Thursday, March 31, 2016

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


Activist-Turned-Candidate in 2015 Poll Gets 1-Year Prison Term

Posted: 31 Mar 2016 05:59 AM PDT

 Myat Nu Khaing attends a peaceful demonstration in Rangoon in 2014. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy)

Myat Nu Khaing attends a peaceful demonstration in Rangoon in 2014. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy)

A court in Rangoon's Dagon Township on Thursday sentenced Myat Nu Khaing, an independent candidate in November's general election, to one year in prison with hard labor.

Myat Nu Khaing was contesting a Lower House seat in Pegu Division's Phyu Township when she was arrested on Oct. 16. She was presented to a court in Dagon Township and charged for her participation in a peaceful protest on Dec. 29, 2014.

"The court ruled that she is guilty for following unlawful protesters, according to Article 147 of Burma's Penal Code, and sentenced her to one year's imprisonment with hard labor. Because she's already been detained in Insein Prison for about five months, she will need to stay behind bars for another seven months," said Than Zaw Aung, Myat Nu Khaing's lawyer.

Than Zaw Aung said the court dismissed charges for protesting without permission under Article 18 of the Peaceful Assembly Law and articles 353 and 505(b) of the Penal Code.

The protest at issue involved some 100 people marching to the Chinese Embassy in Rangoon to honor Khin Win, a woman who had been shot dead during a protest against the controversial, Chinese-backed copper mining in Letpadaung, Sagaing Division. Several other activists were also arrested after a clash with police, with some sentenced to four years in prison.

The post Activist-Turned-Candidate in 2015 Poll Gets 1-Year Prison Term appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Twelve Locals Sentenced on Suspected Ties to Arakan Army

Posted: 31 Mar 2016 05:50 AM PDT

Kyauktaw Township Court. (Photo: Min Aung Khaing / The Irrawaddy)

Kyauktaw Township Court. (Photo: Min Aung Khaing / The Irrawaddy)

A local court in Arakan State has handed out jail sentences to 12 Arakanese men charged under the Unlawful Association Act on Wednesday.

Local police officer Khin Maung confirmed the punishment to The Irrawaddy, stating that the men had violated Article 17 (a) and (b) of the law. Nine of the accused were sentenced to three years in prison and three received five-year sentences in the Kyauktaw Township Court.

They were arrested in December 2015 following clashes between government troops and the Arakan Army (AA) on Yum Chaung Mountain in Kyauktaw Township, according to police.

The men come from Arakan State's Kyauktaw, Minbya, Mrauk U, Yathedaung, and Buthidaung townships and are aged between 20 and 25, according to social organizations assisting them throughout the legal process.

"I have no comment about the punishment. Even if I complain, [the military] would not care because they got the testimony they wanted," said Tun Aye, a Kyauktaw Township community elder.

He accused the military of abusing the suspects instead of adhering to legal protocol once they were arrested.

"I wish the accused had been sent to prison or to the police station for interrogation after the arrest," Tun Aye said. "But, instead, the military arrested and interrogated them until they got the testimony they wanted. When the accused got to the police station, they could barely walk," he added, implying that they had been tortured in the interim.

Renewed clashes occurred between the Burma Army and the AA last March and April in and around Chin State's Paletwa Township. When the fighting broke out again in December in Arakan's Kyauktaw Township, over 300 local villagers were forced from their homes.

Following the clashes, dozens of locals from various Arakan State townships were arrested after it was alleged that they had associated with unlawful groups like the AA. Including those in the latest sentencing, 24 Arakanese men are being charged under the Unlawful Association Act, with 12 more awaiting trial in the Kyauktaw Township Court.

Yet Khine Thu Kha, a spokesperson for AA, estimates that about 60 locals in Arakan State have been arrested for suspected ties to the Arakan Army since December. He claimed that some of those detained did have links to the non-state armed group, but maintained that the majority are being unjustly held.

Translated by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Twelve Locals Sentenced on Suspected Ties to Arakan Army appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Su Su Lwin Concentrates on New Role as Burma’s First Lady

Posted: 31 Mar 2016 05:38 AM PDT

Su Su Lwin

Su SuLwin andher husband, President HtinKyaw, at astate dinner at the presidential residence in Naypyidaw on March 30, 2016. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy)

RANGOON— Burma's first lady, Su Su Lwin,has been replaced as chair of the Lower House's International Relations committee, the parliamentary chamber's Speaker Win Myint announced on Thursday.

Zaw Thein, a sitting lawmaker in Irrawaddy Division's Wakema constituency, filled the position. He was previously a member of the committee and there was no objection to his appointment from lawmakers, said the speaker.

Win Htein, a senior member of the National League for Democracy (NLD), told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that replacing Su Su Lwin would allow her to serve more effectively in her role as first lady.

"Because she is also the first lady, she wouldn't have been able to actively fulfill her responsibilities as the committee chairperson," Win Htein said.

Dr. Hla Moe, chairman of the Committee on Scrutinizing Parliamentary Representatives, echoed Win Htein's opinion.

"She now has other, more important responsibilities," he said.

However, he could not confirm whether she had resigned her parliamentary seat in the Lower House as well.

Su Su Lwin became an NLD party member just before Burma's 2012 by-election, in which she won a seat representing Rangoon's Thone Kwa constituency in Parliament, winning re-election to the seat last year.

"The Lower House speaker will notify all lawmakers during a parliamentary session if her resignation is confirmed," he said.

Burma's 2008 military-drafted Constitution doesn't state that the first lady must retire or resign from her parliamentary position, but there is speculation that she is considering it.

Win Htein told The Irrawaddy that the NLD hadnot decided whether or not to let her resign her seat.

She also served as head of the NLD's education committee until last week, when the party dismissed all committee members in order to reconfigure under the new government. People hope she will use her decades of experience as an education specialist and her role as first lady to improve Burma's education system, which fell behind under the military regime.

The Irrawaddy was unable reach Su SuLwin for comment on Thursday.

The post Su Su Lwin Concentrates on New Role as Burma's First Lady appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Military-Linked UMEHL Transitions Into Public Company

Posted: 31 Mar 2016 04:51 AM PDT

 A billboard advertises Myanmar Beer, made by a Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited (UMEHL) subsidiary, in Rangoon. (Photo: The Irrawaddy)

A billboard advertises Myanmar Beer, made by a Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited (UMEHL) subsidiary, in Rangoon. (Photo: The Irrawaddy)

RANGOON — The Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited (UMEHL) announced on Thursday that, after being linked to the military for more than two decades, the conglomerate has transitioned into a public company.

According to state-run media, shares for UMEHL, which was founded in 1990 with two shareholder groups, will be consolidated into one group. This move by the board of directors and shareholders will effectively transform UMEHL from a special company, under the 1950 Special Companies Act, into a public one, under the 1914 Myanmar Companies Act.

An anonymous UMEHL official confirmed the conglomerate's organizational restructuring but could not provide any additional details.

UMEHL has many businesses to its name, including Bandula Transportation, Myanmar Brewery Limited, Myawaddy Bank, Myawaddy Trading and, more controversially, jade mines in Kachin State.

Soe Tun, chairman of the Myanmar Automobile Dealers Association and vice president of the Myanmar Rice Federation, said he welcomed UMEHL's transformation because it meant that it would have to follow the same rules as most other companies.

"It [UMEHL] will be more transparent and there will be equal chances for other businesses," Soe Tun said.

Under military rule, UMEHL was free to monopolize businesses in various sectors.

"For example, it monopolized the beer and cigarette markets. … We couldn't compete with them on a level playing field," said a local, Rangoon-based businessman.

Zaw Lin Htut, chief executive officer of the Myanmar Payment Union, said that while UMEHL's profits would not go toward the government's budget, the organization will have to pay taxes according to the Public Companies Act.

"As a public company, there will be more transparency and accountability, and more responsibility, too. They'll have to pay taxes," Zaw Lin Htut said.

"But if the Defense Ministry is a shareholder, they [the ministry] will receive a dividend, and according to tax law, no taxes would need to be paid on this dividend," he added.

In the past, UMEHL and its many different businesses have been accused of tax avoidance. Since Burma's shift to a quasi-civilian government in 2011, however, they have frequently topped the annual list of corporate tax payers.

The post Military-Linked UMEHL Transitions Into Public Company appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Steering the Ship of State

Posted: 31 Mar 2016 04:44 AM PDT

Steering the Ship of State

Steering the Ship of State

The post Steering the Ship of State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

New-Look State Dailies Herald Historic Power Transfer

Posted: 31 Mar 2016 04:02 AM PDT

 Burma's state-owned newspapers on March 31, 2016. (Photo: Pyay Kyaw / The Irrawaddy)

Burma's state-owned newspapers on March 31, 2016. (Photo: Pyay Kyaw / The Irrawaddy)

RANGOON — The newsrooms of Burma's state-run dailies appear to have been swept up in the winds of change blowing down from Naypyidaw this week, with redesigned front pages and glowing coverage of the triumphant National League for Democracy's long-awaited swearing in to power.

The shift in tone was particularly notable coming from newspapers that, little more than five years ago, were known to print cartoons depicting NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi as a witch and traitor to country, with accompanying articles expounding on that general sentiment.

Thursday's The Mirror deviated from its typical layout and content, featuring a sketch from well-known cartoonist Awpekyal, along with a poem from democracy activist Min Ko Naing, describing the country as a traditional dance show in which the long-neglected truth is now on stage, with young people fighting to protect it. Myanmar Ahlin daily also updated its layout and design.

Photos of the long-awaited transfer of power ceremony were front- and back-page news, and the papers included pictures of ex-President Thein Sein, newly appointed President Htin Kyaw, Suu Kyi (in a traditional blue ensemble, not witch garb), and various army generals.

The new layouts coincided with a transfer of cabinet personnel, including the head of the Ministry of Information—under which the dailies operate—from Ye Htut to Pe Myint.

Information Minister Pe Myint has said he will work to promote freedom of the press, and that media groups need to actively participate in the fight. He is a writer of renown in Burma, who serves as the vice chairman of the Myanmar Press Council, a role he is expected to step away from with his new job in Naypyidaw.

He added that Burmese media organizations should learn from international media laws, reform the current Broadcasting Law and take it upon themselves to draft new legislation.

He said that it was too soon to talk about releasing imprisoned journalists, but that in the future he would work to change a system that in recent years has punished reporters with fines or jail time for doing their jobs.

Some critics have said a democratically elected government does not need state-run newspapers, which under control of the ruling administration would be unlikely to print content critical of the party in power. That view is informed, in part, by the three state-run dailies' track record as a brazen propaganda machine for the former Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) government and the junta that preceded it.

But Ye Htut posted on Facebook that the new government still needed its own media in order to inform the public of its plans.

"You can change the staff, but the government still needs their own press to let people know their policies," he said.

Thursday's editorial page in Myanmar Ahlin praised the results of a 50-year effort on the part of pro-democracy activists, and the smooth transfer of power and state dinner held by the new NLD government on Wednesday evening.

