AllSBNews: The Irrawaddy Magazine

Friday, October 7, 2016

The Irrawaddy Magazine

KIO: Burma Army Launched Air Strikes
Mon Armed Group Warned to ‘Stop Violating Ceasefire’
Rangoon Govt Reviewing Motorcycle Ban
What’s Next in Mongla and Wa Tensions?
Trade Deficit Reaches US$1.73 Billion in Govt’s First Six Months
Buddhist Monks Lead Commemoration of 1976 Thai Massacre

Posted: 07 Oct 2016 04:49 AM PDT

KIA troops on the march in Chi Phway Township near the China-Burmese border in Kachin State. (Photo: J Paing/The Irrawaddy)

RANGOON – The Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) alleged that on Friday morning the Burma Army launched air strikes from four fighter jets on its armed wing, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA).

The Burma Army attacked Inkaren Hill in Waingmaw Township where KIA Battalion No. 252 was deployed, KIO information officer Lt-Col Naw Bu told The Irrawaddy.

"We can confirm that [the Burma Army] attacked with four fighter jets for about an hour from 8am. I have not yet received information about the situation on the ground, so I have no comment about that," he said.

The Burma Army has not made a statement about the alleged attack and The Irrawaddy was unable to obtain a comment from the Directorate of Public Relations and Psychological Warfare under the Ministry of Defense.

U Koi Darn, who is in charge of a relief camp at Mongna Baptist Church in Waingmaw Township, told The Irrawaddy he saw planes overhead around 9am on Friday.

After the '21st Century Panglong' peace conference, the Burma Army has frequently launched offensives on the KIA. The KIO views these actions as an attempt to pressure the KIA to sign the NCA before the second round of the peace conference.

"While we are dedicated to building peace through negotiation, it is not right to pressure us into political talks through military operations," said Lt-Col Naw Bu.

Since the recent conflict flared, Kachin locals in state capital Myitkyina and Tanai Township have held mass demonstrations calling on the Burma Army to immediately end military offensives. Demonstrators also demanded federalism and self-determination and stressed the need to solve political problems by political means.

The KIA is a member of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC)—an ethnic alliance of non-signatories of the NCA.

The KIA signed a ceasefire agreement with Burma's ruling military regime in 1994 that collapsed when the Burma Army and the KIA came to blows over the Tarpein Hydropower Project in 2011, forcing hundreds of thousands of local people from their homes.

The post KIO: Burma Army Launched Air Strikes appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Mon Armed Group Warned to ‘Stop Violating Ceasefire’

Posted: 07 Oct 2016 04:44 AM PDT

New recruits of the Mon National Liberation Army have undergone training in recent months at a camp in Kyainseikgyi Township of Karen State. (Photo: Ah Ar / Facebook)

The Mon State Government has delivered a formal warning to the New Mon State Party (NMSP), an ethnic Mon armed group, demanding that it stop taxing locals, acting as law enforcement, cracking down on illegal drugs, and recruiting locals in "government-controlled" areas.

In a meeting on Friday involving the Mon State Chief Minister and the military-appointed Minister of Security and Border Affairs, along with senior NMSP members, the ethnic armed group was accused of violating the 2012 bilateral ceasefire agreement, and told that it must "respect the rule of law," according to NMSP spokesman Nai Win Hla, who was present.

"We responded that we would stop these actions only if the government found political solutions," he said, maintaining that the NMSP was moved to enforce law and order locally and stamp out drugs because the Burmese government had failed in its responsibility to do so.

According to Nai Win Hla, the border affairs minister Col Win Naing Oo accused the NMSP of "disrespecting the government." Nai Win Hla said the group "did not respond" to this accusation.

The Mon State government had sent 28 letters in total to the NMSP since January this year, alleging violations of the bilateral ceasefire. The border affairs minister brought up two such cases at the meeting: the killing of a civilian during a raid on an illegal drug ring in Kawkareik Township of Karen State, and the arrest of a man accused of forcing a woman to marry him in Mudon Township of Mon State (after the Burmese police had failed to take action, according to local Mon sources).

