The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Army To Rebrand Itself As New Political Reality Sets In
• Dog Lovers Fight Poisoning of Strays
• Rangoon ‘Peace Walk’ Leaders Charged for Illegal Assembly
• Burma’s Puppeteers Put On Cross-Asean Performance
• With New Center’s Launch, Suu Kyi Spurs Action on Peace
• YCDC Suspends Unlawful Rangoon High-Rises
• Deadly Fighting Erupts in Shan State: Sources
• Trafficked Burmese Migrants Freed from Thai Fishing Boats
• Population Count Due for Muslims of Sittwe’s Aung Mingalar
• Maoists Still a Force 50 Years After the Cultural Revolution
• Vietnam TV Says ‘Reactionary Forces’ at Work in Environmental Protest
• US to Renew Most Burma Sanctions with Changes to Aid Business

Army To Rebrand Itself As New Political Reality Sets In Posted: 16 May 2016 07:50 AM PDT Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing talks with journalists after his press conference on May 13. (Photo: Htet Naing Zaw / The Irrawaddy) Burma's Commander-in-Chief, Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, is turning 60, but he is showing no signs of slowing down, nor is he planning to retire, as some have speculated. Instead, at press conference on May 13 in Naypyidaw, he pledged to continue to lead the armed forces and work with Aung San Suu Kyi to achieve peace and reconciliation in the country. This was the first news conference held by the military chief since the new administration took office in April. In fact, President Htin Kyaw and State Counselor Suu Kyi have not held such a press conference yet. To many, the new government remains inscrutable as it continues to formulate new policies without giving much public indication of an overriding road map for how it will govern. Aware of this, the military's top commander decided to meet the press to clear up as many questions as he could. At the news conference, Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing left a positive impression on many reporters as he expressed a willingness to work with the new administration. Despite being a long-time military man, the senior-general tried to answer questions with more political sensibility than some might have anticipated. Yet an awareness of his position as the head of the army still heavily influenced his responses. Min Aung Hlaing was also quick to clarify his place in the new political hierarchy. "It is not as many speculate," he said. "The commander-in-chief is below the president. Contrary to what many had assumed, we are working together [with the civilian government]." The comments were seen by some as a response to Western media reports last year that characterized the military leader as the most powerful man in Burma. But despite the general's insistence that the military is working with the civilian government, it is not known whether Min Aung Hlaing had officially informed the president or Suu Kyi about the press conference. The army's public relations machine worked well this time. One could even suspect that it was part of a new strategy to rebrand the military and shed its tarnished image. To the surprise of many reporters, Min Aung Hlaing extended his press briefing for several hours with a promise to serve tea and snacks afterward; he genuinely appeared to enjoy engaging with the media. He was open and candid. More importantly, he did his homework—unlike some politicians—and impressed many reporters. Later, at the tea session, he mingled and shared jokes with both journalists and the officers present. The general countered rumors of tension between the army and the new National League for Democracy (NLD) administration, emphasizing his respect for the Constitution. But he also noted that he does not need to inform the president before making decisions about military affairs and combat offensives. Under the previous administration, former President Thein Sein had cultivated a close relationship with Min Aung Hlaing in response to Suu Kyi's courting of then-House Speaker Shwe Mann. But on this occasion, the army chief demonstrated he was ready to collaborate with the new government. This gesture will no doubt alleviate some of the concerns most Burmese have about the army's intentions and role in the nation's politics, but doubt and suspicion will likely remain. Starting last year, Min Aung Hlaing and other top commanders met with Suu Kyi several times. The relationship has since appeared to be stable, despite some setbacks. In April, army members within Parliament opposed a bill to approve Suu Kyi as state counselor. The military lawmakers, who, under the Constitution, make up a quarter of the legislature, stood up to register their protest that their proposed amendments were being ignored. Analysts were quick to say that it was a bad start for the relationship between the new government and the armed forces. But while the general supported his military comrades' move, he seemed to back away from the hard line taken earlier. At the press briefing, Min Aung Hlaing mentioned that the creation of the state counselor position violated the law, but he was not specific about which law–perhaps he meant it violated the Constitution. He surprised reporters by saying the Constitution could be amended in the future—although he did not give specifics on when or how this process would take place. Further fodder for surprise was the general's statement that the army would no longer claim 25 percent of Parliament seats after a permanent peace has been established. Admittedly, that process could take decades, but in previous interviews, Min Aung Hlaing has said that the army would remain in national politics for 10 years. Meanwhile, the general's own role in Burma's politics remains the subject of considerable speculation. Speaking to Channel News Asia last year he said that any pursuit of the presidency would "depend on the situation" at that time. "If I turn my attention to politics now," he explained, "it is likely to affect or weaken my present job. Right now it is too early to make a decision or talk about it." From Foes to Friends Suu Kyi once famously told CNN that she has a soft spot for the generals, and she has often referred to the military as her "father's army," a reference to Gen Aung San, who founded Burma's military in the 1940s. Suu Kyi's loyalty to the army is now considered beyond question, and she appears to have no intention of inciting discord among the generals. It is believed the military no longer see Suu Kyi, now in her 70s, as a formidable threat to their institution, and view her as containable. Despite the fact that there were obvious difficulties between the military and Suu