Wednesday, May 25, 2016

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Government Relocates Rangoon Squatters

Posted: 25 May 2016 08:27 AM PDT

People in Rangoon Division's Mingaladon Township watch as their homes are demolished on Jan. 26, 2015, after they were deemed squatters. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy)

People in Rangoon Division's Mingaladon Township watch as their homes are demolished on Jan. 26, 2015, after they were deemed squatters. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy)

RANGOON — The Rangoon divisional government plans to relocate squatters and provide them with temporary housing, said Rangoon Chief Minister Phyo Min Thein on Wednesday at a press conference.

He warned against trespassing and living on vacant, private or government land from Wednesday onward, and said that people who seek government housing dishonestly would be punished harshly under the existing laws.

Phyo Min Thein emphasized that only "real" squatters who legitimately need housing in Rangoon would qualify for this type of assistance. Other types of squatters he listed and described as landlord squatters, local property owners who also trespass onto government property; professional squatters, who may have purchased and re-sold land illegally; recognized squatters, who are understood as those living illegally on others' farmland; and anarchist squatters, known to fight back against the authorities and offer protection to other squatters.

He added that there were ethnic armed organizations co-opting land and that the other groups were trespassing or leasing land illegally for their own benefit.

The minister said squatters emerged in Rangoon after the 2012 by-election, when former chief minister Myint Swe bulldozed houses in Tha Mee Kalay village, which was previously army property. The land was then developed by local businessman Zaw Zaw when he brought workers to staff his rubber plantation, and later sold, leaving the workers as illegal residents on the land.

Htun Naing Ko, deputy director of the Rangoon administrative body, said there were over 400,000 squatters in the greater Rangoon area.

The local government will form committees at the district and township levels to investigate the squatters' backgrounds, print 200,000 application forms and decide who qualifies for housing.

"Squatters don't need national registration cards [to apply for housing]," said Phyo Min Thein. "They just need to show up. We'll take their photographs and record their names to avoid repetition."

He explained that about 45 days after the committees had sorted through applications, approval cards would be given. Those who qualified would be relocated to temporary camps, and regulations would be enforced against handing cards off to others once someone is relocated.

"If applicants aren't real squatters we will take action against them," said Htun Naing Ko.

The chief minister said the government would identify jobs for the squatters in factories and he expects that new foreign investment should help to address unemployment in the region. When asked by reporters about the costs of his approach, Phyo Min Thein did not give an estimated or allocated budget for the plan.

Yan Aung, 28, a squatter originally from Magwe Division but surviving as a laborer in Rangoon's Hlaing Tharyar Township said that relocation would not work because many squatters lived near where they could find jobs. He added that squatters would be unable to move without having first secured proper employment, and if they were forcibly removed it would only exacerbate the problem.

Yan Aung said he might be on the government's resettlement plan list, as he was asked to provide his information to an administrator in April and is currently living on Rangoon municipal land.

"We don't want to be the city's trash. Everyone who lives in this quarter is a citizen and authorities should listen to the voices of the squatters," he said.

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Embattled Ethnic Armed Groups Cast Doubt on Suu Kyi’s Peace Drive

Posted: 25 May 2016 08:18 AM PDT

Burma Army Commander-in-chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing looks at pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi during talks at the Presidential palace at Naypyidaw on April 10, 2015. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters)

Burma Army Commander-in-chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing looks at pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi during talks at the Presidential palace at Naypyidaw on April 10, 2015. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters)

The varying approaches of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and commander-in-chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing towards the peace process do not inspire confidence in its speedy resolution. But equally worrisome is the growing doubt over Suu Kyi's mooted "21st Century Panglong Conference" displayed by key ethnic armed groups that have come under considerable attack from the Burma Army in the last six months.

Suu Kyi has signaled her desire to include all of Burma's ethnic armed groups in the looming peace talks, but troops serving under Min Aung Hlaing have conducted intensifying campaigns against ethnic armed groups that refused to sign—or were excluded from signing—the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) in October last year.

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Lawi Weng is a Senior Reporter for The Irrawaddy English edition.

The NCA was signed by eight ethnic armed organizations, who represent only a minority of such groups in Burma, and do not include many of the most well-armed and influential.

