The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• High-Rise Review Committee Submits Recent Findings to Rangoon Cabinet
• Shan, Palaung & Kachin Youth March Against Conflict in Lashio
• Premier Coffee Compensates Workers but Case Continues
• Suu Kyi Begins Talks with NCA Non-Signatories
• State Govt Blocks KNU Land Policy Workshop
• Ceremony at Secretariat Commemorates Martyrs’ Day
• Grapes, Picked by Hand
• Drugs Worth US$2.5 Million Seized in Northern Shan State
• From the Archive: Aung San Museum—Discover Burma’s Hero

High-Rise Review Committee Submits Recent Findings to Rangoon Cabinet Posted: 18 Jul 2016 06:02 AM PDT A view of the Rangoon skyline featuring high-rise buildings under construction, as seen on Monday, July 18, 2016. (Photo: Pyay Kyaw / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON—A committee reviewing high-rise construction inspected a further 20 buildings in Rangoon last week, and will submit their findings to the divisional cabinet by Thursday. "We have [looked at] nearly 20 buildings that still haven't received final approval," said Ye Min Oo, spokesperson for the committee, which was formed in June to investigate the construction of buildings nine stories or higher which may not fit with the city's urban planning standards. Currently, there are 185 high rises under review which earned early-stage approval by Rangoon's previous government; the 20 units inspected last week were among these projects. Developers are allowed begin groundwork for construction after receiving this initial approval from either the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) or the Rangoon Division government. But they are required to then seek final approval from the YCDC's building department in order to proceed with their plans—this involves submitting detailed design layouts to be reviewed. Ye Min Oo said the committee will forward their findings to the Rangoon government's cabinet in time for their next meeting, scheduled for Thursday, to seek final decisions on the fate of the 20 buildings in question. A committee member told The Irrawaddy that many of the high rises in question were found to have inadequate car parking, which was contrary to their original proposed building designs. "The 20 units we reviewed last week could still fix [the buildings] to meet the requirements, as they are just in the initial stages of construction, like laying the foundation; they haven't gotten the final approval for constructing the whole building," Ye Min Oo said. Last week, the Rangoon regional government ordered 12 high rises currently under construction to perform modifications including reduction of the height of the buildings and improvement of parking facilities, which garnered complaints from the project developers. The post High-Rise Review Committee Submits Recent Findings to Rangoon Cabinet appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Shan, Palaung & Kachin Youth March Against Conflict in Lashio Posted: 18 Jul 2016 05:57 AM PDT Ethnic Shan, Kachin and Palaung (Ta'ang) youth protestors in Lashio, northern Shan State. (Photo: Ta'ang Students and Youth Union / Facebook) RANGOON — A day after the Shan State parliament passed a resolution to bring an end to conflict in northern Shan State, over 500 people—largely ethnic Shan, Palaung (Ta'ang) and Kachin youth—staged a demonstration on Saturday in Lashio, northern Shan State. The protestors called on the Burma Army to halt their fighting with ethnic armed groups in northern Shan State, and to end rights abuses against local civilians. Youth dressed in their traditional ethnic attire walked the streets of the northern Shan Shan administrative capital holding signboards, which also bore demands for a federal system of governance in Burma—reflecting a long-standing demand for a devolution of power and resource-sharing with Burma's ethnic minority regions. Sai Aung Myint Oo, a self-described Shan youth leader, said, "Our people feel they have no security in their lives." He mentioned the disappearance of seven ethnic Shan young men traveling from northern Shan State's Namkham Township to Lashio in early June, which reportedly remains unsolved. He accused the Burma Army of "murdering our people." "I condemn this on behalf of our youth," he said. "We ask the authorities to take action against those who have violated the law." Nang San San Aye, a female lawmaker from the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) representing Hsipaw Township (1), told The Irrawaddy that the Shan State parliament on Friday agreed to her proposal to bring an end to fighting in northern Shan State. However, she cautioned that they would need to "wait and see" whether this resolution would translate into action. The proposal, accepted during a four-day session of the state parliament from 12-15 July, was not the first initiative undertaken in the state parliament to halt Shan State's longstanding, and seemingly intractable, armed conflicts. A fellow SNLD lawmaker had made a similar proposal during the first session of the state parliament under the new government—with no discernible result. Nang San San Aye cited the human rights abuses and general suffering wrought on ethnic Shan and Palaung (Ta'ang) communities across several townships of northern Shan State, including her own. Earlier this month, seven people were killed in mysterious circumstances in and around Mong Yaw Village of Lashio Township, with local villagers accusing the Burma Army—although local police have refused to pursue allegations against the military. Northern Shan State contains Burma's largest concentration of non-state ethnic armed groups—some in alliance, but several in active conflict, with the Burma Army. Those in active conflict include the Shan State Army-North, the Kachin Independence Army, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army and the Myanmar Nationalities Democratic Alliance Army. Since November last year, two ethnic armed groups—the Shan State Army-South and the Ta'ang National Liberation Army—have been fighting over territory across numerous townships of northern Shan State, displacing thousands of mostly ethnic Palaung (Ta'ang) and Shan civilians from rural areas. The post Shan, Palaung & Kachin Youth March Against Conflict in Lashio appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Premier Coffee Compensates Workers but Case Continues Posted: 18 Jul 2016 05:00 AM PDT Sachets of Premier coffee-mix are ubiquitous across Burma's teashops and diners. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Premier Coffee has chosen to compensate 321 workers from its factory in Rangoon's Hlaing Tharyar Industrial Zone after being sued by the Ministry of Labor, Immigration and Population for breaking labor laws. However, the case is subject to future court hearings and the charges remain in place—contrary to prior practice in Burma, where voluntary "compensation" payouts by companies signal the de facto conclusion of legal cases launched against them. Nyunt Win, a ministry spokesperson and the deputy director of the Factories and General Labor Laws Inspection Department, told The Irrawaddy on Monday that, a day before the first court session on July 12, the company decided to pay 57.9 million kyats (US$48,740) to 321 workers (170 male and 151 female) to compensate them for unpaid overtime from the end of last year. The money was disbursed over the following days. The ministry had received complaints from about 300 workers from the Premier Coffee factory, claiming that they had not received full overtime payment or sufficient days off. After verifying these complaints, the Factories and General Labor Laws Inspection Department under the ministry filed a lawsuit against the company owner and the human resources manager of the factory at the Hlaing Tharyar Township Court on June 28 for breaking labor laws. Under Burma's 1951 Leave and Holiday Act, employers must allow for at least one day off each week without cutting salaries. But the company failed to provide time off or full payment for overtime, which the 1951 Factory Act states should be paid at twice the standard rate. "The workers were pleased that the company had compensated them, but the trial will continue," Nyunt Win said. "We don't know what the verdict will be." He mentioned that, in similar cases previously, if a company voluntarily compensated aggrieved workers, the court would either drop the case or order them to pay a fine. If the company chose not to do so, the ministry would give them three warnings before proceeding with legal action. The next court hearing will be held on July 26. Premier is popular local coffee-mix brand belonging to the Capital Diamond Star Group, a conglomerate owned by Burmese businessman Ko Ko Gyi. Among the firm's numerous enterprises are the Grab and Go chain of convenience shops, Capital Hypermarket, and several import and export businesses. If the company's owner and human resource manager were to be found guilty, the minimum punishment prescribed under the 1951 Factories Act is three months' imprisonment and a 2 million kyat fine ($1,680). The post Premier Coffee Compensates Workers but Case Continues appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Suu Kyi Begins Talks with NCA Non-Signatories Posted: 18 Jul 2016 04:56 AM PDT State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi meets with ethnic alliance leaders for the first time in Rangoon on Sunday. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Building a federal union with national reconciliation in mind was the primary issue discussed during the first meeting between State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and ethnic alliance leaders from the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) on Sunday. The preliminary meeting at Rangoon's National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC)—ahead of the planned Union Peace Conference in late August—had the air of a family gathering as opposed to a formal meeting, participants said. The focus was on "building mutual relationships between UNFC senior leaders and the state counselor," said Khu Oo Reh, a UNFC spokesperson who added that there would be additional talks throughout the next month. "It is a step forward, as this is the first meeting under the new government," he said. Attendees included UNFC chair Gen N'Ban La of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Naing Htaw Mon on the New Mon State Party (NMSP), Maj-Gen Say Htin of the Shan State Progress Party (SSPP), Khun Abel Tweet of the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), and Khu Oo Reh, the leader of Delegation for Political Negotiation (DPN) along with other DPN members. From the government side, lead peace negotiator Dr. Tin Myo Win and Kyaw Tint Swe—both vice chairmen of the NRPC—attended along with Suu Kyi. "We share a common goal of achieving peace and building a federal union, so we will continue negotiations," said Naing Htaw Mon, NMSP chairman. The government officially invited the UNFC—an ethnic alliance of which all are non-signatories to last year's nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) with the former government—on Saturday to participate in the political framework review meetings, said Hla Maung Shwe, a member of the government's peace conference preparatory sub-committee. Khu Oo Reh said ethnic leaders would decide later on whether they would join as a group or individually. The leaders discussed how UNFC member groups could participate in the Union Peace Conference. They also raised issues surrounding the Burma Army's current offensive against ethnic armed groups in the northern part of the country and its expectation that all armed groups declare a ceasefire. The participation of their allies—the armed and actively fighting Arakan Army, Ta'ang Nationalities Liberation Army and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army; and the Arakan National Council, Wa National Organization and Lahu Democratic Union—in the peace process was also raised. The previous government did not allow groups engaged in fighting to participate in the peace process, but did allow the latter three groups to join the Union Peace Conference as observers. The ethnic armed group leaders will meet in Kachin State's Mai Ja Yang in late July to find a common stance on building a future federal union. The post Suu Kyi Begins Talks with NCA Non-Signatories appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