Kyi in the past, now the armed forces likely see her as a pragmatic leader who is very popular among the general public. Hitching their wagon to Suu Kyi's star could enhance the army's overall image. In fact, Suu Kyi can be helpful to the military for many reasons. She holds the key to US sanctions on over 100 individuals and several army-owned companies. These restrictions are likely to be extended with slight modifications by the end of the week. Since the country began opening up, the US Treasury Department has eased sanctions against Burma. According to recent wire stories, Suu Kyi supported the extension of US sanctions with some changes, but she wanted to make sure the restrictions did not hurt the country's overall economy and only kept pressure on military-owned institutions and companies. US Secretary of State John Kerry is due to visit Burma on May 22, when he will meet with government leaders including Suu Kyi. There have been some signs of rapprochement between the US and the Burma Army. Starting in 2012, the US has invited mid-level Burma Army officers to attend regional military exercises and conferences. There is even discussion on allowing the US military to provide non-lethal training to Burma Army officers. In June 2014, Lt-Gen Anthony Crutchfield, deputy commander of the US Pacific Command, gave a speech to his Burmese counterparts at the Myanmar National Defense College in Naypyidaw. This was seen as part of America’s careful but deliberate and limited military re-engagement with the Burmese Army, which has been tainted by reports of serious human rights abuses and political repression. In December 2015, after Suu Kyi's landslide election victory, Gen Vincent Brooks, then-commander of the US Army Pacific, said he was eager to build closer ties to the military in Burma, but he said this would have to await a policy decision by the US government. If Suu Kyi holds power and influence over the remaining US sanctions and the possibility of military-to-military engagement between the American and Burmese armed forces, Min Aung Hlaing's motivations for closer cooperation with the new government become more understandable. Peace Is Still The Key Issue We still do not know the ups and downs that the military-government relationship will undergo in the coming years, but the army does seem willing to cooperate with Suu Kyi on her plan to host a "21st Century Panglong Conference," which would attempt to hash out a peace deal with several of Burma's ethnic armed groups. On the eve of the country's independence, Suu Kyi's father, Aung San, held the Panglong Conference in Shan State with leaders from several of the country's ethnic groups. The pact between the Burman majority and the ethnic minorities fostered a spirit of unity and guaranteed full autonomy. It also set the stage for the provision of the right to secede—if the ethnic states so chose—outlined in Burma's first Constitution. Suu Kyi wants the new Panglong Conference to be an important part of her legacy; to achieve peace, she will need the cooperation of both the top generals and ethnic leaders. She has advocated a federal union that would devolve considerable powers to the ethnic areas, but if the military proposes a competing notion of federalism, this may result in a serious dispute. On the issue of peace, Min Aung Hlaing even took some credit. "I told Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, 'in this five-year term, we really want to work to achieve peace,'" he said, adding that she had "agreed." A Panglong Conference is meant to foster national unity and reconciliation, the top commander said, while also criticizing some ethnic armed groups for having no political purpose. Yet even as Min Aung Hlaing pledges to work with Suu Kyi, ethnic groups have grown disillusioned with what has been perceived as a lack of NLD support for their rights so far. And this apparently cozy relationship between Suu Kyi and the military could result in further difficulties. Some ethnic groups may grow more suspicious of both the NLD and the military, fearing that as the two Burman-majority entities become closer, the ethnic agenda will be put on the backburner. How Suu Kyi balances the military relationship with the needs of the ethnic groups could be key to determining whether the high hopes for the 21st Century Panglong Conference are fulfilled. Aung Zaw is the founding editor of The Irrawaddy. The post Army To Rebrand Itself As New Political Reality Sets In appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Dog Lovers Fight Poisoning of Strays Posted: 16 May 2016 06:30 AM PDT According to YCDC's Veterinary and Slaughterhouse Department, about 100,000 stray dogs are occupying Rangoon's streets. (Photo: Tin Htet Paing/ The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — A petition campaign organized by animal rights activists in Rangoon was launched over the weekend, urging the city's municipal body to stop the extermination of stray dogs and look for sustainable solutions to the city's animal overpopulation problem. Rangoon's animal rights advocates gathered in Mahabandoola Park downtown on Sunday and collected more than 100 signatures for their petition. Members of the group said that they will continue organizing more supporters and would demand the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) stop poisoning the stray dogs. Kyaw Min Khaing, a member of the group, told The Irrawaddy on Monday that the purpose of the campaign is to urge the city's authorities to look for other sustainable ways to deal with the stray dog problem besides brutally killing them. "There are other alternative animal-friendly approaches," he said. "It has been proven that mass killing is not a solution to the overpopulation of stray dogs." "We can capture, neuter, vaccinate and release [the stray dogs] back into their neighborhoods. Their inability to reproduce will control the population in the span of a few years." According to the YCDC's Veterinary and Slaughterhouse Department, about 100,000 stray dogs are living in Rangoon's streets, and poisoning is one of the YCDC's ordinary policies to control the stray dog population in accordance with 1922 City of Rangoon Municipal Act. As part of the YCDC's policy that aims to protect the public from rabies and keep the city's environment clean, the municipal agency is providing free rabies inoculation and castration for both stray dogs and pet dogs, cooperating with shelters and raising public awareness for responsible pet ownership, an official who requested not to be named told The Irrawaddy on Monday. "We are just following the procedures. I