The Irrawaddy Magazine |
- Elected YCDC Members Say They Have Been ‘Treated Badly’
- NLD Lawmakers Called Out for Rude Behavior
- Army Officers to Testify in Double Rape-Murder of Kachin Teachers
- Sagaing Protestors Near Naypyidaw, Face Police Resistance
- Two Hpakant Jade Mining Firms Rocked by Arson Attacks
- Ten Things To Do In Rangoon This Week (May 17)
- Hong Kong on High Alert for Chinese Visit as Independence Calls Grow
- Philippine President-Elect to Offer Cabinet Posts to Rebels
| Elected YCDC Members Say They Have Been ‘Treated Badly’ Posted: 17 May 2016 07:18 AM PDT  Khing Hlaing, an elected member of YCDC and an executive committee member—standing, second from left—talks to media representatives on Tuesday. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Elected members of the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) rejected an order from Rangoon's mayor to alter a regulation and effectively remove them from their positions before their terms had concluded. City mayor and YCDC chairman Maung Maung Soe released an order on Monday calling on the Rangoon regional government to "replace" Article 64 of the YCDC Election Regulations. The article allows serving committee members to work until the day before the newly elected members take their oaths after the election. "The term of district and township level committee members must be the same as the government's term," the mayor's proposed order reads. Currently, YCDC has elected 115 committee members, including four individuals representing four districts of the commercial capital who are now serving within the YCDC's executive committee. All were elected by the public in 2014's citywide elections—the first in more than 60 years. The executive committee is made up of nine members led by the mayor. Until Monday, the group included four members appointed by the previous government—all with military backgrounds—and four elected by the people. Three of the appointed members resigned on Tuesday; their term had been over since March 31 when the previous government had stepped down. Khin Hlaing, an elected YCDC member for Rangoon's western district who also serves on the executive committee, said the mayor's order was undemocratic. "What the Rangoon Chief Minister and Mayor have done is not in line with procedures," he said during a joint press conference with other elected committee members at his office at YCDC on Tuesday. He said that according to Article 85 of the same set of regulations, any announcement related to the regulations must first achieve a consensus within the committee before the mayor—the YCDC chairman—can submit such a proposal to the divisional government. "The chairman has no right to submit this to the government and release the order on his own wishes, without holding a committee meeting," he added. The reason for altering the specified article of the YCDC Election Regulations remains unknown, as Mayor Maung Maung Soe—who was appointed to the role in April by the National League for Democracy (NLD) government—was not available for comment at the time of reporting. Yet Tuesday's press conference revealed tension between the mayor and the elected committee members. Khin Hlaing said that since they took office in April, Rangoon Chief Minister Phyo Min Thein has not met with the elected officials—only with the appointed members; the mayor reportedly formed working committees with the appointed members to grant budgets and building permits. Khin Maung Tint, an executive committee member and YCDC representative for Rangoon's northern district, told The Irrawaddy that those elected felt they had been "kicked out." He speculated that the mayor had a preference for working alongside the appointed members. "It hurts our dignity as we were elected by the people. We are being badly treated," Khin Maung Tint said. Mayor and YCDC Chairman Maung Maung Soe, a retired professor from the Yangon Institute of Economics, has also been flagged in a recent controversy questioning the validity of his graduate degrees allegedly from institutes in the Netherlands and the US. On April 5, the Myanmar Times reported that the mayor's credentials could be purchased online for around US$300 (351,400 kyats). A letter widely shared on social media and reportedly from the Ministry of Education states that the mayor left the Yangon Institute of Economics after he was forced to retire in 2006. The post Elected YCDC Members Say They Have Been 'Treated Badly' appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| NLD Lawmakers Called Out for Rude Behavior Posted: 17 May 2016 05:02 AM PDT  Lower House lawmakers attend Parliament during the new chamber's first week on Feb. 4, 2016. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — At least 20 lawmakers from the National League for Democracy in regional legislatures and the Union Parliament have been singled out by constituents for being rude, said Myo Nyunt, an inspector at the ruling NLD's complaint center, on Tuesday. He declined to provide the names of the lawmakers or their constituencies. But he said that the majority of the complaints were leveled at members of divisional and state parliaments because they have more frequent interactions with their constituents. The NLD center has called the complainants to verify their reports and, after listening to their testimony, will determine whether to take action against the accused lawmakers. The center declined to give details on whether it had already made decisions to reprimand any of the lawmakers named by complainants, nor offer indication of what form the punishment might take. Khine Zin Oo, an NLD lawmaker from the Irrawaddy Division legislature, was surprised to hear that some of her colleagues were not polite to their constituents, saying she is a regular visitor to villages in her district. "I have never heard of anything like this before," she said. The NLD contested more than 1,000 races nationwide in the November 2015 election, winning nearly 80 percent of seats in the Union Parliament and a comparable proportion in most of the regional legislatures. Perhaps growing pains are to be expected: The vast majority of the party's winners are first-term lawmakers, and Aung San Suu Kyi has sought to run a tight ship as leader of the party, warning its members of the dangers of corruption and enrolling the new parliamentarians in capacity-building seminars. The expectations-laden new class of NLD legislators also agreed to take a pay cut earlier this year. The post NLD Lawmakers Called Out for Rude Behavior appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Army Officers to Testify in Double Rape-Murder of Kachin Teachers Posted: 17 May 2016 04:08 AM PDT  The bodies of two Kachin schoolteachers lie in wake in Muse, northern Shan State, in January 2015. (Photo: Maran Naw Di Awng / Facebook) RANGOON — Four senior army officers will testify at a township police station in Lashio, northern Shan State, on the rape and murder of two Kachin volunteer teachers allegedly perpetrated by Burma Army soldiers early last year, according to Kachin sources. Zau Raw, a leader from the Kachin Baptist Convention in Muse, a city on the Burma-China border, told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that the testimony of the four officers would be given Wednesday at 10 am at a police station. "We will go listen [to the Burma Army officers' testimony]," said Zau Raw, adding that Maj. Aung Phyo Myint, leader of the battalion under scrutiny at the time, would be one of the four army officers to testify this week. "It is too early to say what our expectations for this case are," said Zau Raw. "We will know what to think [Wednesday]." Kachin community leaders have accused, by name, the four men due to testify. Kachin leaders have been pressing the Burma Army to compel the soldiers suspected of involvement in the crime to testify for over a year, but prior appeals went unanswered. The badly beaten bodies of the two ethnic Kachin schoolteachers— Maram Lu Ra and Tangbau Hkawn Nan Tsin, both 20 years old—were discovered in Kaung Kha village, in northern Shan State, on the morning of Jan. 20 last year. Kachin community leaders were quick to accuse Burma Army personnel of being involved in the killings as the villagers said the area had recently been occupied by the Burma Army. Claims that military boot prints were found at the scene also surfaced. Aung Phyo Myint, who is expected to testify Wednesday, led Light Infantry Battalion 503, which was billeted in the village when the two teachers were killed. It is unusual for the Burma Army to allow its officers to testify at a police station or civilian court, with military tribunals serving as the powerful institution's preferred route to justice. The opaque nature of tribunal proceedings has left the system subject to criticism. "The officers are simply going to testify," said Lama Yaw, another leader from the Kachin Baptist Convention. "There has been no indication that they will give a confession." "The crime was committed over one year ago already but there has been no justice," he said. "This hurt the image of the country and the army. That's why they are letting their men testify." The post Army Officers to Testify in Double Rape-Murder of Kachin Teachers appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Sagaing Protestors Near Naypyidaw, Face Police Resistance Posted: 17 May 2016 03:04 AM PDT  Labor rights protestors continue their march to Naypyidaw on Tuesday. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) NAYPYIDAW — Protestors from a plywood factory in the Sagaing Industrial Zone who are marching from Sagaing Division to Naypyidaw arrived on Tuesday to Tatkon Township, 40 miles north of the capital. Workers from Myanmar Veneer Plywood Private Ltd. (MVPPL), which is owned by an Indian national, have said they were subjected to 12-hour workdays without overtime pay, one of a handful of grievances that prompted the march. Last October, they began protesting to demand labor rights including overtime pay, annual salary increases, higher wages for skilled laborers, bonuses and expenses for their living and transportation costs. After negotiations with workers and labor officials, the company agreed to accommodate the demands in February but did not deliver, leading to a sit-in protest in which more than 100 participants were fired. The dismissed workers continued the sit-in at the worksite for more than two months, after which they decided to march to Naypyidaw when another round of talks failed in late April. "Employees are constantly subjected to oppression by their employers," protestor Win Min Oo told The Irrawaddy. "We are marching to Naypyidaw so workers won't continue to be oppressed under the new government." The Ministry of Labor, Immigration and Population held a press conference regarding the issue last week, and Minister Thein Swe called for finding a solution through dialogue. He said his ministry had tried to settle disputes under the 2012 Labor Disputes Settlement Law, using mediation and arbitration committees at different levels. The law states that the central arbitration council's ruling is final regarding labor disputes. The council has ruled in favor of the plywood company. He sparked criticism when he added that the ministry was unable to intervene in the central arbitration council's ruling and that concerned authorities would take care of protestors who had continued to stage protests outside of the worksite. "The government's labor department is not reliable, so we decided to march to Naypyidaw," said Win Min Oo. Protestors have demanded that the company recognize the labor union, reinstate 60 of more than 100 dismissed workers, provide compensation and not take action against the marchers. "If our demands are not met, we'll send a petition to the president and continue to march to the office of the Ministry of Labor in Naypyidaw," said Win Min Oo. Male employees at the plywood factory earn a monthly salary of about US$100, while female employees earn $150, according to workers, adding that the company said if they produced 50,000 sheets of plywood a day, they would receive a $5 monthly salary increase. "It is utterly impossible to produce 50,000 sheets of plywood a day," said factory worker Pyae Phyo Aung. "We can hardly produce 20,000 sheets even working day and night shifts." He added that the workers' problems also stemmed from the fact that they were labor union members and a large number of union members were recently fired, whereas none of the non-members were dismissed. Witnesses said hundreds of police, prisoner transport vehicles, police vans and barriers were deployed in Tatkon Township on Monday evening, just prior to the protestors' arrival. Tatkon Township is part of the greater Naypyidaw Union Territory. The plywood factory reportedly employed 360 workers prior to the protests, and now operates with about 100. The post Sagaing Protestors Near Naypyidaw, Face Police Resistance appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Two Hpakant Jade Mining Firms Rocked by Arson Attacks Posted: 17 May 2016 02:11 AM PDT  A backhoe operates at a jade mine in Hmaw Si Sar village in the Hpakant region. (Photo: Nan Lwin Hnin Pwint / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Two jade mining companies in Kachin State's Hpakant Township have suspended operations after they were hit by arson attacks on Sunday night. The two companies, Yadanar Moe Myay Co. Ltd. and Lin Htet Aung Co. Ltd., both operate in Hmaw Si Sar village in the town of Lone Khin, said village administrator Lama Tu Ja. "About eight people entered the company compound by motorbike around 8pm on Sunday. They then asked people to stand to one side, at which point they lit and threw hand-made bombs wrapped in tape," Lama Tu Ja told The Irrawaddy of the Yanadar Moe Myay attack. Machinery was damaged during the attack, and local media reported that some employee housing was destroyed in a fiery explosion. The assailants carried out a similar attack on Lin Htet Aung Co. Ltd. Reacting to the explosion, a Yadanar Moe Myay official arrived at the company's compound, but the assailants pulled him from his car and "threw a bomb into it, totally destroying it," Lama Tu Ja said. The attacks forced more than 200 workers from the two companies to stay overnight in Tharyargon and Ah Hmike Pon