The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• No More Smiles: Transition Sours Ahead of Presidential Vote
• As Eyes Turn to Naypyidaw, a Question of Which Three
• Korean Investment in Burma Likely to Increase
• Could Military VP Pick Sully New Govt Before It Takes Power?
• City Officials Guarantee No Water Shortage in Rangoon This Summer
• Cancellation of Parliamentary Session Postpones Questions to Government
• Burmese Entrepreneurs Encourage Future Women Leaders
• ANP Split On Addressing Party Divide
• China Says Still Trying to Resolve Stalled Myitsone Dam Scheme
• Iranian Couple in Cambodia Resettlement Deal Return Home
• Amid Repression, Art Scene in Thailand’s Capital Blooms

No More Smiles: Transition Sours Ahead of Presidential Vote Posted: 09 Mar 2016 05:31 AM PST Burma's commander-in-chief, Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, left, and National League for Democracy (NLD) leader Aung San Suu Kyi talk before their meeting in Naypyidaw on Dec. 2, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) NAYPYIDAW — A deepening rift has opened between Burma's powerful military and Aung San Suu Kyi, sources say, threatening the democracy leader's prospects for forming a successful government even as Parliament prepares to nominate presidential candidates on Thursday. With the date fast approaching for Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) to take power, efforts to portray the party and its former foes as working cordially together toward a smooth transfer of power have faltered, according to politicians and officials familiar with the situation. "She believed that she would be able to work with the military, but after the last meeting with the commander-in-chief, she realized that she cannot negotiate with them," said a senior NLD Upper House lawmaker briefed on the talks. "It's quite clear that she has moved on from waiting for the military to collaborate." Talks between the NLD and the military began soon after Suu Kyi's party won a landslide victory in a historic election on Nov. 8, heralding the country's first democratically elected government since the military took power in 1962. But Suu Kyi has become frustrated with the intransigence of the military on issues ranging from a constitutional amendment that would allow her to become president to the location of the handover ceremony before the start of the new government on April 1, say sources in her camp. Gen. Tin San Naing, the spokesman for military MPs, declined to comment on the details of negotiations. The military has stressed its belief that it has a vital role to play in politics until the transition to democracy is secure, and had worried that changing the Constitution quickly could set a dangerous precedent. Burma's junta handed power to a semi-civilian government made up of ex-generals in 2011, after nearly 50 years of military rule, but the Constitution it drafted left the military with considerable power. As well as a clause that effectively bans Suu Kyi from becoming president because her children are British citizens, the Constitution also gives the military three powerful ministries and 25 percent of the seats in parliament that amounts to a veto over any constitutional change. The charter, which leaves the security apparatus and much of the state bureaucracy under military control, will force the NLD government to work with the armed forces. Parking Spots, Office Equipment Underscoring the antipathy between the two sides, an official who met Suu Kyi recently said the bickering had extended beyond the Constitution and power-sharing to small details such as car parking slots at the handover ceremony and equipment removed from offices by outgoing government staff. The tensions boiled over in Parliament two weeks ago in a rare show of dissent by military MPs, who stood up to protest against accusations by NLD parliamentarians that the outgoing administration had mishandled public projects. "We were scared when the military MPs suddenly stood up against our MP's proposal … my heart just dropped when I turned around to check the noise. The situation was really tense," said Tint Soe, a Lower House NLD lawmaker. The stand-off in Parliament came about a week after the third meeting between Suu Kyi and Min Aung Hlaing, the powerful army chief. "The army came to the negotiating table with a long shopping list of demands that proved unfeasible," said Win Oo, a former member of the army-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), who closely monitors the transition. "The two sides are now in the state of cold war. It's a political killing field." The NLD had hoped the military could be persuaded to endorse a constitutional amendment allowing Suu Kyi to become president. But as it became clear late last month that was not going to happen, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate decided to cut short the negotiations and bring forward by a week the process for selecting a proxy president—who will run the country at her behest. The NLD has yet to say who that will be. Most of the speculation has centered on candidates who have a low profile and will be loyal to the party leader. On Thursday, the Upper House and Lower House of Parliament, and the military bloc in the legislature, will each nominate a candidate. The joint chamber will vote on which of the three becomes president—and the NLD boasts a big enough majority to carry the vote no matter which way the military votes. It has been unclear how quickly after Thursday's nominations the joint session vote will be held. A director from the Parliament told Reuters on Wednesday that the vote would not take place until Monday. The losing candidates will become vice presidents. For some in the NLD, contemplating the end of a long wait to form a government, the wrangling over the transition is a grim portent. "It will be really difficult for her in the future because of the military—it is very clear they don't want to cooperate," Tint Soe, the NLD lawmaker said. "It's such a miserable situation." The post No More Smiles: Transition Sours Ahead of Presidential Vote appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

