The Irrawaddy Magazine |
- YCDC Takes to the Streets to Sterilize Stray Dogs
- Nationalist Provocateur Let Free in Defamation Case
- Traders Call on Govt to Support Jade Market
- Human-Elephant Conflict Threatens Wild Elephant Population
- Aung Kyi to Head Govt-Linked Peace Think Tank
- Govt Forms Committee to Prevent Interreligious Violence
| YCDC Takes to the Streets to Sterilize Stray Dogs Posted: 15 Jul 2016 07:30 AM PDT           RANGOON — The Veterinary and Slaughterhouse Department of the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) sterilized and vaccinated stray dogs in Sanchaung Township on Thursday, in cooperation with Blue Heart, a Rangoon-based animal welfare group. According to YCDC, the move was part of a pilot project for "rabies free status" in three townships—Sanchaung, Lanmadaw and Mingalar Taung Nyunt. The project is primarily funded through donations raised by Min Lee, the wife of former US Ambassador to Burma Derek Mitchell. According to the YCDC's figures, about 180,000 stray dogs live on the streets of Burma's commercial capital, which has increased from over 70,000 in 2013. YCDC had used "lethal methods,"—scattering poison-laced meat in the streets—to control Rangoon's stray dog population for decades. Animal welfare activists have campaigned against poisoning stray dogs and suggested that the trap-neuter-return (TNR) method is the only sustainable solution for decreasing the population in the long run. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a person dies every 15 minutes from rabies globally. More than 95 percent of rabies-related human deaths occur in Asia and Africa, and within those areas, Burma is considered a "high rabies endemic country." The WHO states that Burma has the highest number of rabies-related deaths in Southeast Asia with some 1,000 deaths per year. The post YCDC Takes to the Streets to Sterilize Stray Dogs appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Nationalist Provocateur Let Free in Defamation Case Posted: 15 Jul 2016 06:19 AM PDT  Nay Myo Wai speaks at an event earlier this year protesting any change to Article 59(f), the clause that bars Aung San Suu Kyi from Burma's presidency for having close family members with foreign citizenship. (Photo: Nay Myo Wai / Facebook) PATHEIN, Irrawaddy Division — After being detained for over two months for allegedly defaming the country's top leaders on social media, ultra-nationalist provocateur Nay Myo Wai was discharged by a court in Irrawaddy Division on Friday. Nay Myo Wai has in recent years been a notorious propagator of anti-Muslim sentiment on Facebook, and has also taken part in public demonstrations alongside Ma Ba Tha and other hardline groups. Wai Yan Aung, an executive member of the Burma Teachers' Federation, filed a lawsuit against Nay Myo Wait under Article 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law, accusing him of sharing posts on social media that defamed President Htin Kyaw, Commander-in-Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing and State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi. The offending posts featured doctored of images of Suu Kyi as a beggar and others portraying her in sexually suggestive positions. A photo of Min Aung Hlaing was overlaid with a speech bubble saying that he wouldn't stage a coup because he wished to have an affair with Suu Kyi. Another post called Htin Kyaw the president of a government formed by the "prostitute" and "kalar" party, referring to the ruling National League for Democracy and using a word used pejoratively to describe Muslims and people of Indian descent in Burma. Article 66(d) carries a punishment of up to three years' imprisonment for "using a telecommunications network to defame," and was used in several instances by the previous government to imprison those who mocked the president and military on social media. Nay Myo Wai was arrested on May 4 just outside of Rangoon and has since been kept in a jail in Pathein, the Irrawaddy Division capital. On June 5, Ma Ba Tha publicly demanded his release, claiming the offending posts had been issued under fake Facebook accounts bearing his name. The litigant Wai Yan Aung said that, during a trial hearing on Friday at a court in Irrawaddy Division's Kangyidaunt Township, Nay Myo Wai denied that he had personally shared the offending Facebook posts. "The judge decided to discharge him saying there was not enough evidence to accuse him of personally sharing the posts," Wai Yan Aung said. The judge made the decision "without properly questioning the witnesses," said Wai Yan Aung, who insisted that it was Nay Myo Wai who was behind the Facebook posts and photos that "instigated unrest and defamed leaders." "I doubt the judiciary's uprightness," said Wai Yan Aung. More than 60 of Nay Myo Wai's supporters showed up at the trial and cheered his name when the favorable verdict was handed down. The State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee, the high clerical council appointed by the government to oversee Buddhist monastic discipline in Burma, declared on Tuesday that Ma Ba Tha was not a "lawful monks' association." Minister of Culture and Religious Affairs Aung Ko has said that a Hate Speech law—which would criminalize verbal attacks on other religions—is being developed in consultation with "interfaith groups" comprising members of Burma's various religious communities. The President's Office announced on Friday the formation of a high-level "Emergency Management Central Committee" tasked with preventing and mitigating interreligious violence in Burma. Such moves could indicate a new willingness from the government to confront Buddhist ultra-nationalism and anti-Muslim hate speech, which have grown in Burma recent years—thanks partly to rocketing social media usage and increased freedom of expression. Its growth was abetted by what critics have variously called a timid, indulgent or even collusive approach from the previous administration of President Thein Sein. The post Nationalist Provocateur Let Free in Defamation Case appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Traders Call on Govt to Support Jade Market Posted: 15 Jul 2016 06:08 AM PDT  A buyer checks a jade stone near a mine dump at a Hpakant jade mine in Kachin State, Burma on November 29, 2015. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters) RANGOON — Jade traders in Mandalay have collected signatures to accompany a proposal requesting government support for a better jade market, they told The Irrawaddy on Friday. As Burma's jade market began to decline last year, traders called on the country's leadership to address the market situation. On July 12, traders in Mandalay initiated a signature campaign to collect and send their ideas on how to improve the market to government representatives ranging from State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi to Union and regional ministers. "We're expecting to get more than 100,000 signatures to send our suggestions to seven parties, as we have seriously suffered the worse jade market situation [in years]," said Aung Win Oo, owner of the Diamond Gold Star jade trading company in Mandalay. Mandalay jade traders aim to submit signatures and accompanying proposals to government members and political parties before end of July and to coincide with the start of the next session of Parliament. Jade traders in both Mandalay and Rangoon have attributed the cooling of the jade market to uncertainty linked to the transition of political power from a military-backed to a civilian-led government in Burma earlier this year, as well as shifts in China's economic policy under President Xi Jinping; merchants from Mainland China are some of the primary purchasers of Burmese jade. "Many jade lots are going to China via the border area, so the market is bigger on the Chinese side, rather than here," said Aung Win Oo. "[Here] there are many jade lots piling up and prices are going down—it's no longer worth it for traders," he said, adding that some figures indicate that they have a backup of 100,000 jade lots on the local market, which could be displayed and sold over the next three years. "During that period, the government can take time to review the Gems Law, which could harm the local industry, and reconsider the limiting of jade operations," Aung Win Oo said. Kyaw Kyaw Oo, central executive committee member of the Myanmar Gems and Jewellery Entrepreneurs Association said he agreed that the jade market in Burma needs urgent support from the government. "The main problem is that many jade lots are brought to the Chinese side [of the border] illegally, this is what the government should see and take action on," Kyaw Kyaw Oo said, adding that the local market in Mandalay remains oversaturated with jade that will not sell. Another concern among traders is that the government is now attempting to limit jade mining operations in Hpakant, Kachin State, reducing the amount of raw jade entering the market. The restrictions come after hasty jade extraction—aided by heavy machinery—caused multiple deadly landslides in the region, reportedly killing more than 150 people in total last year. While civil society has urged increased regulation of the industry, traders are critical of the restrictive measures. "If the government places limitations on the jade mines, less quantities of raw jade will be in the local market. How can we survive in this situation?" Aung Win Oo said. One significant example of the changes taking place is the annual reduction in displays of raw jade lots at the annual Gems Emporium in Naypyidaw by the Myanmar Gems Enterprise. Six thousand lots of raw jade were laid out for purchase in the latest emporium—significantly lower than the 9,000 lots displayed in the previous emporium in December, according to an official at the event. Some government figures indicate that the rate of jade sales has fallen significantly each year. The Myanmar Gems Enterprise reported that it earned around 600 million euros (US$668.3 million) in the latest emporium, less than December's event, where sales generated around 900 million euros (more than $1 billion). The post Traders Call on Govt to Support Jade Market appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Human-Elephant Conflict Threatens Wild Elephant Population Posted: 15 Jul 2016 05:22 AM PDT  A group of six wild elephants seen in central Burma's Natmauk Township, August, 2015. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — She was born in a small ravine in Burma's Southern Arakan mountain range bordering the Irrawaddy Division. The heavy raindrops of monsoon season were her first shower. Deep forests in the Arakan mountain range would have been her home if her mother hadn't left her in the ravine when bamboo harvesters shooed her away without knowing they were together. The bamboo harvesters brought the wild, newborn elephant to Dr. Myo Min Aung, veterinarian and head of the Myanmar Timber Enterprise's (MTE) Emergency Elephant Response Unit in Irrawaddy Division. He named her "Mi Kaunt Ya"— which translates to "adopted girl". She survived for 23 days and died from diarrhea on July 3 at the Thayet-san elephant camp in Irrawaddy's Hinthada district. "Her case is one of many consequences of human-elephant conflicts," Myo Min Aung told The Irrawaddy, explaining how his team tried to care for the days-old Mi Kaunt Ya. "It was actually a misunderstanding between the bamboo harvesters and the mother elephant," he said. "The mother elephant wasn't there to harm anyone but was giving birth to her child." He added that similar human-elephant conflicts happen in Irrawaddy Division frequently, as the region has a remarkable concentration of wild elephants. Burma is home to 4,000-5,000 wild Asian elephants and has the world's largest captive elephant population with nearly 5,000, according to the UK-based EleAid Asian Elephant Conservation. The country's wild elephant population has been in dramatic decline throughout the past few decades, due to loss of habitat and illegal poaching and trading of elephant body parts, EleAid said. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Myanmar) facilitated a workshop in Naypyidaw last week to address human-elephant conflict and conservation of the country's wild elephant population. Human-elephant conflicts happen when wild elephants come close to villages where there could be paddy fields, in search of food because of the loss of their original habitat, Ye Min Thwin, WWF-Myanmar communication officer, told The Irrawaddy on Thursday. "When wild elephants come close to humans, people shoo them away or capture them," he said. "Our plan is to find ways that could minimize harm for both parties, in areas where the possibility of frequent conflict between the two sides exists." He explained that the conflict will not cease completely. But when working toward conservation efforts, people who live in communities near elephant habitats need to be educated in order to adapt their behaviors during such conflicts, he added. Conserving elephant habitats—the most effective way to reduce these conflicts—is not only advantageous to humans and elephants, but also benefits other wild animals, forestry conservation and climate, Ye Min Thwin of WWF-Myanmar said. Burma started designing the Myanmar Elephant Conservation Action Plan (MECAP) last year in coordination with international environmental conservation groups and the draft is almost complete, according to WWF-Myanmar.  A group of six wild elephants seen in central Burma's Natmauk Township, August, 2015. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy) Last August, a group of six wild elephants got lost in central Burma and wandered around, destroying paddy fields and scaring local villagers. Officials from the forestry department had to get them back to the forest. Unfortunately, one baby elephant was separated from the group and had to be kept under the forestry department's control. During the workshop in Naypyidaw last week, the minister of natural resources and environmental conservation highlighted the increase of land utilization and illegal hunting, which contribute to frequent incidents of human-elephant conflict. Recognizing the decline of the elephant population in the country, minister Ohn Win said, "It is important to address weak policies and recommend suitable ones that are in accordance with the current times in order to manage human-elephant conflict mitigation successfully." Myo Min, director of the ministry's forestry department, told The Irrawaddy that the workshop came up with seven main recommendations including conducting surveys on human-elephant conflicts and elephant occupancy across the country, drawing standard land use maps, and forming elephant emergency response units in areas where there are frequent incidents. It is necessary to implement effective control of illegal hunting and limit access to forests in order to reduce conflicts, said Khin Maung Win, chairman of Save Elephant Foundation-Myanmar. Under Burma's wildlife and natural area protection laws, violators can face imprisonment from three to seven years. But Khin Maung Win urged wildlife laws specifically covering elephants be enacted as well. "To control poachers, there needs to be specific laws just for elephants … not covering all wild animals, because then it's quite generic and vague when taking legal action," Khin Maung Win told The Irrawaddy. At the same time, it is also important that humans be aware that elephants are also afraid of them, and won't come to villages without reason, he explained. "Humans can scare elephants and conflict can happen when elephants try to protect themselves or their companies and babies," he said. "But it's natural that people don't like elephants eating their paddy fields." "That's why we need to educate people who live close to elephant habitats and train them on how to manage such incidents," he added. For Dr. Myo Min Aung, the case of Mi Kaunt Ya was a life lesson. He confessed that he did not have experience in dealing with wild elephant calves and could not give her the veterinary care required to save her life. "I wish an incident like this doesn't happen again or, that I am able to give proper care if it does happen again in future," he said. The post Human-Elephant Conflict Threatens Wild Elephant Population appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Aung Kyi to Head Govt-Linked Peace Think Tank Posted: 15 Jul 2016 04:47 AM PDT  Aung Kyi, a former army officer who served as information minister under the previous government of President Thein Sein. (Photo: J Paing/The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Aung Kyi, an information minister under the previous Thein Sein government, has been appointed head of a new three-member "think tank" adjoined to the government's re-branded peace secretariat, which includes various peace process veterans from the previous government. The new "think tank" is an adjunct to a six-member "peace commission" created on July 11 under the National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC), a peace secretariat—now chaired by State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi—known under the previous government as the Myanmar Peace Center (MPC), which facilitated peace talks with Burma's various non-state ethnic armed groups. The "think tank" also includes Min Zaw Oo, formerly the director of ceasefire negotiation and implementation under the MPC, and Hla Maung Shwe, another MPC veteran who is currently secretary of the "21st Century Panglong" peace conference. It is charged with advising the "peace commission" in furthering Burma's peace process, and aiding in the design of NRPC policy. The "peace commission" is chaired by Tin Myo Win, with Thein Zaw as his deputy, who was vice-chair of the Union Peace-Making Work Committee, the key peace negotiation body under the previous government. Ex Army Lt-Gen Khin Zaw Oo is the secretary of the commission. Professor Aung Tun Thet, an economic advisor to the Thein Sein government, Naing Ngan Linn, Rangoon Division social affairs minister, and Lower House lawmaker Aung Soe are also members. Aung Kyi has served in the military and government administration for more than 50 years. He graduated among the 40th intake at the Officers Training School, and rose to the rank of major general in the Burma Army before being transferred to the Ministry of Immigration and Population, where he served as deputy minister from May 2006 under the military junta. He was appointed as deputy labor minister in November 2006, during a time of increased pressure from the International Labor Organization, and was made labor minister the following year. In October 2007, Aung Kyi was charged with conducting negotiations with pro-democracy opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, while she was under house arrest. He was the highest-ranking official in 19 years to have been given this brief, and met with Suu Kyi nine times up until January 2010. Under the reformist Thein Sein administration, Aung Kyi concurrently served as minister of labor and of social welfare, before he was appointed information minister in 2012. He was replaced by his deputy Ye Htut in July 2014; according to a statement from the government, Aung Kyi was "allowed to resign of his own volition"—a phrase commonly used by the former military regime on sacking high-ranking officials. Aung Kyi has published books on state building, politics and conflict resolution under the penname "Min Ba Htoo." Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko The post Aung Kyi to Head Govt-Linked Peace Think Tank appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Govt Forms Committee to Prevent Interreligious Violence Posted: 15 Jul 2016 02:14 AM PDT  A Muslim girl carries a box of instant noodles on May 1, 2013, through the debris of a house burnt down during an anti-Muslim attack in Kyawe Pone Lay village, Okkan Township, about 100 km north of Rangoon. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The government has formed a high-level "Emergency Management Central Committee" tasked with preventing and mitigating interreligious violence in Burma, according to a statement from the President's Office. According to the statement, prepared on Tuesday but released on Friday morning, the committee includes Vice President (2) Henry Van Thio, ministers of defense and other Union ministries, the attorney general, ministers from state and divisional administrations, and police commanders. The committee will work to prevent "other religious problems in the country," and clamp down on "instigations of violence," the statement read. The committee will work directly with state, divisional and also local-level authorities, including branches of the police. It will also work, if required, with civil society on strategies to preempt violence locally, and will make use of media to spread "awareness" and combat any harmful instigations coming from within the media. More detailed plans will be worked on in consultation with state and divisional governments, and training will be provided to the latter on how to manage incidents and conflagrations. Burma has seen bouts of anti-Muslim religious violence across the country in recent years, most recently in Pegu Division, where the government refused to take action against those responsible, and Kachin State, where some arrests have been made. The ultra-nationalist Buddhist monks association Ma Ba Tha, which has been accused of fomenting anti-Muslim violence through hate campaigns, was declared illegitimate by the State Sangha Maya Nayaka Committee, the highest clerical authority in Burma, on Tuesday evening. On Thursday, Culture and Religious Affairs Minister Aung Ko said that, if Ma Ba Tha kept "making problems with other religions," disturbing the peace and flouting Buddhist "discipline," the government would "take action against them according to the existing laws." The post Govt Forms Committee to Prevent Interreligious Violence appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
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