The Irrawaddy Magazine |
- Advisory Commission Completes First Trip to Arakan State
- Three Men Who Violently Attacked NLD Members Sentenced to Prison, Hard Labor
- IFC Loans US$10M to Local Agribusiness
- Zika Virus Risk: Consulate Warns Pregnant Burmese Women to Avoid Chiang Mai
- The Changing Nature of the Burma-China Sex Trade
- Asean Summit Overshadowed by Philippine President’s Remarks
- Ye Htut: ‘Policymakers Need to Be More in Touch With International Norms’
| Advisory Commission Completes First Trip to Arakan State Posted: 07 Sep 2016 07:53 AM PDT  Former UN secretary general Kofi Annan tours the Rohingya community of Aung Mingalar ward in Sittwe on Wednesday morning. (Photo: Maung Kyaw Hein MPA / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON – Tha Hla Shwe, a member of the Kofi Annan-led Arakan State Advisory Commission, told The Irrawaddy that during their two-day trip to Sittwe, the commission heard perspectives on trust building from the Buddhist Arakanese and Muslim communities in the state capital. The trip—the commission's first, lasting from Sept. 6-7—focused on improving the relationship between the two groups as the first step in addressing the wounds of the state's 2012 riots. Dr. Tha Hla Shwe said that the commission met with Muslim religious leaders, influential Buddhist monks, civil society organizations, internally displaced persons (IDPs), parliamentarians, and the administrative body of Arakan—also known as Rakhine—State. "We just listened to their opinions and assumptions," said Tha Hla Shwe. "We asked them what we could do for them. They also unveiled their own perspectives on how to solve the problem on the ground." Internally displaced populations' concerns centered largely on their lack of freedom of movement and difficulties in obtaining permits to travel to hospitals for medical treatment. When asked about points raised by IDPs, Tha Hla Shwe said: "Nothing special there. Everything they told us is the same as in previous conversations.'' Aung Mingalar resident Zaw Zaw, who identifies as Rohingya, said that the Kofi Annan-led team visited his quarter on Wednesday and had a conversation with him for about half an hour beside a Muslim prayer hall. The term Rohingya, the name with which many Muslims in the region ethnically identify, is rejected by many Arakanese Buddhists and members of the Burmese public, who describe the group as "Bengali," implying they are interlopers from neighboring Bangladesh. According to Zaw Zaw, Annan introduced himself and the reason for his visit. Zaw Zaw said he emphasized three urgent needs to the former UN chief: access to medical travel permits, access to education for his children, and citizenship documents for IDPs; the Rohingya are not recognized as one of Burma's 135 ethnic groups, contributing to widespread statelessness in a country where citizenship is defined along ethnic lines. Together with Annan, eight advisors from the commission and a team of government officials including Arakan State Chief Minister U Nyi Pu, later visited IDP camps. There was no surveillance by military special branch officials or police unlike on previous visits from dignitaries in the last four years, said Zaw Zaw. "We talked openly and he told us they will be here [in Sittwe] and he urged us to contact them in case of an emergency," Zaw Zaw said. The speaker of the Arakan State parliament, U San Kyaw Hla confirmed that he and Annan met at the government office on Tuesday. He asked Annan for a fair and acceptable assessment and Annan pledged to deliver an impartial report to State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Narinjara, a local weekly journal, reported that the Arakan State parliament speaker openly voiced his dissatisfaction with the formation of the commission. However, he declined to verify or provide further information of the discussion. "I don't want to talk much more. It's not good to say here," said U San Kyaw Hla over the phone to The Irrawaddy. The delegation returned to Rangoon Wednesday evening. About 100 people protested against the commission at their departure from Sittwe airport, said Tha Hla Shwe. Hundreds of local residents and Buddhist monks also rallied on Tuesday at Sittwe airport against the arrival of the advisory commission. On Tuesday 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. A memorandum of understanding between the State Counselor's Office and the Kofi Annan Foundation regarding the commission will be signed. It is currently being processed by the Union Attorney General's Office, according to representatives from the National League for Democracy (NLD) at the debate session regarding the proposal on Tuesday. The President's Office spokesman Zaw Htay disclosed to the media on Tuesday that the State Counselor's Office would be allocating its own funds toward the Arakan State Advisory Commission project but did not mention the size of the budget. The post Advisory Commission Completes First Trip to Arakan State appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Three Men Who Violently Attacked NLD Members Sentenced to Prison, Hard Labor Posted: 07 Sep 2016 06:07 AM PDT  Naing Ngan Lin returned to the campaign trail on Nov. 4 2015 after being hospitalized following the attack in Rangoon's Thaketa Township. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Three men who attacked the current Rangoon social affairs minister Naing Ngan Lin and two other National League for Democracy (NLD) members during last year's election campaign period were sentenced to prison with hard labor on Tuesday. Naing Ngan Lin, then an NLD lawmaker representing Napyidaw's Dekkhinathiri Township who was seeking reelection in Rangoon's Thaketa Township, was attacked by a group of men—at least one of whom was armed with a sword—and suffered severe injuries to his head and hands on the night of Oct. 29 while campaigning. He was sent to Rangoon General Hospital in a critical condition, while two other party members were also sent to the hospital after being attacked. Nearly 10 months after the violent attack, the court in Thaketa Township sentenced the three men. They were charged under articles 319, 323 and 326 of Burma's Penal Code for causing grievous bodily harm using dangerous weapons or means and under article 294 for "obscene act[s]" in a public place. Kyaw Hla, the NLD lawyer, told The Irrawaddy that assailant Aung Zaw Latt was sentenced to six years and nine months with hard labor and the other two men received three years and six months with hard labor. "This case and increasing crimes prove that the rule of law is weak in this country. The police will say it's because they're understaffed," he said. The post Three Men Who Violently Attacked NLD Members Sentenced to Prison, Hard Labor appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| IFC Loans US$10M to Local Agribusiness Posted: 07 Sep 2016 05:23 AM PDT  An IFC official (L) and Myanma Awba's U Thandoe Hein (R) at an IFC loan signing ceremony in Rangoon. (Photo: Kyaw Hsu Mon / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, supported local agribusiness with a US$10 million convertible loan to the Myanma Awba Group, formalized at a signing ceremony in Rangoon on Tuesday. The loan will be used for the expansion of agribusiness and job creation by the Myanma Awba group, U Thadoe Hein, chief executive officer of the group, told The Irrawaddy at the signing ceremony. "It has a low interest rate, and the loan will later be converted to shares of the World Bank," he said. With the money, the Myanma Awba Group will build the Hmawbi Agricultural Input Complex, a formulation plant for crop protection products, located 30 kilometers north of Rangoon. It will be the first and only modern crop protection plant in Burma that meets environmental criteria set by the World Bank Group. "Our support to the Myanma Awba Group will facilitate improvements in agricultural productivity and create much needed jobs along the agricultural value chain," said Vikram Kumar, IFC country manager for Burma, at the signing ceremony. "Supporting agribusiness is one of the IFC's priorities in Myanmar as it helps increase rural income and promote inclusive growth for about 70 percent of the country's labor force working in this sector," he added. Myanma Awba Group expects the new complex to create about 500 jobs and support a grower base of more than 3 million farming families across the country. The plant is expected to meet up to 50 percent of the demand for crop protection chemicals in the country. According to a joint statement, the IFC has significantly scaled up its investment in agribusiness in recent years. For the fiscal year ending June 2016, the IFC invested $3.4 billion across the agribusiness supply chain, from farm to retail—to help boost production, increase liquidity, improve logistics and distribution and expand access to credit for small farmers. IFC’s agribusiness portfolio as of June 2016 stood at US$5.6 billion. The post IFC Loans US$10M to Local Agribusiness appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Zika Virus Risk: Consulate Warns Pregnant Burmese Women to Avoid Chiang Mai Posted: 07 Sep 2016 04:30 AM PDT  A worker fumigates the area to control the spread of mosquitoes in the Thai capital Bangkok in February 2016. (Photo: Reuters) CHIANG MAI, Thailand — The Burmese Consulate in Chiang Mai has warned pregnant Burmese women to temporarily avoid visiting the northern Thai province after a pregnant migrant woman was infected with the mosquito-borne Zika virus this week. On Monday, the Zika virus was detected in two pregnant women in Chiang Mai Province's San Sai District. One is a 28-year-old Burmese migrant, eight months into her pregnancy, according to the Chiang Mai Public Health Centre. As of Monday, 11 Zika cases have been