As Eyes Turn to Naypyidaw, a Question of Which Three Posted: 09 Mar 2016 05:22 AM PST Policemen secure the gates of Burma's parliamentary compound in Naypyidaw on Nov. 11, 2014. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — On Thursday, Parliament's Lower and Upper houses, along with military representatives in the legislature, will nominate three vice presidents who will then be put to a vote at the Union Parliament to determine who will serve as the country's next president. The National League for Democracy (NLD) has the necessary majorities required to select two of these three vice presidents, and again has the votes to ensure that its choice takes up residence in the Presidential Palace thereafter. On the eve of the big day, The Irrawaddy provides a look at prospective picks who have been publicly tipped as possible candidates, along with their short biographies. Dr. Myo Aung The 65-year-old Lower House lawmaker from Rangoon's Dagon Myothit (Seikkan) constituency is among those members of the NLD who have been tipped as possible presidential nominees. Trained as a medical doctor, Myo Aung served as an army physician from 1985 to 1988 in Burma's Ministry of Defense. But he was ordered to quit from the position due to his involvement in political activities. He became a member of the NLD in 1996 and was thrown in prison several times under military rule. He was elected to a Lower House seat in Burma's 2012 by-election and serves on the NLD's central executive committee, as well as on the NLD team formed to work with the government on matters pertaining to the power handover due in about three weeks' time. Sai Nyunt Lwin, February 2016. Sai Nyunt Lwin Sai Nyunt Lwin, the general secretary of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), is a Shan ethnic now tipped as a potential choice for a vice president post. The SNLD shunned Burma's 2010 general election along with the NLD, and among ethnic parties was the second-biggest winner in last year's vote, trailing only the Arakan National Party. The 65-year-old is a former political prisoner who was released in January 2012, after being held for seven years. He had been sentenced to 85 years' imprisonment in February 2005 for holding a private meeting with senior Shan leaders and was charged with high treason, along with 11 others. He would appear to be the SNLD's most likely candidate for a vice presidential slot if the NLD should offer one to the Shan party. The daughter of Khun Htun Oo, the SNLD chairman whose ties to Suu Kyi go back decades, holds Australian citizenship, rendering the party leader ineligible under the Constitution. General Thura Tin Oo . Tin Oo NLD patron Tin Oo is a former general and ex-commander-in-chief of the Burmese military. Following the NLD's victory in the election last year, the 89-year-old made it to the top of speculation rosters, given his military background and long-time senior role within the party. For his part, however, Tin Oo has said he can't take the position, citing his advanced age. He was put under house arrest in 2004 by the former military government and released in 2010. Htin Kyaw A senior executive with a Suu Kyi-led foundation, Htin Kyaw has also been thought to be among potential candidates for one of the two VP posts since the NLD's election victory. The 70-year-old Mon-Burmese is believed to be one of Suu Kyi's right-hand men; within the NLD, he has built a reputation as a man of honesty. The Oxford graduate is the son-in-law of U Lwin, one of the NLD's cofounders. His wife Su Su Lwin is a newly minted Lower House NLD lawmaker who was recently appointed as chairperson for that chamber's International Relations Committee. Tin Myo Win Suu Kyi's personal physician, and former political prisoner. Tin Myo Win is working as a surgeon at the Muslim Free Hospital in Rangoon since his release in 1992. He is one of the few people permitted to regularly visit Suu Kyi during er house arrest. The 65-year old is the chairman of NLD's National Health Network. Myint Swe Myint Swe, a former lieutenant-general and Rangoon Division's current chief minister, is rumored very recently to be the military's likely vice president pick, and is known as a member of the brass close to the former dictator Snr-Gen Than Shwe. He graduated from the Defense Services Academy (DSA) 15th intake, four intakes senior to current military chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing. He is believed to have been behind the crackdown in 2007 on peaceful protestors in Rangoon, a movement that was led by Buddhist monks and came to be known as the Saffron Revolution. In 2014, he faced criticism over opaque tendering for a planned expansion of Rangoon.   