don't want to comment on the campaign," the official said. "We don't want to do the poisoning either, but we don't have enough vaccines for all the stray dogs in the city." According to the official, an organization led by Min Lee, the wife of the former US Ambassador to Burma, Derek Mitchell, has signed an agreement with the municipal body for a three-year project to handle Rangoon's stray dogs problem. The official said that the project would start in a month and YCDC also plans to open an animal shelter before the end of 2016. Kyaw Min Khaing said that Rangoon's animal lovers are eager to cooperate with the YCDC, but they are staunchly opposed to poisoning the dogs. "We don't want public to hate the YCDC for [poisoning dogs]," he said. "We want to work with the YCDC to solve the stray dog problem as long as the authorities stop poisoning them." The post Dog Lovers Fight Poisoning of Strays appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rangoon ‘Peace Walk’ Leaders Charged for Illegal Assembly Posted: 16 May 2016 06:08 AM PDT Peace walk participants pass a Hindu temple in Rangoon on Saturday, holding placards calling for tolerance and coexistence. (Photo: Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Student leaders who led an interfaith "peace walk" of almost 100 people in downtown of Rangoon on Saturday are to be charged under Article 19 of the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law. Their infraction was to stick to their original proposed route—from Tamwe Township to Mahabandoola Park in the city center—in defiance of an order from police in the city to confine their protest to Bo Sein Mann grounds in Tamwe. On Tuesday, two male students and one female student from the Yangon School of Political Science, named Htet Aung Lin, Phone Htet and Jue Jue Than respectively, received a summons from the Kyauktada Township police station to present themselves at the station and sign a confession that they had proceeded on an unauthorized route. Thet Aung Lin, one of the student leaders, explained that they had stuck with the original route because of the many mosques, churches, Hindu temples, and Buddhist pagodas and monasteries encountered along the way. "We had the right as citizens to do this [peace walk]" Htet Aung Lin added. The commanding officer of Kyauktada Township police station could not be reached via phone by The Irrawaddy. The participants of the peace walk, many of whom were drawn from the Yangon School of Political Science, observed a minute's quiet contemplation in the buildings of four different religions, as a means of paying respect. They held placards reading: "Accept Diversity, Promote Tolerance" and "We All are Human." The peace walk, avowing interreligious tolerance, was held against an environment of increasing Buddhist ultra-nationalist mobilization in Burma. This has centered in recent weeks on condemning the use of the term "Rohingya" by members of the international community, to refer to the largely stateless Muslim minority in Arakan State, whom the government and much of the Burmese public refer to a "Bengali," denying their claim to citizenship and to belonging within Burma. On Friday, some 400 nationalists gathered in Mandalay, as reported by The Irrawaddy, to demand that the government officially denounce, within three days, the US Embassy's use of the term "Rohingya" in a recent public statement. More than 50 monks from the ultra-hardline Buddhist nationalist association known as Ma Ba Tha took part. Also being prosecuted under Article 19 of the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law—on the same grounds of deviating from a route authorized by police and local authorities—are members of the Myanmar Nationalist Network, who led a rally outside the US Embassy in Rangoon on April 28, also to denounce the use of the term "Rohingya" in the same Embassy statement. The ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) has recently proposed amending the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law—passed in 2011 under the previous, Thein Sein government—so that would-be demonstrators would only need to "inform" local authorities 48 hours in advance, rather than request "permission" five days in advance. Proposed changes in the law would also introduce a statute of limitations of 15 days and restrict the number of different township authorities that could prosecute demonstrators for the same protest. Controversially, prison sentences for violating sections of the law would not be scrapped, although their length would be reduced. The post Rangoon 'Peace Walk' Leaders Charged for Illegal Assembly appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Burma’s Puppeteers Put On Cross-Asean Performance Posted: 16 May 2016 05:56 AM PDT Ma Toe Toe and Ma Han Su Yin work the puppets at Mandalay Marionettes Theater. (Photo: Nyein Nyein / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — After a weeklong workshop hosted by the Asean Puppet Exchange (APEX), Burmese puppet troupes are hopeful for more cultural integration among Asean members. From May 9 to 16, over 20 puppet artists and musicians—hailing from Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore and Vietnam—met with their Burmese counterparts in Rangoon to work on the first of three One Asean puppet and music performances this year. This first leg of the program is called APEX-Earth, focusing on heritage, cultural roots and the environment. "We learned about each other's different puppetry styles, and we shared our experiences," said Khin Maung Htwe, head of the local Htwe Oo Myanmar puppet troupe. Khin Maung Htwe hopes performances will become more common because of the workshop. "Burmese yoke thay [puppetry, which dates back some 500 years in Burma] has really only been used to develop tourism. However, by looking at the different styles of other countries, I've learned that it can also function as contemporary art," he said. Khin Maung Htwe said that more regional engagement would be mutually beneficial. "Vietnamese puppeteers told me that handicapped puppet shows had disappeared in Vietnam [water shows are more popular] but that puppeteers have decided to reintroduce them after seeing the Burmese style of performance. This is a good result from the show," he said. Terence Tan, coordinator of APEX, echoed these sentiments, telling The Irrawaddy that he believes that the workshop succeeded in reaching many of its goals. "When groups share, even for three or four days, their different styles and experiences, they can learn different concepts of music and performance, all while performing for people," Terence Tan said. "This exchange program focused mostly on Asean integration for puppetry and the industry, and now we can see how people are enjoying this kind of performance." The APEX collective consists of over 160 Asean puppet artists and practitioners who have joined together to support the work of Asean artists. Since 2014 APEX has sought to use puppet performances and workshops to help Asean citizens understand and appreciate the rich and diverse cultures, stories and languages of its 10 member states. "I hope that I can change Burmese puppetry from having to perform with many words to performing with no words, so that everyone can understand," Khin Maung Htwe said. The post Burma's Puppeteers Put On Cross-Asean Performance appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

