The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• U Gambira Returned to Jail after Brief Court Hearing
• Suu Kyi Vouches for Party Picks in Rare Media Address
• Indawgyi Lake Deemed ‘Wetland of International Importance’
• Beer Brands Return to Heineken from Military-Owned Brewery
• NLD Sources Signal Push for Charter Change in Parliament
• No Reprieve for Student Activists as Courts Pile on More Charges
• Chinese National, Accused of Murder, Allegedly Executed in Mong La
• Upper House Convenes, Confirms Ethnic Minority Speakers
• Media Experts Support Shuttering of Info Ministry
• Aye Myint: ‘I Want Burma’s Youth to Know the Value of Our Heritage’
• North Korea Tells UN Agencies it Plans Satellite Launch
• Thai Elephant Gores Scottish Tourist to Death on Trek 
• India’s Top Court to Re-Examine Gay Rights

U Gambira Returned to Jail after Brief Court Hearing Posted: 03 Feb 2016 05:33 AM PST Gambira leaving Maha Aung Myay Township Court in Mandalay Division on February 3, 2016. (Photo: Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy) MANDALAY — Detained former monk U Gambira, a prominent figure in Burma's 2007 Saffron Revolution, appeared in Mandalay Division's Maha Aung Myay Township Court on Wednesday on charges of violating immigration laws. Gambira, also known as Nyi Nyi Lwin, was arrested on Jan. 19 in a Mandalay hotel and remanded in Obo Prison. After a brief court appearance on Wednesday, he was returned to jail, with the next hearing scheduled for Feb. 10. Known to suffer from mental health issues, Gambira's family and lawyers have asked that he be released to receive necessary medical treatment. "The court said it will consider bail for the ailing detainee," said one of his lawyers, Robert San Aung. "Although the court may think it is a case that does not allow bail, they should give bail to Nyi Nyi Lwin for his health." The 36-year-old former monk and political prisoner has been in Thailand receiving treatment for severe mental health issues since his release from a Burmese prison in a general amnesty in 2012. He was serving a sentence for his role in organizing monks in an anti-government uprising in 2007. Last month, Burmese immigration accused him of crossing the border illegally—a charge the monk's supporters have dismissed as spurious. "His mental health needs special care as he needs to take medication at precise times and in specific amounts. He also needs regular exercise and meditation for his health," said Daw Yay, his mother. "He is just recovering and we are worried for him. We don't believe he received proper treatment inside the prison," she explained. "He is very sick and shouldn't be in prison. If the government is kind enough, they should look at his case with humanity." The post U Gambira Returned to Jail after Brief Court Hearing appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Suu Kyi Vouches for Party Picks in Rare Media Address Posted: 03 Feb 2016 05:16 AM PST National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi talks to journalists during her meeting with the media in her office at the Parliament in Naypyidaw, Feb. 3, 2016. (Photo: Reuters) Aung San Suu Kyi, chairwoman of the National League for Democracy (NLD), addressed reporters in Naypyidaw on Wednesday, vowing to streamline media relations between the Parliament and the press and conveying her confidence in two newly-appointed parliamentary speakers and their deputies. Below is an abridged transcript of her remarks, which were delivered to the press at her Rule of Law Committee office in the capital and shared online by social media users. The choice of Win Myint [as Speaker of the Lower House] is not very surprising. He has worked skillfully for the Parliament over three years. He is a leader in the NLD and a legal expert. T Khun Myat has been chosen as deputy speaker, the second highest position in the Lower House. We wanted to choose someone from the USDP [Union Solidarity and Development Party], who was also an ethnic minority, because we want our Parliament to be inclusive and represent the Union. He is also the chairman of the Draft-Bill Committee, and he is very skillful with parliamentary affairs, rules and laws. We chose him as he is a good fit for the position. Few people know Mahn Win Khaing Than [who was appointed as Upper House Speaker]. He has not been a member of the NLD for very long, but we believe he has worked faithfully toward democracy. He is also an ethnic minority and a legal expert, and he is cooperative.  