But it also stated that the week's momentous events did not mark the end of the journey in the fight for democratic reform, and that the new government still had a long way to go.

The editorial went on, "It was easy to talk about having peace and national reconciliation, but it will be harder to work for it."

Opponents of their perpetuation, who say state-funded newspapers' wider reach and subsidized budgets threaten private media competitors, will no doubt continue to watch the dailies' metamorphosis unfold.

The post New-Look State Dailies Herald Historic Power Transfer appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

New Political Order Begins in Burma

Posted: 31 Mar 2016 03:57 AM PDT

National League for Democracy chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi stands with the trio of new cabinet ministers appointed by the military after a state ceremony in which the outgoing President Thein Sein handed over presidential responsibilities to the NLD-backed, newly sworn-in President Htin Kyaw at the Presidential Palace in Naypyidaw on Wednesday. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy)

National League for Democracy chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi stands with the trio of new cabinet ministers appointed by the military after a state ceremony in which the outgoing President Thein Sein handed over presidential responsibilities to the NLD-backed, newly sworn-in President Htin Kyaw at the Presidential Palace in Naypyidaw on Wednesday. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy)

"It's now official and it's party time!" many Burmese said to each other. Millions were glued to live television footage of the long awaited official political handover which took place at the presidential palace on Wednesday.

A new government came into power and the National League for Democracy's (NLD) Htin Kyaw, a close confidant of Aung San Suu Kyi, was sworn in as Burma's ninth president.

As the new administration settles in, it is expected that fundamental changes and surprises await—the first of which is talk of a new political position being created for Suu Kyi, who now holds four Cabinet posts in the new government as minister of foreign affairs, electric power and energy, the president's office and education.

Aung Zaw

Aung Zaw is the founding editor-in-chief of The Irrawaddy.

While no title yet exists for this role, it is likely to be "state political counselor," or even "state adviser in chief." A draft "State Adviser Bill" is being discussed in the Upper House that would effectively make Suu Kyi head of state, according to one NLD lawmaker.

Such a broad designation would not only allow the Lady to move freely within the government and offer guidance to President Htin Kyaw—it could also fulfill her repeated claim that in a new administration, she would be "above the president," or, at the very least, his equal.

Her intentions have been revealed earlier than expected, but everything surrounding the new leadership's inauguration is unfolding rapidly.

Htin Kyaw's first presidential speech, which lasted only three minutes, did not exactly capture the political momentum of the occasion or provide national inspiration. But in a limited time frame, he did emphasize the importance of building a peaceful, federal and democratic nation in an ethnically diverse country plagued by civil war. He also stressed his party's continued push for constitutional reform.

"I have an obligation to work toward having a Constitution that is of a democratic standard and which is suitable for the country," he said.

In the three-minute speech, Htin Kyaw also mentioned Suu Kyi's name, with a gentle reminder that she remains the real political boss, even before knowledge of the draft state adviser bill was made public.

Many NLD supporters described the succinct speech as straightforward and meaningful. It was a comparatively brief political statement in the context of Burma's modern history, which the public welcomed. After all, Htin Kyaw's executive predecessors were notorious for delivering long-winded monologues unsupported by policies and action, leaving Burma in limbo for generations.

Like the speech, the handover ceremony at the President's house was also rather abrupt. Observers on social media were not critical of the hasty proceedings, however, and many responded by posting jokes and satirical commentary about the occasion.

"The faster the better, because I want them to leave as soon as possible," said one user, implying that Thein Sein's administration was an extension of the former military regime—and highlighting an eagerness to see this period of Burma's history give way to change.

At the dinner hosted in the presidential palace to conclude the day's events, Thein Sein and his former cabinet ministers were nowhere to be seen, but military commander-in-chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing was present. It was Suu Kyi who was once again the center of attention, rather than loyalist Htin Kyaw.

On Thursday morning, state-owned newspapers, which were once described as "Stalinist," splashed photos of the new government on their pages. Suu Kyi is, predictably, at the center of these images; Htin Kyaw is there too, and a smiling Min Aung Hlaing also makes an appearance.

This government-owned media is now operating under the new information minister, Pe Myint, a well-known and respected writer in Burma. Until midnight after his inauguration, the newly appointed minister was reportedly working on the production of Thursday's paper, knowing it would represent a new political message.

Poems written by some revolutionary heavyweights—including former student leader and longtime political prisoner Min Ko Naing—were published for the first time in a state-run paper. It was also the first time that a respected editorial cartoonist, APK, was invited to contribute a piece of his work to such a publication.

Headlines in Thursday's Burmese version of The New Light of Myanmar read: "New history begins in Burma…" Similarly, The Mirror, which once served as a mouthpiece to the repressive military regime and denounced opposition, thundered: "The greatest change ever in 50 years and a government is formed under the guidance of a Daw Aung San Suu Kyi-led National League for Democracy government!"

Indeed, the undeniable fact is that a new political order has begun in a once military-ruled Burma.

Some cannot help but reflect back on Suu Kyi's first landmark political speech in 1988, when the Lady, then 43, famously described the fight for democracy as a "second struggle for independence," meaning that it was necessary to liberate Burma and citizens from the army's generals the way that her father did from British domination.

After more than two decades, this long struggle is now beginning to witness some vital changes and political shifts, but it has not succeeded just yet.

The post New Political Order Begins in Burma appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Report Calls for Logging Moratorium, End to State-Run MTE 

Posted: 31 Mar 2016 02:58 AM PDT

An elephant pulls a teak log at a logging camp in Pinlebu Township, Sagaing Division, on March 6, 2014. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters)

An elephant pulls a teak log at a logging camp in Pinlebu Township, Sagaing Division, on March 6, 2014. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters)

RANGOON — International and Burmese environmental organizations this week said Burma's forest reserves are largely exhausted, calling for a moratorium on commercial logging and the dismantling or privatization of the state-owned Myanmar Timber Enterprise (MTE).

Those finding came in an analysis released on Wednesday in a report titled "Legally and Illegally Logged Out," an EU-funded research project that looked at the state of Burma's timber industry and prospects for reform.

At a press conference held for the report's launch in Rangoon, Professor Oliver Springate-Baginski of the University of East Anglia, one of its authors, said deeply rooted corruption was one factor driving forest loss—and was also one reason the MTE should be abolished.

He said several sources acknowledged to him they had paid large bribes to military and MTE personnel, part of an illicit trade that includes cronies with ties to the former Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) government, high-ranking Burma Army officials and localized militias and ethnic armed groups.

"It's clear that there is institutionalized corruption in many aspects of the Myanmar Timber Enterprise, which means they have served the dictatorship, in the legal and illegal destruction of forests, so the institution of MTE is a problem for future forest recovery and sustainability," Springate-Baginski told The Irrawaddy.

Springate-Baginski played a video clip during the press conference in which several local smalltime black market timber traders, their faces obscured, readily admitted to bribing government officials in Sagaing Division's Pinlebu Township to conduct their business more easily.

Though Burma shares a border with five other countries, most illicit raw timber is smuggled across the border into China from northern Burma's Kachin State.

The report said Burma's forests had been logged at unsustainable levels for decades, but that "[t]his plunder reached a final crescendo in the felling season of 2013-2014 as it became clear the opportunities provided by the military era were ending."

Dr. Win Myo Thu, cofounder and director of the local Economically Progressive Ecosystem Development (EcoDev) group, said the military continued to wield significant say in the industry, making the powerful institution a necessary partner in any reform effort.

"Even though the Forestry Department staff knows some civil militias are involved in illegal logging, they are frightened to seize them because all decision-making is controlled by the [Burma] Army."

The government officially banned the export of raw timber on April 1, 2014, but illegal flows continue across the border into China.

"The Chinese government is not respecting Myanmar's laws," Springate-Baginski said, chalking up Beijing's indifference regarding the trade's legality to China's own largely depleted commercial forest reserves amid high domestic demand for timber.

One tree particularly hard-hit by excessive logging over the last two decades is teak. According to Springate-Baginski, who cited Forestry Department data, Burma had 37 million teak trees of 8-inch diameter or larger in 1996. In 2010, that figure had fallen to 7 million.

Kyaw Kyaw Lwin, director of the MTE, was away on travel and could not be for comment on Thursday concerning his enterprise's future.

Ba Ba Cho, who is secretary of the governmental Myanmar Forest Certification Committee, said reform was indeed the plan for MTE, a company of some 40,000 employees, about half of whom are former civil servants. In addition to the large human resources pool, the business employs about 5,000 elephants, used to haul timber.

He declined to comment directly upon the recommended "phasing out" of the MTE. But he acknowledged that "if any enterprise has no benefit for the country, it should be dissolved. However, profound consideration must be paid to subordinates [MTE staff] and the consequences will be significant because it has been running almost five decades for the country."

In addition to removing MTE in its current form from the equation, a series of recommendations for the newly installed government included an overall review of the sector's policies, introduction of transparency measures, improved border controls and decentralization of forest management.

The post Report Calls for Logging Moratorium, End to State-Run MTE  appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

MPs to Mull Creation of Powerful ‘State Adviser’ Role for Suu Kyi

Posted: 31 Mar 2016 01:25 AM PDT

Aung San Suu Kyi, right, and then President-elect Htin Kyaw enter Parliament on Wednesday. (Photo: The Irrawaddy)

Aung San Suu Kyi, right, and then President-elect Htin Kyaw enter Parliament on Wednesday. (Photo: The Irrawaddy)

RANGOON — Parliament's Upper House on Thursday agreed to discuss a draft bill that would create a powerful new position in the executive branch earmarked for Aung San Suu Kyi and intended to facilitate a pledge she made last year to govern from a position "above the president" in the National League for Democracy government sworn into power this week.

Known as the State Adviser Bill, the draft includes five sections and specifically names Suu Kyi as the country's State adviser. The aims of the bill are "to help a multi-party democracy flourish, to generate a vibrant market economy, to establish a federal Union and to spur peace and development in the Union."

Aung Kyi Nyunt, the NLD lawmaker who submitted the proposal, told Upper House lawmakers that "appointing Suu Kyi as the state adviser would be a way to include the people."

The document says the state adviser should offer suggestions in the interest of the people and state, without contradicting the Constitution. Suu Kyi would be able to collaborate with any government organization, department or individual to accomplish these goals.

The state adviser's term would be the same as that of the president, with the law, if enacted, only in effect for the parliamentary term ending in early 2021.

The draft was submitted to the Upper House on Thursday, one day after Suu Kyi's NLD-led government was sworn in and her proxy Htin Kyaw became Burma's first civilian president since 1962. Suu Kyi's portfolio of four ministerial positions—in foreign affairs, education, the President's Office and electric power and energy—was also approved on Wednesday.

"This position would be the highest in the country. If it is approved, [Suu Kyi] will be the head of state," said Phyu Phyu Thin, an NLD lawmaker. If that assessment proves true, the law would likely face scrutiny from Burma's Constitutional Tribunal, which is charged with examining the constitutionality of legislation passed by Parliament.

