Thursday, October 27, 2016

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Report Links Increased Militarization and Drug Trade in Eastern Shan State

Posted: 27 Oct 2016 07:36 AM PDT

CHIANG MAI, Thailand – An increase in the number of local militia groups backed by the Tatmadaw in eastern Shan State has contributed to the growth of opium production and the drug trade, according data published by an ethnic Lahu civil society organization.

In its new report "Naypyitaw's Drug Addiction," the Lahu National Development Organization (LNDO) stated that the Burma Army plays a key role in the drug trade by hosting jungle labs for syndicates to produce large amounts of heroin and methamphetamine pills, which are ravaging the communities across the country and in neighboring nations.

The Tatmadaw makes huge profits from monopolizing opium sales to refinery owners, holding joint investment in refineries and transporting refined drugs to distributors, the report said.

LNDO's report highlighted the growth of state-backed militias in the region, of which there are now 87 groups with an estimated 3,400 troops. This is a marked increase from figures a decade ago, which stated that in 2006 there were 68 militias with 2,300 troops in total.

"There are at least ten mobile heroine labs, mostly in Mong Hsat and Tachileik townships," said Japhet Jagui, the director of LNDO. In these labs, he explained, militia groups collect money as "taxes" from mobile heroin producers.

Japhet Jagui was among the field researchers who carried out data collection in 33 villages in eastern Shan State's eight townships—Kengtung, Tachileik, Mong Hsat, Mong Ton, Mong Phyak, Mong Yawng, Mong Ping, and Mongla—from April to June of this year.

Poppy cultivation has long been practiced in Burma, the top opium producer in Southeast Asia and the second in the world, following Afghanistan, according to a 2015 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report. The UNODC has been collaborating with the government to strengthen the capacity for cross-border cooperation against illicit drug trafficking and to review drug-related legislation and policies. The UN agency's statement in June said it also supports a major initiative to provide alternative means of income to opium-growing farmers in Shan State.

Despite the presence of the government's drug elimination schemes in Shan State—home to a diverse number of ethnic groups, and where most of the Lahu live—Japhet Jagui said there is little to no control over the drug trade in the state's eastern region. Due to the lack of marketability for other crops, as such corn or potatoes, more than half of locals in the area are thought to grow opium to support their families, but remain in poverty. He added that as part of their drug eradication programs, the current National League for Democracy government must take locals' livelihoods into consideration.

International support to eliminate opium cultivation in the region should be suspended, Japhet Jagui urged, because it has only been beneficial to the Burma Army's soldiers rather than the local farmers.

The drug trade has long been blamed for triggering conflicts, as a number of armed groups vie for control of the area east of the Salween River.

"If the drug problem is reduced, a reduction of conflict could become possible," Japhet Jagui said, adding that the only way this could happen is if the Burma Army came under the control of the civilian government.

LNDO has also documented increased troop numbers in both the Burma Army and non-state armed groups, such as the United Wa State Army (UWSA), the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) and the Mongla region's National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA).

According to LNDO figures, the Tatmadaw's numbers in eastern Shan State are estimated to have risen to over 14,000 troops, indicating a troop expansion of about 40 percent over the last ten years.

The LNDO estimates the total number of troops in the non-state ethnic armed groups present in the same eight townships—the UWSA, RCSS and NDAA, which operate separately and are not an alliance—to have reached nearly 10,000: an increase from around 6,000 soldiers a decade ago.

The post Report Links Increased Militarization and Drug Trade in Eastern Shan State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Civilian Shot Dead at Shan State Military Checkpoint

Posted: 27 Oct 2016 07:31 AM PDT

An ethnic Shan man from Mong Hsu Township was allegedly shot and killed by the Burma Army at a military checkpoint on Wednesday, according to local Shan sources.

Nang Khon Kham, a Shan Nationalities League for Democracy lawmaker from Mong Hsu Township, told The Irrawaddy that the man was shot in the head and killed while he drove to his home in Zon Pin village.

"He was shot point-blank at a checkpoint while driving his motorbike," said Nang Khon Kham.

The victim, Sai Saung Su, was the former head of Zon Pin village. Police attempted to stop him at a checkpoint, but he could not control his bike and drove through, according to local source Nang Seng Hein, who said that he was shot at the next military checkpoint at around 10 a.m.

