The Irrawaddy Magazine |
- NLD Rejects ANP Proposal to Remove Intl Reps from Arakan Advisory Commission
- Mon Groups Form Land Policy Drafting Committee
- Samsung Myanmar Recalls Note 7 Smart Phone
- U Win Htein Stands by Controversial Dismissals and Demotions in Shan State NLD
- Protests Greet Kofi Annan’s Arrival in Arakan State
- Politics of the Elites vs. of the People
- 20 New Zika Cases Found in Thailand
- No straight path in Arakan State
- US Should Keep Key Sanctions on Burma: HRW
- Wa Tin Mining Boom May Have Peaked
- Ten Things to Do in Rangoon This Week (September 6)
| NLD Rejects ANP Proposal to Remove Intl Reps from Arakan Advisory Commission Posted: 06 Sep 2016 08:52 AM PDT  Kofi Annan, chair of the Arakan State Advisory Commission, arrives in the state capital of Sittwe on Tuesday morning. (Photo: Maung Kyaw Hein MPA / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — An urgent proposal put forward by Arakanese National Party (ANP) lawmaker Aung Kyaw San—calling for international members of the Arakan State Advisory Commission to be replaced with local academics—failed to earn parliamentary approval on Tuesday. All military appointees to the legislature and the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) MPs, as well as many of the ethnic political parties' representatives—totalling 174 parliamentarians—voted in support of the ANP's proposal, but 250 lawmakers from the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) objected to it. One MP abstained from the vote. The nine-member Arakan State Advisory Commission—whose formation was announced on Aug. 24—aims to explore the roots of Buddhist-Muslim tension in Arakan State, and to make recommendations toward "lasting solutions" to conflict. Since the outbreak of anti-Muslim violence in 2012, leading to the displacement of 140,000, the region has received international attention. Formed by State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the commission has three representatives from the international community, including chair and former UN chief Kofi Annan, two government representatives, two Buddhist Arakanese members, and two Muslim members. In the Lower House debate over the ANP proposal moving to expel Kofi Annan and two former UN advisors, 34 lawmakers participated in the discussion. Four army appointees, four ANP MPs, and five Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) lawmakers spoke in support of the proposal, but the debate session was dominated by the objection of 21 legislators from the NLD. ANP parliamentarian Pe Than said in the debate session that the State Counselor's Office was under international pressure to select non-Burmese experts to serve on the Arakan State Advisory Commission alongside local appointees. ANP concerns about the commission's work and findings centered on a fear of a future mass repatriation of self-identifying Rohingya refugees back to Burma. Pe Than referred to the group as "Bengalis," a suggestion that the individuals in question are not from Arakan State—which they claim as their homeland—but are migrants originally from Bangladesh. "[Burma] could be faced with many consequences in the coming future," Pe Than said, adding that the commission could not be trusted to deliver a "fair" assessment for Arakan—also known as Rakhine—State. He alleged that the international delegates, who he referred to as "so-called human rights activists," would judge the situation in the region from a "one-sided perspective." NLD legislators responded by calling the comments "inappropriate" and "emotional" and threatening to the dignity of the Parliament. The lawmakers reminded the legislature of Mr. Annan's record as a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, and referred to the other international representatives as "respected" individuals in the global community. When Pe Than argued that the government was allowing foreign interference in internal Arakan State affairs, NLD MPs said that the conflict in Arakan State had grown from being a domestic issue to one of international importance. The commission to review the controversial Myitsone dam at the confluence of the Irrawaddy River in Kachin State had only local experts, Pe Than pointed out—not international representatives. "What is the main reason?" he asked. NLD lawmaker Pyone Kaythi Naing said she "empathized with the ethnic Arakanese," a reference to Arakanese Buddhists, and traced communal tension with the region's Muslim community to British colonialism—during which, she said, migrants from South Asia came to fill labor needs in Burma and settled there. However, the Rohingya community maintain that their roots in Arakan State date back to the ancient kingdom of Arakan, which predates colonialism and the borders drawn thereafter. She said that previous governments in Burma had