The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Siamese King’s Tomb in Mandalay Sealed, Pending Government Approval of Restoration Work
• Visually Impaired Association Trains Rangoon Bus Workers
• Anti-Rohingya Nationalist Group Plans Posters, Protests
• Burma Army Files Lawsuit Against Local Media Outlet
• Ethnic Armed Groups To Meet Before Panglong
• Muslims Flee Village After Rioting, Perpetrators Remain Free
• Confiscated Land Returned To Rightful Owners
• Gambira Moved to Insein Prison to Face Additional Charges
• Rangoon Authorities Ban Press Conference on Burma Army Torture
• Wa National Organization Denies Involvement in Drug Trade
• China Touts New Bank’s Greater Understanding of Developing World

Siamese King’s Tomb in Mandalay Sealed, Pending Government Approval of Restoration Work Posted: 27 Jun 2016 08:05 AM PDT Siamese King Uthumphon's tomb on Lin Zin hill in Mandalay Division. (Photo: Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy) MANDALAY — The consecration ceremony planned for a tomb believed to house the remains of 18th century Thai King Uthumphon in Amarapura Township near Mandalay was postponed after the Mandalay City Municipal Department (MCDC) ordered the area sealed on Friday. The Mandalay municipal committee responsible for research on and restoration of the tomb said they sealed it because the work—which was carried out by a local team and supported by the Thai Royal Treasury—was illegal and broke Burmese archaeological laws. "After reviewing the process, we did not find any agreement between the two governments," said Nyo Myint Tun, director general of the Mandalay divisional department of archaeology and museums, at a press conference in Mandalay on Saturday. "We told them to halt the restoration work while we verified the remains found in the tomb. But they continued working and broke the law. On top of that, they went forward with planning the re-consecration ceremony without informing MCDC or the regional government—so we decided to seal the area until further notice," Nyo Myint Tun added. Although the excavation and restoration work at the Lin Zin hill site started in 2013, the committee said they have no records confirming that both the Thai and Burmese governments officially approved it, said MCDC official Thet Naing Tun. According to Mandalay Chief Minister Zaw Myint Maung, the letter of cooperation between the two governments was initially sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Religious Affairs and to the State Counselor's Office in Naypyidaw. "The ministries will contact the Thai government and in the meantime, the restoration process will stop until the two governments formally agree on it," said the chief minister. "If not, there will be many relationship problems between the two countries in future." Concurrently, the influential Burmese abbot Sitagu Sayadaw, who supported and instructed the restoration team, met with high ranking Thai Buddhist monks and officials from the Thai Royal Treasury. He reportedly explained the reasons for the delay and requested that the Thai government help by responding to MCDC's proposal for government cooperation. "We don't understand why this restoration project became illegal. We have been working since 2013 with agreement from MCDC and the regional government. However, now that they want us to halt, we will wait for their approval," said "Tampawaddy" Win Maung, who leads the restoration. The post Siamese King's Tomb in Mandalay Sealed, Pending Government Approval of Restoration Work appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Visually Impaired Association Trains Rangoon Bus Workers Posted: 27 Jun 2016 07:56 AM PDT Two students practice a math exercise at the Kawechan School for the Blind in Rangoon. (Photo: Tin Htet Paing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Burma's national association for visually impaired people held a training workshop on Friday for the Rangoon Division Motor Vehicles Supervisory Committee—known locally by the Burmese language acronym Ma Hta Tha—to address barriers faced by blind and visually impaired people in the city's antiquated transportation system. The Myanmar National Association of the Blind (MNAB) on Friday delivered the one-day workshop to 140 bus conductors and drivers operating under Ma Hta Tha, according to the association's director, Hkawn Nu. It was the second interaction between MNAB and Ma Hta Tha, the first being in December last year, said Hkawn Nu. "We explained to the trainees why visually impaired persons need to travel and how to help them use public transport," she told The Irrawaddy on Monday. "We showed them how to take blind persons into buses from bus stops, how to help them get off at the right bus stops and how to communicate with them effectively without unnecessary burden, among other things," Hkawn Nu. Authorities and policymakers should also be aware that difficulties regarding access to public transportation harm the visually impaired population, she said. "The concept of keeping blind persons inside houses and not letting them go outside is still prevalent in our society," she said. "Such attitudes need to be changed." Hla Aung, chairperson of Ma Hta Tha, told The Irrawaddy that the committee is keen to encourage such training for bus conductors