With New Center’s Launch, Suu Kyi Spurs Action on Peace Posted: 16 May 2016 05:51 AM PDT State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi meeting with representatives of the Burma Army and former Myanmar Peace Center staff to discuss the country's peace process.  (Photo: Myanmar State Counselor's Office) Aung San Suu Kyi wants to speed up efforts to convene a so-called "21st Century Panglong Conference," according to sources who attended a meeting establishing the National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC) in Naypyidaw on Monday. At the Panglong Conference, Gen. Aung San, Suu Kyi's father, brought together a handful of major ethnic groups in 1947, the eve of independence from Britain, to forge an agreement granting the groups autonomy in Burma's "frontier areas." With Aung San's assassination later that same year, the promises of Panglong were never fulfilled. This was the second meeting this month that the state counselor, Suu Kyi, held with representatives from the Burma Army and the former Myanmar Peace Center (MPC). The NRPC will be headquartered in Naypyidaw, and the Rangoon-based MPC buildings will be used as a branch office in the commercial capital, according to a statement posted by the State Counselor's Office on its Facebook page. Suu Kyi visited the MPC in Rangoon on Saturday. "The NRPC will be a governmental organization which will be run under the Ministry of the Office of the State Counselor, and the budget allocation will be allocated by the Union government," according to the statement by the ministry. The previous MPC was government-affiliated but operated with some independence, and was funded primarily by foreign foundations. It was criticized for alleged misuse of its budget, the opacity of its balance sheet, and the high salaries its employees were rumored to pull in. Kyaw Tint Swe, who is yet to be confirmed by Parliament as the minister heading Ministry of the State Counselor's Office, will lead the NRPC formation committee. In the meantime, they will form a committee to prepare for the convening of the 21st Century Panglong Conference and two other sub-committees, one for ethnic armed groups that signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement last October and another for those that did not. Suu Kyi will meet representatives from other organizations involved in the previous administration's peace talks next week, some of which include representatives from various ethnic groups. Ethnic armed groups themselves and the Parliamentary Committee on Peace, however, have not yet been included in talks concerning the peace conference. Hla Maung Shwe, a former MPC adviser who attended the meeting with Suu Kyi on Monday, said the state counselor was pushing for the 21st Century Panglong Conference to be held at the end of July. But he could not confirm whether the NRPC would be able to adhere to that timeframe. "There will be many more steps in the process," he said. "We haven't even begun to include the ethnic armed groups in the planning of the conference." The post With New Center's Launch, Suu Kyi Spurs Action on Peace appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

YCDC Suspends Unlawful Rangoon High-Rises Posted: 16 May 2016 05:26 AM PDT An aerial view of the Rangoon cityscape. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The municipal body of Burma's largest city has suspended the construction of high-rise buildings in Rangoon that have not received its final approval, and has announced the formation of a new inspection team for proposed high-rise developments. The move reveals a convoluted series of official permissions and approvals, which has nonetheless failed to prevent lawless, runaway development in the rapidly expanding city, which has boomed under the heightened investment brought by economic and political reforms. The Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) announced the suspension on Saturday, declaring that "resumption [in each case] would be permitted only after on-the-ground investigations to determine whether those high rise [projects] have followed construction regulations." Investigations will be carried out "in detail" by a "coordination team" to ensure "proper urban development," the announcement read. Aung San Win, the secretary of YCDC's High Rise Inspection Committee, told The Irrawaddy that the Rangoon divisional government would form the team. The divisional government is a separate administrative body to the YCDC. The latter, first established in 1990, is nominally independent of the government and raises its own revenues through tax collection, fees and licenses. However, as with the divisional chief minister, the president of Burma appoints the Rangoon mayor, who chairs the YCDC, which limits the independence of the YCDC in practice. Elections to fill other seats on the YCDC have been postponed due to the intention of the Rangoon Division Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein, expressed publicly earlier this month, to amend the electoral law and expand the franchise beyond heads-of-household. According to the YCDC, the previous Rangoon divisional government and municipal council had given "initial approval" for proposals to build 204 high-rises (classified as buildings with nine stories or more) from 2013 to March 31 this year. YCDC issues approvals for buildings with nine to "12.5" stories, while the Rangoon divisional government approves those with 13 stories and above. According to the regulations, after initial approval, developers must submit their designs for a thorough inspection by multiple sections of the YCDC's Engineering Department before final approval can be given. The secretary of the YCDC's High Rise Inspection Committee told The Irrawaddy on Monday that 104 out of the 204 buildings given initial approval