One such non-signatory is the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the second largest ethnic armed group in Burma, operating from Kachin State near the Chinese border. The KIA has publicly expressed doubt over Suu Kyi's planned "21st Century Panglong Conference."

The political wing of the KIA is the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), which engaged in sporadic bilateral talks with the government after a 17-year ceasefire broke down in 2011. These talks eventually floundered, providing no relief to the 100,000-plus people displaced by the conflict between the KIA and the Burma Army in Kachin and northern Shan states.

The "21st Century Panglong Conference" seeks to draw all of Burma's ethnic armed groups—both those inside and outside of the NCA—into a political deal to resolve half a century of armed insurgency fueled by ethnic minority grievances. It is so named in reference to the 1947 Panglong Agreement signed between Suu Kyi's father Aung San and leaders representing some of Burma's ethnic minorities, prior to Burma's independence from Britain in 1948.

Daung Khar, who heads the KIO's Technical Advisory Team based in the Kachin State capital of Myitkyina, told The Irrawaddy: "We have lost trust with the government and the army and we doubt their motives." He noted that the National League for Democracy (NLD)-led government had kept quiet after the Burma Army's recent assaults on the KIA in northern Burma.

"We did not gain our ethnic rights from the first Panglong agreement. We have doubts whether we would gain them from this 'second Panglong,'" Daung Khar said.

Daung Khar contended that Burma is effectively still ruled by the military, which he said had successfully retained its influence and power despite the transition of executive power. As long as this lasts, "the prospects of obtaining our political goals [of federalism and self-determination for the Kachin people within the Union of Burma] remain dim."

Recent clashes between the Burma Army and the KIA have made for a very difficult working environment, in terms of building the trust necessary to resolving the conflict, Daung Khar continued.

"Whoever formally leads this country—Daw Suu [Aung San Suu Kyi] or any other person—we are no longer interested. Politics in Burma cannot move forward.".

The Shan State Army-North (SSA-N), whose political wing is the Shan State Progress Party (SSPP), has also publicly expressed doubts over Suu Kyi's "21st Century Panglong Conference." The Burma Army has waged a prolonged offensive campaign against the SSA-N's core positions since the NCA signing last year, which the SSA-N refused to take part in.

Last week, the SSA-N lost a temporary base in Noung Ma village, in northern Shan State's Hsipaw Township, after clashes with the Burma Army.

"We have suspicions that the Burma Army is trying to destroy the second Panglong conference," the SSPP/SSA-N said in a statement issued last week.

This is the time for trust-building between ethnic armed groups and the Burma Army, but the recent activity of the Burma Army—launching strong military offensives against Kachin, Palaung (Ta'ang) and Shan armed groups, after the NLD assumed formal control of the government—suggest that Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing is intent on destroying the necessary conditions for trust.

On a May 19 meeting in Naypyidaw, Min Aung Hlaing told a Chinese special envoy that all ethnic armed groups must "abide" by the "peace principles of the Tatmadaw" (as the Burma Army is known), and stick to their "designated areas" to avoid clashes, so that peace can be achieved through "the current political system," according to a post on the army commander-in-chief's Facebook page from the same day.

Min Aung Hlaing's words suggest no softening on his core position: that peace should be achieved on the Burma Army's terms.

He has also reiterated that three ethnic armed groups engaged in current or recent conflict with the Burma Army, and who were excluded from signing the NCA—the Ta'ang National Liberation Army, the Myanmar Nationalities Democratic Alliance Army and the Arakan Army—should disarm before joining formal peace talks with the government.

This is a condition that these three armed groups—who are closely allied, and whose participation in the peace process is crucial to quelling ongoing fighting in the west and north-east of the country—are unlikely to ever accept.

"[Min Aung Hlaing's] words just fuel civil war in the country and we condemn him for it," said a statement released jointly by the three groups.

