The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• In Arakan State, Resource Control Fuels Conflict
• Former Generals, a Hotelier and More in Suu Kyi Cabinet
• Ten Things To Do In Rangoon This Week
• Who Will Control the NDSC?
• Are New Ministers an Auspicious Sign For Burma’s Businesses?
• The Shape of Things to Come
• New Portfolio, Old Political Hand for Ethnic Affairs Post
• Taiwan Security Agency Says China’s Gambia Gambit Meant to Pressure President
• US Says Burma Persecutes Rohingya, but Not Genocide
• Breaking Taboo, Hindu Widows Celebrate Festival of Colors
• Suu Kyi Listed Among NLD Cabinet Nominees
• The ‘Butterfly Book’: A Look into Burma’s Colonial Past

In Arakan State, Resource Control Fuels Conflict Posted: 22 Mar 2016 07:18 AM PDT A jetty for oil tankers is seen in Kyaukphyu Township, Arakan State in October 2015, where oil and gas pipelines connect southwestern China with the Indian Ocean. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters) RANGOON — In a new report, Arakan Oil Watch (AOW) has urged Burma's incoming government to amend the Constitution in an effort to quell tensions between the military and the country's ethnic armed groups. "Breaking the Curse," released on Tuesday by the environmental non-government organization, describes the "decentralization of natural resource management" as "key to ending the conflict and 'resource curse'" in Burma. The problem's legislative roots can be traced to two constitutional articles: 37(a) and (b), according to AOW. Article 37(a) stipulates that the national government is the owner of all lands and all natural resources both above and below ground and water, while 37(b) says that the government can enact necessary laws to supervise the extraction and utilization of state-owned resources. Kyaw Khine, AOW's director, explained that if the government were to amend these two articles, states and regions would be able to manage their own natural resources. This, he argues, would contribute to greater self-determination for Burma's ethnic states and potentially de-escalate the country's decades-long civil war. Specifically, "gas and jade projects should be postponed until the existing laws have been amended," he said. There have been several natural resource projects pursued in Arakan State, including titanium and marble mining, offshore gas projects and the construction of deep-sea ports. Local civil society groups in the region have also urged lawmakers to delay development of the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone, led by the Chinese state-owned conglomerate CITIC (China International Trust and Investment Corporation), because of potentially negative environmental impacts and a lack of transparency. Tun Kyi, secretary of the Kyaukphyu Rural Development Association, a local AOW partner, echoed Kyaw Khine's concern over links between ethnic clashes and control of resources. "We [ethnic groups] want to know how the government is spending the budget," Tun Kyi said at the conference. "Our [Arakanese] situation is like government enslavement." AOW has been working to expose violations of human and environmental rights by the extractive industries since 2006. According to Kyaw Khine, no political parties in the region have submitted a proposal that would call on the government to amend articles 37(a) and (b) of the 2008 Constitution. The post In Arakan State, Resource Control Fuels Conflict appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Former Generals, a Hotelier and More in Suu Kyi Cabinet Posted: 22 Mar 2016 06:20 AM PDT A lawmaker partially obscures a sitting of the Union Parliament in Naypyidaw on Tuesday. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — With 18 names put forward for 21 ministerial posts on Tuesday, the National League for Democracy has included a diverse but male-dominated array of technocrats, ethnic minorities, NLD loyalists and others not sworn to the party, evening selecting two members of the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) for the incoming cabinet. From the USDP, Thein Swe, a party secretary, and the former central executive committee member Thura Aung Ko secured the blessing of NLD chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi, whose party had said members of the outgoing ruling party would be considered for cabinet slots in a "national reconciliation" government. Five experts and technocrats, seven NLD members—most prominently Suu Kyi, who is expected to take four portfolios—one ethnic party leader and three military selections round out the proposed cabinet. With the NLD failing to explicitly assign any of the 18 names to specific ministries, speculation has focused on what formal role or roles Suu Kyi will play in a government that she has said she will ultimately lead through her chosen proxy, President-elect Htin Kyaw. According to NLD sources in Naypyidaw, Suu Kyi will take four portfolios: the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Electric Power and Energy, and Education, as well as the recently streamlined cabinet's President's Office