The Irrawaddy Magazine

---

• Police File Charges Against Kachin Protest Leader
• Death Toll Rises in Arakan State Manhunt
• Desmond Ball Unbound
• Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Responds to Arakan State Attacks
• NLD to Investigate Controversial Shan State ‘Purge’
• Construction Projects by Rangoon’s Inya Lake Suspended
• Local Muslim Community Condemns Maungdaw Attacks
• Can Rangoon’s Traffic Woes be Solved?
• Govt’s Foreign Investment Policy to be Released this Month
• Myingyan Prison Warden Investigated after Protest
• By-Elections to be Held on April 1, 18 Seats Up for Grabs

Police File Charges Against Kachin Protest Leader Posted: 12 Oct 2016 09:24 AM PDT Protest on Oct. 6 in Myitkyina to halt Burma Army offensives in Kachin State. (Photo: Nang Lwin Hnin Pwint / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Police in the Kachin State capital of Myitkyina have filed charges against a local man who organized a protest calling for an end to Burma Army offensives in the region, according to local sources. Lungjung Tu Raw was charged with violating Burma's peaceful assembly law after thousands of ethnic Kachin marched against the war in their state on Oct. 6. Lungjung Tu Raw had received permission from the authorities to protest, but police say that by not having all of their slogans pre-approved, protesters allegedly violated the law. The slogans which were singled out as violating the regulations were: "We condemn the Tatmadaw for raping and murdering our Kachin" and "We ask for a federal system and self-determination." Lungjung Tu Raw is a consultant for the community-based Kachin Baptist Convention, which organized the protest. Hkawng Nang from the Kachin Women's Union, who was also involved in protest, said, "If they come to take him, we have decided already that we all will go along with him." The original Peaceful Assembly Law, passed in 2012, amended in 2014 and re-introduced as the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Processions Law in 2016, has been used to send dissidents to prison for violations. Hkawng Nang added that she did not know how the authorities would manage to justify the arrest Lungjung Tu Raw under the current statute. The Burma Army continued its offensive against the Kachin Indpendence Army (KIA) just one day after the protest took place, using four air force fighter jets to attack a KIA outpost. Fighting has been ongoing for two months. The KIA issued a statement placing blame on the Burmese army if the civil war spreads throughout Kachin State. The KIA also made a public announcement that they would fight defensively if government forces continue attacking them. The Burma Army sent two jet fighters to attack KIA bases near their Laiza headquarters on both Monday and Tuesday. They have also been launching heavy artillery in airstrikes against a KIA base called the Gidon outpost since last week. The Burmese Army has threatened to seize Laiza, a four-hour drive from Mai Ja Yang, another KIA stronghold on the Kachin-China border, and an educational hub for ethnic Kachin. There are more than 2,000 students in total from three high schools, four post-ten schools and several primary schools in the town. The current attacks and rumors of Burma Army troop reinforcement have frightened Mai Ja Yang students and residents: many have started to dig protective bunkers. "As they [Burma Army] have been attacking Laiza with jet fighters, we have gotten worried and have started to dig bunkers just in case, to protect our students. Our school is in the heart of the town," said Zau Hseng, deputy headmaster of Institution of Art and Science, a Mai Ja Yang post-ten school hosting eighty students. "We can’t trust that they won't attack Mai Ja Yang. We worry for our students' safety. So, we just prepare," he added. The post Police File Charges Against Kachin Protest Leader appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Death Toll Rises in Arakan State Manhunt Posted: 12 Oct 2016 08:48 AM PDT People walk between stalls at a market in Maungdaw town in northern Arakan State on November 11, 2014. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON – Arakan State government secretary U Tin Maung Swe has rejected a statement by exiled Rohingya organizations that Burma Army troops targeted civilians in their search for suspects in an attack on police outposts. In the early hours of Sunday morning, a group of 250 armed men attacked border patrol police headquarters and two outposts—in Maungdaw and Rathedaung townships—killing nine policemen and looting firearms. In clashes which followed, five Burma Army soldiers were killed—four at the scene of fighting, and one later, in a hospital. According to state media reports, fifteen men are believed to have been killed in various Maungdaw Township villages since the attack, and four have been detained by the Tatmadaw. On Monday, 14 Rohingya organizations in exile issued a statement condemning state violence against villagers during the manhunt. The majority of Muslims in Maungdaw self-identify as Rohingya, but are labeled "Bengali" by the government. Government officials rejected the Rohingya organizations' assertion that rights violations had taken place, maintaining that the casualties were those of suspected militants. "I would like to say that is counter-propaganda," U Tin Maung Swe told The Irrawaddy, in reference to the statement. "We are carrying out [operations] in line with existing laws." It is as of yet unknown if the attackers had an affiliation with a larger group. "We are analyzing the facts to identify if those people belong to an organization," U Tin Maung Swe added. Local journalist Aung Ko Ko, who is currently in Maungdaw Township, spoke with The Irrawaddy over the phone, confirming that no significant ambush occurred on Wednesday. Maungdaw merchant U Aung Myint Thein reported no fighting in the town. Both Aung Ko Ko and U Aung Myint Thein said that villages throughout the township were continuing to be inspected by government troops in a search for the assailants. "The downtown situation has returned to normal now," said U Aung Myint Thein. He added that many Arakanese residents have been seen leaving