State Govt Blocks KNU Land Policy Workshop Posted: 18 Jul 2016 04:51 AM PDT Min Lwin Mountain, a sacred symbol for ethnic Karen, was, starting in April 2015 the site of testing for mineral extraction by the Phyu Min Tun Company, with permission from the KNU. (Photo: Saw Yan Naing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The Karen State Government has denied the Karen National Union (KNU) permission to hold a workshop outlining their land policy to residents of the state capital of Hpa-an, according to local sources. Zaw Lwin Oo, director within the office of the Karen State government, told The Irrawaddy that his administration has their own land policy, so they did not grant the ethnic Karen political entity license to hold a workshop on the same topic. Declining to comment further, he referred The Irrawaddy to a statement issued by the state government on July 15. The statement affirmed that, "only the government can have a land policy and procedure…therefore our state government can not give permission to hold workshop [on the issue] when asked by the KNU." The KNU had planned to hold a workshop on July 17 in Hpa-an at a Buddhist monastery for the purpose of raising awareness on their approach to land rights. Links to descriptions of the KNU's land policy can be found on the news section of The Border Consortium's website. On behalf of the KNU, the Karen Unity and Peace Committee (KUPC) sent a letter to the Karen State Government on July 8 requresting permission to hold the workshop. KUPC reportedly pointed out that a variety of ethnic Karen civil society groups were to be in attendance. Saw Kyaw Zwa, a KUPC senior member, speculated whether the rejection was based on the way in which the government was approached for permission. "The KNU did not ask [the state government] themselves, but instead, let the KUPC do it. I think this was a mistake," he explained. "If KNU had said in the letter that the workshop will give awareness to the people about the land policy of [both] the KNU and the government, this might have helped to get permission," Saw Kyaw Zwa added. Land tenure rights have been described as a top priority of the civilian-led National League for Democracy government, which took office earlier this year. Seizures of land—by the former military regime, as well as private and military-backed business enterprises—has long been a pressing concern throughout Burma. The KNU was one of eight non-state armed organizations to sign a nationwide ceasefire agreement with representatives from the Burmese government in 2015; civil war between the Burma Army and ethnic Karen armed groups began in the region shortly after Burma's 1948 independence from Britain. In the decades of conflict that followed, tens of thousands of Karen were displaced and forced to abandon their ancestral lands, making the return of their farms a major concern in the country's ongoing peace process. The post State Govt Blocks KNU Land Policy Workshop appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ceremony at Secretariat Commemorates Martyrs’ Day Posted: 18 Jul 2016 03:21 AM PDT A pillar at Rangoon's Secretariat commemorates the 1947 assassination of Gen Aung San and his colleagues. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — A commemorative ceremony to honor the late Gen Aung San and his cabinet members will—for the first time in several years—be held at the Secretariat, where they were gunned down in 1947, as Burma marks the anniversary of the assassination. Organized by the Rangoon divisional government, Tuesday's ceremony will be attended by Rangoon Mayor Maung Maung Soe as well as Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) members, according to U Than, YCDC joint secretary. "The ceremony will start five minutes after the event at the mausoleum, which will start at 8 a.m.," he said, referring to a state-level commemorative ceremony held annually at the burial site of the leaders near Shwedagon pagoda. Burma's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi will attend the event at the mausoleum. The day is held in recognition and honor of her father—independence leader Gen Aung San—and his former colleagues. Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing will attend the ceremony at the mausoleum, becoming the first ever Burma Army chief to join the event since after 1988. The ceremony at the Secretariat will be held in the courtyard where a pillar commemorating the assassination is erected. "After the ceremony, which includes hoisting the flag to half-staff, the Secretariat will be open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.," said U Than. But access to the room where the leaders were assassinated will be off limits because the staircase leading up to it is not strong enough to be heavily trafficked. "But the first Parliament building will be open to all," he added. Currently, the Secretariat is leased to a private company and is undergoing massive renovations in order to reopen as an art museum. The post Ceremony at Secretariat Commemorates Martyrs' Day appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Grapes, Picked by Hand Posted: 18 Jul 2016 02:02 AM PDT Photos from Shwe Pyin Oo Lwin vineyard in Pyin Oo Lwin Township, Mandalay Division. (Photos: Kyaw Hsu Mon / The Irrawaddy) PYIN OO LWIN, Mandalay Division — Nearly three years of investing time, money and labor has paid off for Thein Win, who now earns a profit from his vineyard in Pyin Oo Lwin Township. Shwe Pyin Oo Lwin vineyard—owned by Shan State native Thein Win and situated on 5 acres of land in Shwe Thin village—opened last month to visitors. A 45-minute drive from downtown Pyin Oo Lwin over a bumpy road delivers guests from the town to rows of grape-bearing vines. "I started in 2013 and have tried various seeds and methods to achieve different tastes. The results have been positive so far," Thein Win told The Irrawaddy over the weekend. Photos from Shwe Pyin Oo Lwin vineyard in Pyin Oo Lwin Township, Mandalay Division. (Photos: Kyaw Hsu Mon / The Irrawaddy) He cultivates four grape varietals from Japan, Taiwan, China and the United States, respectively. After three years of preparation, this was the first year the grapes were ready to pick. "Although we had a successful crop last year, we did not invite people to handpick until this year when there were more grapes to sell," he added. Thein Win has invested more than 80 million kyat (about US$70,000) over three years. He now sells at least 5000 viss (one viss is approximately 3.6 pounds) of grapes each day, at 10,000 kyats per viss for handpicked grapes. "If my workers help pick grapes for visitors, I only charge 8000 kyat per viss; but for handpicked grapes, I charge an extra 2000 kyat because I factor in some loss," he said. He added that since he has opened to visitors, he has received at least 100 people each day. He estimated that on weekends, more than 700 people show up to pick grapes and take selfies. "More people are coming, so the vineyard can make money now," Thein Win said. On the weekends, groups line up along the grape vines with bamboo baskets and pick as much as they like, selecting grapes of various colors and sizes. Thein Win said he expects to expand his vineyard even more in the coming months and years. "New grape vines should be ready to pick in October, so I will be ready for even more visitors then," he said. Maung Maung, a visitor from Pyin Oo Lwin town said picking grapes was a relaxing escape from the stress of urban living. "It's a good feeling to pick the grapes before eating them, and also a great spot to take pictures," he said. The post Grapes, Picked by Hand appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Drugs Worth US$2.5 Million Seized in Northern Shan State Posted: 18 Jul 2016 01:45 AM PDT Seized amphetamine powder and tablets seen at the Kyaukme Township Police Station in northern Shan State. (Photo: Myawady) Police are hunting for culprits in connection with the seizure of amphetamines valued at 3 billion kyats (US$2.5 million) in a village in Kyaukme Township of northern Shan State. Acting on a report from local villagers, soldiers from the local military outpost in cooperation with police and village administrators found the drugs—totaling 682.5 kilograms of amphetamine powder and tablets—packed in sacks by a monastery compound in Chaung Kyauk Village, Kyaukme Township, on Wednesday. This is the largest drug haul ever recorded in Kyaukme Township, which has been wracked by conflict over the last year, and whose mountainous terrain shelters several non-state armed groups, as well as units of the Burma Army, who have variously been blamed for drug trafficking. According to local eyewitnesses, two men had unloaded the sacks from a car before leaving the scene, a township police officer told The Irrawaddy. "Eyewitness said the two were wearing 'military' uniforms. But we have yet to find out more. I think they were preparing to carry drugs into [neighboring] Hsipaw Township. Maybe they abandoned those drugs near the monastery because of security checks [along the route]," said the police officer. Ye Htun, a former Lower House lawmaker representing Hsipaw Township, said that drug trafficking is rampant across Hsipaw and Kyaukme townships. He said it was difficult to solve the drug problem in the area because "government authorities"—and not just ethnic armed groups—are involved in drug production and trafficking. "Some armed groups are anti-drugs while some produce and supply drugs," said Ye Htun. He stressed that local authorities and police alone would not be able to eliminate the drug problem. The situation calls for systematic action from the government, he said. The post Drugs Worth US$2.5 Million Seized in Northern Shan State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