We chose as his deputy, for the second higheset position in the Upper House, a lawmaker from the Arakan National Party. Aye Tha Aung is not only a leader of the Arakan Party, but he has also been an ally [of the NLD] and worked together with us for many years. As I have often mentioned, when we were in trouble, the only ones who helped us were the ethnic parties. Among them were the ALD [Arakan League for Democracy], led by Aye Tha Aung, and the SNLD [Shan Nationalities League for Democracy] led by Khun Tun Oo. We are grateful and have not forgotten their alliance. That is why we proposed that Aye Tha Aung would be suitable. I am very grateful that there were no objections to our nominations. I am very glad for the cooperation and thankful to other political parties and military lawmakers. I think the public will also be pleased; those who wish to live in peace and security. Suu Kyi fielded a number of questions about who will be appointed to the new government, which will be formed in early April, though she declined to reveal her party's shortlist for the presidency and other key positions. The post Suu Kyi Vouches for Party Picks in Rare Media Address appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Indawgyi Lake Deemed ‘Wetland of International Importance’ Posted: 03 Feb 2016 05:09 AM PST More than 97 bird species can be found at Indawgyi Lake in Kachin State. (Photo: Htet Khaung Linn / Myanmar Now) RANGOON — Burma's largest lake, Indawgyi in Kachin State's Mohnyin Township, was designated a "wetland of international importance" on Tuesday, marked globally as World Wetlands Day. The designation of Indawgyi Lake marked the Burmese government's commitment to conserve the area, according to a joint statement by the Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry and the Switzerland-based Ramsar Secretariat. Ramsar sites are areas listed under the Ramsar Convention, which is the only global environmental treaty designed to address concerns regarding wetland loss and degradation. "The new Ramsar site will ensure the long-term conservation and wise use of Myanmar's most important wetland, Indawgyi Lake basin, which is only Myanmar's second Ramsar site," Nyi Nyi Kyaw, director general of the ministry's Forestry Department, was quoted as saying in the statement. Burma earned its first Ramsar site designation in 2004, at the Moeyungyi wetlands in Pegu Division. According to research by local conservationists, Indawgyi Lake supports the livelihoods of thousands of people and is also home to a great diversity of water birds, fish and endangered species. "Despite the good progress for conservation as highlighted by the Ramsar designation, major challenges lay ahead, in particular illegal artisanal gold mining on streams in the watershed, which is causing sedimentation and pollution in the southern part of the lake," the statement reads. In addition to topping the list in Burma, Indawgyi is also one of the largest inland lakes in Southeast Asia. The post Indawgyi Lake Deemed 'Wetland of International Importance' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Beer Brands Return to Heineken from Military-Owned Brewery Posted: 03 Feb 2016 04:51 AM PST Waiters prepare glasses of beer for guests during the opening ceremony of the Heineken brewery outside Rangoon on July 12, 2015. (Photo: Reuters / Soe Zeya Tun) RANGOON — Two well-known beers, Tiger and ABC Stout, are returning to their mother company after two decades with the military-backed Myanmar Brewery, Heineken announced on Wednesday. Tiger and ABC Stout, which Myanmar Brewery has produced and distributed for the Burmese market since 1995, are finally going back to Heineken and its local partner, Asia Pacific Breweries-Alliance Brewery Company Limited (APB-ABC). As of late last year, Myanmar Brewery's license to produce the two beers expired, said Lester Tan, managing director of the Heineken joint venture APB-ABC. "Actually, we're the original owner of both Tiger and ABC Stout. That's why now, we'll take them all back and sell to this expanding market," Tan said on Wednesday at a press conference. Tiger and ABC Stout will now be brewed in Heineken's own US$60 million brewing facility in Rangoon's Hmawbi Township, which opened in July last year. The brewery has the technical capacity to produce 33 million liters of beer per year, but this year the company plans to expand production to about 45 million liters, according to Tan. Of the current Tiger and ABC Stout brand designs, Tan said the company will make changes to reflect an updated product look, but assured that the taste of the beers will remain the same. "We're excited to welcome both brands. It feels like a true homecoming and we're pleased to bring these two beers to beer stations, restaurants and supermarkets in Myanmar," he said. Heineken and Myanmar Brewery have maintained a professional relationship since 1995. In the following