ministerial post. The Foreign Affairs Ministry was tipped in recent weeks as a likely Suu Kyi choice, affording her a seat on the powerful National Defense and Security Council (NDSC). While a clearer picture may not be offered until Thursday, when lawmakers will discuss the proposed cabinet, several of the nominees have been confirmed for specific assignments. The Lady's Men One demographic that fared particularly poorly was women: Suu Kyi is the lone female cabinet member. The party did a far better job in female representation for last year's election, when nearly 15 percent of its candidates were women. The five experts and technocrats are tipped to head up ministries covering the environment, industry, health, construction and media. In terms of partisanship, two non-NLD parties were given cabinet seats, with Nai Thet Lwin of the Mon National Party assigned the Ethnic Affairs minister post, and the aforementioned USDP duo. Thein Swe, a former major-general turned Lower House lawmaker representing the Ann Township constituency, won re-election to the same Arakan State seat in Burma's Nov. 8 general election. The 67-year-old has been picked to lead the Ministry of Labor, Population and Immigration. He was a minister of Transport from 2004-10, under Burma's former military regime, and prior to that served as minister of the Prime Minister's Office from 2003-04. Thein Swe told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that the NLD was acting in accordance with its policy of collaborating with different parties, individuals and experts in the aftermath of its landslide election win last year. "As our party's policy dictates, we are ready to work together for the national interest," he said of his USDP affiliation, adding: "Now our collaboration will bring betterment of the state and the people." Thura Aung Ko, who was purged from the USDP leadership along with former parliamentary Speaker Shwe Mann in August last year, is tipped to head the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture. The 68-year-old is a former brigadier-general turned lawmaker, who served as deputy minister of Religious Affairs under military rule, which ended in 2011. He lost to his NLD opponent by a razor-thin margin of 49 votes in the November election, in Chin State's Kanpalet constituency. Among lawmakers for the military-backed USDP, Thura Aung Ko developed a reputation as one of the bloc's more pro-reform lawmakers, late last year voicing support for a suspension of Article 59(f), the constitutional clause that bars Suu Kyi from the presidency because her two sons hold British passports. The political analyst Aung Thu Nyein, who works as a freelance governance consultant, said the nomination of representatives from outside the NLD's ranks would be viewed favorably in the name of "national unity," even if that meant former generals turned politicians. "As the NLD and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi have won the public trust, the public has reacted positively to whatever her arrangements [including USDP cabinet members]," he told The Irrawaddy. That being said, "checks and balances on the cabinet, and the efficiency of the ministerial departments, are the key to successful governance," Aung Thu Nyein added. The analyst said he did not expect rapid change or improvements under the new administration, but rather gradual reform as the ministers-in-waiting grow more comfortable with their roles and responsibilities. Asked about the possibility of Suu Kyi taking four portfolios, Aung Thu Nyein said: "If it happens, it would be due to the uniqueness of the 2008 military-backed Constitution." Part of that "uniqueness" allows the Burma Army to select three ministers for the security portfolios of Defense, Home Affairs and Border Affairs. On Tuesday, the names of a trio of lieutenant-generals, Sein Win, Kyaw Swe and Ye Aung, were included in the cabinet roster, and they are expected to take the respective ministerial posts. Analysts have noted that these ministers' ability and willingness to work with Suu Kyi will be critical to the success of the NLD's five-year term. Writer, Hotelier Among Others Pe Myint is the odds on favorite to serve as the country's next Information minister, a post in which he will be responsible for reforming an institution that for years has been synonymous with government propaganda. The NLD has not offered specifics on the Information Ministry's future, but reforms could include privatization of the three state-run dailies it currently prints. Born in 1949 in Thandwe, Arakan State, the ethnic Arakanese is a well-known writer and chief editor of Pyithu Ayay (People's Affairs), a weekly journal focused on political issues. He is also the vice chairman of the Myanmar Press Council. Pe Myint graduated from the Rangoon Medical College in 1975 and worked as a general practitioner for more than a decade before transitioning into the realms of literature and media. The retired CEO of a resort hotel at Shan State's Inle Lake was named the next minister of Hotels and Tourism. A family member confirmed