AllSBNews: The Irrawaddy Magazine

Friday, September 23, 2016

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Burma Army Offensive Continues in Kachin State: KIA Spokesman
Insiders Share Mixed Opinions About Future of Real Estate and Construction Sectors
One More Suspect Arrested in Tailor Shop Abuse Case
Sule Square Developers Face $1.6 Million in Fines
Rights and Wrongs, Rangoon 2016

Burma Army Offensive Continues in Kachin State: KIA Spokesman

Posted: 23 Sep 2016 08:30 AM PDT

KIA soldiers on the front line in 2012. (Photo: The Irrawaddy)

The Burma Army conducted airstrikes on Friday in Kachin State's Waingmaw Township, continuing a weeklong offensive against the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), a KIA spokesperson has told The Irrawaddy.

Offensives against the KIA's Brigade 5 have been ongoing since earlier this week, while military maneuvers have increased against other KIA brigades—2, 3 and 4—in Kachin and northern Shan states for months, according to KIA spokesman Lt-Col Naw Bu.

Naw Bu said "two helicopter gunships shot at the Lai Hpau Bum [or Lai Hpau post] for about 30 minutes, starting at 2 p.m." on Friday.

He told the Irrawaddy that since Tuesday, Burma Army troops used 120 mm and 105 mm artillery to attack Lai Hpau and nearby outpost Nhkaram, which are about three kilometers away from the Myitkyina-Bhamo highway.

The KIA troops are a security unit, used to defend the KIA headquarters in Laiza, which is about 30-40 kilometers from the current area of engagement.

Since fighting renewed in June 2011—after a 17-year ceasefire between the former military government and the KIA—the Burma Army has used its air force and artillery to attack the Laiza headquarters and its surrounding units numerous times.

The KIA has not yet signed the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA), which is a necessary step to take part in the national political dialogue at the decision-making level. However, leaders from the KIA's political wing, the Kachin Independence Organization, joined the 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference—also called the Union Peace Conference—held in late August.

Naw Bu said that the offensives could be an effort to "put pressure on the KIA" to sign the NCA, in order to "implement the Burma Army's plan to bring the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of non-state armed groups," which was raised by military representatives during the Union Peace Conference.

He added that the KIA "would have to continue defensive actions against the Burma Army troops." The combined forces of the government's Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 381, LIB 121, Infantry Battalion (IB) 360, IB 50, IB 260 and IB 29 are stationed in the area. Since mid-2011, many locals in the area have fled their homes and those displaced are still unable to return.

The Irrawaddy tried to contact the government, its National Reconciliation and Peace Center and military spokespersons but they could not be reached for comment.

The post Burma Army Offensive Continues in Kachin State: KIA Spokesman appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Insiders Share Mixed Opinions About Future of Real Estate and Construction Sectors

Posted: 23 Sep 2016 06:40 AM PDT

High-rise construction can be seen in the distance behind the Olympic Tower in downtown Rangoon. (Photo: Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy)

RANGOON — Contrasting expectations have emerged from Burma's real estate industry as the National League for Democracy-led government attempts to persuade more foreign investors to enter the country's market.

After State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's visit to US last week, marked by President Barack Obama's promise to lift economic sanctions on Burma, some of those working in property development described experiencing new hope for their sectors.

"The real estate and construction market is developing rapidly," said U Kyi Lwin, a member of the Myanmar Engineering Society, at a press conference on Thursday for the upcoming Myanmar Build & Décor Exhibition, scheduled to be held in Rangoon in early October.

U Kyi Lwin cited reports that total investment in real estate and construction had reached US$8.2 billion in 2015 and it is expected to increase to $13.5 billion by 2020.

But while rapid growth in Burma's real estate market is expected by some, many are still waiting to see results, said U Than Oo, managing director of Mandine Real Estate Agency.

"The construction and real estate market is still cooling down, as demand is low due to the slow economy here since last year," he said, predicting that "FDI [foreign direct investment] will not come rapidly to the country. I don't think many investors will come [in the near future]—the market situation is not good at the moment."

Demand is down, too, U Than Oo said.

"Some say the real estate market has gone back to normal because of the country's change, but its not true: the market is still declining even though prices are not going up," he said.

U Myo Myint, managing director of MKT Construction Co., said he feels that a rapid change in governmental policies on construction could harm the industry and concern foreign investors, who fear a market stagnancy later down the line.

The new government, he said, has abolished some construction policies practiced by the previous government, which he said could deter potential international partners.

"If every new government fulfills the pledges of its predecessors, potential foreign investors will not be hesitant to invest," U Myo Myint said. "No government will be in office for eternity. There will be changes. We don't mean that policies should not be changed, but if they take effect retroactively, there will be negative impacts," he added.