The NMSP, whose armed wing is called the Mon National Liberation Army, is active across areas of southeastern Burma, and is a member of the influential ethnic armed group alliance the United Nationalities Federal Council.

Although the NMSP reached a bilateral ceasefire agreement with Burmese government in 2012, it chose not to sign the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) last year—after which tension between the MNSP and the Burma Army has grown, according to NMSP leaders.

"We have to keep tight control of our soldiers, to ensure our troops' movements stay within the boundaries [agreed under the bilateral ceasefire]," said Nai Hong Sar, vice chairman of the NMSP, who said the group "did not want to have problems" with the Burmese Army and the government.

"They are trying to create problems with us because we refused to sign the NCA," he claimed.

The post Mon Armed Group Warned to 'Stop Violating Ceasefire' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rangoon Govt Reviewing Motorcycle Ban

Posted: 07 Oct 2016 04:37 AM PDT

Two men ride on a motorcycle in the outskirts of Rangoon. (Photo: The Irrawaddy)

RANGOON — Rangoon regional government is reviewing a ban on motorcycles in central areas of Burma's commercial capital, the region's transport minister told lawmakers during the regional legislative session of parliament on Thursday.

Responding to a question concerning official permission for motorcycle licenses and dealers in the outskirts of the city's municipal council-controlled areas, the minister of electricity, industry, roads and transportation Daw Nilar Kyaw said that the regional government was "completing reviews on rules and regulations related to setting territories for motorcycle riding."

"After setting areas [for motorcycle use], motorcyclists must have a driving license and a license for their vehicle," she said, adding that the regulation must be robustly enforced.

While there is no specific law for riding two-wheeled vehicles in Rangoon, motorcycles have been banned in 33 municipal council-controlled townships since the early 2000s while government officials were allowed to ride motorcycles until July 2009, as per "guidelines" released by the city's transport authorities.

There are currently 14 townships that are not under the administration of the city's municipal authority—Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC)—where many residents regularly use motorcycles.

Burma has an estimated four million registered motorcycles in the country, based on official figures, and many more are imported illegally.

Daw Nilar Kyaw said she could not say when an announcement on the updated regulations would be made.

The post Rangoon Govt Reviewing Motorcycle Ban appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

What’s Next in Mongla and Wa Tensions?

Posted: 07 Oct 2016 03:52 AM PDT

UWSA soldiers on military parade (Photo: Shan Herald Agency for News)

RANGOON – Military tensions arose unexpectedly between the United Wa State Army (UWSA) and its closest ally, the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA) better known as the Mongla Group, at the end of September.

On Sept. 28, around 600 UWSA troops raided Mongla Group outposts in Loi Hsarm Hsoom, Loi Kiusai and Parng Mark Fah inspection gate between Kengtung and Mongla in eastern Shan State and arrested over 150 Mongla Group troops, local media reported.

As observers reacted with surprise to the unexpected conflict between the two groups who share former affiliations with the Communist Party of Burma (CPB), the Mongla Group released a statement on Oct. 3.

The statement said that UWSA troops had conducted field exercises in the area controlled by the Mongla Group and that some UWSA troops had made serious mistakes during the exercise, resulting in ''terrible consequences.''

The statement did not provide details about the alleged incidents, but said that leaders of the two groups subsequently met on Oct. 1, when UWSA leaders commanded its officers who performed the military exercises on the ground to correct the ''mistakes.''

U Kyi Myint, a spokesperson for the Mongla Group, refused to provide specific information when asked by The Irrawaddy about the case. "Just refer to the statement. We have no problem. Everything is just all right," he said.

Local media outlets questioned both the Mongla Group and the UWSA about the incident, but neither provided details.

According to information leaked from troops on the ground, the UWSA freed Mongla Group troops and returned the Parng Mark Fah inspection gate within three days, but it has continued to hold the strategically important bases of Loi Hsarm Hsoom and Loi Kiusai and to send reinforcements and ammunition into the areas.

Sources close to the UWSA said it had done so in preparation for military activities by the Burma Army.

A person close to the UWSA told The Irrawaddy on condition of anonymity: "The place(s) [previously] held by the Mongla Group are militarily important, but their deployment there is not strong enough. Losing this area would put both the Mongla Group and the UWSA at grave risk."