the area since the Sunday attack, with the local jetty visibly full of people. Border trade gates with Bangladesh have been closed indefinitely and navy ships are monitoring the coastline. All of Maungdaw's 400 schools were ordered to close on Monday. The Irrawaddy phoned Maungdaw District authorities for comment on the current situation on Wednesday but officials said they were pre-occupied with Information Minister Pe Myint's visit to the region. The post Death Toll Rises in Arakan State Manhunt appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Desmond Ball Unbound Posted: 12 Oct 2016 07:22 AM PDT Professor Desmond Ball, as seen on the Thai-Burma border. (Photo: Phil Thornton) For the past 20 years Professor Ball, an Australian, spent much of his time among Burma's ethnic people and armed groups. His books include The Ties That Bind, Burma's Military Secrets and The Boys in Black, about Thailand's paramilitary border guards. Here we reprise an interview he conducted with The Irrawaddy in 2004. Question: How has the political and strategic climate changed since you first starting working on Burma? Answer: A number of changes. The first is the growth and the strengthening of the Tatmadaw itself since 1989, when the first very large contracts with China now amounting to about 3.5 billion dollars' worth of weaponry and other military equipment that the Tatmadaw has acquired from China [and] equipment from other countries… Secondly, during that period, in one sense a weakening of the resistance groups, as they've suffered defeats such as Manerplaw in January 1995 and Kawmura in February '95. But I've also seen a change in the strategies and tactics of the resistance groups forced on them by the loss of those fixed bases to an adoption of more mobile guerilla-type strategies, and hence, since about 1999 an increasing number of victories, if you want to call them that, on the part of the insurgent groups: hit-and-run operations, ambushes, assaults on particular units—some of them being particularly effective now. So in fact I'd say that over the last few years, although the overall strength of the various resistance armies has decreased, the military successes have in fact increased. And that applies to the SSA-South [Shan State Army-South] to the Karenni army and to the KNLA [Karen National Liberation Army], where you have some quite substantial military successes, sometimes wiping out whole Tatmadaw battalions; in other cases directed more at hitting particular Tatmadaw and DKBA [Democratic Karen Buddhist Army] officers and really wreaking quite substantial punishments on the Tatmadaw. Q: Since the ethnic armies are outmanned and outgunned, how have they scored successes on the battlefield? A: I suppose the main factors have been the change in strategy and tactics… that rather than try to defend large fixed bases which involved hundreds of troops, and in some cases even thousands of troops, to protect Manerplaw for example, the adoption of mobile strategies with ambushes and hit-and-run tactics focussed on particular Tatmadaw units and ignoring those where it's clear that they're not going to achieve victory, or even if they achieve victory it's going to be at a substantial cost, and only conducting operations when it's quite clear they will achieve the particular military aims. That's probably the main factor, but secondly, better intelligence on the part of these groups. I think they now understand the extent, for example, to which the Tatmadaw have been monitoring their communications and have been able to turn the tables a bit there by more systematically monitoring Tatmadaw and DKBA communications, so they're in a far better position in terms of knowing the details of particular Tatmadaw and DKBA movements, so that they can therefore set up ambushes, or mine certain areas with landmines. They're probably the two main reasons. Q: We have reported about a suspected Chinese-built listening post at Coco Islands. But the counter-argument is that the post was built and is operated by Burmese. What can you say about this? A: I think you have to distinguish between the station at Great Coco and what is now six or seven smaller listening stations which the Chinese have provided down the Burmese coastline, on the Andaman Sea side. In the case of the smaller listening stations, they are entirely operated by Burmese military and in particular by the Burmese Navy. There are only Chinese at those stations whenever they are providing new equipment or repairing equipment or providing some technical assistance. But basically they are Burmese stations. Great Coco is quite different from that. You have a continuous Chinese presence at that station which has not gone away in the last decade or so since that station has been operating. It would be operated primarily by Burmese. I can't see the Burmese government actually allowing China, in a sense, to have its own listening station there. So it's probably more accurately characterized as a joint listening station with both Burmese and Chinese technicians working together at Great Coco. Q: Why is that area so important? What are the Chinese listening to? A: For the Chinese it's quite critical. It provides them with the ability to listen in to all signals traffic across the eastern Indian Ocean and the Andaman Sea. It enables them to listen in to the telemetry signals which are generated during Indian ballistic missile tests which are fired off from the eastern coast of India and which land in the Andaman Sea there. But it also complements a series of listening stations which the Chinese operate in the South China Sea, where they've now got about six stations between Great Coco on the western side of the Malacca Straits and those stations in the South China Sea on the eastern side. It enables them to monitor all maritime movements, both naval movements as well as other maritime shipping traffic through those straits. In intelligence terms, it is a major bonus for them. I was going to say, and I think I can say, it is the most important listening station which China operates outside of China itself. China operates listening stations in Laos, small ones. There are a couple in Cuba which