are now under construction. Among the 104, 81 have not received final approval. "Those 81 buildings fell under the suspension announcement and will face investigation by our team," he added. The suspension has come at a time when Burmese urban specialists, who contend that Rangoon is under threat due to the lack of proper urban planning and controls, have been calling on the government to take "urgent action" to rein in unruly urbanization projects, alongside calls for the formation of a committee of experts on sustainable urban management. Since Burma began to open up economically and politically to the outside world in 2011, heightened investment has initiated large-scale urban development projects—focused on Rangoon, the commercial capital—including high-rise construction on a scale not previously attempted in Burma. But most developments are not adequately regulated; current regulations are ill suited to high-rise construction. A new Myanmar National Building Code and Zoning Plan has languished in draft form for more than two years. Last year, former President Thein Sein cancelled a mixed-use high-rise project near the Shwedagon pagoda in Rangoon—backed by international investors and including a luxury condominium, a five-star hotel and a shopping mall—after a sustained public outcry that the project could cause structural damage to the holiest Buddhist site in Burma. Hla Su Myat, an executive committee member of the Association for Myanmar Architects, said she welcomed the suspension, and the formation of a dedicated inspection team, as good for the city in the long term. "The suspension will hurt certain people for a period of time," said Hla Su Myat. "But if present trends continue, we will face serious urban development problems in the not-too-distant future. That's why the government responded in the way it did." Thant Myint-U, historian and founder of the Yangon Heritage Trust, told the Irrawaddy: "I'm not against high-rises at all, if their construction is part of a thought-through city plan. The new government is right to pause new construction until a long-term vision and plan for Yangon is properly crafted, discussed, and decided." "I think a more compact city, with excellent public transport is best, rather than a sprawling car-based city," said Thant Myint-U. "High-rises in some areas may be a good thing. What's not a good thing is to simply build them where there happens to be spare land at the moment, outside of any long term plan." The post YCDC Suspends Unlawful Rangoon High-Rises appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Deadly Fighting Erupts in Shan State: Sources Posted: 16 May 2016 05:21 AM PDT A cache of Burma Army weapons purportedly seized by the Shan State Army-North. (Photo: Khun Gamani / Facebook) RANGOON — More than two dozen Burma Army soldiers were reportedly killed in northern Shan State last week in fighting with the Shan State Army-North (SSA-N) in a village to the west of Shan State's Kyaukme, a city 100 miles northeast of Mandalay. According to SSA-N sources, a total of 28 Burma Army soldiers were killed in Noung Kon village. Fighting broke out in the area on Thursday, the same day a Burma Army delegation visited the border of United Wa State Army-controlled territory with SSA-N leaders. "There were about 60 troops divided into two columns," said a SSA-N sergeant, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "We killed 28 of them in the battle, including one commander. And we seized 18 guns." "We had four to six troops wounded, but no one was killed." Ethnic armed groups frequently claim to have inflicted high casualties on government troops while sustaining few themselves. The claims are difficult to independently verify, a fact compounded by the Burma Army's opaque and media-averse posture. Pictures circulating on social purported to show the bodies of several soldiers killed in the clash, some wearing uniforms with visible Burma Army insignia. Maj. Sai Phone Han from the SSA-N said the Burma Army used a helicopter to fire on SSA-N ground troops on Thursday and Friday, but he did not provide additional details about the fighting. "Many local people ran away, afraid of the fighting in the area," he said. The Burma Army began attacking SSA-N troops on May 5, but the army had to use a helicopter last week to support ground troops as the military was taking high casualties, according to the SSA-N sources. About 500 local people fled their homes and took shelter in Kyaukme to avoid the fighting. The SSA-N sergeant said he believed that the Burma Army had tried to distract SSA-N leaders by joining with them on a trip to the Wa Special Region border area, before launching a surprise attack near Kyaukme. "We could have captured the brigadier general and his soldiers, but we didn't," said the SSA-N sergeant. Fighting in Kyaukme Township has been recurrent for the Burma Army, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army and the Restoration Council of Shan State, but it is rare for clashes to break out there between the Burma Army and the SSA-N. The SSA-N was one of about a dozen ethnic armed groups that did not sign last year's national ceasefire agreement. Its clashes with the Burma Army in recent months have centered around Wan Hai, the SSA-N's headquarters, which is more than 100 miles southwest of where the fighting took place last week. The post Deadly Fighting Erupts in Shan State: Sources appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Trafficked Burmese Migrants Freed from Thai Fishing Boats Posted: 16 May 2016 05:15 AM PDT Thirteen trafficked migrants were freed from Thai fishing boats on Sunday. (Photo: Myanmar Association in Thailand) Thirteen Burmese migrant workers who were sold to Thai fishing boats were rescued on Sunday from a dock more than 400 miles south of Bangkok and will soon be reunited with their families. The fishery workers will return to Burma on Tuesday, after first traveling from Thailand's Surat Thani province to Bangkok to set up the necessary travel arrangements. Kyaw Thaung, a director with the Myanmar Association in Thailand (MAT), said that a total of 16 workers between the ages of 21 and 64 were rescued over the weekend. Bangkok-based MAT has helped trafficking victims for over a decade and collaborated with Burmese Embassy officials to form the Myanmar Worker's Protection Committee to provide assistance to migrants. In the past five months, 167 migrants were rescued through the joint efforts of officials and rights advocates including MAT, Thailand's Department of Special Investigation (DSI) and the Anti-Human Traffic Division under the police