. "She has refused to eat the food given to her since Jan. 5, as she opposes the Former President's Protection Bill," the spokesperson said. Min Nay Htoo, who regularly pays visits to political prisoners like Naw Ohn Hla, said officials at Rangoon's Insein Prison were continuing to feed the activist, but she refuses to eat the food provided. "I was told that the prison officials told her to follow the prison procedures by submitting a letter for hunger strikes," he said, referring to existing administrative paperwork for carrying out a hunger strike while imprisoned. Naw Ohn Hla is a former member of the National League for Democracy (NLD) who has been a leading voice of Burma's pro-democracy movement since 1988. She was dismissed from the party, which won the November election, for not abiding by its disciplinary code as she led a protest and prayer service at Shwedagon Pagoda in 2005 that called for the release of political prisoners jailed by the ruling junta of the time. Critics say the "Former President's Protection Bill," put forward by the administration of President Thein Sein last month, would effectively allow the outgoing chief executive and his successors to act during their term of office without accountability or fear of legal repercussions, with Article 10 of the legislation stating that ex-presidents are "to be immune from any prosecution for his actions during his term." The bulk of the bill's other articles relate to the provision of a bodyguard for life to protect former presidents. The post Prominent Jailed Activist on Hunger Strike Over Presidential Protection Bill appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Palaung CSOs Allege Rights Abuses by Burma Army in N. Shan State Posted: 06 Jan 2016 12:44 AM PST A village in Namkham Township, northern Shan State. (Photo: Facebook / Ta'ang Youth Organization) RANGOON — The Ta'ang Women's Organization (TWO) and Ta'ang Students and Youth Organization (TSYU) have claimed that the Burma Army arrested dozens of civilians in northern Shan State over the course of a single day last month, with 11 people "brutally tortured" in a military sweep of four Namkham Township villages. The TWO and TSYU held a press conference on Tuesday in Rangoon, releasing a joint statement alleging that 81 people from the villages of Say Khin, Man Puu, Pan Yok and Man Pann were arrested by soldiers from Light Infantry Battalion No. 324 on Dec. 23. The ethnic Palaung (also known as Ta'ang) civil society groups said government troops carried out their sweep of the villages with cooperation from the Pansay militia, a pro-government armed group allegedly involved in the illicit narcotics trade in Shan State. The detained villages were released the following morning, according to the joint statement. Mai Myat Aung, who said he was assaulted by more than 10 government troops on Dec. 23 in front of his home in Pan Yok village, went on to tell of how his wife and younger brother begged the soldiers to spare him the harsh physical treatment that was ultimately meted out. "They asked me where I came from and I answered honestly, but even without exchanging any argumentative words, they knocked me out," Mai Myat Aung said at Tuesday's press conference. Mai Nyi Puu, a Say Khin village resident who speaks little Burmese, also attended the press conference and through a translator recounted his experience at the hands of the Burma Army on Dec. 23, when he returned from a funeral at a nearby village to find soldiers posted at the entrance to Say Khin. "Burma soldiers asked the children, 'Is that a rebel village?' [and said that] if it was true, they would burn the village to the ground," said Mai Nyi Puu. Lway Amm Khae, a preschool teacher in Say Khin village, recalled a similar encounter. "They made threats to the children, that they would burn the whole village, slaughter everyone and eat the flesh of the Ta'ang," she said, adding that some villagers' property was looted by soldiers, who at one point forced her to hold a grenade. Lway Poe Ngeal, secretary of the TWO, put a question to the Burmese government on Tuesday: "Is being born ethnic Palaung a sin?" Aung Myo Min, executive director of Equality Myanmar who helped coordinate the press conference, told reporters that the villagers were targeted as suspected violators of Burma's Unlawful Association Law, accusing them of supporting the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA). TWO and TSYU representatives told The Irrawaddy at Tuesday's press conference that they would submit a filing to the Myanmar Human Rights Commission by the end of January concerning the alleged human right violations in areas inhabited predominantly by ethnic Palaung, with the two groups still compiling a case list. "At least 30 cases involving human rights violations in Ta'ang areas" occur each month, said Lway Poe Ngea, TWO's secretary. The Burma Army and TNLA have exchanged hostilities repeatedly over the last few years, the latter being one of a handful of ethnic armed organizations engaged in ongoing conflict with the government. The post Palaung CSOs Allege Rights Abuses by Burma Army in N. Shan State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

