The Irrawaddy Magazine |
- NLD Leadership Instructs Lawmakers to ‘Avoid Questions that Could Harm the Govt’
- World Bank Forecasts 7.8% Growth in Burma This Year
- Hanthawaddy Airport Agreement in Final Stage
- Ethnic Armed Group Leaders meet US Delegation
- Authorities Deny Protection for Muslim IDPs Returning to Homes in Meikhtila
- Govt Asked to Review Disputed Terrorism Case After Law Reform
- KNU Invites DKBA Splinter Group to ‘Reunite’ Under its Leadership
- Rangoon Lawmaker Proposes Crackdown on Illegal Businesses Run by Foreigners
- Govt Scraps Emergency Provisions Act
- Thailand Bars Entry to Hong Kong Democracy Activist
| NLD Leadership Instructs Lawmakers to ‘Avoid Questions that Could Harm the Govt’ Posted: 05 Oct 2016 07:36 AM PDT  A meeting between NLD senior leaders and the party's lawmakers took place on Tuesday at the parliament in Naypyidaw. (Photo: Htet Naing Zaw / The Irrawaddy) National League for Democracy (NLD) senior leaders have reportedly instructed the party's lawmakers to avoid behavior and questioning that could mar the image of the NLD government, and to focus on polishing public perception of the party. At a meeting between NLD senior leaders and lawmakers at Zabuthiri Hall in Parliament on Tuesday evening, party spokesperson U Win Htein and Lower House Speaker U Win Myint gave instructions to lawmakers on how to best conduct themselves as party members, parliamentarians present at the meeting told The Irrawaddy. "They asked us to avoid asking questions that could harm the government, since the government is our [NLD] government. [Party] leaders do not want us to say things that are critical of the government," said an Upper House lawmaker from Rangoon on the condition of anonymity. Some speculated that the meeting was brought on by an incident that took place during a parliamentary session in the Lower House in September. Lawmaker U Aung Naing Win, of Rangoon's Mingalardon Township, pointed out loopholes apparent in the disbursement of loans by the Agricultural Development Bank under the Ministry Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation. When confronted, Minister Dr Aung Thu could not give a satisfactory reply. On this occasion, "Ko Aung Naing Win underlined a good point," said another Rangoon Lower House lawmaker who preferred not to be named. "But the thing is that the government is our [NLD-led] government. If we were the opposition, we could say we did a good job [in that case]. But, the government is our government, and so its image was impacted." He added that it is unlikely that the NLD-dominated parliament would be able to carry out proper checks and balances on the NLD-led government until after 2020. NLD spokesperson U Win Htein told media that Tuesday's meeting held no particular purpose, and was just a reminder to keep NLD lawmakers on the right track as the party leadership tries to understand their problems. "The parliament is taking good shape and so is the executive branch. So, we urged the lawmakers to help the government through the parliament with its actions, to fulfill the wishes of people," he said. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. The post NLD Leadership Instructs Lawmakers to 'Avoid Questions that Could Harm the Govt' appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| World Bank Forecasts 7.8% Growth in Burma This Year Posted: 05 Oct 2016 07:18 AM PDT  A man walks past a suspended construction project in Rangoon on July 21 this year. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters) RANGOON — The World Bank has predicted strong economic growth in Burma through the 2016-17 fiscal year, ending in March. In its growth outlook for "developing East Asia and Pacific" for 2016-18, released on Wednesday, the World Bank projects growth in Burma to hit 7.8 percent for the fiscal year, with inflation easing to 8.5 percent [against 12.4 percent as cited by the Central Bank in August]. However, this positive outlook has been met with skepticism by business leaders in Rangoon, who have cited the impact of flooding in recent months, lower than expected foreign investment under the new government since April, the current rapid depreciation of the Burmese kyat, stubbornly high inflation and weak global demand. "The outlook for developing East Asia and Pacific remains positive, with weakness in global growth and external demand offset by robust domestic consumption and investment," said Victoria Kwakwa, World Bank Vice President for East Asia and Pacific. "The long-term challenge is to sustain growth and make it more inclusive, including by shrinking gaps in income and access to public services," Victoria Kwakwa said. For Burma, the World Bank prescribes "a combination of continued fiscal prudence, enhanced monetary