The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• NLD ‘Will Not Take Ma Ba Tha Demands Seriously’
• Burmese Citizens Show Support for Rangoon Chief Minister
• National Human Rights Education Initiative Forthcoming
• Farmers Protesting on Seized Land Let Off With Light Fine
• Gold Price Reaches New High
• Kachin Warlord to Appeal Loss of Parliamentary Seat
• Landmine Explosion Kills 1, Wounds 7 in Shan State
• Education Ministry to Invest in Informal Education

NLD ‘Will Not Take Ma Ba Tha Demands Seriously’ Posted: 08 Jul 2016 07:01 AM PDT Win Htein, NLD spokesperson and central executive committee member. (Photo: J Paing / The Irrawaddy) NAYPYIDAW — Win Htein, spokesperson for the National League for Democracy (NLD), said that the party will not take seriously a demand by ultra-nationalist monks that the government punish a regional minister for recent remarks criticizing their hardline Buddhist group. The Association for the Protection of Race and Religion—better known by its Burmese acronym "Ma Ba Tha"—on Thursday called for action to be taken by the country's ruling NLD leadership against the Rangoon Chief Minister Phyo Min Thein—also an NLD member—for deeming the hardline organization "not necessary." In their statement released on the same day, Ma Ba Tha said they would send also their request to longtime NLD patron Tin Oo. "Regarding that case, we only have the attitude of making big problems smaller, and making small problems none. We don't take it too seriously. We won't take it seriously just because of their demands," Win Htein, one of the party's central executive committee members, told the reporters in Naypyidaw on Friday evening. He said that the NLD's policy is not to mix religion and politics. For the time being, he added, the NLD's primary focus is to smooth the political, economic and peace processes prioritized by State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi. Win Htein described all other issues as "trivial" matters. "We have no reason to respond to [those] who usually say terribly nasty things on Facebook. We won't put those things into our minds while Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is moving forward shrewdly," Win Htein said, referring to Ma Ba Tha leader Wirathu, a monk known for his anti-Muslim stance and public statements which have been criticized by rights groups as hate speech. Burma's 2008 Constitution forbids the abuse of religion for political purposes, he pointed out. If Ma Ba Tha abides by the law, Win Htein explained, issues will be settled under the law; if Ma Ba Tha fails to abide by the law, local authorities will be called in to regulate the group, he added. The post NLD 'Will Not Take Ma Ba Tha Demands Seriously' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Burmese Citizens Show Support for Rangoon Chief Minister Posted: 08 Jul 2016 06:10 AM PDT A Facebook user changes their profile picture to show support for Rangoon Chief Minister Phyo Min Thein. (Photo: J Paing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Burmese citizens abroad and at home flocked to social media in support of the Rangoon chief minister's remark that the ultra-nationalist Buddhist group known by the Burmese acronym Ma Ba Tha was "not necessary." At a meeting with the Burmese community in Singapore on Sunday, Rangoon Chief Minister Phyo Min Thein said that Ma Ba Tha—the self-appointed guardian of race and religion—was not necessary in Burma, because the country already had the state Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee—a clerical council appointed by the government to oversee monastic discipline. Upon arrival in Rangoon on Wednesday, the chief minister was confronted by a small group of Ma Ba Tha supporters protesting outside of Rangoon International Airport, where he repeated, "We don't need Ma Ba Tha." His comment went viral on Facebook with many users changing their profile photos and sharing pictures that said, "[U] Phyo Min Thein, We stand with You" as well as "Down with Ma Ba Tha Extremists." Ko Ko Htin Htin, an engineer working in Singapore, said that Burmese expatriates in Singapore would conduct an online poll to show support for the disintegration of Ma Ba Tha. "We don't want Ma Ba Tha and we don't want their activities," he said. Ko Ko Htin Htin said that to prove the votes were credible, the poll would ask that each voter provide their name, national registration card number and birthdate. "According to recent data from the Burmese Embassy in Singapore, over 200,000 Burmese nationals live here. We will find out how many Burmese people here stand together," he said. Founded in 2014, Ma Ba Tha has garnered international notoriety for its hardline anti-Muslim stance, which frequently spills into hate speech. The group has been heavily involved in anti-Rohingya protests around the country, and frequently denounces the persecuted Muslim minority who are denied citizenship in Burma. The country experienced widespread religious violence under the quasi-civilian government of former President Thein Sein, who ruled from 2011-16, and human rights activists have accused members of Ma Ba Tha of inciting the unrest. Ma Ba Tha has also long opposed State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD) party. During the 2015 general election campaign period, the group actively campaigned against them. "What did they do for race and religion? All they did was lash out and defame Suu Kyi and her counterparts, which is really coarse. Calling yourself the protectors of race and religion, but doing the opposite—no one accepts this," Ko Ko Htin Htin said. "Buddhism is about following the teachings of Buddha, not following the teachings of Ma Ba Tha," he added. Ma Ba Tha