The Irrawaddy Magazine |
- NCA Signatories Meet Tin Myo Win, Tipped as NLD’s Lead Peace Envoy
- Farmers Protest Resumption of Letpadaung Copper Mining
- Facebook Firebrand Arrested Over Alleged Defamation of Burma’s Leaders
- New State Counselor Ministry Proposed for Suu Kyi
- Mandalay Maps New Zoning Plan
- New Tourism Plan Highlights Local Communities
- Military Defends Conduct in Arakan as Lawmakers Debate Conflict
- Aging Thailand Takes Toll on Indebted Households
- ‘Waiting for Order to Kill’: China Video Seeks Army Recruits
| NCA Signatories Meet Tin Myo Win, Tipped as NLD’s Lead Peace Envoy Posted: 05 May 2016 06:42 AM PDT  Dr. Tin Myo Win, the personal physician for Aung San Suu Kyi. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Representatives of eight non-state armed groups that signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) in October met on Wednesday with Dr. Tin Myo Win, personal physician of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, to discuss reforming a body key to peace negotiations, the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC). The ethnic representatives met Tin Myo Win at Green Hill Hotel in Rangoon, according to Saw Mya Yazar Lin, a central executive member of the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP), an NCA signatory. The doctor has been tipped as the NLD government's lead peace negotiator with ethnic armed groups, assuming the role taken by President's Office Minister Aung Min in the previous military-backed government. "We invited Dr. Tin Myo Win to talk and explained to him our current political stance. We talked about how to move forward peacefully, avoiding political deadlock in the future," said the ALP's Saw Mya Yazar Lin. She said the eight NCA signatories discussed reforming the UPDJC, a 48-member body with equal representation of Burma Army officials, members of NCA signatory non-state armed groups and political parties. The UPDJC was previously chaired by Aung Min, and tasked with conducting the political dialogue between the government and ethnic armed organizations under the terms of the ceasefire signed on Oct. 15. Saw Mya Yazar Lin stressed the necessity and importance of the UPDJC. "Since the new government has come into power, the JMC [Joint Monitoring Committee] has assumed control of political decision-making." The participants proposed to Tin Myo Win that the UPDJC be given equal space, and emphasized the need to reform the UPDJC for future negotiations. It is believed that the NCA signatories wish to keep the UPDJC so as to balance the influence of the JMC, in light of the prospect of a diminishing UPDJC role under the new government. Like the UPDJC, the JMC includes NCA signatories in its membership. Both were formed under the previous government. The UPDJC is currently led by former Vice President Sai Mauk Kham, who is a member of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), and Saw Kwe Htoo Win, general secretary of the Karen National Union (KNU). The JMC, however, is led by Burma Army Lt-Gen Yar Pyaye and Saw Isaac Poe of the KNU. Suu Kyi met with the JMC in Naypyidaw on April 27, and declared that she "[did] not want much time to pass before a 21st century Panglong-style conference is held." The ALP's Saw Mya Yazar Lin said she considered a "21st century Panglong-style" style conference to be "in line with our goal." She said Tin Myo Win responded positively to the ethnic armed groups' suggestions but could only report them to the state counselor, Suu Kyi, because he had not yet been given an official mandate. "We also urged him to bring non-NCA signatory groups into the peace dialogue process. We have always strived to get the non-NCA signatories involved in political talks." The Irrawaddy reporter Nan Lwin Hnin Pwint contributed reporting. The post NCA Signatories Meet Tin Myo Win, Tipped as NLD's Lead Peace Envoy appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Farmers Protest Resumption of Letpadaung Copper Mining Posted: 05 May 2016 05:54 AM PDT  Local farmers protesting the Letpadaung copper mining project in Sagaing Division's Salingyi Township on Thursday. (Photo: Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy) MANDALAY — Locals near the Letpadaung copper mining project in Sagaing Division's Salingyi Township staged a second day of protests as mining resumed on Thursday. Despite the presence of police stationed near the area, some 300 farmers, many of whom had land confiscated for the controversial mining venture, showed up to urge that mining be stopped and that villagers be compensated for losses incurred because of the project. "We crossed police lines to reach the liaison office of Wanbao company," said Sandar, a farmer from Tone village who joined the protest, referring to the Chinese firm in a joint venture with military-owned Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited (UMEHL) for the mining project. According to protesters, a letter was sent on Tuesday to National League for Democracy (NLD) chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi, who led a parliamentary committee overseeing implementation of the project under the previous government, asking that Letpadaung copper mining be stopped. "We showed our disapproval that mining resumed without following the instructions of [Suu Kyi's] committee," Sandar said. "The company was supposed to compensate farmers for crops and land that had been confiscated because of the project. But it didn't do anything about compensation or about environmental