villages, according to village administrators. Military officials are still investigating the explosion sites, said Maung Maung, an official at a jade mining company. They do not yet know who was responsible for the attacks. In the aftermath of the attacks, jade prospectors sifted through debris and waste Monday morning in search of the precious stones. While prospectors are normally prohibited from entering mining sites jointly operated by private companies and the government, as of April, and in response to prospectors' demands, they can enter mines and search for stones after companies close at 5pm. The Hpakant region was rocked by five bomb attacks a week earlier, on May 8: on a bridge, on the Su Htoo Pan Jade Mining Co. Ltd. and near military and police outposts. One civilian injury was reported. Locals in Hpakant frequently stage demonstrations to protest against jade mining companies' exploitation of the gem and their lack of environmental and worker safeguards. Locals also question the transparency that seems largely absent from the lucrative enterprise. According to a report in 2015 from the Ministry of Mines, which was subsumed into the Ministry of Resources and Environmental Conservation in a restructuring this year, 627 companies operate 7,714 mines, and another 230 jointly operate 311 mines with the government, in Hpakant. The post Two Hpakant Jade Mining Firms Rocked by Arson Attacks appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Ten Things To Do In Rangoon This Week (May 17) Posted: 17 May 2016 12:57 AM PDT
Art
This exhibition showcases 80 works from 16 artists. The paintings are priced between US$50-500. Where: Myanmar Artists & Artisans Organization at Bogyoke Market When: Wednesday, May 18 to Friday, May 20, 9am to 5pm
Hla Myint Maung will showcase his debut solo show at Gallery 65. It will include 34 paintings selling for US$350-700. Where: Gallery 65, No. 65, Yaw Min Gyi Street, Dagon Tsp. When: Friday, May 20 to Monday, May 23
Sue Htet Aung showcases his fourth solo show, called 'Pyithu.' It includes 13 paintings with prices between US$400-2,000. Where: Nawaday Tharlar Art Gallery, Room No. 304, 20/B, Yaw Min Gyi Road, Dagon Tsp. Tel: 09-43097918 When: Monday, May 15 to Sunday, May 22
Think Gallery features 43 works from three artists with prices between US$150 and US$1,000. Where: Think Gallery, No.23, Nawaday Street, Dagon Tsp. When: Friday, May 20 to Tuesday, May 24
Paloke Toke Journal has organized its sixth children's painting show. Lokanat Gallery will showcase 200 paintings for sale from young amateur artists. Where: Lokanat Galleries, 62 Pansodan St, 1st Floor, Kyauktada Tsp. Tel. 095-1382-269 When: Saturday, May 21 to Wednesday, May 25
Than Kywe will hold his sixth watercolor solo exhibition at Ayeyarwon Art Gallery. It will include 50 paintings with prices ranging from 150,000 to 250,000 kyats. Where: Ayeryarwon Art Gallery at No. 903–904, U Ba Kyi Street, 58 Ward, Dagon Seikkan Tsp. Tel: 09-45005 7167 When: Saturday, May 21 to Wednesday, June 1 Photography
Award-winning photographer Minzayar showcases never-before-seen work, including aerial photographs of Burma's Tenasserim region. There will be a total of 12 not-for-sale photos. Where: Myanmar Deitta, 3rd floor, No.49, 44th St, Botataung Tsp. When: Friday, May 20 to Friday, June 3 Technology
Computers, mobile phones, IT products and accessories will be on sale at discounted rates at Tatmadaw Hall Where: Tatmadaw Hall, U Wisara Road When: Friday, May 20 to Sunday, May 22
The boat party will bring together three DJs playing house music, gypsy, hip-hop and electronic beats. Arrive anytime after 4:30 p.m. The boat leaves at 5:30, returns at 8:15 and costs 15,000 kyats per person. Where: Botataung Jetty, The Royal Irrawaddy Boat When: Saturday, May 21 Music
Hip-hop artists Jouk Jack, Kyaw Htut Swe, Nine One, Shwe Htoo, X-Box, Lil's Z, Htet Yan, G Fatt and DJ Terror Bass perform at Kandawgyi. Tickets are 7,000 kyats and are available at a number of places including City Mart and Ocean Supercenter. Where: Kandawgyi Myaw Sin Island. Tel: 09-777223672 When: Saturday, May 21, 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm
The post Ten Things To Do In Rangoon This Week (May 17) appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Hong Kong on High Alert for Chinese Visit as Independence Calls Grow Posted: 16 May 2016 10:27 PM PDT  A local protester against mainland Chinese parallel traders carries a British Hong Kong colonial flag in Hong Kong, China, May 1, 2016. (Photo: Bobby Yip / Reuters) HONG KONG — Authorities worried about increasingly strident calls for Hong Kong independence are taking no chances ahead of a rare visit from one of China's top ranking officials, shutting down swathes of the city and reportedly gluing down pavers to quell the prospect of violent protests. Mainland Chinese media have cited the visit by Zhang Dejiang, China's No. 3 and the first senior official to come since the 2014 Occupy democracy protests, as an example of Beijing's concern and support for the Asian financial hub. Yet tensions are so palpable that thousands police have been mobilized to secure the city during Zhang's visit, which begins on Tuesday. Local media reported pavement bricks were being cemented to prevent them being used as missiles while police were camping atop a mountain where a pro-democracy banner was hung two years ago. Independence, a taboo topic under both British and Chinese rule, has become an increasingly mainstream subject in Hong Kong, with some activists calling for an outright breakaway from China, a move some politicians say would imperil Hong Kong's economic and political future. "These young people have no idea that they could be putting Hong Kong on a potentially dangerous collision course with the motherland and bringing an unmitigated disaster," wrote former top Hong Kong security official Regina Ip in an editorial in the state-run China Daily. "Separatism, or rather the anti-mainland doctrine in disguise, will…doom Hong Kong." The young activists see it differently. "[We] are facing a very great threat from China: Our culture, our language, our people…we are dying!" said Chan Ho-tin, the head of the newly-formed National party, expected to contest legislative elections in September. "Do [Hong Kong people] want to be a Chinese city or do they want to be an independent country? There are only two choices." Joshua Wong, another prominent young activist who launched a new political party called Demosisto this year, wouldn't rule out taking an independence line in upcoming campaigns. "The problem with young people is that they are not 100 percent pre-occupied with economic considerations," said Michael Tien, a Hong Kong delegate to China's parliament, the National People's Congress, which Zhang heads. "A lot of young people saying they don't want development, they want a better environment, they want better work-life balance, they want better quality of life." 'Closely Monitored' Hong Kong guarantees freedom of expression under the agreement that saw Britain return its former colony to Beijing in 1997, but authorities haven't ruled out taking action against pro-independence activists. "Any suggestion that [Hong Kong] should be independent or any movement to advocate such independence…would be inconsistent with the legal status of Hong Kong," the Department of Justice (DOJ) told Reuters. The DOJ said it was watching for "possible criminal activities" and would "closely monitor the situation, maintain close liaison with the relevant law enforcement agencies, and take such action as may be necessary." Hong Kong authorities said the "counter-terrorism security measures" were needed to ensure the safety of dignitaries during the visit. China is an umbilical cord for Hong Kong's economy, with Chinese capital succoring financial markets and millions of Chinese visitors powering its tourism and retail sectors. "Acts in favor of Hong Kong independence harm the sovereignty and security of the country, harm the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, and harm the fundamental interests of Hong Kong," Chinese Foreign Minister spokesman Hong Lei told reporters on Monday. Hong Kong also relies on China for food, water and electricity, making independence almost impossible in practice. "A lot of people in Hong Kong have jobs associated with the mainland," said Holden Chow, vice-chairman of the DAB party, Hong Kong's largest pro-Beijing political party. "If there are no more economic ties…then where are the jobs? There would be a rise in unemployment." Don't Vote for 'the Extremists' While Hong Kong's independence movement is perhaps more a reflection of worsening political divisions than a realizable goal, the challenge to Beijing's authority is unnerving some. Observers with close ties to Chinese officials say one of Zhang's priorities will be establishing relations with more moderate democrats to lower the heat. "He will send a positive signal to any pan-democrat who is willing to have a dialogue with China," Tien said. "This must be one of his key missions: To make sure the signal is strong enough that the electorate won't lambast the moderate pan-democrats and give all their votes to the extremists." The post Hong Kong on High Alert for Chinese Visit as Independence Calls Grow appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Philippine President-Elect to Offer Cabinet Posts to Rebels Posted: 16 May 2016 10:21 PM PDT  A life-size cut-out of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte looms over diners at a street stall in the center of Davao, May 13, 