New Parliament to Convene on Feb. 1 Posted: 05 Jan 2016 11:55 PM PST Shwe Mann (L), speaker of Burma's Lower House of Parliament, greets National League for Democracy (NLD) leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Naypyidaw, Nov. 19, 2015.  (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — Burma's newly elected Parliament, dominated by the National League for Democracy (NLD), will convene earlier than expected on Feb. 1, according the Speaker of the Lower House. The second session of the year will see the induction of many new faces in the national legislature, after the NLD secured a landslide victory over the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) in a November vote. Lower House Speaker Shwe Mann made the announcement on Facebook on Wednesday, stating that the session, which begins just one day after the current assembly closes on Jan. 31, will commence promptly at 10 am. Incoming lawmakers have been invited by post and must confirm their attendance no earlier than Jan. 25 and no later than Jan. 26, the announcement said. Ma Thandar, a Lower House MP-elect for the NLD, said the session is beginning earlier than expected but rookie lawmakers will do their best to prepare. "We expected it to begin the first week of February; I think the first session only ends on Jan. 31. We'll have to start preparations right away," she said. New NLD lawmakers will attend a three-day training session from Jan. 14 to 16, sponsored by the party, Ma Thandar said. The NLD, led by chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi, won nearly 80 percent of elected seats in both houses of Parliaments. Twenty-five percent of seats are reserved for military representatives. The post New Parliament to Convene on Feb. 1 appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Man Arrested After Botched KBZ Robbery Attempt Posted: 05 Jan 2016 09:51 PM PST Myo Satt being taken into custody by police in Magwe Division after allegedly attempting to rob a bank. (Photo: Htto Tin Win / Facebook) A man suspected of attempting to rob a Kanbawza (KBZ) Bank branch in Magwe Division on Tuesday has been arrested. Burma's state-run newspaper reported that Myo Satt, who allegedly tried to take cash from the bank after he started a fire inside a toilet in the building at around 1pm, was apprehended by local police after a review of CCTV recordings. A bank staffer told The Irrawaddy that a man had started the fire in an effort drum up chaos just before attempting to take money from one of the bank counters. "He doesn't look as if he's from this area, and it seems as if he planned this in advance. Bank employees caught him before he was able to run away with a bag of cash," the employee said. The post Man Arrested After Botched KBZ Robbery Attempt appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

The Big Bike Lovers of Mandalay Posted: 05 Jan 2016 09:31 PM PST Motorcycles parked on the roadside in Mandalay, Dec. 19, 2015. (Photo: Teza Hlaing / The Irrawaddy) MANDALAY — The area near Mandalay's old moat bustles in the twilight, with visitors soaking in enchanting views of the ancient royal palace and Mandalay Hill. Sprawled across a corner of the scene are about 20 large motorcycles, representing brands from Ducati to Harley Davidson. Beside the bikes are chattering men, adorned in the seemingly requisite uniform of leather boots, jeans, and Harley jackets. They hail from Burmese Python, one of Mandalay's clubs for big bike lovers, and they have caught the crowd's eyes, especially those of other motorcycle enthusiasts. Mandalay was once a bicycle city, but since Burma's 2010 general election, the number of motorcycles in the historic capital of the last independent Burmese kingdom has grown dramatically, effectively turning it into a city distinguished by the presence of big bikes. "In 1982, we only had Harleys, and they were so expensive that only a few people had them," said Soe Lay, a Harley Davidson buff. "They're still expensive today, of course, but the country's economy has opened up and gotten better since then, so more people can buy them now." A Harley Davidson bike in Burma can carry a price tag of anywhere from 10-70 million kyats (US$7,650-53,500). "I've been in love with big bikes since childhood, especially the Harley Davidson ones that used to come into my grandpa's motorbike shop. It took me years to save enough money, but in 2010 my dream came true and I finally bought one," Soe Lay said, showing off his 12 million kyat ($9,100) hog. These days Soe Lay rides his Harley with his friends around Mandalay, and he has also taken over his family's motorbike shop, mostly to sate his love for big bikes. Despite