reported in Chiang Mai Province, according to The Bangkok Post—the highest concentration in Thailand, where known cases have reached a total of 20 across four provinces: Chiang Mai, Phetchabun, Bueng Kan and Chanthaburi. But the Thai Ministry of Public Health says the situation remains under control. The symptoms of Zika infection are generally mild, although in pregnant women it can cause brain malformations and other defects in unborn children. There are no vaccines or specific treatments. The virus has been known to occur largely in tropical regions of Africa and Asia. However, a widespread Zika epidemic began in Brazil early last year, spreading to other parts of South and North America and to some Pacific islands. It has since been detected in Southeast Asia, Singapore and Thailand. The Burmese Consulate's statement issued on Wednesday read, "Pregnant women and those planning to have a baby should temporarily suspend trips to Chiang Mai." Burmese Consular General U Kaung San Lwin told the Irrawaddy the warning was intended for Burmese migrants living in Thailand as well as Burmese tourists. He said the Burmese patient was undergoing treatment at the Public Health Center's emergency unit in San Sai. The Consulate intends to erect warning signs about the Zika virus in Burmese migrant communities in Chiang Mai—including in the vicinity of the Burmese Wat Sai Moon monastery—and publish posts on Facebook. He added that the Consulate was ready to support Burmese infected with the Zika virus, and encouraged all Burmese migrants to contact the Consulate immediately if symptoms appear. "I would like to warn the migrants to avoid being bitten by misquotes, to be aware of the symptoms and to see a doctor if you find yourself feeling any of the symptoms […] and to contact us," he said. Some migrant communities have already been informed about the risks of Zika infection by an awareness campaign begun by Thai authorities last month. Burmese migrant Ma Khin Phone, who belongs to a workers' association, said the migrants she knew of—particularly pregnant women—were concerned about the disease. "When we conduct outreach among migrant communities, we advise them to scrupulously avoid mosquito bites and to use mosquito nets," she said. The post Zika Virus Risk: Consulate Warns Pregnant Burmese Women to Avoid Chiang Mai appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| The Changing Nature of the Burma-China Sex Trade Posted: 07 Sep 2016 04:24 AM PDT  Kyalgaung at Burma-China Border. (Photo: Thit Nay Moe / The Irrawaddy) MUSE, Shan State — Life was hard for Ma Nyo Nyo (not her real name). After the death of her husband, she struggled to take care of her children and her elderly mother who had suffered a paralytic stroke. When a cloth merchant from the China border area came to Ma Nyo Nyo's small town in Irrawaddy Division, she thought her fortunes had changed. "The cloth merchant told us jobs are abundant in Laukkai" Ma Nyo Nyo told The Irrawaddy, referring to the primary city in the ethnic Kokang region of northern Shan State. "I decided to go to Laukkai. When I arrived, the merchant told me I could get a job in China with a good salary in Chinese yuan, which would be a large amount when exchanged to kyat." Ma Nyo Nyo travelled with the merchant to the Chinese border town of Ruili where she was handed over to another person. After a four-day car journey, she arrived in a rural Chinese village and was placed with a local family. "When I woke up the next morning I found the people who had sent me there had disappeared. I questioned what had happened in Burmese but the Chinese villagers just waved their hands to show they did not understand what I said," Ma Nyo Nyo recalled. Ma Nyo Nyo gestured to the Chinese family that she wanted to use the phone and called the person who had brought her from Ruili. The person told her to be well-behaved and to "give birth to a child as soon as possible" if she wanted to go back to Burma. In a state of shock, she demanded to be brought back to her home country but the phone line went dead. At that moment, she understood that she had been sold to a Chinese family and married off to a complete stranger. After a few days, the son of the family tried to sleep with her. When Ma Nyo Nyo resisted his attempts he produced papers and gestured that he had bought her with money. "It was not a one-day thing. Eventually, I could no longer resist and I was forced to have sex with him," she said. Her ordeal lasted for five months, until she was lucky enough to escape. She ran for a day before she was picked up by Chinese police and handed over to Burma's human trafficking branch of the police force in Muse on the Burma-China border. According to official statistics, there were about 400 reported cases of human trafficking from 2006 to 2015 in Muse District. Over 1,000 traffickers were arrested over this period, but police believe more than 