Thura Thet Swe The former Burma Navy commander-in-chief resigned from his post in 2015 to contest the general election under the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) banner at the  constituency of Coco Islands, which is largely populated by naval personnel, civil servants and there families. He won that seat. The 56-year-old was criticized for having gained unfair electoral advantage by making trips to the island by military boat and aircraft while opponents were prevented from traveling to the constituency during much of the election's campaign period. Gen. Khin Aung Myint Until Myint Swe was recently tipped for the military's vice presidential post, Commander-in-chief (Air Force) and special operations coordinator (Army, Navy and Air Force) Gen. Khin Aung Myint was a popular pick among prognosticators. The DSA 20th Intake graduate was thought to be on top of the list because the current military-backed vice president, Nyan Tun, is retired Navy, making an Air Force successor likely. He is junior to Min Aung Hlaing, a fact also put forward by some who believe he will get the nod. Hla Htay Win A general turned Lower House lawmaker, Hla Htay Win was former chief of staff of the Burma Army, Navy and Air Force. Despite his electoral victory in the military stronghold of Naypyidaw's Zayarthiri Township in the 2015 election, he was accused of making massive donations to his constituency in an attempt to curry voters' favor in the weeks leading up to the campaign period. The 60-year-old  former general served as the regional commander of the Rangoon Division Military Command. The post As Eyes Turn to Naypyidaw, a Question of Which Three appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Korean Investment in Burma Likely to Increase Posted: 09 Mar 2016 04:46 AM PST An employee leaves Shinhan Bank in Seoul, South Korea in March, 2013. The bank is has been granted a license open commercial services in Rangoon, as Korean investment in Burma is expected to increase. (Photo: Lee Jae-Won / Reuters) RANGOON — After a delegation from the well-known South Korean Daewoo Group of Companies met with Burma's outgoing president on Tuesday, there is speculation that the country plans to increase investment in Burma. During the meeting between Thein Sein and Daewoo CEO Young-Sang Kim, the topics of discussion included investment in Burma's hotels, energy, mining and steel sectors, as well as efforts to build modern rice mills. Ministers Wunna Maung Lwin, Soe Thane and Zeyar Aung also were present, according to the state media outlet Myanmar News Agency. The Korean delegation also met with Minister of Industry Maung Myint regarding further investment opportunities in Burma. Following the meetings, some industry observers have suggested a link between South Korea's intensified interest in Burma and the increase in Japanese and Chinese economic presence in the country. Since Thein Sein's quasi-civilian government took office in 2011, Asian countries in particular have begun investing in Burma, which has been described as a "frontier market." Dr. Maung Maung Lay, vice chairman of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry told The Irrawaddy that Korean businesses are eyeing automobile, oil and gas sectors, as well as other smaller industries. "Korean culture has already been exported to this country, so their brands do not need to be promoted as much," he said, adding that investors are interested in entering the beauty industry and developing Burma's cosmetic surgery market. Korean garment factories are already operating in the country, so continued engagement with the manufacturing sector will be priority, Dr. Maung Maung Lay said. The Central Bank of Myanmar approved a license for Korea's Shinhan Bank in the second round of foreign banks licenses issues this week, paving the way for more Korean businesses to establish a presence in Burma. Since the first round of licensing in 2014, commercial banks from foreign investors' respective countries are now following them to Burma, including those from China, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, India, and Australia. Dr. Soe Tun, chairman of the Automobile Dealers Association, said that it seems Japanese and South Korean businesses are now competing in Burma's markets. "Many Japanese business are coming here now, so Korean businesses will follow, no doubt," he said. "We welcome more FDI [Foreign Direct Investment]." According to the figures of the Directorate of Investment and Companies Administration, Korean investment in Burma reached US$300 million during the 2014-2015 fiscal year, ranking it the country's fifth highest investor after China, Singapore, Hong Kong and the UK respectively. Burma expects about US$6 billion in foreign investment for the current fiscal year ending on March 31 and has received more than US$5 billion to date. The post Korean Investment in Burma Likely to Increase appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Could Military VP Pick Sully New Govt Before It Takes Power? Posted: 09 Mar 2016 04:31 AM PST Myint Swe, the Rangoon Division chief minister, is pictured in 2013. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — In this confusing time of democratic transition and shifting political alliances, it is perhaps no surprise that a military general with a checkered past has surfaced as leading contender for a vice presidential slot due to be chosen this week. An unsettling rumor swirling among politicians, top Burma Army sources and businessmen in Rangoon puts Lt-Gen Myint Swe, the current chief minister of Rangoon Division, in pole position for the vice presidential post that military lawmakers are constitutionally empowered to determine on Thursday. Hardly the cleanest résumé among a slate of retired or serving generals who have been tipped as possible picks, Myint Swe's baggage includes corruption ties and links to a violent 2007 crackdown in the commercial capital on peaceful protestors led by Buddhist monks. If true, some political observers predict the pick could lead to cracks and deep resentment within the military establishment itself, a faction of which is earnest in its desire to improve the powerful institution's image both at home and abroad. It would also prove a headache for an incoming administration that has made "clean government" a hallmark pledge, including a zero-tolerance approach to graft and nepotism. Myint Swe's unusual wealth, allegedly corrupt tendencies and affiliation with the 2007 crackdown on street protests in Rangoon would no doubt be difficult for the National League for Democracy (NLD) government to defend. Though the party has no say in the military-selected VP slot, whoever is chosen will be a bona fide member of its cabinet. His inclusion on the US Treasury Department's list of "specially designated nationals" means that, at least for now, a prospective Vice President Myint Swe would be barred from travel to the United States, a strong backer of NLD chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi and democratic reforms of recent years. Myint Swe is known for his nepotistic inclinations when granting business concessions. The best known example is the Rangoon City Expansion project, which came in for scrutiny in 2014 after the US$8 billion tender was granted in secrecy to a company run by two low-profile Chinese businessmen, Xiao Feng and Xiao Sen, who are close to Myint Swe. After a public outcry, the Rangoon chief minister suspended the project and later reopened a tender that was awarded this year to three local companies. One of them, Yangon South West Development Public Company, is run by the same Chinese businessmen. The expansion project itself is in part a response to Rangoon's rapid—and critics argue, unruly—development in recent years. Myint Swe is viewed by some as chiefly responsible for the city's disorderly transformation. Every development project in Burma's biggest city technically requires approval from the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC). But as high-rises have proliferated amid an influx of foreign investment, controversy has courted some developments that opponents have decried as ill-planned or otherwise threatening the city's unique character. In multiple examples of this, permission for proposed towers has been described as "coming from upstairs," meaning likely from senior government leaders at the divisional or Union level rather than following official channels for approval. Myint Swe also recently took heat for giving his apparent imprimatur to a US$70 million international hospital project being built on land owned by the Ministry of Health near Rangoon General Hospital. He attended the groundbreaking ceremony in January. The 65-year-old graduated from the 15th intake of the Defense Services Academy (DSA) in 1971 and rose steadily through the ranks to become the commanding officer of Light Infantry Division No. 11, overseeing security in the former capital. The ethnic Mon was brought to the War Office where he worked directly under Snr-Gen Than Shwe and his deputy Gen. Maung Aye. His relations with the former dictator Than Shwe's family are said to be close to this day. Known to be a loyal and hardline soldier, Myint Swe was responsible for the careful execution of two high-profile operations in Burma's largest city: the arrest of Gen. Ne Win's family members in 2002 after an alleged coup conspiracy was uncovered, and the arrest of then-intelligence chief and Prime Minister Khin Nyunt in 2004. He then became head of the newly formed Military Affairs Security department after the armed forces hierarchy dismantled the powerful intelligence units. During the Buddhist monk-led "Saffron Uprising" in 2007, Myint Swe was in charge of security affairs in Rangoon. He is believed to have been responsible for several raids on monasteries during this time, despite—or perhaps because of—his ultimately unsuccessful campaign to pacify the Buddhist clergy with donations of cash, rice, cooking oil and medicine. In September 2013, he denied responsibility for the violent crackdown and said he was willing to be investigated and would even submit to the death penalty if found guilty of involvement. "If you think I'm responsible, I am ready [to face justice]," Myint Swe told businesspeople people at a meeting in Rangoon, a local journal reported. "To be frank, I am ready to be hanged [if there is a guilty verdict]." In 2015, he was one of the key persons involved in state-sponsored vigilantes' crackdown on supporters of students protesting for education reform. Myint Swe came out in defense of the methods used, saying the demonstrators were handled and detained according to existing laws, rubbing salt in the wound for a public that was outraged by the heavy-handed and thuggish tactics. A former lieutenant-general who was tipped to be selected vice president in 2012, Myint Swe was passed over to fill that unexpected vacancy, as one of his sons was an Australian national. His son, it would appear, has since been reinstated as a Burmese citizen, removing that obstacle to his father's nomination. As militarily appointed lawmakers continue to adjust to their role in Parliament as opposition to the NLD-dominated legislature, it's the Burma Army's choice for vice president that could shake up its relations with the now ruling party, and perhaps even within the uniformed ranks. The post Could Military VP Pick Sully New Govt Before It Takes Power? appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