are quite important. In recent times they've also established a couple over in the Ukraine to monitor some of the western side. But the Great Coco one would be up there as, if not the most important, as one of the most important stations outside of China itself. Q: What about Russia? We have quite a big Russian Embassy operating in Rangoon. A: Yeah, the Russian Embassy has been a …site for Russian intelligence operations for decades now. There is an extensive listening capability in the Russian Embassy. But in the old days, in the days of the Soviet Union, both the KGB and the Soviet military intelligence, the GRU, also operated extensively through human intelligence operations, spies out of the embassy there. And although some of those operations have been reduced since the collapse of the Soviet Union they haven't been closed down entirely. And the Russian connection now extends beyond just the espionage operations out of the embassy. There are arms sales, which include the MiG-29 sales, the provision of the nuclear reactor to Rangoon and since early last year, Russian teams exploring the area down in Tenasserim, where they've been looking for uranium, not for purposes of a reactor, but simply for the purposes of mining and processing of uranium hexaflouride, the yellow cake, which they would use themselves in their reactors. In the last 15 months, [there have been] quite extensive visits and exploration teams of Russians down in that area. Q: The junta knows what the opposition and its leaders are thinking inside and outside Burma because they tap phones and intercept communications quite well. If the opposition knew what the junta leaders were thinking, could they make a judgment that would speed up reform? A: I'm not sure about that. At the military level, then it is possible to know almost everything because no Tatmadaw operation takes place without very extensive communications from Rangoon to the regional commands and to the Light Infantry Divisions, the LIDs, and from those commands and divisions to the subordinate battalions and companies. So whenever there is new equipment introduced into a particular area, a new artillery system, for example, or a new battalion comes into a particular village, then that is very easy to monitor. With regard to what [junta leaders] are actually thinking, then I don't think that technical intelligence is going to help you very much there. More could probably be done in terms of monitoring their phone calls. But they're smart enough when it comes to policy discussions between members of the junta not to use telephones and other communications systems which can be monitored. So you really have to [make] a very clear distinction between…intelligence about military matters and intelligence about political developments. And it may well be where most of the intelligence is known, like at the military level, is in fact the least important area. Less is known about political developments but they're the really important developments. Q: What kind of signals and human intelligence capabilities does the junta have in Thailand? A: Their capabilities for radio and telephone interception within Thailand are very substantial but not comprehensive. In Bangkok, there is a major intercept station in the office of the Defense Attache near the embassy there, which would be able to monitor a wide range of telephone and radio communications; in other words, the particular frequencies that they're interested in and the particular telephone numbers and subscribers that they're interested in. I believe also that in Chiang Mai that they have had at different times the capabilities for monitoring telephone conversations as well… In other places along the border, such as in Myawaddy, they have limited capabilities, limited geographical capabilities; in other words they can monitor telephone communications within the Mae Sot area but they would not be able to do this systematically right throughout Thailand and not right down the Thai-Burma border. It would depend on where they've been able to install receivers for monitoring, not just the analog but more particularly the digital mobile telephone communications, and that's not an easy job to do. So there'd be particular places such as Myawaddy where they can do it but not comprehensively. Q: Is Thailand the most important country in Southeast Asia that Burma would listen to? A: Yes. Burma does have listening posts over on the western border for monitoring Indian communications and for monitoring communications in Assam and the Naga area and places like that. And the station at Great Coco that they have with the Chinese provides them with extensive capabilities for monitoring other forms of communications, including satellite communications coming down into that particular geographical area. But it's along the Thai border that their capabilities are much more comprehensive where they would try to monitor a much larger proportion of the communications, and that includes communications of groups operating within Burma itself. In other words the communications of particular ethnic groups which do operate on the Thai side of the border as well as the communications of Thai military and civil authorities. Q: What about Thailand towards Burma? A: Thailand has very advanced and very extensive capabilities for monitoring communications of all sorts. Thailand monitors communications from China, with listening stations in the northern part of Thailand. It monitors communications from Laos and Cambodia but the great majority of the Thai stations that are listening into neighboring countries are focused on Burma. Many of those are tactical stations, in other words they're small stations operated by army units or by dorchordor, Border Patrol police, or tahaan phraan, and are listening just simply to the short-range tactical communications of Tatmadaw units on the other side of the border. And there are many of those stations. So that overall, Thailand would be collecting much more tactical military communications from Burma than any other country. The post Desmond Ball Unbound appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Responds to Arakan State Attacks