to The Irrawaddy that Ohn Maung, the former CEO of Inle Princess Resort, internationally known for its corporate social responsibility initiatives and eco-tourism practices, was picked to handle a portfolio covering an industry that generates a major share of the country's foreign exchange and is expecting continued rapid grow in the coming years. "I think he was picked for his 40 years of experience in the hotel and tourism sector. But when it comes to making decisions, he will seek advice from experts to make the best judgment, I think," said the family member. Ohn Maung was not available for comment on Tuesday. Ohn Maung, 68, is an NLD member and was an elected lawmaker from his native Nyaung Shwe in Southern Shan State during the 1990 election. He is no stranger to the tourism industry, starting the first and at the time only guesthouse in the town in 1976. In 1998, his family opened the Inle Princess at a quiet inlet on the eastern shore of the lake, still one of the first hotels on the lake at the time. Managing the nation's coffers will be Kyaw Win, tapped to serve as minister of Planning and Finance after a decades-long career in the civil service that dates back to 1972. He pointed to his lengthy career in the National Planning Ministry and later Internal Revenue Department as reason for his selection. "The NLD leadership have a policy to put the right man in the right place. I think I was assigned because I deserve it," he told The Irrawaddy. Htet Naing Zaw contributed reporting from Naypyidaw. The post Former Generals, a Hotelier and More in Suu Kyi Cabinet appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ten Things To Do In Rangoon This Week Posted: 22 Mar 2016 06:13 AM PDT Photography World Press Photo Exhibition World Press Photo, an independent non-profit organization founded in the Netherlands, organizes the world's largest and most prestigious annual press photography contest. The prize-winning photographs are assembled into this traveling exhibition, which is visited by over 3.5 million people in more than 90 cities in 45 different countries. The exhibition has reached Rangoon with the support of the Dutch embassy in Burma. Where: Institut Français de Birmanie, at 340, Pyay Road, Sanchaung Tsp. Tel: 01 536 900 / 537 122 / 535 428 When: Saturday, March 19 until Thursday, March 31. Open from 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. Music Ko Ye Lwin To mark the golden anniversary of his musical career, Ko Ye Lwin (of Mizzima Hline Band, Pan Ye Lan) will stage a free musical show. Dozens of vocalists will join him in entertaining with the Mizzima Music Band. Where: People's Park When: Saturday, March 26. Starts at 6:30 p.m. The Evolution—The Time Machine Myanmar Beer will stage a music show called "The Evolution—The Time Machine." Popular singers including R. Zarni, Phyu Phyu Kyaw Thein, Sandi Myint Lwin, Wai Su Khaing Thein, and J Me will be at the show. The ticket price is 6,000 kyats per person. Where: Myaw Sin Kyun, Kandawgyi Park When: Saturday, March 26. Starts at 5:00 p.m. Literature Books for Children Festival Seikku Cho Cho Publishing House is holding the Books for Children Festival at its bookshops in Rangoon and Mandalay, selling children's books at 10-20 percent discounts. Children's books published by Quality, Myit Moh May May, Su Pyae Sone Tun, Pin Wa Yone, Mone Yway and Duwun are also on sale. Where: Seikku Cho Cho book shops in Rangoon and Mandalay. Tel: 01-542 973, 01-700302 When: Saturday, March 19 to Sunday, March 27. Variety Shows Fundraising Theater A variety show will be held at the National Theater and proceeds will go to a home for the aged which is dedicated to elderly artists. Artists, actors, Myanmar traditional dancers, writers, and musicians will join the charity show. Paintings will also be on sale at the charity show. Where: National Theater at Myoma Kyaung Road, Dagon Tsp: 01-382489 When: Friday, March 25. Food Thingyan Food Fair Festival Food stalls featuring Burmese, Vietnamese, Thai, Korean and Japanese dishes, as well as sweets, cakes and teas. Music performances start from 6:00 p.m. on weekdays and 4:00 p.m. on weekends. Where: Myanmar Plaza, No. 192 Kabar Aye Pagoda Road, Bahan Tsp. Tel:09-786999678 When: Friday, March 25 to Sunday, April 3. Arts 'New Page' Painting Exhibit Lokanat Gallery will host 'New Page,' where 29 artists will exhibit around 110 paintings, including acrylic, oil, watercolor and pastel works. The prices for the art range between US $100 and US$1,500. Where: Lokanat Galleries, 62 Pansodan St, 1st Floor, Kyauktada Tsp. Tel. 095-1382-269 When: Monday, March 21 until Friday, March 25. Time: 9:00 a.m. — 5:00 p.m. Exhibition by Shine Lu Artist Shine Lu will exhibit his work at Nawaday Tharlar Gallery. Titled "Dozens Expressions," the exhibition will showcase 12 acrylic paintings whose prices range from US$2,500-3,000. Where: Nawady Tharlar Art Gallery at Room No. 304, 20/B, Yaw Min Gyi Road, Dagon Tsp. Tel: 09-43097918 When: Saturday, March 19 to Friday, March 25. Tabaung A group exhibition of 12 artists will be held in Ayerwon Art Gallery in Dagon Seikkan Township. A total of 40 works in acrylic, oil and watercolor will be on display. Where: Ayerwon Art Gallery at No. 903 – 904, U Ba Kyi Street, 58 Ward, Dagon Seikkan Tsp. Tel: 09-45005 7167 When: Saturday, March 26 to Wednesday, April 6. 