and marine forces. Their collaboration has resulted in the release of 900 victims between 2011-15, and the detention of 10 traffickers. The fishery workers had not been paid their salaries despite having worked for more than a year, while facing torture on the boats, the victims said. "I and others were beaten with wooden sticks and stingray tails," said Ko Ye, a victim from Karen State. "Four people beat me and hit me with a hammer because I talked back." Prior to leaving for Thailand, he was told he would be taken to work at a soft-drink factory, but was instead sold to a fishing boat. "Before we were rescued, we were only given 100-200 baht (US$3-6) when our boats came inland," said Hla Myint, a 63-year-old deaf man from Dawei in Tenasserim Division who worked on a boat for almost three years. Kyaw Thaung called this group lucky, as many previous workers remained in police detention, either because they were undocumented workers or needed to serve as witnesses in other cases. He said police were still holding 32 workers who were rescued in Phuket in late January. Hla Myint said he was eager to go back home and was tired from the job. He only just received his entire salary, at the rate of about US$200 per month for 32 months, following the rescue. The victims contacted MAT through a hotline number they found on social media. Kyaw Thaung said having a police attaché, who was attached to the Burmese government and tasked to fight human trafficking, would help combat the large number of people trafficked into Thailand. In Thailand, there are two labor attachés focused on migrant worker's issues, but it is not enough to meet the growing demands they are up against. He added that rescue organizations were fighting an uphill battle, especially since Thailand has faced a shortage of migrant workers in the fishery sector. Last Friday, China's official press agency reported that an estimated 50,000 Burmese workers quit working in Thailand's fishing industry and that many more would soon follow suit, preferring to look for work inside Burma instead, according to the head of a fishery association in Samut Sakorn province, Thailand. Kyaw Kha contributed to this report. The post Trafficked Burmese Migrants Freed from Thai Fishing Boats appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Population Count Due for Muslims of Sittwe’s Aung Mingalar Posted: 16 May 2016 04:39 AM PDT Rohingya Muslims gather on the street while Tomas Ojea Quintana, UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Burma, visits Aung Mingalar quarter in Sittwe on Aug. 13, 2013. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters) RANGOON — Local authorities in Sittwe plan to assess the population of the town's Aung Mingalar quarter, frequently described as a Muslim ghetto, following complaints by local Arakanese Buddhists who contend that the neighborhood's population has swelled in recent years as Muslims from camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) moved in. Located downtown in the only remaining Muslim neighborhood of the Arakan State capital, which saw most Muslims driven out in 2012 violence between Muslims and Buddhists in the state, Aung Mingalar and its residents are subject to severe restrictions on movement. Local authorities intend to conduct the headcount next week. Tha Pwint, a retired Arakanese lawyer who participated in a meeting on Thursday led by the Arakan State immigration department head, Win Lwin, confirmed that the population survey would be undertaken beginning on May 21. Complainants contend that while the quarter's official population stands at around 4,000, a government health care program being run inside Aung Mingalar had documented treatment of more than 10,000 people last year. The district health department denied the Arakanese community's assertions at the May 12 gathering, said Tha Pwint, who also claimed that many of those who had moved into Aung Mingalar had left for outlying IDP camps or the predominantly Muslim village of Bu May upon hearing about the meeting and impending headcount. Shwe Hla, a Muslim resident of Aung Mingalar who was present at the May 12 meeting, denied that the neighborhood's population had grown significantly. "We don't invite strangers to live in our quarter," he told The Irrawaddy. "They have suspicious minds toward us, I would like to say they [Arakanese] are trying to spread rumors." He claimed Aung Mingalar had only 965 households and about 4,000 Muslims residents. Zaw Zaw, a community leader in Aung Mingalar, agreed to cooperate with government officials on the population tally. "We warmly welcome a check on the population because we don't have extra people in the quarter." Phone calls to both the Arakan State immigration department head Win Lwin and regional government spokesman Min Aung went unanswered on Monday. Tha Pwint claimed that "corrupt government officials" had allowed Aung Mingalar's population to grow. He referred to the quarter's residents as "Bengalis," the term used by the government to refer to the region's minority Rohingya Muslims to imply that they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Many Rohingya trace their roots in Arakan State back generations, but they are not recognized as citizens and have been subject to restrictions on movement statewide since the 2012 violence. More than 100,000 remain in IDP camps. The post Population Count Due for Muslims of Sittwe's Aung Mingalar appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Maoists Still a Force 50 Years After the Cultural Revolution Posted: 15 May 2016 10:43 PM PDT A giant portrait of Chinese late chairman Mao Zedong is seen on the Tiananmen gate in Beijing on Dec. 2, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) LUOYANG, China — Fifty years after Mao Zedong unleashed the decade-long Cultural Revolution to reassert his authority and revive his radical communist agenda, the spirit of modern China's founder still exerts a powerful pull. Millions of people were persecuted, publicly humiliated, beaten or killed during the upheaval, as zealous factionalism metastasized countrywide, tearing apart Chinese society at a most basic level. Student groups tortured their own teachers, and children were made to watch mobs beat their own parents condemned as counter-revolutionaries. Gangs engaging in "armed struggle" killed at least a half million people while countless more committed suicide, unable to cope with relentless persecution. It was only in 1981—five years after Mao's death—that China's government officially pronounced the Cultural Revolution "a catastrophe." But in the ancient city of Luoyang, the