decade, Heineken—a Dutch company—left the country due to economic sanctions imposed by the European Union against Burma's military government. At this time, the Myanmar Brewery took over licenses for Heineken's products and continued to produce Tiger and ABC Stout. Myanmar Brewery is the producer of Myanmar Beer, Andaman Gold and Myanmar Double Strong, and currently has a strong lead in the domestic beer market. The company's total revenue for the 2014-15 fiscal year topped 300 billion kyats (US$233 million), according to company figures. Their products are brewed in facilities in Rangoon's Mingaladon Township. Myanmar Brewery Limited (MBL) was established in 1995 as one of the earliest major joint-venture projects in Myanmar with a total invested capital of US$60 million. "It seems the previous company [Myanmar Brewery] didn't want to extend the license and did not contact us about an extension, so that's why we took this license back," Tan said. In 2013, Heineken began working with ABC, which is led by Aung Moe Kyaw, a Burmese entrepreneur well known in the beverage industry. Of the company's shares, ABC claims 43 percent and the remaining 57 percent are owned by Heineken. In the last three years, they have also introduced a new beer in Burma: Regal Seven. The post Beer Brands Return to Heineken from Military-Owned Brewery appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

NLD Sources Signal Push for Charter Change in Parliament Posted: 03 Feb 2016 04:38 AM PST Aung San Suu Kyi arrives for the first session of the Upper House of Parliament on Wednesday. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) NAYPYIDAW — A proposal to suspend Article 59(f) of Burma's Constitution to allow Aung San Suu Kyi to assume the presidency may be put before the Parliament as soon as next week, according to at least two National League for Democracy (NLD) lawmakers, who wished to remain anonymous. The first session of the Union Parliament is scheduled to take place on Feb. 8 where the proposal could be tabled, according to a Lower House MP with the NLD, who acknowledged that such a motion was not outlined in the official legislative agenda. "Now we've got the agenda for the Union Parliament's session on Feb. 8, but it does not include a proposal to suspend Article 59(f). But then, urgent proposals are not usually mentioned in the agenda," the lawmaker said. Another NLD lawmaker in the Lower House who has close ties with Suu Kyi claimed that the proposal would be tabled soon and that negotiations on the legal permutations were underway. "The proposal to suspend 59(f) will be submitted [soon]," the lawmaker told The Irrawaddy. Article 59(f) of Burma's military-drafted charter disqualifies anyone with a foreign spouse or children from becoming president, effectively barring Suu Kyi whose two children are British nationals, as was her late husband. In early December, Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) lawmaker Thura Aung Ko suggested the clause could be suspended with a majority of lawmakers in an interview with the BBC Burmese service. However, some lawmakers have cautioned that the proposal would be "unconstitutional" and it is unknown whether military lawmakers would support it. Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Wednesday, lawyer Ko Ni explained that, if it proceeded, an initial vote would only be on a proposal to determine whether legislation should then be drafted. An opinion piece in the army-owned newspaper Myawaddy on Monday, written under the pen name Sai Wai Lu, stated that the clause should not be amended "for all eternity," according to a translation by the Myanmar Times. In recent days, reports in local media suggested NLD representatives have been in negotiations with the military on the question of the presidency. When asked about the presidency at a press conference in Naypyidaw on Wednesday afternoon, Suu Kyi replied that she would comment when it is time. The post NLD Sources Signal Push for Charter Change in Parliament appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