Posted: 12 Oct 2016 06:06 AM PDT Photo: Burma's State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at the joint press conference in Naypyidaw on Wednesday. (Photo: Htet Naing Zaw/ The Irrawaddy) NAYPYIDAW — Burma's State Counselor and Foreign Affairs Minister Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said on Wednesday that she would not accuse any individual or organization before obtaining evidence regarding the culprits of the recent violent attack in Arakan State. While responding to questions posed by journalists during a joint press conference of the State Counselor and her counterpart Bert Koenders, the Foreign Affairs Minister of the Netherlands who is currently in Naypyidaw on an official visit, she pledged to handle the case "fairly" and manage the situation according to "rule of law." "We are not going to accuse anybody until we know clearly [who is behind the attack] and have solid evidence." According to information from the government, the Sunday attack on border guard headquarters and outposts in Maungdaw and Rathedaung Townships in Arakan State resulted in the death of nine police officers and eight alleged attackers. A manhunt by security forces in Maungdaw Township reportedly involved the death of four soldiers and seven suspects. At Wednesday's press conference, the State Counselor did not identify an organization responsible for the attacks. One Dutch journalist asked Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to respond to criticism that she is "not moving fast enough" and not "outspoken enough" regarding human rights violations in Burma. "We take it very seriously—accusations regarding human rights violations—and our country will investigate very carefully," she responded. She said Burma was coping with a system that has been in place for more than half a century and that it could not be changed overnight. The State Counselor also stressed the importance of public involvement in protecting human rights but that the "greater part of the responsibility falls on the government." "The protection of human rights is not something that the government alone can handle. The public also has to be involved," she said. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has been criticized by local and international human rights advocates for her perceived silence regarding human rights violations by the Burma Army in ethnic areas where there are ongoing armed conflicts. Koenders is in Burma on an official visit from Oct. 11 to 13 to discuss bilateral cooperation between the two countries and will open the new Dutch embassy in Rangoon on Wednesday evening. He will also travel to Arakan State to meet with those affected by communal conflicts in 2012. The Netherlands opened a trade office in Burma in 2013. The post Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Responds to Arakan State Attacks appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

NLD to Investigate Controversial Shan State ‘Purge’ Posted: 12 Oct 2016 05:59 AM PDT Taunggyi District NLD chairman U Tin Maung Toe. (Photo: Tin Maung Toe / Facebook) RANGOON – The National League for Democracy (NLD) Central Executive Committee (CEC) will launch an internal investigation into the controversial expulsion and demotions of senior Shan State NLD leaders, party spokesperson U Win Htein told The Irrawaddy. U Win Htein, who is also a CEC member, expelled NLD Taunggyi District chairman U Tin Maung Toe and demoted Shan State NLD chairwoman Daw Khin Moe Moe and two others during his visit to Shan State in September. The expelled and demoted members filed an appeal and the CEC decided to launch an internal investigation. U Win Htein dismissed Taunggyi District NLD chairman U Tin Maung Toe by verbal order for posting the phrase "CEC can be bought, but not history" on social media. He demoted Daw Khin Moe Moe and two others for failure to work for the party's electoral campaign ahead of the November election. U Win Htein told The Irrawaddy that Daw Khin Moe Moe "voted for the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy [SNLD] and did nothing to help the party achieve electoral victory." "These things will be found out when the investigation is carried out," he said. Shan State NLD chairperson Daw Khin Moe Moe has welcomed the internal investigation, but stressed the need for impartiality. "If an investigation is to be made, it must be made by two sides," Daw Khin Moe Moe told The Irrawaddy. "U Win Htein must also be questioned. I received a Viber message from the party [CEC] saying the investigation would be made within one month after the appeal is submitted." The investigation committee will include auxiliary CEC member U Kyaw Ho, Mandalay Division NLD chairman U Tin Htut Oo, and NLD CEC member Daw Lei Lei. It is also alleged that Daw Khin Moe Moe allowed Security Branch personnel to enter party meetings, cooperated with other organizations, and failed to conduct campaign activities. "I didn't let any Special Branch members into party meetings. And I have explained about my NGO which cooperates with other organizations. And I can explain it again. I even went to Langkho to campaign," Daw Khin Moe Moe replied when questioned about the accusations. There are different views among senior NLD leaders about the Shan State "purge" according to NLD sources. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko The post NLD to Investigate Controversial Shan State 'Purge' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Construction Projects by Rangoon’s Inya Lake Suspended Posted: 12 Oct 2016 05:54 AM PDT Mya Kyun Tha constructions projects seen from the banks of Inya Lake last week. (Photo: Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Multiple construction projects on the site of a public garden occupying a peninsula in Rangoon's Inya Lake were suspended on Monday by city officials, and will undergo an investigation. The projects have faced criticism from the public, the media and urban planners, for misusing public space intended for general recreation, and have faced scrutiny for what appeared to be overly favorable terms offered to the private developers by the previous government. Eight companies have been constructing projects of up to 3.5 stories that include a shopping mall, an amusement arcade, a health club and a playground, located over the 45-acre Mya Kyun Tha garden, protruding into the eastern length of Rangoon's famous lake, close to the Sedona Hotel and the upscale Myanmar Plaza shopping mall along Kabar Aye Pagoda Road. The projects received the approval of the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC), Rangoon's municipal authority, during the time of the previous government in 2013. Developers must now await the approval of a review committee set up on Tuesday charged with investigating whether the contractual agreements and YCDC's rules and regulations are being followed, YCDC secretary Daw Hlaing Maw Oo told The Irrawaddy. "We have suspended them because there is lot of criticism. The projects can't be resumed until our approval," said Daw Hlaing Maw Oo, who is heading the review committee made up of YCDC department heads. According to a contract between one of the companies and the YCDC, viewed by The Irrawaddy, the land was leased to the company for 45 years—with the option of three subsequent five-year extensions—with a monthly rent of 1,000,000 kyats (US$800) per acre. This is well below standard commercial rents for the area, where half an acre of land can fetch up to 5,000,000 kyats (US$4,000) a month in rent, according to real estate agents. In June, the issue was raised at the Rangoon Division parliament, where a proposal was made to end public-private partnerships between the YCDC and private companies under which public land is leased to build shopping malls, high-rise condominiums and other commercial developments. The proposal was approved by the divisional parliament, after which Rangoon Mayor U Maung Maung Soe pledged to see a resolution to the problem, and defend the city's public spaces against future encroachment. The post Construction Projects by Rangoon's Inya Lake Suspended appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Local Muslim Community Condemns Maungdaw Attacks Posted: 12 Oct 2016 05:49 AM PDT People walk along the fence separating Burma and Bangladesh in Maungdaw Township, northern Arakan State. (Photo: Reuters) Local Muslim organizations have slammed recent attacks on police outposts on the Bangladeshi border in Arakan State's Maungdaw Township, calling them "destructive" to the peace and stability of the country. "The border line is the security of the country. A terrorist attack on such a place is totally unacceptable since a commission has been formed to […] hold a discussion in line with the law," U Kyaw Nyein, chairman of Myanmar Muslim Lawyers Association, told The Irrawaddy, referring to the Arakan State Advisory Commission formed by State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in August. The commission's role is to explore root causes of tension between Buddhists and Muslims in Arakan State; it is headed by former UN general secretary Kofi Annan. On Sunday, around 250 assailants—most of whom are currently on the run—launched separate attacks on Kyikanpyin border guard police headquarters and the Kotankauk and Ngakhuya outposts between 1:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. Nine police officers were killed in the ambush; on pursuing the attackers, police killed eight men and apprehended two, who were taken to the state capital of Sittwe for questioning. The government so far has not named an organization responsible for the attack. Meanwhile, eight local Muslim civil society organizations (CSOs) released a joint statement on Wednesday denouncing the attack and expressing their concern that further violence could follow the event. Ma Darli Myint, leader of a CSO called Social Alliance, said: "We are not talking about religion, but we condemn any act destructive to the peace and stability of the country. I would like to urge the leaders to settle the problem peacefully in line with the law." On Monday morning, local Muslims were killed in Maungdaw Township after shots were fired by members of the Burma Army in Myothugyi village. State media reported four casualties, and civil society groups reported seven. State media and government sources reported that four soldiers were killed in clashes Maungdaw Township on Tuesday by forces suspected to have been involved in Sunday's ambush. Fighting continued until Wednesday afternoon. Al-Haj U Aye Lwin, a Muslim member of Arakan State Advisory Commission, said that the commission still cannot make public remarks about the attacks, but he personally can't accept acts deemed as destructive to the sovereignty of the country. "I don't accept violence. A harsh punishment must be given [to the attackers]. In so doing, there needs to be extra caution taken to make sure those who are not involved in the violence are not affected," said U Aye Lwin. He said the commission is monitoring the events and is set to meet soon, at which time, they will release a statement. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko The post Local Muslim Community Condemns Maungdaw Attacks appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Can Rangoon’s Traffic Woes be Solved? Posted: 12 Oct 2016 05:42 AM PDT Rangoon gridlock, seen on Tuesday. (Photo: Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Dr. Maung Aung has the ambition to ease a shared source of suffering for Rangoon residents since 2011—traffic congestion—by the end of the year, implementing a series of changes from a computerized traffic control system to a drastically streamlined bus network. Dr. Maung Aung is the secretary of the Yangon Region Transport Authority (YRTA), formed by the new government installed in April to modernize the transport sector in Burma's rapidly growing commercial capital of 5.2 million people, which has boomed since the launch of political and economic reforms in 2011. The YRTA is headed by Rangoon Division's Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein, and includes other government ministers alongside technical experts. Dr. Maung Aung, secretary of the Yangon Region Transport Authority, at a meeting with bus line owners last week. (Photo: Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy) Dr. Maung