Saturday, May 21, 2016

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

This Week in Parliament (May 16-20)

Posted: 20 May 2016 07:35 PM PDT

Members of Parliament arrive to attend a meeting in Naypyidaw on March 10, 2016. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters)

Members of Parliament arrive to attend a meeting in Naypyidaw on March 10, 2016. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters)

May 16 (Monday)

Khin San Hlaing, a National League for Democracy (NLD) lawmaker from Pale Township constituency, submitted a proposal to the Lower House that called for repairs to dams in Magwe and Sagaing divisions. The Lower House put the proposal on record, and will wait for further site visits to assess damages.

In a question and answer session, lawmakers asked about coal production in Shan State's Mongyal Township and Sagaing Division's Pinlebu Township, as well as land confiscation disputes in Sagaing Division's Khin-U Township.

Meanwhile, the Upper House turned heads when its members engaged in debate over a penis-shaped soap controversy. Earlier this year, the Happy Zone amusement park in Rangoon gave out phallic bars of soap as prizes. After photos of the scandalous soap spread on social media, the issue drew the attention of the deputy minister of home affairs, Maj-Gen Aung Soe. The deputy minister said the owner and manager were made to sign letters stating they would no longer distribute the genitalia-shaped prizes.

May 17 (Tuesday)

The Union Parliament approved the appointment of Kyaw Tint Swe as the minister of the State Counselor's Office. It also approved the appointment of Kyaw Myo as deputy minister of transportation and communications, and Win Myint as the deputy attorney general.

Parliament also ratified the Protocol of 1992 to amend the International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage, 1969, which ensures adequate compensation for people who suffer damages caused by oil-carrying ships and places liability on the ship owners.

 May 18 (Wednesday)

The Union Parliament approved seeking US$200 million in loans from the World Bank for the ministries of Construction; Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation; and Planning and Finance. If the loans are acquired, $115 million would go to Construction; $70 million to Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation; and $15 million to Planning and Finance.

The Lower House approved the replacement of lawmakers Khin Maung Win from Lanmadaw constituency and Nay Myo Htun of Htantabin constituency, both with the NLD, on the Lower House Bill Committee.

May 19 (Thursday)

The Lower House approved the formation of the Judicial and Legal Affairs Committee, which will consist of 15 members.

May 20 (Friday)

In the Lower House, lawmakers discussed a proposal from Khin Saw Wai, a lawmaker with the Arakan National Party (ANP) who represents Arakan State's Rathedaung Township, that urges the government to address citizenship problems across the country in line with the 1982 Citizenship Law. The minister for labor, immigration and population responded by saying that it would be a priority in his ministry's 100-day plan. Lawmakers ultimately voted to keep Khin Saw Wai's proposal on the record.

The Upper House approved a draft law to revoke a law that protected the state against the dangers of subversive acts. The Lower House had approved the draft law earlier.

Parliament also approved a draft law to revoke Burma's Fresh Water Fishery Business Law.

The post This Week in Parliament (May 16-20) appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (May 21, 2016)

Posted: 20 May 2016 07:25 PM PDT

A worker carries palm fruit down from a truck at a palm oil refinery in the eastern Thai province of Chonburi. (Photo: Reuters)

A worker carries palm fruit down from a truck at a palm oil refinery in the eastern Thai province of Chonburi. (Photo: Reuters)

Government Urged to Take a Wider Look at Hydropower Plans

Burma's new government should take a "by design" approach to developing the country's massive potential hydropower resources, scholars and leading environmental organizations suggests in a new report funded by the United Kingdom's aid agency.

The report, "Improving Hydropower Outcomes Through System-Scale Planning: An Example from Myanmar," looks at how countries like Burma can "deliver the broadest range of benefits to their people" while tapping their water resources for energy, according to its executive summary. It was produced by the Nature Conservancy, based in the US state of Virginia, alongside the World Wildlife Fund and the University of Manchester in England.

It comes as the newly minted National League for Democracy (NLD) has yet to signal what its approach to hydropower will be. Most controversially, the Myitsone project in Kachin State is still hanging in the balance, with its Chinese backers pushing for a restart after former President Thein Sein suspended work on the dam five years ago.

Twenty-five hydroelectric dams of varying sizes are currently in operation, but some 45 are under construction, in the planning stage or proposed by developers, the report said.