leaders condemned the Rangoon chief minister's comments and threatened to hold a nationwide campaign against him. "We will send a request to President U Htin Kyaw and State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to take action against Rangoon Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein, who said that Ma Ba Tha is not necessary," the group said in a public statement released after an urgent meeting called on Thursday at the group's Rangoon headquarters. The organization identified July 14 as a deadline for the government reprimand. It also insisted that Ma Ba Tha is a lawful association, claiming that it could be classified as a "non-governmental missionary group," while describing the Sangha Maha Nayaka as an authoritative clerical organization. Sayadaw Ashin Issariya, a Mandalay-based monk and former political prisoner, described Ma Ba Tha's activities as contrary to the institution's policies and that members have often committed acts of violence for which the group has never taken responsibility. "What they did does not protect race and religion but tears it down," the monk said. "I completely agree with the Rangoon chief minister—but not just because he said it. I would agree if anyone who practiced any religion said, 'We don't need Ma Ba Tha,' because that's the truth." The post Burmese Citizens Show Support for Rangoon Chief Minister appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

National Human Rights Education Initiative Forthcoming Posted: 08 Jul 2016 05:58 AM PDT Primary students pictured at Botahtaung Township's School No. 6 in Rangoon on June 1, 2016. (Photo: Pyay Kyaw / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Burma's national human rights commission will join the Ministry of Education in integrating human rights education into the national curriculum, a move likely to be implemented in the following academic year, the commission has announced. The Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (MNHRC) and the education ministry agreed in June to work cooperatively to include Human Rights Education (HRE) lessons within the provisions of basic education, starting from second grade and finishing in twelfth. The two institutions will begin drafting the curriculum during the third week of July, Dr. Khine Khine Win, the director of MNHRC's human rights education and promotion division, told The Irrawaddy on Friday. "We will develop the curriculum with illustrations and pictures based on what children should know about basic human rights in their respective grades and what is appropriate for their level," she said. Dr. Khine Khine Win explained that the lesson content will draw upon the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child. HRE will not be taught as a separate course, however—lessons are expected to be integrated within one of the main subjects already being taught. The director-general of the Ministry of Education's Department of Myanmar Education Research Bureau Dr. Khaing Mye said that basic concepts and knowledge related to human rights had already been touched upon in social skills and life skills lessons within the existing curriculum, but the MNHRC aims to update these lessons to increase their relevance to the present day. "Teaching human rights education in classrooms will assist children and our society in developing mutual respect, promoting equality, [and] understanding and respecting diversity in religions, cultures and customs," he told The Irrawaddy on Friday. The ministry's curriculum development team includes international and local education experts and is supported by the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Dr. Khaing Mye said. Dr. Khine Khine Win said that people in Burma have never had the opportunity to learn about human rights in state schools; if these ideas are learned from an early age, she hopes that the next generation will understand and respect human dignity and know how to effectively apply these principles in all aspects of their lives. "When these children become adults, they won't be like us—learning what human rights are and what violations of human rights are, at an old age," she said. In June, Burma's education minister, Myo Thein Gyi, took to the floor of Parliament and explained to lawmakers that his ministry would take steps to include human rights as a subject for university students pursuing law degrees. The addition will take place beginning in the 2016-2017 academic year, which starts in December. The post National Human Rights Education Initiative Forthcoming appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Farmers Protesting on Seized Land Let Off With Light Fine Posted: 08 Jul 2016 05:54 AM PDT Farmers and land activists in Madaya Township, Mandalay Region, July 8. (Photo: Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy) MANDALAY — A court in Mandalay Division's Madaya township on Friday fined 105 farmers between 500 and 3,000 kyats (US$0.43–$2.56) for plowing in protest on land they claim had been seized from them. For staging the plowing protest in March 2013, the farmers from seven different villages in the township were charged with trespassing, deterring government officers from their duty and destroying public property. The farmers and the lawyer representing them, who spoke to The Irrawaddy, interpreted the sentence as deliberately lenient. "Sentencing the farmers with only a fine shows that the court in Madaya had sympathy for the farmers whose land was confiscated, even though it found them guilty," said Thein Than Oo, a lawyer representing the farmers. The farmers charged with trespassing must pay a 3,000-kyat fine, while those charged with deterring government officers from their duty or