400 are still at large. Police major U Khin Maung Oo of Muse district's human trafficking police squad, told The Irrawaddy that he had witnessed many cases where Burmese women had been sold into forced marriages in China. "In most cases, Burmese women are not 'married' off to Chinese men in urban areas," he said. "They are forced to marry men in rural villages who can't find a bride. Some places are in very remote areas and it is even difficult to get to the nearest paved road. They can't escape." Among the victims who have been handed over to Burma by Chinese authorities, some report that they have been raped by as many as five Chinese men and have given birth three times. They also report being forced to "marry" men with mental and physical disabilities. "One victim was forced to marry a man who could not speak and had developmental problems. The man's family was so desperate for a descendant that they locked the victim and their son in a room together and showed pornographic videos to demonstrate what they were meant to do," the police major explained. One of the challenges facing U Khin Maung Oo and his team is that the nature of trafficking is constantly changing. Until 2008, human traffickers usually targeted girls who made a simple living by selling things at bus terminals and stations. Since 2009, however, they have targeted girls working at massage parlors, KTV bars and brothels. "Traffickers are less frequently operating in organized groups. Some Burmese women who have been married in China for four or five years return home and persuade women to work in China by showing off their newfound wealth. As they can speak Chinese, they work together with the men in China [to traffick new women]." U Khin Maung Oo said. "These women do the trafficking once or twice a year when they come back to Burma to visit their families. It is incredibly difficult to investigate such cases," said U Khin Maung Oo. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko The post The Changing Nature of the Burma-China Sex Trade appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Asean Summit Overshadowed by Philippine President’s Remarks Posted: 06 Sep 2016 09:57 PM PDT  Southeast Asian leaders pose for photo during the Asean Summit in Vientiane, Laos, September 7, 2016. (Photo: Reuters / Soe Zeya Tun) VIENTIANE, Laos — A summit of Southeast Asian leaders to discuss issues ranging from terrorism to South China Sea tensions opened Tuesday, overshadowed by the Philippine president’s intemperate comments in his debut appearance at the annual meeting. The insult was made more egregious because of who the target was — President Barack Obama. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte occupied center stage on the eve of the summit Monday when he made comments about Obama that included a "son of a bitch" remark. He was again in the spotlight Tuesday when he trooped into a conference hall in the Laotian capital of Vientiane wearing a traditional Filipino shirt with sleeves rolled up, and hands in pant pockets. The other male Southeast Asian leaders were dressed in dark business suits. Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi wore a mauve traditional dress. Filipinos wear the "barong" shirt on formal occasions too, but with sleeves buttoned down at the wrists. Rolled-up sleeves are considered too casual for any formal setting, let alone an Asean summit. Duterte rolled his sleeves down and buttoned them when Laotian President Bounnhang Vorachith gave a speech to open the summit. "Multifaceted security challenges have occurred in many parts of the world, such as terrorism and extremism, natural disasters, climate change, migration crisis, trafficking in people, territorial disputes and armed conflicts," Bounnhang said. "At the same time, although the global economy has gradually recovered, growth remains slow and fragile." "There is a need for us to closely follow these developments and continue to enhance Asean cooperation and collaboration with the international community," he said. The 10-nation Asean comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The summit will be followed by a series of other meetings on Wednesday and a summit Thursday between leaders from Asean and other countries, including the United States, China, Russia, India, South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Obama arrived in Vientiane on Monday night and will attend Thursday’s summit. Duterte also arrived Monday night. But hours before his arrival, Duterte dropped a diplomatic bombshell by saying he doesn’t want Obama to ask him questions about extrajudicial killings that have occurred amid an ongoing crackdown on drug dealers in the Philippines. More than 2,000 people have been killed in the crackdown since he took office on June 30. In his typical loose-tongued style, Duterte said: "I do not have any master except the Filipino people, nobody but