The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Upcoming Political Dialogue ‘Turns Blind Eye’ to Conflict: CSOs
• Kuki Call For Full Disclosure Ahead of Ethnic Census Data’s Release
• Locals Protest Ongoing Skirmishes in Arakan State
• UWSA Will Not Attend ‘Meaningless’ Political Dialogue
• Latest Landslide in Hpakant Leaves About a Dozen Dead, Locals Say
• In Repost of ‘PM Apologizes to a Young Reporter,’ a Ye Htut Tut-Tut?
• Military Likely to Acquire 5 Factories From Ministry of Industry
• Rock Superstar Bono in Burma This Week
• Four Months on, Hakha Landslide Victims Want Out of Relief Camps
• Immigration Ministry Outlines New Visa Regulations
• Grocer Shot Dead in Indo-Burmese Border Town of Tamu
• Parliament Puts Controversial Defense Bill on Hold
• Coal Threatens to Rock the Boat Among Delta Islanders
• Indonesia Turns to China as Ethnic Uighurs Join Would-Be Jihadis
• US, South Korea and Japan Vow Tough Response to North Korea
• Philippine ‘Comfort Women’ Fear China Sea Dispute Blocks Justice from Japan
• ‘We Do Not Accept the Government’s Clean Coal Technology’

Upcoming Political Dialogue ‘Turns Blind Eye’ to Conflict: CSOs Posted: 07 Jan 2016 05:04 AM PST Senior peace negotiators from the government and ethnic armed groups shake hands at a signing ceremony for the so-called nationwide ceasefire in Naypyidaw on Oct. 15, 2015. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — More than 100 civil society organizations (CSOs) have questioned plans to hold an upcoming political dialogue, dubbed the Union Peace Conference, beginning in the capital Naypyidaw next week. The joint statement released Tuesday said that adoption of a framework for political dialogue last month and the planned Union Peace Conference on Jan. 12 were developments—touted heavily by the government—that appeared divorced from the reality of ongoing conflict in Burma. Clashes in northern Shan and Kachin states have persisted since the signing of a so-called nationwide ceasefire in October. Most recently, fighting also flared in Arakan State, where the Arakan Army has exchanged hostilities with the Burma Army, joining the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in Kachin State, and the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) in northern Shan State, as groups in active armed resistance to the government. "[The government] calls it a nationwide ceasefire agreement and Union Peace Conference, but clashes are still ongoing and the choice of words is therefore controversial," Kyaw Htin Aung, a central committee member of the Union of Karenni State Youth, told The Irrawaddy. "It also implies turning a blind eye to ethnic people who are suffering from civil war. If [the government] wants to use those words, the ongoing assaults need to cease." Though President Thein Sein's government managed to bring 16 major non-state armed groups together for peace negotiations after coming to power in 2011, it was only able to convince eight of those groups to sign the multilateral ceasefire agreement last October. Ethnic leaders and CSOs have predicted that a non-inclusive political dialogue presents a major challenge to the new government that is slated to take power in late March. The joint statement from 126 CSOs expresses serious concern that an attempt to initiate a non-inclusive political dialogue while several ethnic armed groups remain non-signatories to the ceasefire—whether by choice or exclusion—could lead to negative consequences rather than positive outcomes. Khun Myint Tun, chairman of Pa-O National Liberation Organization (PNLO), stressed that in order for Burma's peace process to succeed, collaboration was required among the outgoing government, its National League for Democracy (NLD) successor, the military and all ethnic armed groups. "It seems that CSOs are concerned that it would be difficult to build national reconciliation in our country [under the framework currently moving forward]. I agree with their views," he said.  "If national reconciliation can't be built, both signatories and non-signatories [to the nationwide ceasefire] will not succeed, and neither will the NLD nor the military. To ensure a win-win situation for all, all stakeholders need to take responsibility." The government and the eight ethnic armed group signatories to the ceasefire have agreed to a framework of proportional representation for the political dialogue that breaks down as such: Among 700 full-fledged participants, representatives will be divided equally between the Burma Army, ethnic armed signatories and political parties, with 150 delegates each. The outgoing Thein Sein government and Parliament will each be allotted 75 seats, and 50 will go both to other ethnic leaders and experts from a variety of fields. Non-signatories to the ceasefire accord will be allocated nearly 50 seats at the table as observers. The CSOs' statement called for postponing the political dialogue until a more inclusive nationwide ceasefire agreement is signed; a reassessment of the proportions of representatives of parties to the conference and of the vote threshold needed for decision-taking; and a greater effort to seek the inputs of non-signatories, as part of an overall review of the political dialogue's framework. Among the 126 CSOs that released the joint statement are the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), Kachin Peace Network and Burmese Women's Union. The post Upcoming Political Dialogue 'Turns Blind Eye' to Conflict: CSOs appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Kuki Call For Full Disclosure Ahead of Ethnic Census Data’s Release Posted: 07 Jan 2016 04:58 AM PST Neh Kho Lala of the Myanmar Census Kuki Representative Committee speaks to reporters at a press conference in Rangoon on Wednesday. (Photo: Sei Pu / Kuki Information Network) RANGOON — A committee representing Burma's ethnic Kuki minority is urging the government to transparently disclose 2014 census ethnicity data that have been withheld to date. The Myanmar Census Kuki Representative Committee this week made the call in a bid to see that the group, which is not considered an "official" ethnicity in Burma, can know precisely how many Kuki reside in the country. The Kuki are not recognized as one of the country's 135 official ethnic groups, as enshrined in the 1982 Citizenship Law, a contentious piece of legislation that was used as a framework for categorization in the UN-backed census. The committee held a press conference at the Myanmar Journalists' Network on Wednesday, and released a six-point statement that welcomed the undertaking of the census, but recommended full disclosure of the data collected in March and April of 2014. At the heart of the issue for the Kuki is the numeric code 914, which was designated by the government as a catch-all for those