exacerbated what she saw as the problem, and that, with the formation of the advisory commission, the current civilian-led government had provided a fresh platform to search for a "neutral path" for both Buddhist and Muslim communities. Pyone Kaythi Naing described the population in question simply as "the laborers" and their descendants, and avoided using either "Rohingya" or "Bengali." NLD MP Myint Wai speculated that if the new government had formed the commission solely with local experts, the international community would accuse them of bias, and reminded Parliament of the "negative image" Arakanese society had earned abroad. "This is not the right time to oppose the commission. This is the right time to prove our good image to them," he said. USDP MP Tin Aye questioned Mr. Annan's qualifications, presenting what are considered professional failures during his tenure as a UN peacekeeping envoy in the early 1990s—to prevent the genocide of the ethnic Tutsis in Rwanda, and the massacre of Bosnian Muslims in the town of Srebrenica. Yet Tin Aye also criticized Annan's later call for international interventions in cases of systematic human rights violations, such as those carried out in Rwanda and Bosnia. Classified under the "responsibility to protect," the statute provides justification for the international community to intervene when a domestic government is "unable or unwilling" to prevent mass killings, ethnic cleansing and genocide. "What if he demands that the UN act on the responsibility to protect?" he said. If the commission were to recommend an intervention based on the "responsibility to protect" in Arakan State, Tin Aye argued, it would be a threat to Burma's sovereignty. "Even Indra can't solve the problem if they oppose the ethnic Arakanese," said USDP lawmaker Sai Tun Thein, referencing a powerful Hindu god also worshipped as a deity in Buddhism. Kofi Annan led eight members of the advisory commission to the Arakan State capital of Sittwe on Tuesday to conduct meetings with local civil society organizations. His arrival was met by hundreds of protesters calling for the international community to stay out of local affairs. The post NLD Rejects ANP Proposal to Remove Intl Reps from Arakan Advisory Commission appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Mon Groups Form Land Policy Drafting Committee Posted: 06 Sep 2016 05:21 AM PDT  A two-day land policy workshop was held in Moulmein from September 4-5. (Photo: Mimin Nwe / Facebook) Over 100 civil society representatives from across Mon State participated in a two-day land policy workshop in the state capital of Moulmein. The attendees formed a new 15-member acting committee that will draft an updated land policy for Mon State, in the hope that it will influence future federal law. The workshop, held from Sept. 4-5, was reportedly the first of its kind hosted by the New Mon State Party (NMSP) and various Mon State civil society organizations. Nai Swor Mon, a civil society spokesperson from Mon State said, "We mainly will try to get voices from the ground first, and then we will draft a policy." After local consultations, more workshops will be needed, he explained. Nai Swor Mon added that the preparation of policies will help the Mon when the country has a truly federal system. At that time, he envisions, "there will be different land policies for the people who stay in the mountains, and those who stay in the lowlands." Mon leaders at the recent workshop criticized the current government for using what they called "centralized democracy," in which they said that farmers in ethnic states lacked control over their own land—control that they hope farmers would gain under a more federal system. The members of the newly formed committee will collect data about land use throughout Mon State, document the concerns and experiences of local farmers, and allow this information to inform a policy draft. "We believed that our Mon should have one land policy, so we decided to hold this two-day workshop," said Zaw Min Oo, a member of both the new drafting committee and the NMSP. Even the 2008 Constitution lacks protection for the land rights of ethnic minorities, he added. "Our ethnic groups need our own land policy because we need to protect our land. Their constitution does not protect our land." In the federal system, he said, "farmers should own the land. But, the current policy from the government states that our Mon are just farmers—they cannot own the land." Much land in Mon State is reported to have been confiscated by various authorities, including the Burma Army. Data on land collected by committee members will also apply to confiscated land, Zaw Min Oo said. The post Mon Groups Form Land Policy Drafting Committee appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Samsung Myanmar Recalls