and drivers "After the first training [last December], we observed some positive improvement in our staff helping visually impaired passengers," he said. However, he explained that the committee's employees need more frequent practical trainings so that they are able to more skillfully provide services to these passengers. According to the 2014 national census, out of Burma's population of around 51.5 million, 4.6 percent suffer from at least one type of disability, and 2.5 percent suffer from visual impairment. A new law on the rights of persons with disabilities was enacted in June 2015, abolishing the 1958 Disabled Persons Employment Act. The post Visually Impaired Association Trains Rangoon Bus Workers appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Anti-Rohingya Nationalist Group Plans Posters, Protests Posted: 27 Jun 2016 06:32 AM PDT The abbot of Khaung Laung Kyaung Monastery speaks at a meeting of anti-Rohingya nationalists on Sunday (Photo: Than Htun / Facebook) RANGOON — Around 300 Arakanese nationalists, monks and civil society organizations in Sittwe, Arakan State, convened a meeting on Sunday in a monastery leading to a decision to launch a "poster campaign for every Arakanese House" throughout the state. The campaign intends to air their dissatisfaction with the government's use of the term "the Muslim community in Arakan State" to refer to the Rohingya minority. Arakan National Party (ANP) Secretary Htun Aung Kyaw confirmed the meeting agenda, which, he said, focused on four things: sending a letter to the union government calling on it to refer to the Rohingya as "Bengali," a widely-used term implies that they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh; using "the Arakan Race" to refer to themselves instead of "Buddhists from Arakan State;" creating a poster campaign throughout the entire state, as well as organizing a massive protest. Than Htun, a nationalist who is actively involved in anti-Rohingya campaigns, said the group gathered because they were upset with the government's new terminology, which was used by Burma's representative at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland. Than Htun urged the current government to use the previous government's term "Bengali," and said they were preparing to write a letter to State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and other lawmakers that will be sent within one week. Of the poster campaign discussed at the meeting, he said, "I couldn't say exactly when that will start. Maybe this week." According to another participant, the main outcome of the meeting was to write, "We don't accept 'Muslims from Arakan State'" on posters and put them up in front of every Buddhist house in Sittwe, the Arakan State capital. He told The Irrawaddy that a recently formed committee held a meeting on Monday and has decided to hold protests in several townships in Arakan State. The Rohingya are a Muslim minority in Arakan State, many of whom have been forced out of their homes due to violence and have been living in camps for internally displaced persons since 2012. The post Anti-Rohingya Nationalist Group Plans Posters, Protests appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Burma Army Files Lawsuit Against Local Media Outlet Posted: 27 Jun 2016 06:07 AM PDT Screenshot of a story on the Burmese 7 Day Daily newspaper website, which prompted a Burma Army lawsuit against the local media outlet. RANGOON — The Burma Army has filed a lawsuit against local media outlet 7 Day Daily for publishing a story in April which included former general Shwe Mann's message to graduates of the Defense Services Academy, claiming the story could lead to the disintegration of the military. The 7 Day Daily newspaper printed comments in which Shwe Mann urged his colleagues to work for the country's new elected democratic government. Shwe Mann, who served as the third highest-ranking general in the country's former military regime—and as the joint chief of staff of Burma's army, navy and air force—posted the message on his Facebook page on April 23. "The government chosen and entrusted by the people is now serving the duties with responsibility and accountability," wrote Shwe Mann, now a close ally of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and head of the Union Parliament's Legal Affairs and Special Cases Assessment Commission. "It is the right time for our brothers to cooperate [with the National League for Democracy's 2015 election victory] with much rejoicing." Two days later, the army's information department responded to the statement, calling it an attempt to divide the armed forces and saying that it ignored the fact that the military had repeatedly promised—and fulfilled its pledge—to cooperate with the government both before and after the 2015 general election. The information department said Shwe Mann's statement made it appear as though the military had not cooperated. 