operations, exchange rate flexibility and strengthened banking supervision capacity." Dr. Maung Aung, a senior economist at the Ministry of Commerce, was among those in Burma to cast doubt on the World Bank's broadly sunny picture. He told The Irrawaddy that government efforts to boost the economy had been frustrated by "slow" growth, while inflation had proven difficult to rein in. He suggested that, for one thing, the World Bank had not properly factored in the impact of flooding in recent months on economic growth. U Thein Tun, chairman of Tun Foundation Bank and one of Burma's most prominent tycoons, told The Irrawaddy that he wondered how the World Bank arrived at such figures: "I can say the growth is really slow now." With the installation of the new National League for Democracy (NLD) government in April, some expected foreign investment to pour in to Burma's "frontier" market. However, many investors having been sitting tight, waiting on the required legal reform. A new Myanmar Investment Law was approved on Wednesday by the Upper House of Parliament, having previously passed in the Lower House. Potential investors and Burmese business leaders have also been frustrated at a lack of detailed economic policy from the NLD government. According to the Myanmar Investment Commission, foreign direct investment amounted US$701 million between April and the end of August—compared to approximately US$2 billion for the same period last year. In August, Burma's Central Bank published an inflation of rate of 12.4 percent, up from less than 10 percent the previous year, prompting alarm from business leaders. The exchange rate for the Burmese kyat has reached almost 1,300 to the dollar, an almost unprecedented high, exacerbated by Burma's negative balance of trade. The post World Bank Forecasts 7.8% Growth in Burma This Year appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Hanthawaddy Airport Agreement in Final Stage Posted: 05 Oct 2016 06:54 AM PDT  Proposed design for new Hanthawaddy International Airport Project. (Photo: Department of Civil Aviation Myanmar / Facebook) RANGOON — A final concession agreement will be signed by the end of this year with the Japanese-Singapore consortium which won a tender to construct the Hanthawaddy International Airport north of Rangoon, according to a government minister. U Thant Sin Maung, Burma's Minister for Transport and Communications, told lawmakers during the parliamentary session on Tuesday that the agreement for the new airport project, which is expected to cost US$2 billion (in its first phase), will be signed this year. Efforts to construct the new airport near the town of Pegu have been carried out intermittently for almost two decades. Incheon Airport Consortium, a South Korean conglomerate, won the first tender in Aug. 2013, but negotiations on lending terms for the project broke down and the government rescinded the contract. The new tender was awarded in Oct. 2014 to a Japanese-Singapore consortium comprised of Singaporean firms Yongnam Holdings Ltd. and Changi Airports International, as well as Japan's JGC Corporation. U Ye Htut Aung, a deputy director general of the Department of Civil Aviation under the Ministry of Transport and Communications, told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday that further negotiations will be held with the consortium; it is estimated that construction will start at the start of next year after signing the concession agreement. "The airport will become the major gateway for international flights into the country," he said, adding that the existing Yangon International Airport will be used mainly for local flights. Once the first phase of the project is completed in 2022, which is planned for five year construction period, Hanthawaddy International Airport will have an initial capacity to handle 12 million passengers per year. Upon completion of the second phase, it will have a capacity of 30 million passengers annually, the deputy director general said. Hanthawaddy International Airport will be located at the site of an old airport near the town of Pegu on over 9,500 acres of land. The post Hanthawaddy Airport Agreement in Final Stage appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Ethnic Armed Group Leaders meet US Delegation Posted: 05 Oct 2016 06:21 AM PDT  Armed group leaders meet with Lt-Gen Anthony G. Crutchfield, Deputy Commander of the US Pacific Command (Centre) at the US Embassy in Rangoon (Photo: Nai Pon Nya Mon / Facebook) RANGOON – Leaders of ethnic armed groups, including those from the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), met with a US delegation at the American Embassy in Rangoon on Tuesday, according to both UNFC and embassy sources. A spokesperson for the US Embassy confirmed to