Note 7 Smart Phone Posted: 06 Sep 2016 05:14 AM PDT  U Zarni Win Htet, head of IT and Mobile Channel for Samsung Myanmar, delivering the company's statement regarding the Galaxy Note 7. (Photo: Samsung Mobile Myanmar / Facebook) RANGOON — Samsung Myanmar is cancelling the Sept. 11 launch of its Galaxy Note 7 smart phone in Burma and is offering the several hundred recipients of pre-ordered devices their money back or a replacement handset in October. This comes as part of a global recall of the Galaxy Note 7, beginning on Friday, after 35 confirmed cases of the lithium-ion battery exploding or catching fire while charging—although no cases have been reported in Burma so far. The new smart phone model was put on general release in certain countries, including the US and South Korea, in late August. Delays in the phone's release in other countries caused by the large volume of pre-orders—available in Burma from the end of August, via a Samsung tie-in with Burma's KBZ Bank—are to be prolonged by the global recall. "We have received several hundred pre-orders of the Note 7 in [Burma]. We will take care of those people. New handsets will be available for them in October," said U Zarni Win Htet, head of IT and Mobile Channel for Samsung Myanmar. "This is the first time we've had to recall Samsung products in Burma," he said. In a statement released on Monday, Samsung Myanmar said they were "conducting a thorough inspection with suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market." "Our customers' safety is an absolute priority at Samsung; we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note 7." Under the pre-order plan, the smart phones—assembled in factories in Vietnam—could be bought in Burma for 920,000 kyats (US$758). The statement said that customers not prepared to wait until October for a replacement, or who want a cash refund, must got to the "Pre-Order Pick-up Shop," where they previously collected the phone, between Sept. 1-18—bringing with them the "full package" (gift pack, charger, cover, box, accessories), a receipt, and their KBZ Bank account number. Ko Thiha Aung, a regular buyer of Samsung products and a recipient of a pre-ordered Galaxy Note 7, said he would wait for a replacement in October. "I have not heard about any battery problems happening here. I think Samsung does not want its image to be affected—that's why they announced the recall of its product," he said. The post Samsung Myanmar Recalls Note 7 Smart Phone appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| U Win Htein Stands by Controversial Dismissals and Demotions in Shan State NLD Posted: 06 Sep 2016 05:09 AM PDT  NLD Central Committee Member and spokesperson U Win Htein (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — A senior leader of Burma's ruling party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), said he has a clear mandate from State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to take decisive action on issues within Shan State's NLD chapter, in response to public criticism for expelling a senior member and demoting three others. U Win Htein, a Central Executive Committee (CEC) member of the National League for Democracy (NLD), told The Irrawaddy he gave verbal instructions to sack the party chairman of Taunggyi District's NLD chapter, U Tin Maung Toe, on Sunday. "He wrote on his Facebook page, 'CEC [member positions] can be bought, but history can't be,'" U Win Htein said. "It's an insult to say 'you can be a CEC member if you have money.' Our party members can make complaints openly at the office. Instead, he posted on Facebook. It's not in accordance with party regulations. That's why I sacked him," Win Htein told The Irrawaddy. He also said three other senior members—including Daw Khin Moe Moe, the NLD chairman for Shan State—have been demoted because they did not contribute to the election campaign last year. "They weren't happy with our rejections of their candidate submissions. They didn't make any contribution during the whole campaign period. It's against our party rules and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's guidelines," he explained. Win Htein said he was told by the State Counselor to act decisively on these issues. "I have reported back to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi about what I have done in Shan State and she didn't make any comments," he added. Daw Khin Moe Moe, the demoted chairwoman of Shan State's NLD chapter, told The Irrawaddy that the decision to expel a party member could only be made through a CEC meeting. "If the decision was made by an individual, it would mean the party is authoritarian," she said. But Win Htein said: "They are insulting the party. We need to be authoritarian if necessary." The post U Win Htein Stands by Controversial Dismissals and Demotions in