"The previous government's approach to hydropower development was to attract the maximum possible amount of hydropower investment," the report said. "As a result, essentially all interested developers were encouraged to go forward with their proposed projects."

However most of the proposed projects have made little progress, many delayed by conflict or local opposition to their environmental and social impacts. The authors see this as evidence that what they describe as a "non-selective, single-project approach" has not worked. They suggest that the new government should instead adopt a "system-scale approach that can identify the best portfolios of projects."

The report says the government should, in the short-run, only approve less controversial, smaller projects and those within existing cascades. In the long-run, it advocates a comprehensive look at what dams in individual river systems can be built that will balance energy needs and the effects on people and the environment. The Nature Conservancy calls this approach "Hydropower by Design" and hopes it could provide a model for other countries.

To demonstrate how this approach would work, the report looks closely at the Myitnge, also known as the Dokhtawaddy—which runs down from the Shan Hills and becomes a tributary of the Irrawaddy near Mandalay—using spatial analysis and simulations of how dam building would affect water resources.

"Our results clearly showed that energy development produces tradeoffs with other resources and values," wrote Jeff Opperman, the director and lead scientist for the Nature Conservancy's Great Rivers Program, in a blog about the study for the World Bank's website.

"However, there are many different options to increase energy generation and these options [vary] widely in terms of their impacts. A system-scale approach can identify 'win-win' or 'close to win-close to win' options—these are options that meet energy objectives but minimize negative impacts or have synergistic benefits for other sectors."

Further Tourism Growth Expected to Weigh on Infrastructure

Burma's tourism industry has not yet finished its growth spurt, analysts said this week, but the influx will put even more strain on infrastructure in years to come.

The UK-based Oxford Business Group published an update on the tourism industry, which has already grown rapidly during the country's period of political transition from a closed dictatorship.

From only about 1 million foreign visitors in 2012, the country almost hit the 5 million mark last year, and the government has targeted 6 million visitors for 2016. The Asian Development Bank said spending by tourists in the country rose by 19 percent year on year to $2.1 billion in 2015.

The update figures cited from the World Travel and Tourism Council predicting that over the next decade Burma will have the world's second-fastest growing tourism industry.

The sector is set to grow by 5.9 percent this year and by 7.8 percent per year up to 2026, when it will employ about 2.1 million Burmese, the council predicts.

But both hotels and airports have already been put under strain by the rising number of tourists. The recently opened new terminal at Rangoon's airport raises annual capacity to 6 million passengers, but is only a "medium-term solution," Oxford Business Group said.

"It is not just Yangon International Airport that is working to find space to expand," it said. "Tourism has to compete with the residential, commercial and industrial sectors for land resources, which has pushed prices up, while zoning laws have also limited access to blocks for development in some areas."

IFC Considering Oway Cash Injection

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank's investment arm, is looking at investing up to $3 million in Oway Group, a local travel booking website that runs an Uber-like ride hailing service in Rangoon.

According to a summary of the proposed investment on the IFC's website, Oway is looking to raise $10 million to fund an expansion, including the growth of Oway Ride. The service, which connects travelers with drivers via a smartphone app, launched in the former capital in January but hopes to expand to Mandalay and Naypyidaw.

The IFC, which invests commercially in developing markets in the hope of building capacity for economic growth, said it hoped the investment would fuel job creation. Oway currently employs more than 500 people and Oway Ride has signed up 400 drivers—a figure that is expected to reach 1,500 by the end of this year, it said.

The investment would also help provide "stability" for service providers in the tourism industry, increase the supply of decent transport options and "support for innovation and technology-enabled investments" in Burma, the IFC said.

"Myanmar does not yet have a strong Venture Capital ecosystem, and lacks local and later-stage funding options," it said. "IFC's investment in Oway provides access to capital to a promising early-stage technology company in Myanmar."

Environmental Group Calls for Palm Oil Halt

The global environmental group Fauna & Flora International (FFI) has issued a call for the new Aung San Suu Kyi-led government to put a stop to agricultural development that is threatening to destroy the remaining forests of southern Burma.

Large-scale concessions have been granted for palm oil plantations in the deep south since a government initiative to develop the crop began in 1999. As in other regional countries—namely Malaysia and Indonesia—that have embraced the crop for rural development and export revenue, the policy has spurred the destruction of formerly untouched forests.