The Irrawaddy that a meeting took place between US Ambassador to Burma Scot Marciel, Lt-Gen Anthony G. Crutchfield—Deputy Commander of the US Pacific Command—and representatives from ethnic armed groups including those in the UNFC, but did not comment further. They were joined by representatives of armed groups who have signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) including the Pa-O National Liberation Organization, the All Burma Students' Democratic Front, the Karen National Union, the Restoration Council of Shan State, and the Chin National Front. "The US Embassy invited UNFC leaders and leaders of NCA signatory armed groups to meet the [Deputy] Commander of the US Pacific Command on his visit to Burma," said attendee Nai Pon Nya Mon, deputy executive director of the Ethnic Nationalities Affairs Center; Lt-Gen Anthony G. Crutchfield came to the country for three days this week. "They have plans to meet the Burma Army, therefore, they arranged a meeting with ethnic leaders too." The US Embassy in Rangoon confirmed on their official Facebook page on Wednesday that they held a meeting with senior government and military officials in Naypyidaw to "discuss how civilian control of the military functions in the United States." Vice chairman of the UNFC Nai Hong Sar, who also joined the meeting, told the Irrawaddy Wednesday that the US delegation "asked about the situation of the peace talks, what difficulties we have had and asked us what they could do to help." The delegation also discussed State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's visit to the US and the lifting of US sanctions, according to Nai Hong Sar. "They told us they will help the Burma Army with education and to help and protect civilians, but not to fight ethnic armed groups," he said, referring to fears that renewed military to military cooperation between the US and Burma would mean bad news for armed ethnic groups. Nai Hong Sar said he told the US delegation that despite the 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference, the Burma Army had not changed their attitude to peace. "They continue to fight our ethnic armed groups, so we do not trust them," he said. As the Burma Army ruled the country for over five decades it is hard to force reform of the military, Nai Hong Sar said. He told the US leaders that the international community needs to put more pressure on the Tatmadaw to bring about change in their practices. The Burma Army has clashed with ethnic armed groups recently in Kachin, Shan, and Karen states. The US delegation reportedly asked about the conditions in these ethnic areas in the meeting. "We told them that the Burma Army is not sincere in their wish for peace and therefore there is ongoing fighting," Nai Hong Sar said. He said that the US delegation "replied that they also had some doubts over the actions of the Burma Army," he added. Nai Hong Sar also stated that the US delegation also allegedly said at the meeting that if ethnic armed leaders signed the NCA, then peace talks might be easier. "We told them that we wanted to have an all-inclusive signing of the NCA but we need a tripartite meeting," he said, including representatives of the government, political parties, and ethnic armed groups. "We told them that we will sign the NCA when they [Burma Army] agree to our requests. We want to solve the conflict peacefully," said Nai Hong Sar. The UNFC and the Burma Army have not reached an agreement on the political framework, or format, of peace negotiations and the UNFC has therefore stayed away from meetings. The UNFC argued that there is no balance in the representatives joining proposed peace talks as the proposals allow the government to send representatives from three groups while ethnic armed groups and ethnic political parties can only send one group. "We are better not to join this football game," Nai Hong Sar said referring to the framework of the talks. "They have parliament, military, and the government from their side while we can only have one representative at the meeting." "This is not fair and not sincere. Therefore, we are asking to have tripartite meetings," said Nai Hong Sar. Rik Glauert contributed reporting to this story. The post Ethnic Armed Group Leaders meet US Delegation appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Authorities Deny Protection for Muslim IDPs Returning to Homes in Meikhtila Posted: 05 Oct 2016 05:38 AM PDT  A Muslim woman salvages items from her home which was damaged in riots in Meikhtila on March 26, 2013. (Photo: Minzayar / Reuters) In Mandalay Division's Meikhtila, Muslims who lost their houses in racially motivated violence in 2013 attempted in vain to return to their wards on Saturday after authorities ordered them to leave internally