City Officials Guarantee No Water Shortage in Rangoon This Summer Posted: 09 Mar 2016 02:50 AM PST A child at a water tank supplied by YCDC in Dala Township. (Photo: Thaw Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Rangoon residents need not worry about a water shortage in the commercial capital this summer, said the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC). "Although it is expected to be hot this year, we will store more water in our reservoirs than in previous years," said Myo Thein, deputy head of the Water and Sanitation Division of YCDC. El Niño is expected to cause low rainfall and high temperatures, but YCDC will adjust how they supply water to certain townships. YCDC plans to pipe water to townships across the Rangoon River, including Dala, Kyimyindaing and Seikgyikanaungto, which had been provided with lake water in previous years. They now pipe water to Dala, and will increase the piped water supply as needed to other townships, said Myo Thein. However, Dala locals have complained that they still rely on lake water because they do not receive piped water on a regular basis. The township lays just south of Rangoon but is prone to annual summer water shortages. YCDC supplies about 205 million gallons of water daily from four reservoirs: Hlawga, Ngamokeyeik, Phu Gyi and Joe Phyu. YCDC said it will supply water in its municipal area mainly from Hlawga, Joe Phyu and Ngamoeyeik reservoirs this summer. The water volume in those reservoirs was almost 86 billion gallons on March 9—an increase from almost 84 billion gallons on the same day last year. YCDC will ensure a sufficient water supply in Dagon, Seikkan, Thakayta and Dawbon townships. It is also working with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to supply water to Japan-backed Thilawa Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Thanlyin Township. "YCDC is establishing a water purification plant, built with loans from Japan," said Myo Thein. "The plant is now about 90 percent complete. We expect to supply water at full capacity to those townships in 2018-19," said Myo Thein. He also explained that because of the increased volume of water in the reservoirs, YCDC does not plan to reduce water usage during the Water Festival, Burma's New Year celebration. More than 145 million gallons of water were used during the festival last year. The post City Officials Guarantee No Water Shortage in Rangoon This Summer appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Cancellation of Parliamentary Session Postpones Questions to Government Posted: 09 Mar 2016 02:28 AM PST Lower House lawmakers at the parliamentary complex in Naypyidaw on Friday. (Photo: Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The cancellation of Wednesday's Lower House parliamentary session has delayed the scheduled discussion of two proposals examining the outgoing government's performance. During Tuesday's session, Lower House speaker Win Myint announced that proceedings would continue on Wednesday, but the MPs were informed that evening that the following day's session was in fact called off. Khin San Hlaing, a Lower House lawmaker from the National League for Democracy (NLD), told The Irrawaddy that the notification did not mention the cause of the cancellation. However, according to the established agenda, Ba Shein of the Arakan National Party (ANP) and Sai Thiha Kyaw of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) had planned to question the Thein Sein administration on issues of transportation and development. Ba Shein was going to inquire whether the government had a plan to re-work ferry routes through the Inland Water Transport Department in Sittwe, the Arakan State capital. Sai Thiha Kyaw's proposal concerned the status of a reservoir project in Shan State's Mongyai Township, the construction of which locals have reportedly been waiting on for three years, in the hopes that it will serve as a water source for consumption and agriculture. "The government officials wouldn't attend the Parliament to respond to the questions even if [the MPs] ask them," said Khin San Hlaing. "So it is good to take a break from the parliamentary session instead of asking questions which won't get answers." Khin San Hlaing submitted an urgent proposal to the Lower House of Parliament on Feb 25 calling on the outgoing government to scrutinize permissions to sell or lease state-owned facilities and projects to private companies. She also criticized the forced removal of squatters on land affected by such transactions. Government officials did not appear before Parliament though they were invited to respond to the allegations. Burma's information minister, Ye Htut, defended the officials' absence