From the Archive: Aung San Museum—Discover Burma’s Hero Posted: 17 Jul 2016 10:51 PM PDT The entrance to Rangoon's Bogyoke Aung San Museum. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Burma's annual Martyrs' Day arrives on Tuesday, July 19. Ceremonies will be held at the Martyrs' Monument and the Secretariat building in Rangoon, to commemorate the assassination of independence hero Aung San and eight of his comrades in 1947. Rangoon's Bogyoke Aung San Museum, housed in the last residence of Aung San, will be open with free admission to the public for three days, and is expected to draw large crowds wishing to pay respect to the national icon. Below, in a May 12, 2012 article from The Irrawaddy's archives, the reopening of the museum to the public that year is described, alongside its checkered history: After parking his car outside the hilltop villa in a leafy neighborhood just a few hundred meters from the Shwedagon Pagoda, Zaw Htet Aung tells his son, "this is where General Aung San used to live." His wife nods in agreement. The couple chaperoned their boy to this two-storied colonial-style wooden house, namely the Bogyoke (General) Aung San Museum, for their only child's benefit. "He has seen Bogyoke in pictures," said eight-year-old Tet Htut Aung's father. "That's why we've brought him here to have some more ideas about Aung San." After being closed for five years for large-scale maintenance, the former home of Burma's national hero and his family has now reopened to the public—providing a unique glimpse into his private life. Thaung Win, the director of the Rangoon National Museum and administrator of the Bogyoke Aung San Museum, told The Irrawaddy that the 91-year-old building reopened to the public on March 24 after renovations to strengthen the retaining walls as well as repairs to the roof, walkways and stairs. "We want it to be one of the main information centers on Bogyoke Aung San as well as providing a window for young people to understand who he was and how he lived," he said. Aung San, the father of Burmese democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, is still highly respected as the hero of Burmese independence for his efforts in bringing about the end of British colonial rule. "Bogyoke" and his family lived in the villa on lease from a Chinese couple from 1945 until he was gunned down in a 1947 conspiracy masterminded by his political rival U Saw. Aung San was just 32 years old. After her husband's assassination, Khin Kyi kept raising their three children—Aung San Oo, Aung San Lin and Aung San Suu Kyi—in the house until 1953 when Aung San Lin drowned in the compound's pool. Following the death of her second oldest son, Khin Kyi moved her family to the same colonial-era mansion by the shores of Inya Lake on University Avenue where Suu Kyi lives to this day. The Burmese government bought the former residence for 30,000 kyats (US $37.5 at the time) in 1948 and it was converted into the Bogyoke Aung San Museum in 1962, according to an article published in The Monitor weekly journal. But the museum was temporarily closed between 1999 and 2007 for refurbishment and only reopened each year on July 19, the commemorative day of Aung San's assassination, during this period. Until last week, according to official records, the museum has seen 1,419 visitors including 140 foreigners. "A museum is not a profit-making service," said Thaung Win. "So we have fixed the entrance fee at a reasonable price [300 kyat] hoping to encourage everyone to visit." The museum boasts a host of Aung San's personal belongings ranging from a British-built black Wolseley motor vehicle to an overcoat given to him by the first Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru during a trip to England in the early 1940s. A collection of 240 books on a variety of subjects—from applied mechanics and air defense to political economy and selected short stories by D.H. Lawrence—may be a source of interest for literature fans. Downstairs features pictures and paintings of Aung San and his family, while the special meeting room upstairs is decorated with extracts from some of his speeches—including the explanatory guideline relating to the 1947 constitutional law which states "no constitution in the world is perfect." This hero's residence has an aura of simplicity and is devoid of any trace of ostentation—the only embellishments are basic requirements for anyone to enjoy a happy family life. Being curious about the independence icon's private quarters, Wai Zin, 23, visited the museum for the first time last week. "Now I believe the Bogyoke had a very simple lifestyle," said the business management graduate after touring the museum. The lack of luxuries demonstrates that, despite his power, Aung San never sought to use his position to feather his own nest—adding to the sense of reverence which accompanies his name all throughout Burma. "Some members of the government today should take him as a role-model," said May Moe, 24, an English major graduate from Rangoon. Even though Aung San remains highly regarded as the national hero who founded the modern Burmese Army, there was a time when his reputation was stifled by attempts to wipe him from people's memories. After the rise of his daughter's influence in the Burmese pro-democracy movement following the 1988 students' uprising, everything related to Aung San was pushed into the background by the then-military dictatorship. His portrait at government schools and offices were replaced with former junta supremo Snr-Gen Than Shwe. The Lion, the insignia of the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Association, took the place of Aung San's image on Burmese banknotes from the 1990s. July 19, known as Martyrs Day in the Burmese calendar, was a muted celebration until last year. Elementary school text books only provided a brief description of Aung San and a 10-stanza poem as his biography. "Thanks to the former military government's ban, Burma's younger generation today has little or no idea who Aung San is," said Zaw Htet Aung. "Thank God there are people who are selling Bogyoke's pictures. Were it not for them, we wouldn't have anything to show our children what Aung San looks like." Zaw Htet Aung is hopeful that the museum will help promote awareness amongst the next generation regarding Aung San and his message. "We need young people with 'Aung San's spirit' who are honest, unselfish and work hard for the national interest—especially these days when our country is in a transitional period," he said. "I don't want to be a soldier like Bogyoke. I'm afraid of guns," said Tet Htut Aung after visiting the museum. "But I want to be a doctor, and I want to be an honest person like Bogyoke too." The Bogyoke Aung San Museum is situated on a 2.5-acre plot in Bahan Township, near Kandawgyi Lake in Rangoon. Starting on Martyrs' Day on Tuesday, July 19, the museum will be open with free admission to the public for three days. It is otherwise open throughout the year, Tuesday—Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm. The post From the Archive: Aung San Museum—Discover Burma's Hero appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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National News