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USDP Sets Sights On 2020 Comeback

Posted: 25 May 2016 06:27 AM PDT

Burma's former President and Union Solidarity & Development Party (USDP) Chairman Thein Sein had a meeting with USDP members from Rangoon Division on Monday at the divisional headquarters to talk about the party's ongoing policies and encourage members to promote the interests of the people to broaden the party's popular appeal. (Photo: USDP / Facebook)

Burma’s former President and Union Solidarity & Development Party (USDP) Chairman Thein Sein had a meeting with USDP members from Rangoon Division on Monday at the divisional headquarters to talk about the party's ongoing policies and encourage members to promote the interests of the people to broaden the party’s popular appeal. (Photo: USDP / Facebook)

RANGOON —  Chairman of Burma's previous ruling party, Thein Sein, urged the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) to reform in order to win the election in 2020—a clear statement that the USDP is trying to make a comeback after a humiliating election defeat at the hands of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) last year.

"Despite the many reasons [for our loss], the main cause is weakness in the party's central and lower levels. We all have to collaborate to review those weaknesses and reform the party to achieve success in the next election," said the former Burmese president during his meeting with more than 500 party members in Rangoon on Monday, according to the party's mouthpiece, The Union Daily.

Thein Sein left office in late March when he handed over power to President Htin Kyaw of the NLD government. The USDP, mostly made up of high-ranking former army officers, contested seats in more than 1,000 constituencies but only won 116.

After five years in the presidency, Thein Sein returned to the daily business of party politics in late April.

"I feel responsible for the loss. At same time I feel I have to help [the party] win again. That's why I am back talking to party [members]," said the ex-general.

The 71-year-old said the loss in the election could be blamed on the people responsible for carrying out the USDP's platform, arguing, "Since our policies are suited for the past, present and future, we only have to improve [the party members' implementation ability]."

Starting earlier this month, village- and quarter-level USDP branches across the country have selected new committee members and have held conferences prior to the higher level gatherings and the Central Committee meeting scheduled for July or August, when the party's top members are expected to be reshuffled, according to sources close to the USDP.

On Tuesday, Thein Sein also had a meeting with Union-level ministers who served during his term. The attendants included peace broker Aung Min, President's Office Minister Soe Thane, Immigration Minister Khin Ye and Livestock and Irrigation Minister Ohn Myint.

Ohn Myint wrote on his Facebook page that during the meeting, Thein Sein implored party members "to shape the USDP into a party the people love."

But not everyone is convinced.

Rangoon-based political commentator Yan Myo Thein said, "Thein Sein is daydreaming."

He added that the USDP expects to gain votes if Htin Kyaw's government, which they assume is inexperienced, fails to meet the people's expectations.

"What they don't understand is people are already tired of them. At the same time, the NLD still gets strong popular support," Yan Myo Thein said.

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Forthcoming Govt Body Aims to Get More Aid to More People

Posted: 25 May 2016 06:06 AM PDT

Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi speaks during a joint news conference with US Secretary of State John Kerry (not in picture) in Naypyidaw, May 22, 2016. (Photo: Nyein Chan Naing / The Irrawaddy)

Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi speaks during a joint news conference with US Secretary of State John Kerry (not in picture) in Naypyidaw, May 22, 2016. (Photo: Nyein Chan Naing / The Irrawaddy)

MANDALAY — Burma's government intends to form a donor coordination body to scrutinize the country's foreign aid so that it flows to where it is needed most.

According to the President's Office, this new government body, set to be established soon, will be responsible for reviewing all international aid intended for use by the government for projects relating to national development and national planning.

"The donor coordination body will be formed by the government to ensure that aid, especially aid in the government sector, reaches its intended recipients," said Zaw Htay, President's Office spokesperson.

He added that this is also to avoid overlap and poor management of funds.

"There are many effective projects, but there are also many ineffective ones, where the aid only reaches 30 to 40 percent of the people [who need it] while the other 60 percent is used for the project's staff, logistics, transportation and so on," Zaw Htay said.

He explained that much of the foreign aid that has gone toward government development projects in recent years has been hampered by a lack of coordination between ministries.

"That's why this body will operate according to the direction of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi—to make sure that aid goes, effectively, to where it's needed most," Zaw Htay said, adding that, at least initially, the body will accept only that aid which is necessary to spur Burma's growth in order to avoid a situation in which development is driven too prominently by foreign players.

Zaw Htay added that the duties and functions of this new body are not yet set in stone.

"It's still too early to say whether the donor coordination body will also investigate the foreign aid received by many NGOs and CSOs in the private sector," Zaw Htay said. "But if [this sort of oversight] is needed for the good of the country, then the body might try to coordinate with them as well."