7 Day Daily's deputy editor-in-chief Ahr Mahn told The Irrawaddy that the military filed the case on Saturday against editor-in-chief Thaung Su Nyein and journalist Min Hein Kyaw, who reported the story. They filed the case under Section 131 of Burma's Penal Code, which punishes anyone who abets mutiny or attempts to seduce an officer from his allegiance or duty, with up to ten years imprisonment. "The police have not yet officially informed us. But today, they started questioning us," Ahr Mahn said, adding that the armed forces had opened the case because they claimed the story could destroy military unity. "The military issued the critical press release in response to Shwe Mann's message," said Myint Kyaw of the Myanmar Journalist Network (MJN). "But, they filed the case against the media that reported on what Shwe Mann said. It is not natural." The Myanmar Press Council released a statement on Monday stating that it wanted the case to be settled through negotiations. The post Burma Army Files Lawsuit Against Local Media Outlet appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ethnic Armed Groups To Meet Before Panglong Posted: 27 Jun 2016 06:02 AM PDT Gen Gun Maw of the KIO attends a nationwide ceasefire meeting in Rangoon last year. CHIANG MAI, Thailand — Ethnic armed organizations plan to hold a summit in mid-July in the conflict-torn region of Mai Ja Yang in Kachin State, near the border with China, in order to discuss the upcoming 21st Century Panglong conference, according to sources close to the groups. Khuensai Jaiyen, an advisor to the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), told The Irrawaddy that RCSS leader Lt-Gen Yawd Serk met Gen Gun Maw of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) in early June and that they had agreed to hold an ethnic summit in Mai Ja Yang. They have reportedly invited all ethnic armed organizations—those that signed Burma's nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) and those that did not. The NCA was signed between eight ethnic armed groups and Thein Sein's government in 2015. "The RCSS and the KIO are still trying to set a date for the summit. They will invite all ethnic armed groups. In order to make it happen, the Burma Army also needs to give the green light, as well as Chinese authorities," said Jaiyen. The meeting is expected to take place after July 12, according to sources. Jaiyen said the summit would be convened to discuss how a new Panglong Conference should be adjusted under the current political climate in Burma. The first Panglong Conference was held in 1947 and resulted in an agreement among Shan, Kachin, Chin and Burman leaders in preparation for independence from Britain. Ethnic armed groups who have not signed the NCA include members of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC)—which the KIO chairs—and will be also invited, said Jaiyen. Khun Okkar, a spokesperson for the eight ethnic armed groups who signed the NCA last year, told The Irrawaddy that the RCSS and the KIO are still working to fix a date for the summit. "It is confirmed that the summit will happen," said Khun Okkar, without elaborating. The idea for the summit came from ethnic leaders from groups such as the KIO, the RCSS, the Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) and the Chin National Front (CNF)—groups that see themselves as successors of the signatories of the 1947’s Panglong Agreement, which is why they have agreed to hold the event, explained Jaiyen. The summit will be held in Mai Ja Yang because it is logistically easier for ethnic organizations such as the United Wa State Army (UWSA) and its allies to attend the meeting, he added. The post Ethnic Armed Groups To Meet Before Panglong appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Muslims Flee Village After Rioting, Perpetrators Remain Free Posted: 27 Jun 2016 05:54 AM PDT The mosque destroyed in sectarian rioting on Thursday in Thuye Thamain village, Waw Township, Pegu Division. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — About 200 Muslim residents have fled Thuye Thamain village of Waw Township in Pegu Division out of fear for their safety, with only a small number of Muslim men remaining to take care of their property, according to local sources. As was reported by The Irrawaddy, Muslims in the village sought refuge in the local police station after an altercation between a Buddhist and a Muslim resident on Thursday drew a mob that proceeded to destroy a mosque, a storehouse and the home of a Muslim family. Police have yet to take serious action against those said to be involved in the rioting. On Sunday, some locals were brought in but released after some brief questioning. While visiting the village on Friday, Irrawaddy reporters witnessed the alleged perpetrators driving around freely on motorbikes, passing close to police officers and stopping to observe the work of the reporters. The Irrawaddy journalists also saw several men near the village's river jetty brandishing sticks and shouting threats at Muslims who were making their way toward the police station for sanctuary. This has only heightened the insecurity felt by local Muslims, prompting them to flee the village, despite claims made by local police that the situation was now "stable." Win Shwe, a Muslim community leader, told The Irrawaddy on Monday that some had left by boat and others by motorbike, beginning on Friday. Many intended to stay with relatives in other villages in Pegu Division. The Muslim community, already small, is now significantly diminished in Thuye Thamain—a village formerly of around 1,500 Buddhist households and 37 Muslim households. "Only men