There is heightened tension between the Burma Army and the Shan State Army-North (SSA-N) in the area surrounding Mong Hsu Township. The Burma Army has increased security forces due to friction with the United Wa State Army in nearby Tang Yan Township.  The victim was killed at a checkpoint between Mong Hsu and Tang Yan townships.

Burma Army members and township authorities only allowed the victim's family to see the body and pushed for a hasty funeral, locals said.

"We went to the scene of the shooting and then to the hospital to see the body, but we were not allowed," said Nang Khon Kham, speculating that the army feared the people would take action against the blatant human rights abuse if they were permitted to see the body.

The lawmaker sent a letter asking her party to respond to the incident. At the time of reporting,  she had not yet received a reply.

"We can not keep quiet on this. We will take action. This is an abuse of our rights," she said.

Burma Army abuses are widely reported in the area, according to human rights groups, who accuse government troops of detaining, torturing and murdering civilians. While the military has largely enjoyed impunity in the past, a court martial in September found seven soldiers guilty of murdering five civilians in Shan State's Mong Yaw village.

The post Civilian Shot Dead at Shan State Military Checkpoint appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Complaints Filed Against 40 NLD Lawmakers

Posted: 27 Oct 2016 07:25 AM PDT

 

RANGOON — Burmese citizens have filed complaints against more than 40 National League for Democracy (NLD) lawmakers since April, according to the chairperson of the party's complaint handling body, Dr. Myo Nyunt.

He said that the department had received complaints against 40 lawmakers in total and that they had submitted these to the party's Central Executive Committee (CEC).

"In some cases, three to four people have filed complaints against a single lawmaker," Dr Myo Nyunt told The Irrawaddy.

"The CEC makes the final decision about how to punish party members, though we also make suggestions," he added.

Dr. Myo Nyunt refused to provide details about individual cases and only said that the punishments include a serious warning and suspension from party duties.

U Tun Tun Hein, a CEC member, said that "so far, we have not yet suspended any lawmakers."

U Tin Aye, former chairman of the Union Election Commission, in August of last year urged U Shwe Mann, the then speaker of the Union Parliament, to enact impeachment legislation that granted citizens the right to recall misbehaving lawmakers.

Lawmakers voted to suspend the bill, however, and the now NLD-dominated parliament has yet to pick it up again for debate.

NLD lawmaker Dr. Soe Moe Thu, who represents Irrawaddy Division's Myaungmya Township in the Lower House, is accused of having an extramarital affair that came to light on social media.

Rangoon's Shwepyitha Township representative of the Lower House U Nyan Linn is being sued by a city motel after drunkenly fighting there.

In the meantime, the CEC is also undertaking an internal investigation on the controversial dismissal and demotion of leading members of the NLD's Shan State chapter by CEC member U Win Htein.

On Oct. 26, NLD patron U Tin Oo in a meeting with NLD lawmakers in Rangoon warned that no lawmaker was above party rules and urged the party to solve problems together.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

 

 

 

The post Complaints Filed Against 40 NLD Lawmakers appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Touring Chin State

Posted: 27 Oct 2016 06:03 AM PDT

TEDIM, Chin State — Despite its pristine natural beauty, bad transportation is a serious obstacle for the development of Chin State. Anyone who has been there, especially during the rainy season, knows this to be true.

Landslides plague the impoverished state when the rains come. Vehicles frequently hydroplane as they snake around the dirt roads of the mountainous region in northwestern Burma. Roads barely wide enough for one car are choked with lines of vehicles for hours until the roads are clear.

At 8,000 feet above sea-level, passersby can see stunning mountains shrouded in clouds but also the scary site of four-wheelers lying turned-over on muddy roads or hills after an accident. For anyone traveling in a small van, pushing the vehicle out of knee-deep mud or being towed is unavoidable.

The distance between Kalay and Tedim is about 60 miles but the trip can take 12 hours thanks to rain, landslides and accidents on the road. The famed, heart-shaped Reed Lake is about 20 miles from Tedim and near the India-Burma border. Stark differences between the two countries can be seen while standing on a bridge that links the two countries for trade. Awash in twilight, India's Mizoram State is lit up, while in Burma's Rihkhawdar, only a small glimmer of light gathers like fireflies starting their night in the darkness.