enumerated who did not recognize themselves as one of Burma's 135 official ethnicities. Committee member Lhu Kho Pao told reporters that the Kuki minority's population had shrunk since Burma gained independence from British colonial rule: According to a 1947 census under the British, he said the ethnic Kuki population numbered almost 100,000 across Burma, but by 1990, the military government tallied only 40,000 Kuki, who were considered Chin and not a distinct ethnic group. Use of the 1982 Citizenship Law as the basis for the census was thus problematic, according to Neh Kho Lala. "Of the 135 [official] ethnicities of Burma, some ethnics like Ka Thae do not exist on the ground, as far as I know, and even if they exist they will be a very few people, so we need to review that list," he said. Neh Kho Lala said ethnic Zomi, who like the Kuki reside primarily in Chin State, would also have identified under 914—outside the parameters of the Citizenship Law despite a party representing the group proving to be one of the rare success stories for ethnic political parties in Burma's Nov. 8 general election. Others, such as ethnic Chinese and some Muslims, would also have identified as 914. One group that did not, due to the government's refusal to allow it, was minority Rohingya Muslims, who were not recorded at all if they self-identified as such and were only given the option to list their ethnicity as "Bengali." Most census data was released in May of last year, though information on ethnicity and religion were withheld, with the government saying this data required additional time to tabulate. The particularly sensitive and potentially destabilizing nature of details on the country's ethnic and religious composition are believed to have been a contributing factor to the delayed release of the information. When the final results of the undertaking are ultimately released, expected sometime this year, Neh Kho Lala stressed the need to ensure that each distinct group should be identified as such and not lumped into the singular category of "other." Khine Khine Soe, director of the Population Department under Burma's Ministry of Immigration and Population, told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that the 914 code was used to group all ethnicities outside the official 135 for the purpose of easing computer tabulation. Groups like the Kuki would see there number tallied manually and provided to the public when the data on ethnicity are released, she added. Nearly 100 distinct ethnic groups were recorded under the 914 designation, Khine Khine Soe said, adding that her department had completed compilation of the census results on ethnicity and religion, and was awaiting government approval to release the information. Neh Kho Lala said the government should organize a meeting with representatives of the nearly 100 groups, with the purpose of discussing the affairs of these ethnicities falling outside the 1982 Citizenship Law. Lhu Kho Pao on Wednesday acknowledged that the "Chin" ethnicity was comprised of 53 different subgroups, but pointed out that the Kuki were not among them. This system of categorization existed despite some official subgroups, such as the Khaung Saing, Guite and Thadou, actually sharing a language, body of literature and culture with the Kuki, he said. The post Kuki Call For Full Disclosure Ahead of Ethnic Census Data's Release appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Locals Protest Ongoing Skirmishes in Arakan State Posted: 07 Jan 2016 04:26 AM PST Locals protest clashes between the Arakan and Burma armies in Kyauktaw Township. (Photo: Phoe Thiha) RANGOON — Residents of Arakan State's Mrauk-U Township held a protest on Thursday against ongoing clashes between the Arakan and Burma armies in nearby Kyauktaw Township. Rally organizer Kyaw Tun Oo said some 500 residents gathered around noon at Martyr Otama Park. A number of civil society groups also joined the event to register their disapproval. According to Kyaw Tun Oo, residents demanded an end to the use of villagers as laborers in the conflict and misusing funds generated from natural resources to wage war. They also called for all of Burma's ethnic armed groups to come together in political dialogue, emphasizing how military operations only harm ethnic social environments. Myint Thaung, police chief of Mrauk-U, confirmed that protesters had obtained official permission from authorities ahead of the event. "Everything's fine, there are no problems here. The conflict zone is almost 20 miles away," Myint Thaung said. "The protestors gathered peacefully at the park, and monk U Wana Thara gave a speech." More than 300 villagers recently sought shelter at monasteries in neighboring villages, and, according to Khaing Kaung San of the Wunlark Development Foundation, local civil society organizations provided refugees with food, blankets and rice bags. The post Locals Protest Ongoing Skirmishes in Arakan State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

UWSA Will Not Attend ‘Meaningless’ Political Dialogue Posted: 07 Jan 2016 03:51 AM PST A patrol station at the entrance to the UWSA headquarters in Panghsang, Wa Pecial Region. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Burma's largest ethnic armed group has said it will not attend an upcoming political dialogue between the government and rebel groups, calling the conference "meaningless" because it will exclude a number of non-state actors. A spokesman for the United Wa State Army (UWSA), viewed as the government's most formidable domestic adversary, said that ongoing conflict and the government's refusal to recognize three ethnic armed groups undermine the peace process. Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Thursday, Zhao Xiaofu said fighting in territories controlled by Ta'ang, Kachin and Shan rebels as damaging to trust, as conflict has intensified in some areas since the government signed a peace accord with eight of the country's more than 20 non-state armed groups. "We observed the fighting, and it's even more serious now instead of ceasing [after the peace accord]," the spokesman said. "We believe that political conflicts can only be solved through political dialogue. Using the armed forces is never going to solve the problem, but we believe that all ethnic armed groups should be able to participate." Burma's partial peace pact stipulated that political discussions would commence within 90 days of ascension. Talks are set to begin on Jan. 12 in Naypyidaw, though more than half of the ethnic stakeholders will not be active participants. Several ethnic armed groups that participated in the peace process declined to sign the nationwide ceasefire agreement in solidarity with those who were deemed ineligible by the government. Those who elected not to sign may