Article 58 of the Constitution states: "The President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar takes precedence over all other persons throughout the Republic of the Union of Myanmar."

Despite announcing publicly that she wanted to be Burma's president, the Nobel laureate Suu Kyi is constitutionally barred from that office because her two children carry British passports, as did her late husband.

Shortly before the general election in November, Suu Kyi said she would be "above the president" if the NLD were to secure enough parliamentary seats to form the next government.

The bill's proposal faced no objection when it was submitted to the NLD-dominated Upper House on Thursday. Parliamentary discussion will continue on Monday.

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Stigma, Shortages Plague Mental Health Care in Burma

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 11:02 PM PDT

Cancer patient U Myint Khine, 51, rests his head on a bed at the U Hla Tun Cancer Hospice on the outskirts of Rangoon in February 2013. (Photo: Minzayar / Reuters)

Cancer patient U Myint Khine, 51, rests his head on a bed at the U Hla Tun Cancer Hospice on the outskirts of Rangoon in February 2013. (Photo: Minzayar / Reuters)

RANGOON — Thant Zin experienced heart palpitations and severe chest pain for about an hour while alone in a hotel room, traveling for work; he had trouble breathing and felt like he was about to die. His first thought was that he was having a heart attack, before later realizing that it was, in fact, an anxiety attack.

Six months ago, Thant Zin, who is in his late 20s, suffered from an anxiety disorder and, for nearly a month, lived in a state of constant unease. After a succession of two anxiety attacks within the same month, he lost confidence in his professional ability. Worried about having another anxiety attack while working, Thant Zin quit his job to get treatment. He wanted regular counseling sessions with a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist to relieve his mental anguish.

He started looking for recommendations by asking his friends and searching online. It took him weeks to reach one. The reason, he explained, was not that Burma has few mental health professionals—although medical practitioners say that too is a problem—but rather that people in Burma don't like to discuss their mental health, and the process of getting counseling treatment is unfamiliar to most Burmese.

"At first, I didn't know where to look for recommendations about counseling treatment," he told The Irrawaddy last month.

"I needed someone to talk to about all my problems—someone not from my family or my friends; someone who wouldn't judge me over what I told him or her."

After a week, he got a recommendation from a friend, the contact of a psychiatrist who could provide the counseling treatment he was seeking.

Unlike most Burmese, it wasn't his first experience with a psychiatrist. Prior to his anxiety ordeal, he had seen three different ones over the last six years because he had also experienced depressive disorder in the past.

The last time he suffered from depression, he found himself struggling to adapt to normal societal routines. He was oversleeping and struggled to work up an appetite for about two weeks. He would isolate himself from others for days, keeping both family and friends at a distance.

"I felt totally lost and didn't know how to make my life meaningful," he recalled.

After shutting himself in his room for a week, his father eventually had to break into the room to get him out.

"My father had to physically drag me out of the room to go and see a psychiatrist," Thant Zin told The Irrawaddy, describing the depths of his depression at the time.

It was thanks to this episode that Thant Zin knew to seek counseling immediately when he felt anxiety disorder last year, but he is part of only a small percentage of the country that knows when to seek psychiatric assistance.

"People here don't have enough knowledge about mental health, and counseling is not a culture among most of them," he said.

According to the estimate of psychiatrist Dr. Soe Min, who is general secretary of the Myanmar Mental Health Society, about 90 percent of individuals who suffer depressive disorder do not get any psychiatric treatment, for a number of different reasons and difficulties.

"Some of them aren't even aware of themselves suffering depressive disorder," Soe Min told The Irrawaddy via email.

"Others don't have knowledge that depression needs to be treated while some might have difficulties in getting proper treatment," he added.

Some patients don't feel comfortable discussing their mental health with friends or family due to societal stigmatization or concerns of discrimination within their community, which remain major challenges in Burma, he said.

"In some cases, stigma could be more obvious in the work environment of patients."

A former superintendent of Rangoon's Mental Health Hospital, Dr. Kyi Soe told The Irrawaddy that patients with minor mental disorders can't get treatment at the hospital and must seek psychiatric help from outside clinics. Given the extant stigma associated with mental health disorders, that can prove too tall a hurdle for most would-be patients.

"If someone is seeing a psychiatrist, people are ready to label him or her as a fool," Kyi Soe said.

"That's the main problem regarding mental health in our country."

Soe Min explained that psychiatrists typically prescribe medications rather than counseling, the latter being a special field of clinical psychologists—a medical professional in short supply in Burma.

There are currently fewer than 10 clinical psychologists and just over 200 psychiatrists in Burma, a country of some 52 million people, according to Soe Min.

In Burma, problems with access to treatment are compounded by the disparate nature of the populace, which the 2014 census found to be 70 percent rural and living in more than 70,000 villages across the country.

Causes for Concern

Dr. Htay Oung, a psychiatrist who has been practicing in the country for more than 20 years, said depression is a common illness worldwide, and Burma is no exception. Most common causes of depression among adolescents in Burma are parent-child relationships, social pressures and an education system that places emphasis on exam-oriented success, he said. Ways of life, peer relations and social norms among younger generations are undergoing rapid change, he added.

In most cases, the extent to which parents are aware of their children's psyches has a major impact on the latter's mental health. The high demands that some parents put on their offspring can cause childhood depression with knock-on effects into adulthood, he said, underscoring the critical role that parenting plays in mentally healthy living.

Factors outside the home are also determinants, however. The World Health Organization (WHO) states: "[A] person's mental health and many common mental disorders are shaped by various social, economic, and physical environments operating at different stages of life. Risk factors for many common mental disorders are heavily associated with social inequalities."

The consequences of neglecting treatment, at worst, could be fatal, with the WHO noting a link between mental disorders, particularly depression, and suicide attempts.

"Each individual needs to have good mental health and should receive proper treatment when they suffer a mental disorder due to different causes," Soe Min said.

Burma's current health care system is woefully inadequate to the task of ensuring mental health patients receive treatment, Htay Oung said.

According to Health Ministry figures, there are two main psychiatric hospitals in Burma. Rangoon's 1,200-bed Mental Health Hospital currently has over 1,500 patients cared for by about 30 psychiatrists, a ratio of 50 patients per doctor. Furthermore, the hospitals are only providing treatments for patients with major disorders and don't provide counseling services for outpatients.

For Soe Min, a combination of societal change and policy prioritization are needed to address Burma's mental health care shortcomings, with the doctor urging a systematic ramping up of both institutional and human resources.

"At the same time, more awareness raising and conversations are needed in our society so that people better know about their mental health, when they should get psychiatry treatment and where to get it."

One aspect of Burmese society includes a demographic that most other countries need not consider: former political prisoners, who number in the thousands due to decades of repressive rule by the junta that ceded power in 2011. With many tortured or otherwise subjected to inhumane treatment while behind bars, this population is more likely to suffer post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other trauma-related mental health issues.

Aung Aung, who is also known as Ko Shell, a former political prisoner and member of the so-called 88 Generation community who spent 14 years in jail, said he didn't know to seek psychiatry assistance for his mental struggles after being released from prison in 2012.

"I thought that I didn't need such counseling assistance and I didn't even realize that I had trauma," the 46-year-old told The Irrawaddy.

In the struggle to rebuild his life, Aung Aung said, other priorities were more pressing.

"Life was very difficult, trying to look for a job to feed our stomachs," he recalled.

Support did come, however, in the form of peers who had experienced similar sufferings and could offer empathy and understanding. Aung Aung also recently submitted his name to the Mental Health Assistance Program (MHAP) of the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), which is partly funded by Johns Hopkins University of the United States, to receive casual counseling.

Echoing Burmese mental health professionals, Aung Aung said adopting a "counseling culture" was key to overcoming the fear of stigmatization that prevents many from seeking help.

"A counseling culture is very important for everyone who has stress and pressure from everyday life," he said, "from prostitutes to presidents of a nation."

Editor's Note: The name of the patient in this story identified as 'Thant Zin' was changed at the request of the source.

The post Stigma, Shortages Plague Mental Health Care in Burma appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Thai Junta Chief Gives Military Broad New Police-Like Powers

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 09:53 PM PDT

Military and police personnel walk past tourists as they patrol near the Grand Palace in Bangkok on Aug. 18, 2015. (Photo: Reuters)

Military and police personnel walk past tourists as they patrol near the Grand Palace in Bangkok on Aug. 18, 2015. (Photo: Reuters)

BANGKOK — Thailand's junta chief has given the military broad new police-like powers to arrest and detain criminal suspects, in an unannounced move that rights groups criticized Wednesday as a recipe for human rights violations.

The decree Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha issued late Tuesday night comes amid a wider crackdown on civil liberties. Authorities the same day charged a woman with sedition for posting a Facebook photo of herself holding a red plastic bowl that was deemed too politically charged.

The order, published in Thailand's Royal Gazette under the title "Suppression of wrongdoings that could threaten Thai economy and society," gives soldiers in the army, navy and air force who are ranked sub-lieutenant and higher the power to summon, arrest and detain suspects in a wide range of crimes for up to seven days.

The soldiers can act against people suspected in 27 different types of crime, including extortion, human trafficking, robbery, fraud, forgery, defamation, debt collection, gambling, child protection, prostitution, loan sharking and tour guide services. It says the soldiers are appointed "crime prevention and suppression officers" and anyone ranked below sub-lieutenant can act as their assistants.

Prayuth, the former army chief, invoked the powers under a law he enacted after leading a May 2014 coup that gives him as junta chief near-absolute authority without any accountability. The law, known as Article 44, allows Prayuth to take any measures deemed necessary to promote public order and unity. Rights groups say Article 44 is essentially martial law in all but name.

"There are people whose behavior and wrongdoings are considered crimes. They threaten the country's economy and society," the order says. Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan was quoted by The Bangkok Post as saying that soldiers would also act as interrogators and were taking on the new role because there were not enough police to tackle crime.

Brad Adams, the Asia director of Human Rights Watch, called the move "a recipe for abuse, not greater peace and order."

"By erasing the line between the military and the police, Prime Minister Prayuth has further reinforced his dictatorship and guaranteed more blatant human rights abuses, increased numbers of civilians being tried in military courts, and further impunity for soldiers to do whatever they want whenever they want," he said.

Since toppling an elected government in the 2014 coup, Prayuth has restricted freedom of speech, barred public protests and relentlessly pursued critics by detaining journalists, academics and other perceived dissidents at military bases for so-called "attitude adjustment." The junta says criticism could destabilize the nation, which it says needs unity after almost a decade of sometimes violent political conflict.

On Tuesday, a 57-year-old woman in northern Thailand was arrested and charged with sedition for posting a photo of herself holding a red plastic bowl inscribed with a New Year's greeting from two former prime ministers, siblings Yingluck and Thaksin Shinawatra, according to Human Rights Watch. A military court in Chiang Mai released her on 100,000 baht ($2,800) bail pending a military trial. If found guilty, Theerawan Charoensuk could face up to seven years in prison.