Shan State NLD appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Protests Greet Kofi Annan’s Arrival in Arakan State Posted: 06 Sep 2016 04:10 AM PDT  Sittwe residents staged protest upon arrival of Kofi Annan in Arakan State capital on Tesday morning. (Photo: Maung Kyaw Hein MPA / The Irrawaddy) SITTWE, Arakan State — Hundreds rallied on Tuesday in Sittwe, Arakan State against an advisory commission led by former UN chief Kofi Annan to find solutions to the conflict between the country’s Buddhists and minority Rohingya Muslims. Local residents and Buddhist monks joined the protests overseen by dozens of police, challenging what they perceived as "foreigners' biased intervention" from the nine-member panel. Jeers and chants denouncing the panel intensified upon the arrival of Annan’s plane Tuesday morning. The crowd followed the convoy into town, where Annan delivered a speech and met with members of both the Rohingya and Buddhist Rakhine communities during his two-day visit to Arakan, which is also known as Rakhine State. "We are here to help provide ideas and advice," Annan told local officials and leaders from the Buddhist Rakhine community over the sound of demonstrators outside a government building. "We are also aware of resistance, fears and doubts that have prevailed again and again," he said. Burma's lower house of parliament was on Tuesday discussing whether foreigners should be excluded from the commission, but the chances of such an outcome are low. "I don’t want to see foreigners involved in this commission. I want to see a commission involving people of the Rakhine nationality," Kyaw Zin Wai, a 52-year-old carpenter told Reuters, adding that the two ethnic Rakhine commission members were not "representative" of people in the state. The commission, made up of six Burmese citizens and three foreigners, is on an initial two-day visit to meet local communities. It will visit camps for stateless Muslims on Wednesday, where people live in cramped and poorly maintained huts. It hopes to present its findings in the next few months. The plight of the Rohingya has raised questions about Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s commitment to human rights and represents a politically sensitive issue for her party, the National League for Democracy. More than 100 people were killed and some neighborhoods were razed to the ground as local ethnic Rakhine Buddhists clashed with Rohingya Muslims across the state in 2012. Some 125,000 people are still displaced, the vast majority of them Rohingya, who are prevented from moving freely, have their access to basic services restricted and are mostly denied citizenship in Burma. Many have fled by sea in rickety boats. State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi formed the commission last month to find solutions to the issue. She plans to visit the United States this month, where she is thought to be seeking further sanctions relief for her country but is likely to face questions over her efforts to improve conditions for the Rohingya. The protest was called by some leaders in the state’s powerful Arakan National Party (ANP), which has criticized the commission, insisting that foreigners cannot understand the history of the area. "This country has its own sovereignty, so we will not accept foreign interference in local affairs," said Aung Than Wai, secretary of ANP’s executive committee. Annan told fellow commissioners and Suu Kyi at the panel’s first meeting in Yangon on Monday that he planned to approach the region’s long-running conflict with "rigorous impartiality" and would listen to all sides of the conflict. "Dialogue will be the order of the day," Annan said. The post Protests Greet Kofi Annan's Arrival in Arakan State appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Politics of the Elites vs. of the People Posted: 06 Sep 2016 04:02 AM PDT  The closing day of the 21st Century Panglong Conference, on Saturday. (Photo: Pyay Kyaw / The Irrawaddy) What appeared to be minor procedural differences around the planning of the 21st Century Panglong Conference held recently in Naypyidaw emerged, in fact, out of two different schools of political thought—politics of the elites, on the one hand, and politics of the people, on the other. The whole event was broadcast live and uncensored. A total of 72 people from different political and ethnic backgrounds presented their thoughts and hopes for the country, representing a range of political parties as well as the military, the government and ethnic armed organizations. Ten minutes was allowed for each presentation. Whether this arrangement was planned and agreed to in advance remains a question. Who authorized the live broadcast of the event is also a matter of speculation. Some, especially those who subscribe to the politics of the elites, are