audit the talks, but cannot make substantive contributions. The powerful UWSA is believed to have more than 20,000 troops, based in eastern Shan State near the Chinese border. It has been more than a quarter century since the UWSA agreed to a ceasefire with the government, and the group has said that it need not sign the nationwide ceasefire agreement as its bilateral truce remains intact. A peace delegation led by a Union Minister Thein Zaw met with UWSA leadership in December, requesting that the group join the political dialogue. Thein Zaw is the former vice chairman of the government's peace negotiation team, the Union Peacemaking Working Committee (UPWC). The current peace process has been spearheaded by the administration of President Thein Sein, but is likely to undergo some transformation as a new government takes office later this year. The new administration led by Aung San Suu Kyi, whose National League for Democracy (NLD) decisively won a general election in November, has vowed to make the peace process its top priority. Asked what the UWSA expects to see change as Suu Kyi and her party assume power, Zhao Xiaofu said "it's too early to say." "We will keep watching her actions and see if she speaks out for our ethnic people," he said. The post UWSA Will Not Attend 'Meaningless' Political Dialogue appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Latest Landslide in Hpakant Leaves About a Dozen Dead, Locals Say Posted: 07 Jan 2016 02:47 AM PST Miners search for jade stones at a mine dump at a Hpakant jade mine in Kachin State, November 25, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — About a dozen people are believed to have died after the latest in a sequence of landslides in Hpakant, the heart of Kachin State's jade mining territory. Debris swept the sides of yet another waste mound early Thursday morning, burying an estimated 10 to 15 people near the Lon Khin Alae mining camp. A smaller incident went unreported on Tuesday, killing at least two. Locals told the district MP-elect, Tint Soe of the National League for Democracy, that the earth began to move just after midnight, and that many who lived in the nearby camp were unaware of the danger. "I just returned from the Alae camp, located west of Lon Khin [village], where the waste is dumped from the Nay Min Kaba mining company," Tint Soe told The Irrawaddy. "It is normal for residents here, we hear about the deaths of hand-pickers almost every day." Thursday's landslide follows two major disasters late last year that left more than 100 dead The incidents shed light on the dangers of Burma's shady jade mining industry, which draws impoverished prospectors from across the country. Many make their living sifting through mining waste in search of discarded stones, camping out near precarious mounds of rubble to await the next dump truck. The rash of landslides was followed shortly by a government inquiry into illegally imported vehicles used to transport waste. Protests have been held in the area since late last year, demanding an end to the use of large dump trucks to create mountains of refuse that are likely to give way. Public outrage after the deadliest incident in November prompted local authorities, representatives of mining firms and village elders to conduct regular safety inspections, though reports of small-scale landslides are still regular. Burma's Ministry of Mines has designated areas for dumping waste, but some villagers claim that soil is being deposited in other areas where it endangers local populations, damages the environment and contaminates clean water. Shwe Thein of Seik Mu village said several tributaries of the Uru River, which flows through Hpakant, Lon Khin and other surrounding village tracts, have been destroyed by mining waste, which pollutes the water and blocks its passage to villages further downstream. Disruptions in the water flow cause other problems such as severe flooding in some areas, and water shortages in others. Shwe Thein said villagers had been told that the regional government was preparing to collaborate with mining firms to build water barriers to prevent abnormal flows before the start of the next monsoon season. Such precautions have been tested in the past, he said, but will need to be further fortified to safeguard against record amounts of waste in the area. The post Latest Landslide in Hpakant Leaves About a Dozen Dead, Locals Say appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

In Repost of ‘PM Apologizes to a Young Reporter,’ a Ye Htut Tut-Tut? Posted: 07 Jan 2016 02:23 AM PST Information Minister Ye Htut speaks during World Press Freedom Day at a hotel in Rangoon on May 3, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — A Facebook post on Thursday by Information Minister Ye Htut could well be interpreted as a tut-tutting of recent remarks by Win Htein, a National League for Democracy (NLD) central committee member who scolded a Radio Free Asia journalist this week after the reporter's interview focused on the party's reluctance to reveal its presidential picks. Win Htein's reaction to the RFA queries drew criticism from Burma's fledgling press corps, which like the nation at large, is eager to glean the slightest of hints as at whom the party might favor for the top job. On Thursday, a story that first appeared in state-run daily The Mirror was later reposted on the Ministry of Information website and then shared by Ye Htut. Headlined "Prime Minister Apologizes to a Young Reporter," the article tells the story of the author's friend, a journalist who was on the receiving end of a scolding of his own from former Prime Minister U Nu for a question he asked at a weekly press briefing held by the late leader. As the article's author Win Aung Gyi recalls it, the next week the press corps was silent when U Nu opened the floor to questions, prompting the prime minister to ask the assembled journalists what had them tongue-tied. Bamar Khit U Ohn Khin, a prominent  journalist of the time, responded that he and his fellow reporters, who were merely doing their jobs by asking at times tough questions, could not accept the prime minister's high-handed rebuke of the "young journalist" in question, Sein Win, to whom U Nu then apologized, and asked for forgiveness. Ye Htut's repost contained no explicit mention of Win Htein, who at the conclusion of the RFA interview on Tuesday was thanked by the reporter, to whom the NLD leader frostily replied: "Don't thank me, think seriously before you ask me questions." The Irrawaddy reported on the dust-up between Win Htein and the press on Wednesday. While Ye Htut's post would appear to be a gesture of solidarity with Burma's fourth estate, he has previously shown little desire to use his influence in government to put an end to the persecution of journalists that