No Reprieve for Student Activists as Courts Pile on More Charges Posted: 03 Feb 2016 04:27 AM PST Phyoe Phyoe Aung, right, and Nanda Sitt Aung are seen outside the Botahtaung Township Court on Wednesday. (Photo: Pyay Kyaw / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Detained critics of Burma's controversial National Education Law are facing mounting legal pressure for their campaign against the legislation last year, with one student leader saying she was slapped with additional "illegal assembly" charges by at least five Rangoon courts. While the trials of more than 50 students and their supporters in Thayawady Township, Pegu Division, continue to drag on, courts from the commercial capital's Kamayut, Botahtaung, Tamwe, Hlaing and Mayangone townships have now tacked on charges against at least one prominent student activist under Article 18 of the Peaceful Assembly Law. Phyoe Phyoe Aung, the 28-year-old student activist, told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday that she had received summonses from courts in the five Rangoon jurisdictions this week. Between Rangoon and Pegu divisions, the student leader said she is facing charges in more than 30 cases making their way through the courts, most of them on Article 18 violations. Fellow student leader Nanda Sitt Aung, who appeared with Phyoe Phyoe Aung at a hearing in Botahtaung Township on Wednesday, is facing more than 80 cases, she said. While many of these prosecutions pertain to Article 18, there are also more serious charges filed against the students by the Thayawady Township Court, including articles 143, 145, 147, 332 and 505(b) of the Burmese Penal Code. Article 18 charges come with a maximum sentence of six months in prison and or a fine not exceeding 30,000 kyats (US$23), while the Penal Code charges carry maximum sentences of one to two years' imprisonment. Fifty-three students remain detained at Thayawady Prison in Pegu Division, among them Phyoe Phyoe Aung and Nanda Sitt Aung. The pair appeared along with Kyaw Ko Ko, James a.k.a. Linn Htet Naing and supporter Win Kyawt Hmue at the Kamayut Township Court in Rangoon for a hearing last week. Phyoe Phyoe Aung said that current government is bringing more prosecutions to bear on the student protesters even as the international community and local advocacy groups have raised pressure on President Thein Sein to release all political prisoners unconditionally. "The government is going to leave many unsolvable problems to the incoming government. They are purposely making our case more complicated," she said. Members of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU) and their supporters have been detained in Thayawady Prison since March 10 of last year, when a months-long campaign against the National Education Law was brutally quashed by police in neighboring Letpadan Township. Human rights watchdogs have criticized the Peaceful Assembly Law's Article 18, contending that it has been used as a tool to arrest peaceful protesters and to suppress freedom of expression. A coalition of groups last week released a report in which they claimed some of the 53 detainees at Thayawady Prison faced illnesses that were potentially "life-threatening," calling for their immediate release. The post No Reprieve for Student Activists as Courts Pile on More Charges appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Chinese National, Accused of Murder, Allegedly Executed in Mong La Posted: 03 Feb 2016 01:32 AM PST A photograph shared on social media purports to show a man who found guilty of murder and later executed by authorities in Mong La Special Region. (Photo: Ethnic Region Military Information / Facebook) RANGOON — Accounts surfaced this week that authorities in Mong La, a special administrative region known as a hub for illicit activity on the Sino-Burmese border, may have executed a Chinese national after he was found guilty of homicide and arson. A statement bearing the official Mong La government stamp, published in the media outlet of an ethnic Kokang rebel group, announced that a 42-year-old man from Hunan Province had "murdered, made arson, bomb attacks and so on," and was to be executed by gunfire on Jan. 30. A "court investigation" found him guilty of illegal arms possession and carrying out an arson attack resulting in the deaths of seven people and the injury of four others, according to the statement, which appeared to have been issued by a regional court. Speaking to The Irrawaddy on condition of anonymity, a Mong La resident said that last week a man was paraded through the town on the back of a truck and brought to the local football stadium, where hundreds of people had gathered. "They did not execute him at the football stadium, they killed him on top of a mountain," said the woman, who attended the public spectacle on the sporting grounds. She said armed guards explained that the condemned man was a criminal and would be shot to death, before they drove him out of view. Photographs of the procession and the packed football field were uploaded on a Facebook community page called "Ethnic Region Military Information," which has more than 27,000 followers. The post was shared almost 1,000 times as of Wednesday morning. The account regularly posts updates about armed ethnic groups, but the identity of its administrators is