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• Upcoming Panglong conference may not include all groups
• Shan State parliament urges government to intervene in conflict
• Task force launched to stem religious violence
• From lawmaker to publisher, ‘Bullet’ Hla Swe continues to court scandal
• U Htin Kyaw joins ASEM meeting in Mongolia
• ASEAN energy officials set sights on regional power grid
• World Bank to lend $200 million for flood recovery
• Scout groups combine to form Union chapter
• Teachers trained in autism best practices
• Human Rights to be taught to primary school students

Upcoming Panglong conference may not include all groups Posted: 17 Jul 2016 02:30 PM PDT The 21st-century Panglong Conference will likely prove only partially inclusive, sources from the ethnic armed groups said yesterday.

Shan State parliament urges government to intervene in conflict Posted: 17 Jul 2016 02:30 PM PDT The Shan State parliament has approved an urgent proposal imploring government intervention to bring an end to simmering conflict between the national army and ethnic armed groups in the state's north, which has displaced thousands of civilians.

Task force launched to stem religious violence Posted: 17 Jul 2016 02:30 PM PDT The government has launched a crisis committee amid an upsurge in sectarian violence that saw two mosques destroyed by Buddhist mobs within less than two weeks of each other.

From lawmaker to publisher, ‘Bullet’ Hla Swe continues to court scandal Posted: 17 Jul 2016 02:30 PM PDT U Hla Swe, a former MP famed for his bullish remarks and homophobia, has taken up a new career that will keep him in the limelight since he lost his upper house seat in last November's election.

U Htin Kyaw joins ASEM meeting in Mongolia Posted: 17 Jul 2016 02:30 PM PDT Myanmar's President U Htin Kyaw delivered a speech during the opening session of the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), which took place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on July 15 and 16.

ASEAN energy officials set sights on regional power grid Posted: 17 Jul 2016 02:30 PM PDT Energy officials will seek to better connect ASEAN members' electricity grids into a regional energy network over the next five years to better utilise the countries' respective strengths and weaknesses in power generation, it was announced at a meeting of the bloc in Myanmar's capital Nay Pyi Taw.