1 Plus 7 Taste A group art exhibition titled "1 Plus 7 Taste" will be at 65 Art Gallery. A total of 50 works of acrylic, oil and watercolor will be on display and prices range from US$1,500 to US$7,000. Where: Gallery 65, at 65 Yaw Min Gyi St, Dagon Tsp. Tel: 01 246317 When: Saturday 26 to Wednesday 30 March. Time: 10:00 am-6:00 pm   The post Ten Things To Do In Rangoon This Week appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Who Will Control the NDSC? Posted: 22 Mar 2016 05:25 AM PDT Burma Army commander-in-chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing looks at NLD chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi in Naypyidaw on April 10, 2015. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters) With Aung San Suu Kyi on the list of cabinet nominees, there is widespread anticipation among her supporters regarding the ministerial role, or roles, she will undertake in the new government. On Monday, Parliament approved President-elect Htin Kyaw's proposal reducing the cabinet from 36 ministries to 21, with 18 ministers selected by the legislature and three appointed by the military. The Irrawaddy has long predicted that if Suu Kyi were constitutionally barred from the presidency, she would take up a position in the foreign ministry. In addition to this role, NLD insiders and the BBC Burmese service have reported that she could pursue additional cabinet positions within the ministries of energy and electric power, education and the president's office. Some say Suu Kyi, who has claimed to be "above the president," could become a "super minister," or even a prime minister—a position that does not yet exist within Burma's government structure, but could potentially be created with her in mind. With the exception of the foreign ministry role, a question remains: would she retain these positions for the duration of her term, or delegate them to other qualified persons in the future? Under Burma's past military regimes, the foreign minister post was deemed largely insignificant, but here it could serve as a platform for Suu Kyi to engage in fruitful dialogue, particularly with regional governments, and to receive visiting government officials who would prefer to meet with her over Htin Kyaw. The position of foreign minister is also noteworthy as it would give Suu Kyi a seat within the powerful executive body known as the National Defense and Security Council (NDSC). The council is comprised of 11 members including the president, two vice presidents, speakers of the upper house and lower houses, the army's commander in chief, the deputy commander in chief, the foreign minister, and the ministers for defense, home and border affairs. As things stand, the NLD will have five key members in the NDSC including Suu Kyi, if she is confirmed as foreign minister. President-elect Htin Kyaw, Vice President-elect Henry Van Thio, and the lower and upper house speakers, Win Myint and Mahn Win Khaing Than, respectively, are all party members. Aung Zaw is the founding editor-in-chief of The Irrawaddy. Yet the army will have a majority within the NDSC with six members. The military as an institution continues to control defense, home and border affairs ministries. Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing has nominated generals to lead these bodies and thereby serve on the NDSC: Lt-Gen Sein Win, Lt-Gen Kyaw Swe and Lt-Gen Ye Aung. The military's nomination of Rangoon Chief Minister Myint Swe as vice president—and NDSC member—stirred up controversy as he is believed to be the mouthpiece of former dictator Snr-Gen Than Shwe's in the new government. Myint Swe's appointment comes just months after a supposedly cordial meeting between Suu Kyi and the former Snr-Gen Than Shwe in early December, raising more questions regarding the direction of the Lady's relationship with army leadership. Under outgoing President Thein Sein's administration, former generals and army leaders controlled the NDSC – one member, Lt-Gen Ko Ko, is the current minister for home affairs as well as a notorious Burma Army loyalist. These NDSC members represented the previous military regime and have long acted without opposition. This time, the NLD-backed president will retain ultimate executive authority in the council, but the NDSC can—with Htin Kyaw's cooperation—collectively declare a state of emergency in Burma and then exercise legislative, executive and judiciary powers after such a declaration. The NDSC will undoubtedly see itself splitting into two camps concerning national emergencies and other pressing issues, potentially fostering healthier debate, but more likely creating a political environment wrought with tension and resentment. The post Who Will Control the NDSC? appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Are New Ministers an Auspicious Sign For