2016. (Photo: Andrew RC Marshall / Reuters) MANILA — Presumptive Philippine President-elect Rodrigo Duterte said Monday he will re-impose the death penalty, offer Cabinet posts to communist rebels, and move to amend the constitution to give more power to the provinces, in some of his first policy pronouncements since winning last week's election based on an unofficial count. In his first nationally televised news conference since the May 9 vote, Duterte also said he will launch a major military offensive to destroy Abu Sayyaf extremists on southern Jolo Island. The announcements, a sharp departure from current government policy, reflect his brash campaign pledge to end crime and corruption in the impoverished nation in three to six months. Police officials have said the plan is undoable, and that crime remains prevalent in Davao city, where Duterte has served as mayor for more than 22 years. The military has been fighting a decades-long Marxist insurgency in the countryside. Duterte said he would likely offer the Cabinet posts of environment and natural resources, agrarian reform, social welfare, and labor to the communist rebels. "They are the most vigilant group in the Philippines about labor so they would get it," Duterte said. The move would likely be strongly opposed by big business and industry. Duterte said he would ask Congress to re-impose the death penalty, which has been suspended since 2006 in the face of staunch opposition from the dominant Roman Catholic church. Capital punishment by hanging, he said, should be imposed for heinous crimes, and criminals convicted of killing along with robbery and rape should be meted "double the hanging." "After the first hanging, there will be another ceremony for the second time until the head is completely severed from the body," he said. Commission on Human Rights Chairman Chito Gascon said his agency opposes the death penalty and would block any attempt to re-impose it, adding that the constitution forbids cruel and degrading punishments like hanging. "In a country where the rule of law has so many loopholes and problems, what will happen is the possibility of a mistaken conviction," Gascon said by telephone. Duterte also plans to switch to a federal form of government, aiming to give more power and resources to regions, including the country's south, where Davao city is located. Such a change would require an amendment to the constitution. In a populist move, Duterte said he would sell the presidential yacht and use the money to buy medical equipment for military and police personnel. "When people are hungry and jobless… it would be an obscene thing" to have the luxury vessel lying unused, he said. TV network ABS-CBN also quoted him as telling reporters in Davao late Sunday that he plans to ban the use of luxury cars among his Cabinet members and will use his personal pickup truck as his official presidential vehicle. Duterte reiterated on Monday his vow to control illegal drugs and crime, even if it means losing the presidency or his life. "Stop messing with me, because I have a sacred promise to save the next generation from the evil of drugs," he told critics. He also promised to cut government red tape and remove corrupt officials. Duterte said "contaminated" police generals facing corruption cases should "get out now" before he assumes office. If not, they should prepare to be sent to invade the Abu Sayyaf militants, who have been blamed for multiple kidnappings and beheadings. "And if you are taken hostage there, say your 'Our Fathers' because I will never, never pay anything to retrieve you," he added. Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Visaya, whom Duterte is considering to head the military, said he met over the weekend with the mayor, who told him he wanted troops to finish off the Abu Sayyaf within the president's six-year term and to back up the police in going after drug syndicates. After the news conference, Duterte met with the ambassadors of China, Japan and Israel. Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua gave him a book of writings by Chinese President Xi Jinping. The post Philippine President-Elect to Offer Cabinet Posts to Rebels appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
The Irrawaddy picks 10 interesting events happening in Rangoon this week.
Myanmar Artists & Artisans Organization Exhibition (Central)
Hla Myint Maung's Gallery 65 Debut
'Pyithu' Exhibiton at Nawaday Tharlar Gallery
'Before the End' Exhibition
Children's Painting Showcase at Lokanat Gallery
Watercolor at Ayeyarwon Art Gallery
'Human Nature' Photo Exhibition
Yangon ICT Fair (Computer & Mobile) May 2016 
Sunset Boat Party
'First Step' Hip-Hop Show | You are subscribed to email updates from The Irrawaddy. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.