Kyaw Thu, from local NGO Paung Ku, expressed support for the government's latest move to address Burma's perennial challenge of processing foreign aid.

"A similar donor coordination body and NGO guidelines have existed since 2006, but NGOs' capabilities have been limited. From what we understand, the aim of this new body isn't to control foreign aid but rather to promote cooperation and increase efficiency," he said.

"Sometimes, such as when collecting data and researching, it's necessary [for an NGO] to hire foreign experts, and it's costly to arrange the logistics and transportation. We can't afford for money not to go to locals. To ensure effectiveness, the donor coordination body must understand these various projects and generate better cooperation with donors."

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Report Reveals Unending Struggles for Political Prisoners

Posted: 25 May 2016 05:55 AM PDT

The cover of the report released by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. (Photo: The Irrawaddy)

The cover of the report released by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. (Photo: The Irrawaddy)

RANGOON — Than Than Htay, a 50-year-old former political prisoner, feels insecure whenever one of her family members yells at her cat, a companion she brought with her upon her release from prison five years ago.

"They would say 'Put that cat back in prison!' and I felt really insecure because I sometimes wondered if they wanted my cat or me to be back in prison again," she told The Irrawaddy at the report launch of "After Release I Had To Restart My Life From the Beginning" in Rangoon on Wednesday.

The report gathered data from more than 1,600 former political prisoners from January 2014 to July 2015, and was published by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) (AAPP) and the Former Political Prisoners Society (FPPS). It examines the life experiences of Burma's former political prisoners and the mistreatment that they encountered in prisons under the military regime.

According to the report, Burma has had between 7,000 and 10,000 political prisoners since 1962.

"I felt very sensitive to even such little things," Than Than Htay said. "Interactions with family, friends and my community became very different to me after I was released, and I felt very left out."

After 11 years of imprisonment, she is now working as a counselor at a rehabilitation program run by the AAPP, a Thailand-based organization founded by several of Burma's former political prisoners.

"The primary objective was to examine the life experiences of former political prisoners in Burma, including the human rights violations encountered during interrogation and in prison and the difficulties faced since their release," the report said.

The AAPP put together the publication to reveal the widespread mistreatment and systematic use of torture perpetrated against political prisoners by state interrogators and to encourage those who committed such crimes to admit their wrongdoings.

"This report shines a spotlight on the situation of the political prisoners and what they have gone through," Tate Naing, the secretary of AAPP said at the launch event.

According to Tate Naing, the report documents human rights violations that former political prisoners suffered while in detention and is crucial to rehabilitation and reparation.

Bo Kyi, the joint secretary of the AAPP, told The Irrawaddy that the report is an initial step toward seeking justice for all who suffered and sacrificed their lives during Burma's path to democracy.

"We are not talking about revenge," he said. "We just want to reveal the truth so that we can heal the wounds of those who suffered."

"For me, this report is about documenting an unjust system," he said referring to the military regime that governed Burma for over five decades since a coup d'etat in 1962.

The report also made recommendations for the government and Parliament: Release all political prisoners unconditionally, adopt an internationally recognized definition of the term 'political prisoner' and guarantee and contribute to reparations for former political prisoners and their family members.

The report was funded by the Project 2049 Institute, the US Department of State and the University of California, Irvine's School of Law.

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KBZ to Launch Satellite Communications Platform

Posted: 25 May 2016 04:18 AM PDT

KBZ Gateway's base plant in the town of Pegu (Bago), which aims to start operations in roughly two months. (Photo: Brighter Future Myanmar Foundation / Facebook)

KBZ Gateway's base plant in the town of Pegu (Bago), which aims to start operations in roughly two months. (Photo: Brighter Future Myanmar Foundation / Facebook)

RANGOON — KBZ Gateway, a subsidiary of the prominent KBZ Group conglomerate owned by tycoon Aung Ko Win, on Tuesday announced a new platform for high-speed satellite communication services in Burma. Its initial effects will be felt in the banking sector, followed by telecommunications.

The platform is based on VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) technology, and will be delivered in partnership with international satellite broadband firms Hughes Network Systems LLC (HughesNet) and Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Ltd (AsiaSat).