Burma’s Businesses? Posted: 22 Mar 2016 05:14 AM PDT People walk by a construction site of new apartment buildings in Rangoon in November 2015. (Photo: Jorge Silva / Reuters) RANGOON — Burma's business community reacted positively as the Union Parliament released 18 names for cabinet positions on Tuesday. Among the national ministers listed are National League for Democracy (NLD) lawmakers Than Myint and Kyaw Win, who have been nominated for the positions of Minister of Commerce and Minister of National Planning and Finance, respectively. Than Myint, 72 years old, is currently the NLD chairman for Rangoon's Hlaing Tharyar Township and a lawmaker in the Lower House. He received a Bachelor's degree in economics from Rangoon University and completed graduate work in the United States. He has served in a number of positions within the Ministry of Finance, and joined the NLD in 2012. "He [Than Myint] is a member of the NLD's economic development committee and has a good background in economic affairs… so I believe he will work for this post," Aye Lwin, central executive committee member of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI), told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday. "Ministers must also implement the government's policies, which is another reason why I believe he can do this," Aye Lwin added, referring to Than Myint's NLD ties. The other candidate, Kyaw Win, 68 years old, is a business consultant and an NLD lawmaker for the Lower House representing Rangoon's Dagon Seikkan Township. He holds a Bachelor's degree in economics, as well as a doctorate. "I would welcome the national planning and finance ministries becoming one ministry since all national projects are related to finance. He [Kyaw Win] would be able to control such a ministry because he has solid experience with businesses," Aye Lwin said. Yet both nominees are essentially unknown within Burma's business community. "I don't know either of them, but [the NLD] will make policies, and they will follow them. We still have to see how to build a good system, but what I can say now is that they [Than Myint and Kyaw Win] must be honest, unlike previous ministers," Chit Khine, chairman of the Eden Group of Companies, told The Irrawaddy. Maung Maung Lay, vice chairman of the UMFCCI, echoed Chit Khine's optimism. "The Ministry of Commerce already has some good policies, so the next government should maintain these policies while also, for instance, trying to curtail red tape. The minister must be able to work with all government staff members more efficiently," he said. "Crafting good policy while also following the law and regulations will be important in the new government era." The incoming NLD government revealed 18 names for cabinet positions for 21 ministries, though the specific assignments for the ministerial posts have not all been disclosed. The post Are New Ministers an Auspicious Sign For Burma's Businesses? appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

The Shape of Things to Come Posted: 22 Mar 2016 04:47 AM PDT The post The Shape of Things to Come appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

New Portfolio, Old Political Hand for Ethnic Affairs Post Posted: 22 Mar 2016 03:17 AM PDT Nai Thet Lwin, left, vice chairman of the Mon National Party, was nominated on Tuesday to serve as ethnic affairs minister. (Photo: Mon National Party / Facebook) RANGOON — Nai Thet Lwin has been nominated to act as the incoming National League for Democracy (NLD) government's minister of ethnic affairs, a newly created portfolio that supporters in Burma hope will help further national reconciliation in the diverse nation of nearly 52 million people. An ethnic Mon who is vice chairman of the Mon National Party (MNP), Nai Thet Lwin's name appeared on a list of 18 Union-level ministers announced in Parliament on Tuesday. Though the NLD did not offer specifics on who would take on which of the 21 ministries making up the incoming government's cabinet, Nai Thet Lwin's daughter confirmed that the 76-year-old has been tapped to lead the Ethnic Affairs Ministry. "My father will do the best he can with this position offered him," Mi Kon Chan told The Irrawaddy. A longtime politician committed to equal rights for Burma's ethnic minorities, Nai Thet Lwin is well-respected in Mon circles. Born in a small village in Kawkareik Township, Karen State, Nai Thet Lwin attended Moulmein University in neighboring Mon State, where he became involved in underground resistance to the ethnic Burman-dominated government of the late dictator Gen. Ne Win. He graduated with a degree in philosophy in 1970 and spent several years teaching and advocating for the preservation of Mon literature and culture before committing more fully to his people's struggle for self-determination. According to Nai Soe Myint, general secretary of the MNP, he allowed Mon politicians to establish a political party office at his home ahead of Burma's 1988 pro-democracy uprising. That party, the Mon National Democratic Front, would go on to win five seats in a 1990 general election