the increasing number of big bike owners in the city, however, maintaining one remains a steep hurdle, given that Burma does not yet have a service center. "If a bike breaks, we have to order spare parts from Thailand, which is costly. Sometimes we even have to send them to Thailand for repair. So in some more minor cases, we build the spare parts locally, using old parts from cars or other bikes," said Soe Lay. Harley Davidson Electra Glide, Super Glide and sport are Burma riders' favorite styles, though Ducati and BMW brands can also be found among bike collections. According to enthusiasts, there were only 47 Harley Davidson bikes in Mandalay in 2008. Today that number hovers around 100. There has been a similar growth in the number of riding clubs. Burmese Python and Mandalay Knights are just a few of the dozens of these sorts of groups. In December riding clubs came together to hold a social gathering in Mandalay to christen the opening of yet another club, Perfect Riders. Throngs of riders from Mandalay, Monywa, Tachilek and Rangoon could be spotted with their bikes, swapping information about their rides. Most of Mandalay's big bike lovers are young, and this demographic pattern, they say, brands them as outlaws in the eyes of some older residents. "Due to cultural differences, people sometimes see us as rebels, moving around the city in groups with our noisy bikes," said Thet Oo, 25, of the Burmese Python club. Yet these young riders contend that they are more than their bikes. Thet Oo said that his club collects funds to aid disaster victims and that members regularly help out at charities. "We love riding around with friends, and we love helping people in need. We have strict [club] rules to follow traffic laws and not to disturb the public. Most Mandalay residents love us and welcome us whenever they see us," Thet Oo said. Despite the hefty price attached to motorcycles, riders hope that the gradual opening of Burma's economy to the international market will bring in showrooms and service centers. Aung Aung, manager of Mandalay Free Rider (MFR), an amateur association of bicycle and motorcycle riders in Mandalay, echoed criticisms of Burma's current motorbike situation, adding, "If we could buy bikes from showrooms in our own country [rather than import them, mostly from Thailand], it would be easier for big bike lovers. I also suspect that the [Burma] government would reduce some taxes to a reasonable rate." Biking aficionados such as Aung Aung mostly ride around the city, sometimes making it as far as Bagan or even Tachilek in Shan State. But he said that as Burma continues on its slow path to change, hopes are high that the country's motorcycle riders will soon be able to cross borders as their foreign counterparts already do. "One of the dreams of every rider is to get easier access to visas—that way, we can travel abroad with our beloved big bikes." The post The Big Bike Lovers of Mandalay appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Thai Police Websites Hacked with ‘Failed Law’ Message Posted: 05 Jan 2016 09:15 PM PST Demonstrators gather outside the Thai Embassy in Rangoon in opposition to the sentencing of two migrant workers from Burma for the murder of two British tourists in Thailand, Dec. 25, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) BANGKOK — Hackers took over several police websites in Thailand, replacing the home pages with a message reading: "Failed Law. We want Justice!" Police on Tuesday said they were investigating whether the hack was in response to a Thai court decision that has been widely protested in neighboring Burma. The Dec. 24 ruling resulted in death sentences for two migrant workers from Burma convicted of murdering two British backpackers on the popular holiday island Koh Tao. Protesters believe the men were scapegoats and have threatened to boycott Thai goods after a trial that raised many unanswered questions about police and judicial conduct in Thailand. Several police websites were either offline or still displayed the hackers' message Tuesday evening, hours after the online attack was staged late Monday. A black screen showed a white mask and blanked-out eyes, with the message #BoycottThailand. The hacked pages also mentioned a group calling itself the "Blink Hacker Group" and made reference to Burma with a line in tiny print that said, "Greetz Myanmar Black Hats." Thai police spokesman Dejnarong Suthicharnbuncha said about "two or three" websites were affected but Thai media listed more than 12. "I received an initial report that the hackers are from another country," Dejnarong said. When asked if he meant they were from Burma and whether the hack was in response to the Koh Tao verdict, he said, "It's possible. We are investigating." Protesters have rallied in Rangoon outside the Thai embassy and at border crossings demanding a review of the evidence in the case. The men, Win Zaw Htun and Zaw Lin, were