World Bank to lend $200 million for flood recovery Posted: 17 Jul 2016 02:30 PM PDT The World Bank will provide a US$200 million loan to help Myanmar recover from widespread and severe flooding last year, the organisation announced on July 15.

Scout groups combine to form Union chapter Posted: 17 Jul 2016 02:30 PM PDT Local scout groups across six regions and states are combining to form the Union of Burma Boy Scouts in 2016.

Teachers trained in autism best practices Posted: 17 Jul 2016 02:30 PM PDT Teachers are to receive special training to help children suffering from autism. The Myanmar Autism Association (MAA) says the training will be offered in Yangon, Mandalay and Taungoo for teachers working with autistic children aged under 12.

Human Rights to be taught to primary school students Posted: 17 Jul 2016 02:30 PM PDT Human rights will now be taught in primary schools starting in the 2017-18 academic year. The new addition to the curriculum is the result of an agreement between the Ministry of Education and the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (MNHRC).

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Shan Herald Agency for News

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• State Counselor’s words: Lost in transmission?
• THINKING OUT OF THE BOX: The aftermath of Suu Kyi and UNFC meeting
• SNLD shocked by death of vice-chairman Sai Saw Aung
• Lashio protesters call for end to killings

State Counselor’s words: Lost in transmission? Posted: 18 Jul 2016 07:26 AM PDT The speech of the Buddha was without defect: 1.    True, beneficial, and pleasing to others. This speech the Buddha used on many occasions. 2.    True, beneficial, but not pleasing to others. This speech the Buddha used whenever it was necessary to correct those who were deviating from the path. (www.abhidhamma.org) "How good is his English?" "It varies. Depends on whether he wants misunderstandings or not" Venus with Pistol, Gavin Lyall( 1932-2003) . On 28 June 2016, State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi met leaders of the 8 signatory ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) in Naypyitaw. Bitter controversies have been aroused both among those who were there and those who were not, depending on how they interpret what she had said. I have gone through the transcript several times in order to make sense of her words, most of which were clear and left no room for second interpretation. But the rest, especially when she was speaking about Panglong and the right of secession, were spoken as though her proficiency in Burmese had suddenly taken a plunge and she was groping frantically for the right words. The following shoddily translated excerpts, I hope, may prove my points. Here are those that are deemed non-debatable, and indeed praiseworthy : ·       Worry comes from lack of faith. No worry is possible, if there is faith in success. ·       When we are not on good terms, there is no peace. Peace is the natural outcome, when we are on good terms. ·       Father said: if the ethnic peoples cannot be convinced in ten years not to want to secede, it's because the government's hopeless. (The right quote appears to be: If the ethnic peoples cannot be convinced in ten years not to want to secede, it's because we Burmans are hopeless.) ·       Federalism protects a country from separatism. It does not propel a country to separation. ·       When there is sufficient guarantee of citizen's rights, no one wants to secede. ·       Whosoever wants to forge peace must avoid words displeasing to others as best possible. ·       All have ownership to the Peace Conference, whether or not they have signed( the Nationwide  Ceasefire Agreement ) And here are those that have been drawing arguments. I have not tried to do a word- for- word translation, only to paraphrase them. I hope I'm forgiven for taking such liberty. ·       People ask what I mean by using the word "Panglong" for the Union Peace Conference? Does it mean it should be based on its original spirit, agreement and promises? What I would like to say is it's not going to be based on the Panglong Agreement, which was concluded in order to achieve independence. On the contrary, I believe it must be based on the spirit of Panglong, which upholds Unity in Diversity. ·       Secession was part of the promise given at Panglong, Some people are worried and have asked whether I would allow secession. My answer is when the decision is made to establish a union, it must be with the determination that we would make it an enduring one. Please take a look at world history. Some countries that are granted the right continue to hold on together, while others that are not given it are breaking away from each other. Summing up, it all rests on whether there is genuine unity or not. I hope I have not lost in translation the intended meaning of her words, unless she was deliberately trying to confuse us. Granted I haven't, the reader should now be able to make up her/his mind whether the peace process will go further under her leadership. At least that's what I hope.