"The Thai junta's fears of a red plastic bowl show its intolerance of dissent has reached the point of absolute absurdity," said Adams. "It's clear that the end of repression is nowhere in sight."

A Thai journalist who is one of the junta's prominent critics, Pravit Rojanaphruk, said he learned Wednesday that the junta will not allow him to leave the country in May to attend a conference in Finland on World Press Freedom Day.

He posted the news on Facebook, along with a tweet from Finnish Ambassador to Thailand Kirsti Westphalen: "The Embassy of Finland regrets Thailand government decision to forbid [Pravit] to travel to Helsinki to attend World Press Freedom Day."

Pravit was twice detained for "attitude adjustment" while working for The Nation newspaper, which ultimately asked him to leave because of pressure from the junta.

A government spokesman, Sansern Kaewkamnerd, said he was not aware of the ban against Pravit but, "if it's true, it must be related to national security."

The post Thai Junta Chief Gives Military Broad New Police-Like Powers appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Indonesia ‘Hobbit’ Fossils Older Than First Thought: Study

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 09:45 PM PDT

An Indonesian scientist holds the skull of the remains of a hobbit-sized relative of humans in Jakarta on Nov. 1, 2004. (Photo: Reuters)

An Indonesian scientist holds the skull of the remains of a hobbit-sized relative of humans in Jakarta on Nov. 1, 2004. (Photo: Reuters)

NEW YORK — It was a spectacular discovery: Fossil remains in an Indonesian cave revealed a recent relative of modern humans that stood about 3 feet tall. The creatures were quickly nicknamed "hobbits."

With evidence that they had survived to just 12,000 years ago, the hobbits appeared to have been the last of our companions on the human branch of the evolutionary tree to go extinct.

Now, a decade after they made headlines, they've lost that distinction. New investigations indicate they evidently disappeared much earlier—about 50,000 years ago, before Neanderthals did, for example.

The new date raises speculation about whether hobbits were doomed by the arrival of modern humans on their island. But it doesn't change much about their scientific significance, said Matt Tocheri of Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

He and others wrote the new paper with three of the researchers who'd first reported the discovery in 2004. The new paper was released Wednesday by the journal Nature.

The hobbits are formally known as Homo floresiensis, reflecting their home on the Indonesian island of Flores. With small, chimp-sized brains, the hobbits had skulls that resembled Homo erectus, which lived in Africa and Asia. But they also had long arms and short legs that harkened back to the much older evolutionary forerunners best known for the skeleton dubbed Lucy.

It's not clear where they fit in the human family tree. They may have descended from taller ancestors who shrank because of their isolation on the island. Some scientists have argued they were diseased modern humans rather than a separate species, but experts called that a minority view and several said the new dates make it less likely.

Hobbits evidently made the stone tools that were found along with skeletal remains in the Liang Bua cave. The new analysis says the remains are 100,000 to 60,000 years old, while the artifacts range in age from about 190,000 to 50,000 years.

Researchers revised the original age estimates after new excavations revealed more about the geology of the cave. Sediments were sampled to date the artifacts and bones.

"I think it's a terrific paper," said Bernard Wood of George Washington University, who had no role in the research. "They have done everything you can possibly ask."

So did the arrival of modern humans spell the end for the hobbits, as is proposed for the demise of the Neanderthals in Europe and Asia about 40,000 years ago?

There's no evidence that modern humans occupied Flores until long after the hobbits were gone. But they are known to have lived not far away, in Australia, some 50,000 years ago—right about the time the hobbits evidently disappeared.

"It is certainly suggestive," said anthropologist Karen Baab of Midwestern University in Glendale, Arizona, who studies the hobbits but didn't participate in the new work.

Richard Roberts of the University of Wollongong in Australia, a study author, said in an email it is "certainly a possibility to be considered, but solid evidence is needed in order to demonstrate it. One thing we can be certain of, it will definitely be a major focus of further research."

The post Indonesia 'Hobbit' Fossils Older Than First Thought: Study appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

National News

National News


Government to create powerful post for Daw Suu

Posted: 31 Mar 2016 04:11 AM PDT

A bill to create a new and apparently key government position for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was approved this morning by the upper house bill committee, MPs said.

A democratic era dawns

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 02:30 PM PDT

Decades of dictatorship and military-backed rule ended yesterday with the swearing-in of a National League for Democracy-led government that has promised to amend the constitution and introduce a federal political system.

Transition brings lull in fighting

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 02:30 PM PDT

The guns have fallen silent for the past three days on the front line between Ta'ang National Liberation Army and Tatmadaw forces in northern Shan State, as the historic transfer of power to a civilian-led government took place in the nation's capital.

Daw Suu’s in-tray piles up as CSOs raise their voice

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 02:30 PM PDT

Having assigned herself four cabinet portfolios – Foreign Affairs, Education, Energy and Electric Power, and the President's Office – Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will find her in-trays overflowing when she finally steps through the doors of her ministries.

ANP fails to block chief minister

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 02:30 PM PDT

Despite staging a defiant walk-out of parliament, the Arakan National Party has been unable to stop the National League for Democracy from confirming MP U Nyi Pu as the next chief minister for Rakhine State.

‘I deserve to be free,’ former monk U Gambira tells court

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 02:30 PM PDT

As 2007 protest leader U Gambira and his mother pleaded for his release in court yesterday, his lawyer said he was giving up hope that the former monk will be found not guilty.

Facebook satirist released

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 02:30 PM PDT

Away from the fanfare of Nay Pyi Taw's handover ceremony, a member of the National League for Democracy was quietly released from prison yesterday after serving time for social media satire gone awry.

Testing times: Ten challenges for the NLD government

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 02:30 PM PDT

Despite the euphoria of yesterday's historic handover, the reality is that President U Htin Kyaw's administration takes office at a time when the country is facing a range of economic, political, and social challenges. The Myanmar Times has surveyed 10 of the most significant hurdles the new government will face as it seeks to achieve its policy pledges and meet the high expectations of the voters who put it in power.

NLD reps propose suspension, review of Parkway hospital project

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 02:30 PM PDT

A parliamentary committee has recommended the incoming Yangon Region government suspend two approved projects on state land, including a US$70 million private hospital development.

We are pleased to announce two WAN-IFRA 2016 Awards

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 02:30 PM PDT

The Myanmar Times is proud to announce that we have been been honoured with the silver and bronze awards for Best in Photojournalism (News) 2016 from WAN-IFRA (World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers)! Congratulations to photographer Zarni Phyo and Director of photography Kaung Htet. See and read more about their award-winning images here:

Shan Herald Agency for News

Shan Herald Agency for News


Shan State Chief Minister: I feel saddened that people are disappointed

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 07:48 PM PDT

Dr Linn Htut, the National League for Democracy (NLD)'s pick as Chief Minister for Shan State says he is saddened that some people are disappointed by his being made the head of Burma's largest state.

Dr Linn Htut, the newly Shan State Chief Minister Photo by SHAN
The 56-year-old Shan State Hluttaw MP, who was elected from Lashio Township, originally hails from Yangon region. He has been criticized as ill-suited to become Chief Minister by some due to a perceived lack of ties to Shan State. He has lived in Lashio Township since 1994 when he took up a position at Lashio hospital.

In an interview with SHAN, Dr Linn Htut discussed his thoughts about the challenges that he will face during his term as the head of Shan State.

Q: Why did the NLD appoint you as the Shan State Chief Minister?

A: Frankly said, it's because the NLD does not have a person for this position. That's the reason they chose me. I was chosen for this post because of this. I was not a member of the NLD when they first formed. I was just a civilian. But, I was a supporter of the NLD party. I always supported the party in the past. Therefore the NLD asked me to compete during the November election which I won in Lashio Township. I won the election because I was lucky, not because I am an expert.

Q: You are not a resident of Shan State but now you have become the Shan State Chief Minister, how do you feel about this?

A: Of course I know, I think people who accept me for this position; they have their reason for that. But I know that for my personality they don't like me. I know that they don't like me because I am a Burmese person. However, I accept it. I understand how they feel. I feel saddened that people are disappointed. Even though people are criticizing me, I will have to ignore it because they are saying the truth. I'm not a Shan person. I cannot say anything because I'm just a product that was produced by the NLD.

Q: In your opinion, what is the biggest problem in Shan State?

A: The biggest problem is the ethnic armed groups. If we can solve this problem, we will be able to reach the door of peace. We have to solve the problem by peaceful means not by fighting. This should be the priority.

Q: What is your priority issue to solve when you come into power?

A: Even when I hadn't been named chief minister, I had already received requests from people who asked me to solve problems relating to the peace process, land confiscation and so on. However, I think that peace process will be my priority. Other problems such as the drug issue, youth issues, human trafficking and unemployment issues as well as environmental ones such as the water issue. Right now, we are facing a water shortage issue. Therefore, we will focus on this problem. Then, we will find the solution for education, health and economics.

Q: People are now worried about dam construction on the Salween River, what are your thoughts on this issue?

A: Regarding this issue, we have to look at the benefits of this project. If it has more benefits than the impact, it should be carried on. If it still leaves our people in the dark but Thailand and China have all the benefits, in that case, we will not do it. We have to listen to the people's voice.

Q: What would you say about the role of former Shan State chief minister Sao Aung Myat?

A: I have nothing to say about this. We have to understand that there were rules and regulations that controlled him. It was military rule during his term as a Chief Minister. Therefore, he could do what he was allowed to do. I don't think it is his fault.

Q: As you are from the NLD, do you think the NLD will have power over you?

A: Of course, they will have power over me. But, it will not be the same [with military rule]. What I have to do is to cooperate with the community. We will have to look out for the people's needs. If concerns the international level, it has to be done at the central committee. For me, I'm a country man I have never been abroad before.

Q: When the cabinet for the Shan State government is established, who do think will be in the cabinet?

A: I wanted to have as many ethnic representatives as possible. I will try to do something for that. However, it has to be approved by the central committee. We requested that the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) take a position but we understand that due to their policy they were not able to accept this.

Q: What message would you like to give to the people of Shan State?

A: I understand that they are not happy. I also feel the same. At this moment, it's not a time to question why my mother was married to a Burmese. However, please give me a chance. I will try to do my job for a year or two. But, if people still want me to quit, I'm sure Aung San Su Kyi will ask me to quit. I gave my promise that I will not steal anyone's property. I have never received a bribe from others and I will not do it.


Wednesday, March 30, 2016

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


Ex-President Thein Sein a No-Show at NLD State Dinner

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 06:58 AM PDT

 President Htin Kyaw, left, stands beside his wife, along with his two vice presidents and their spouses, at a state dinner hosted by the National League for Democracy on Wednesday in Naypyidaw. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy)

President Htin Kyaw, left, stands beside his wife, along with his two vice presidents and their spouses, at a state dinner hosted by the National League for Democracy on Wednesday in Naypyidaw. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy)

RANGOON — Burma's ex-President Thein Sein and all of his former cabinet members were reportedly absent from a state dinner hosted by the newly sworn-in National League for Democracy government on Wednesday evening, while the Burma Army commander-in-chief and his wife did attend.

