The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• From the Archive: 5 Years On, KNU Leader’s Chilling Murder Still a Mystery
• Fire Destroys Hundreds of Homes in Tenasserim Division’s Palaw Township
• Closing State-Run News Outlets Will Cause Ethnic Media to ‘Suffer’: MOI Official
• Hpakant Protesters Negotiate with Authorities over Waste Soil Dumps
• As Tensions Rise Between Ta’ang and Shan, SSPP Offers Mediation
• Newly Minted MPs Kick Off Week of Parliamentary Training
• ‘Free Burma Rangers’ Provide Emergency Assistance in Iraq
• President Waived US Trip to Monitor Sensitive Transition: Ye Htut
• Clashes in Northern Shan State Uproot Thousands
• RCSS Chairman: ‘We Are Ready to Work With the NLD Govt’ 
• Ex-General Who Led Burma from Dictatorship Leaves Mixed Legacy
• New Technology Aims to Speedily Repatriate South Asia’s Trafficked Children
• Last of 116 Dead in Taiwan Quake Is Pulled from Rubble
• Beijing’s Top Official in HK Calls Rioters ‘Radical Separatists’

From the Archive: 5 Years On, KNU Leader’s Chilling Murder Still a Mystery Posted: 15 Feb 2016 05:48 AM PST General Secretary Mahn Sha (right) of the KNU pictured with Gen Bo Mya at Karen Revolution Day in 2004. (Photo: Htain Linn) The Irrawaddy revisits a story from February 14, 2013, on Karen National Union leader Mahn Sha who, eight years ago on Sunday, was gunned down at his home in the Thai border town of Mae Sot. Five years ago today, Karen National Union (KNU) leader Mahn Sha was sitting on the balcony of his home in Mae Sot, a Thai town on the border with Burma, when two gunmen entered the house and shot him several times at point blank range. They left safely and were never seen again. A Thai police investigation came to nothing and the assassination of the prominent KNU general-secretary went down in history as a mysterious, cold-blooded murder that sent a chilling message to Burma's ethnic armed groups fighting the country's government. "As neither the victim nor the gunmen were Thai citizens, I don't think the Thai authorities will take this case seriously," said David Taw, a late former KNU spokesperson at the time. His words foretold the outcome. Five years later there has been no investigation, legal action or any new piece of information about the killing. On Thursday, Mahn Sha's family said they remain deeply disappointed over this lack of action in the case. "We are very sad as there is no legal action. Even if there is no legal action, we at least want to know the truth," said Nant Zoya Phan, Mahn Sha's daughter, who works with the London-based Burma Campaign UK. Her sister Nant Bwa Bwa Phan said by phone from London that she supported any initiative that would help uncover what happened on Feb. 14, 2008. "I want to encourage the KNU or any independent group to investigate the murder of our father," she said. Sunai Phasuk, a Thai researcher for New York-based Human Rights Watch, said that Thai authorities had failed to thoroughly investigate the case. "No matter who the victim is, the incident happened on Thai soil, so Thai authorities have a responsibility to bring the case to justice," he said. Mahn Sha was considered an inspirational leader for the Karen living in Burma and Karen refugees in Thailand, while he was also respected by Burmese dissidents for his support for the pro-democracy struggle in the country. He held many rounds of peace negotiations with Burma's military government and was expected to assume the KNU's leadership before he was gunned down at age 64. In decades past, tens of thousands of Karen have sought refuge in Mae Sot, just over the border from southeastern Burma's Karen State, where the KNU has been involved in a long-running conflict with Burma's central government. The KNU were tolerated by Thai authorities, as it had ties to the group. But Mae Sot's murky environment of armed rebels, Burmese dissidents, Thai and Burmese businessmen, and Thai intelligence officers frequently led to unexplained incidents and killings. Mahn Sha's killing remains unresolved although theories for the murder have been offered. Some said it was related to his opposition to the construction of Hat Gyi hydropower dam on the Salween River, a project that was planned by the Burmese government and the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand. Sources close to the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), a Karen splinter group, have said elements within the DKBA had been involved in Mahn Sha's slaying. The group signed a ceasefire agreement with the Burmese military regime after it split away from the KNU in 1995. His children said they hoped that the truth about his killing would surface in the future. "I believe there will be a finding about the murder of my father. The truth will come out one day for sure," his daughter Bwa Baw Phan said. Mahn Sha's adopted son Saw Say Say Phan added: "As his children it was very difficult for us to lose a father, but it gave us comfort to see how so many other people also felt the loss of our father so deeply. He was a man who was widely loved and respected." In memorial of their father, his four children have set up the Phan Foundation, a charity that supports young Karen people or Karen organizations that fight poverty, promote education and development, or preserve Karen culture. The post From the Archive: 5 Years On, KNU Leader's Chilling Murder Still a Mystery appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Fire Destroys Hundreds of Homes in Tenasserim Division’s Palaw Township Posted: 15 Feb 2016 05:34 AM PST Rescuers attempt to subdue a fire in Kyauk Kar village in Tenasserim Division's Palaw Township.  (Photo: D.F.B-Myeik / Facebook) RANGOON — A fire broke out on Saturday in Kyauk Kar village in Tenasserim Division's Palaw Township, destroying 331 homes, according to a rescue official. Sources report that houses in the island village, located about two hours by boat from Palaw Township, were ablaze for approximately five hours. "The cause of the fire is still unknown. All we know is that negligence was involved," Nay Myo Htun, an officer in the rescue and resettlement department in Tenasserim Division, told The Irrawaddy. Local charities and social organizations are donating to fire victims, and the divisional rescue and resettlement department has said that it will provide 100,000 kyats (US$81) and home utensils to each affected household. More than 1,500 people were reportedly affected. "The divisional government will provide 20 lakhs [2 million kyat] to each household for rebuilding purposes, while the rescue and resettlement department will provide 50 sheets of iron to renovate roofs," said Nay Myo Htun. Houses will be rebuilt according to locals' wishes, he added, and if those affected ask the government to arrange for household repairs, arrangements will be made with contractors. KBZ's Brighter Future Myanmar Foundation released a statement on Sunday saying that it had donated 3 lakhs [300,000 kyat] to each household to be used for home repairs and to recover lost items. Officials in Tenasserim Division and indeed across Burma are working to raise awareness among citizens of important fire prevention measures. The country has already faced a series of fires since the beginning of the year, including a massive blaze in January at Rangoon Division's Mingalar Market that destroyed 1, 636 shops and another fire earlier this month that displaced over 1,200 residents in Namhsan Township in northern Shan State. In a letter sent to Rangoon's Kawhmu Township administrative office on Monday, National League for Democracy chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi warned administrators to be vigilant regarding fire safety, including checking the electrical wiring of buildings and ensuring fire extinguishers are in public spaces as well as in homes. The Irrawaddy's Nyein Nyein contributed reporting. The post Fire Destroys Hundreds of Homes in Tenasserim Division's Palaw Township appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Closing State-Run News Outlets Will Cause Ethnic Media to ‘Suffer’: MOI Official Posted: 15 Feb 2016 05:15 AM PST Arakan State Chief Minister Mya Aung (third from right) and permanent secretary Tint Swe of the Ministry of Information (far right) attend the 4th Ethnic Media Conference in Mrauk Oo, Arakan State, on February 14, 2016. (Photo: Moe Myint / The Irrawaddy) MRAUK-OO, ARAKAN STATE – Ethnic representatives rejected a claim made by a Ministry of Information (MOI) official on Sunday that the future of ethnic media is intertwined with that of state-run news services. If Myanmar TV (MRTV)—the government-owned broadcasting service—is dissolved, then ethnic media will suffer, said permanent secretary Tint Swe of the MOI at the 4th Ethnic Media Conference in Arakan State. Burma News International (BNI), an ethnic media coalition, hosted the conference in the ancient Arakan capital of Mrauk Oo. Nan Paw Gay, BNI's executive director, countered Tint Swe, pointing out that BNI's ethnic media partners had never received government funds, although she noted that the MOI had approached BNI and offered financial support to its members. "Demolishing the MOI and the continued existence of BNI partners are different issues, because all of our partners are independent," she explained. The dissolution of broadcasters like MRTV, she argued, would not have an adverse effect on them. Some journalists have criticized the MOI as attempting to associate with ethnic media to advance their own interests, including on passing a so-called public service media law that would have transformed state-owned media organizations into "public service" outlets. The bill was ultimately withdrawn from Parliament in March last year. Media insiders have spoken in support of the shuttering of the MOI, claiming that the state-run newspapers—Myanma Ahlin, The Mirror and The Global New Light of Myanmar—are unnecessary and create market challenges for independent daily papers. These three newspapers also have the highest circulations in Burma. A participant in the BNI conference from the Northern Shan State Media Network, secretary Mya Wun Yan, said that Tin Swe did not specify which type of ethnic media would be affected—print or broadcast. "His speech was totally unrelated to the independent ethnic media because we haven't received any aid from MOI. His words are related to some MOI proxy broadcasts," she said. Last year, the MOI established so-called national race channels (NRC) in some ethnic regions and provided financial and technical support for broadcasting. Some broadcasters affiliated with MOI are now producing radio programs in the ethnic Shan language for local audiences, said Mya Wun Yan. Speaking to reporters in December, Ye Htut, who leads the Ministry of Information and also serves as presidential spokesperson, said he hoped the incoming National League for Democracy (NLD)-led government would consider the careers and livelihoods of the MOI's 7,000 employees—3,000 of whom work for state-run media enterprises—when pursuing reforms. The post Closing State-Run News Outlets Will Cause Ethnic Media to 'Suffer': MOI Official appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Hpakant Protesters Negotiate with Authorities over Waste Soil Dumps Posted: 15 Feb 2016 05:05 AM PST Miners search for jade stones at a mine dump at a Hpakant jade mine in Kachin State, November 25, 2015. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters) MANDALAY — Locals in Kachin State's Hpakant Township, who began protesting in three different villages on Saturday against the continued dumping of waste soil in their areas, suspended demonstrations on Monday after authorities agreed to dialogue. Protest camps had been set up in Lone Khin, Seng Taung and Sabaw villages of Hpakant Township, with residents issuing a set of demands to local authorities and mining companies operating in the jade-rich region and actively stopping dump trucks from depositing more waste. Protesters demanded that mining firms: stop dumping waste in their villages; remove existing piles of waste; abide by regulations set out by the government; and cooperate to restore tributaries of the Uru River impacted by the dumping of detritus. Protesters from Seng Taung and Sabaw villages said local authorities had visited their camps to seek a resolution. "The authorities said they will meet with us tomorrow and will negotiate with the mining companies on our requests. So we decided to halt the protests during the negotiating period," said Dashi Naw Lwin of Seng Taung on Monday. "The authorities said they will push the companies to fulfill our requests and if the companies don't follow the rules, we are allowed to protest again. We believe the local authorities will do the best for us… [but] if not, we will resume our protest." In the Lone Khin area, while negotiations are also underway, local authorities reportedly told protesters they would be dispersed if they did not halt their demonstration. "Some elders are still talking with the authorities at Lone Khin police station. The police said they will use force to crack down on the camp if we do not call off the protest by tonight," said protester La Taung on Monday. "It seems the authorities can't give assurances [on the part] of the mining companies. If they can agree with us, we will halt the protest during the negotiation period. If not, we have to continue our protest and then, let us be arrested." Protests have been held in the area since late last year, demanding an end to the dumping of dangerous mountains of refuse. A string of deadly landslides were reported in 2015, including one incident in November that claimed the lives of more than 100 local prospectors at the site of a jade mine. Many hand-pickers are drawn from around the country to sift through huge piles of discarded waste in search of precious stone. Hpakant residents staged a roadblock from Dec. 10 to halt dozens of trucks planning to dump mine waste in nearby villages. The blockade was called off after several villagers were allegedly abducted by members of the Kachin Independence Army. The post Hpakant Protesters Negotiate with Authorities over Waste Soil Dumps appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

As Tensions Rise Between Ta’ang and Shan, SSPP Offers Mediation Posted: 15 Feb 2016 02:08 AM PST People watch as Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) soldiers march past in northern Shan State's Namhsan Township on January 13, 2014. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters) In an effort to reduce escalating tensions and violence between the Shan State Army-South (SSA-S) and the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), the Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army-North (SSPP/SSA-N) has offered to mediate between the two ethnic armed groups to reach a political solution. Maj-Gen Say Htin, of the SSPP, reportedly took on the role of mediator after meeting with chairman Lt-Gen Yawd Serk of the SSA-S on Sunday. He also leads the Shan State Joint Action Committee (SSJAC), which is comprised of Shan politicians and armed group leaders. Both the SSA-S and the TNLA recently released public statements stating that they were prepared to begin talks, but neither side could yet confirm when and where such a dialogue would be held. Conflict in northern Shan State's Kyaukme, Namhsan and Namkham townships has intensified since February 7, but dates back to November 27, as both the TNLA and the SSA-S claim control over parts of the territory. On Monday, The Irrawaddy reported that over 2,500 people have been displaced by fighting in the area. The SSA-S, also referred to by its political wing, the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), was a signatory to the so-called nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) with the government in October last year. The NCA was signed by eight out of 15 eligible ethnic armed groups, but others, including the TNLA, were excluded from participation. "Only if the RCSS retrieves its 1,500-plus troops from the area will the fighting subside," said Ta Parn La, a spokesperson for the TNLA. "The RCSS reinforced its troops in the region, where they had only 80 troops in both Kyaukme and Namkham before the NCA." Ta Parn La appealed to the SSPP/SSA-N—a fellow member of the armed group coalition known as the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC)—to intervene on the issue, as the TNLA claims they have not been able to communicate directly with the RCSS. As early as December, UNFC leaders committed to reducing the tension, and have scheduled a meeting this week to work toward a resolution. Col Sai La, the RCSS/SSA-S spokesperson, told The Irrawaddy on Monday that they are ready to hold talks with the TNLA leadership, adding that they have been open to such talks since December. The group alleges that the TNLA never responded to requests to meet. "We are not able to discuss details as we are now communicating with the mediator," Sai La said. "Effective results will come only when the stakeholders meet peacefully." Sai La said that Lt-Gen Yawd Serk and his organization are "ready to negotiate peacefully, as we are not enemies with other ethnic armed groups in our state." "We would not have to fight back if we