destroying public property must pay 500 kyats. The lawyer stated that common penalties for these offenses include jail time between three months and two years, but the judges opted for small fines based on their "humanity." "We have to welcome the court's decision. They had sympathy for us, because we lost our land and have nothing to do for our living," said Ye Yint Aung, one of the dispossessed farmers from Tangar Taung village in Madaya Township. Since the year 2000, about 600 acres of land from seven villages in the township was seized by the (now defunct) Ministry of Cooperatives in partnership with the Yaynantha Agricultural Corporation. Because the lands were abandoned soon after their seizure—and in light of promises made by the reformist administration of President Thein Sein from 2011 to return seized lands that were not being used back to farmers—they staged the plowing protest in 2013. Vice-president Henry Van Thio, who acts as chairman of the Central Review Committee on Confiscated Farm Lands and Other Lands, will reportedly visit Madaya on Saturday to host a ceremony overseeing the return of seized land to local farmers. However, the farmers fined for the plowing protest said their lands were not included on the list of those who will be getting their land back on Saturday. However, they were hopeful that their lands could be returned eventually: "We still need to send the required documents to the chief minister of Mandalay and to Naypyidaw," said Ye Yint Aung. "We believe our government will not abandon us." The Central Review Committee on Confiscated Farmlands and Other Lands, which is situated within the executive branch of government, was formed in May. It is charged 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. So far, the committee claims to have overseen the return of 6,000 acres of land in Maubin and Pyapon townships of Irrawaddy Division. On June 30, 70 dispossessed farmers in Zayarthiri Township of Naypyidaw were given temporary farmland tenure permits for more than 200 acres confiscated between 2006 and 2013. At the ceremony, Naypyidaw Council Chairman Myo Aung said that the Central Review Committee would resolve all land disputes in Burma within six months. The post Farmers Protesting on Seized Land Let Off With Light Fine appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Gold Price Reaches New High Posted: 08 Jul 2016 04:41 AM PDT Vendors arrange a display of gold jewelry at a shop in Chinatown in downtown Rangoon. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — After hitting a record high last month, gold prices have continued to rise to their highest point ever due to increasing global gold prices, industry sources say. The local price for one tical, a traditional Burmese weight measurement equal to 16.33 grams (just over a half ounce), jumped to almost 840,000 kyats (US$685) this week, up from last month's 812,000 kyat peak. The price has been pushed up by global prices and influenced by Britain's exit from the European Union (EU) last month. Gold dealers said this is the highest price on record since the country opened its economy to external trade in 1988. "Today's local price is a record, and the global gold price is only going to increase in the coming days. Gold shop owners are seeing decreased sales, but there are many sellers coming here and trying to profit on goods they bought for a lower price," said Kyaw Win, secretary of the Myanmar Gold Entrepreneurs Association. On July 8, the global gold price reached US$1,363 per ounce, up from $1,300 last month. "The local gold market is indirectly affected by matters in the EU, but I don't think the price will go down again right away. There is the potential for it to go even higher seeing that the actual Brexit has a long way to go still," Kyaw Win said. "People are selling their gold and saving money or investing in the US dollar, as this is not a good time to invest in property," he said. Because the US dollar exchange rate has stabilized around 1170 kyats per dollar, investors are hoping to profit by shifting their investments from gold to dollars, Kyaw Win said. It is a good time for people who have hoarded gold to cash out in the market, said U Maw, owner of Aung Thamadi goldsmith in Mandalay. "Many gold shops are now buying gold from their customers. Trading has reversed." The post Gold Price Reaches New High appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Kachin Warlord to Appeal Loss of Parliamentary Seat Posted: 08 Jul 2016 04:22 AM PDT Zahkung Ting Ying, Upper House representative for Kachin State-5, who commands his own private militia, the New Democratic Army-Kachin. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Veteran Kachin militia leader Zahkung Ting Ying has appealed against the ruling of a post-election tribunal, which required that he vacate his seat in the Upper House of Parliament, according to Hla Han, the lawyer defending his case. On June 24, the tribunal in Naypyidaw—comprised of three members of the Union Election Commission (UEC)—pronounced Zahkung Ting Ying guilty of breaching Article 66 of the Upper House Election Law, which outlines electoral "malpractices" including "committing violence," "false accusations," "creating public unrest," and obstructing a party or person "for the purpose of electing a [parliamentary] candidate." His rival independent candidate Yaw Na and a National League for Democracy (NLD) candidate, San Wai Khaung Lwan—who competed in another constituency in the same area of eastern Kachin State—both filed cases against him with a tribunal established by the UEC in December last year to settle post-election disputes. The cases filed against Zahkung alleged intimidation, defamation and