The dinner, to celebrate the handover earlier in the day of presidential responsibilities to the NLD government steered by party chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi, was held at the Presidential Palace in Naypyidaw.

The hosts, victorious in a November election that swept the party to power, invited senior figures from the defeated Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) government, including Thein Sein, as well as military officials including Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief.

The ceremonial handover of presidential responsibilities was held at the Presidential Palace on Wednesday morning, when the outgoing Thein Sein handed over responsibilities to the newly sworn-in President Htin Kyaw, Suu Kyi's pick to nominally head the executive.

The Thein Sein administration came to power in 2011 and his five-year term officially concluded on Wednesday.

Htin Kyaw was selected for the presidency earlier this month, after an unsuccessful campaign by Suu Kyi to amend Burma's controversial Constitution, which bars her from the office because her children are foreigners. Though the retired general Thein Sein reached out to Suu Kyi early in his term, inviting her to his home in 2011, relations between the two appeared to sour in recent years as the NLD leader pushed vocally for changes to the Constitution.

The post Ex-President Thein Sein a No-Show at NLD State Dinner appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

New National Defense and Security Council Formed

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 06:46 AM PDT

 NLD chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi stands with new military-appointed cabinet ministers at the Presidential Palace in Naypyidaw on Wednesday. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy)

NLD chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi stands with new military-appointed cabinet ministers at the Presidential Palace in Naypyidaw on Wednesday. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy)

RANGOON — Following a long-awaited power transfer on Wednesday, Burma's new civilian-led National League for Democracy government formed a reconfigured 11-member National Defense and Security Council (NDSC) as one of its first acts in office.

The President's Office released an announcement of the new membership, signed by President Htin Kyaw, soon after he was sworn into office, with the Burma Army commander-in-chief, Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, his deputy Lt-Gen Soe Win, and Defense Minister Lt-Gen Sein Win retaining their seats from the preceding administration.

The powerful executive body also includes Htin Kyaw; two vice presidents, retired Lt-Gen Myint Swe and ethnic Chin former lawmaker Henry Van Thio; speakers of the Upper and Lower houses, Mahn Win Khaing Than and Win Myint; Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi; Home Affairs Minister Lt-Gen Kyaw Swe; and Border Affairs Minister Lt-Gen Ye Aung.

The NDSC is empowered by the Constitution to formulate policy regarding certain military and security issues, including the right to petition the president to declare a nationwide state of emergency. The military commands a 6-5 majority in the council.

Suu Kyi, chairwoman of the National League for Democracy (NLD), assumed the role of Foreign Minister, and therefore a position on the NDSC, following her party's landslide victory in the 2015 general election. She took the role because she is constitutionally barred from becoming president under the 2008 military-drafted Constitution.

The Union Parliament officially announced that the NLD leader will take four ministerial positions, heading up the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Education, and Electric Power and Energy, as well the lone President's Office ministerial post.

The post New National Defense and Security Council Formed appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Shan Community Groups Denounce European-Backed Dam Projects

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 06:22 AM PDT

Locals gather along the Namtu River in Hsipaw Township, northern Shan State, on Wednesday to discuss four foreign-backed dams planned along the waterway which community groups say will cause displacement and irreparable environmental damage. (Photo: Shan Farmers / Facebook)

Locals gather along the Namtu River in Hsipaw Township, northern Shan State, on Wednesday to discuss four foreign-backed dams planned along the waterway which community groups say will cause displacement and irreparable environmental damage. (Photo: Shan Farmers / Facebook)

RANGOON — Ethnic Shan communities in northern Shan State have called for an end to four planned hydropower dams on the Namtu River, an Irrawaddy tributary, citing irreparable damage to the environment.

More than 100 people gathered in Hsipaw Township to hold a prayer service on the bank of Namtu River on Wednesday morning, which was followed by a press conference in the afternoon.

The action coincided with the launch of a report by Shan community-based groups called "Save the Namtu River." The work exposes a lack of transparency around plans to construct dams which "will block half the length of one of Shan State’s most well-known rivers, irreversibly impacting its ecology and the lives of tens of thousands of people relying on it."

If completed, the four dams would be located in Hsipaw, Kyaukme and Nawngkhio townships—which contain locations where fighting has recently broken out between government forces and ethnic Palaung (Ta'ang) armed groups.

They would produce a combined capacity of around 1200 megawatts, according to Sai Kham Myat, a spokesperson from the Shan State Farmers Network (SSFN), and include the Deedok (66 MW capacity), Middle Yeywar (700 MW), Upper Yeywar or "Ta Long" (280-308 MW), and Namtu (100 MW), respectively.

In a joint statement also released on Wednesday, Shan local residents, the Shan Human Rights Foundation, the Shan Sapawa Environmental Organization and SSFN alleged that foreign firms from China, Japan, Norway, and Switzerland are exploiting resources in ethnic conflict areas.

The "hypocrisy" of Norway and Switzerland in particular was highlighted in the statement because of the countries' demonstrated support for Burma's peace process in exchange for profit from the Naypyidaw government "before the peace has been reached."

Sai Kham Myat added that Australian and German firms are also involved in all four dam projects.

Nang Lao Kham, a resident of Hsipaw's Ta Long village, where a 308-megawatt dam is slated to be completed in 2018, told The Irrawaddy "we are worried about our village, which is in the downriver area, so we want to be consulted if the new dams are to be built."

"These can not be done without the proper public consultation," she continued. "We also want the current government [newly sworn-in today] to consider carefully before implementing any dam projects."

Sai Kham Myat also told The Irrawaddy that in addition to their environmental concerns, the villagers in Ta Long have not yet received the compensation for farmland which was seized in order to build road infrastructure for the new dam projects.

Community environmental groups first informed locals about the Namtu dams in 2014. Nang Lao Kham explained that they then sought solutions and input from local authorities at the township and district levels of their respective towns, but after two years, they still have not received a response.

In February, locals enlisted help from the Shan lawmaker Sai Kham Aung from the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD). He represents Hsipaw's constituents in Parliament, and shared their appeal, speaking on their behalf regarding forced relocation as a result of the planned Namtu dam projects.

In Wednesday's statement, Sai Khur Hseng of Shan Sapawa is quoted as saying "For Naypyidaw, to push ahead with large dams in conflict zones against the wishes of local ethnic communities, is thumbing their nose at the peace process."

"If the new NLD-led government wants to build peace, they must immediately stop dams on Namtu River as well as other rivers in the conflict-affected ethnic areas," he added.

The post Shan Community Groups Denounce European-Backed Dam Projects appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Advocacy Groups Engage Men to End Sexual Harassment

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 06:02 AM PDT

 Women at a temple in Rangoon on Dec. 3, 2011. (Photo: Reuters)

Women at a temple in Rangoon on Dec. 3, 2011. (Photo: Reuters)

RANGOON — With an increase in gender equality movements in recent years in Burma, advocacy groups are beginning to prioritize engaging men in an effort to end sexual harassment and violence against women.

Gender experts say including men in gender awareness programs is one strategy to solve the country's gender-based violence.

Htar Htar, founder of Akhaya Women, told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that the organization has tried to promote change in traditional Burmese gender norms, which incorrectly tell men that they are the more powerful gender, potentially leading them to commit sexual violence against women.

"Men are taught by their families and society to be tough and to react in violent ways to solve problems," she said. "Women are taught to be soft, dependent, and to stay silent, which results in victim-blaming in rape cases."

"Akhaya Women educates men about sexuality and gender identity in order to help [men] understand more about women's bodies," she said.

"When we say 'sexuality,' it is not about how to have sex," she said. "We teach [men] to understand themselves and the nature of male and female bodies, so they can learn how to respect women."

Male-dominated and socially conservative, Burma ranked 85th of 187 countries in a 2014 gender inequality index, according to the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA). Although the UNFPA and civil society organizations helped draft an anti-violence law in July 2015, it was never enacted.

Nilar Tun, national gender advisor of Care International Myanmar, said the organization began engaging men last July by providing trainings of trainers (TOT) workshops for male NGO employees, and hopes to do more community-level training.

During the trainings, male participants were asked to reflect on their daily lives, and whether they had taken part in or witnessed any sort of sexual offense, she told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday. She explained different patterns of gender-based violence to the men and encouraged them to speak out against sexual assault.

"While reflecting, some of the men told me they realized they might have somehow committed sexual assault on women in their daily lives, either intentionally or unintentionally," she said.

She said the majority of men who took part in the training programs had changed their attitude toward women.

"They started to learn how to respect their partners, wives or girlfriends," she said.

Dr. Sithu Htun, a member of the Gender Equality Network's Engaging Men Working Group initiative, echoed Nilar Tun. He told The Irrawaddy that he learned the effectiveness of men's involvement in stopping sexual harassment after receiving training from Care International.

"I was afraid when I realized I might have committed sexual harassment, knowingly or unknowingly," he said, adding that before receiving the training, he wasn't aware of what actions could be defined as sexual harassment.

"I learned that even catcalling counts as sexual harassment," he said.

The trainers asked the men what might lead perpetrators to commit sexual assault.

"Society expects men to be dominant, aggressive, heads of household who can feed their family members," he said. "When men cannot meet the social expectations of men, they feel pressured, and failing these expectations may lead them to have sexual aggression."

Ethnic Chin activist Cheery Zahau told The Irrawaddy that men usually think that discussions about violence against women are not relevant to them.

"This idea is so wrong," she said. "It impacts their family members—mothers, sisters, wives and female partners."

Sithu Htun said engaging men in gender discussions was one of the most sustainable ways to end sexual violence against women, and that another way was to include gender identity lessons in Burma's school curriculums.

Htar Htar also said including sex education lessons in school could reduce gender-based violence and discrimination against homosexuality.

However, she raised concerns over the misunderstanding of "sex education" in traditional Burmese society.

"Sex education means teaching children about the functions of human sex organs, like other body parts," she said. "I hope our society becomes less conservative, and allows people to understand what sex education really is."

Cheery Zahau said including men in gender equality discussions remained a challenge.

"Most Burmese men still don't seem ready to take part in gender discussions," she said.

The post Advocacy Groups Engage Men to End Sexual Harassment appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

At 8.4%, Auspicious Outlook for Economic Growth: ADB

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 05:34 AM PDT

 Cranes are reflected in the window of a newly constructed  shopping mall in Rangoon on Nov. 11, 2015. (Photo: Olivia Harris / Reuters)

Cranes are reflected in the window of a newly constructed  shopping mall in Rangoon on Nov. 11, 2015. (Photo: Olivia Harris / Reuters)

RANGOON — Burma's economic growth is forecast to recover to 8.4 percent in fiscal year 2016-17, a new report from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said Wednesday.

In "Asian Development Outlook 2016," an annual ADB publication, this growth is in part attributed to positive political developments in Burma and structural reforms over the past several years, though obstacles remain for the National League for Democracy (NLD)-led government that was sworn in on Wednesday, such as helping Burma to rebound from the widespread flooding and landslides last year that dropped economic growth to 7.2 percent.

