The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• KIA: Burma Army Attacks Kachin Rebel Outpost From the Air
• USDP Reshuffles Leadership, Ex-Military Men Predominate
• Inflation Reaches 12 Percent, Alarming Business Leaders
• Arakanese Network Plans Protest Over Natural Resource Ownership
• Environmental Advocates: Salween River is Being ‘Sold Off’ to China
• Police in Search of Three Suspects in Rangoon Quadruple Homicide
• Man Indicted for Insulting Military Chief, Former President on Facebook
• Ten Things to Do in Rangoon This Week

KIA: Burma Army Attacks Kachin Rebel Outpost From the Air Posted: 23 Aug 2016 07:43 AM PDT A member of the Kachin Independence Army puts on his shoes as he and a fellow soldier cross a stream toward the front line in Laiza, Kachin State, in January, 2013. (Photo: David Johnson / Reuters) The Burma Army used two helicopters to attack a base of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) on Tuesday near Ja Htar village in Kachin State's Waingmaw Township, according to KIA sources. Ground forces from the Tatmadaw first reportedly attacked the frontline of KIA Battalion No. 252, also known as the In-Kham outpost. Following the offensive, two helicopters then shot at the base from the air. KIA spokesperson Lt-Col Naw Bu told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday evening that while he did not yet know the details of the attack, he had been informed that the Burma Army had used "two gunships" and that the clash had broken out at around 11 a.m. that day. Fighting between KIA Battalion No. 252 and government troops reportedly began in Waingmaw Township on Saturday. Meanwhile, Hpakant Township has seen sporadic clashes between KIA Battalion No. 6 and the Burmese military. Despite opting out of signing the 2015 nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) with the previous government, the KIA said that it would attend Burma's 21st Century Panglong peace conference scheduled to begin on August 31 in Naypyidaw. The Irrawaddy called Burma's military spokesperson, Maj-Gen Aung Ye Win, but he said he could not comment on the situation at the present time. The post KIA: Burma Army Attacks Kachin Rebel Outpost From the Air appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

USDP Reshuffles Leadership, Ex-Military Men Predominate Posted: 23 Aug 2016 07:22 AM PDT Ex-President and outgoing USDP chairman U Thein Sein seen on Monday at the party conference in Naypyidaw, which concludes on Wednesday. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Burma's main opposition party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), elected a new leadership on Tuesday, in which ex-military officers predominate. Ex-President U Thein Sein has been replaced as chairman by U Than Htay, a retired brigadier-general and former minister of rail transport and of energy. On the second day of the party convention, held at the USDP's headquarters in Naypyidaw, Ohn Myint, a former minister of livestock, fisheries and rural development and a senior member of the USDP, posted details of the reshuffle on his Facebook page. He said the party had also selected a new general secretary, five secretaries, a disciplinary officer and an operations in-charge, as well as new leaders in all state and divisional branches. Party spokesperson U Khin Yi confirmed to The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that U Than Htay had been elected as chairman, and former air force commander U Myat Hein as vice chairman. The latter had previously served as a minister of communication and information technology. Both resigned from their ministerial posts to enter the 2015 general election as USDP candidates. U Khin Yi said that U Thein Sein would continue to "supervise" the party as its chief "patron." Other members of the party's nine-member central "patrons committee" include former party vice-chairman U Htay Oo and former Upper House speaker U Khin Aung Myint. "We elected all positions. It proves the transition that has taken place inside the party," said U Khin Yi, who was selected as the party's disciplinary officer. He had previously been a minister of immigration and population. Former chairman U Thein Sein addressed the opening of the party convention on Monday, urging his party members not to dwell on their humiliating electoral defeat in the 2015 general election, but look positively to the future. "In democracies around the world, no party wins every time," U Thein Sein said. "Political parties across the world continually try to broaden their horizons in political, social, economic and administrative affairs and prepare themselves for the day the people elect and assign duties to them. Our party has to make similar preparations," he said. He stressed the need