Seeking improved, faster financial services, KBZ Gateway will initially target the new satellite communication platform at banks, before moving on to telecommunication operators, according to a statement from the firm. KBZ Gateway has established a base plant in the town of Pegu (Bago), northeast of Rangoon, and aims to start operations in roughly two months.

"KBZ Gateway will offer VSAT satellite services to customers across the country, promising safe and speedy international telecommunication services at competitive prices," the statement said.

HughesNet is a US-based satellite broadband provider, which delivers services to enterprises and government agencies in multiple different countries. AsiaSat is a Hong Kong-based company that operates numerous satellites for commercial use.

Since the launch of political and economic reforms by the previous government in 2011, Burma has seen a rapid transformation in its previously stunted telecommunications sector.

With the ending of a state monopoly, two foreign operators entered the market in 2014, significantly lowering prices and precipitating a dramatic expansion in access to mobile internet and phone services. In June 2015, Burma reportedly had a mobile phone penetration rate just over 50 percent, up from less than 10 percent in 2012.

However, broadband internet services remain expensive, slow and unreliable, in comparison to other countries in the region. Alongside unstable and limited access to the electrical grid in many parts of the country, this continues to hamper business growth and efficiency.

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As Lines Form for Water, Burma Pins Hopes on Suu Kyi

Posted: 25 May 2016 03:05 AM PDT

A man carries water in drought-hit Sagaing Division in March of this year. (Photo: Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy)

A man carries water in drought-hit Sagaing Division in March of this year. (Photo: Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy)

DALA TOWNSHIP, Rangoon Division — Every year at this time, the ponds and wells go dry. People walk for hours to fill their plastic buckets at a lotus-filled pond that is the only clean source of drinking water in this community outside Burma's biggest city, Rangoon.

The dry season, which typically runs from April through May, has been compounded this year by an El Niño-induced drought that added several months to the water shortage affecting Dala Township.

But this year's dry season has also ushered in a new sense of hope.

The arrival of Aung San Suu Kyi's government on April 1 opened a new chapter in Burma. The Nobel Peace laureate heads the first civilian government after a half-century of military control, meaning the people have great expectations and the democracy crusader has an enormous list of challenges.

"I hope we can get away from this trouble under the new government," said 35-year-old villager Aye Aye Tin, a mother of seven who lined up with dozens of others at the pond, which is fenced off and padlocked. It opens to the public between 5 pm and 6 pm, because there's only so much water to go around.

Suu Kyi's government has been digging wells for villagers facing water shortages across the country, as part of the government's plan for its first 100 days in office. But the needs are still enormous, and many communities, including Dala, have yet to receive much help.

"I am very tired at the end of the day from carrying heavy buckets of water back and forth. I cannot even move at night, but this is how we have to survive," Aye Aye Tin said.

Burma is one of the poorest nations in the world. Decades of military rule have devastated the country's infrastructure. Unemployment and economic stagnation have become the norm. Droughts, floods, pest infestations and limited agricultural supplies have contributed to the country's desperate need for food and water.

A quasi-civilian government in power from 2011-15 implemented nascent democratic reforms that have resulted in a development boom, with the World Bank and others pouring billions of dollars into the country of nearly 52 million as it starts to open up to the world. But so far, it is mostly the big cities that are seeing the benefits.

The current drought has hit Burma hard, along with neighboring countries in Southeast Asia.

"Myanmar has faced water shortages for more than a decade, but it was never this bad before," said Tun Lwin, an independent meteorologist and former director of the Department of Meteorology. "This year about 2,000 villages are facing water shortage problems, about triple the number usually affected."

Most ponds in Dala Township dried up in February. And communities in the area fear their access to water will become even more limited before the rains come. The rainy season usually starts in mid-May but is late this year.

"If there is no rain and if the water level of the pond goes down a lot, we will have to ask people to collect water only a few days in a week instead of allowing them an hour every day," said Hla Myit, secretary general the village's reservoir conversation committee.

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Civilians Beaten by Burma Army Soldiers: Sources

Posted: 25 May 2016 01:40 AM PDT

A photo of Laiza, near Namt Seng Yang village, where two civilians say they were beaten by Burma Army soldiers this week. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy)

A photo of Laiza, near Namt Seng Yang village, where two civilians say they were beaten by Burma Army soldiers this week. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy)

Two civilians have claimed they were beaten by Burma Army troops under the suspicion of being Kachin Independence Army (KIA) soldiers in Waingmaw Township, Kachin State.