"Though economic reforms implemented since 2011 have had positive outcomes, Myanmar's new government will face the challenges of advancing economic reform, addressing infrastructure and labor shortages, and making progress towards peace and social cohesion," said Winfried Wicklein, ADB's country director in Burma, in a statement.

"Moreover, intensified efforts are needed to connect and develop rural areas to improve access to markets and services, and to generate opportunities and jobs."

Still, the ADB views Burma's economic outlook with judicious optimism.

"We've reviewed political documents like the NLD's economic policy, and we've engaged with many people. The new government can accelerate reform," Wicklein said, adding that, going forward, the ADB would look to enhancing Burma's transportation infrastructure, which has suffered from decades of under-investment.

"This year we're looking in particular to support Myanmar's transport sector. We're working closely with the government and private sector. This is a very exciting time for Myanmar. With the new government coming, investors are also looking to invest in Myanmar," Wicklein said during a press conference in Rangoon on Wednesday.

According to the ADB, and estimated US$60 billion will be needed through 2030 to ramp up transport systems to the standards of other countries at similar stages of development.

"This means increasing transport sector investments to the equivalent of 3 percent to 4 percent of gross domestic product from little more than 1 percent in recent years," said ADB deputy country director Peter Brimble in Wednesday's statement.

The ADB also expects foreign direct investment to get a boost from Burma's internationally lauded, historic election in November, with funds flowing into new special economic zones (SEZs) and into the rapidly expanding transport, telecommunications and energy sectors.

Among the main challenges that could hamper economic growth in Burma are high inflation, weak external and fiscal buffers, limited government capacity to retain reform momentum, protracted ethnic and religious tensions and vulnerability to bad weather, the regional lender said.

The post At 8.4%, Auspicious Outlook for Economic Growth: ADB appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Chaw Sandi Tun, Famed Facebook Antagonizer, Released From Prison

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 05:27 AM PDT

Chaw Sandi Tun, center, poses with women's rights advocates following her release from Maupin Prison on Wednesday. (Photo: May Sabe Phyu / Facebook)

Chaw Sandi Tun, center, poses with women's rights advocates following her release from Maupin Prison on Wednesday. (Photo: May Sabe Phyu / Facebook)

RANGOON — The Maupin Prison in Irrawaddy Division on Wednesday set free Chaw Sandi Tun, the 25-year-old National League for Democracy (NLD) supporter who was jailed last year for an online posting of a photo collage deemed defamatory to the military.

She had been serving a six-month prison sentence after she was found guilty of defamation under Article 66(d) of Burma's Telecommunications Law for the Facebook post, which compared redesigned Burma Amy uniforms to a similarly colored traditional green htamein, a female longyi, worn by NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Detained on Oct. 12 and sentenced in late December, her discharge comes about a week earlier than expected. Upon her release, Chaw Sandi Tun told The Irrawaddy that prison authorities simply told her she was "due" to walk free.

"I was put in solitary confinement for two months in a room of Insein Prison, as they considered me a politician. Thus I did not get a chance to speak to other prisoners in jail. I therefore had to speak out about it with the officials," she said.

Prison authorities eventually transferred her to Maupin Prison and moved her into a shared cell, where she said conditions were crowded, sanitation lacking and prisoners were forced to sleep without protective mosquito netting, prompting fears of mosquito-borne illnesses.

"Something that I would like to say is that they should have basic health care provision, with mosquito nets so that people can be prevented from [mosquito-borne illnesses like] Zika virus, which is reportedly dangerous and threatening people around the world," Chaw Sandi Tun told The Irrawaddy.

She said Maupin Prison officials had arranged her travel from the prison to her home, despite her telling them that family and friends were willing to pick her up.

"I think, they do not want many people to know about my release," she said.

Chaw Sandi Tun's mother Ei San said police had detained her daughter in October while she was making merit at a meditation center in Rangoon, a move she found particularly galling.

"In this case, it is totally unfair to my daughter, that they sentenced her to six months," Ei San said.

As for her future, Chaw Sandi Tun said she had no immediate plans and had not yet decided what would follow her imprisonment, which became a cause célèbre among freedom of speech advocates.

Chaw Sandi Tun is one of a handful of social media users in Burma that have run afoul of the law for their online activity over the last year. Most recently, on Monday, a local official from the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) was sentenced to six months for sharing a fake, altered image of Suu Kyi transposed onto the body of a naked woman.

The post Chaw Sandi Tun, Famed Facebook Antagonizer, Released From Prison appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

‘Super Minister’ Suu Kyi to Remain NLD’s Leader

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 03:53 AM PDT

Aung San Suu Kyi pictured in Parliament in Naypyidaw in March 2016. (Photo: The Irrawaddy)

Aung San Suu Kyi pictured in Parliament in Naypyidaw in March 2016. (Photo: The Irrawaddy)

RANGOON — Chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi will continue to lead the National League for Democracy (NLD), despite holding ministerial positions that constitutionally ban her from party activities, according to the NLD spokesperson.

Burma's 2008 Constitution states that if a government minister is a member of any political party, "[they] shall not take part in its party activities during the term of office, from the day [they are] appointed as a Union minister."

After her nomination by President-elect Htin Kyaw, Suu Kyi was approved as a Cabinet member on March 24; her portfolio of multiple ministerial positions in foreign affairs, education, the President's office and electric power and energy was approved on Wednesday by the Union Parliament, designating her the new government's "super minister."

The NLD spokesperson Zaw Myint Maung told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that the Noble Peace Laureate will remain "the leader" of the party she has presided over since its formation in 1988.

"She will no longer be involved in the party's activities, but she will be still the party leader," he explained. "The constitution doesn't say you have to leave the party if you take a Union minister position."

An NLD-government will take power on April 1, after being sworn in at Parliament on Wednesday and winning a sweeping victory in the general election of 2015. During this time, Zaw Myint Maung explained that the party's leadership will be supplemented by a newly formed five-member secretariat and the party's existing central executive committee (CEC).

The group is made up of NLD senior members, including Win Htein, Nyan Win, Lower House Speaker Win Myint, Han Tha Myint as well as spokesperson Zaw Myint Maung.

Asked whether Suu Kyi would be involved in serious party decisions, the spokesperson said that the NLD's CEC team has the experience and ability to handle any situations which arise.

"The NLD survived the difficult period when she was under house arrest," Zaw Myint Maung said of Suu Kyi's 15 years in detainment. "The situation now is not as serious as it was. We can collectively make it, if needed," he said.

Even in Burma's previous military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) administration, it was ambiguous whether those with an executive position in the government could retain the top position in a political party.

In 2015, former president Thein Sein resumed a leadership role within the USDP after he purged party chairman Shwe Mann from the position. Shwe Mann was originally selected for the role in 2013 as a replacement for Thein Sein, who, as President could no longer be involved in "party activities."

The post 'Super Minister' Suu Kyi to Remain NLD's Leader appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Will YSX Deal a Blow to Burma’s Real Estate Market?

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 02:20 AM PDT

People wait outside the Yangon Stock Exchange in Rangon on March 25, 2016. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters)

People wait outside the Yangon Stock Exchange in Rangon on March 25, 2016. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters)

RANGOON — Burma's newly launched Yangon Stock Exchange (YSX) has left observers wondering what this could mean for the country's volatile real estate market.

Rangoon, Burma's commercial capital, has for many years boasted the country's highest prices for property. Yet some experts believe that the emergence of the YSX, which kicked off trading on March 25 after months of internal dry-run testing, might poach investors who had previously invested solely in the real estate market.

"It is quite encouraging that more than 110,000 shares were sold on the opening day of the stock exchange. At least 3.5 billion kyats [US$2.9 million] flowed into the stock exchange in a single day," Burma's then deputy finance minister, Maung Maung Thein, told the state-run Myanma Ahlin daily earlier this week. "[Given that] billions of kyats flowed into the stock exchange on the first day, [it's possible that] the property market may decline later."

"We have created the stock exchange as a new place for investment so that [investors] no longer need to invest in a single sector."

But not all experts believe that there will be such dramatic change, at least not yet.

Than Oo, director of the Mandine Real Estate Agency, said the stock market would not immediately impact the real estate market, though it could affect property prices at a later date.

"It's still hard to tell what will happen to the real estate market—whether it will 'wipe out' or whether prices will increase—because the stock market is still new. I will say, however, that some land and apartment prices may start falling, just not quickly," Than Oo said.

"For right now, we're watching to see how the new government crafts economic policy, including this property business. There should be more coordination between respective government ministries, taking lessons from the previous government's errors."

Demand for high-end property in Rangoon has declined in recent years, though the prices have remained relatively high, with the highest prices reaching some $1,500 per square foot for land near main roads, downtown townships and commercial hubs. A reluctance to buy and sell properties is often attributed to the wait-and-see attitude many landowners have toward Burma's political climate.

Moe Moe Aung, secretary of the Myanmar Real Estate Association, said the real estate market was not likely to be affected by the YSX in the near term because people are still unfamiliar with shares trading.

"People think that the real estate market is the only good way to invest money," she said. "Investors believe that if they invest money in land, they can make more money. That's why the price of land in prime locations won't fall very much but why prices in smaller townships and for apartments and condos could fall later."

Burma's financial intelligence unit has been investigating the real estate industry since 2014, on suspicion that unchecked money laundering is rampant within country's property market and financial institutions, spurring the former's climb in recent years.

Decades of economic sanctions and mismanagement have resulted in a relatively primitive investment climate in Burma, with property being one of the few assets trusted to hold value and few financial instruments on offer to the average investor.

The post Will YSX Deal a Blow to Burma's Real Estate Market? appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Arakan Chief Minister: We ‘Haven’t Discussed’ the State’s IDP Camps

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 12:19 AM PDT

Newly appointed Arakan State Chief Minister Nyi Pu, of the NLD, attends the state's parliament this week. (Photo: Min Aung Khine / The Irrawaddy)

Newly appointed Arakan State Chief Minister Nyi Pu, of the NLD, attends the state's parliament this week. (Photo: Min Aung Khine / The Irrawaddy)

After his appointment to the role of Arakan State Chief Minister by the National League for Democracy (NLD), party member and Lower House MP Nyi Pu spoke to The Irrawaddy's Moe Myint on Tuesday about the local opposition to his selection for the post, the state level cabinet and terminology regarding the state's Muslim minority.

Locals have been protesting against you and the NLD. What do you think about this?

I have heard there are several protests. All those matters are concerning the development of Arakan State and maybe they are expressing their personal wishes. I have nothing special to say about that [to protestors]. I would like to say that people should do what benefits their state.

If these rallies continue happening, what will you do?

I can't say precisely what is going to happen next, it's really difficult to say. As I said, if we have difficulties, we have to solve them together.

Many Arakanese have strong ideas regarding partisanship. What challenges could you face as the chief minister of Arakan State?