Aung, who is also a senior economist, is not new to Rangoon's transport scene. He chairs the Yangon Bus Public Company, which in February this year launched Burma's first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in partnership with the government, now operating on a limited number of lines in central Rangoon. Against an existing bus network notorious for poor maintenance standards and a weak adherence to traffic rules, the publicly lauded BRT system offers sleek new buses equipped with air conditioning that are less prone to crowding and generally cost passengers only slightly more than other bus lines. The YRTA secretary said that, through an improved bus network and a new computerized traffic control system, he expected they could ease current traffic congestion by 40 percent. Too Many Cars on the Road For the new government, traffic sits alongside a roster of other Rangoon problems: power blackouts, inadequate drainage, a shortage of affordable housing and a related growth in squatter settlements. Rangoon Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein vowed soon after assuming office in April to alleviate the traffic situation for millions of frustrated commuters. The former government made similar pledges, but—besides the introduction of the BRT system in February—largely focused its efforts on the construction of seven flyover bridges at the cost of 130 billion kyats (more than US$100 million). The flyovers were criticized for being ineffective—simply displacing congestion from major junctions to other stretches of road—and for offering poor value for money. The new Rangoon Division parliament in April cancelled the previous administration's plans to build two new flyovers in Rangoon. After the government lifted car import restrictions in Oct. 2011, the number of vehicles plying Rangoon's previously sleepy streets rocketed year-on-year—from 214,000 in Aug. 2011 to more than 500,000 by Oct. 2015, according to figures from the Rangoon Division government—prompting concerns that Rangoon may follow the way of Bangkok, Jakarta and Manila, cities notorious for their unwieldy traffic. Before 2011, traffic standstills were rare, only taking place in the cases of accidents or malfunctioning traffic lights. The city center could be reached from the rural fringes in less than an hour at any time of day. But those days are gone. U Yan Aung Min, a member of the Rangoon Division parliament representing Shwepyithar Township in the northwest of Rangoon, said he leaves his house every morning at 6 a.m., taking about two hours to reach parliament—a journey that took 45 minutes back in 2010. Rangoon traffic police officer negotiates traffic. (Photo: Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy) Bad Parking and Overlapping Buses Beyond burgeoning car ownership, the failure to enforce traffic rules and an inefficient bus network are other factors behind the gridlock. An estimated 2.6 million people rely on buses for their daily travel to and from work in Rangoon, making up 70 percent of all the city's commuters. Meanwhile, trains on the city's antiquated Circle Line ferry around 100,000 daily, according to 2014 data. Despite upgrades in recent years, including air-conditioned carriages, it offers travel to only a limited number of destinations, burdening bus lines with most commuter journeys. Ko Myat Min Thu, a member of the Rangoon Division parliament representing Hlaing Tharyar Township on the city's northwestern outskirts, claimed he spends five hours a day on buses. Daw Sandar Min, another lawmaker in the Rangoon parliament, blamed worsening traffic jams on a lack of proper parking places and ill-disciplined parking practices, with cars parked two or three abreast on some roads, clogging the passage of vehicles. She also cited some "60,000" taxis now plying the streets, another phenomenon of recent years. There is also the heavy fragmentation of Rangoon's bus network, in which vehicles are operated by hundreds of small private companies, competing to cram passengers onto old Japanese Hino Motors buses, among other outdated models, with no air conditioning and uncomfortable seating. According to the Yangon Division Motor Vehicles Supervisory Committee, popularly known by the Burmese-language acronym Ma Hta Tha, over 7,800 buses are registered in Rangoon, of which between 4,500 and 4,800 run on any given day. Buses owned by individuals and small companies are rented out to teams of drivers and conductors, whose income purely depends on the number of passengers. This induces them to race dangerously with other buses to compete for passengers, overload vehicles, and make unscheduled stops—including stops of several minutes till a desired number of passengers alight. U Hla Aung, chairman of Ma Hta Tha, said half of around 200 complaints received per month on average relate to conductors overcharging passengers. Other complaints included dangerous driving and buses arbitrarily changing their routes. According to Rangoon Division's No.2 Traffic Unit, 953 road accidents over the first four months of 2016 killed 233 people and injured 1,293. Of the accidents, 484 were attributed to reckless driving. Since last year, traffic police have been accepting reports of traffic violations via the Viber smartphone app, but inadequate staffing and the absence of a comprehensive monitoring system have prevented action being taken in most cases. Traffic Light and Bus Reform YRTA secretary Dr. Maung Aung said that construction of a computerized traffic light system for the city, with a centralized command center, would be completed next month, three months behind schedule. Once up and running, he said that swift action could be taken against those breaking traffic rules, thanks to a comprehensive surveillance system. Traffic light signals could also be modulated based on the relative number of vehicles passing through different parts of the city. Besides traffic lights, the YRTA is upgrading and streamlining the bus network, alongside upgrades to the Circle train line. It is also considering the introduction of new water taxis on Rangoon's rivers. "If we have better public transport services […] private vehicle owners