But Tenasserim Division, also known as Tanintharyi Region, remains home to the last large Sundaic rainforest in peninsula Southeast Asia, although the forest is under increasing threat, according to FFI.

A recent study into oil palm plantations in Tenasserim—commissioned by FFI and funded by donors including the European Union—"found that poor policies and practices in the sector are fueling unsustainable development of this highly biodiverse landscape," a post on FFI's website said.

"Currently most plantations are clearing high conservation value forests, and many companies are even clearing land outside their concession boundary," FFI's Burma program director Frank Momberg said in the post.

"That is why we are calling on the new government of Myanmar to declare a complete moratorium on oil palm development—that means no new forest clearing and no new licenses issued—until we can be sure that these plantations are sustainable."

Burmese Coffee Headed to Western Markets

The first container of coffee grown in Burma's Shan Hills was shipped to Switzerland in April, and beans could soon be on sale in the United States, according to state media.

The Global New Light of Myanmar said exporters were earning between $3,800 and $4,000 per ton, citing information from a trade association.

It said coffee was already exported to Japan and South Korea, but suggested efforts by US nonprofit Winrock International to bring Burmese coffee up to export standards meant that the American market may be next.

"We aimed to export the two container loads of coffee," the report cited Myanmar Coffee Association Chairman Ye Myint as saying, without specifying whether there were firm plans in place to send coffee to America.

"The price offered depends on the quality and the market. The price offered to the coffee growers and the production costs have to be transparent to build trust with the buyers. Only then, our market lasts longer. The higher the quality of the coffee is, the more we earn."

A coffee trade magazine last month said buyers in the United States were searching for new sourcing countries for coffee, and were looking closely at Burma.

The Global New Light of Myanmar said coffee had the potential to replace opium for some impoverished farmers, and said Burma's uplands were especially well-suited to growing coffee.

Shan State and Pyin Oo Lwin, in Mandalay Division, are the main centers of coffee production at present, but little is produced for export.

The post The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (May 21, 2016) appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Dateline Irrawaddy: How Can Women Play a Greater Role in Burma?

Posted: 20 May 2016 07:15 PM PDT

Gender equality activists Khin Ma Ma Myo and May Sabe Phyu join Irrawaddy English editor Kyaw Zwa Moe on this week's Dateline Irrawaddy.

Gender equality activists Khin Ma Ma Myo and May Sabe Phyu join Irrawaddy English editor Kyaw Zwa Moe on this week's Dateline Irrawaddy.

Kyaw Zwa Moe: Welcome to Dateline Irrawaddy! This week, we'll compare the roles of women under the previous quasi-civilian government and current elected government, and discuss their potential role in decision-making on important issues such as the shaping of political, economic and social policies. Ma Khin Ma Ma Myo, a director with the Myanmar Institute of Gender Studies, and Ma May Sabe Phyu, a director with the Gender Equality Network, will join me for a discussion. I'm The Irrawaddy's English editor Kyaw Zwa Moe.

How do you compare the roles of women in the time of the U Thein Sein government and under the new government, the government led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, in terms of policy-making and decision-making? Do you see greater potential for the role of women now compared to the past, or if not, do you think it will get better in the future?

Khin Ma Ma Myo: In terms of women's participation, there were a few female ministers in the previous government. However, in the new government, there is only one woman who is a minister.

KZM: Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the foreign affairs minister.

KMMM: Yes, that's right. But then, we can't jump to the conclusion that the role of women is very limited just because of the proportion of representation. It is due to the fact that the new government has merged or reduced the number of ministries. And not every ministry has yet appointed deputy ministers. Though women's participation in the cabinet is low, we can't conclude that their role is small. If the proportion of women at the rank of director and above in each department is counted, and if a gender policy is put in place, then women will have a greater role to play.

KZM: Ma May Sabe Phyu, you are from the Gender Equality Network. Besides the 'quantity' factor, what other factors should be taken into account in assessing gender equality?

May Sabe Phyu: In assessing [gender] equality, we focus on both quantity and quality. By quality I mean outcomes. We care more about outcomes than quantity. As Ma Khin Ma Ma Myo has said, Auntie Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is the lone woman in the Union government. But then, at the division and state level, there are two women who are chief ministers. And overall, the number of female lawmakers in the Parliament has doubled now compared to the time of the previous government.

KZM: Previously, it was?