convicted of murdering David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, whose bodies were found on the island of Koh Tao on Sept. 14, 2014. Witheridge had also been raped. Police rushed to solve the crime, under intense pressure to limit negative publicity to the tourism industry, but the investigation and trial drew widespread criticism. Police were criticized for not properly securing the crime scene, conducting more than 200 random DNA tests, releasing names and pictures of suspects who turned out to be innocent, mishandling crucial DNA evidence from the victims and allegedly torturing their prime suspects. The post Thai Police Websites Hacked with 'Failed Law' Message appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Chinese Parents Protest to Get Second Child Registered Posted: 05 Jan 2016 09:14 PM PST Twin boys Sun Qiyu and Sun Qichun hold China’s national flags on the Tiananmen Gate in Beijing November 2, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) BEIJING — Chinese parents who had children outside the country's one-child policy protested outside the family planning commission on Tuesday in an attempt to have their fines canceled now that all couples are allowed to have two kids. For decades, China's family planning policy limited most urban couples to one child and rural couples to two if their first was a girl. Couples who exceeded the limits were ordered to pay a social compensation fee. To pressure them into paying, some local authorities refused to register the child if their parents didn't pay up, which limited the child's access to education, health care and other benefits. Some parents of unregistered children stood in a line outside the gates of the national family planning offices on Tuesday, holding banners with slogans including: "They are all our motherland's flowers and should not be treated differently." One protester, Wan Changru, said the roughly 20 people included parents and grandparents of unregistered children and that they wanted family planning officials to cancel their fines. Starting this year, all Chinese couples are allowed to have two children following an announced change to the 35-year-old policy in October. "Now that every couple can have two children, all kids should be treated equally, no matter whether they were born before or after the policy change," said Wan, who is also taking family planning officials to court to try to get her 6-year-old daughter registered. Wan and others have protested at local and national family planning commissions several times previously, but this was the first since the policy was relaxed. On Tuesday, she said the security guard called police but no police came. "This is totally different to what happened before, as dozens of police would come to stop us in the past," she said. The national family planning commission said in December that it had repeatedly ordered its local offices not to withhold registrations, and had carried out inspections to this end. The post Chinese Parents Protest to Get Second Child Registered appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China Lodges Protest with Burma after Land Mine Injures One Posted: 05 Jan 2016 09:07 PM PST Rebel soldiers of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) examine weapons and ammunition at a military base in Kokang region, March 10, 2015.  (Photo: Reuters) BEIJING — China said on Tuesday it had lodged a protest with Burma after a land mine injured a Chinese person on their common border, the latest incident of cross-border conflict to strain ties between the two neighbors. China has repeatedly demanded effective action from Burma to contain fighting along the border between the Burma Army and ethnic minority rebels. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the person was injured by a land mine on Sunday but she did not say exactly where the explosion happened. "This situation is under further investigation," Hua said at a daily news briefing. "We express serious concern over this." "The Chinese side has already made solemn representations to Myanmar [Burma] and demanded that Myanmar take effective measures to avoid the future occurrence of a similar situation and prevent the conflict in north Myanmar from endangering the security of Chinese people's lives and property." The Burma military has been battling several rebel groups including at least two that operate near Burma's border with China, in Burma's Shan and Kachin states. Thousands of Burmese civilians have sought safety on the Chinese side of the border over the past few years because of the fighting. Hua urged Burma to work with China to "safeguard the peace and stability of the China-Myanmar border region." When contacted by Reuters, Ye Htut, Burma's minister of information and spokesman for the president's office, declined to comment. Last March, China was infuriated when five people were killed by stray bombs falling on its territory in Yunnan province during fighting in Burma. China and Burma share a 2,000-kilometer (1,250-mile) border, much of it remote and hard to access. Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi said on Monday the peace process would be the first priority of her new government that will take power later this year, following a landslide victory in a November election. The post China Lodges Protest with Burma after Land Mine Injures One appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