to build up the USDP as a "people's party," and called on party members to maintain contact with the people, listening to their voices and resolving their difficulties. Shorty after the announcement of the party's new leadership went viral on social media, U Shwe Mann—who had been ousted as USDP chairman in an internal party coup in August last year, and now serves as chairman of Parliament's Legal Affairs and Special Cases Assessment Commission—congratulated the new chairman. "I believe the party, the party's chairman, vice chairman, general secretary and central executive committee will work for the sake of the public and the nation," he wrote on Facebook. The USDP was created in 2010 out of the Union Solidarity and Development Association, a mass organization founded in 1993 under the military junta. It won the 2010 general election, which was widely considered fraudulent, and dominated Burmese politics up till the handover of power to the National League for Democracy this year. The post USDP Reshuffles Leadership, Ex-Military Men Predominate appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Inflation Reaches 12 Percent, Alarming Business Leaders Posted: 23 Aug 2016 07:17 AM PDT Piles of Burmese kyats being counted in Rangoon. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Burma's Central Bank has publicized an inflation rate of 12.14 percent, surpassing the predictions of the World Bank and worrying business leaders that inflation in the country could be on an upward spiral, dampening local demand for goods. A World Bank report last year put inflation at 10 percent for the 2015-16 fiscal year, ending in March, and forecast a rise to 11.3 percent in the 2016-17 fiscal year, "due to a combination of supply pressures caused by the floods and currency depreciation." Burma's total trade volume dipped in the first quarter of this fiscal year, compared to the same period last year, along with the size of the trade deficit—although the years since the launch of reforms in 2011 have seen a dramatic rise in the trade deficit, which could still widen as larger amounts of foreign investment drive demand for foreign materials. "If government can't set better trade and economic policies, the [inflation] rate could reach higher levels," U Thein Tun, chairman of the Myanmar Bankers Association and founder of the Tun Foundation Bank, told The Irrawaddy. The 12 percent inflation rate exceeds bank interest rates of 8 percent, leading to fears of instability in Burma's nascent financial sector. U Thein Tun pointed to an "unstable [US] dollar exchange rate" as a contributing factor to inflation, and said the government should provide a "solution." The Oxford Business Group said late last year that the victory of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy in the November general election would "bring renewed investor confidence"; runaway inflation could chip away at this confidence and erode potential gains. Economist U Aung Ko Ko pointed to the adverse impact of double digit inflation on working class people in Burma, due to rise in the price of basic commodities. The official minimum wage remains 3,600 kyats per day (US$3), among the world's lowest. "I've repeatedly said, from the time of the last government, that the inflation rate should be kept within single digits," U Aung Ko Ko said, stating something below bank interest rates of 8 percent as an ideal. He also cited a likely fall in production, with higher prices killing local demand for goods and services, as a side effect of persistently high inflation. He also suggested that banks might find it difficult to "survive" with the current interest rates they are able to offer. U Zaw Lin Htut, chief executive officer of the Myanmar Payment Union, echoed Aung Ko Ko in saying that, if inflation remains higher than bank interest rates, people will commit savings to the black market, which is "very risky." He also said that a rise in the cost of living would cause savings deposits in banks to drop. The government needs to find a solution promptly, before it "gets any worse," he said. The post Inflation Reaches 12 Percent, Alarming Business Leaders appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Arakanese Network Plans Protest Over Natural Resource Ownership Posted: 23 Aug 2016 07:13 AM PDT An ANREN meeting held in a restaurant on August 20. (Photo: ANREN / Facebook) RANGOON – The Arakan Natural Resources and Environmental Network (ANREN) has said its members and supporters will march from the Arakan State capital of Sittwe to Kyaukphyu Township in the first week of November, demanding the decentralization of natural resources by the Union government. ANREN is made up of approximately 30 Arakanese civil society and environmental rights groups, and