THINKING OUT OF THE BOX: The aftermath of Suu Kyi and UNFC meeting Posted: 18 Jul 2016 06:12 AM PDT In nearly 70 years of civil war and several peace talks have been conducted, two nationwide major negotiations during the rule of General Ne Win and a couple of on and off ceasefire arrangements with various ethnic armed groups.  The latest ongoing one, initiated by the former president Thein Sein that started in 2011, is still being bogged down in talks about talks, without clear and radical concept on how to break out of the traditional way of doing things. Let us ponder on the point, if thinking out of the box will help us accelerate the peace process and enable us a break-through by using "lateral thinking" in solving the problems through an indirect and creative approach,  rather than through reasoning that may not be obtainable by using only traditional step-by-step logic. In this respect, it would be helpful for us to start with what a well-known political commentator has to say. ·       NRPC Old wine in the new bottle? Dr Yan Myo Thein, a well-known political commentator made known his disappointment in the National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC) formation, which in his opinion is populated with the people from the former president Thein Sein clique of Union Solidarity and Development Party's (USDP). He said the NRPC is made up of 6 members from the government, 2 from the parliament, 2 from the military (Tatmadaw),  1 from 21st Century Panglong Conference (21CPC) preparatory committee, with 11 members altogether. Of the 6 representatives from the government sector, 1 active-duty and 2 retired military officers are included. Further, from the 2 parliamentary representatives, 1 is from the National league for Democracy (NLD), while the other is from the ethnic party closed to the former ruling party, the USPD. As the NRPC has 3 Lt. Generals from the sum of 11, Thus the military is made up more than 25% of the organization. The ethnic participation could also be seen as ineffective, as the NRPC member Daw Shela Nan Tong (NLD) of Kachin State being a retired professor could be out of touch with the politics and peace process. U Khun Maung Thaung of Shan State, Pin Laung Township is also closely linked to the USDP. Apart from that the organization's think-tank is made up of old people from the Myanmar Peace Center, now defunct, such as Hla Maung Shwe and Min Zaw Oo, further reinforced by the retired General Aung Kyi, who had worked for the military and the former USDP regimes. As such, Yan Myo Thein stressed that new inputs and innovative new approaches won't come by and could be taken as still unforeseeable. He further added that the key for the formation of NRPC should be the achievement of federal democracy through innovative, new pattern based on all-inclusiveness of all Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs), equality and justification. Besides, the NLD should not forget that the people have given the party the mandate to lead, which is met with disappointment from many of the other policy implementations. However, even as pessimistic view of Yan Myo Thein could be seen as quite a logical assessment, the contemporary political landscape continues to change remarkably at a speed that could be said as "incredible". ·       Current development Following the meeting between the 8 EAOs that signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) and the state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, a series of meeting between the NRPC and the non-signatory EAOs, the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), United Wa State Army (UWSA), National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA) were followed, although the much talked about excluded 3 EAOs – Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Arakan Army (AA) – planned meeting could not still be materialized, reportedly due to the difficulties in choosing the meeting venue, according to the rebel and governmental sources. Nevertheless, after numerous interactions between the NRPC and UNFC in various locations like Chiang Mai and Rangoon, the much awaited face-to-face meeting between Suu Kyi and the UNFC finally happened on 17 July. On the government side, Suu Kyi was accompanied by Dr Tin Myo Win, Chairman of the Preparatory Committee for the Union Peace Conference — 21st Century Panglong, Union Minister for the State Counsellor's Office Kyaw Tint Swe and Moe Zaw Oo of the State Counsellor's Office, while the UNFC's delegation were represented by General N'Ban La of Kachin Independnece Organization (KIO), Naing Htaw Mon of New Mon State Party (NMSP),  Able Tweed of Karenni People progressive Party (KNPP), Sao Hsur Hten of Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) and Khu Oo Reh, the leader of the UNFC's Delegation for Political negotiation and also Vice-Chairman of the KNPP. The one hour and forty-five minutes meeting was described as cordial, family-like and fruitful, even though core issues like all-inclusiveness and how the participation of UNFC in fine-tuning the Framework for Political Dialogue (FPD), 21CPC or Union Peace Conference (UPC) decision-making rights would be considered, if it were to refuse to sign the NCA. Suu Kyi has resolved that within her all-inclusiveness notion, all EAOs could participate on all levels of the peace process, even though it is not at all clear regarding the decision-making rights, as the NCA said that in order to have that voting right, individual members of EAOs must first sign the NCA. Suu Kyi has not taken position on this crucial point, but the NRPC functionaries on a lot of occasions have pointed out this necessity. The UNFC, following the meeting issued a statement the same day emphasizing the following: ·       Pragmatic and practical approaches to be all-inclusive, with follow up meetings ·       Urging the government to help end military offensives in the northern part of the country (Kachin and Shan States) ·       Hopes that the nationwide ceasefire declaration could be made together all at once ·       Acknowledges the state counsellor's reiterated commitment to federalism; peace and federal constitution to be materialized through the rule of law ·       To continue the materialization of the peace process through continued negotiations However, the seemingly easy to answer and resolve issues become hindrances as all parties are bogged down in preconceived ideas and dogmatism that are hard to bridge. ·       Different conceptualization Coming back to the notion of "thinking out of the box", the best place to start falls back, as time and again argued in many of my opinion pieces, on the conceptualization of the making or the emergence of the country, we now come to know as Burma or Myanmar. The reason we have to begin with this is due to the fact that "common national identity, sharing of political decision-making power or question of self-determination rights, sharing of natural resources, equality, democracy and human rights" among others, are all intertwined with the issues mentioned. And to have a grip on all these, thinking out of the box is the only way to do. From the outgoing point that we have never being able to agree upon the making of the country, which the Bamar political class, including the Tatmadaw, believed to belong to them since the immemorial reign of the Bamar ancient kings, the ethnic nationalities are convinced the newly formed political entity came into being only after the British left in 1948, through the Panglong Agreement, voluntarily signed by both the Bamar and 3 ethnic nationalities – the Chin, Kachin and Shan - in 1947. Now let us take the "common national identity" question, for instance, to ponder as to why it is still unresolved, after nearly seven decades of independence from the British. The short answer to it is that the nation-building has shattered and common national identity formation has never taken of the ground, due to the lack of political settlement, which has its roots in constitutional crisis. Inevitably, the debate on "secession" has also to do with the conceptual differences in the making of the country. ·       Is there a way out? Obviously there isn't much idea left to ponder on, given that the conflict has been raging for nearly 7 decades, with no tangibly solution in sight, constantly reinforced by dogmatism from both adversary camps. Such being the case, why don't we give a try by thinking aloud or out of the box? And where exactly should we start or what catchphrase should we make use of? The answer is to rethink our dogmatic views from a different light. For example let us examine the very concept regarding the emergence of the country, Burma or Myanmar. Can't we forget about the immemorial ownership of  the country by the Bamar political class, while the non-Bamar ethnic nationalities could also take it that it is just a multi-ethnic state and they are being part of the union, without invoking their historical rights of secession anchored in Panglong Agreement of 1947? Suu Kyi during her meeting with the 8 signatory EAOs said regarding the secession and federalism issues that some federal system of governance have secession rights and some not. But there were secession in countries that didn't have secession rights included in their constitution, while there were countries with secession rights that didn't see secession being made use of. In other words, secession could be made use of even if an ethnic group signed to remain in a union a hundred times, depending on its population's desire and value, which could be constantly changing according to the space and time of the day. Thus, there is no point in arguing about it at the present. Why can't both parties agree on the shared-sovereignty and work out a common national identity that all could live with? Why can't we work out a trade off, by agreeing that the ethnic nationalities would abandon their rights of secession, while the Bamar would fully guarantee the equitable, genuine, federalism that it would also become a part on equal basis? Besides, the Bamar political class and the military don't need to be afraid that its supremacy over the other ethnic nationalities would be in jeopardy, if they are really for equitable, fair federal union set up that they have all along been saying to be their real commitment. If this kind of critical approach that leads to the out of the box thinking could be instilled, all the other seemingly hard to crack nuts like genuinely, implementable nationwide ceasefire; unilateral nationwide ceasefire of the government; a concerted bilateral ceasefire nationwide; levelling the political playing field;  and all-inclusiveness issues could easily be overcome in no time. Of course, it needs tremendous courage, unyielding resistance to just adhering to the dogmatic, preconceived, traditional way of doing things and above all, the often repeated political will to tread the path of thinking out of the box, so that we all will be able to avoid this vicious circle and unending, fruitless negotiation process, as has been the order of the day for the last five years.