safeguards." Protesters said the letter was also sent to Sagaing's divisional government and to Burma's national government. "We don't want the project. We're jobless once our land is confiscated, and many of us have to go to cities to work as construction laborers," said Mar Cho, also from Tone village. "We've suffered enough. We just want our land back." According to the farmers, Wanbao and UMEHL have unofficially been mining in the area since 2013, despite official notice to stop after a brutal government crackdown on a protest near the site in 2012. However, Wanbao officials said mining in previous years was a trial period. "We're going to begin mining on a business level, starting from today," said Hla Sein, project manager of Wanbao, on Thursday. "And regarding compensation, we offered it [to farmers], but they wouldn't take any. It's all up to them. We don't know what to do about it. We're following every rule laid out in the report in terms of environmental matters and the development of the region," Hla Sein said, referring to a report compiled by Suu Kyi's parliamentary committee following its probe into the project. The post Farmers Protest Resumption of Letpadaung Copper Mining appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Facebook Firebrand Arrested Over Alleged Defamation of Burma’s Leaders Posted: 05 May 2016 05:36 AM PDT  Nay Myo Wai speaks at an event against constitutional change to Article 59(f), the clause barring Aung San Suu Kyi from Burma's presidency. (Photo: Nay Myo Wai / Facebook) PATHEIN, Irrawaddy Division — Nay Myo Wai, ultra-nationalist provocateur and leader of a fringe political party, was arrested on Wednesday night outside Burma's commercial capital Rangoon, after being sued for allegedly defaming the president, army chief and state counselor on social media. Wai Yan Aung, an executive member of the Burma Teachers' Federation, filed the lawsuit against him at a police station in Irrawaddy Division's Kangyidaunt Township on Wednesday under Article 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law. The litigant accused him of defaming President Htin Kyaw, Commander-in-Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing and State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, and of spreading Facebook posts and photos instigating unrest. One of the posts featuring doctored images depicts Suu Kyi as a beggar and another portrays her in a sexually suggestive position with an accompanying speech bubble that leaves little doubt about the digital manipulator's intended meaning, but which will not be relayed by this news outlet. A photo of Min Aung Hlaing is accompanied by a caption asserting that the commander-in-chief dare not stage a coup because he is secretly hoping to have an extramarital affair with the widow Suu Kyi. Htin Kyaw is targeted in one post as the president of a government formed by the "prostitute" and "kalar" party, referring to Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) and using a pejorative Burmese term used in modern times for Muslims of South Asian blood and also applied to British occupiers during the colonial era. Article 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law stipulates punishment of up to three years' imprisonment for using a telecommunications network to defame. As well as being used by the previous, military-back government against dissidents who satirized the military on social media, a Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) township secretary received a six-month prison sentence for sharing doctored images on Facebook of the head of Suu Kyi transposed onto the body of a naked woman. A police official from Irrawaddy Division told The Irrawaddy that local police in Rangoon and Irrawaddy Division searched his residence in Rangoon before arresting him on the Rangoon-Mandalay highway. "We are detaining him now in Pathein Prison and are investigating the case," he said. Pathein is the administrative capital of Irrawaddy Division. Nay Myo Wai is chairman of the Peace and Diversity Party, which contested the 2015 general election on a strong anti-Muslim platform but failed to win any seats. He is a supporter of the prominent Buddhist nationalist group the Association for the Protection of Race and Religion, popularly known by its Burmese-language acronym Ma Ba Tha. Nay Myo Wai's anti-Muslim invectives, including on social media, have gained him some notoriety. In May of last year, he issued Facebook posts threatening to physically attack and "feed pork curry" to participants of a nationwide Muslim conference in Rangoon, although the government ultimately refused permission for the conference. Two Facebook accounts and three Facebook pages bearing his profile have been identified, and include his name, political party affiliation and phone number. Two of the three pages appear to be inactive. However, the others see regular uploads, including photos supporting anti-Muslim campaigns. The litigant Wai Yan Aung said that, if he does not operate the accounts spreading defamatory posts and photos, Nay Myo Wai could have reported this to Facebook's administrators—but he did not. "For the case, I presented three pieces of evidence together with screenshots of posts from his account," Wai Yan Aung said. Additional reporting by San Yamin Aung and Zue Zue in Rangoon. The post Facebook Firebrand Arrested Over Alleged Defamation of Burma's Leaders appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| New State Counselor Ministry Proposed for Suu Kyi Posted: 05 May 2016 04:31 AM PDT  Aung San Suu Kyi, right, and President Htin Kyaw enter Parliament in March 2016. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — A proposal from Burma's President Htin Kyaw to form a new ministry for State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi was formally brought to the Union Parliament floor on Thursday. A document outlining the "Ministry of the State Counselor's Office" proposal was read out in the chamber by Speaker Mahn Win Khaing Than, in which the president was quoted as saying "it is necessary to have a ministry to successfully implement the missions of national reconciliation, domestic peace, national development and the rule of law." The Speaker did not offer any indication as to who might head the new ministry and oversee its vague portfolio, but speculation has tipped Suu Kyi's personal physician, Dr. Tin Myo Win, for the post. Tin Myo Win, long a close Suu Kyi ally, has also been given a leading role in coming peace negotiations between the new government and ethnic armed groups. He is widely expected to head a new iteration of the Myanmar Peace Centre (MPC), which Suu Kyi last week suggested would be renamed the National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC). According to a report in state-run media, the doctor's new prominent place in Burma's peace process was announced at Suu Kyi's meeting with the Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committee, made up of government and military representatives, as well as non-state armed group signatories to the so-called nationwide ceasefire agreement. Aung Moe Zaw, chairman of the Democratic Party for a New Society, told The Irrawaddy that the new ministry was a "necessity" given the daunting challenges facing Suu Kyi, who has indicated that she intends to lead reforms on several fronts. "I think that this new ministry is a necessity for those who are actually working for the country's sake," he said. "She won't have time to take care of every little thing as she has many [critical] works to do." Aung Moe Zaw said given that the proposed ministry would likely be closely involved in the delicate peace process, which Suu Kyi intends to lead, Tin Myo Win as trusted confidante to the state counselor would make for a logical choice. If Tin Myo Win is confirmed to take the new ministerial post and peace negotiator position, his involvement would likely be similar to that of the previous government's chief peace negotiator Aung Min, a Union-level President's Office minister under the government of former President Thein Sein who also led the MPC. If the proposal wins parliamentary approval, it would be the 22nd leadership position in the cabinet of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD), which is currently made up of 21 ministries. Creation of the new ministry would appear all but certain, given the NLD's commanding majorities in both houses of the Union legislature. The speaker on Thursday welcomed input from lawmakers during upcoming deliberation of the proposal, which is scheduled for a parliamentary session next week. The post New State Counselor Ministry Proposed for Suu Kyi appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Posted: 05 May 2016 03:24 AM PDT  An aerial view of the Mya Nan San Kyaw Palace in Mandalay. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) MANDALAY — The Mandalay City Development Committee (MCDC) is working on a new zoning plan for the city, in an effort to preserve its cultural heritage while allowing for development and modernization. The plan will designate eight zones—cultural conservation zones around the ancient moat and surrounding Mandalay Hill, development restriction and stimulation zones, green zones, high-rise permissible and restricted areas, and a mid-rise housing zone. Details including zoning locations for the proposed plan have not been finalized. "The major difficulty with finishing the plan is that we don't have a digitized map of Mandalay. So, we are making one with the help of 15 engineers and a software program," said Zaw Win, an official with the municipality. The proposal will be submitted to the divisional parliament soon, according to the official, who added that new construction would have to abide by the zoning plan once it is approved. "Once the zoning map comes out, Mandalay residents will know which zone they are living in and what types of buildings they are allowed to build," he said. Students of Mandalay Technological University have teamed up with the staff of MCDC to conduct a survey on population, vehicle use, water supply, municipal garbage disposal systems and building use, to acquire relevant social and economic data to be included in the digitized map. Architect and managing director of Mandalay-based C.A.D. Construction Co. Zin Min Swe said city authorities should follow the lead of other big cities and consider which aspects of urban planning would best suit Mandalay, Burma's second largest city. "High-rise restricted areas, mixed development zones, residential zones and cultural zones should be established without impacting the growth of the town," he said. Although there is not a designated historical zone in Mandalay, the Religious Affairs and Culture Ministry divides the cultural heritage zones into three different designations—Ancient Site Zone (AZ), Ancient Monumental Zone (MZ) and Protected and Preserved Zone (PZ), with only PZ areas allowing commercial buildings following ministry approval. The Department