recently formed a committee, which includes the People's Resource Network (PRN), of which Kyaw Zeya—who spoke to The Irrawaddy—is a member. He said that the march was finalized and approved by the ANREN committee in Sittwe, and that the rally is a declaration that Arakan's natural resources belong to the state. There are also calls to amend Burma's military-drafted 2008 Constitution, which says that all resources are owned by the central government. Specifically, Article 37(a) stipulates that all lands and natural resources both above and below ground and water, are owned by the government; sub-section (b) states that the government can enact necessary laws to handle the extraction and utilization of these state-owned resources. Kyaw Zeya said that an exact date has not been decided for the protest but that the network is planning to apply for permission from the authorities to peacefully assemble. The beginning of the march is specified as taking place in Sittwe, with protesters then successively passing through the towns of Ponnagyun, Minbya, Mrauk-U, Kyauktaw, Ann, and Ma-Ei before reaching Kyaukphyu. ANREN expects that more than 10,000 participants from at least eight townships will join the rally. The ANREN committee began a signature campaign in early May throughout 17 Arakan State townships. The resulting petition intends to present the Arakanese perspective on natural resources, that "Rakhine people own Rakhine resources." So far, 260,000 signatures have been collected. The committee is expected to gather around 300,000 signatures from the rest of the state by the end of this month, according to Tun Kyi, secretary of the Kyaukphyu Rural Development Association, also a member of ANREN. According to rights groups, the signatures will be delivered to the State Counselor's Office, the Union Parliament and the President. The post Arakanese Network Plans Protest Over Natural Resource Ownership appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Environmental Advocates: Salween River is Being ‘Sold Off’ to China Posted: 23 Aug 2016 05:21 AM PDT Local villagers travel by a boat along the Salween River in Karen State. (Photo: Saw Yan Naing / The Irrawaddy) CHIANG MAI, Thailand — Ethnic Shan environmental and human rights advocacy organizations have expressed opposition to the construction of hydropower dam projects on the Salween River in war-torn Shan State. The Shan groups said that they remain gravely concerned that dams will be constructed without proper studies on their social and environmental impact. Hydropower projects on the on Salween River receive little attention in comparison to those on the Irrawaddy River, like the planned Myitsone dam in Kachin State. During her recent visit to China, State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi ensured that she would pursue a solution to the stalled Myitsone project suspended by Burma's previous government. On August 12, ahead of the State Counselor's trip to China, the Burmese government announced plans to go ahead with five dams proposed on the Salween River, which runs through Shan, Karenni, Karen and Mon states. Ethnic Shan environmentalist Sai Khur Hseng told The Irrawaddy that the current government has decided Salween dams are "necessary" in order to meet electricity demands, despite previous reports which estimate that up to 90 percent of electricity generated by such projects will be exported to neighboring countries, like China. The Shan advocacy groups said that Chinese state-owned firm Hydrochina has, in recent months, proceeded with construction plans to build the 1,200-megawatt Naung Pha dam on the Salween River. "If the Naung Pha dam is completed, we worry that villages in Ho Pang and Tanyan townships will be flooded because there has been flooding every year. If the dam is built, the flooding will be worse. Villages nearby will be underwater," said Sai Khur Hseng. In a statement delivered on Tuesday, the rights groups reported that an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for the Naung Pha dam is being conducted in secrecy by Australia's Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation (SMEC). Last year, local communities protested against the Australian firm for carrying out a study in a similar manner for another project, the Mongton dam in southern Shan State. "While all eyes were on the Irrawaddy Myitsone dam, Burma has quietly sold off the Salween to China," said Sai Khur Hseng said in the statement. Shan community groups also sent a letter to State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on August 17, calling for a cancellation of dam projects on Salween River. The Naung Pha dam has faced protests by local communities on several occasions in the past. About 250 residents from nine village