Zaw Awng and Naw Seng, both 32-year-old men, say they were detained for three hours by four soldiers from Light Infantry Battalion 381, under Brigade No. 3, on Tuesday afternoon in Namt Seng Yang village, which is now under the government army's control.

Namt Seng Yang village, on the road linking Myitkyina to Bhamo, is a 45-minute motorcycle drive to Laiza, the location of the KIA's headquarters.

Zaw Awng, who posted pictures of wounds on the back of his thighs on his Facebook page, said: "They held a gun to my temple and accused us, especially my friend, of being KIA soldiers."

"Because I said no, they stepped on my head, wrapped a plastic bag around my head and beat me with green bamboo slat," he told The Irrawaddy.

Naw Seng, who used to be a motorbike taxi driver, told The Irrawaddy that he was detained and, while topless, forced to wrap his arms around a pole in a decrepit hut.

"I was slapped twice on the cheeks and hit five times on my thigh," he said. "We were freed after about three hours. The village head, who arrived before we were released, was able to confirm that we were not KIA soldiers because he knows us."

The Ministry of Defense's spokesperson could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.

The victims said they were working on nearby banana farms, and wanted to report the incident, but were unable to reach authorities because of travel restrictions.

Naw Seng said it is not easy to travel to Kachin State's capital, Myitkyina, from Laiza and back anymore because both armies restrict civilian movements.

"I used to drive a motorbike taxi and transported people from Myitkyina to Laiza," Naw Seng said. "But since they started putting up fences about two or three months ago, I had to go work on the banana plantations."

Since the 17-year bilateral ceasefire agreement broke down between the KIA and the government in 2011, many civilians have been arrested on suspicion of being KIA soldiers and charged under the Unlawful Association Act. The KIA, which did not sign last year's Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), is still on the unlawful association list.

Lamai Gum Ja, a member of the Peace-talk Creation Group (PCG), said such cases of civilians being questioned and beaten have been frequent since the war reignited nearly five years ago, especially in areas where both the KIA and the Burma Army are active.

"The public is still living in fear because we don't know when we could be called in for questions or when fighting might occur," he said.

Since 2011, PCG has served as a bridge between the KIA and its political wing, the Kachin Independence Organization, and the Burma Army. But Lamai Gum Ja said it has recently become more difficult for the two sides to address sensitive issues, such as the detainment of civilians.

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Activists Urge Inquiry After Rohingya Shot in Thai Detention Center Breakout

Posted: 24 May 2016 11:49 PM PDT

The hands of a Rohingya victim of trafficking are seen as he listens to questions during an interview with the Thomson Reuters Foundation at a temporary shelter in Thailand on Sept. 22, 2015. (Photo: Reuters)

The hands of a Rohingya victim of trafficking are seen as he listens to questions during an interview with the Thomson Reuters Foundation at a temporary shelter in Thailand on Sept. 22, 2015. (Photo: Reuters)

BANGKOK — Rights groups called on Tuesday for an independent investigation into the fatal shooting of a Rohingya Muslim from Burma who was involved in a dramatic mass breakout from a detention center in southern Thailand.

Twenty-one Rohingya men escaped from the Phang Nga Immigration Detention Center in the early hours of Monday after sawing through an iron bar in their communal cell.

One was shot dead and three caught after they kicked, pushed and threw stones at police and immigration officers who chased them up a nearby mountain, police said.

Eleven more Rohingya were arrested on Tuesday and will be charged with fleeing detention, police said. Another four are still missing.

Police are investigating the shooting but several rights groups called for an independent inquiry.

"The police need to demonstrate that a legitimate cause existed to justify the use of lethal force against a group of refugees," said Amy Smith, executive director of Fortify Rights based in Southeast Asia.

Tens of thousands of Rohingya have fled poverty and persecution in western Burma since sectarian violence erupted there in 2012.

Many have been arrested by Thai authorities or ended up in human trafficking camps in the jungles of southern Thailand as they tried to reach Malaysia.

Most Rohingya are stateless and unrecognized by the two countries they call home—Bangladesh and Burma.