unknown and its content has not been verified by any official rebel-affiliated sources. When contacted by The Irrawaddy on Tuesday, Mong La Governor Sai Mauk said he was unaware of the incident as he was in Kunming, China, at the time it was said to have occurred. Mong La, also known as Shan State Special Region 4, is controlled by a non-state armed group called the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), and enjoys a high degree of autonomy from the central government. The region, which borders China's Yunan Province, has a reputation as a nexus of illegal activity; Mong La's eponymous main town is home to sprawling casinos and brothels, and is a known destination for wildlife traffickers. Local authorities have estimated that about 800 vehicles enter Mong La from China every day for purposes of sex, gambling and trade. Despite its debauchery, Mong La is also reputed for strict and selective law enforcement, dealing heavy-handed punishments without due process. While district-level courts in autonomous zones are authorized to issue the death penalty, the ruling would be subject to appeal at a national court, according to Sam Zarifi, regional director of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ). "If this is in fact an Autonomous zone district court, there should have been an appeal process," Zarifi told The Irrawaddy via email. "So, if the report is true, it's a major problem for the rule of law in the country." Overextending the zone's judicial authority would be particularly problematic with regard to capital punishment, as Burma is considered a de facto abolitionist state and has not openly carried out an execution in decades. Further complicating matters is that the prisoner was a foreign national, and it is unclear whether he had access to consular support. Zarifi said Burma "should not be even considering bringing back the death penalty in practice now, and especially not for a foreign national, based on an opaque judicial process that faces serious questions about its fairness and credibility and sits essentially outside the national legal system." The post Chinese National, Accused of Murder, Allegedly Executed in Mong La appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Upper House Convenes, Confirms Ethnic Minority Speakers Posted: 02 Feb 2016 11:16 PM PST Mahn Win Khaing, of the ruling National League for Democracy, was sworn in as Speaker of the Upper House on Feb. 3, 2016. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) NAYPYIDAW — Burma's newly elected Parliament has officially appointed the speaker and deputy speaker of the Upper House, securing three-quarters of the powerful posts for ethnic minority lawmakers. Ethnic Karen Mahn Win Khaing Than, of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD), and Aye Tha Aung of the Arakan National Party (ANP), were sworn in during the first convening of the Upper House on Wednesday. Win Myint, an ethnic Bamar NLD member, and T Khun Myat, a Kachin lawmaker representing the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), assumed Lower House speaker and deputy positions on Monday. Lawmakers and observers said they were pleased the decision of the NLD, the party of Aung San Suu Kyi, to bring diversity to the legislature for the first time in the country's history; the military-backed USDP, which has just relinquished its majority, all four speaker positions were held by ethnic Bamar ruling party members. Some stressed, however, that they hope to see more representation among the central government, as well. "I welcome and am happy about the NLD appointments, because they gave the positions to ethnic minorities," said Pe Than, also a member of the ANP, "but even though we have three ethnic speakers in the Parliament, we still don't know how many will be appointed to the cabinet and regional governments." Suu Kyi has previously vowed to appoint ethnic minorities and members of other political parties to important roles to promote national reconciliation. The NLD-dominated legislature convened for the first time this week after the party's landslide election win in November. Both houses will reconvene on Thursday. The post Upper House Convenes, Confirms Ethnic Minority Speakers appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Media Experts Support Shuttering of Info Ministry Posted: 02 Feb 2016 11:12 PM PST Ye Htut, Burma's Minster of Information, in his office in Naypyidaw on Feb. 1, 2016. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters) RANGOON — With the incoming National League for Democracy (NLD)-led government pledging to cut or consolidate government ministries to reduce state expenditure, many observers have pointed to the Ministry of Information as in line to be scrapped. Kyaw Min Swe, editor in chief of The Voice Daily newspaper, described the information ministry as a "free propaganda mechanism for Thein Sein's government" and said it should be disbanded. The ministry, which since August 2014 has been headed by Ye Htut, has three state-run daily newspapers—The Global New Light of Myanmar, Myanma Alinn and The Mirror—under its purview, alongside TV and radio broadcasters. "Some lawmakers say if there is no state-run newspaper, how will people know about Parliament and government news? I say, there are many private newspapers and you can advertise there. It would cut costs," Kyaw Min Swe said. Since late 2012, the information ministry has championed a plan to transform state-owned newspapers into "public service media," a proposal criticized by many industry experts who contend state-backed print media is unnecessary, with few comparable initiatives around the world, and would keep other private, independent dailies at a disadvantage. Myint Kyaw of the Myanmar Journalist Network also calls for the shuttering of the information ministry, arguing that it can't possibly keep abreast of the workings of each government ministry and convey accurate information to the public. He said each ministry under the new government should have its own public relations department, eclipsing the need for a separate information ministry. The state-owned broadcaster MRTV should be utilized as a public-service outlet, with an independent board, to publicize information in the public interest, Myint Kyaw said. Independent broadcaster Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) recently opened an online survey on the ministry's future, with over 80 percent of netizens (453 votes) in favor of its closure at time of publication, with voting still open. Toe Zaw Latt, DVB's Burma bureau chief, said state-owned media should largely vanish under the incoming NLD government and called on the new ruling party to ensure more transparency on any decisions related to Burma's media landscape. "Providing information… through a single ministry [MOI] to all media houses was absolutely the wrong system," he said. Nyan Lynn, editor in chief of Maw Kun Magazine, concurred that state-owned newspapers, overseen by the information ministry, had no place in a democratic system. "If there is an information team in every ministry, state-run newspapers are not necessary. The only thing that needs to be considered is how to manage employees under the MOI," he said. Speaking to reporters in December, Ye Htut, who is also presidential spokesperson, said he hoped the NLD would consider the careers and livelihoods of the ministry's 7,000 employees—3,000 of whom work for its various media enterprises—when implementing bureaucratic reforms. "There should be no state-run newspaper, radio or TV as they are spending a lot," said political analyst Yan Myo Thein, another commentator who backs the disbanding of the information ministry after the NLD assumes office in April. The post Media Experts Support Shuttering of Info Ministry appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Aye Myint: ‘I Want Burma’s Youth to Know the Value of Our Heritage’ Posted: 02 Feb 2016 10:25 PM PST Click to view slideshow. MANDALAY — On Tuesday, the day of his 86th birthday, veteran Mandalay artist Aye Myint launched a showcase of his traditional Burmese designs at Mandalay Hill Art Gallery, attracting both fresh and more seasoned artists and art goers. The gallery, opposite the hill's famous figure of two white lions, was filled with colorful pieces by the artist, mostly featuring scenes from the Jataka tales. Accompanying the artwork were frames embedded with images of Burma's currency and stamps adorned with pictures of the late General Aung San, some of which were designed by Aye Myint in the 1970s. Aye Myint is widely known for his old-fashioned designs, as his work is largely inspired by styles found in ancient stone carvings and murals dating back to the sixth century. After being expelled from Magwe Division's Wazi, site of Burma's national mint, Aye Myint moved to Rangoon to take up a job designing for a Buddhist literary magazine. Most of his artwork from this 11-year period was also on display to show milestones in his career. Today, at 86, Aye Myint has held onto his enthusiasm for designing—he is currently a consultant for a traditional weaving academy in Amarapura, Mandalay Division, and helps with the restoration efforts of the ancient Shwe Nan Daw Palace Monastery. Perhaps above all, the venerated artist's wish for young people is to carry on learning about traditional Burmese art, even in the face of rapid cultural change. "We're witnessing developments in many sectors, in culture as well. I want Burma's youth to know the value of our heritage," Aye Myint said. "We should preserve our culture." Aye Myint's exhibition will run at the Mandalay Hill Art Gallery, open from 9am to 9pm, until Feb. 6, and it is free of charge to anyone wishing to enjoy traditional Burmese art. The post Aye Myint: 'I Want Burma's Youth to Know the Value of Our Heritage' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