were not attacked," he added. Trading Allegations The RCSS/SSA-S and the TNLA have been exchanging allegations of abuse since fighting was first documented in late 2015. On February 12, the mutilated bodies of two Ta'ang men—Aung Win, aged 27 and Tun Aung, aged 28—were found in northern Shan State's Muse Township after they had been missing for ten days. "We found the two bodies in a corn farm, in different pieces. We do not know who killed them," said Tun Aung's older brother Aike Sik, who also pointed out that there are no armed groups near the family's village. After Aung Win and Tun Aung's disappearance, the Ta'ang Literature and Culture Association of Muse released a February 6 statement suggesting that the RCSS/SSA-S had detained the men and called for their immediate release. The Shan armed group denied any connection to the victims. Last week, the RCSS said that 11 of their Namkham-based troops had been injured after a TNLA ambush in the Mai Wee area of the township in late November. They also accused the TNLA of burning houses, torturing locals, and of detaining over 20 villagers, 15 of whom are still missing. The TNLA rejects these allegations and accuses the RCSS/SSA-S of attacking them alongside government troops, a claim the Shan armed group denies. The post As Tensions Rise Between Ta'ang and Shan, SSPP Offers Mediation appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Newly Minted MPs Kick Off Week of Parliamentary Training Posted: 15 Feb 2016 01:43 AM PST MPs attend the first day of the Lower House of Parliament in Naypyidaw on Feb. 1, 2016. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — During the opening session of a week-long training for newly elected MPs, Aung San Suu Kyi warned on Monday that the Parliament should not be a perch for lawmakers' personal interests. "It's not a stepping stone for a position. It's also not a call to fight people with different opinions. It's a place where we have to try our best to collaborate for the sake of the country and people," Suu Kyi told participants, made up of civilian and military representatives of the Union Parliament. "Representatives of the people have to care about the people, not only the party or organization they represent," the National League for Democracy (NLD) chairwoman said. During the five-day training course, the themes of democracy, public leadership, ethics and the responsibilities and challenges facing lawmakers are scheduled to be discussed. Local lawmakers will be joined by parliamentary representatives from Australia, the UK, Pakistan, the Philippines and other countries who will share their expertise. On Saturday, the BBC reported that Chloe Smith, an MP for Norwich North in the UK, would help to train Suu Kyi's new MPs over the course of the week. "I will be discussing how MPs do constituency work and national work and emphasizing accountability and representation," Smith said. The post Newly Minted MPs Kick Off Week of Parliamentary Training appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

‘Free Burma Rangers’ Provide Emergency Assistance in Iraq Posted: 15 Feb 2016 01:30 AM PST Click to view slideshow. A relief team from Burma is in Iraq assisting ethnic Kurdish troops currently fighting against the jihadist group calling itself ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). Formed in 1997, the Free Burma Rangers (FBR) has provided emergency relief to those in the remote ethnic regions of Burma plagued by over 60 years of civil war. Since January, a group of one Kachin and three ethnic Karen 'rangers' from the organization have been delivering the same type of assistance in Iraqi Kurdistan. One ethnic Karen team member, who goes by the nickname "Monkey," spoke with The Irrawaddy from the northern town of Sinjar, near the Syrian border. "In accordance with the Free Burma Rangers' motto, we stand for those who are oppressed," he explained. "We were invited and encouraged to come here, so we came here to help… as much as we can." Since November, Sinjar has been under the control of ethnic Kurdish troops, after previously falling to ISIS expansionist ambitions in 2014. The region has also been the site of an ethnic cleansing campaign by ISIS against the indigenous Yazidi ethno-religious group. This is the second time the FBR has dispatched its team to Iraq to help the Kurdish forces, or peshmerga, in combating the ISIS militants. The first group was sent in June 2015. During this visit, before Kurdish militia was able to take back Sinjar, the FBR team survived an ISIS attack on a Kurdish base where they were staying. Like the organization's work in eastern and western Burma, the FBR's activities with Kurdish troops and their families also involves both healthcare and documentation. Occasionally, they said they have to engage in military defense with the peshmerga soldiers against ISIS. "We provided medical trainings, such as first aid, in order to immediately help those injured on the frontlines of a battle," said Monkey. "We are collecting information and documenting what is happening here, to let the world know." Monkey explained that the obvious difference between war in Iraq and in eastern Burma is the geography: battles in Iraq take place in the desert, and are marked by airstrikes and heavy rocket shelling, while fighting in Burma happens in jungles and on hills or mountains with the use of smaller weapons. "Here… there are no trees. They mostly fire at each other from very far away and planes drop bombs. In Burma, they fight very close [to one another]," he said. "Every conflict zone is risky. But we have to help suffering people, so we have got things to do here." David Eubank, a former US Army officer, founded the FBR and has led both the previous and current delegations