tracts in Tangyan Township joined legislators from the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) to launch a demonstration against the dam on August 5. Around 60 community leaders from Ho Pang, Kunlong, Tangyan, Hsenwi and Lashio, including three SNLD members of Parliament, staged another protest on August 21. Apart from concerns on the environmental and social impacts of the dams, there are concerns about militarization in the areas surrounding the projects that could lead to armed conflict and civilian displacement, according to the rights groups. "There are different militias, including Burma Army. If they [the Burma Army] reinforce troops in the area for security, we worry that fighting will occur. And if it happens, it will force local villagers into displacement," said Sai Khur Hseng. The post Environmental Advocates: Salween River is Being 'Sold Off' to China appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Police in Search of Three Suspects in Rangoon Quadruple Homicide Posted: 23 Aug 2016 04:12 AM PDT A funeral, held on Monday, for the family of four murdered in their home in Mingaladon Township in Rangoon. (Photo: Pyay Kyaw / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The Rangoon Division police force confirmed to The Irrawaddy that they have distributed a photo of three suspects in connection with a horrific quadruple murder in Mingaladon Township to other police stations across Burma. On Saturday, August 20, a retired police lieutenant, his wife and their two sons, aged 13 and 9, were stabbed to death at their house in a Mingaladon suburb—a crime that has shocked the Rangoon public with its brutality. On Monday, hundreds of people attended a funeral for the family, including teachers from the schools attended by the two children. The same day, a photo depicting three men leaning on a fence, shared by Facebook user Aung Kyaw, went viral on social media, leading local media outlets to report that the police had identified suspects in the case. The Irrawaddy discovered that the account owner, Aung Kyaw, is the administrator of Hlaing Township's 14th ward, but was unable to contact him. Col Myo Swe of the Rangoon Division police information unit confirmed that the photo in question was taken by the wife of the slain policeman days before the crime. As the investigation is ongoing, the men are wanted for questioning, the police colonel told The Irrawaddy. Police across Burma have been put on alert to find the suspects. "We have the photo from the slain family's house and we are investigating it," Col Win Bo, the head of Chin State Police Force told The Irrawaddy on Monday. Photos of the suspects have also been distributed to relevant ward and village tract administrators, he added. Police are also in possession of a knife believed to have been used in the murder; it is being examined for fingerprints. On Sunday, a triple murder of a woman and a boy and a girl, aged 10 and 14 respectively, was reported in Shan State's Taunggyi. Police are investigating the crime. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. The post Police in Search of Three Suspects in Rangoon Quadruple Homicide appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Man Indicted for Insulting Military Chief, Former President on Facebook Posted: 23 Aug 2016 12:01 AM PDT A man stands near the fence surrounding Insein prison, where Hla Phone has been detained since February, after making the allegedly defamatory Facebook posts. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — A court in Rangoon indicted a man on Monday for insulting the military chief and former president on social media, under a controversial telecommunications law that activists have urged the new government to repeal. Police and military prosecutors have filed a lawsuit accusing Hla Phone, 38, of posting a digitally altered image on his Facebook account showing the military chief, Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, wearing a traditional female skirt on his head. Another picture showed a caricature of former president and retired general Thein Sein with the words "we are murderers," and a third showed the national flag imprinted on a shoe. The military ruled Burma for almost 50 years after a 1962 coup, crushing opposition until it began withdrawing from politics in 2011, and paving the way for a 2015 election won by democracy champion Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. But the military retains a major role in politics with control of 25 percent of seats in parliament and three important ministries, including home affairs, which oversees the police, and it has become increasingly sensitive about its image. Hla Phone, who has been in prison since his arrest in February, denies wrongdoing, saying