old, the poor and the marginalized gather daily in the main public square to profess nostalgia for the decade-long political movement, downplaying that period's violent excesses. In the marble halls of power in Beijing, Cultural Revolution-era song-and-dance performances are being revived. China's liberals see ominous signs of a society tugged backward by ideological currents. "Either it's because people have forgotten the Cultural Revolution or are increasingly dissatisfied with social conditions, but since the mid-1990s these kinds of ideas have been gaining currency," said Xu Youyu, a former Chinese Academy of Social Sciences researcher. Maoists long for China to reverse its path toward market capitalism and return to Mao's radical vision of a classless society steered by a powerful and ideologically pure leader. They have largely embraced President Xi Jinping as one of their own, though he has never endorsed their views outright, and the nuances of his personal ideology—especially on economic matters—remain a cipher. Many see encouraging echoes of Mao's political style in Xi's crusade against corrupt party bureaucrats, and in his staunchly populist rhetoric, nationalistic bent and repeated demands for ideological conformity. The surge in Maoist sentiment and distrust of the status quo points to the complex risks facing China. The legitimacy of the Communist Party is staked upon both Mao's legacy and a tacit promise of bettering people's lives. Those two pillars may prove difficult to maintain as China navigates a painful economic transition that threatens to shed countless miners and factory workers and widen social inequality. While China went through similar reforms a decade ago, the economy was growing much faster at the time and citizens lacked organizational tools such as the Internet and social media platforms. Grassroots Maoism has been "blossoming in every corner" in the past few years as social media has taken off, said Han Deqiang, a prominent Maoist lecturer and professor at Beihang University in Beijing. The Cultural Revolution is considered to have begun May 16, 1966, when the Communist Party's Politburo purged a number of leading officials. Over the following decade, Mao deposed two heirs apparent, his "Little Red Book" of sayings was elevated to the level of holy scripture, and millions were imprisoned, sent to labor camps or exiled from the cities. Xi himself spent years living in a cave dwelling and laboring in the fields of his father's native province of Sha'anxi. Still, in Luoyang, a 3,000-year-old city in the central province of Henan, nearly every day retired or unemployed workers sing odes to Mao under a billowing Communist Party flag at Zhouwangcheng Plaza. People swarm around a clothesline and squint at dozens of pinned essays condemning the past 30 years of liberalization or positively reappraising the Cultural Revolution. It was here in the plaza that Xu Xiaobin met a group of Maoist retirees who changed his thinking five years ago. That was before he was laid off from his 3,000 yuan (US$460) -a-month machining job. "Even the word 'layoff' didn't exist" in Mao's time, Xu said, standing outside a shuttered state-owned gear factory that used to support his family of four. "You look on the Internet and there are people showing off their wealth. Then there are people like me, working under the sun in 40-degree [Celsius, 104-degree Fahrenheit] heat." Many have taken their grievances to Luoyang's streets. Thousands of decommissioned army veterans have been petitioning for years for retirement benefits, which have led to confrontations with police, who break up even private meetings in restaurants, said veteran Qin Shuiyan. Perhaps no one has drawn Luoyang authorities' ire more than Wang Xianfeng, a 57-year-old retiree who in recent years has pulled together Maoist rallies with thousands of people, prompting multiple crackdowns. She discusses Maoist thought semi-weekly in a rented home and organizes followers who distribute thousands of pamphlets. Police once tore down the house door and seized her group's public address system, Wang says. Luoyang police declined a request for a telephone interview and did not respond to questions submitted by fax. Wang was sentenced to two years in a labor camp in 2010, but her ardor for the ruling party and its leader has hardly dimmed. In her eyes, Xi is leading a new Cultural Revolution. "He wants to inspect these people who've enjoyed their lifestyle for so long," she said. "It's a class struggle, so of course they're going to resist him, just like during the Cultural Revolution, when landlords didn't want to give up their position." "If he needs us, we're ready to fight for him." Maoism nationwide remains loosely organized, however. The community is bound mostly online by blogs and forums. Public demonstrations of even modest size are quickly shut down and unauthorized monuments to Mao, like giant statues, are razed in the heartland regions where Maoism burns hottest. Analysts are closely watching how the party endorses or suppresses commemorations of the movement's anniversary this month, seeing that as a measure of Xi's personal authority. Divisions are beginning to show. In March, a commentary in the state-run Global Times tabloid warned against taking "extreme" positions about the Cultural Revolution. A recent Beijing concert featuring lavish productions praising Mao and his class struggle reportedly drew criticism from some in the party elite. The post Maoists Still a Force 50 Years After the Cultural Revolution appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Vietnam TV Says ‘Reactionary Forces’ at Work in Environmental Protest Posted: 15 May 2016 10:33 PM PDT Political dissident La Viet Dung holds a banner which reads "fish need fresh water and people need transparency," during a protest in Hanoi, Vietnam, on May 1, 2016. (Photo: Reuters) HANOI — Vietnam's state television issued a warning to the public on Sunday to shun calls by "reactionary forces" to join protests over an environmental disaster it said was being exploited to try to overthrow the government. An 11-minute prime time report on Vietnam Television (VTV) disclosed names and images of well-known dissidents and bloggers it said were trying to dupe the public and violently undermine the government, with support and funding from overseas groups. Although communist Vietnam has long sought to silence and discredit its critics, the warning by the country's biggest broadcaster of possible seditious activity was highly detailed and of an unusually long duration. It was carried by several other major state-run