has taken place under the administration of which he is a part. The post In Repost of 'PM Apologizes to a Young Reporter,' a Ye Htut Tut-Tut? appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Military Likely to Acquire 5 Factories From Ministry of Industry Posted: 07 Jan 2016 01:47 AM PST Industry Minister Maung Myint inspects Heavy Industry No. 11 (Rangoon) in 2015. (Photo: Ministry of Industry) RANGOON — Five heavy industry manufacturing facilities formerly operated by the Ministry of Industry are being transferred to the Ministry of Defense, according to a document widely circulated on social media. In what appears to be a leaked internal memo of the Ministry of Industry dated Dec. 7, the factories were identified as non-operational and soon to be handed over to the military for "strategic" resumption. The memo was signed by Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Industry Hla Moe. The memo continued that the Office of President Thein Sein had approved a request by the military to hand over the facilities, and that the transfer was to be formalized by Dec. 31, 2015. Hla Moe was unavailable for comment or confirmation, though another ministry official told The Irrawaddy that such an arrangement was not unusual but that it had not yet occurred. Speaking to The Irrawaddy by phone on Wednesday, Aung Soe Ya, the industry ministry's director of planning and statistics, said any formal transfer would have resulted in documents that passed through his department. "My department always knows when a handover process is complete because we handle all the statistics," Aung Soe Ya said. While such data had not yet come across his desk, he said he was aware of the imminent deal. Following circulation of the memo, president's spokesman Ye Htut told Radio Free Asia that the transfer would represent "no loss for the state at all." Netizens were concerned that the acquisition could redirect potential revenues from the state to the military. Ye Htut said the facilities were mostly defunct, and that the transfer was likely intended to make better use of them. "By taking care of the factories that the Ministry of Industry couldn't run, the Ministry of Defense can manufacture products to be used for defense purposes and the country's economy," he said. "So I think it's more beneficial." The facilities reportedly being transferred are known as Heavy Industry No. 11 (Rangoon); 12 (Htonebo); 13 (Magwe); 25 (Myaing); and a subsidiary in Mingyan. All five have been used to manufacture vehicles and automobile accessories, according to the industry ministry website. The post Military Likely to Acquire 5 Factories From Ministry of Industry appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rock Superstar Bono in Burma This Week Posted: 06 Jan 2016 11:44 PM PST Bono, the stage name for Paul David Hewson of the Dublin-based band U2, poses with staff of the hotel he stayed at in Bagan, Mandalay Division.  (Photo: Facebook / Bagan Thiripyitsaya Sanctuary Resort) The Irish rock superstar Bono paid a holiday visit to Burma this week, including a tour of the ancient city of Bagan in Mandalay Division. In a post on Tuesday to the Facebook page of U2, the Dublin-based band of which Bono is the front man, a photograph of the Bagan skyline dotted with hot air balloons, a popular means of taking in the sacred Buddhist site, was accompanied by the caption "Hot & cold air – Bono." Fans were quick to show their support, thanking Bono for visiting the former hermit state and doling out thousands of "likes" to the post. One user shared a picture of Bono with well-known Burmese comedian Zarganar, also known as Maung Thura. Eleven Media reported on Thursday that the singer-songwriter flew Wednesday to Shan State's Heho, where the airport is commonly used as the fly-in point for Inle Lake, another popular tourist attraction. When National League for Democracy (NLD) chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi was under house arrest for nearly two decades under Burma's former military junta, Bono dedicated the band's 2002 Grammy Award-winning song "Walk On" to the pro-democracy leader. In an interview with ITV News in 2012, Bono said he was "very, very moved" to meet Suu Kyi, referring to when he met the face of Burma's pro-democracy movement in Dublin to award her Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award, also in 2012. "Ms. Suu Kyi is enormously admired in this country, and her visit here is something which we have long hoped to see," Bono said in the interview. "I expressed the warm welcome and admiration which is felt for her in this country. I wished Daw Suu Kyi every success with her Irish visit and her ongoing important work on behalf of the Burmese people, which enjoys the full support of the Irish people." The post Rock Superstar Bono in Burma This Week appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Four Months on, Hakha Landslide Victims Want Out of Relief Camps Posted: 06 Jan 2016 10:52 PM PST Landslide victims at the Hakhalay relief camp in Hakha Township, Chin State, in August.  (Photo: Lawi Weng / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Some 1,300 landslide victims sheltering at relief camps in the Chin State capital Hakha staged protest marches on Tuesday and Wednesday, calling on the government to provide them with land on which to live after they were displaced amid widespread flooding last year. Heavy rains in July and August triggered severe landslides in Hakha and elsewhere in Chin State that forced thousands of locals from their homes. Tin Pan, one of the victims taking refuge at a relief camp, told The Irrawaddy that those still displaced by the landslides were asking the Chin State government to allocate land plots to them as soon as possible, especially before yet another monsoon season arrives in a few months' time. "We've asked the [Chin State] government to give us lands so that we can live in our own houses, whether they're huts or something else," said Tin Pan. The landslide victims have also demanded that the state government build proper streets and drainage systems in newly established wards. Kyun Khem, an Upper House lawmaker from Chin State whose constituency covers part of Hakha Township, proposed on Wednesday that a model village be built in neighboring Falam Township, in order to offer greater assistance to landslide victims. The proposal, however, was rejected. More than 600 houses were destroyed or damaged by landslides across a number of wards in Hakha Township, most in the old Hakha town area. A geological survey conducted in the aftermath of last year's devastating floods found that several areas in the township were not suitable for continued habitation, having been deemed at high-risk for future landslides. Talk has since turned to the large-scale relocation of the state capital's population. The post Four Months on, Hakha Landslide Victims Want Out of Relief Camps appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Immigration Ministry Outlines New Visa Regulations Posted: 06 Jan 2016 10:45 PM PST A tourist couple sit on a bank of Inya lake in Rangoon, February 1, 2013. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — Burma's immigration ministry has announced new visa regulations effective from Jan. 11, clarifying visa options for short and long-term visitors. The Wednesday announcement outlines 12 types of single-entry visas and three multiple entry visas, detailing how and when each document can be obtained. The regulations do not indicate any major change of policy, but rather clearer procedural resources to bring Burma's visa policies more in line with Asean standards. As of Jan. 11 there will be 12 types of single-entry visa on offer: diplomatic; official travel; tourist; social; journalist; crew; workshop; business; employment; religious; educational; and 24-hour transit visa. Business, workshop, crew and transit visas will be available upon arrival. Three types of multiple-entry visas will be offered: special government approved re-entry; special re-entry; and 6-month stay re-entry visa. Industry experts welcomed the announcement, predicting it will ease facilitation of travel for tourists, businesspeople and nationals living abroad. Sabei Aung, managing director of Nature Dream Tourism said that her firm had struggled in the past with fluctuating and unclear travel procedures. "Actually, before there were no clear regulations for visa application; we didn't know how to do it," she told The Irrawaddy. "But now our clients can ask us how to do it." "Now it's clear, but what we want is to see the tourist visas extended to 45 days, instead of 28." The Asean community is expected to eventually implement a single travel visa allowing residents to move freely throughout the region, but it is still unclear when such a program could take effect. The post Immigration Ministry Outlines New Visa Regulations appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Grocer Shot Dead in Indo-Burmese Border Town of Tamu Posted: 06 Jan 2016 10:41 PM PST Nant Pha Lon market is seen in Tamu Township, Sagaing Division. (Photo: Zoin.info) MANDALAY — A man was gunned down in broad daylight on Wednesday in Sagaing Division's Tamu, a township on the border with India, with the shooter still at large. According to police, the slain man was 45-year-old Maung Maung, also known as A Ra Hin, who owned a grocery store in Tamu's busy town center, where the shooting took place. "Some witnesses said the unknown gunman fled to the Indo-Burma border, but we do not have concrete information on it yet," said a police official from the Tamu District police office, who asked not to be named. Local authorities and police told The Irrawaddy that the motivation for the shooting remains unknown and the incident is under investigation, with authorities undertaking a manhunt for the gunman. Tamu's location along the Indo-Burmese border has earned it a reputation as a hideout for armed rebels from northeast India, where low-level insurgencies have simmered for decades. Shootings and bomb blasts linked to the unrest in neighboring Manipur state, as well as illicit narcotics trafficking and problems related to drug abuse, have been reported in Tamu Township over the years. However, local residents said this week's incident marks a break from a relatively stable 2015 in the town. "It had been peaceful during the whole of 2015, and we thought we finally could live in peace," said Thein Win, an elder of Tamu. "But now, we are living in fear and worrying about further unrest. We want protection from the authorities because we want to live in peace," he added. The post Grocer Shot Dead in Indo-Burmese Border Town of Tamu appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Parliament Puts Controversial Defense Bill on Hold Posted: 06 Jan 2016 10:39 PM PST Khin Aung Myint, speaker of the Upper House of Parliament, arrives to attend six-party talks at the Presidential Palace in Naypyidaw, April 10, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — A National Defense and Security Council (NDSC) bill criticized for its potential to increase the power of the military over civilian lawmakers will not be considered during in the current session of Parliament. Khin Aung Myint, a member of the NDSC as well as Speaker of the Upper House, told reporters outside Parliament on Monday that there is not enough time to discuss the bill this term, set to expire on Jan. 31. "Whether or not the MPs of the newly elected Parliament discuss it is up to them," he said. The NDSC bill, a draft of which was obtained by The Irrawaddy, has stirred heated debate since it was distributed to Upper House lawmakers in Naypyidaw in late December. Aside from the right to cast a deciding vote in the event of a deadlock, the president is stripped of other voting abilities on council matters by Article 14 of the bill. The article also stipulates that the council must reach a consensus on decisions or accept a majority vote if this is not possible. Burma's 2008 Constitution, drafted by the military, gives an 11-member council the power to make policy on certain military and security issues. Moreover, the NDSC can implement conscription policies, approve amnesties at the president's request and call on the president to declare a nationwide state of emergency. If this happens, the government's normal executive, judicial and legislative functions are suspended and transferred to the commander-in-chief. Elections can also be put off for a period of up to 12 months. The military has six members on the council, already giving it a majority. Other members include the president, two vice presidents, both Union Parliament speakers, the commander-in-chief and deputy commander of the Burma Armed Forces, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the military-appointed ministers of Home Affairs, Border Affairs and Defense. The post Parliament Puts Controversial Defense Bill on Hold appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Coal Threatens to Rock the Boat Among Delta Islanders Posted: 06 Jan 2016 10:37 PM PST Click to view slideshow. NGAPUDAW TOWNSHIP, Irrawaddy Division — Less explored and more pristine than any of Burma's more popular beaches, Gaw Yin Gyi island lies within Ngapudaw Township in Irrawaddy Division. Part of Nga Yoke Kaung sub-township, the island is accessible by boat after an eight-hour drive southwest of Rangoon. Most locals on the island make their living by fishing, and despite the appearance here of a people leading peaceful existences set amid beautiful natural surroundings, a threat looms over residents of Nga Yoke Kaung, on the Irrawaddy Delta mainland, and nearby Gaw Yin Gyi island: ambitions to construct coal-fired power plants. The Burmese government, foreign firms and local companies all are eyeing these shores, as well as locations in Mon State and Tenasserim Division to the southeast. While there is little doubt that much of Burma badly needs electricity, Gaw Yin Gyi islanders are not so sure that dirty, carbon-intensive coal is the answer. "If there are coal-fired power plants, our lives will be gone as this beautiful beach will be gone too," said Tin Aung Kyaw, a local resident. The post Coal Threatens to Rock the Boat Among Delta Islanders appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Indonesia Turns to China as Ethnic Uighurs Join Would-Be Jihadis Posted: 06 Jan 2016 10:31 PM PST Security guards stand at the gate of the National Counter-Terrorism Agency building in Bogor, January 5, 2016.  (Photo: Reuters) JAKARTA — Indonesian authorities are working with their counterparts in China to stem a flow of ethnic Uighur militants seeking to join Islamist jihadists in the world's most populous Muslim country, Indonesia's counter-terrorism chief said. Saud Usman Nasution's comments come amid mounting concern in Indonesia about possible attacks by sympathizers of the Islamic State group and follows the arrest of 13 men across the island of Java, including a Muslim Uighur with a suicide-bomb vest. The appearance among Indonesian militant networks of Uighurs, who come from the Xinjiang region in far-western China, is likely to add to Beijing's concerns that exiles will return to their homeland as experienced and trained jihadists. China says Islamist militants and separatists operate in energy-rich Xinjiang on the borders of central Asia, where violence has killed hundreds in recent years. Rights groups say much of the unrest can be traced back to frustration at controls over the Uighurs' culture and religion, and that most of those who leave are only fleeing repression not seeking to wage jihad. China denies repressing rights. Nasution, who heads the National Counter-Terrorism Agency, told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday that several Uighurs had responded to a call last year by Santoso, Indonesia's most high-profile backer of Islamic State, to join his band of fighters. Islamic State and human trafficking networks helped them travel via Burma, Thailand and Malaysia to Santoso's hideout in an equatorial jungle of eastern Indonesia, he said. However, the would-be suicide bomber arrested on Dec. 23 was hiding in a house just outside the capital, Jakarta. "We are cooperating with China and investigating evidence such as ATM cards and cellphones," Nasution said, adding that an Indonesian team went to China to interview members of the man's family, who would not confirm that they were related to him. There was no immediate comment from China's foreign ministry on whether Beijing is collaborating with Indonesia. "As far as China is concerned, these people are running off, some of them taking part in jihad and planning to strike back," said Pan Zhiping, a terrorism expert at the Xinjiang Academy of Social Sciences. "Of course we must stop them. I believe, in terms of jointly guarding against extremism, it is necessary that we cooperate." Bilveer Singh of the Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore said the direct involvement of Chinese Uighurs in Southeast Asian militancy added "an external dimension to the existing home-grown terrorist threat." "It could also complicate ties with a rising China, which may want to play a bigger counter-terrorism role in the region," Singh said in a Eurasia Review article. 'Serious Concern for China' Indonesia's security forces have given Santoso, who styles himself as the commander of the Islamic State army in Indonesia, until Jan. 9 to surrender along with his force of about 40 men on the far-flung island of Sulawesi. However, security analysts believe a larger threat is emerging across the populous island of Java as networks of support for Islamic State grow. Indonesia has been largely successful in disrupting domestic militant cells since the bombing of two nightclubs on the resort island of Bali in 2002, and sporadic attacks have been mainly targeted at the police. The government is now worried that the influence of Islamic State, whose fighters hold swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq, could bring a return of jihadi violence and strikes against foreigners and soft targets. Officials believe there are more than 1,000 Islamic State supporters in Indonesia, and say that between 100 and 300 have returned from Syria, though this includes women and children. Nasution said that monitoring of radical groups had revealed plans to launch attacks on Christmas Eve and around the New Year holiday but the situation was now under control. "They cannot attack like in the Middle East or Europe because we anticipate before they attack. We monitor their activities every day," he said. "Their capability has not increased because their personnel is limited, their funding is limited and explosives are limited." Police spokesman Suharsono said the Uighur arrested just outside Jakarta was part of an Islamic State-affiliated group based in the Central Java city of Solo. Officials declined to comment on media reports that two other Uighurs from the same group were on the run, but they did confirm that three Uighurs were with Santoso. Four others were sentenced last year to six years in prison for conspiring with Indonesian militants. Todd Elliott, a Jakarta-based terrorism analyst for Concord Consulting, said many Uighurs will see Indonesia as more accessible than Turkey or Syria and are exploiting entrenched smuggling and human-trafficking networks to travel around the region undetected. "I am sure returning Uighur fighters are a serious concern of the Chinese government," he said, adding that Islamic State's hardline ideology has gained traction among small minorities in both Xinjiang and Indonesia, binding them closer together. The post Indonesia Turns to China as Ethnic Uighurs Join Would-Be Jihadis appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

