The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Rangoon Parliamentary Committee Lets Halted High-Rise Projects Off the Hook
• Ethnic Armed Group Leaders Discuss Formation of a Burman State
• Trade Troubles on the Chinese Border
• Lawmaker and Real Estate Developer Condemns Suspended High-Rise Construction
• After One Casualty, Cholera ‘Under Control’ in Pyay
• ALP Officer Arrested for Accusing Burma Army of War Crimes
• Four Ethnic Armed Groups Absent From Mai Ja Yang Summit
• All Remaining Jade Mining Licenses to Expire in 2018
• Burma Appoints New Permanent Representative to the UN

Rangoon Parliamentary Committee Lets Halted High-Rise Projects Off the Hook Posted: 27 Jul 2016 07:03 AM PDT A high rise under construction in Rangoon. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — A Rangoon Division parliamentary committee has recommended that the divisional government rescind modification orders delivered earlier this month to eight high-rise construction projects, after the developers petitioned the committee for a review. A high-rise review committee formed by the executive branch of the Rangoon Division government has reviewed more than 200 high-rise building projects in the city since June, to assess their adherence to newly enforced urban planning and safety regulations. Following their recommendations, the Rangoon government ordered 12 buildings now under construction to reduce their heights, upgrade their parking facilities and improve their safety standards. Developers from eight out of the 12 affected projects complained to the Rangoon Division parliament's Finance, Planning and Economic Committee, claiming that the modification order stood to cause them grave financial harm, and that they had followed all the official procedures. "We have carried out ground-inspections for every project linked to the complaint, and found them to be in line with Yangon City Development Council regulations established under the previous government," said Kyaw Zeya, the secretary of the parliamentary committee. "So, we submitted our report to the divisional government last week recommending that action should not be taken against them," he added. Kyaw Zeya said he understood that the Rangoon Division government is trying to tame unruly urban development in the city, but "the new policy for high-rise [buildings] should be directed at new projects and not at old ones that have already received permission." Asked how decisive they think their recommendation would prove, the lawmaker said, "If we don't see any results, we will submit a proposal at the upcoming term of parliament to implement the recommendation." The Rangoon Division Parliament is currently in recess and will recommence next month. Ye Min Oo, the spokesperson for the high-rise review committee that suggested the initial modification orders, said he had no comment to offer on the new recommendation, stating that it was a matter to be resolved between the divisional government and the parliamentary committee. "Because our committee was formed by the divisional government, we are only accountable to it. If the government orders us to review their recommendation, we can do so." The post Rangoon Parliamentary Committee Lets Halted High-Rise Projects Off the Hook appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ethnic Armed Group Leaders Discuss Formation of a Burman State Posted: 27 Jul 2016 06:46 AM PDT The Mai Ja Yang ethnic armed groups summit, pictured on its second day, Wednesday, July 27, 2016. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy) MAI JA YANG, Kachin State — On the second day of a summit in Mai Ja Yang, Kachin State, ethnic armed group leaders discussed a draft constitution which proposes a single Burman state within a federal union. Currently, Burma is made up of seven ethnic states—named for the Chin, Kachin, Karen, Karenni, Mon and Shan—and seven divisions. The proposed change is to combine three of these divisions—in which the majority population in most regions is thought to be Burman—to form a single Burman state. Ethnic minority leaders believe that this will foster more equitable political representation and sharing of resources. While data from the 2014 census on the size of Burma's ethnic populations has yet to be released, Burmans, or "Bamar," have long been considered to comprise around 60 percent of the national population. Nai Hong Sar, vice chairman of the ethnic armed group coalition United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), explained that ethnic minority leaders have difficulty accepting the current constitutional allowance for Burmans to retain political "control" over seven regions in the country and be allocated what he says are a larger share of resources. "They [the Burmans] get seven kyats, but our ethnic group has only one state and we will get only one kyat. Therefore, we cannot accept their constitution," Nai Hong Sar said, explaining how he feels the country's controversial 2008 Constitution marginalizes ethnic minorities. "Based on our current draft, Mandalay, Magwe and Pegu [divisions] will become a state for Burmans," he said, adding that, "We all should all be equal." Ethnic armed group leaders adopted a draft federal constitution in Feb. 2008, after forming the Federal Constitution Drafting and Coordinating Committee (FCDCC). Burma's current constitution—also ratified in 2008—was written by the country's former military government and ratified by a nationwide referendum widely considered fraudulent. The constitution has been extensively criticized for entrenching the armed forces' presence