Some military analysts had a different view, arguing that the Mongla Group had released the statement as a bid, using peaceful means, to persuade the UWSA to retreat.

In 2009, when the Burma Army was putting pressure on ethnic armed groups to transform into sections of the Burma Army-aligned militia known as the Border Guard Force, the UWSA deployed its troops in the area with the approval of the Mongla Group, said U Maung Maung Soe, an ethnic affairs analyst.

He concludeds that the UWSA was now conducting military activities in the area as a response to the Burma Army's recent attacks on ethnic groups, including the Kachin Independence Army (KIA).

The UWSA and the Mongla Group have traditionally shared similar views on Burma's government and on ethnic issues, but after the National League for Democracy (NLD) government took office this year, the UWSA started to perceive that the Mongla Group had changed its standpoint, according to some military analysts.

Some analysts assessed that that the UWSA was not satisfied with the Mongla Group's repeatedly making statements in support of the new government and expressing trust in the government's peace initiative. The latest confrontation may reflect the UWSA's irritation with the Mongla Group after the '21st Century Panglong' peace conference, they say.

"The problem is that the Mongla Group talked about its support for the '21st Century Panglong' peace conference and signing the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA), which upset the UWSA," a military analyst told the Irrawaddy on condition of anonymity.

At the conference, the Mongla Group suggested that it may sign the NCA and engage in peace and development talks, while the UWSA has repeatedly said that the NCA was not necessary.

The two allies, which often refer to each other as brothers, approached the '21st Century Panglong' peace conference differently. While the Mongla Group dispatched senior leaders, the UWSA only sent officers in charge of liaison offices to the government-organized event/ On the second day of the conference, the UWSA staged a dramatic walk-out, apparently as a result of a misunderstanding over ID cards issued to itsdelegates.

The UWSA has felt some concern over closer ties between the Mongla Group, the government and the Burma Army and therefore took preemptive action to occupy militarily strategic areas, said Khun Sai, chief editor of the Shan Herald News Agency which is monitoring ethnic armed group issues in Shan State.

"I'm not sure how important those places are for the Mongla Group, but they are absolutely crucial for the UWSA. If those places fell into the hands of Burma Army, the UWSA is finished," U Khun Sai told The Irrawaddy.

The UWSA is based in two places. It has territory on the Thailand-Burma border while its headquarters are on the China-Burma border, both areas within Shan State. The Mongla region lies in a strategic position connecting the two territories. "If the Wa have to choose between the Thailand-Burma border and that area in Mongla, they would choose the latter. That place is that important to them," said U Khun Sai.

Apart from its military importance, the area recently newly occupied by the UWSA is in the economically strategic Golden Triangle area straddling Burma, Thailand and Laos. Burma Army battalions are also deployed in the area.

The UWSA may also be more concerned that the Mongla Group will draw closer to the Burma Army than to the government, some have suggested. Such ties would constitute a real threat to the UWSA, one analyst said.

Now, despite the Mongla Group's recent public statement, the UWSA has brought in large reinforcements to the areas in question. It remains to be seen how tensions between the two groups will develop and what impact this may on Burma's peace process.

The post What's Next in Mongla and Wa Tensions? appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Trade Deficit Reaches US$1.73 Billion in Govt’s First Six Months

Posted: 07 Oct 2016 03:35 AM PDT

The Asia World Port, Burma's biggest container port, on the Hlaing River in Rangoon, May 14, 2016. (Photo: Reuters /Soe Zeya Tun)

RANGOON — Burma's trade deficit has reached US$1.73 billion in the National League for Democracy government's first six months, beginning in April, significantly lower than the $2.24 billion deficit reached over the same six-month period last year.

From April till the end of September this year, Burma's total trade volume amounted to US$12.9 billion, with exports worth $5.6 billion and imports $7.3 billion, according to figures from the Ministry of Commerce.

This puts exports $11.9 million higher than the same period last year, but imports $495 million lower, signaling an overall decline in the total volume of trade.