North Korea Tells UN Agencies it Plans Satellite Launch Posted: 02 Feb 2016 09:34 PM PST US Secretary of State John Kerry (L) and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi gesture at a joint news conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Beijing, China, January 27, 2016.   (Photo: Jason Lee / Reuters) SEOUL / WASHINGTON — North Korea told UN agencies on Tuesday it plans to launch a satellite as early as next week, a move that could advance the country's long-range missile technology after its fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6. News of the planned launch between Feb. 8 and Feb. 25 drew fresh US calls for tougher UN sanctions already under discussion in response to North Korea's nuclear test. State Department spokesman John Kirby said the United Nations needed to "send the North Koreans a swift, firm message." Pyongyang has said it has a sovereign right to pursue a space program by launching rockets, although the United States and other governments worry that such launches are missile tests in disguise. "We have received information from DPRK regarding the launch of earth observation satellite 'Kwangmyongsong' between 8-25 February," a spokeswoman for the International Maritime Organization, a UN agency, told Reuters by email. The International Telecommunication Union, another UN agency, told Reuters North Korea had informed it on Tuesday of plans to launch a satellite with a functional duration of four years, in a non-geostationary orbit. It said the information provided by North Korea, whose official name is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, was incomplete, and that it was seeking more details. US officials said last week that North Korea was believed to be making preparations for a test launch of a long-range rocket, after activity at its test site was observed by satellite. The White House said on Tuesday that any satellite launch by North Korea would be viewed as "another destabilizing provocation." US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel, the senior US diplomat for East Asia, told reporters it "argues even more strongly" for tougher UN sanctions. Russel said a launch, "using ballistic missile technology," would be an "egregious violation" of North Korea's international obligations. He said it showed the need "to raise the cost to the leaders through the imposition of tough additional sanctions and of course by ensuring the thorough and rigorous enforcement of the existing sanctions." Russel said negotiations were "active" at the United Nations and that the United States and North Korea's main ally China "share the view that there needs to be consequences to North Korea for its defiance and for its threatening behaviors." "Our diplomats are in deep discussion in New York about how to tighten sanctions, how to respond to violations," he said. Asked about China's cautious response to US calls for stronger and more effective sanctions on Pyongyang and Beijing's stress on the need for dialogue, Russel said: "Yet another violation by the DPRK of the UN Security Council resolution, coming on the heels of its nuclear test, would be an unmistakable slap in the face to those who argue that you just need to show patience and dialogue with the North Koreans, but not sanctions." White House spokesman Josh Earnest said China had "unique influence over the North Korean regime" and added: "we … certainly are pleased to be able to work cooperatively and effectively with the Chinese to counter this threat." Earlier on Tuesday, China's envoy for the North Korean nuclear issue arrived in the capital Pyongyang, the North's KCNA news agency reported. North Korea last launched a long-range rocket in December 2012, sending an object it described as a communications satellite into orbit. Western and Asian experts have said that launch was part of an effort to build an intercontinental ballistic missile. North Korea has shown off two versions of a ballistic missile resembling a type that could reach the US West Coast, but there is no evidence the missiles have been tested. Pyongyang is also seen to be working to miniaturize a nuclear warhead to mount on a missile, but many experts say it is some time