concerned that broadcasting the whole conference live through government-owned MRTV has opened a Pandora's box. The situation could get out of control, they worry, after leaders of ethnic armed organizations and political parties were allowed to speak freely and openly—not only in front of Burma Army officers in the conference hall, but to the whole country. These worries are rooted in the perspective that Burma's current conflicts should be resolved behind closed doors by political elites. They think the agenda of the conference should have been carefully managed by "conflict resolution experts," and that ordinary citizens should have received the information through carefully staged press conferences. They have often argued from the standpoint of information security, contending in the most blatant terms possible that the Burma Army should not concern itself with ethnic political voices. Another school of thought is more in line with the pulse of the country: politics of, for and by the people. The thinking goes that, if we are to openly and honestly solve this country's ills together, we all need to be on the same page—collectively identifying the problems, and recognizing their magnitude and complexity. No one should pretend as though he or she has the silver bullet. This view holds that solutions to the country's long-standing political problems should come directly from the very people who have suffered from the absence of peace and national harmony. People aligned to this viewpoint—which this author believes includes State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi— recognize that it is extremely important to set the right stage and tone from the start. They appear to understand that the required trust can only be gained by being transparent to the people about this historic conference. In the end, it seems the latter view won. The 21st Century Panglong Conference was televised live over the full four days. A Pandora's box has indeed been opened—but was this not a necessary step, if we are to truly understand our nation's political and psychological condition, and draw from it a plausible, shared solution? Saw Kapi is a co-founder and director of the Salween Institute for Public Policy. The post Politics of the Elites vs. of the People appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| 20 New Zika Cases Found in Thailand Posted: 06 Sep 2016 01:34 AM PDT  A worker sprays insecticide for mosquitos at a village near the Thai capital Bangkok in January. (Photo: Reuters) Twenty new patients in four provinces in Thailand have contracted the mosquito-borne Zika virus, but the situation remains under control, according to the public health ministry. The new patients have prompted health authorities to keep Chiang Mai, Phetchabun, Bung Kan and Chanthaburi—where new confirmed cases were reported to the ministry over the past week—under close watch, said permanent secretary for public health Sopon Mekthon on Monday. On average, four or five patients were found in each of the four provinces. He said health officials were aware of the situation although people should not be too concerned about the number of new cases. "I don’t want the cases to spark panic because they are sparse," he added. More patients have been found due to better procedures to identify and screen those infected with Zika, according to Dr. Sopon. In the case of Zika, patients usually suffer mild effects and will recover within one week, he said. However, pregnant women who develop Zika have a chance of giving birth to babies with microcephaly and other brain defects. In Chiang Mai’s San Sai district, two infected women, who are six and eight months pregnant, are being closely monitored by medical staff, Chiang Mai public health official Phaisan Thanyawinitchakun said. Health officials are monitoring some 30 pregnant women living in high-risk Zika areas but who are not infected. Six of them have already delivered strong and healthy babies, Dr. Sopon said. Many Zika-control measures are being carried out in San Sai district, where several Zika patients have been found. Provincial officials have implemented steps to eradicate mosquitoes within a designated radius of the homes of Zika-infected patients and will follow up on the health of people who came in contact with the patients for at least 14 days. Health authorities in Malaysia and Singapore have also reported Zika patients with confirmed cases in Singapore already reaching 242. The post 20 New Zika Cases Found in Thailand appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| No straight path in Arakan State Posted: 06 Sep 2016 12:26 AM PDT  No straight path in Arakan State The post No straight path in Arakan State appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| US Should Keep Key Sanctions on Burma: HRW Posted: 06 