of Archaeology at Mandalay's National Museum and Library has also taken steps to preserve some areas. "For example, only certain types of buildings are permitted within 120 yards of the city wall and the moat," said Nyo Myint Tun, director of the department. "We impose restrictions on three areas: height, color and design," he added. Zaw Win confirmed that although the zoning plan is still being drafted, measures are currently being taken to preserve religious buildings and heritage sites. Mandalay was the last royal capital of the Konbaung Dynasty, before the British annexed Burma in 1885. Among Mandalay Division's cultural zones are the old city sites of Bagan, Pinle, Myinsaing, Pinya and more. According to the National Museum and Library, there are 218 ancient buildings in and around Mandalay, with 63 of them within Mandalay's municipal area. The post Mandalay Maps New Zoning Plan appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| New Tourism Plan Highlights Local Communities Posted: 05 May 2016 02:53 AM PDT  Shan State's famous Inle Lake, a popular destination in Burma for foreign tourists. (Photo: Tin Htet Paing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Burma's Hotels and Tourism Ministry will emphasize development of community-based tourism as one of the first priorities in its 100-day policy, according to an official statement issued by the ministry earlier this week. The policy includes a three-pronged strategy for the country's fast-growing tourism industry—to expand community-based tourism (CBT), build the capacity of the tourism human resources pool and develop existing popular destinations, as well as promoting less frequented locales. The ministry has pledged to begin implementing the plan within the first 100 days of the new National League for Democracy (NLD) administration. The CBT development plan includes six main pilot projects to be carried out at different destinations around the country: Kachin State's Indawgyi Lake area; the townships of Loikaw and Thandaunggyi in Karenni and Karen states, respectively; the Pa-O self-administered zone in Shan State; Magwe Division's Myaing Township; and in Mandalay Division, the Mingun area and Kyauk Myaung village, according to the statement. The projects aim to empower local communities by helping to establish village-level guesthouses and package tours, enhancing visitor management mechanisms, and highlighting foreign language skills so that guides can attract tourists to local activities such as trekking, bird watching and environmental conservation, the statement says. According to Myint Htwe, director of the ministry's public relations and information department, Burma's tourism industry has put too much focus on cultural tourism and CBT should be used instead, as a new approach for the country to build sustainable tourism. "Local communities can truly benefit from CBT as it directly engages the lowest levels of the community," Myint Htwe told The Irrawaddy. The policy was made in part based on recommendations from the private sector and does not contradict the Ministry of Tourism's Master Plan 2013-2020, he added. The Tourism Master Plan was developed with international donors under Burma's previous government, and envisions spending of nearly US$500 million on training tourism workers, developing destinations and improving connectivity, in an effort to increase annual foreign visitors to 7.5 million by 2020. Last year, Burma took in nearly 4.7 million foreign visitors, up from just 800,000 in 2011. When asked about local homestays not being highlighted in the 100-day policy, Myint Htwe said that the ministry would try to set up a homestay system at the appropriate time, and would begin drafting guidelines after hearing recommendations from the private tourism industry. Homestays are currently not allowed in Burma. "Homestays can only be implemented if local communities accept the idea. Both tourists and locals should have awareness of each other's cultures and traditions so there is no culture shock," he added. "Most importantly, there needs to be peace and stability in the areas where we allow homestays." Kyi Thein Ko, the general secretary of the Myanmar Tourism Federation, expressed his support for the ministry's 100-day plan and said that he would try to help facilitate the strategies. "Unlike the previous administration, which only focused on [the number of visitors], I believe that the current administration will prioritize the sustainability of the industry," he said. Union Tourism Minister Ohn Maung said in a speech in early April that tourism was one of the largest and fastest growing sectors of the global economy, making vital contributions toward generating employment, reducing poverty, empowering women, preserving the environment and building peace. He added that he believed all of the challenges facing Burma's tourism industry would be overcome by collaboration between the public and private sectors. Ohn Maung assumed leadership of the Tourism Ministry when Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD government formed a new cabinet in early April. Under Burma's former junta, Suu Kyi discouraged foreigners from traveling to the country, supporting a boycott on the grounds that tourism dollars would flow into the pockets of the military leadership and its crony allies. Since re-engaging in the political process in 2012, however, she has clearly seen the industry's potential to uplift living standards, and in 2014 founded a hospitality training academy