that the military government nullified. The regime dissolved the party, in which Nai Thet Lwin was vice chairman, in 1992 and imprisoned many of its members. Nai Thet Lwin did not contest the 1990 vote and avoided imprisonment. The MNP was formed in 2012 as a reincarnation of the former MNDF. Nai Thet Lwin has since served as vice chairman of the MNP, though he again opted not to run in last year's general election. His party is a member of the United Nationalities Alliance (UNA), a grouping of ethnic political parties that contested the 1990 election. He is believed to have maintained close ties with the New Mon State Party, an ethnic armed group that abstained from the signing of a so-called nationwide ceasefire agreement on Oct. 15 of last year. Nai Thet Lwin's daughter Mi Kon Chan, who was elected to Parliament for the NLD, said it was too early to know how effective the Ethnic Affairs Ministry would be, but she highlighted equal rights and peace as priorities. "It is time for our ethnic [minorities] to work toward having equal rights," said the lawmaker, who represents Mon State's Paung Township in the Lower House. "We have been expecting to have this chance for a long time." The NLD-dominated Parliament is expected to discuss the proposed cabinet roster on Thursday. Tuesday's nominations were ostensibly put forward by President-elect Htin Kyaw, who was chosen by NLD chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi to serve as her proxy leader of the incoming government. The post New Portfolio, Old Political Hand for Ethnic Affairs Post appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Taiwan Security Agency Says China’s Gambia Gambit Meant to Pressure President Posted: 21 Mar 2016 11:00 PM PDT China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) shakes hand with his Gambian counterpart Neneh Macdouall-Gaye at a signing ceremony in Beijing, China, March 17, 2016. (Photo: China Daily / Reuters) TAIPEI — Taiwan's top security agency said on Monday China's establishment of diplomatic ties with one of the island's former African allies was meant to put pressure on President-elect Tsai Ing-wen to "fall in line" before her inauguration on May 20. China resumed ties with the small west African state of Gambia last week, ending an unofficial diplomatic truce between China and Taiwan following landslide wins in presidential and parliamentary elections by Tsai and her pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party. Gambia was one of only a few African countries, along with Burkina Faso, Swaziland and São Tomé and Príncipe, to recognize Taiwan, which China regards as a wayward province to be recovered by force if necessary. Taiwan has only 22 allies in the world, including the Vatican City. China and Taiwan have for years tried to poach each other's allies, often dangling generous aid packages in front of leaders of developing nations. On Monday, Taiwan's normally secretive National Security Bureau said in a report presented to parliament the island's ties with its few remaining diplomatic allies were at risk of being undermined by financial aid packages from China. "The warning to our new government was thick with meaning," the bureau said in its report. "It had the intention of pressuring President-elect Tsai Ing-wen to respond in her May 20 inaugural speech in a way that falls in line with China's expectations," the bureau said. Tsai said in an interview carried by one of Taiwan's biggest dailies, the China Times, on Monday that both sides should show goodwill in the period before she is sworn in. "Through the expression of goodwill, the hope is to build a foundation of trust," Tsai said. She said through a spokesman last week she hoped the Gambia case was not a "targeted move" by China. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the resumption of diplomatic ties with Gambia was "not aimed at any person." Hua also warned the United States not to "put in a good word" for Taiwan, after US President Barack Obama signed a bill supporting Taiwan's participation in Interpol. Hua said Interpol was a body only sovereign nations could join. China has repeatedly warned Tsai against any moves towards independence, while Tsai has stuck to her stance of maintaining the status quo without offering a clear policy. Gambia broke its ties with Taiwan in 2013, but did not immediately establish ties with China. The post Taiwan Security Agency Says China's Gambia Gambit Meant to Pressure President appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