US, South Korea and Japan Vow Tough Response to North Korea Posted: 06 Jan 2016 09:30 PM PST Men look toward North Korea's propaganda village Kaepoong near the demilitarized zone (DMZ) which separates the two Koreas, in Paju, South Korea, January 7, 2016.  (Photo: Reuters) SEOUL — The United States, South Korea and Japan agreed to launch a "united and strong" international response to North Korea's claim of a successful hydrogen bomb test, as experts scrambled on Thursday to find more details about the detonation that drew worldwide skepticism and condemnation. It may take weeks or longer to confirm or contradict the North's claim, but a successful test would mark a major and unanticipated advance for its still-limited nuclear arsenal and push its scientists and engineers closer to their goal of building a warhead small enough to place on a missile that can reach the US mainland. Separate statements from the White House said President Barack Obama had spoken to South Korean President Park Geun-Hye and to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan. The statements said the countries "agreed to work together to forge a united and strong international response to North Korea's latest reckless behavior." Obama also reaffirmed the "unshakeable US commitment" to the security of South Korea and Japan, according to the statements. The North's bomb test drew immediate worldwide condemnation, with the UN Security Council holding an emergency session and pledging to swiftly pursue new sanctions against North Korea, saying its test was a "clear violation" of previous UN resolutions. Four rounds of UN sanctions have aimed at reining in the North's nuclear and missile development programs, but Pyongyang has ignored them and moved ahead with programs to modernize its ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons. South Korean officials said they were considering a variety of punitive measures. The options include restarting border propaganda broadcasts that Seoul halted after it agreed with Pyongyang in late August on a package of measures aimed at easing animosities, Defense Minister Han Min-koo told lawmakers on Thursday. On Wednesday, there was a burst of jubilation and pride in North Korea's capital of Pyongyang, where a TV anchor said the test of a "miniaturized" hydrogen bomb had been a "perfect success" that elevated the country's "nuclear might to the next level." But an early analysis by the US government was "not consistent with the claims that the regime has made of a successful hydrogen bomb test," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. He added that nothing had happened in the last 24 hours to change Washington's assessment of Pyongyang's technical or military capabilities. South Korea's spy agency told lawmakers that it thought the estimated explosive yield from the blast was much smaller than what even a failed hydrogen bomb detonation would produce. Other analysts agreed with that assessment. "I'm pretty skeptical," said Melissa Hanham, senior researcher at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute for International Studies in Monterey, California. "The seismic data indicates it would be very small for a hydrogen test. While also noting that the quake was likely too small for an H-bomb test, Jaiki Lee, a professor of nuclear engineering at Seoul's Hanyang University, said the North could have experimented with a "boosted" hybrid bomb that uses some nuclear fusion fuel along with more conventional uranium or plutonium fuel. Fusion is the main principle behind the hydrogen bomb, which can be hundreds of times more powerful than atomic bombs that use fission. In a hydrogen bomb, a nuclear fission explosion sets off a fusion reaction responsible for a powerful blast and radioactivity. Washington and nuclear experts have been skeptical of past North Korean claims about hydrogen bombs, which are much more powerful and much more difficult to make than atomic bombs. North Korea's state media called the test a self-defense measure against a potential US attack. "The [country's] access to H-bomb of justice, standing against the US, the chieftain of aggression… is the legitimate right of a sovereign state for self-defense and a very just step no one can slander." The hydrogen bomb already is the global standard for the five nations with the greatest nuclear capabilities: the US, Russia, France, the UK and China. Other nations may also either have it or are working on it, despite a worldwide effort to contain such proliferation. Just how big a threat North Korea's nuclear program poses is a mystery. 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 carry smaller versions of those bombs. Some analysts say the North probably hasn't achieved the technology needed to make a miniaturized warhead that could fit on a long-range missile capable of hitting the US mainland, but debate is growing on just how far the North has advanced. To build its nuclear program, the North must explode new and more advanced devices so scientists can improve their designs and technology. Nuclear-tipped missiles could then be used as deterrents and diplomatic bargaining chips—especially against the United States, which Pyongyang has long pushed to withdraw its troops from the region and to sign a peace treaty formally ending the Korean War. It could be weeks before the true nature of the test is confirmed by outside experts, if they are able to do so at all. US aircraft designed to detect evidence of a nuclear test, such as radioactive particulate matter and blast-related noble gases, could be deployed from a US base on the Japanese island of Okinawa. Japanese media said Tokyo mobilized its own reconnaissance aircraft over the Sea of Japan to try to collect atmospheric data. The post US, South Korea and Japan Vow Tough Response to North Korea appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Philippine ‘Comfort Women’ Fear China Sea Dispute Blocks Justice from Japan Posted: 06 Jan 2016 08:28 PM PST Filipino "comfort women" survivors at a protest in front of the Japanese embassy in Manila, August 14, 2015.  (Photo: Reuters) MANILA — A group of Philippine "comfort women," forced to work in Japanese military brothels in World War II, accused their government on Wednesday of not doing enough to help them secure an apology and compensation from Japan. South Korea and Japan last month reached an agreement to resolve the issue as Tokyo made an apology and promised about 1 billion yen (US$8.43 million) for a fund to help survivors, though many South Koreans were angry a deal had been made. In a statement, the Philippine comfort women said they feared the South China Sea dispute with China had distracted Manila from seeking justice from Japan, which occupied the Philippines from 1942 to 1945. "Each day that they are ignored by their own government, any hope of official acknowledgment and reparations grows dimmer as the shadows of old age and mortality cast a dark pall on them," lawyer Harry Roque said in a statement. "The victims of horrendous human rights violations should not be used by our government as leverage in its talk with Japan for support against China over the West Philippine Sea controversy." About 1,000 Philippine women were forced into prostitution by Japanese troops during World War II. The protesting comfort women belonged to a group called "Malaya Lolas," or freed grandmothers. There was no immediate comment from the foreign ministry or president's office. The Philippines and Japan are discussing the transfer of military equipment, like surveillance planes and patrol boats, to help strengthen the Philippines' capability to guard its maritime borders as China rapidly expands in the South China Sea. Beijing claims almost all the South China Sea, which is believed to have huge deposits of oil and gas, and through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year, and has been building up facilities on the islands it controls. Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines also have claims. Tension rose this week when China landed a civilian plane on one of three airstrips it had built on man-made islands in the Spratlys. Japan has also made available about $2 billion for roads and railways to upgrade the Philippines' dilapidated infrastructure and untangle traffic gridlock in the capital. The post Philippine 'Comfort Women' Fear China Sea Dispute Blocks Justice from Japan appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

‘We Do Not Accept the Government’s Clean Coal Technology’ Posted: 06 Jan 2016 06:19 PM PST Devi Thant Cin seen in her office in Yangon. (Credit: Kay Zon Nway/ Myanmar Now) Devi Thant Cin is a well-known environmentalist and coordinator of the Myanmar Green Network. The non-government organization has been using the increasing space for civil society in Burma, also known as Myanmar, to lobby against environmentally damaging mega projects, such as the Myitsone hydropower dam on the Irrawaddy River. After President Thein Sein's government announced plans to make coal-fired plants a major component of Burma's expanding energy supply, Myanmar Green Network and other NGOs began campaigning against this policy. Local communities in several states and regions, in particular in Tenasserim Division, have already protested against some projects fearing their heavy environmental impact. Devi Thant Cin is not only known for being a leading environmentalist, but also as a princess and direct descendant of Myanmar's last monarch King Thibaw.  In an interview with Myanmar Now, the 68-year-old discussed why she opposed coal plants and how a new National League for Democracy (NLD) government should prioritize alternative energy sources and create a Ministry of Environment. How do you plan to engage with the new government in order to lobby for environmental reform? Myanmar Green Network has organized expert volunteers to support the government on environmental issues and we will present all of our findings. We independently conducted environmental impact surveys for the suspended Myitsone dam project, the China-backed Letpadaung copper mine and this issue of coal-fired power plants. We presented our findings to President Thein Sein, NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society and relevant ministries. Such surveys are the responsibilities of experts. In my opinion, any expert who does not point out faults [in government plans] betrays their country and people. Will you ask for the creation of an Environment Ministry that can carry out these plans? And why is that important? Myanmar did not have a separate Ministry of Environment during the past 50 years. It was part of the Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry. Economy, health, education and politics are all related with environmental issues. For example, after onion prices increased more than eight times from 10 rupees to 88 rupees in India around 1980, the government of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi fell. In Egypt, when the prices of crops skyrocketed President Mubarak's administration faced social problems. Global climate change is affecting the monsoon. Now, the monsoon is coming late and ending early. The situation is causing problems in agriculture-dependent countries…Therefore, green policies should be adopted in every country. What are the environmental consequences of coal-fired power plants? Climate change may cause heavy rains or less rain [in part] due to gas emitted from coal-fired power plants. This will have negative impacts on the agriculture sector. Industrial emissions include dangerous chemicals such as lead and chromite. It can create diseases in lungs and heart, cause cancer and asthma. Excessive amounts of poisonous particles in the air will cause early death. Can you give an example of negative local consequences of coal plants? There is a coal plant in Kalaw Township in southern Shan state. The local environment there has been damaged. Dark particles can be found in water storage facilities. The air is not clean. The rate of miscarriage is increasing in this area. We are not protesting against every development project, but projects such as the Myitsone dam or coal-fired power plant project will create disadvantages for the country and its people. Are local communities aware of the consequences of coal plants? Yes, they are. They get information from mining engineers and reading books. Public opinion is very important to stop this kind of project. What are your plans to stop the use of coal for energy supply? We will continue our activities. Although we have submitted our findings to the government, they proceeded with the [coal plant] projects. We have published our findings and educated the public. When people realize the impacts of these projects and call for an end to them, a democratic government should not continue them. Do you think a new government should break away from the Thein Sein government's approach to coal? Environmentalists do not accept the current government's 'clean coal technology' [which is used in new plants]. The Japanese government has admitted they cannot ensure there is actual 'clean coal technology'. The United States has tried to create underground storage for carbon emitted from coal. However, even they could not afford it any more due to high costs. Meanwhile, Myanmar cannot even control bad smells emitted from ordinary factories, such as breweries and vermicelli factories, let alone coal plant emissions. But coal-fired plants are used in some countries. Why not here? The use of coal in electricity generation or other business sectors is being reduced in other countries. Instead these economies are moving toward renewable energy sources, such as hydropower, solar and wind power, which have less impact on health and atmosphere. Environmental conservation should be a major concern of global governments. Every country needs to adopt a 'green policy' for environmental conservation to protect the air, water and earth…In Myanmar, a separate ministry should be set up to conserve these resources. The post 'We Do Not Accept the Government's Clean Coal Technology' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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