channels. "Their intention to abuse and disturb was revealed when many subjects called for using knives and petrol bombs to attack the functional forces and to overthrow the authorities," the narrator of the VTV report said. "Many people may ask what kind of peaceful marches are they. … Is this possibly a preparation for a riot and overthrow?" the voice-over asked. The warning came as protesters had tried to rally for a third successive Sunday to vent their anger at the government and a unit of Taiwan's Formosa Plastics, a firm they blame for causing an environmental disaster and the death of large numbers of fish in central coast provinces in April. Tight security in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City prevented major rallies taking place, however, although some social media postings showed small groups of demonstrators gathering. A government investigation into the fish deaths is underway but its preliminary probe found no links to Formosa's US$10.6 billion coastal steel plant in Ha Tinh province. Experts said either a "red tide," when algae blooms and produces toxins, or a release of dangerous chemicals by humans, could have been to blame. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has promised a thorough investigation and to bring to justice those found to be responsible. The post Vietnam TV Says 'Reactionary Forces' at Work in Environmental Protest appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

US to Renew Most Burma Sanctions with Changes to Aid Business Posted: 15 May 2016 10:05 PM PDT US President Barack Obama delivers an address to the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative in Rangoon on Nov. 14, 2014. (Photo: Reuters) WASHINGTON — The United States plans to renew the bulk of its sanctions against Burma when they expire next week, but will make some changes aimed at boosting investment and trade, according to several senior US officials and congressional aides. An announcement on extending much of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, could come as soon as Tuesday ahead of a visit to the Southeast Asian nation by Secretary of State John Kerry on May 22, officials said. The US Treasury Department has significantly eased sanctions against Burma by issuing general licenses that give companies and investors exemptions to sanctions targeting more than 100 individuals and businesses, including some of Burma's biggest business players. US officials began lifting trade and financial sanctions against the country after military leaders launched reforms that led to a civilian government being formed in 2011, beginning its transformation from a half-century as an international pariah. In December, Treasury temporarily relaxed trade restrictions on the country by allowing all shipments to go through its ports and airports for six months. This time, Washington will likely offer more general licenses to specific companies, and take some people off Treasury's list of "Specially Designated Nationals" targeted for sanctions, congressional aides and US officials said. Kerry's visit to Burma is his first since the party of Aung San Suu Kyi, the country's Nobel laureate, swept to power following a landslide election win in November. A Constitution drafted by the country's former military rulers bars her from becoming president. President Barack Obama's opening to Burma followed by its peaceful transition to an elected government is seen as one of his foreign policy achievements. He has visited there twice. But the administration also wants to maintain leverage on the country to guard against backsliding on reforms and to press for improvement on human rights. By renewing the legal framework for sanctions even as it eases some measures, Obama will offer the private sector more breathing room while maintaining pressure on its military, which still holds significant political power. The sanctions had been due to expire on May 20. Washington has deep concerns about human rights conditions in predominantly Buddhist Burma, especially violence against ethnic and religious minorities including Rohingya Muslims. 'Road to Democracy' Members of the US Congress, from both parties, are watching closely and could move to clamp down on Burma themselves if they think Obama is moving too quickly. Last month, senators Cory Gardner and Ben Cardin, the Republican and Democratic leaders of the Foreign Relations Asia subcommittee, wrote to Kerry and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew expressing concern about rights, and asking the administration to work with Congress to ensure those concerns were addressed. "Like you, we want to ensure that the US is [Burma's] strongest supporter on its road to democracy," the senators said in the letter, seen by Reuters. US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Suu Kyi supported the extension of US sanctions with some changes. Discussions with her have focused on how to properly target trade restrictions so they do not hurt Burma's overall economy, but keep pressure on military-owned institutions, they said. "We are looking to take steps to demonstrate our support for the new democratically elected government of [Burma] …and that we're taking the necessary steps to ensure that they succeed, that they can carry on economic developments and reforms," a senior administration official told Reuters. "At the same time we want to do that in a smart, measured way that gives us a range of options and flexibility to respond appropriately going forward," the official added. The United States is eager to expand relations with Burma to help counteract China's rise in Asia and take advantage of the opening of one of the world's last "frontier markets," growing but less developed emerging economies. Peter Kucik, a former senior sanctions adviser at the US Treasury, said despite an easing of some banking sanctions by the United States since 2012, transactions with Burma were still difficult. "I suspect the changes that get announced all drive at the same end goal: which is to promote and make easier the trade and business relationships between the two countries and encourage continued reform while minding concerns," said Kucik. "The details will really indicate where the principal areas of remaining concern are but broadly speaking they are going to be aligned with what we've seen so far," he said. Reporting by Lesley Wroughton, Patricia Zengerle and Matt Spetalnick in Washington. The post US to Renew Most Burma Sanctions with Changes to Aid Business appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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