US Says Burma Persecutes Rohingya, but Not Genocide Posted: 21 Mar 2016 10:53 PM PDT Rohingya Muslim men ride their bicycles past a railway line near a displacement camp outside Sitttwe, Arakan State, in November 2015. (Photo: Sai Aung Min / Reuters) WASHINGTON — The US State Department said Monday it had determined that Burma is persecuting its Rohingya Muslims, but the government's treatment of the religious minority group does not constitute genocide. "While it's without question that they continue to face persecution, we did not determine that it was on the level of genocide," State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters. In a report to Congress seen by Reuters, the State Department said the US government is "gravely concerned" about abuses against the Rohingya, but did not determine that they constitute mass atrocities. Tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims have fled poverty and persecution in western Burma since religious violence erupted there in 2012, prompting international calls for investigation into what some called "strong evidence" of genocide. The United Nations and European Union said on Monday hope that conditions would improve under Aung San Suu Kyi's new government has contributed to a slowdown in the number of migrants fleeing to Thailand and beyond. Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) is forming a government that will take power on April 1, but she and the NLD have been criticized for saying little about how they will address the Rohingya's situation in Arakan State, where about 140,000 people remain in camps. Congress passed legislation last year directing Secretary of State John Kerry to consult with governments and rights organizations and report to lawmakers on whether Buddhist extremists in Burma had committed atrocities against the Rohingya. It gave Kerry until March 17 to report back and also to report on whether atrocities committed by Islamist extremists against Christians and other religious groups should be considered mass atrocities or genocide under US law. Kerry told reporters on Thursday that Islamic State has committed genocide against Christians, Yazidis and Shi'ite Muslims. But Kerry did not release the report addressing Islamic State and the Rohingya. The report to Congress said Islamic State is responsible for crimes against humanity, but it does not make that determination for Burma. "Meanwhile, we remain concerned about current acts that constitute persecution of and discrimination against members of the Rohingya population in Burma," the report said. In 2012, it said conflict led to the deaths of nearly 200 Rohingya and the displacement of 140,000 people. Incidents of violence against Rohingya individuals continued from 2013-15, it said. The report also found little public support in Burma for the rights of the Rohingya population, and recognized that some Buddhist leaders inflamed anti-Muslim sentiment through hate speech. It called on the government of Burma "to pursue comprehensive and just solutions," including addressing human rights abuses, upholding rule of law, allowing access by aid groups and developing a path to citizenship or restoring citizenship to stateless people, including Rohingya. The post US Says Burma Persecutes Rohingya, but Not Genocide appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Breaking Taboo, Hindu Widows Celebrate Festival of Colors Posted: 21 Mar 2016 10:45 PM PDT Widows daubed in colors dance as they take part in the Holi celebrations in Vrindavan, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, March 21, 2016. (Photo: Anindito Mukherjee / Reuters) VRINDAVAN, India — Aruna Samaddar threw fistfuls of colored powder into the air. Blue and red and green, the cheerful colors settled on her white sari and all over other women nearby. In most of India, widows like Samaddar have no place in this joyful celebration of Holi, the Hindu festival of colors. The country's millions of observant Hindu widows are expected to live out their days in quiet worship, dressed only in white. They are typically barred from all religious festivities because their very presence is considered inauspicious. So for Samaddar, Monday's celebration was a joy long denied. "I am so happy. I am playing Holi after 12 years. I am happy, very happy," said Samaddar, who appeared to be in her early 30s. The powder made her white sari and those of the widows around her shimmer in myriad colors. So deep is the ostracization of widows that they're often shunned by their families and forced to seek shelter in temples. The holy city of Vrindavan, in India's Uttar Pradesh state, is known as the City of Widows because it has given so many women shelter. And in recent years, widows have found a bit of color and joy here as well. Aid group Sulabh International has been organizing regular Holi celebrations in Vrindavan since 2013. Samaddar and more than 1,000 other widows gathered in the courtyard of one of the city's oldest temples—devoted to Krishna, the most playful of the Hindu gods. The festival of Holi falls on Thursday this year, but in Vrindavan and many other parts of the country, the playing of colors begins a week ahead. Hindu priests chanted religious verses as hundreds of widows splashed colored powders and played with water pistols filled with colored water. Showers of flower petals filled the air. As loud music blasted, the younger women jostled with each other as they played with the colors. For dozens of older women, years of social conditioning proved hard to break. They applied only tiny dots of color to each other's foreheads. "Their participation in Holi