displaced people's (IDP) camps. Authorities operated six IDP camps—three each for Buddhist and Muslim IDPs. After the riots, there were around 600 displaced Buddhists, while the number of Muslim IDPs numbered more than 13,000. Currently, more than 200 IDPs from around 80 families remain in Meikhtila. In the early months of 2015, the authorities began to shut down IDP camps one by one, until the last camp, located at a district sports ground, was shut at the end of the year. With nowhere to go, some remained on the sports grounds. Last week, district and township administrators published a notice, warning that those who did not move from the sports grounds could be sued. After the order was issued, some IDPs decided to attempt a return to their homes in Yan Myo Aung and Mingalar Zayone wards, representatives from the Meikhtila-based Htila Thuka Thamagi Interfaith Association told The Irrawaddy. But Muslim IDPs and current residents of the wards got into an argument after the latter stopped the former from building huts in the places of their original houses, lawyer U Aung Thein, secretary of Htila Thuka Thamagi said. "Four [Muslim] families built huts on their land plots in Mingalar Zayone ward. Then some people came and stopped it, saying, 'we don't allow you Muslims to live here.' They had an argument, but without swearing or fighting," he explained. As the argument continued, U Aung Thein said the township police force and administrative officials arrived at the scene and said they could not guarantee the security of the IDPs. They left on Monday. Ko Bilar, a volunteer helping Muslim IDPs said, "They were evicted by the residents and treated as if they were trespassing on other people's property. Still, we could stand it. But then the authorities asked them to move on the excuse that there is a weak rule of law." "The [township] administrator did not give a clear answer, but said he could not provide security. It has been years [since the violence]. So, there is still no stability?" said Ko Bilar. The Irrawaddy contacted the Meikhtila Township administration and police station several times, but was unable to obtain a comment. Muslim IDPs with house ownership documents say they sent several requests to relevant authorities under the previous Thein Sein government asking for permission and protection in returning to their homes. Meanwhile, while they were in IDP camps, U Aung Thein said other local residents dismantled their houses—even insofar as removing the bricks from the structures. The interfaith association has urged the Muslim community to exercise restraint and to address the conflict "peacefully" in line with law in order to avoid unnecessary problems during the reform process under the new government. The association also suggested that they express their grievances to President U Htin Kyaw and State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. "They have nowhere to live if they are no longer allowed to live within the sports grounds. Again, in the long run, it is not possible for three or more families to live in a tent. Concerned authorities should handle these problems in line with fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution," he said. Meanwhile, sources say that the Muslim community has lost trust in the regional government for their failure to address the crisis. U Aung Thein is concerned that tensions might arise if the division's chief minister fails to take decisive action on the IDPs' behalf. More than 40 people were killed during the Meikhtila riots in March of 2013, which were initially sparked by an argument between the Muslim owners of a gold shop and Buddhist customers. A crowd of Buddhists arrived at the shop and started throwing rocks, destroying the building and surrounding businesses. Later that day, it was reported that a group of Muslim men had killed a Buddhist monk, and mobs of Buddhists responded with anti-Muslim riots. The violence spread throughout Mandalay and Pegu divisions. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. The post Authorities Deny Protection for Muslim IDPs Returning to Homes in Meikhtila appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Govt Asked to Review Disputed Terrorism Case After Law Reform Posted: 05 Oct 2016 05:21 AM PDT  A prisoner grips the bars on the window of a prison van as he leaves a court in Rangoon in 2012. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) YANGON — Campaigners are calling for Burma's government to review the convictions of 20 Muslims jailed on terrorism charges after the authoritarian law under which they were convicted was repealed. President U Htin Kyaw had signed off on a bill abolishing the notorious Emergency Provisions Act of 1950, which was frequently used by previous military governments to quash dissent, his office said in a statement on Tuesday. But the repeal is not retroactive, and the convictions of 20 Burma Muslims serving lengthy prison terms under the law were not being reviewed, ruling party and government spokesmen have told Reuters, despite activists' concerns about the judicial process. "It is incumbent upon the government to review cases that involve defendants who possibly were wrongly convicted under this law," said Matthew Smith, founder of campaign group Fortify Rights. "To not do so raises some serious questions about the government's commitment to ensuring the prisons are free from political prisoners." Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the democracy hero and Nobel laureate who assumed power in April after winning elections last year, has been criticized for not speaking up for Burma's Muslim minority. Communal violence in the western Arakan State, also known as Rakhine State, displaced about 125,000, most from the Rohingya Muslim group. Riots have broken out elsewhere in the Buddhist-majority country, while anti-Muslim hate speech has proliferated online. Lawyers and family members told Reuters the 20, most hailing from central Burma, were travelling to a wedding in the eastern Shan State in August 2014 when they were detained by military intelligence officials, accused of plotting terrorist atrocities and charged under the 1950 law. In January 2015, 19 men and women were sentenced to 14 years in prison each and a boy, who was 15 when he was arrested, got seven years, said lawyer U Khin Moe Moe. "Usually we're not able to defend people in cases involving Military Security Affairs. They have a policy to never lose," she said, referring to the military intelligence agency. Several appeals had been rejected, U Khin Moe Moe said. "The president agreed this law led to mistreatment of the people, and many still suffer in prisons throughout the country, so they should have an amnesty," she said. 'YEARS WASTED' One of the 20, Bo Bo Aung, had hoped for release when the new government took power, but that hope had faded, his wife, Khin Moe Aye, told Reuters. "It's two years wasted in prison," she said. "My family and others are suffering because these people were jailed without justice by the previous government." Lt-Col Myat Min Soe, a military intelligence official involved in the investigation, said that while no weapons had been discovered, the suspects had all confessed under interrogation to contacting unidentified militants. "They tried to link with a terrorist organization from a foreign country. They planned to attack busy markets and crowded areas," he said. According to Fortify Rights, which has reviewed more than 300 pages of court documents, a name card for a rebel army commander and an audio file of a speech with alleged Islamist militant content, retrieved from a computer, were the only evidence presented to court. "It's as if the court was fulfilling a mission to prosecute Muslims regardless of the evidence against them and regardless of rule of law," Smith said. A spokesman for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's ruling party, U Win Htein, and U Zaw Htay, spokesman for the president's office, both said the case was an issue for the judiciary. "If they don't agree they can appeal the decision to the next higher level of the courts," U Zaw Htay said. The post Govt Asked to Review Disputed Terrorism Case After Law Reform appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| KNU Invites DKBA Splinter Group to ‘Reunite’ Under its Leadership Posted: 05 Oct 2016 04:10 AM PDT  KNLA soldiers on parade to commemorate Karen Resistance Day on January 31 this year. (Photo: Saw Yan Naing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The largest ethnic Karen armed group, the Karen National Union (KNU), has welcomed a fringe Karen armed group, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, to "reunite" under the KNU's leadership. This is part of a broader effort by the KNU to unify the heavily fractured Karen armed resistance movement—after decades of factionalism, splintering and divide-and-rule tactics by the Burma Army—in order to negotiate for peace under a united front. The call from the KNU comes after the fringe Karen armed group—also named after their late commander, Na Ma Kyar—faced sustained assaults last month from the Burma Army and its allied Border Guard Force in the Myaing Gyi Ngu and Mae Tha Waw areas of Hlaingbwe Township in Karen State. The fighting has forced more than 4,000 villagers to flee. They remain displaced. The KNU's statement, released on Tuesday, said it was "vitally necessary" for all breakaway Karen armed groups to reunite under the KNU's political leadership. Saw Thaw Thee Bwe, a joint