in the legislature, for barring now-State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi from the presidency, and for granting little autonomy to ethnic states. Burma's seven divisions are listed in the 2008 Constitution as Rangoon, Sagaing, Magwe, Mandalay, Irrawaddy, Pegu and Tenasserim. The FCDCC recommends that Rangoon, Sagaing, Tenasserim and Irrawaddy divisions—which have large ethnic minority populations—instead become what they term as "nationalities states." Nai Soe Myint, a senior leader from Mon National Party agreed with the proposed change. "For example, the ethnic Chin nationality lives [also] in Sagaing Division. The division does not only have Burman people. This is why we will call Sagaing a 'nationalities state,'" he said. Gen Bee Htoo, chief of the Karenni National Progressive Party and a senior UNFC leader, said that a federal system "based on nationalities" would solve many of the country's problems stemming from what has long been perceived as Burman domination of political affairs, institutions and culture. Not all were in agreement, however. The Restoration Council of Shan State—whose armed wing is known as the Shan State Army-South, and claims defend ethnic Shan interests—objected to the idea of Shan State being called a "nationalities state." Shan State covers a large area of exceptional pluralism—in addition to the Shan it is home to considerable numbers of ethnic Palaung (Ta'ang), Pa-O, Wa and Kachin, among many other groups, and a significant population of Chinese descent. Three groups absent from the meeting were the United Wa State Army, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army—all of which are active in Shan State, leading some ethnic delegates, including Bee Htoo, to recommend further discussion for a future "nationalities state" in the region. Other ethnic leaders present at the summit have suggested centering future talks around a "federal Shan State" instead, but clarified that such discussions remain in the early stages. Naw Zipporah Sein, the vice chairperson of the Karen National Union (KNU), said that additional changes have been made to the FCDCC's alternative draft constitution up through 2015. "We will discuss and analyze the draft today. Then, if we need to, we could add more to it and approve it at this meeting," she said on Tuesday at the Mai Ja Yang summit. She added that the representatives from 17 groups present at the event would focus on discussing how to most effectively participate in the upcoming Union Peace Conference—slated to be held in late August in Naypyidaw. "It is important for us to establish common ground," Zipporah Sein said. "One group alone cannot build a federal union, or peace. We will only succeed in reaching our goal when all groups are included: political parties, democratic forces, and our armed forces," she said. The UNFC's Nai Hong Sar said that current events have forced the Burma Army, which has long opposed the political aspirations of ethnic nationalities, to be more open to their demands. "In the past, the Burma Army was opposed to federalism, but not anymore—they accept it now. They are worried that our ethnic groups will secede from the country. But no one is asking to secede—we just ask for our future federal system to have democracy, equal rights and self-determination. We just ask for this," he said. The post Ethnic Armed Group Leaders Discuss Formation of a Burman State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Trade Troubles on the Chinese Border Posted: 27 Jul 2016 06:28 AM PDT A sign outside the Shan State border town of Muse greets entrants. (Photo: New Myanmar Blog) RANGOON — Due to heavy rains in northern Shan State and increased scrutiny from Chinese officials, Burmese traders who typically sell unsanctioned goods in China have been stuck in the border town of Muse, unable to offload their products, sources said. Weeks of rain have raised the Ruili River, which divides Burma and China, to a dangerous level. Rice, bean, sugar and corn exporters—who have transported their goods illegally via truck to China in the past—are now attempting river crossings, said Muse-based fruit exporter Sai Khin Maung. According to Min Ko Oo, the secretary of the Myanmar Beans and Pulses Traders Association, the Chinese government has recently undertaken harsher scrutiny of exporters, causing illegal traders to ship their goods via ferry—a dicey method due to the intense rains. Rice, corn, bean and sugar traders are hesitant to travel to Muse because of uncertainty on the Chinese side, but people who export legal products are still making the trip, traders said. According to the Ministry of Commerce, Burma has 16 border trading posts. More than 1,500 trucks cross the Muse border into China  daily during normal trading periods; however, due to the rains and the stricter control measures, that number has been significantly reduced. According to sources on Muse's 105-mile border trade gate, fewer than 500 trucks now cross each day. "Traders are waiting to see what happens before going to Muse. Because major export item trading is almost at a standstill now in China, the trade volume will be lower than usual this month," a Muse border gate source said. He added that the resurgence of trade would depend on weather conditions and control measures on the Chinese side. According to the Ministry of Commerce, trade volume in Muse this year is down US$81 million from last year's volume for the April to July fiscal quarter. The post Trade Troubles on the Chinese Border appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Lawmaker and Real Estate Developer Condemns Suspended High-Rise Construction Posted: 27 Jul 2016 06:23 AM PDT Thet Thet Khine, Lower House parliamentarian and real estate developer, pictured at a women's forum in 2013. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — A Lower House lawmaker behind a Rangoon high-rise project has criticized the division's chief minister for a decision to suspend the construction of more than 200 buildings in the commercial capital. During an interview with Radio Free Asia on Saturday, Thet Thet Khine, a businesswoman who is also a National League for Democracy (NLD) MP from Rangoon's Dagon Constituency, said that Chief Minister Phyo Min Thein's decision—made in May—has negatively affected job opportunities for local workers on sites where construction was halted. "The government can change policies if they dislike them. It is for this that the people elected us. But their way of making changes needs to be right," she said. In May, the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) announced a halt to the construction of more than 200 buildings in Rangoon that were to be nine or more stories high, declaring that resumption would be permitted only after on-the-ground investigations were conducted to determine whether those projects had followed construction regulations. A review committee was then formed in June to perform these assessments. The move has since been criticized by developers who say that the YCDC's action has had serious consequences: labor issues, complaints from buyers of unfinished apartments, delays on repaying bank loans, cash flow problems and a lack of business for construction suppliers. The YCDC acknowledges that the previous Rangoon divisional government and municipal council had given "initial approval" for proposals to build more than 200 high-rises from 2013 until March 31 of this year. "[Their projects] were in line with the previous government's regulations. Now, they are changing them," said Thet Thet Khine, who is planning the construction of a high-profile condominium building housing 68 residences. The project is slated to be built on the corner of Kabar Aye Pagoda and Saya San roads, near the country's landmark Shwedagon Pagoda. Thet Thet Khine highlighted NLD-party head Aung San Suu Kyi's promise during the 2015 general election campaign period that a new government would hold no grudge against the previous administration. What the Rangoon Division leadership is doing now, Thet Thet Khine alleges, is backsliding into an attitude of "just follow my orders." "What I want to say is that they can make a new policy, but before that, they should listen and discuss the voices of those who will need to follow that policy. They should consider the impacts, and the pros and cons [of the policy change]," Thet Thet Khine added. The Irrawaddy tried to contact Thet Thet Khine by phone on Wednesday but were not able to reach her at the time of publication. The suspension of the projects comes at a time when Burmese urban specialists, who contend that Rangoon is under threat due to the lack of proper urban planning and controls, have been calling on the government to take "urgent action" to rein in unruly projects. They have also called for the formation of a committee of experts on sustainable urban management. The post Lawmaker and Real Estate Developer Condemns Suspended High-Rise Construction appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

After One Casualty, Cholera ‘Under Control’ in Pyay Posted: 27 Jul 2016 05:12 AM PDT Pegu Division Chief Minister Win Thein inspects the cholera-affected area in Pyay on July 26, 2016. (Photo: Kaung Myat Min / The Irrawaddy) PYAY, Pegu Division — A recent cholera outbreak in Pyay District of Pegu Division is now under control, according to Pegu Division Chief Minister Win Thein. The July 11 outbreak led to the hospitalization of around 140 people and resulted in one death, according to Pyay General Hospital in Pyay Township, where cholera patients were treated. According to the hospital, almost half of their patients were suffering from cholera and the rest were being treated for diarrhea. The hospital received the last two diarrhea patients on Monday, July 25, and treated six diarrhea patients on Tuesday, according to Dr. Tin Shun, the medical superintendent of the hospital. As he inspected preventative measures against cholera in Pyay's Na Win ward, which was hardest hit by the disease, the Pegu Division chief minister told reporters on Tuesday evening that the epidemic had been successfully dealt with. "According to the report from the Health Department, it can be said that the disease is under control. The disease did not spread and is affecting less and less people," said Win Thein. The chief minister also added that his divisional government is planning to establish a lab in Pyay town, to better protect against and test for such diseases in the future. "We have dispatched health staff to affected areas, and asked the Food and Drug Administration to test food and water sources there. But there is no lab here and we have to send the samples to the lab in Yangon. We have a plan to set up labs in western Pegu," he said. The post After One Casualty, Cholera 'Under Control' in Pyay appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