to Iraq. "We have a very good team from Burma. Our mission is to give medical care and humanitarian assistance to people who are under attacks by ISIS and tell the world what happens—help the people and get the news out," he told The Irrawaddy. "They suffered like the people of Burma suffered," Eubank said of the Kurdish people. "They said, 'wow, you came a long way here, even though you have troubles in Burma. You care about us.'" "I see that Iraqi people, Kurdish people, they love these people from Burma because they came from Burma to help them," he added. The FBR's 2015 activities in Sinjar were documented in a video, titled "Evil at Our Doorstep: The Free Burma Rangers in Kurdistan." FBR is largely funded by Christian charities, Christian communities, and churches across the United States and abroad. The post 'Free Burma Rangers' Provide Emergency Assistance in Iraq appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

President Waived US Trip to Monitor Sensitive Transition: Ye Htut Posted: 15 Feb 2016 01:20 AM PST President Thein Sein waves as he arrives to give a speech at the Union Parliament in Naypyidaw, January 28, 2016. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters) RANGOON — Burma's president cancelled a planned trip to attend the US-ASEAN summit beginning in California this week due to the delicate nature of the country's political transition, according to presidential spokesperson Ye Htut. On Thursday evening, the president's office announced that vice president Nyan Tun would attend the Feb. 15-16 summit in place of Thein Sein, giving no reason for the outgoing president's abrupt change of plans. In an interview with the BBC's Burmese service on Saturday, Ye Htut referred to speculation of instability during the current handover, with the new government's term set to begin on April 1. The spokesperson, who is also information minister, did not elaborate on the potential instability but said, "in case something bad happens, [the president] has to be here to make important decisions." "It is more important for him to be here than in California to attend the summit. That's why he decided not to join the meeting," Ye Htut said. "Something could happen in the country. I'm not saying anything will happen exactly. But as the head of state… he thought it would be better for him to be here rather than in California." Thein Sein's last minute cancelation comes as uncertainty continues to shroud reported negotiations between the military and the National League for Democracy (NLD) over the presidency. With Aung San Suu Kyi constitutionally barred from the position, speculation has centered on whether the clause could be sidestepped, with the consent of the military, to allow the NLD leader to formally lead the country. Parliament will not begin the process of considering presidential nominees until March 17, potentially buying the NLD more time to negotiate with the military, according to observers. On Friday, Reuters reported that the army was demanding the positions of chief minister in Arakan, Shan and Kachin states, as well as Rangoon Division, according to two unnamed sources. The NLD's appointment of former Union Parliament Speaker Shwe Mann to lead a legislative advisory panel earlier this month may have further fuelled mistrust in military circles, the news agency reported. Shwe Mann was ousted as ruling party chair last August in a move many chalked up to an apparent falling out with Thein Sein and the former general's ties to Suu Kyi. The post President Waived US Trip to Monitor Sensitive Transition: Ye Htut appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Clashes in Northern Shan State Uproot Thousands Posted: 15 Feb 2016 01:12 AM PST Displaced locals from Tauk San village in Kyaukme Township, northern Shan State, receive donations from locals at a monastery. (Photo: Nang Yee Hlaing Oo / Facebook) RANGOON — Recent fighting between the Shan State Army-South (SSA-S) and the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) in northern Shan State has displaced over 2,000 civilians in Kyaukme Township, according to a local member of the National League for Democracy. Htay Win said a local committee had been established to provide assistance for almost 2,700 residents from 24 villages who have fled their homes since renewed fighting between the two ethnic armed groups flared earlier this month. The committee has been providing accommodation and food supplies for uprooted villagers from Shan and Palaung communities, with donations from locals. "We don't know how long the conflict will last, so we don't know how long we will need to take care of them [displaced villagers]," Htay Lwin said. "The local [township] administration has also been providing a lot of support, including taking care of arranging accommodation for people." Displaced civilians, including from Tauk San, a small village around 35 miles outside Kyaukme, are reportedly sheltering in some 16 monasteries in Kyaukme Township. "Villagers from nearby Tauk San have fled their homes because they are scared of fighting nearby," said Htay Lwin. "Villages were being set on fire and news of a murder spread. Locals dare not stay in their villages. We have to take care of them until they're able to leave." Fighting between the Shan and Ta'ang armed groups has been reported on successive days since Feb. 7 across three townships in northern Shan State—Namkham, Namhsan and Kyaukme. Both sides have accused the other of being at fault. Local media reports suggest hundreds more displaced villagers are seeking shelter in Namkham Township. The SSA-S was among eight armed groups that signed the so-called nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) with the government in mid-October. The TNLA by contrast was not recognized by the government and excluded from the negotiations. The post Clashes in Northern Shan State Uproot Thousands appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