secretary of the KNU, told The Irrawaddy that the fringe Karen armed group would need to dissolve their organization and enter under the command structures of the KNU's military wing, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), because their current policy is "against" that of the KNU. "But it very much depends on whether they want to reunite," Saw Thaw Thee Bwe said. He added that the KNU's gesture was aligned with the goals of the United Committee for Karen Armed Groups. The committee was formed in 2013 with the aim of establishing unity after more than twenty years of fighting between different Karen armed groups. The KNLA's commander-in-chief, Gen Saw Johnny, is the current chairman. The fringe Karen armed group, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, is estimated to command a little over 100 soldiers. It was formed at the end of 2015, from a faction that broke away from the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army after it signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement last year [also signed by the KNU]. The remaining "Benevolent Army" is now estimated to field around 2,000 soldiers. The Democratic Karen Benevolent Army was formed out of a Buddhist-majority faction that broke away from the Christian-dominated KNU in 1994, and allied itself with the Burma Army in subsequent attacks against the KNU. It formerly used "Buddhist" in its title, before replacing the word with "Benevolent" in 2012, after many of its members joined the Border Guard Force set up by the Burma Army in 2010. The new breakaway group chose to adopt the older the name for itself. Other Karen armed groups include the KNLA-Peace Council, the Karen Peace Force and the Padoh Aung San-led Payar Gon Karen Peace Group. The post KNU Invites DKBA Splinter Group to 'Reunite' Under its Leadership appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Rangoon Lawmaker Proposes Crackdown on Illegal Businesses Run by Foreigners Posted: 04 Oct 2016 11:53 PM PDT  U Win Maung, divisional lawmaker for Hlaing Tharyar Township, takes questions from journalists after the Rangoon parliament session on Tuesday. (Photo: Moe Myint / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — A National League for Democracy (NLD) lawmaker in the Rangoon Division parliament, U Win Maung, submitted a proposal on Tuesday for government action against "over 100 illegal businesses" run by "foreigners" in his constituency in Hlaing Tharyar Township. The lawmaker stated that some of these businesses have been operating over "decades," with complicit locals transferring assets to "foreigners," who are in breach of visa, foreign investment, and municipal laws. Hlaing Tharyar is a sprawling industrial area on the outskirts of the city of Rangoon, which has attracted tens of thousands of migrants from rural areas of Burma, many of whom are unregistered and occupy slum settlements, and work in factories sometimes run by foreign nationals. The 2012 Foreign Investment Law—which is to be merged with the 2013 Myanmar Citizens Investment Law and modified under a new Myanmar Investment Law, to be enacted soon—prohibits or restricts foreign business from operating in sectors that could deny locals jobs and opportunities. U Win Maung said the illegal businesses evade tax, costing the government large amounts of income, and sell contraband smuggled over Burma's borders, such as mobile phones and accessories, on a large scale. He also claimed the "foreigners" invest in KTV karaoke bars, casinos, restaurants and massage parlours, where illicit activities including prostitution are known to take place. He said the "unlawful foreign businessmen" take advantage of legal and administrative "loopholes," as well as "corrupt government officials," to pursue their interests in Burma, which do not benefit locals. After the Tuesday parliament session, U Win Maung told The Irrawaddy that most of the "illegal" businesses are owned by Chinese nationals, with some by Koreans and Indians. U Win Maung presented a slideshow to the divisional parliament, in which he profiled a "foreigner" running an illegal real estate business leasing apartments to locals. He concluded that when the Burmese government began to pursue more free-market policies, "trash passed through the window together with fresh air." He called on the government to "demolish" these businesses, in order to "help" locals. U Myint Thaung, Minister of Planning and Finance for Rangoon Division, said they would take action against any law-breaking foreigners in a step-by-step manner, first "warning" them, then imposing any tax due, before closing down their operations and adding their names to a "blacklist." Another divisional lawmaker representing Ahlone Township, Daw Yin Yin Myint, seconded