"Exports of oil and gas, and of gems, are significantly down this year," U Yan Naing Tun, director-general of Ministry of Commerce, told the Irrawaddy. However, he said that increases in agricultural exports had helped make up some of the shortfall.

The director-general attributed the decline in imports to a relative slowdown in construction and infrastructure development during the period.

Burma's major exports are oil, gas, gems, marine products, and agricultural products including rice, beans, pulses and rubber. Its major exports include electronics and materials used in construction.

The Ministry of Commerce anticipates a total trade volume of $32 billion through the current fiscal year ending on March 31, 2017. The total trade volume for the previous fiscal year reached $26 billion.

Burma's trade volume increased steadily year on year after political and economic reforms were launched under former President U Thein Sein in 2011. However, in 2015, the last year of U Thein Sein's term, the trade volume appeared to be leveling off.

The post Trade Deficit Reaches US$1.73 Billion in Govt's First Six Months appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Buddhist Monks Lead Commemoration of 1976 Thai Massacre

Posted: 06 Oct 2016 11:35 PM PDT

Thai Buddhist monks walk with candles through Bangkok's Thammasat University on Oct. 6, 2006 (Photo: Adrees Latif / Reuters)

BANGKOK, Thailand — Buddhist monks, survivors, mourners and activists gathered Thursday to mark the 40th anniversary of one of the darkest days in Thailand's history, when police killed scores of university students at a peaceful protest, and vigilantes defiled the dead.

Students at Bangkok's Thammasat University had been protesting the return from exile of a hated former dictator in 1976 when they were trapped by a right-wing mob and heavily armed paramilitary police, who fired guns and grenades at the defenseless crowd of several thousand.

After the students were subdued, thugs rushed in and grabbed as many as a dozen. They were then taken to a nearby public field, beaten to death, hanged and abused, with the bodies tossed onto a makeshift funeral pyre. The official death toll was 46, though credible independent estimates put it at more than 100.

The disorder was used as an excuse for the army to seize power later that day, undoing a student-led democratic revolution three years earlier.

The anniversary comes as Thailand is again under military rule since a 2014 coup, a situation referred to by some speakers at the anniversary ceremony.

"I think we all have heard the term 'Brexit' used to describe the process of Britain leaving the EU. I would like to propose that the first necessary condition for democracy in Thailand is 'Mexit'; meaning the first necessary condition is to take the military out of politics," said Surachart Bamrungsuk, a former student leader who was present at the Thammasat tragedy and then was held in prison for two years on trumped-up charges.

"If we can't take the military out of politics, then don't even think about democracy," said Surachart, now a professor of political science at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.

This year's commemoration has drawn broader interest than usual because an invited speaker, teenage Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong, was not allowed into the country by Thai authorities, making headlines worldwide. Wong was supposed to speak at Chulalongkorn, which this year joined Thammasat for the first time in marking the anniversary.

The rector of Thammasat, Somkit Lertpaithoon, said the university teaches its students about the violence and even has survivors on its staff.

"Even though the events of Oct. 6 may not be documented in Thai history, the new generation still strives to learn about it," he said in a speech at the university.

The Thammasat massacre has always been a sensitive issue, both because the images of lynchings speak to a dark side of the Thai character and because the assault on the university showed how the state could carry out human rights abuses with impunity. No perpetrators were ever punished.

An increasing awareness of human rights since 1976 has led to much questioning of the use of state violence, especially because of a sometimes-violent struggle for political power that has troubled Thailand for the past decade, including bloody street battles in Bangkok in 2010.

"The massacre is still of interest 40 years after the fact because it remains officially unresolved. Those who were involved in the violence have not been held to account, even as there has been a wave of transitional justice processes around the world, and even expanded questioning and investigations in relation to the violence of April-May 2010," Tyrell Haberkorn, a fellow in political and social change at the Australian National University, said earlier this week.

"The incident has relevance to the current state of Thai politics because it becomes possible to continue to stage coup after coup while repressing dissent because those who have done so in the past have not been held to account for doing so," she said.

The post Buddhist Monks Lead Commemoration of 1976 Thai Massacre appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

AllSBNews

Friday, October 7, 2016

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

No comments:

Post a Comment

Sponsor