The post Touring Chin State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Vietnam Seizes One Ton of Ivory Smuggled from Kenya 

Posted: 27 Oct 2016 04:03 AM PDT

RANGOON — Vietnamese authorities have seized one ton of ivory smuggled from Kenya, the fifth such seizure in the past month.

The ivory was hidden in timber in two containers on the way to Cambodia via Vietnam. Customs official Le Dinh Loi says the shipment was seized Wednesday at Cat Lai port in the southern commercial hub of Ho Chi Minh City.

Earlier this month, authorities seized 3.5 tons of ivory in three shipments illegally imported from Africa at the same port.

State media say one ton of ivory costs US$1.8 million on the black market. In Hanoi, 309 kilograms of ivory was seized on Oct. 1.

Elephant ivory is used as jewelry and home decorations in Vietnam, which bans hunting of its own dwindling population of elephants.

The post Vietnam Seizes One Ton of Ivory Smuggled from Kenya  appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Two Temples in Bagan Collapse Two Months After Earthquake

Posted: 27 Oct 2016 03:57 AM PDT

RANGOON — After a 6.8 magnitude earthquake in late August damaged more than 400 temples in Bagan, two temples suffered partial collapse on Tuesday after rainwater seeped into cracks caused by the Aug. 24 tremors, government archaeologists say.

One temple, built in the "cave" style with a hollow interior and located just south of the famous Htilominlo temple, had roughly half of its structure collapse; the other temple, located in Min Nan Thu village, had one of its walls crumble.

"Both are not that famous, unlike other temples damaged in the [Aug. 24] earthquake. The earthquake caused large cracks in their structures, and they collapsed due to rain," said U Aung Aung Kyaw, director of the Bagan Archeological Department.

He explained that, in the "cave" temple, the cracks that filled with rainwater were present where reconstructed parts of the temple joined with the original remnants of the antique structure.

These reconstructions were part of crude renovation efforts carried out across Bagan under the previous military regime in the 1990s, which have been blamed for preventing Bagan—the site of an ancient Burmese royal capital—from being granted World Heritage Site status by Unesco, the United Nations' cultural agency. It was these crude reconstructions that reportedly suffered the most damage in the August earthquake.

The more than 3,000 temples of Bagan, mostly dating from between the 9th and 13th centuries—when the Kingdom of Pagan ruled over much of lowland Burma—are considered Burma's biggest tourist draw.

According to the Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs, the Aug. 24 earthquake damaged a total of 449 temples, including iconic favorites such as Sulamani, Ananda, Htilominlo, Myazedi, Shwesandaw, Lawkananda and Dhamma Yazaka, as well as the murals at Ananda Oakkyaung.

Repair and conservation work on 389 of the damaged structures is slated to begin on Jan. 1, with the assistance of Unesco. According to the Bagan Archaeological Department, 36 temples considered most at risk of further damage will be prioritized, followed by 53 temples in a second-tier risk category.

Cyclone "Kyant," currently brewing in the Bay of Bengal, has led to concerns over heavy rain causing further damage to exposed structures in Bagan awaiting conservation work, although it is currently unclear if, when and where the cyclone will make landfall in Burma.

The post Two Temples in Bagan Collapse Two Months After Earthquake appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Thai Police Chief Says No Room for Royal Insult in Thailand

Posted: 26 Oct 2016 11:13 PM PDT

BANGKOK, Thailand – Thailand's police chief said on Wednesday insulting the monarchy would not be tolerated and anyone considering doing so should get out of the country, after a spike in cases following the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej on Oct. 13.

The widely venerated king died at the age of 88 after seven decades on the throne and the military government has declared one year of mourning.

Speaking ill of the king and the royal family is not only taboo but also illegal under the criminal code, which makes anyone who "defames, insults or threatens the king, queen, heir-apparent or regent" liable to 15 years in prison.

Following the king's death, many Thais have become sensitive to anything they deem disrespectful, especially in an outpouring of material about the king and the royal family posted online.

National police chief Jakthip Chaijinda said police were investigating 20 cases of royal insult, or lese-majeste, since the king's death and arrest warrants have been issued for eight out of the 20 suspects.

"For lese-majeste cases, if people don't want to live in Thailand they should go abroad," Jakthip told reporters.

"If they don't have money for the air fare I will pay for it, they can ask me to buy their plane ticket," he added.

The government has also been taking steps to stop what it regards as royal insults being committed abroad.