Sep 2016 12:21 AM PDT  The US Department of the Treasury in Washington DC, pictured in September 2015 (Photo: Saw Yan Naing / The Irrawaddy) New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged the United States to retain key sanctions on Burma, warning that the country's ongoing democratic transition would be at risk without continued pressure on the Burma Army. The statement came while the US government is considering easing or lifting further sanctions on Burma around the time of the country's de facto leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's visit to Washington DC later this month. "The sanctions are crucial for pressing the military to end rights abuses and transfer power to a fully civilian government. They shouldn't be fully lifted until the democratic transition is irreversible," John Sifton, HRW’s Asia advocacy director, said in the statement. US officials told Reuters in an earlier report that President Barack Obama is contemplating the lifting of key sanctions during the visit of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi—who is Burma's state counselor and foreign minister—to Washington DC, which begins on Sept. 14. HRW also reported that several Burmese nationals in the US Department of the Treasury's "Specially Designated Nationals" list for targeted sanctions are people "who the US has determined threaten the peace, security, or stability of Burma's political reforms or are responsible for, or complicit in, human rights abuses in Burma." Sifton said: "Many of the Burmese on the US sanctions list are criminal suspects and human rights abusers. The US should assist Burma in promoting genuine economic development, not help those who made ill-gotten gains during military rule." Although major sanctions were eased or removed on trade, investment and the financial sector between July 2012 and May 2016, US sanctions targeting Burma's military and its associates are still in place—alongside a continued ban on imports of Burmese jade and gemstones. HRW said key sanctions should be retained on the military because Burma’s constitution reserves 25 percent of parliamentary seats for the military. Key positions in the security sector, including the ministries of defense, home affairs, and border affairs, are occupied by military appointees. The constitution also gives the military power to dissolve the government in case of a national emergency. During her visit Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will meet President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, members of the US Congress, and business leaders. HRW encouraged the US Congress to "continue its leadership and maintain relevant sanctions legislation, which will be particularly useful in the event of backsliding on reforms by the Burma Army." The human rights watchdog also urged international donors and financial institutions to be transparent in connections with Burma’s mineral sector and state- or military-owned enterprises. The post US Should Keep Key Sanctions on Burma: HRW appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Wa Tin Mining Boom May Have Peaked Posted: 05 Sep 2016 10:28 PM PDT  A UWSA soldier on duty in Mongmau, Wa State. (Photo: J Paing /The Irrawaddy) The massive tin mining boom underway in territory controlled by Burma's largest ethnic armed group, the United Wa State Army (UWSA), may be set for a decline, concludes a recent update from the International Tin Research Institute (ITRI), a not-for-profit organization closely connected to the international mining industry. The autonomous section of northern Shan State located along the Chinese border officially known as Shan State Special Region 2, but more commonly referred to as Wa State, is estimated by ITRI to currently account for 95 percent of Burma's tin production, "peaking at some 50,000 tpy [tons per year]." Almost all of it is exported to China. A paper published last December in the journal Resources Policy concluded that Wa tin production had in just a few short years boosted Burma from being a small player in the global tin trade "to the status of the world's third largest tin producing country." According to figures provided by ITRI between 2009 and 2014, Burma's overall tin production shot up 4900.00 percent thanks almost entirely to output from the Wa territory, a dramatic shift that appears to have caught the global tin mining industry completely by surprise. ITRI reports that the mining operations at Man Maw—some 90 kilometers from Panghsang, the UWSA's de facto capital—have changed considerably over the past few years. Citing information from an ITRI staff person in China who recently visited the UWSA territory, ITRI says that mining in Man Maw, which as recently as 2014 was dominated by open pit mines, has shifted as these sites have depleted. According