remained in the village to take care of their property," said Win Shwe. He said that his own family had left already, and only he had stayed behind. "I am worried about them [local Buddhists] coming to take my property from my house. Therefore, I have to stay. There are other men similar too me," he said. Ohn Lwin, a police chief for the village, said, "The situation is already stable. Violence only happened on Thursday. It has been fine since then. But, there were people who fled from the village." The Pegu Division government has yet to give orders to detain those involved in the rioting, according to the local police. Some police officers were not happy about it, but they said they could not do anything. Officers by the station were heard commenting on how it would have been "easy" to arrest those responsible. The Irrawaddy attempted to talk to locals from the Buddhist majority about the incident, but they claimed to know nothing or refrained from commenting. The post Muslims Flee Village After Rioting, Perpetrators Remain Free appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Confiscated Land Returned To Rightful Owners Posted: 27 Jun 2016 04:17 AM PDT Henry Van Thio at a land returning ceremony in Maubin on Saturday. (Photo: Salai Thant Zin / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — More than 6,000 acres of land confiscated over the past decades were returned to their rightful owners on Saturday in Irrawaddy Division, marking the first attempt to do so by the new government after forming a national-level land dispute committee in early May. During a ceremony, 3,166 acres seized by Yuzana Company in Pantanaw Township were returned to 252 farmers while 3,268 acres taken by the Ministry of Industry in Pyapon Township were returned to 72 owners. Yuzana, run by Htay Myint, is a Burmese conglomerate blacklisted by the United States, and has also seized 270,000 acres of farmland in the remote Hukawng region of Kachin State for agriculture ventures, including cassava and sugarcane plantations. In early May, more than 8,000 villagers from the area sent an open letter to the new government calling on it to resolve a massive land confiscation dispute with the company. On Saturday, Vice President Henry Van Thio, who is also the chairman of the Central Review Committee on Confiscated Farm Lands and Other Lands, said during the ceremony that the government was making systematic efforts to ensure transparency in returning confiscated lands to farmers. "However, in some cases, farmers should wait a certain amount of time as the work needs to be carried out in conformity with the existing rules and regulations of the land laws," he said. Van Thio added that private companies and government departments had been granted permission to confiscate land, including farmland, under the pretext of urbanization and industrialization. According to findings of the Farmers Affairs Committee in the Upper House of Parliament, as many as 2 million acres of land across Burma could be considered "confiscated." In May, Burma's President Htin Kyaw formed the Central Review Committee on Confiscated Farmlands and Other Lands, chaired by Henry Van Thio, an ethnic Chin who is one of Burma's two vice presidents. The committee is couched within the executive branch and is distinct from existing parliamentary committees with similar portfolios. It is tasked with monitoring state and divisional governments' handling of land disputes and enabling the return of land to dispossessed farmers from government ministries, state-owned enterprises and private companies. At the time this new executive committee was announced, the President's Office urged that further land acquisition be postponed until disputes were settled in accordance with the law. Additional reporting by Salai Thant Zin in Pantanaw. The post Confiscated Land Returned To Rightful Owners appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Gambira Moved to Insein Prison to Face Additional Charges Posted: 27 Jun 2016 04:00 AM PDT Former Buddhist monk Gambira was recently moved to Yangon's Insein prison to face additional criminal charges. (Photo: Reuters) MANDALAY — Rangoon authorities moved Nyi Nyi Lwin, a former monk better known as U Gambira, from Mandalay's Obo prison to Rangoon's Insein prison on Sunday to face additional criminal charges. Gambira's family was informed that he now faces charges for allegedly trespassing and breaking into Rangoon monasteries that authorities had sealed after the 2007 Saffron Revolution. He is currently being held at Insein prison and the court date has not been set, said Daw Yae, his mother. A court in Mandalay Division's Maha Aung Myay Township sentenced the former monk in April to six months in prison with hard labor for allegedly crossing the Thai-Burma border without an official visa—charges that human rights groups labeled as politically motivated. While detained, Gambira petitioned unsuccessfully for bail, citing mental health issues that resulted from severe torture while imprisoned by the former military regime for his involvement in the 2007 pro-democracy uprising led by Buddhist clergy.  