The foreign ministry said on Tuesday it had asked for the extradition of several people suspected of insulting the monarchy but it did not give details.

The military has long seen itself as the defender of the monarchy and it has over decades invoked its duty to protect the monarchy to justify its intervention in politics.

Since seizing power from a populist government in 2014, the junta has taken a hardline stance against perceived royal insults and courts have handed down record sentences.

Critics and some Western governments have raised concern about the state of human rights since the coup.

Political activity and peaceful gatherings are banned and military courts have been used to try national security cases, including cases involving civilians.

The military government has defended its rights record saying it must act to maintain order after a decade of divisive and at times violent political rivalry that has pitted the royalist-military establishment against populist political forces.

The king's son and designated heir, Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, is in line to become the next king but has asked that his formal ascension be delayed while he grieves with the people, the government has said.

The post Thai Police Chief Says No Room for Royal Insult in Thailand appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

President’s Office: Allegations of Arbitrary Arrests and Torture are ‘Totally Wrong’

Posted: 26 Oct 2016 10:51 PM PDT

The Irrawaddy speaks with President's Office deputy director-general and spokesperson U Zaw Htay—who acted as director and spokesperson under the previous administration of President U Thein Sein, before being promoted by the new National League for Democracy government in April—about the government's response to recent attacks in northern Arakan State.

What is the government's response to allegations by the United Nations of human rights violations in Arakan State's Maungdaw District?

The government has expected, ever since it started handling the Maungdaw issue, that there would be accusations against and pressures on our government on [what the government sees as] the false pretext of human rights violations.

We've heard that individuals and organizations that [allegedly] support terrorism and international extremists provide false reports and information—documents, photos, and videos about incidents in other countries—to news agencies. They mix some correct information with plenty of fabricated information and then give this to human rights and media organizations over the phone and through other communications channels.

The UN [supposedly] can't verify and confirm these news reports. But then those telephone calls and emails may confuse the UN about the reality on the ground. So we [the government] try to explain [the situation] so that they can understand and cooperate [with us].

If they [those with reports about human rights violations] have strong evidence, they can submit it to the appropriate [branch of the] UN. We will take them seriously. One of our foreign policy principles is to cooperate with the UN.

What are the latest developments in Maungdaw District, given that the military has been carrying out operations there since the border attacks? Has the military recovered any looted arms or ammunition? If so, in what quantity?

The number one objective of the joint operation between the military and the police force is to return looted arms and ammunition to the [border guard police] headquarters. Number two is to identify the perpetrators of the attacks and hold them accountable in accordance with the law.

The police force has the responsibility of clearing [villages], and the military of accompanying them as an auxiliary force. In forests or mountainous areas, the military takes [overall] responsibility. This way, we get information from administrators and community elders in villages as well as from investigating those arrested. We then make additional arrests based on this information.

But the problem is that locals have been fleeing their villages after hearing of military forces approaching. In most villages, only women and children were left. While some of the villagers who [allegedly] participated in the attacks continue to move around in groups, some of them have returned to their villages, hiding their weapons and resuming life as ordinary villagers. But they took part in [what the government has called] terrorist attacks. We have been sure to take action in line with the law against these attackers in disguise. The allegations of arrests made without evidence, and of torture, are totally wrong. We haven't done that. We deny those accusations.

For the attackers to be identifed and arrested, they must be in their villages. It is difficult for us to find those who are on the run. On the ground, the police force, along with the military and community elders, are pushing for these people to return to their villages.

So the UN's statement does not correspond with the real situation on the ground. We continue to release lists of [weapons and ammunition] recovered. We don't hide information, [although] the government has restricted the access of media and the World Food Programme in Maungdaw [District] on security grounds.

Under what conditions would these restrictions be lifted?

We are acting according to the law. Depending on the situation on the ground, we will allow journalists to travel [freely] in the region.

As to the allegations of aid restrictions, we don't want [donors] to provide relief supplies to camps [for displaced people]. They [donors] can give relief supplies when [villagers] return to their homes. If they provide aid [at the camps], [villagers] won't leave. We want to push them back, and food supplies are one of the factors [that make villagers unwilling to return home].

We don't ban relief supplies. They [donors] [just have to] provide them when [villagers] return home.

The post President's Office: Allegations of Arbitrary Arrests and Torture are 'Totally Wrong' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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