RCSS Chairman: ‘We Are Ready to Work With the NLD Govt’  Posted: 15 Feb 2016 01:10 AM PST Lt-Gen Yawd Serk of the RCSS/SSA-S speaks with the press from his headquarters at on the Thai-Burma border on February 7, 2016. (Photo: Nyein Nyein / The Irrawaddy) LOI TAI LENG, SHAN STATE — The Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), the political wing of the Shan State Army-South (SSA-S), became one of eight ethnic armed groups to sign a so-called nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) in October 2015. On the 69th annual Shan State National Day, commemorated on February 7, the group's leadership spoke publicly about a desire to build unity and a federal state system. The RCSS claims to have turned its efforts toward the development of Shan State, but the region's stability has been marred by recent clashes with the ethnic Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA). The leader of the approximately 7,000-strong armed group has become more vocal with the media and the broader public since signing the NCA. During a recent visit to the RCSS/SSA-S headquarters on the Thai-Burma border, reporter Nyein Nyein of The Irrawaddy spoke with chairman Lt-Gen Yawd Serk about inclusion, lessons from abroad and future political collaboration with Burma's new leadership. How do you envision the role of RCSS in the future, since security sector reform (SSR) and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) processes are supposed to follow in accordance with the nationwide ceasefire agreement? Perspectives on SSR and DDR differ on both sides. RCSS will practice security sector reform first, and only after it is in a stable situation, will DDR follow. RCSS will continue with our political policies. We have to work together for unity amongst the diverse minorities in Shan State. We have to work to implement federalism and development in the region. How would you unify the diverse public in Shan State, which is now also experiencing fighting? Signing the NCA is a way to unity, as it is signed between the government and the armed groups of both sides who think for the public. When the public cooperates, it will be successful. Why is social media important for building unity, as you described in your address to the public [on Shan State National Day]?  Today is the media era. Everyone now has access to it and it makes it easier for us to communicate. So when we post or debate on social media, please keep your mind toward unity and peace. What is RCSS doing to reduce the Burma Army's practices of forced labor in the region? We are waiting for a response from the government so we can collaborate on this issue. So far we can only collect the information and document cases of abuse. Many women soldiers were seen in the military parade and taking responsibility for security [on Shan State National Day]. What is the RCSS/SSA’s policy on the representation of women in decision-making? We have had a place for women in our organization since we formed. They have been taking on roles in healthcare and information documentation sectors for years. It is all based on a person's ability regardless of their gender. How helpful was your federalism study tour of Switzerland last month, as Switzerland is less populated than Burma—and even Shan State—and has a different ethnic makeup? The division of power will be applicable to Shan State and Burma. The language learning is freer in their schools, even at the district level. They are more advanced in democratic practices, but we are way behind and cannot compare. In what ways do you expect to collaborate with the new NLD government? The new government has yet to announce their policies, as they have not formed them yet. We have to wait [until the end of March] and see what their policies will be and whether they will invite us to collaborate. If they do, we are ready to work with them for the benefit of the people in many ways. The post RCSS Chairman: 'We Are Ready to Work With the NLD Govt'  appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ex-General Who Led Burma from Dictatorship Leaves Mixed Legacy Posted: 14 Feb 2016 11:23 PM PST Burma's President Thein Sein waves his hand as he arrives to give a speech at Union Parliament in Naypyidaw January 28, 2016.  (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters) BANGKOK / RANGOON — When US President Barack Obama hosts a meeting of Southeast Asian leaders in California this week, his Burma counterpart Thein Sein will be notably absent. Burma's outgoing president abruptly pulled out of the summit as secretive talks continued between his country's powerful military and the incoming government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. For his admirers, a smooth transition of power would seal Thein Sein's legacy as the former general who led Burma's dramatic emergence from nearly half a century of military dictatorship. He freed political prisoners, scrapped censorship, oversaw a historic election and repaired relations with the West, turning Burma from a global pariah into a buzzing destination for tourists, investors and world leaders. On March 31, he will pass the unfinished task of transforming Burma to a National League for Democracy (NLD) government led by Suu Kyi, his wildly popular political rival, who in November won the country's first credible general election in 25 years. Despite fears of fraud, the election ran smoothly and Thein Sein's Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), dominated by former military officers, accepted a crushing defeat. But critics say Thein Sein, who