he did not post the images and the police had mistaken him for someone else. "I was wrongfully arrested and I’ve spent six months and 12 days at Insein prison," he said told reporters outside a court in Rangoon, referring to the notorious jail in the city. He said he was not the owner of the Facebook account upon which the insulting images were posted. Asked by the judge if he was guilty, Hla Phone replied: "I am not guilty but those who filed the charges against me are." If convicted on all charges, he faces 11 years in prison. The trial starts on Wednesday. Particularly controversial is the charge brought under the telecommunications law, enacted in 2013 as part of the opening up of the sector. It contains a broadly worded clause prohibiting use of the telecoms network to "extort, threaten, obstruct, defame, disturb, inappropriately influence or intimidate." Several activists, including poet Maung Saung Kha and aid worker Patrick Kum Jaa Le have been sentenced to six months in jail under the law. Human rights lawyers and activists, including the group Human Rights Watch, have called on the new government to amend or repeal the law saying it stifles free speech. Military officials were not immediately available for comment. The post Man Indicted for Insulting Military Chief, Former President on Facebook appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ten Things to Do in Rangoon This Week Posted: 22 Aug 2016 07:37 PM PDT The Irrawaddy picks 10 interesting events happening in Rangoon this week. 'Beyond the 21' Live Concert Burmese singers Sithu Lwin and Tinzaw Maw perform in celebration of their 21-year-long musical careers. Tickets are available for 20,000, 30,000 and 40,000 kyats per person at the Myanmar Media Management Office at Dagon Center II. Where: Myanmar Convention Center, Min Dhamma Road, Mayangone Tsp., Tel: 01-516987   When: Saturday, August 27 Hip-hop Show Full Stop presents two of the biggest names in Burmese Hip Hop: J-me & G-Tone + House DJs. Where: Sky Bar, Yangon International Hotel, Pyay Road When: Saturday August 27, 9pm to 3am Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra Concert Tour Ninety international musicians from the Bangkok-based Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra will perform three concerts—in Rangoon, Naypyidaw and Mandalay, respectively. Reservations for the Rangoon performance can be made at ticket@yangon.goethe.org. Where: National Theatre, Myo Ma Kyaung Road, Dagon Tsp. When: Friday, August 26, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Live Americana/Bluegrass/Traditional/Rock Music The Ayeyarwaddy Delta Daredevils offer a night of home-cooked, industrial-strength, lowbrow Americana, bluegrass, traditional and rock music. Free admission. Where: MOJO, No. 135 Inya Road, Bahan Tsp. When: Saturday August 27, 2016, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Duwun Talks Entrepreneurs give talks on how they transformed their dreams into reality. Admission is free but seats are limited and registration is required. Reserve tickets on the Duwun Talks Facebook page. Where: Park Royal Hotel, 33 Alan Pya Phaya Road, Dagon Tsp. When: Saturday, August 27, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. 'Gradation of Pan' Exhibition A group art exhibition featuring more than 30 artists will be showcased at the River Ayeyarwaddy Art Gallery. More than 100 paintings will be on display for prices between US$200 and $1,000. Where: River Ayeyarwaddy, No. 134, 35th Street, Kyauktada Tsp. When: Wednesday, August 24 to Sunday, August 28 'Go to Downtown' Exhibition Artist Sanchaung Aung Min holds his second solo show featuring 41 watercolor paintings priced at $100 each. Where: Lokanat Galleries, 62 Pansodan St, First Floor, Kyauktada Tsp., Tel. 095-1382-269 When: Sunday, August 21 to Thursday, August 25   Installation Exhibition Artist Htein Lin's installation titled 'Picking Up the Pieces' will be held at Goethe Villa. Where: Goethe Villa Yangon, No.8, Koh Min Koh Chin Street, Bahan Tsp. Where: Thursday, August 16 to Monday, August 29 '14 Pages' Art Exhibition A group exhibition of artists from South Okkalapa Township will be held at the Myanmar Artists and Artisans Association with over 100 paintings for display. Where: Myanmar Artists and Artisans Association, Bogyoke Market When: Wednesday, August 24 to Sunday, August 28 'My Heart My Art' Exhibition Artist Kay Moe Ko showcases 18 works selling for $900 each, in his second solo show. Where: Lokanat Galleries, 62 Pansodan St, First Floor, Kyauktada Tsp. Tel. 095-1382-269 When: Thursday, August 25 to Wednesday, August 31   The post Ten Things to Do in Rangoon This Week appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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