nobody. You must be respectful. Do not just throw questions. Putang ina, I will swear at you in that forum," he said, using the Tagalog phrase for "son of a bitch." Obama later canceled a bilateral meeting he was scheduled to have with Duterte in Vientiane. On Tuesday, Duterte expressed regret over the remarks, but the damage was already done. Duterte is also planning to ask China’s premier at the Vientiane meetings whether China is trying to develop a disputed reef, Scarborough Shoal, off the Philippines’ northwestern coast, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said. The shoal is part of the larger dispute in the South China Sea between China and some Asean countries. An international arbitration panel recently ruled that China’s expansive claims in the sea are illegal. Beijing has rejected the ruling as a sham. Although Asean has the power of the ruling behind it, its summit is unlikely to mention it in its final declaration, a reflection of Beijing’s diplomatic clout. But according to a draft of the final statement Asean is scheduled to release on Thursday, the region’s leaders will express strong concern about Beijing’s construction of man-made islands in the South China Sea, which Southeast Asian countries fear could destabilize the region. Duterte said last week that the Philippine coast guard has sighted Chinese barges at Scarborough, which he said could presage the transformation of the Chinese-held reef into another man-made island. One of the Chinese vessels had what appeared to be a crane, according to a Philippine official who did not want to be identified because he was not authorized to discuss classified intelligence. China sparked widespread alarm when it converted seven reefs in the Spratly Islands into islands that the United States says could be transformed into military bases to reinforce Beijing’s territorial claims and intimidate rival claimant countries. Duterte has taken a more conciliatory stance toward China than his predecessor. But a confirmation of Chinese reclamation activities at Scarborough Shoal, a rich fishing ground where Filipino fishermen have been forced away by Beijing’s coast guard, could impede relations. US officials have also expressed deep concern over the possibility of China developing Scarborough into an island or starting to erect concrete structures there, which could reinforce Beijing’s control over a swath of the South China Sea. The post Asean Summit Overshadowed by Philippine President's Remarks appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Ye Htut: ‘Policymakers Need to Be More in Touch With International Norms’ Posted: 06 Sep 2016 06:24 PM PDT  U Ye Htut at his house in Rangoon. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Five months after the transfer of power to the new government in April, former Minister of Information (2014-16) U Ye Htut became a senior visiting fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore. While in Burma conducting research for a book to be published later this year, he spoke to The Irrawaddy about his past experiences in government and views on the current administration. What is your book about? Mainly, it will be about the reforms initiated by former President U Thein Sein over the past five years. It does not boast about the success of those reforms, but discusses the reasons behind them, the difficulties faced and the lessons learned. What have you realized about the previous government since you began to study outside of the country? Since I entered an environment in which scholars consider everything impartially, I can think without strings attached. I could not do that before because I was representing the government for which I worked. I am more liberated and my perspective has changed. The previous government was weak in regard to studying abroad. Since you are now looking in from the outside, what does the government need to improve on? When I was assigned to the Ministry of Information, I had the chance to speak to visiting scholars. I found that when my superiors made decisions, they based them on personal experience. But foreign scholars presented theories based on international norms. There are huge differences. If people can leave the country, they will get a more balanced view. The previous government had shortfalls because of this gap. The previous government took actions based on prior experience? The previous government worked based on its own experience but it failed to follow international norms and procedures because there was a closed-door policy for a long time. It was also partly because of its distrust in people. The international community and the people inside the country were at odds with the government. But policymakers need to be more in touch with international norms. Now, the opposition party—the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP)—has a new leadership. Could this be interpreted