to ITRI, "today most mining is underground, with higher operating costs and lower ore grades." Another change cited by ITRI is that many of the smaller mining outfits operating in the area have disappeared and have been replaced by larger firms that are "better organized and well financed"—operations that are more mechanized and use "expanded ore processing facilities." According to ITRI, in 2014, tin mining operations at Man Maw commonly dealt with grades of 10 percent tin. These have been largely depleted: "most ore mined now grades between 2-3 percent tin." Although the ITRI update concludes that, in the short-term, tin output from Wa territory "seems stable," ITRI notes that the longer-term outlook for production in Wa territory "mainly depends on whether there are new resource discoveries in the next few years. Otherwise, production may peak in 2015-2017 and then decline." ITRI has estimated tin production in Wa territory by analyzing China's official import figures for tin ore and concentrate. According to the update, "ITRI believes that the big increase in imports reported by China in the first half of 2016—up 88 percent year-on-year in gross weight terms—is based on a depletion of above-ground stocks of ore and concentrate accumulated over the last few years. This masks an underlying decline in mining activity and depletion of readily accessible higher grade ore resources." If the forecasted peak in the Wa mining boom takes place, global tin prices will likely rise. Currently tin is trading at U$18,770 a metric ton—an 18-month high, but still considerably lower than the height reached during the most recent commodities boom. Much of the world's tin production ends up in solder, used in electronic circuits. The leadership of the UWSA and its similarly named political wing the United Wa State Party—most of whom were mid-ranking members of the Communist Party of Burma (CPB) when the group imploded in 1989—are known to be reclusive and rarely grant access to their territory to foreign journalists or other outside visitors. Much of this appears to stem from a series of indictments filed by US authorities against the UWSA leadership, including Chairman Bao Youxiang, for their alleged involvement in the global drug trade. The UWSA has long denied these claims, which it maintains are part of a smear campaign. "We, the UWSA, are wholeheartedly engaged in the fight against drug-dealing," the group's spokesperson, Aung Myint, told The Irrawaddy in a 2013 interview. "For seven years since 2005, there have been no poppy fields and no poppy plants in our region. This has finished. That's why the world should recognize us." The UWSA has longstanding ties with China, carried over from the days when Beijing was the main backer of the CPB and its armed insurrection against Ne Win, who in the parlance of the Cultural Revolution was a "counter-revolutionary, fascist, and reactionary." More than a quarter century after the almost exclusively Burman CPB politburo was toppled by their ethnic comrades, the UWSA remains on good terms with their Chinese neighbors—a relationship no doubt shaped by the vast amounts of tin being shipped across the border to feed China's giant manufacturing sector. Though this may not be the kind of recognition that Aung Myint and his colleagues had in mind, the Wa territory's significant role in the global tin trade—accounting for nearly 10 percent of global tin output by recent estimates—has certainly put the group on the global mining map. Several international tin mining firms have cited Man Maw's mammoth tin production and its effect on global tin prices as an issue of concern in the market outlook section of their annual reports. In a similar vein, metals analyst Andy Home described in a recent write-up for Reuters how plans to restart a long dormant tin mine in southwestern England depend on how much tin is left in the UWSA's mines. "Man Maw is the hard reality that looms large over Cornwall's dreams of reviving its historic tin sector," he wrote. Despite their size and importance to the global tin trade, the UWSA's tin mines did not make an appearance in Burma's first ever Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) report published last year. The report disclosed royalty payments paid by firms operating in Burma's resource sector as well as royalty payments received by the government. Burma joined the global pact, which aims to bring about greater transparency in the oil, gas and mineral resources sector in developing countries, under President Thein Sein—a move heralded by some, including the World Bank, as a "transparency breakthrough." If the figures from ITRI are to be believed, 95 percent of Burma's tin production remains unaccounted for in the EITI report. Given their current trajectory, it appears unlikely that the UWSA—who, since