North Korea Says it Conducted Successful Hydrogen Bomb Test Posted: 05 Jan 2016 08:41 PM PST Japan Meteorological Agency's earthquake and tsunami observations division director Yohei Hasegawa points at a location on a map after an "earthquake" around North Korea was said to be triggered by unnatural causes, January 6, 2016. (Photo: Reuters) SEOUL — North Korea said Wednesday it had conducted a hydrogen bomb test, a defiant and surprising move that, if confirmed, would put Pyongyang a big step closer toward improving its still-limited nuclear arsenal. A television anchor read a typically propaganda-heavy statement on state TV that said North Korea had tested a "miniaturized" hydrogen bomb, elevating the country's "nuclear might to the next level" and providing it with a weapon to defend against the United States and its other enemies. The statement said the test was a "perfect success." The test, if confirmed by outside experts, will lead to a strong push for new, tougher sanctions at the United Nations and further worsen already abysmal relations between Pyongyang and its neighbors. North Korean nuclear tests worry Washington and others because each new blast is seen as pushing North Korea's scientists and engineers closer to their goal of an arsenal of nuclear-tipped missiles that can reach the United States. While a hydrogen bomb is much more powerful than an atomic bomb, it is also much harder to make. In a hydrogen bomb, radiation from a nuclear fission explosion sets off a fusion reaction responsible for a powerful blast and radioactivity. North Korea is thought to have a handful of rudimentary nuclear bombs and has spent decades trying to perfect a multistage, long-range missile to eventually carry smaller versions of those bombs. After several failures, it put its first satellite into space with a long-range rocket launched in December 2012. Experts say that ballistic missiles and rockets in satellite launches share similar bodies, engines and other technology. The United Nations called the 2012 launch a banned test of ballistic missile technology. Some analysts say the North hasn't likely achieved the technology needed to manufacture a miniaturized warhead that could fit on a long-range missile capable of hitting the United States, but there is a growing debate on just how far the North has advanced in its secretive nuclear and missile programs. In the first indication of a possible test, the US Geological Survey measured an earthquake Wednesday morning with a magnitude of 5.1. An official from the Korea Metrological Administration, South Korea's weather agency, said the agency believed the earthquake was caused artificially based on an analysis of the seismic waves and because it originated 49 kilometers (30 miles) north of Kilju, the northeastern area where North Korea's main nuclear test site is located. The country conducted all three previous atomic detonations there. The test is a surprise, both in its purported type and its timing. North Korea hadn't conducted an atomic explosion since early 2013, and leader Kim Jong Un did not mention the country's nuclear weapons in his New Year's speech. Outside analysts speculated that Kim was worried about deteriorating ties with China, the North's last major ally, which has shown signs of greater frustration at provocations and a possible willingness to allow strong UN sanctions. The size of Wednesday's quake is bigger than seismic activity reported in previous atomic bomb tests. Yonhap news agency reported that quake monitoring agencies detected magnitudes of seismic activity of 3.7 in 2006; 4.5 in 2009 and 4.9 in 2013. After the North's third atomic test, in February 2013, Pyongyang launched a campaign of bellicose rhetoric that included threats to launch a nuclear attack on the United States and Seoul. North Korea claimed in 2013 that it had scrapped the 1953 armistice that ended fighting in the Korean War. Pyongyang has also restarted a plutonium nuclear reactor shuttered after a 2007 nuclear deal that later fell apart. Since the elevation of young leader Kim Jong Un in 2011, North Korea has ramped up angry rhetoric against the leaders of allies Washington and Seoul and the US-South Korean annual military drills it considers invasion preparation. The post North Korea Says it Conducted Successful Hydrogen Bomb Test appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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