outside of Rangoon to better prepare young people for employment in the sector. The post New Tourism Plan Highlights Local Communities appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Military Defends Conduct in Arakan as Lawmakers Debate Conflict Posted: 05 May 2016 01:07 AM PDT  Militarily appointed lawmakers leave a session of Parliament in February. (Photo: Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Fighting in Arakan State was the focus of heated discussions in Parliament on Wednesday, but a legislative path to resolution of the conflict appears unlikely. A proposal was submitted by Arakan National Party (ANP) lawmaker Wai Sein Aung to the Upper House of Parliament on Monday, urging the Union government to include the Arakan Army (AA) in the peace process and requesting that the military agree to a cessation of hostilities. Legislators early this week agreed to discuss the motion, but on Wednesday the chamber's speaker, Mahn Win Khaing Than of the National League for Democracy (NLD), opted to put a debate that began a day earlier on record rather than pushing for a more forceful endorsement of the ANP lawmaker's proposal. Following a defense of the Burma Army's operations in the western state by militarily appointed parliamentarians, the upper chamber voted to document the proposal by a vote of 195-6. Several elected MPs on Tuesday spoke in support of bringing the Arakan Army into Burma's peace process. In explaining the decision to merely document the proposal on Wednesday, Mahn Win Khaing Than noted State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi's pledge to lead peace negotiations in an inclusive manner. The latest round of hostilities in Arakan State kicked off last month. According to Khin Maung Latt, a lawmaker for the ANP, 1,500 civilians have been displaced and the number of homeless is increasing due to the rising violence. Union Defense Minister Lt-Gen Sein Win took the floor of Parliament on Wednesday and stated that the Burma Army was working for all the people of Burma in accordance with the rule of law, adding that it protected all nationalities in the country. The military was defending against the attacks of the Arakan Army, which is responsible for the current conflict, Sein Win said. "They have a right to express their desires in a democratic way, but taking up arms and fighting against the army is worrisome for the future of our country's democracy." Echoing an assertion put forward by the institution a few days earlier, the minister said the Burma Army should be called the "Union Army" or "Tatmadaw," while the Arakan Army should be referred to as an "armed group." He added that the proposal was an attempt to cause trouble for President Htin Kyaw's new government, and put the new president in a difficult position. "Conflicts have been ongoing since we achieved independence from the British empire," said Sai Wan Hlaing Kham, an Upper House parliamentarian from the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy. "And since then, the government has failed to guarantee equal rights for all ethnicities." "This has led people to take up arms and fight for their rights," he added. Naw Hla Hla Soe, an Upper House lawmaker, said that Burma's democratic transformation should allow for conflicts to be addressed through political dialogue. "We can resolve this case through the political process," she said in the chamber. "Fighting creates many problems for our country, erecting obstacles for economic development and sowing discord among the people." A total of 10 lawmakers, including three representatives from the military, gave speeches regarding the proposal. Suu Kyi will hold a meeting next week to address formation of the National Reconciliation and Peace Center, a reincarnation of the Myanmar Peace Center, which was an initiative of the previous government. "According to the state counselor, the armed groups that were not a part of last year's ceasefire agreement will also be brought into discussions and there will be a peace conference," Mahn Win Khaing Than told the session. The post Military Defends Conduct in Arakan as Lawmakers Debate Conflict appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Aging Thailand Takes Toll on Indebted Households Posted: 04 May 2016 10:36 PM PDT  An elderly man receives help from a nurse during a physical therapy session at Bangkhae Home Foundation in Bangkok, Thailand, on April 27, 2016. (Photo: Reuters) BANGKOK — Thai civil servant Supapan Pullbangyung spends just under half of her salary on caring for her 75-year-old father, who suffers from diabetes and dementia. Hers is one of many Thai families looking after elderly relatives at a cost that countrywide adds up to just under a third of household income. The number of families facing similar problems will balloon as the population ages at a rate among the fastest in Southeast Asia. Thailand's working-age population is expected to shrink by 11 percent by 2040. The rising cost of care is an additional burden to households struggling with record debt that is a drag on consumption and stunting the economy. "I struggled for months and it took a while to adjust," said Supapan, who lives in Nonthaburi province, just north of the capital, Bangkok. Looking after her father costs at least 15,000 baht (US$430) a month, she said, a little less than half what she earns. A culture of filial piety in which families feel obliged to care for their elderly means more often than not they absorb the expense of looking after parents and