The post Insiders Share Mixed Opinions About Future of Real Estate and Construction Sectors appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

One More Suspect Arrested in Tailor Shop Abuse Case

Posted: 23 Sep 2016 04:37 AM PDT

One of the two suspects arrested by police on Friday, Ko Yazar Htun. (Photo: Yangon Police / Facebook)

RANGOON – The Rangoon Police Force on Friday detained another member of a family accused of the trafficking and abuse of two underage domestic workers at a downtown tailoring shop, according to a statement released on Facebook.

Ko Yazar Htun was arrested on Friday afternoon, according to the police report. His sister, Ma Thiri Latt, remains at large.

On Tuesday, police first arrested Daw Tin Thuzar, the mother in the family, while father U Ko Latt, daughter Ma Su Mon Latt and another family member, Ko Tin Min Latt, were apprehended Wednesday.

The police statement said the two victims, San Kay Khaing, aged 16, and Tha Zin, aged 17, had suffered five years of abuse at the hands of owners of the six-floor tailor shop and factory on 40th Street.

The two girls were beaten with wooden rods and broom handles, scolded with boiling water, jabbed and scratched with scissors, and had their fingers bent back painfully. The victims have a large number of scars and marks reportedly caused by members of the family.

Burma's Anti-Human Trafficking Unit filed charges against six offenders as per Burma's Anti-Trafficking in Persons Law.

According to Article 24 of the law, anyone found guilty of trafficking in persons can be punished with a minimum prison term of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Article 32 imposes the same punishment for anyone who "prepares, attempts, conspires, organizes, administers or abets" in any of the offenses stated in the law.

On Thursday, Dr. Win Myat Aye of the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement announced the ministry is currently taking care of the two victims. It will act as a plaintiff and file a case under Section 66(d) of Burma's 1993 Child Law, which states that willful mistreatment of a child can be punished with two years in prison and/or a 10,000 kyats fine.

Aye Yu Aung of Kyaukgyi Township was badly burnt by her employer. (Photo: Facebook)

The case has received a lot of online attention. Netizens believe there are many similar trafficking, abuse, and torture cases behind closed doors. Unfair and corrupt employers taking advantage of young or uneducated employees and then settling the case with cash compensation are commonplace in Burma, they said.

The Irrawaddy reported in May 2012 the case of 15-year-old Aye Yu Aung of Kyaukgyi Township, Bago Division, who was burnt with an iron by employer Daw Phyu Win Thet, wife of deputy township judge Aung Phone Win of Bago. The victim's mother filed a case against Daw Phyu Win Thet in 2012 but as the family was too poor to hire a lawyer or attend court, the case never went to court.

In August 2016, the owners of Pandora weight loss center in Pyin Oo Lwin town of Mandalay Division were found to have physically assaulted eight female employees, locking them in dog cages and slapping them repeatedly. The victims were all paid below the government's minimum wage.

Women's rights activists from Mandalay rescued the women from Pandora and filed a case against the owners. Police hesitated to take action, however, as the family allegedly is linked with an ethnic armed group.

Correction: This story originally reported that both Ko Yazar Htun and Ma Thiri Latt had been apprehended on Friday. It has since been updated to both clarify family relationships and to show that, at the time of publication, Ma Thiri Latt had not been arrested.

The post One More Suspect Arrested in Tailor Shop Abuse Case appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Sule Square Developers Face $1.6 Million in Fines

Posted: 23 Sep 2016 04:27 AM PDT

Sule Square, in downtown Rangoon. (Photo: J Paing / The Irrawaddy)

RANGOON — In what is believed to be one of the first large punishments handed down to Rangoon's developers, the city's municipal body has said that Sule Square project developers will face fines of more than 2 billion kyats (about US$1.6 million) for breaching building regulations in the construction of the 23-floor structure.

The Sule Square commercial complex—being built adjacent to the existing Sule Shangri-La Hotel, formerly known as Traders Hotel—included two extra floors for which the developers did not have permission to add.

The Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC)'s initial approval for the project was issued in January 2013 and was based on the original project proposal, comprising two basements, 20 floors and a penthouse. The revised plan submitted by the developer just before the end of March this year included one basement and 23 floors, though the building maintained the same height—just over 302 feet—at which the YCDC's approval was granted.

Apart from the two extra floors, the most apparent differences are smaller scales of a public space and public toilets. The project's original proposal promised a public space of over 5,000 square feet and nearly 900 square feet for public restrooms. But the project's revised plan scaled down both of those designs—with only 1,300 square feet allotted for public space and 500-600 square feet for restrooms.

But after negotiating with the YCDC in last month, the developers agreed to modify the public space and public restrooms as originally proposed.

"They will pay over 2 billion kyats in fines for all the differences from the initial approval that they were constructing," U Than Htay, head of Yangon City Development Committee's (YCDC) building department, told The Irrawaddy on Friday.

Aung San Win, secretary of the YCDC's High-Rise Inspection Committee, said last month that there had been about ten findings which were different from the plan YCDC initially approved.

The complex is expected to open in late 2016.

The post Sule Square Developers Face $1.6 Million in Fines appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rights and Wrongs, Rangoon 2016

Posted: 23 Sep 2016 12:35 AM PDT