violence against other candidates during the election campaign period last year, via Zahkung's private militia—the New Democratic Army-Kachin (NDA-K), which is firmly allied with the Burma Army and became a Border Guard Force in 2009. As an independent candidate, Zahkung won the Upper House seat of Kachin State-5, a sparsely populated area covering Chipwi, Tsawlaw and Injingyang townships. He was also a lawmaker under the previous government, from 2011. Zahkung's lawyer Hla Han told The Irrawaddy, "We decided to appeal because local supporters of Zahkung opposed the ruling. We heard that they are preparing to stage a protest. What's more, there were some errors in the [tribunal's] judgment." Zahkung released a statement on July 1 requesting his supporters not to organize protests for fear that it might lead to "unnecessary problems." If Zahkung loses the appeal, his independent rival Yaw Nar would assume his parliamentary seat since he was the runner-up in the poll with around 3,000 votes to Zahkung's approximately 5,000. Electoral laws state that either party to a dispute can appeal a tribunal ruling within 15 days. All appeals will be heard by the UEC, without judicial or parliamentary oversight. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko The post Kachin Warlord to Appeal Loss of Parliamentary Seat appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Landmine Explosion Kills 1, Wounds 7 in Shan State Posted: 08 Jul 2016 02:11 AM PDT Palaung (Ta'ang) villagers walk in Namtu Township, northern Shan State. (Photo: Lawi Weng / The Irrawaddy) One person died and seven were injured when a landmine exploded on Wednesday in Namtu Township in northern Shan State, where several armed groups are active. The landmine detonated while 17 villagers from Nar Seng village tract in Namtu Township were transporting food rations for the Shan State Army-South (SSA-S). The SSA-S will provide care and arrangements for those who were injured and the one fatality, said Nang Kham Aye, Lower House parliamentarian from the same township. She said that landmine injuries have increased in the region since 2015, and that raising awareness of landmines would help the locals and lower the number of incidents. Namtu Township has been plagued with fighting, at times between the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the SSA-S, and also between the TNLA and the Burma Army. The armed groups have placed landmines during the conflict, some of which kill or maim civilians before being cleared. Over the first three months of 2016, 21 landmine causalities were documented in Shan State. According to Unicef and its partners in compiling data, 59 landmine incidents occurred in 2015, with 34 of the victims being children. Burma has the third highest concentration of landmines in the world, after Afghanistan and Colombia. The post Landmine Explosion Kills 1, Wounds 7 in Shan State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Education Ministry to Invest in Informal Education Posted: 07 Jul 2016 11:30 PM PDT Primary students on their way home from a school in Mandalay. (Photo: Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy) Under the new education policy of the National League for Democracy (NLD) government, the Ministry of Education will invest its efforts in informal education, a sector that was previously handled by civil society organizations. "The education ministry has recently engaged in informal education because of the new government's policy. For the time being, we are holding talks with stakeholders," said Khine Mye, a ministry spokesperson. An alternative education forum was held at Mingalar Thiri hotel in Naypyidaw on Wednesday. Attendees included education minister Myo Thein Gyi, departmental personnel, and civil society organizations currently engaged in providing alternative education to children who cannot afford formal education and children with disabilities. The ministry spent over one billion kyat (about US$850,000) in the 2015-16 fiscal year, and plans to establish alternative and life-long education departments under its supervision, according to spokesperson Khine Mye, who also serves as director-general of the Education Research Bureau. He added that the ministry implemented a plan in 2008 that enables dropouts who receive informal education to attend the appropriate grades when they return to school. So far, the approach has benefitted more than 60,000 dropouts. "Our policy is to carry out a formal education program in parallel with an informal one that provides knowledge and expertise for nation-building," Khine Mye said. The education ministry began providing schooling to the children of Burmese migrant workers in Thailand's Mae Sot earlier this year, where students in grades five through nine are permitted to sit for Burma's nationwide exams. Last year, 100 children of Burmese migrant workers sat for the matriculation exams in Burma's Myawaddy [across the border from Mae Sot] and 17 of them passed. "There are migrant learning centers [in Mae Sot] funded by civil society organizations. There were previously 74 centers there but now there are 64. They teach a syllabus that aligns with Burma's formal curriculum," said Tin Nyunt, an education expert. The NLD levied a 5 percent tax on all mobile calling and data charges beginning in April, and invested the revenue from April and May into the education sector. According to the Ministry of Finance and Planning, almost US$6 million was raised in April from the tax. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. The post Education Ministry to Invest in Informal Education appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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