from Parliament, saying that the government would answer directly to citizens. "Whether the incumbent Union government should be accountable to the second Parliament is an issue to be reviewed according to the Constitution," he said. Legislative sessions for both the Lower and Upper houses will resume on Thursday, when the presidential nominees are scheduled to be declared. "I think it may be because they need to prepare for tomorrow's [vice presidential nominations]," Sai Thiha Kyaw said of the cancellation. He said that he expects that he will have to send his questions directly to the government, who will be obligated to reply even if they do not appear in Parliament. The post Cancellation of Parliamentary Session Postpones Questions to Government appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Burmese Entrepreneurs Encourage Future Women Leaders Posted: 09 Mar 2016 01:12 AM PST Panelists discuss gender parity at the "Women in the Lead" event held at the Chatrium Hotel on International Women's Day. (Photo: Tin Htet Paing / The Irrawaddy) Burma's female entrepreneurs encouraged women to push cultural boundaries and pursue leadership roles, sharing their personal struggles as motivation on International Women's Day on Tuesday. Rangoon's British Embassy and the Chatrium Hotel organized a "Women in the Lead" event to commemorate the occasion. Four hundred women from all sectors of society gathered at the Chatrium to discuss the roles that women can play in the country's future. Panelists at the event included four entrepreneurial women with different backgrounds—Yin Myo Su, founder of Inle Heritage House; Thiri Thant Mon, managing director of the investment firm Sandanila; Htar Htar, founder of Akhaya women's group; and Thet Mon Aye, co-founder of online bus ticketing service StarTicket. The women were forthcoming with their personal experiences. Thiri Thant Mon talked about balancing her professional life and motherhood. She said women should find a balance that works for them, not the one that society expects. "The words 'ambitious' and 'woman' together somehow have a negative connotation," she said. "While, 'ambitious man' has a positive connotation." Htar Htar talked about how traditional gender roles hinder women from seeking leadership roles. If women do not make household, it is not because they are unable to do so, but more likely because they are not used to having that power, she explained. Yin Myo Su told the audience to take risks and face challenges rather than waiting for safe opportunities to present themselves. "Am I ready?" she asked. "I will never be ready for anything. But you do it because it's about surviving." Tina Singhsacha, a keynote speaker and chief representative of Standard Chartered Bank in Burma, raised the importance of having more women leaders as role models so that the next generation can see potential options. She encouraged young girls to be fearless, ambitious and to believe that they can become respected leaders in society. "Next to every successful man, there is a strong woman. We don't always have to be behind," she said, referring to the famous quote, "Behind every successful man, there is a woman." Another keynote speaker, Dr. Su Su Tha Tun, head of the peace support unit of Burma's UN office, talked about understanding the current context within the country in order to successfully achieve gender parity. "Slogans are not enough," she said. "We need to understand the context in which we live." Dr. Su Su Tha Tun quoted studies that indicate that many Burmese still hold the view that gender discrimination is not a problem in the country and that women in Burma do not need to demand their rights because they have already been realized. Such assumption is frustrating, she said, because it does not recognize existing challenges. "The problem is that [gender discrimination] isn't seen as a problem." The panelists urged women to continue working and striving for gender parity, despite the societal hurdles. "Push the boundaries," said Htar Htar. "If you push the boundaries enough, they're going to break." The post Burmese Entrepreneurs Encourage Future Women Leaders appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

ANP Split On Addressing Party Divide Posted: 09 Mar 2016 01:02 AM PST The Arakan National Party's Union Parliament MPs-elect pose for a photo outside the legislative compound in Naypyidaw in January. (Photo: Arakan National Party / Facebook) RANGOON — Myo Kyaw, a central executive committee member of the Arakan National Party (ANP), has invited Arakanese civil society organizations to mediate current internal divisions of the ethnic party in Rangoon, a call which has been rejected by other members of the ANP leadership. Myo Kyaw and five other central executive committee (CEC) members—once integral players within the former Arakan League for Democracy (ALD)—held a press conference on Sunday in Rangoon to object to the current practices and direction of the ANP. The following morning, ANP's top leaders said that the CEC members had intentionally undermined the party's rules and regulations. The ANP won a majority of state parliament seats in November's general election—44 out of the 77 contested—and is now boycotting any cross-party collaboration unless given permission to form its own state government. Established in 2014 after merging the ALD and the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party (RNDP), it was hoped that the ANP's formation would consolidate votes in the 2015 election. The ANP's vice chairperson Phoe Minn, a former RNDP leader, told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that the ANP had already formed a team to investigate the CEC members and had summoned them to the Arakan State capital of Sittwe for questioning. Myo Kyaw said he objects to the probe, pointing out that the leadership continues to clash along old party lines. "The investigation process is led by the RNDP, so we deny it. We are going to invite some independent Arakanese organizations to facilitate [a discussion about] the dispute," he explained. Hla Maung Thein, chairman of the prominent Arakanese charity Rakhine Thahaya, said that his organization had not received an official invitation letter from the CEC members regarding a future mediation. His concern is that the recent friction is a result of misunderstanding within the ANP and that resolution of the controversy must not be rushed. Pe Than, an ANP MP who is also on the investigation team, said that party principles must be adhered to, and it would be inappropriate to involve outside organizations in addressing internal party matters. "I can't say what could happen. There is no official announcement [about what happens to] disobedient members," he said. Pe Than assumes that if the former ALD members "confess their wrongdoing" and halt any further opposition to the investigative team, they will not be penalized harshly. According to the party procedure, the strongest potential outcome is dismissal. The Irrawaddy asked Myo Kyaw what might happen if the ANP leadership overrides the suggestion to involve civil society in resolving the internal conflict and instead expels the CEC members. "The ANP will be divided and it will collapse if they fire us," he said. "This is not only about the perspective of six people, but also the huge number of supporters behind us." Khine Pyay Soe, leader of the ANP's disciplinary committee, said that the secretariat and the party chairman, Dr. Aye Maung, have the right to determine a penalty for the six CEC members. The Irrawaddy contacted Dr. Aye Maung by phone but he declined to comment on the situation. The post ANP Split On Addressing Party Divide appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China Says Still Trying to Resolve Stalled Myitsone Dam Scheme Posted: 08 Mar 2016 09:27 PM PST A woman stands at the banks of the river confluence known as Myitsone in northern Burma's Kachin State. (Photo: Andrew D. Kaspar / The Irrawaddy) BEIJING — China is pursuing efforts to resolve the problem of a stalled dam project in Burma, its foreign minister said on Tuesday, adding that Beijing had confidence in the incoming government of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's party. In 2011, Burma's President Thein Sein angered Beijing by suspending the $3.6-billion, Chinese-invested Myitsone dam project, some 90 percent of whose power would have gone to China. Other Chinese projects in Burma have proved controversial too, including the Letpadaung copper mine, against which residents have repeatedly protested, and twin Chinese oil and gas pipelines across the country. China wants to help Burma to have better and quicker development, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his yearly news conference on the sidelines of the annual meeting of parliament. "The Myitsone dam is a commercial cooperation project, and had all its approvals completed. Difficulties in cooperation are 'growing pains.' Both countries will continue to proactively, appropriately handle it," Wang said. "We have confidence in the future of Sino-Myanmar mutually beneficial cooperation." He did not elaborate on how or when the dam issue might be resolved. Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) took some 80 percent of elected seats in November, enough to push through its president, but Suu Kyi is blocked from holding the country's highest office because her two sons are not Burmese citizens, nor was her late husband. The NLD has no number two after Suu Kyi, who has said she will control the government from "above the president," and rumors have swirled over who might fill the top post. While Beijing had strong ties with Burma's military junta, it has also moved to cement relations with Suu Kyi, who met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing last year. Wang said China's strong links with Burma would not change because of its domestic situation. "Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD she leads have always had friendly exchanges with China, and mutual understanding and trust continue to increase. We also have full faith in Myanmar's future." The post China Says Still Trying to Resolve Stalled Myitsone Dam Scheme appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Iranian Couple in Cambodia Resettlement Deal Return Home Posted: 08 Mar 2016 09:03 PM PST Boys walk in front of a house that is used to temporarily house asylum seekers sent from a South Pacific detention center, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Aug. 31, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) PHNOM PENH — An Iranian couple who resettled in Cambodia under an expensive program funded by Australia to keep asylum-seekers from its soil returned to their homeland, Cambodian and Australian officials said Tuesday. Gen. Tan