will use it and traffic congestion will improve," Dr. Maung Aung said. Under the YRTA's plans, the bus lines currently owned by individuals and small companies will be merged into a handful of public companies, which can be more easily regulated and coordinated. "Buses under the new system will ensure the safety and comfort of commuters," Dr. Maung Aung said. Rangoon's shiny new BRT buses, introduced in February this year. (Photo: Pyay Kyaw / The Irrawaddy) Similar to the current BRT system, new buses will use a standardized pre-purchase ticketing system, conductors will be abolished, drivers will be paid set monthly salaries, and older vehicles will be banned from key routes. Buses operating in the outer neighborhoods will not be allowed to travel to the city center; shuttle buses will connect them with the central bus network. Dr. Maung Aung said the YRTA would work to alleviate any negative short-term impact on drivers, and would provide them with training in the coming months. He also suggested that the government would meet 50 percent of the funds required to establish the new bus companies. So far, applications to form 21 such companies have been received. The evening rush hour in Rangoon. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) Dr. Maung Aung said attempts to improve the transport system under the previous government largely failed due to weak collaboration between ministries. He said that the YRTA enjoys stronger support from than current government than the previous government gave to its own initiatives. The YRTA has the additional advantage of only having to work with one ministry. "We have strong political will now. With the new elected civilian government, we will try to satisfy the public's longing for better public transport," he said. The post Can Rangoon's Traffic Woes be Solved? appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Govt’s Foreign Investment Policy to be Released this Month Posted: 12 Oct 2016 04:01 AM PDT Workers work at the Vietnam Hoang Anh Gia Lai construction site in Rangoon on Sept. 20, 2013. (Photo: Reuters / Soe Zeya Tun) RANGOON – Foreign investment policy will be announced this month after President Htin Kyaw passes a revamped Myanmar Investment Law, according to secretary of the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) U Aung Naing Oo. Burma's business community has been growing impatient waiting for details of foreign investment policy after criticizing the government's 12-part overall economic policy released in July as lacking in detail. Pledged foreign direct investment from April to September this year is less than half of what was spent in the same period of 2015 as investors await clear policy from the government before committing money. "Foreign investment policy will be ready to be released in the coming days," U Aung Naing Oo said at a press conference on Monday, adding that the Sept. 28 release date was postponed due to State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi's ill health after her trip to the UK and the US. The Directorate of Investment and Companies Administration (DICA) under the Ministry of National Planning and Finance has taken responsibility for creating the policy, deputy director general of DICA U Than Aung Kyaw told the Irrawaddy. "Foreign investment policy will be announced following the ­passing of the Investment Law," he said, adding that he expected the release this month. The Myanmar Investment Law has already been passed by both houses of Parliament but needs to be signed by President U Htin Kyaw. According to the existing law, all foreign investment calls for the approval of the MIC. The new law, however, will only require the MIC to examine investment proposals at the request of the government. The bill also details separate incentives for different sectors to encourage development. The MIC will examine proposals that require a substantial amount of capital, that have potential social and environmental impact, that concern land or property belonging to the government, or that are of national importance, according to the Ministry of National Planning and Finance. Dr. Maung Maung Lay, vice chairman of Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, told The Irrawaddy that the rules and regulations of the Myanmar Investment Law will reveal the types of investment encouraged by the new government. "I expect government will not be prioritizing businesses which are based on natural resources or can harm the environment," he added. U Ye Min Oo, member of the National League for Democracy's economic committee, told The Irrawaddy that it is time for the government to say which sector will be prioritized for investment so that business people can make plans. "Normally, the government announces detailed economic policy two months after they take office. It is now a little bit late," he said. During the new government's first six months (April to September) foreign direct investment significantly declined compared to last year as foreign investors waited for policy announcements, according to U Aung Naing Oo. According to DICA figures, pledged foreign direct investment from April to September this year was US$1.4 billion while the same period of 2015 was $3 billion. U Aung Naing Oo said he expects foreign direct investment numbers to reach last year's total ($6 billion) after the new Investment Law has been passed. The post Govt's Foreign Investment Policy to be Released this Month appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Myingyan Prison Warden Investigated after Protest Posted: 12 Oct 2016 01:03 AM PDT Protesters are transported in a prison vehicle in March 11, 2015. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / REUTERS) MANDALAY — A committee has been formed to investigate the warden of Myingyan prison in Mandalay Division after inmates caused a disturbance and called for his removal Tuesday morning, according to spokesperson of the corrections department U Min Tun Soe. The protest, which began at 7am and lasted three hours, also demanded that prisoners be allowed to move freely between prison buildings, that they not be made to work on plantations, and that they be provided with more than three blankets. The demonstration subsided after the authorities promised to take the inmates' demands into consideration. A meeting took place 15 minutes later between seven inmates leading the protest, the police, township administrators, and local lawmakers. U Min Tun Soe told The Irrawaddy that a decision on replacing the warden will be made after an investigation by a committee that includes the director of Mandalay Division corrections department U Moe Zaw, deputy director of Naypyidaw corrections department U Aung Myint Kyaw, and Nyaung­ U Township prison official U Win Min Latt. "If [the warden] was not doing his job, he will be removed. But we will only know after the investigation committee has reported their findings" U Min Tun Soe said. U Min Tun Soe said the other three demands of the inmates were not in accordance with prison law and would not be considered. "We cannot agree on free movement through buildings or between buildings in order to prevent clashes between inmates," said U Min Tun Soe. "We have already distributed three blankets to each inmate and we cannot give more." "We have no words to say to those who have been sentenced to hard labor and demand not to work in the fields," he added, noting that producing food for the prison was part of their sentence. U Min Tun Soe also reported that the disturbance was started by an inmate named Ko Kyaw Ko Ko, who was recently transferred from Thayawady prison. The inmate complained about the crowded living conditions and said that he should be excused from labor in the field because he was denied a blanket. U Aung Myo Latt, a National League for Democracy (NLD) Upper House lawmaker representing Myingyan Township, told The Irrawaddy it seems that there has been a "temporary" resolution to the situation, reducing tension. When he arrived at the prison, officials told him that the dispute had been settled. There were reports that healthcare standards inside Myingyan prison are substandard due to overcrowding, said U Aung Myo Kyaw of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) in Rangoon. According to the AAPP, nine inmates of Myingyan prison have died so far this year, eight of them during the first 100 days of the new NLD-led government, which began its tenure in April. U Min Tun Soe admitted that prisons across the country are overcrowded. He said that Myingyan prison holds over two thousand inmates in buildings designed for about one thousand. The post Myingyan Prison Warden Investigated after Protest appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

By-Elections to be Held on April 1, 18 Seats Up for Grabs Posted: 12 Oct 2016 12:28 AM PDT Ballot paper displayed during the by-elections of 2012. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) Burma's Union Election Commission announced on Tuesday that by-elections for 18 vacant seats in the Union and regional parliaments would be held on April 1 next year. Included will be the six constituencies in Kyethi and Mong Hsu townships of central Shan State—one each for the Lower House of the Union Parliament and two each for the state parliament—that were cancelled during the Nov. 2015 general election due to fighting between the Burma Army and the Shan State Army-North. The other seats in the by-elections are being contested because the elected lawmakers have been appointed as ministers in the government, requiring them to vacate their seats, and because of two untimely deaths. Seats for other townships that were cancelled outright for the 2015 general election will not be contested in the by-elections. These include Panghsang, Mongma, Narphan and Panwai townships, which are under the control of the United Wa State Army in northern Shan State, and Mongla Township, which is under the control of the National Democratic Alliance Army in eastern Shan State. In total, nine seats will be up for grabs in the Lower House, three in the Upper House, and six in state and divisional parliaments. In the Lower House, the seats are for the following townships: Monywa in Sagaing Division, Chaungzon in Mon State, Ann in Arakan state, and Hlaing Tharyar, Dagon Myothit, East Dagon and Kawhmu in Rangoon Division, as well as Kyethi and Mong Hsu in Shan State. In the Upper House, the seats are Chin State-3, located in Thantlang Township, Pegu Division-4, which includes Kyauktaga and Nyaunglebin townships, and Rangoon Division-6, which includes Kamayut, Kyimyindaing, Seikkan, Latha, Hlaing, Lanmadaw and Ahlone townships. Across regional parliaments, the seats are Hpruso Township-1 in Karenni State, and Kengtung Township-2 in Shan State, as well as the four in Kyethi and Mong Hsu townships. This represents a significant reduction in the number of seats relative to Burma's last set of by-elections, in April 2012, where 45 seats were ultimately contested—with the National League for Democracy (NLD) led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi winning 43, marking their landmark entry into Parliament. This reduction is due in large part to the National League for Democracy-led government—which assumed power in April this year—slashing the number of ministries, resulting in a smaller cabinet, as well as the decision to appoint more ministers from outside of Parliament. The Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), which performed well across Shan State in the 2015 election—beating the NLD in the state but coming behind the former ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP)—said it would contest all seven seats up for grabs in Kyethi, Mong Hsu and Kengtung townships. Sai Leik, a spokesperson for the SNLD, told The Irrawaddy on Monday that candidates would be decided on "after our central committee meeting in the coming weeks." In the 2015 election, the NLD won 886 out of 1150 elected seats across the Union and regional parliaments. The USDP came second with 117 seats, followed by the Arakan National Party with 45 and the SNLD with 40. The post By-Elections to be Held on April 1, 18 Seats Up for Grabs appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

You are subscribed to email updates from The Irrawaddy. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States