ALP Officer Arrested for Accusing Burma Army of War Crimes Posted: 27 Jul 2016 05:08 AM PDT More than 50 Sittwe residents wait outside the court in Sittwe on Wednesday, where ALP communications officer Khine Myo Htun is being tried under incitement charges. (Photo: Photo: Marayu/ Sittwe) RANGOON — The communications officer of the Arakan Liberation Party, Khine Myo Htun, was detained on Monday in Sittwe, the Arakan State capital, where he is facing incitement charges for accusing the Burma Army of committing war crimes in the state. According to local sources, he had received bail after initial charges were made, but had not shown for two consecutive court hearings, after which the judge ordered his arrest. During a court hearing on Wednesday, more than 50 Sittwe residents stood for several hours outside, reportedly eager to enquire about Khine Myo Htun's status. The Arakan Liberation Party (ALP)—whose armed wing, the Arakan Liberation Army, is estimated to have minimal fighting capacity—was among eight non-state ethnic armed groups that signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement with the previous government in October last year. On April 24, Khine Myo Htun released a statement on behalf of the ALP that made multiple allegations against the Burma Army of committing war crimes and breaching the Geneva Convention by forcing local civilians to porter for their battalions, using them as human shields, and torturing them for information during campaigns against the Arakan Army (another ethnic Arakanese armed group) in Kyauktaw Township of Arakan State. Quickly after, the Arakan State Security and Border Affairs Minister Col Htein Lin—a military appointee—summoned Khine Myo Htun and demanded "concrete evidence" for the accusations, threatening him with arrest if no proof was given. In early May, Khine Myo Htun delivered 15 audio and visual files to Col Htein Lin as evidence. However, the military responded by charging Khine Myo Htun under Article 505 of the Burmese penal code, which covers broad "incitement" provisions and carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison. A central committee member of the Arakan National Party, Khin Pyay Soe, confirmed that Khine Myo Htun had been sued by the military but had since been released on bail. A junior officer of the ALP, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed that Khine Myo Htun was arrested on Monday because of the April statement and was escorted by police to the Sittwe courthouse on Wednesday morning. Nyo Aye, who sits on the board of directors for the Arakan Natural Resources and Environmental Network and has worked with Khine Myo Htun, told The Irrawaddy that they were preparing to meet with the security and border affairs minister to discuss Khine Myo Htun's case, and were making urgent moves to hire a lawyer. Nyo Aye explained that Khine Myo Htun had been absent from two previous court hearings, prompting his arrest on Monday, because he had been "away from Sittwe." The Irrawaddy phoned the ALP's joint general-secretary Khine Aung Soe Than but he could not be reached for comment because he was en route to attend the Mai Ja Yang summit of ethnic armed groups, hosted by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in Kachin State. The post ALP Officer Arrested for Accusing Burma Army of War Crimes appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Four Ethnic Armed Groups Absent From Mai Ja Yang Summit Posted: 27 Jul 2016 04:03 AM PDT Mai Ja Yang Summit in Kachin State. (Photo: Thaw Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy) MAI JA YANG, Kachin State — Four ethnic armed groups, including the United Wa State Army (UWSA)—the largest non-state armed group in Burma–were noticeably absent from an ongoing ethnic armed group summit in Kachin State's Mai Ja Yang. Leaders representing 17 ethnic armed groups gathered in Mai Ja Yang on Tuesday to seek common ground in working toward federalism. Among the other absentees were the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K). "Even before the Wa group received the [summit] invitation from us, they had set up a time and venue for talks with the government. They might have had difficulties choosing a delegation of leaders to attend the summit," said Khu Oo Reh, chairman of the summit organizing committee. Despite the fact that the UWSA did not attend the event, its ally—the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), better known as Mongla Group—joined the summit as an observer. Also, the Arakan Army (AA)—a TNLA and MNDAA ally—was present. "The TNLA and MNDAA wanted to attend but there were difficulties for the time being. Please forgive their absence. They will be present and cooperate in the next stages," said Khu Oo Reh, who is also secretary of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC). The AA, TNLA and MNDAA are all members of the UNFC—a coalition of nine ethnic armed groups who opted out of signing a nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) with the previous government in 2015. The UNFC has stuck to its all-inclusive policy regarding a ceasefire with the government, and opted out of signing the NCA because the former administration had not included the MNDAA, TNLA, and AA in the peace process. The TNLA stated that it chose not to attend the summit because of concerns that its presence might affect other ethnic armed groups, citing previous demands issued by the Burma Army for participation in peace process. The military demanded that the TNLA, MNDAA and AA disarm in order to join the process, said TNLA general secretary Tar Bone Kyaw. "We are ready to participate in the peace process if the National League for Democracy government and the Burma Army allow us to join like other ethnic [armed] groups in line with the ceasefire policy. But the Burma Army has insisted that we lay down our arms before joining the peace process," he told The Irrawaddy. Regarding the inclusion of the MNDAA and the TNLA in the peace process, Khu Oo Reh told reporters, "Our view is that we will continue discussions with the government. But, we think the concerned groups and the government should answer for themselves rather than us answering on their behalf." The NSCN-K is based on the India-Burma border and is an independent group with no alliance to other ethnic armed groups. The group has said that it will not attend the Union Peace Conference, which is scheduled for the end of August. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. The post Four Ethnic Armed Groups Absent From Mai Ja Yang Summit appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