There may be some difficulties in Arakan State, but no matter whether we call them challenges or difficulties, we will try our best and collaborate with others to solve the problems—people who can help us. I will cooperate with them, but I haven't specified who that might be.

The NLD government has decreased the number of Union ministries and ministers. What will the state-level cabinet look like? Will the number of state level ministers also decrease?

It is possible. I don't know exactly right now. It is uncomfortable to say because it hasn't officially been announced yet. I have selected some people. The central authorities [of the NLD] are choosing.

NLD chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi met with the 14 appointed Union ministers in Naypyidaw last week and they reportedly discussed their conceptual plan for the first 100 days in power. Do you have a strategy for your first 100 days as chief minister?

We had a plan, but later, when we start to serve our duties, I will discuss and negotiate these matters with the state level ministers who are involved in the cabinet. We have many things to do. After the discussion, we will decide which matters should be targeted as the first priorities.

Would you give some examples of that?

They will concern Arakan State development.

After Arakan State's riots in 2012, many people became displaced and were forced to seek shelter in refugee, or IDP, camps within the region. Community tensions have not eased yet and security has been heightened in several quarters and villages. How will you proceed—will you maintain these camps in the same manner as the previous administration?

I can't say exactly at this time and haven't discussed this.

Many locals refer to the people in these camps as 'Bengali' and allege that they migrated from Bangladesh, but many in the international community know them as 'Rohingya.' As you are an ethnic Arakanese minister, how do you regard them—which term will you use?

Before us, the previous government already specified which to use the word for them and Suu Kyi has considered it too, recently. That is all I can say.

So, you are going to follow the previous government's usage?

At the moment, that still exists.

When the Arakan State state speaker read your name as the chief minister appointee to the regional legislature, all of the Arakan National Party (ANP) MPs walked out on Monday. Can you comment on that?

I realize they had [their own] feelings about how to develop their state and they showed their dissatisfaction. That's all.

On the ground, are there any bad relationships between NLD and ANP MPs?

Not bad, but we have some difficulties—they vary but they are difficult to unveil.

Suu Kyi meet with Naypyidaw-based ANP MPs and asked about collaboration. You are the one who has to talk everyday with Sittwe-based ANP MPs. Have you asked also them for collaboration on the ground?

Collaboration is the designated policy of our party and I will do as much as I can, based on the party's policies.

According to state media, the state of emergency that had been placed on Arakan State in June 2012 following communal riots was lifted on Monday, on the second to last day of the outgoing administration's term. It also coincided with the protests mentioned earlier. What do you think about the government's decision to do this? Was it intentional or coincidental?

When it is retracted, people are independent and they can protest freely. People also protested due to the military regime. In a democratic country, it is [their right to do this]. I have no feeling about this.

The post Arakan Chief Minister: We 'Haven't Discussed' the State's IDP Camps appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

The Faces of the Next Five Years: Burma’s Sworn-In Leadership

Posted: 29 Mar 2016 11:32 PM PDT

 President Htin Kyaw (center) and Vice Presidents Henry Van Thio (right) and Myint Swe (left) are sworn in at Union Parliament on Wednesday. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy)

President Htin Kyaw (center) and Vice Presidents Henry Van Thio (right) and Myint Swe (left) are sworn in at Union Parliament on Wednesday. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy)

After 54 years, Burma now has a civilian president.

Htin Kyaw, the ninth president of Burma, along with two vice presidents and 18 cabinet members, was sworn in at the Union Parliament in Naypyidaw on Wednesday, ushering Burma into a new chapter in the country's democratization process. Those who have spent their entire lives under a military regime will likely celebrate this shift, which marks a milestone on, rather than an end to, the country's political journey.

Yet a number of acute problems—armed clashes, rampant corruption, natural resource exploitation, strong centralization and bureaucratic red-tape—lie ahead for both the Burmese public and the National League for Democracy's (NLD) government to tackle.

There were 36 ministries under the previous administration, but the NLD has reduced this number to 21 in order to streamline the Cabinet; below are the men—and woman—who will lead Burma's government through the next five years.

Htin Kyaw

Htin Kyaw (President)(Photo: The Irrawaddy)

Htin Kyaw (President)

Born in 1946, the 69-year-old is the oldest president in Burma's history. He is the second son of Min Thuwun, one of Burma's respected national poets. The Mon-Burmese University of London graduate was a senior executive with the Daw Khin Kyi Foundation, a non-profit health and education charity named for Suu Kyi's mother. He is believed to one of The Lady's right-hand men. His wife, Su Su Lwin, is a Lower House NLD lawmaker and the chairperson for the chamber's international relations committee.


Myint Swe (Vice President 2)(Photo: Pyi Kyaw/The Irrawaddy)

Myint Swe (Vice President 1)(Photo: Pyi Kyaw/The Irrawaddy)

Myint Swe (Vice President 1)

Brig-Gen Myint Swe was born in 1951 and is a graduate of the 15th intake of the Defense Services Academy (DSA) in 1971. In the late 1990s, Myint Swe took over outgoing president Thein Sein's role as general staff officer, a powerful position in the War Office, where he worked directly under Snr-Gen Than Shwe and Vice Snr-Gen Maung Aye.

He became commander of Light Infantry Division 11 in 1997. Later, he was appointed Commander of the army's Southeastern Command and Rangoon Command. A member of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) since 2001, Myint Swe also acted as the chairman of the SPDC in Rangoon Division.

Myint Swe became the Chief of Military Security Affairs after Khin Nyunt was purged in 2004. Two years later, he was appointed the head of the Bureau of Special Operations (5), a department that oversees security affairs in Rangoon. In 2009, he became quartermaster-general of the armed forces and rumors circulated that he was Than Shwe's choice for the next commander-in-chief. Instead he became the chief minister for Rangoon Division after the 2012 by-elections. In this role, he was involved in the 2002 arrest of family members of the former dictator Ne Win, the arrest of Khin Nyunt and his associates in 2004, and the crushing of the Saffron Revolution in 2007.


Henry-Van-Thio (Photo: The Irrawaddy)

Henry Van Thio (Vice President 2) (Photo: The Irrawaddy)

Henry Van Thio (Vice President 2)

Henry Van Thio was born in Thee Khi village in Htantalan Township in Chin State on August 9, 1958. The Chin Christian holds a BA (Dip in Law). He served as a Major in the Burma Army, as well as in different positions in Ministry of Industry (1), before retiring in 2009. He is married and has two sons and a daughter. He joined the National League for Democracy (NLD) in 2015 and in the national election of that same year, he contested and won in Chin State Constituency (3), earning a seat in Burma's Upper House.


Aung San Suu Kyi (Photo: The Irrawaddy)

Aung San Suu Kyi (Photo: The Irrawaddy)

Aung San Suu Kyi (Foreign Affairs, Education, Electric Power and Energy, President's Office Minister)

NLD chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi's presidential aspirations were dashed by the military's refusal to amend Article 59(f) of Burma's 2008 Constitution. The provision bars her from holding the executive post because her two sons are British citizens, as was her late husband. As the holder of four cabinet positions, some are referring to Suu Kyi's role in the new government as that of a "super minister." She has been representing Rangoon's Kawhmu Township in Parliament's Lower House since 2012 and has been a leader in Burma's pro-democracy movement since she entered politics in 1988.


Lt-Gen Kyaw Swe (Home Affairs Minister)

Born on Nov. 27, 1959 in Kyauk Padaung, Mandalay Division, Lt-Gen Kyaw Swe is a graduate of the 22nd intake of the Defense Services Academy and holds a master's degree in defense. He served as principal of the Defense Services Academy, the commander of South West Command, the Military Security Affairs chief and Border Affairs Minister in the previous government.


Lt-Gen Sein Win, the country's Defense Minister, with Snr-Gen Than Shwe's grandson Nay Shwe Thway Aung on a passenger plane. (Photo: Nay Shwe Thway Aung / Facebook)

Lt-Gen Sein Win, the country's Defense Minister, with Snr-Gen Than Shwe’s grandson Nay Shwe Thway Aung on a passenger plane. (Photo: Nay Shwe Thway Aung / Facebook)

Lt-Gen Sein Win (Defense Minister)

Born on July 24, 1956 in Sagaing Division, Lt-Gen Sein Win is a graduate of the 54th intake of the Officer Training School of the Burma Army and holds a master's degree in defense. He served as chief of the Bureau of Air Defense and was the Defense Minister in the previous government.


Lt-Gen Ye Aung (Border Affairs Minister)

Born on June 8, 1960 in Chauk, Magwe Division, Lt-Gen Ye Aung is a graduate of the 23rd intake of the Defense Services Academy and holds a master's degree in defense. He served as the commander of the army's Central Command and is Judge Advocate General in the service. He is also a military representative in the peace talks between the government, ethnic armed groups and the Burma Army.


Pe Myint (Photo: The Irrawaddy)

Pe Myint (Photo: The Irrawaddy)

Pe Myint (Information Minister)

Born in 1949 in Thandwe, Arakan State, the ethnic Arakanese earned his medical degree from the Rangoon University of Medicine in 1975. He worked as a general physician until entering the literary sphere in 1988. He is a renowned writer and is particularly known for his translated works on motivation and personal development. He won Burma's national literature award in 1995.


Thura Aung Ko (Religious Affairs and Culture Minister(Photo: Myo Min Soe /The Irrawaddy)

Thura Aung Ko (Religious Affairs and Culture Minister(Photo: Myo Min Soe /The Irrawaddy)

Thura Aung Ko (Religious Affairs and Culture Minister)

Born on April 1, 1948, the long-time Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) central executive committee member was a Lower House MP and chairperson of the Judicial and Legal Affairs Committee during Thein Sein's administration. He lost his Chin State legislative seat in the 2015 election to a candidate from the NLD. Thura Aung Ko graduated from Burma's Defense Services Academy and served in the military from 1969 to 1997. He had reached the level of brigadier-general when he then joined the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) government and served as deputy minister in the Ministry of Science and Technology and later held the same position in the Ministry of Religious Affairs.


Aung Thu (Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Minister)(Photo: Myo Min Soe /The Irrawaddy)

Aung Thu (Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Minister)(Photo: Myo Min Soe /The Irrawaddy)

Aung Thu (Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Minister)

Born on July 8, 1955, the NLD lawmaker currently represents Rangoon Constituency (6) in Parliament's Upper House. He is known for his past role as the rector of Rangoon University, and has advocated for a more decentralized education system in Burma.


Thant Zin Maung (Transportation and Telecommunications Minister)(Photo: Myo Min Soe /The Irrawaddy)

Thant Zin Maung (Transportation and Telecommunications Minister)(Photo: Myo Min Soe /The Irrawaddy)

Thant Zin Maung (Transportation and Telecommunications Minister)

Born on Nov. 15, 1953, Thant Zin Maung has a master's degree in mathematics and was once the general manager of the government-owned Myanmar Railways. He is a Lower House lawmaker representing Monywa in Sagaing Division.