symbolizes a break from tradition, which forbids a widow from wearing a colored sari, among many other things," said Bindeshwar Pathak, the head of Sulabh International. Sulabh was asked to oversee the lives of widows of the city by India's Supreme Court following news reports of the widows being forced to beg for food and into prostitution. While there are tens of thousands of widows in Vrindavan, the group has been appointed caretaker for about 1,500. The organization looks after their basic needs and gives them a stipend of 2,000 rupees (US$30) to buy essentials. They are taught to make incense sticks and garlands to ensure that they can earn a small amount of money on their own. But for most part, the women spend the day singing hymns to Krishna, for which they earn 10 rupees (15 cents). The women range in age from 22 to 100. Some were abandoned by their families decades ago. While some women were not comfortable joining in the celebration of colors, Samaddar was determined to have at least one day of cheer. "We have got just one day to celebrate life," she said as she tossed the colors joyfully. "Let's do it to the hilt." The post Breaking Taboo, Hindu Widows Celebrate Festival of Colors appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Suu Kyi Listed Among NLD Cabinet Nominees Posted: 21 Mar 2016 09:58 PM PDT National League for Democracy (NLD) leader Aung San Suu Kyi arrives at the Union Parliament in Naypyidaw on March 15, 2016. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters) RANGOON — Aung San Suu Kyi, the National League for Democracy (NLD) chairwoman, was named Tuesday on a list of 18 Union-level ministers announced by Burma's Parliament, all but ensuring she will be a member of the incoming government's cabinet. Eighteen names for cabinet positions were revealed by the incoming NLD government on Tuesday in Parliament, but specific assignments for 18 corresponding ministerial posts were not, with the timeline for that disclosure unclear at present. What is known is that Suu Kyi, assuming she is confirmed by the NLD-dominated legislature, will be the only female member of a cabinet with Suu Kyi loyalist Htin Kyaw at the top as president-elect of the incoming government. Suu Kyi herself is constitutionally barred from the presidency, and has effectively said that she will call the shots in the executive branch via her proxy Htin Kyaw. Parliament is due to discuss the proposed cabinet roster on Thursday. The names of at least two members of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), the former ruling party that was thrashed by the NLD in November's general election, are also on the list, making good on a pledge by the incoming government to form a cabinet of "national reconciliation" that included other parties' members, the military-backed party notwithstanding. The names for three security posts—ministers of Defense, Home Affairs and Border Affairs—were also revealed, with these positions filled by the Burma Army as per a constitutional framework that entrenches a military role in Burma's politics. Sein Win, Kyaw Swe and Ye Aung are the three lieutenant-generals listed on the cabinet roster announced Tuesday, expected to take the respective ministerial posts in the incoming government. The post Suu Kyi Listed Among NLD Cabinet Nominees appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

The ‘Butterfly Book’: A Look into Burma’s Colonial Past Posted: 21 Mar 2016 05:00 PM PDT The Burmese "Butterfly Book," a 1907 petition from the residents of Mergui Archipelago to the former British Lt-Gen of Burma. (Photo: British Library / Public Domain) RANGOON — A uniquely designed Burmese document, with text printed on "wings" of silk bound within an oyster shell, is among the highlights of a new display at the British Library in London. Informally dubbed the "Butterfly Book" by the library's staff, the unusual item is actually a formal petition from residents of Mergui Archipelago requesting development projects in the region from colonial authorities, including the construction of a new hospital and a ferry service to other nearby coastal settlements. The petition was presented in 1907 to the British Lt-Gen of Burma on his first visit to the area. The item is part of a small exhibit called "More Than a Book" that sits at the entrance to the Library's Asian and African Studies Reading Room. The exhibit presents examples of writing from Southeast Asia in a variety of formats and materials, including texts incised on bamboo and gold, painted on paper with a brush, and written on gilded wood, according to information on the library's website. Two Burmese sazigyo, or woven cotton tapes used to bind sacred texts, are also on display, along with items from northern Thailand, Vietnam, Sumatra and Bali. The British Library is located at 96 Euston Road, next to King's Cross and St. Pancras International rail stations in London, England. The post The 'Butterfly Book': A Look into Burma's Colonial Past appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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