All Remaining Jade Mining Licenses to Expire in 2018 Posted: 27 Jul 2016 02:48 AM PDT A vast wasteland of denuded hills and mountains has been created by jade mining around the once-verdant hinterland of Hpakant. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The government has announced that all remaining jade mining licenses will expire in 2018, and licenses will only be considered for renewal after the completion of an environmental management plan for jade mining areas of Kachin State. With the government's decision not to renew jade mining licenses, 310 mining companies operating in Kachin State will have to stop by the end of the month, as listed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation. However, the existing licenses of several hundred other companies remain valid until the end of the 2017-18 fiscal year, according to Myanmar Gems Enterprise director Min Thu. Seven hundred companies are currently operating in the jade mining areas of Hpakant, Lone Khin and Mohnyin in Kachin State. The National League for Democracy (NLD) government has also been restricting the import of machines and vehicles used for jade mining in Kachin State, after a reported upsurge in jade extraction, and the smuggling of machinery from China, prior to the formation of the NLD government at the end of March. "This is part of the new government's policy to protect the environment in the area," said Min Thu, who added, "I’m not worried about the jade market because we still have enough raw jade waiting to be sold." He said the government would still be able to hold its biannual Gems Emporium in Naypyidaw, with current raw jade stocks sufficing for at least the next three years. Mandalay Gems Traders Association secretary Aung Thein criticized the government's policy, saying they should take action against individuals who have broken the law and harmed the environment, rather than put licenses for all companies on hold. He added that the government "should listen to the voices" of those outside of companies who are illegally handpicking jade for their livelihoods in the Kachin State mines, who are "abused" by the companies and made vulnerable by reckless large-scale mining—including through the ever-present threat of landslides, which have killed hundreds. "The government should go and see what is happening there," he said. "We are appealing to the Lower House of Parliament on this issue." Aung Thein added that the jade market has suffered in recent months, due largely to a slowdown in demand from China, where most of Burma's jade is destined, alongside over-extraction. Prices have been falling and unsold raw jade has been piling up at the Chinese border at Muse in Shan State. The post All Remaining Jade Mining Licenses to Expire in 2018 appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Burma Appoints New Permanent Representative to the UN Posted: 27 Jul 2016 01:27 AM PDT Htin Lynn speaks during the opening ceremony of the Special Meeting on Irregular Migration in the Indian Ocean at a hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, May 29, 2015. (Photo: Chaiwat Subprasom / Reuters) RANGOON — Burma has appointed Htin Lynn as the permanent representative to the United Nations (UN) and other international organizations, according to a statement issued by the foreign affairs ministry on Wednesday. Previously acting as a director-general of the ministry's international organizations and economic department and deputy permanent representative to the UN, he has served with the ministry for more than three decades, Aye Aye Soe, ministry spokesperson and member of the consular and legal affairs department, told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday. In May of last year, he joined the Special Meeting on Irregular Migration in the Indian Ocean, in Bangkok, Thailand, as Burma's special representative. At the meeting, he rejected Burma being "singled out" by the UN when addressing the issue of thousands of Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants attempting to reach Malaysia and Indonesia by boat. Htin Lynn has been recognized as a staunch defender of the previous administration's stance on the Rohingya. According to a report issued by the state-run daily Global New Light of Myanmar last January, he said that Burma's 1982 Citizenship Law would decide their citizenship eligibility. He has denied accusations of discriminatory policies in the country toward the Rohingya, while recognizing that some ethnic groups were left behind due to geographical difficulties and poor infrastructural development. Recently, he represented Burma at the World Humanitarian Summit, which was held in Istanbul on March 24. The post Burma Appoints New Permanent Representative to the UN appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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