gave no reason for canceling his attendance at the California summit on Monday and Tuesday, did little to tackle his country's profound poverty or the religious tensions that regularly erupted into deadly violence. Nor did he challenge the military, whose abiding influence over every aspect of Burma—politics, bureaucracy, business—poses a major challenge to Suu Kyi's fledgling administration. "Thein Sein will be remembered as the president who really turned Burma around," said Richard Horsey, a Rangoon-based analyst and former United Nations official in Burma. "His administration has been far from perfect, but his legacy will be an enduring one." Former junta leader Than Shwe appointed him prime minister in 2007, the same year the military government brutally suppressed pro-democracy protests led by Buddhist monks. Four years later, after winning a general election marred by vote-rigging allegations and boycotted by Suu Kyi's NLD, Thein Sein became president of a nominally civilian government packed with former soldiers. Looking West He set the tone for his presidency with his abrupt suspension in Sept. 2011 of a US$3.6-billion, China-backed dam at Myitsone, in northern Burma, source of the mighty Ayeyarwady River. The dam had drawn protests on both environmental and patriotic grounds, and suspending it boosted Thein Sein's popularity among his 51 million people. It also signaled that the preferential treatment China had received during the years of junta rule was over. A bookish-looking 70-year-old, Thein Sein's leadership style is "low-key, people-centered, even humble", said analyst Horsey. Suu Kyi was less impressed. She first met Thein Sein in the capital, Naypyitaw, in August 2011, eight months after she was freed from house arrest. For an ex-general struggling for global credibility, it was a pivotal encounter. Suu Kyi pronounced Thein Sein "sincere" about reforming Burma. That endorsement paved the way for a visit by Hillary Clinton, then US Secretary of State, in November and an end to most Western sanctions the following year. Thein Sein held many more closed-door meetings with Suu Kyi, but their relationship would sour. When asked by Reuters in April 2014 whether she still thought Thein Sein was sincere, Suu Kyi replied: "No. Because if he had been sincere about reform, then we would be much further ahead than we are." Presidential spokesman Ye Htut described Thein Sein as an intensely private man whose chief concern was Burma's stability. This meant putting issues such as corruption on the backburner so as "not to rock the boat," said Ye Htut. Critics say it also meant preserving the military's powers—and ignoring its well-documented human rights abuses—in the name of national reconciliation. The military, which holds a quarter of parliamentary seats and key ministerial posts, remained outside civilian control under Thein Sein. Religious Strife Thein Sein was also widely criticized for failing to halt religious violence that killed hundreds of people, mostly Muslims, and caused lasting damage to relations with majority Buddhists. He was condemned for Burma's treatment of the Rohingya, a Muslim minority forced to live in squalid camps in western Burma, and for the passage of four so-called "race and religion protection" laws championed by radical Buddhist monks. The laws, which rights groups said discriminated against Muslims and women, made Thein Sein a "hero" to Buddhist extremists, said Wai Wai Nu, a Rohingya activist and former political prisoner. "A democratic president should not be biased towards one religion," she told Reuters. Suu Kyi was also criticized for failing to speak up for the Rohingya. Thein Sein's most ambitious plan was to bring peace to a nation fractured by decades of fighting between the military and dozens of ethnic rebel armies. But only eight of 15 armed groups signed a nationwide ceasefire in October, with many of the most powerful staying away. The fighting continues. The post Ex-General Who Led Burma from Dictatorship Leaves Mixed Legacy appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

New Technology Aims to Speedily Repatriate South Asia’s Trafficked Children Posted: 14 Feb 2016 09:38 PM PST A 16-year-old girl stands inside a protection home on the outskirts of New Delhi November 9, 2012.  (Photo: Reuters) SILIGURI, India — Charities in South Asia are piloting new software which aims to speed up the repatriation of rescued victims of human trafficking who have been smuggled from countries such as Nepal and Bangladesh and forced into slavery in India. South Asia, with India at its center, is the fastest-growing and second-largest region for human trafficking in the world, after East Asia, according to the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Charities focusing on the rehabilitation of victims say repatriation is often one of their biggest challenges and can, in some cases, take years. There is a lack of effective international coordination between states to verify victims' identities and trace their places of origin—often remote, impoverished, interior regions with poor telecommunications and infrastructure, they add. Developed by aid agency Plan India and Bangladeshi social enterprise Dnet, the Missing Child Alert (MCA) is a database program—with the victim's data, including their name, photo and place of origin—which can be shared between South Asian nations. "We've had cases that have taken up to three years for the person to be repatriated back to their home countries and they are stuck in shelter homes for all that time," Mohammed Asif, Plan India's director of program implementation, said on Saturday. "After testing this technology, we have found repatriation can be done much faster as the sharing of information and tracing