as real change? The party made the change with the intention of bringing in new blood but it needs to change its mindset and methods. We will wait and see how much the new people change the old methods. Both the former and current government worked by basing decisions on previous experience. The current government organized the 21st Century Panglong Conference in the same way meetings were organized under the Burma Socialist Programme Party, the State Law and Order Restoration Council, and the previous government. Songs are broadcast, singposts are erected and public rallies are held. The USDP needs to change and think outside of the box. There were some problems with the United Wa State Army (UWSA) at the Panglong conference. Do you think the conference could lead to peace? What needs to be done? This first conference was just a gathering of people sharing their thoughts. They were not finding answers. Later, national-level negotiations need to be held. But, if non-signatories of the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) are not allowed to join, negotiations will go nowhere. Stakeholders need to accept that things are different from 1947 (when the first Panglong Conference was held). We need to oppose racial prejudice at the national level as well as at the state level. For example, Shan nationals have demanded greater power as their influence has increased. I accept that. But there are other ethnicities living in Shan State. When the Shan demand greater power they should also be ready to give that opportunity to smaller ethnic groups in their state. Currently, some ethnicities attack Burman racial superiority, but they need to assess whether they are also asserting racial superiority in their regions. Regarding the unresolved crisis in Arakan State, the former government formed a local investigation commission. The committee formed by the new government includes international representatives. What difference do you think the new commission will make? It needs to be pragmatic. We tried to solve the Arakan issue locally but the commission could not find a solution that appeased all parties, and international recognition was weak. I think Daw Aung San Suu Kyi included Kofi Annan to garner international recognition. But that is a double-edged sword that the government can benefit from if they make use of it. For that to happen, Arakan nationals need to provide the commission with information. If they do not, they will not get the result that they want. People concerned with this issue need to know that citizen rights and ethnic rights are different. People who identify as Rohingya cannot currently be granted citizenship. But, if there is a systematic citizenship verification system, we should be ready to accept them as citizens. The government needs to find out what the self-identifying Rohingya want. Do they want citizenship, freedom of movement, or are they stuck on terminology? The longer this problem remains unsolved, the more the state and country will be damamged. How would you compare the previous government with the new government, in its first five months in office? People have very high expectations of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's government so there is more pressure now. In the former administration, no one had trust in us when we took office. People did not expect change so we did not feel much pressure. Another difference is ministerial performance. Although the new government has articulated its economic policy, it is very broad. Also, the current ministries are not effective in implementing their policies, perhaps because they are hesitant. They are weak in that regard. Regarding peace, clashes broke out with the Kachin Independence Army just after the former government assumed power. The new government has the NCA in place and the influence of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and they are doing better in regards to the peace process. Did you make any decisions that you regret during your time as information minister? I knew that media censorship needed to be lifted, even back in 2008. It would have been better if it had happened gradually but when censorship was suddenly abolished in 2012, neither side was ready and problems were unavoidable. We failed to coordinate sufficiently while an interim press council was formed, so journalist cooperation with the council was weak. We also could not get people to understand the idea of public service media and as a result MRTV [Myanma Radio and Television] and some newspapers are still state-owned. This was due to the weakness of our ministry and the fact that I was hesitant at times. If I had been more bold, media relations would be better. The post Ye Htut: 'Policymakers Need to Be More in Touch With International Norms' appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
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