Ohn Win (Resource and Environmental Conservation Minister)(Photo: Myo Min Soe /The Irrawaddy)

Ohn Win (Resource and Environmental Conservation Minister)(Photo: Myo Min Soe /The Irrawaddy)

Ohn Win (Resource and Environmental Conservation Minister)

Born on June 15, 1951, Ohn Win earned a master's degree in watershed management from Colorado State University in the United States. He is a former pro-rector and professor from the University of Forestry in Yezin, near Naypyidaw, Burma's capital.


 

Thein Swe (Minister for Labor and Immigration)(Photo: Myo Min Soe /The Irrawaddy)

Thein Swe (Minister for Labor and Immigration)(Photo: Myo Min Soe /The Irrawaddy)

Thein Swe (Minister for Labor and Immigration)

Born on Aug. 4, 1949 in Yenangyaung, Magwe Division, Thein Swe is a graduate of the 13th intake of the Defense Services Academy. He holds a diploma certificate in defense studies (National Defense College), an honorary academic doctorate (Japan International Marine Science and Technology Federation) and a post-graduate diploma in law. He was in the service from 1967 to 2003 and rose through the ranks to major general. He served as the Minister for Transport from 2005 to 2010. He is from the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), served in the previous Parliament and is a lawmaker in the Lower House for Arakan State's Ann Township.


Khin Maung Cho (Minister for Industry)(Photo: Myo Min Soe /The Irrawaddy)

Khin Maung Cho (Minister for Industry)(Photo: Myo Min Soe /The Irrawaddy)

Khin Maung Cho (Minister for Industry)

Born on Nov. 3, 1950 in Meikhtila, Mandalay Division, Khin Maung Cho has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Rangoon Institute of Technology and is an executive engineer at Super Seven Stars Motor Industry Company Ltd.


Than Myint (Commerce Minister)

Born on Jan. 17, 1943, the 72-year-old joined the NLD in 2012. Than Myint is currently the chairman of the Hlaing Tharyar Township NLD chapter and a lawmaker in the Lower House representing the same area. He has a bachelor's degree in economics from Rangoon University and also earned master's and doctoral degrees in the US. In the past, he served in a number of positions within the Ministry of Finance.


Dr. Myint Htwe (Health Minister)

Myint Htwe worked in Burma's Health Ministry from 1976 to 1994 before joining the World Health Organization. He studied at Rangoon University of Medicine, then the Institute of Public Health of the University of Philippines and finally, Johns Hopkins University in the United States, where he earned a doctoral degree in international health and epidemiology. At present, Myint Htwe is a central executive committee (CEC) member of the Myanmar Academy of Medical Science and the vice chairman of the Myanmar Liver Foundation. He is also a member of the Legal Affairs and Special Cases Assessment Commission.


Kyaw Win (Planning and Finance Minister)(Photo: Myo Min Soe /The Irrawaddy)

Kyaw Win (Planning and Finance Minister)(Photo: Myo Min Soe /The Irrawaddy)

Kyaw Win (Planning and Finance Minister)

Born on Feb. 23, 1948, Kyaw Win holds a bachelor's degree in economics. He spent 20 years working within the National Planning Ministry before joining the Internal Revenue Department and then shifting to business consulting. Currently, Kyaw Win is an NLD lawmaker in the Lower House representing Rangoon's Dagon Seikkan Township.


Win Khaing (Construction Minister)(Photo: Myo Min Soe /The Irrawaddy)

Win Khaing (Construction Minister)(Photo: Myo Min Soe /The Irrawaddy)

Win Khaing (Construction Minister)

Win Khaing graduated from Rangoon Institute of Technology (now Yangon Technological University) and worked for Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise under the Construction Ministry. In 1990, he established United Engineering Co., which still operates today. He is the current chairman of the Myanmar Engineering Society and a member of the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC). He is also a member of the National Energy Management Committee (NEMC), Myanmar Industrial Development Committee (MIDC), Myanmar Board of Engineers (MBE), Committee for Quality Control of High-rise Buildings Projects (CQHP), Asean Federation of Engineering Organizations (AFEO) and Asean Academy of Engineering and Technology (AAET).


Win Myat Aye (Photo : The Irrawaddy)

Win Myat Aye (Photo : The Irrawaddy)

Win Myat Aye (Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Minister)

Born on June 1, 1954, Win Myat Aye is an Upper House lawmaker from Pegu Division's Constituency (4). He is also a pediatrician and once served as the rector of Magwe University of Medicine.


Ohn Maung, left. (Photo: supplied)

Ohn Maung, left. (Photo: supplied)

Ohn Maung (Hotels and Tourism Minister)

Sixty-eight-year-old Ohn Maung has 40 years of experience in the tourism industry and is the former CEO of Inle Princess Resort, a hotel recognized for practices of corporate social responsibility. From southern Shan State, Ohn Maung was elected as an NLD parliamentarian in his native Nyaungshwe (Yawnghwe) in Burma's 1990 election, but like others from the era, he was not allowed to take office.


Nai Thet Lwin (Ethnic Affairs Minister)(Photo: Myo Min Soe /The Irrawaddy)

Nai Thet Lwin (Ethnic Affairs Minister)(Photo: Myo Min Soe /The Irrawaddy)

Nai Thet Lwin (Ethnic Affairs Minister)

The 76-year-old ethnic Mon minister is the vice chairman of the Mon National Party (MNP), and is highly respected within the Mon political sphere. Nai Thet Lwin was born in Karen State's Kawkareik Township and later went to Moulmein University, from which he holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy. Although he did not run for election in 1990, he served as the vice chairman of the Mon National Democratic Front (MNDF), which won five seats before later evolving into today's MNP. Nai Thet Lwin reportedly has close ties with the United Nationalities Alliance (UNA), a coalition of ethnic political parties and an NLD ally. He also reportedly has good relations with leaders of the New Mon State Party (NMSP).

The post The Faces of the Next Five Years: Burma's Sworn-In Leadership appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Swearing In, Speech and Handover Mark Day of Shifting Power

Posted: 29 Mar 2016 10:36 PM PDT

President Htin Kyaw delivers a speech to lawmakers following his swearing in on Wednesday. (Photo: Screengrab of Hluttaw TV)

President Htin Kyaw delivers a speech to lawmakers following his swearing in on Wednesday. (Photo: Screengrab of Hluttaw TV)

RANGOON — President Htin Kyaw was sworn in and delivered a brief speech to Parliament on Wednesday, emphasizing familiar themes of his party, the Aung San Suu Kyi-led National League for Democracy (NLD), and noting the significance of his history-making presidency.

National reconciliation; peace-building; democratic constitutional reform based on principles of federalism; and improving livelihoods were listed by the president as priorities for his administration.

"The second Parliament and cabinets, which are the result of the 2015 November general election, are formed in accordance with the policies of the NLD, which is led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi," he said, alluding to the most famous non-president in the parliamentary chamber on Wednesday.

Htin Kyaw, who was sworn in earlier in the morning, indicated that his party's push to amend the country's 2008 Constitution would continue as it takes the reins of government.

"I have an obligation to work toward having a Constitution that is of a democratic standard and which is suitable for the country," he said.

"I understand that we have to work patiently to achieve the political ambitions that our public has sought for many years."

At less than three minutes, the speech was as notable for what wasn't said as what was, in a country beset by problems and—as evidenced by the NLD's November election triumph—eager for the leadership of its chairwoman Suu Kyi.

For now, anyway, the face of that leadership will be Htin Kyaw.

Burma's first civilian president in more than five decades will also be the country's first "proxy president," described by Suu Kyi as an obedient executor of her will. The unusual arrangement was deemed necessary by the NLD chairwoman after her campaign to amend a constitutional provision barring her from the post came up short. Article 59(f) bars anyone with foreign spouses or offspring from the presidency, rendering Suu Kyi ineligible because her two sons are British, as was her late husband.

Htin Kyaw was put forward by the NLD on March 10 and won the most votes among three vice presidential nominees five days later. The two runners up, military appointee Myint Swe and NLD lawmaker Henry Van Thio, will serve in Htin Kyaw's administration as vice president Nos. 1 and 2, respectively.

Suu Kyi will take four ministerial portfolios in Htin Kyaw's cabinet, ensuring she will remain close to the action in the executive branch at the head of the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Electric Power & Energy, and Education, as well as acting as President's Office minister. Like Htin Kyaw, she was sworn in on Wednesday in Parliament, along with 17 other ministers.

Htin Kyaw succeeds former President Thein Sein, the retired general who presided over a quasi-civilian Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) government lauded for undertaking a series of dramatic political and economic reforms over the last five years, but also criticized for failing to push changes further.

While Thein Sein opened the political space to a greater degree of freedom compared with the repressive junta that preceded his government, peaceful protestors continued to be imprisoned under his watch, and efforts to amend Burma's controversial Constitution faltered last year, with Thein Sein indicating little appetite for changes to the charter. That mixed legacy will no doubt be the subject of much debate in the years to come.

His successor, in closing remarks, promised a government responsive to its citizens.

"In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that the Union government will work with full attention to fulfill the public's expectations and desires," Htin Kyaw told lawmakers on Wednesday.

A ceremonial transfer of power took place at the Presidential Palace less than an hour later, with Thein Sein handing over a golden presidential sash and dossier of responsibilities to Htin Kyaw. The five-minute ceremony was attended by Suu Kyi and other members of Htin Kyaw's cabinet, as well as ministers of the outgoing, military-backed USDP executive.

The post Swearing In, Speech and Handover Mark Day of Shifting Power appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

US: North Korea Threat Compels Security Steps China Won’t Like

Posted: 29 Mar 2016 09:24 PM PDT

 US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) shakes hands with South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-Koo during their meeting at the Defense Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, January 20, 2016. (Photo: Kim Hong-Ji / Reuters)

US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) shakes hands with South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-Koo during their meeting at the Defense Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, January 20, 2016. (Photo: Kim Hong-Ji / Reuters)

WASHINGTON — A senior US diplomat said Tuesday that if North Korea keeps advancing its weapons programs, the US will be compelled to take defensive measures that China will not like.

Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a Washington think tank that North Korea is getting closer to having a nuclear-tipped missile that could threaten the continental U.S.

He said that while China's influence over the North has diminished, it still has economic leverage.

"If China is looking to assure that we are not required to take additional steps for our own security and that of our partners and allies that it won't like, the best thing it can do is to engage with us in dealing with North Korea," Blinken told the Brookings Institution.

He spoke ahead of a Thursday meeting in Washington between President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of a global nuclear security summit, weeks after China agreed to new stiff sanctions against North Korea, in response to its recent nuclear test and rocket launch.

Blinken called for China to take a "lead role" in the implementation of the sanctions.

He said the US is willing to provide to China specifications of a US missile defense system that may be deployed in South Korea to counter the threat of North Korean missiles, to offer assurance it would not undermine China's strategic deterrence.

Both China and Russia oppose the deployment of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, system that is under discussion between Washington and Seoul. China has expressed concern that a THAAD system placed in South Korea would allow US radar to also cover Chinese territory.

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