away from perfecting such technology. North Korea said it successfully tested a hydrogen bomb last month but this was met with skepticism by US and South Korean officials and nuclear experts. They said the blast was too small for it to have been a full-fledged hydrogen bomb. The post North Korea Tells UN Agencies it Plans Satellite Launch appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Thai Elephant Gores Scottish Tourist to Death on Trek  Posted: 02 Feb 2016 09:25 PM PST Mahouts and volunteers bathe elephants in the Pasak River in the ancient Thai capital Ayutthaya, north of Bangkok, on Aug. 11, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) BANGKOK — A Scottish tourist has been gored to death by an elephant that he and his 16-year-old stepdaughter were riding on the resort island of Samui, Thai authorities said Tuesday. Police Lt. Rotjanart Kiewjan said the animal threw Gareth Crowe and Eilidh Hughes to the ground during a trek on Monday. The elephant then gored Crowe with his tusk and stomped on him. Thai news reports said the elephant became enraged after its trainer, known as a mahout, climbed off to take a picture of the tourists. Police think hot weather may have disturbed the 13-year-old elephant. The mahout, who is from Burma, was also gored and Hughes was injured from her fall. Both were hospitalized. There was speculation that the elephant might have been in a state of musth, when it becomes more aggressive during its mating cycle, but Cherdchai Jaroenwech of the Office of Livestock Development said that was not the case. Cherdchai, who shot the elephant with a tranquilizer dart Monday evening, said it had been taken back to the corral of its trekking company owners, Island Safari, where it was attended to by its usual caretakers and showered constantly to cool off while remaining chained. He said the elephant, dubbed Rambo but also called by the nickname Golf, will take a 15-day break from work and then be moved to another branch of the trekking company in either Krabi or Phang Nga. Elephants are Thailand's de facto national animal and were once featured on the country's flag. Their numbers have declined in recent decades as expanding human settlements have reduced their natural habitats. Thailand now has fewer than 3,000 wild elephants and about 4,000 domesticated elephants, according to the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department. The beasts once were used for logging, but deforestation and a subsequent ban on most logging has led to many elephants now being used as tourist attractions. The post Thai Elephant Gores Scottish Tourist to Death on Trek  appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

India’s Top Court to Re-Examine Gay Rights Posted: 02 Feb 2016 09:14 PM PST A gay rights activist pins a badge onto another during a gathering in Mumbai, India, Feb. 2, 2016.  (Photo: Reuters) NEW DELHI — India's top court on Tuesday agreed to re-examine a colonial-era law that makes homosexual acts punishable by up to a decade in prison. The Supreme Court set up a five-judge panel to reconsider its 2013 ruling that only Parliament can change the 1861 law banning gay sex. Gay activists cheered the court decision and said they were hopeful that the verdict would ultimately go in their favor, giving them a chance to live openly. In 2009, a New Delhi High Court declared unconstitutional Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which says intercourse between members of the same sex is against the order of nature. But the judgment was overturned four years later when the Supreme Court decided that amending or repealing the law should be left to Parliament, not the judiciary. However, India's Parliament did not act in the matter, with the ruling Hindu nationalist party in no hurry to change the law. Activists sought a review of the court decision. On Tuesday, Chief Justice T.S. Thakur and two other judges said it would be appropriate to refer the issue to a five-judge panel because it involved important issues concerning the country's constitution. Many activists welcomed the decision. "It's a very positive development and we are confident that we will get our rights," said Vaijanti, an activist who uses one name. Over the past decade, homosexuals have gained a degree of acceptance in parts of deeply conservative India, especially in big cities. Many bars have gay nights, and some high-profile Bollywood films have dealt with gay issues. Still, being gay is seen as shameful in most of the country, and many homosexuals remain hidden. The post India's Top Court to Re-Examine Gay Rights appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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