The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Activist-Turned-Candidate in 2015 Poll Gets 1-Year Prison Term
• Twelve Locals Sentenced on Suspected Ties to Arakan Army
• Su Su Lwin Concentrates on New Role as Burma’s First Lady
• Military-Linked UMEHL Transitions Into Public Company
• Steering the Ship of State
• New-Look State Dailies Herald Historic Power Transfer
• New Political Order Begins in Burma
• Report Calls for Logging Moratorium, End to State-Run MTE 
• MPs to Mull Creation of Powerful ‘State Adviser’ Role for Suu Kyi
• Stigma, Shortages Plague Mental Health Care in Burma
• Thai Junta Chief Gives Military Broad New Police-Like Powers
• Indonesia ‘Hobbit’ Fossils Older Than First Thought: Study

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) 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) 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 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) 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 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) 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) "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 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) 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) 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. The post MPs to Mull Creation of Powerful 'State Adviser' Role for Suu Kyi appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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) 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) 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) 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.

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