He is still receiving medical care for these issues. "We do not understand why authorities still want to keep him in prison and are unearthing cases from 2012 just days before his release," his mother added. His six-month sentence, after time already served while detained and facing charges, would have ended July 1. During the 2007 uprising, local authorities cracked down on thousands of protestors; hundreds of monks were arrested and several monasteries were raided and sealed off. In 2012, shortly after a mass pardon leading to his release, U Gambira allegedly broke into some of these sealed monasteries, attempting to stay in them and stating that Buddhist monks should be permitted to live in their monasteries. "This action defames the image of the new government and affects national tranquility because we have doubts now that the police and Ministry of Home Affairs are changing," said lawyer Robert San Aung who will assist Gambira during the upcoming trials. "Resurrecting old, unjust cases from the era of the quasi-civilian government is suspicious. We need to ask if the new government has the authority to govern fully under the rule of law, or if the police and home affairs ministry are creating distrust between the government and the people," he added. The post Gambira Moved to Insein Prison to Face Additional Charges appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rangoon Authorities Ban Press Conference on Burma Army Torture Posted: 27 Jun 2016 02:05 AM PDT The cover of the Ta'ang Women's Organization's new report, "Trained to Kill," which alleges widespread torture of local communities by the Burma Army in northern Shan State. (Photo: TWO / Facebook) RANGOON — The Rangoon division government has forced the cancellation of a press conference organized for Monday by the Ta'ang Women's Organization (TWO) for the launch of a report on human rights abuses by the Burma Army in northern Shan State, according to the TWO. The TWO is drawn from the Ta'ang ethnic minority, also known as the Palaung, who are concentrated in northern Shan State. In recent months this area has seen fighting between a Ta'ang ethnic armed group, The Ta'ang National Liberation Army, and the Burma Army along with a Shan ethnic armed group, the Shan State Army-South. The conflict has displaced several thousand people, and all three armies have been accused of rights violations, including abducting, torturing and murdering civilians. The TWO has issued a statement saying this was the second time in the course of a week that they had been forced to cancel a press conference in Rangoon, after local authorities instructed hotels not to let them hold one. The first instance was on Friday at the Orchid Hotel. Monday's conference was to be held at the Excel Treasure Hotel. TWO Joint Secretary De De Poe Jaing told the Irrawaddy, "An Orchid Hotel staff member told us that the Rangoon Division government did not allow them to do it. Then, the manager from Excel said the hotel needed 'permission' to hold a conference." "We had agreed already with the hotel [Excel] that, if the police came, we would deal with it. But, the hotel manager called me back and told me that we could not hold the press conference," said De De Poe Jaing. De De Poe Jaing said both hotels had been under pressure from the authorities—the Excel hotel even said Special Branch, a plain-clothed branch of the police that relies on a network of local informers, had come to the hotel and told them not to allow the conference. TWO's new report, entitled "Trained to Torture," compiles accounts from ethnic Palaung victims of torture by the Burma Army from 2012-2016. "We collected data about rights abuses and have accused the Burma Army of torturing local people [in Shan State] over the course of five years. The report has targeted the Burma Army directly. This could be why they did not let us hold the press conference," De De Poe Jaing said. TWO said in their statement after the cancellation that there should be no restrictions on freedom of expression and information as the country undergoes political reforms, and people should have the right to report on and expose human rights abuses. "These reforms have been unable to touch the Burma Army. We feel the Burma Army still has influence over government," she said. "We feel now that the new government is no better than the former government, and may be even worse," she added, suggesting that they would have been able to hold the press conference in Rangoon under the previous administration. The post Rangoon Authorities Ban Press Conference on Burma Army Torture appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Wa National Organization Denies Involvement in Drug Trade Posted: 27 Jun 2016 12:42 AM PDT Wa leader Ta Ma Ha, also known as Ma Ma (seated left), at a press conference at a narcotics control office in Chiang Mai, Thailand on Thursday. (Photo: Manager Online) CHIANG MAI, Thailand — The Wa National Organization (WNO), the political wing of an ethnic Wa armed group, has announced that it had no involvement in the actions of one of its former leaders, Ta Ma Ha (also known as Ma Ma) who was arrested in Chiang Mai for drug trafficking last week. Ta Ma Ha, the vice-chairman of the WNO, was arrested in Chiang Mai with 10 kilograms of pure methamphetamine, 7.5 kilograms of raw opium and 26,400 methamphetamine pills on June 21. Thai police officials from the Office of Narcotics Control Board also said they