SNLD shocked by death of vice-chairman Sai Saw Aung Posted: 17 Jul 2016 11:59 PM PDT The leadership of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) has expressed shock over the death of their vice-chairman, Sai Saw Aung, who was aged 69. SNLD spokesperson Sai Lek confirmed that Sai Saw Aung had passed away on the evening of July 16 due to a respiratory tract disease. "Sai Saw Aung used to suffer from respiratory problems," he lamented. "At about 6:30 p.m. on that day [Saturday] he was having breathing difficulties, but we thought that was just normal for him because he had been working the day before." Sai Saw Aung was born in Mongyang Township in Kachin State. He joined the SNLD, commonly referred to as the Tiger Head Party, soon after its founding in 1990. The party was one of the major winners in the parliamentary elections that year, the results of which were rejected by the then military government. Sai Saw Aung took over responsibility of the party for a period during 2005 while SNLD Chairman Khun Tun Oo and other leaders were imprisoned. As a firm ally and member of the United Nationalities Alliance, an umbrella group comprising 12 ethnic political parties, he played a key role and was renowned for working tirelessly for the group. SNLD General-secretary Sai Nyunt Lwin lamented the loss, and said that Sai Saw Aung had been an important person in the party. "He worked in an important position for our party," said Sai Nyunt Lwin. "Even though he was not imprisoned like some of us, while we were put in jail he worked hard for the party." Sai Saw Aung was among five SNLD leaders who did not run for a seat during the 2015 election. By Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN)

Lashio protesters call for end to killings Posted: 17 Jul 2016 11:39 PM PDT More than a thousand local residents in northern Shan State's Lashio Township on Saturday staged a protest demanding an end to the arbitrary killing of civilians in the area. Photo by SZM Mansome: More than 1,000 protesters held a rally in Lashio town on 16 July 2016 to demand an end to the killing of innocent civilians.  According to Sai Pha Seng, who was present at the event, the demonstration started at 9am, and included participants from Lashio, Kutkhai, Hsenwi, Tangyan, Mongyai, Kyaukme and Hsipaw townships, The peaceful protest was conducted through the streets of Lashio city. "Innocent civilians have been killed arbitrarily, but no group is taking responsibility," he said. "The Tatmadaw and ethnic armed groups must work together through the peace process and show respect for human rights." Led by the Tai Youth Organization, Kachin Youth Organization, Ta'ang Women's Organization and Ta'ang Students and Youth Union, the demonstrators demanded justice for the recently murdered civilians in northern Shan State. Seven persons were shot dead, allegedly by Burmese government troops, in Mong Yaw sub-township in late June, while a man was murdered by an unknown group in Namkham Township last week. "Please stop killing innocent people," said protester Sai Tuen Thor. "These human rights abuses must end." Shan Herald reported on July 6 that civic groups had published a statement urging the National League for Democracy-led government to take the lead in investigating the Mong Yaw case and bring the culprits to justice. By: Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN)

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