signing a ceasefire with the then ruling military regime in 1989, have run their special region on the Chinese border with almost complete autonomy from the central government—would cooperate with efforts like the EITI in future. The UWSA are much less inclined than many of their fellow ethnic armed groups in Burma to cooperate with the central government, if such cooperation doesn't directly suit their interests: the preservation of a degree of sovereignty unparalleled among their ethnic militia peers, none of whose forces are anything near as large or well-equipped. The group's representatives stormed out of the 21st Century Panglong peace conference in Naypyidaw last week, over a perceived slight related to their being given "observer" nametags at the outset—casting doubt on their seriousness as participants in Burma's peace process. What kind of royalties the UWSA leadership is charging mining firms operating in their territory is unclear, but it certainly appears that the massive windfall from tin mining is helping the UWSA maintain its powerful militia—by some estimates numbering between 20,000 and 25,000 soldiers, larger than the standing armies of several European nations. Given the central role tin production appears to be playing in the Wa economy, it is very likely that tin mining analysts are not the only ones interested in just how much tin is left in Man Maw's mines. The post Wa Tin Mining Boom May Have Peaked appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Ten Things to Do in Rangoon This Week (September 6) Posted: 05 Sep 2016 07:14 PM PDT
The 2015-2016 graduates of Rangoon's National University of Arts and Culture perform to mark the 20th graduation from the university. An art exhibition will accompany the performance. Admission is free. Where: National Theater, Myoma Kyaung Street When: Saturday, September 10, 3 pm
To mark International Democracy Day, the Myanmar Electoral Resource and Information Network (MERIN) has organized a book fair where 15 publishing houses will sell discounted books on politics and aesthetics. Where: Merin Center, Hlaing Myint Moh Lane 2, Hlaing Tsp. When: Saturday, September 10 to Sunday, September 11
More than 30 local and foreign films will be shown at Waziya Cinema during the sixth edition of the Wathann Film Festival. Where: Waziya Cinema, Bogyoke Street When: Wednesday, September 7 to Sunday, September 11
Kyaw San Linn's 'Stone & Man' exhibition will showcase 30 unique stone sculptures. Where: Gallery 65, No. 65, Yaw Min Gyi Road, Dagon Tsp. When: Friday, September 9 to Sunday, September 11, 10 am to 5 pm
Four celebrated actresses will put on a traditional anyeint performance. Tickets are available at the Nobody Fashion Shops in Yankin and Dagon centers. Tickets are available for 10,000 kyats, 20,000 kyats and 30,000 kyats. Where: National Theater, Myoma Kyaung Street When: Friday September 9, 7 pm
More than 200 tattoo artists will participate in the 2016 MTTAF Tattoo Contest. Where: Kandawgyi Palace Hotel, Kan Yeik Tha Road When: Saturday, September 10 to Sunday, September 11
Around 100 paintings will be showcased in this group art exhibition. Where: Ayerwon Art Gallery, No. 903 – 904, U Ba Kyi Street, 58 Ward, Dagon Seikkan Tsp. Tel: 09-45005 7167 When: Saturday, September 10 to Tuesday, September 20
Over a period of six years the prominent German photo artist Herlinde Koelbl traveled around the world and took pictures of the targets used at military shooting ranges in 30 different countries. Recently, she observed the shooting exercises of young Burmese soldiers in Pyin Oo Lwin. The exhibition will present a selection from a much greater number of photos shown for the first time in Berlin in 2014, 100 years after the outbreak of World War I. Video and sound installations will be combined with portraits of soldiers from around the globe depicting them as "the living targets of all wars." Where: Goethe Villa, No. 8, Ko Min Ko Chin Road, Bahan Tsp When: Tuesday, September 6 to Monday September 12, 10 am to 5 pm
A housing and living fair will be held at Tatmadaw Hall. Where: Tatmadaw Hall, U Wisara Road When: Thursday, September 8 to Sunday, September 11, 9 am to 6 pm
A contemporary art exhibition featuring four artists will showcase about 70 paintings. Where: Yangon Gallery, People's Park and Square Where: Friday, September 9 to Tuesday, September 13
The post Ten Things to Do in Rangoon This Week (September 6) appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
The Irrawaddy picks 10 interesting events happening in Rangoon this week.
Arts and Culture Graduation Exhibition
Book Fair
Wathann Film Festival
Sculpture Exhibition
Anyeint Performance
Tattoo Contest
'Heart for Art' Exhibition
Herlinde Koelbl: 'Targets' Photo Exhibition 
Housing and Living Fair
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