grandparents. A poor savings culture has left many people ill-prepared to help themselves financially in old age, meaning they must rely on working family members. More than a quarter of the 66 million population has not saved for old age, according to a 2014 survey, one of many factors contributing to the government considering raising the age of retirement from 60 and urging businesses to hire more older people. "It is going to be a burden on the younger generation," said Sutayut Osornprasop, a human development specialist at the World Bank. Households caring for elderly relatives spend at least 7,620 baht ($217) on them per month, according to the Health Insurance System Research Office, a state agency led by the Ministry of Public Health. That's more than 28 percent of the average 2015 monthly household income of 26,915 baht. Kangsadan Sagulpongmalee, 40, is a lecturer in Petchaburi province who is caring for her 70-year-old diabetic father. He underwent spinal surgery last December and is recovering at Wellness City, a privately run complex for the elderly on 192 hectares of land near the city of Ayudhaya, north of Bangkok. "The cost has been very high," she said. "My salary earned as a lecturer isn't enough at all. I have to spend my parents' life savings." Kangsadan plans to move her father to a house near her workplace once he has recovered so she can look after him. "I'm doing whatever it takes for my parents. It'll be very expensive, but I'll try my best to handle everything." A lower cost of living in Thailand's rural areas means some who move to the city for work are considering going back to care for elderly parents. Noppasorn Suebsai, 21, is one of them. "If you live in the countryside where we don't spend as much the cost will be less," said Noppasorn, a Bangkok-based nursing student. "I don't think I will struggle as much to care for my parents." The post Aging Thailand Takes Toll on Indebted Households appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| ‘Waiting for Order to Kill’: China Video Seeks Army Recruits Posted: 04 May 2016 10:23 PM PDT  Soldiers of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) march during the military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, in Beijing on Sept. 3, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) BEIJING — China's military is appealing to the younger generation with a slick new recruitment video featuring aircraft carriers, tanks and special forces troops, all set to a rousing rap-rock soundtrack. With lyrics such as "just waiting for the order to kill, kill, kill," the video appears aimed at millennials brought up on violent first-person shooter video games such as "Call of Duty." While no potential opponents are identified in the clip, it cautions that "war can break out at any time," and asks "are you ready?" The clip, available Wednesday via a link on the Defense Ministry's official website, appears as the 2.3 million-member People's Liberation Army (PLA) is downsizing in an effort to boost its war-fighting capabilities. Chief among those steps is a cut of 300,000 personnel, while the navy, missile corps and air force are receiving more attention and funding. The video presents an image of the PLA as a high-tech and high-powered force. While catering to traditional patriotic sentiments, it heavily emphasizes the advances made by the world's largest standing military as it takes on missions further afield. China's sole aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, is featured prominently, as are latest generation tanks, warplanes, attack helicopters and ballistic missiles that were showcased in a massive military parade through the heart of Beijing in September. "Ambassadors of peace, we are the guardians of China. Ambassadors of power, we are the tiger's teeth," said some of the lyrics. Beach landings and naval combat in which sailors blaze away with deck guns also feature in the video, reflecting China's emphasis on defending its maritime claims, especially in the disputed South China Sea. It also shows PLA commandos shooting and at one point snapping the neck of an opponent dressed as a guerrilla or terrorist, a likely reference to China's fight against religious extremists and militants seeking to overthrow Chinese rule in the northwestern region of Xinjiang. Traditionally focused on land-based threats and China's threat to invade Taiwan, the PLA has taken on increasingly complex tasks, including long-range aerial patrols in the East China Sea, an anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden and defending Beijing's maritime claims in the South China Sea. That has also increased the demand for better qualified recruits, pitting the military against private industry in competing for the best and brightest and prompting it to emphasize its unique appeal. The video represents a new style of promotion, both in its visual language and in highlighting all branches of the armed forces, along with support units and military honor guards, said retired PLA colonel Yue Gang, a frequent commentator on military affairs. "The style of promotion accords with the attitudes of young people toward the army and the imagery used appeals to hot-blooded young men," Yue said. "It is also a nature for the army to adopt modern media technology to attract young men in modern times." The post 'Waiting for Order to Kill': China Video Seeks Army Recruits appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
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