seized 6.8 million baht (nearly US$200,000) in cash during the arrest. In a statement released by the WNO on Sunday, the organization said it has no "links" with the drug seizure and the drugs did not originate from territories under its control, claiming they came from Chiang Dao town in Chiang Mai Province, northern Thailand. The WNO also said Ta Ma Ha has had no contact with the organization for five months, and due to this they temporarily suspended him from his position of vice chairman during an emergency meeting on May 2-3. Maj Ta Aik Nyunt, general secretary of the WNO, told The Irrawaddy on Monday, "We dismissed him [Ta Ma Ha] and removed him from all of his positions because he violated our rules [against drug trafficking]." "He often visited Chiang Mai and didn’t inform us. He just said he was visiting his relatives. He didn’t tell us about his recent trip," said Ta Aik Nyunt. The statement said the WNO enforces a ban on illicit drug trading and has been working on anti-drug trafficking campaigns in its territories with its ethnic allies as well as Thai anti-drug trafficking forces. It also said the WNO has a policy to warn, suspend and dismiss its members who abuse power, violate the ethics of the organization or engage in any activities that would damage their image. The WNO is a member of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), an alliance of nine ethnic armed organizations who are engaging in talks with the Burmese government but have not signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), a peace deal signed last year under the former government of President Thein Sein. The WNO's Ta Aik Nyunt also said he had not received any comments from the UNFC, but his organization plans to apologize for its former vice-chairman's actions. "We will apologize to them because [the arrest] also damaged their image. We feel sad and are sorry for what he [Ta Ma Ha] did," said Ta Aik Nyunt. One of the WNO’s previous leaders, Mahasang, was also arrested in Chiang Mai for participating in the illicit drug trade and died in prison. The WNO's military wing, the Wa National Army, operates in northern Shan State and near the Thai-Burma border. The post Wa National Organization Denies Involvement in Drug Trade appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China Touts New Bank’s Greater Understanding of Developing World Posted: 26 Jun 2016 10:20 PM PDT Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) President Jin Liqun at a news conference in Beijing January 17, 2016. (Photo: Kim Kyung-Hoon / REUTERS) BEIJING, China — The China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will be different from institutions like the World Bank because it has a greater understanding of the developing world’s needs, officials said on Sunday at its first annual meeting. Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the bank two years ago and it began operations in January, with 57 founding member countries and $100 billion in committed capital, which it plans to invest in projects across the region. The AIIB, which intends to invest $1.2 billion this year, has said it is aiming to meet international standards of governance, though some members say there is still work to be done. Speaking on the final day of the bank’s inaugural annual meeting, Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei said the AIIB needed to establish its niche. "The AIIB needs to establish its comparative advantage relative to existing multilateral development banks like the World Bank," Lou said. "…Compared with the Asian Development Bank, World Bank and other multilateral development banks, the AIIB’s advantage lies in its keener understanding of the successful experience and lessons of developing countries’ years of development." The AIIB’s board approved its first four deals worth $509 million on Friday, with three projects co-financed with the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the United Kingdom Department for International Development and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The co-financed projects are a slum renovation in Indonesia and highway construction in Pakistan and Tajikistan. A power grid upgrade project in Bangladesh will be solely AIIB financed. AIIB President Jin Liqun said it was the focus on infrastructure that specifically marked out the bank as different and that they were committed to the concept of international best practice. "The question is, how do you define international best practice? I will not agree to anything which could be considered international best practice unless this kind best practice incorporates the development experience of China and many countries in Asia and elsewhere over the last three or four decades," Jin said. "So our bank would like to have the development experience, the so-called international best practice, reflecting the experience of China, India (and) so many countries in Asia. So we should have a different model of development." The AIIB is also looking to expand its numbers this year and will take applications for new members through the end of September. The post China Touts New Bank’s Greater Understanding of Developing World appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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