Sovichea, head of the refugee office in Cambodia's Interior Ministry, said the couple, who arrived from a refugee camp on the South Pacific island nation of Nauru last June, departed for Iran on Feb. 12. He said five people had resettled in Cambodia from Nauru under a four-year, 55 million Australian dollar ($41 million) program financed by Australia, which also pays for the South Pacific camp housing more than 600 refugees. Human rights activists claim conditions there are unhealthy. "The Iranian couple told us that they decided to go back to Iran after they felt homesick," Tan Sovichea said. "We respected their rights to leave and we welcome their decision." Last October, one of two ethnic Rohingya men resettled under the deal went home to Burma, leaving only an Iranian and another Rohingya in Cambodia. Tan Sovichea said they appeared to be happy with their new lives. A statement released by a spokeswoman for Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton confirmed the Iranians' return home but declined to discuss related details. It said the Australian government remained committed to supporting Cambodia's government in resettling refugees. "The Government holds firm on our policy that you if arrive by boat [to Australia] then you can either return to your country of origin or be resettled in a third country." Australia refuses to accept any refugees who attempt to reach its shores by boat. It pays Nauru and Papua New Guinea, which has a detention center on Manus Island, to hold them instead. The deal with Cambodia, finalized in September 2014, was criticized out of concern that Cambodia was too impoverished to handle the new residents and that its poor human rights record would put them at risk. Critics also suggested that after the volunteers were sent to Phnom Penh, the program was poorly implemented, although the International Organization for Migration and other groups in Cambodia were providing housing, jobs, transport and education in addition to initial orientation. The post Iranian Couple in Cambodia Resettlement Deal Return Home appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Amid Repression, Art Scene in Thailand’s Capital Blooms Posted: 08 Mar 2016 08:50 PM PST Thai graffiti artist Asin Acid poses near his graffiti in Bangkok on March 7, 2016. (Photo: Reuters) BANGKOK — On a wall in a northern suburb of Bangkok "Asin Acid" puts the finishing touches to a spray-painted picture of a colorful giant chicken holding a broken loudspeaker. "The loudspeaker represents the media. The media is trying to say something but is being interrupted," said Asin, who uses a pseudonym for his street art to protect his identity and said he is inspired by Cranio, a graffiti artist from Brazil. "The rainbow colors represent freedom," he said. Thailand's military seized power nearly two years ago and has censored media, hauled in hundreds of critics for sessions of "attitude adjustment" and snuffed out protests. Junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha has threatened to shut down news outlets critical of his government and regularly scolds journalists who he considers straying from the official line. But state repression has unleashed a wave of artistic expression, say artists and art lovers, and the Thai capital's art scene is blooming in response to life under junta rule. "It's because they can't talk about it that they're creating," said Gili Back, a cafe and gallery owner, referring to Bangkok's artists. "You'll see a lot more graffiti and street art where people are having their say on walls." Bangkok's art scene has traditionally been overlooked in favor of places like Hong Kong but in recent years venues have mushroomed with Thai and expatriate artists turning shop houses and disused spaces into galleries. On a recent Friday night, a crowd packed into a room at the WTF Bar and Gallery to see "This is Not a Political Act" by Jirawut Ueasungkomsate, an exhibition on cases of enforced disappearance that have taken place under successive governments. In the pitch-black room, audience members shine flashlights on black and white photographs of people, including prominent rights activists, whose whereabouts are not known. Though not a direct commentary on the junta, it speaks about the impunity enjoyed by state officials, said Jirawut, adding that he was initially scared about holding the exhibition. The junta, formally known as the National Council for Peace and Order, has shut down some political lectures and talks. "It is because I am afraid that I have to do it," said Jirawut. At "The Respectables," an exhibition by British artist Richard Mead, paintings—of fashion models, the media and political protests—depict different forms of power. "The theme of power and 'The Respectables' really goes with the context of Thailand right now. Especially with the type of government we are under," said Teerapa Pirohakul, an art lover and history lecturer at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University. Across town, as his exhibition fills with the after-work crowd, Jirawut reflects on the city's art scene. "No matter whether we are under a military or a civilian government, we need this space," he said. "Society cannot exist if everyone thinks the same." The post Amid Repression, Art Scene in Thailand's Capital Blooms appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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