MSP: It has increased from 4.6 percent to 10.3 percent now. So it has doubled. It is fair to say that it is a sign of progress. But then we also need to consider the point of quality. We need to see to what extent the voices of those women in the Parliament and central, division and state governments are heard and reflected in legislation and government policies.

KZM: Ma Khin Ma Ma Myo, everyone believes that the new elected government, compared to previous military governments and the quasi-civilian government, has a genuine desire to establish democracy. Can we say the new government is making reforms from a gender perspective? Can we say it has a gender policy?

KMMM: In my view, [the new government] has just started developing policies. For example, the Social Welfare Ministry has started to design a national youth policy in cooperation with UNFPA [United Nations Population Fund]. Therefore, we expect a national gender policy will be developed soon. That is likely because youth and gender are cross-cutting issues. So the two tend to come one after another.

KZM: Some organizations engaging in women's issues or gender equality have criticized Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her government for not favoring women despite the fact that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi herself is a woman. As far as I understand, she cares more about qualifications. She has called for giving more opportunities to women, if they are equally qualified with men. But qualifications seem to be the most important to her. Why have those organizations made such criticisms? Do you see the criticisms as valid?

MSP: When it comes to gender equality, the common assumption is that everyone, either man or woman, can be a leader or hold decision-making positions if they have same qualifications. But from the point of view of women's rights and gender equality, the assumption that everyone can be a leader if he/she has the right qualities is a conventional assumption that does not consider gender sensitivities.

In society, men and women have traditionally had different roles and there is both explicit discrimination and subtle discrimination on the grounds of gender. To be frank, our country is a striking example. Is every capable woman accepted by the people as a leader in society? It is a question worth asking. Here, we need to change the conventional assumption of gender equality that both man and woman will be able to take the leading role if they have same qualifications. Taking the 'glass ceiling' and social and cultural prejudices against women into consideration, [the new government] should adopt laws and policies that can create an environment that allows greater participation of women. Only then, those policies can be said to have been formulated with gender in mind.

KZM: Another thing is about very controversial legislation: The U Thein Sein government and Parliament adopted 'race and religion protection laws' because of ultra-nationalist and religious groups. They justified this by saying those laws were intended for the protection of Burmese [Buddhist] women. But most women believe that these laws violate the fundamental and natural rights of women. Ma Khin Ma Ma Myo, how should the new government and lawmakers should handle these laws now?

KMMM: The reason issues become controversial largely depends on how those issues are approached. In taking an approach, some adopt a protection strategy—that is, to protect an individual or a group of people. And others take an empowerment approach—that is, to educate an individual or a group and allow them to make choices on their own. The race and religion protection law was adopted in protection style. It seems that [some people] might have some concerns and therefore took the protection approach. In international societies, there are also protection approaches in practice, for example the phrase 'ladies first' and the protection of women and children in times of war. Rather than trying to protect certain groups, I think empowerment is much better for women.

KZM: Ma May Sabe Phyu, what is your view of these laws?

MSP: There may be controversial, sensitive issues in every country. But as a voter, my view is as simple as can be: Because people have voted [for a party] with expectations that the government would fully respect and realize democratic values and human rights, [the government] should align its laws and policies to be in accordance with those values.

KZM: There are around 51 million people in our country and women make up more than half of the national population. So women represent a huge force in the reform and democratization process of our country. How can the mentality of men and women be changed so that women can play a greater part and more leading role in the decision-making process of social, economic and political issues?

KMMM: The first thing women should do is have self-confidence. They need to boost their confidence so that they can lead and make decisions and address national issues the way men do. The second thing is to find effective ways to demand a greater role. Women should now think about how to do advocacy to gain support from men. Then, they should take a sensible, strategic approach, convincing the men to support them. Then, we women will be able to shape the country together with men like other countries in the world, I hope.

KZM: Ma Khin Ma Ma Myo, you have talked about what is needed for women. Here I think institutions and government are important. What collaborative measures do you think should be taken to realize those goals in a short time?

MSP: We already have powerful women's campaigns, networks and organizations that could make sure there is greater gender equality in our country. To make sure there are laws and policies that can guarantee gender equality, the government should cooperate with women's rights activists.

KZM: Ma Khin Ma Ma Myo, Ma May Sabe Phyu, thank you for your contribution.

The post Dateline Irrawaddy: How Can Women Play a Greater Role in Burma? appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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