of a person's home will be immediate and agencies can quickly try to reunite them with their families." There are no accurate figures on the number of people being trafficked within South Asia, but activists say thousands of mostly women and children are trafficked to India annually from its poorer neighbors Nepal and Bangladesh. Most are sold into forced marriage or bonded labor working in middle class homes as domestic servants, in small shops and hotels or confined to brothels where they are repeatedly raped. The MCA, which is being piloted by ten charities in India, Bangladesh and Nepal, would allow the details of a rescued victim to be entered into the system and agencies in the country of origin immediately alerted. The one-year pilot began in January and will be assessed at the end of 2016, Asif told the Thomson Reuters Foundation on the sidelines of an anti-human trafficking conference in the east Indian town of Siliguri. "If we are successful in demonstrating this is a much more efficient system which will achieve safer and faster repatriation, we may be able to get the three governments to adopt this, and eventually the whole region," he said. "If adopted, this alert system will create pressure on the traffickers if they know that this information is being already being shared across borders and make it much more difficult for people who perpetrate these crimes against women and children." The post New Technology Aims to Speedily Repatriate South Asia's Trafficked Children appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Last of 116 Dead in Taiwan Quake Is Pulled from Rubble Posted: 14 Feb 2016 09:15 PM PST Rescuers carry a survivor out from the site where a 17-storey apartment building collapsed after an earthquake hit Tainan, southern Taiwan, February 8, 2016.  (Photo: Tyrone Siu / Reuters) TAIPEI, Taiwan — Rescuers in Taiwan pulled out the remains of the final victims of last week's earthquake and with a minute of silence ended the search with the death toll of 116, most of them in a collapsed high-rise apartment building. All but two of the dead came from the 17-story Weiguan Golden Dragon residential complex, which toppled when the magnitude-6.4 quake struck the city on Feb. 6. Tainan city Mayor Mayor Lai Ching-te on Saturday bowed deeply and thanked the rescuers for their work, and ordered a minute of silence for the victims. A total of 270 people in the building survived, including 95 who were evacuated and 175 who were pulled out from the rubble, according to the latest figures from Tainan's city authorities. Authorities believe one last person unaccounted for was homeless and not in the residential compound at the time of the quake. Police have reclassified the person's status as missing, Taiwan's Interior Ministry said. The building's developer, Lin Ming-hui, and two architects have been detained on suspicion of negligent homicide following accusations that Lin's company cut corners in the construction. Earthquakes frequently strike Taiwan, but usually cause little or no damage, particularly since more stringent building regulations were introduced following a magnitude-7.6 quake in 1999 that killed more than 2,300 people. The post Last of 116 Dead in Taiwan Quake Is Pulled from Rubble appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Beijing’s Top Official in HK Calls Rioters ‘Radical Separatists’ Posted: 14 Feb 2016 08:52 PM PST A protester throws a stone towards riot police beside a fire set by protesters at Mong Kok district in Hong Kong, China, February 9, 2016.  (Photo: Bobby Yip / Reuters) HONG KONG — Beijing's top representative in Hong Kong has blamed radical separatists for riots that erupted in the Chinese-ruled city almost a week ago, the worst violence since pro-democracy protests paralyzed parts of the Asian financial center in 2014. More than sixty people have been arrested in connection with the violence, during which protesters hurled bricks at police and set fire to rubbish bins in Mong Kok, a tough, working-class neighborhood just across the harbor from the city's financial district. Thirty-seven people were charged on Thursday. The riots erupted when authorities tried to remove illegal street stalls set up for Lunar New Year celebrations. The actions of the "radical separatists" were "leaning towards terrorism," the South China Morning Post daily quoted Zhang Xiaoming, the head of Beijing's Liaison Office in Hong Kong, as saying. "We will not allow this very small number of radical separatists to destroy the most precious rule of law in Hong Kong," he told a spring festival in Hong Kong. Police fired two warning shots into the air during the violence, almost unheard of in the former British colony that reverted to Chinese rule in 1997 and is considered one of Asia's safest cities. More than 130 people were wounded in the clashes. At least one of those charged in connection with the trouble belongs to a group called Hong Kong Indigenous, one of a cluster of outspoken groups calling for greater Hong Kong autonomy and even independence from China, the group said. Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying, who attended the same reception as Zhang, echoed the Beijing official's comments, saying the rioters only represented a small minority in the city, the South China Morning Post reported. Many so-called localists remain deeply embittered by the lack of any concessions from Beijing or Hong Kong authorities during the 2014 protests to demand greater democracy. China's Foreign Ministry has said the riot was "plotted by a local radical separatist organization." The post Beijing's Top Official in HK Calls Rioters 'Radical Separatists' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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