This complicates repatriation and can lead to lengthy spells in overcrowded Thai detention centers, which Rohingya often try to escape.

Rights groups urged Thailand to end the indefinite detention of refugees and human trafficking survivors—some of whom have been in detention for two years—and warned there would be further breakouts.

"This will happen a second time, a third time," said Siwawong Suktawee of the Migrant Working Group Thailand, a network of non-profits advocating for migrants and refugees.

"During Ramadan, which begins in June, that is when families normally get together, and I think the pressure of their detention may cause the situation to explode again," he said.

The Migrant Working Group Thailand said more than 400 Rohingya were held in Thai detention centers.

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said it would work with the Thai authorities to find alternatives to detention.

"It's deeply tragic that a refugee life should have been lost. This incident underscores UNHCR's serious concerns on a worldwide basis over the use of detention for dealing with people forced to flee war or persecution," UNHCR spokeswoman Vivian Tan said by email.

Col. Chote Chidchai, deputy chief of police in Phang Nga province, said the officer who fired the shots was under investigation.

"It was an intentional shooting, but he was doing his job. Right now we're in the process of investigating," he added.

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Tens of Thousands Need Aid After Deadly Cyclone Pounds Bangladesh, Sri Lanka

Posted: 24 May 2016 11:41 PM PDT

A man cleans his house, which was affected by the floods in Biyagama, Sri Lanka, on May 22, 2016. (Photo: Reuters)

A man cleans his house, which was affected by the floods in Biyagama, Sri Lanka, on May 22, 2016. (Photo: Reuters)

NEW DELHI — Tens of thousands of people in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka need aid including clean drinking water, dry food rations and medicines after a deadly cyclone hammered the South Asia region, aid agencies said on Tuesday.

With wind speeds reaching 56 mph and heavy rains, cyclone Roanu struck Bangladesh on Saturday, after buffeting India and Sri Lanka in the Bay of Bengal—killing at least 120 people and affecting hundreds of thousands more in the region.

Aid workers said Roanu's torrential rains triggered flooding, landslides and tidal surges mostly in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh—ripping apart thousands of rickety homes, burying entire villages and inundating swathes of farmland.

"Tens of thousands of poor families will have lost most of their assets—not just their houses, but also their food stores, seasonal crops and vital livestock such as cows, goats and ducks," said Shakeb Nabi, Christian Aid's Bangladesh head.

"Access to food, safe drinking water, health supplies and sanitation materials is limited in some villages. Water points have been ruined, ground water contaminated and agricultural land destroyed."

In Sri Lanka, where more than a week of heavy rains has triggered the worst flooding in 25 years, the United Nations said it was worried about the spread of diseases due to large amounts of standing water.

The World Health Organization said there was an increased risk of vector borne diseases like malaria, water borne and diarrheal diseases, the bacterial disease leptospirosis, fungal diseases and acute respiratory infections.

"Prevention measures to combat such diseases are essential," it added.

Roanu is the first cyclone of the season, which generally lasts from April to December, with severe storms often causing mass evacuations from coastal low-lying villages and widespread crop and property damage.

Rushing In Relief

Aid agencies in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka said they had begun distributing relief in the worst affected districts and foreign aid had started arriving in Sri Lanka from countries including India, Pakistan and Singapore.

Half a million people have had their lives disrupted in Bangladesh's low-lying coastal areas such as Barisal and Chittagong, and over 255,000 people are affected in Sri Lankan districts including Kegalle, Gamapaha and the capital Colombo in the west.

"We have pre-positioned household materials and hygiene kits that we can dispatch to affected areas and distribute to communities in urgent need," said Senait Gebregziabher, country director for Plan International.

"These materials will be essential as children and families affected by the cyclone, particularly those forced to leave their homes, will most likely be seeking food, shelter, basic sanitation and access to clean water."

Sri Lanka has reported 94 deaths and 107 people missing. Bangladesh said at least 24 people had died and India reported two deaths.

UN emergency officials said Roanu also brought heavy rains and flooding to coastal eastern and southern India and western parts of Burma, but the impact was less severe.

The post Tens of Thousands Need Aid After Deadly Cyclone Pounds Bangladesh, Sri Lanka appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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