U Win Maung's proposal and the NLD-dominated Rangoon parliament voted to continue the debate on Thursday. The post Rangoon Lawmaker Proposes Crackdown on Illegal Businesses Run by Foreigners appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Govt Scraps Emergency Provisions Act Posted: 04 Oct 2016 10:06 PM PDT  Lawmakers attend the first day of the Parliament's Lower House on Feb. 1, 2016. (JPaing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — Burma's government scrapped the controversial Emergency Provisions Act, frequently used to jail political dissidents in successive military administrations on Tuesday, according to state media. The Law Revoking the Emergency Provisions Act was signed by President U Htin Kyaw after it was approved by the Union Parliament. The Emergency Provisions Act was originally enacted in 1950. Successive military administrations ruling Burma have used the unpopular and controversial law to suppress dissidents. The law imposes death penalties and life prison sentences for treason or sabotage against military organizations, as well as up to seven years in prison for a range of other offenses against the state. In 2015, during U Thein Sein's administration, the National League for Democracy—the then-leading opposition party—proposed scrapping the legislation in the Lower House. However, the move failed as the chamber was under the wider influence of the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party majority at the time. "We welcome the revoking of the law. Article 5(j) of the Act was widely used to arrest dissidents […]. The law is no longer needed," U Aung Myo Kyaw from Assistance Association for Political Prisoners told The Irrawaddy. The post Govt Scraps Emergency Provisions Act appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Thailand Bars Entry to Hong Kong Democracy Activist Posted: 04 Oct 2016 10:00 PM PDT  Joshua Wong delivers a speech as protesters block the main street to the financial Central district, outside the government headquarters building in Hong Kong Oct. 1, 2014. (Photo: Carlos Barria / Reuters) RANGOON – Hong Kong student activist who helped organize pro-democracy protests in the Chinese-ruled city in 2014 was detained on arrival in Thailand on Wednesday, immigration officials said, with his supporters accusing China of being behind the move. Bespectacled Joshua Wong, 19, was detained in Bangkok where he had been invited to speak at two universities about Hong Kong's "Umbrella Movement" street protests and on setting up his political party, Demosistō. The protests in Hong Kong, the former British colony which returned to Chinese rule in 1997, presented Communist Party rulers in Beijing with one of their biggest political headaches in decades. Wong was given 80 hours of community service by a Hong Kong court in August on a charge of unlawful assembly for taking part in a sit-in at the height of the protests in the Asian financial hub. Thailand has been ruled by a military junta since a 2014 coup which was widely condemned by the West. Since then, the generals running Thailand have forged closer ties with Beijing. The Thai Foreign Ministry said in a statement that permission for Wong to enter Thailand "involves various factors." It added that it was standard practice for the airline involved in flying an individual to a place to take him or her back if denied entry. Wong took an Emirates flight from Hong Kong on Tuesday night and arrived in Bangkok just before midnight local time. China’s Foreign Ministry, when asked about Wong’s detention, said it had "noticed the relevant reports." "China respects Thailand’s exercise of immigration control according to the law," it said in an email. Wong said in a Facebook post on Tuesday night that he was concerned about his trip to Bangkok. "We all know Thailand is not politically stable… It is also clear that it is close to the Chinese Communist Party," he said. Wong was denied entry by Malaysia in May 2015 when he was due to give a series of talks on democracy in China. Wong was invited by Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Political Science to speak on the 40th anniversary of the bloody crackdown by the Thai army on student protesters. Organizers said he was detained at Bangkok's main airport on Wednesday morning. Immigration officials earlier confirmed to Reuters that Wong was prevented from entering Thailand and would be sent back to Hong Kong. Officials said they were under orders not to speak to the media about why Wong had been refused entry. Human Rights Watch condemned Wong's detention. "Thailand's arrest of Joshua Wong, a well-known pro-democracy activist in Hong Kong, sadly suggests that Bangkok is willing to do Beijing's bidding," Sophie Richardson, China Director for Human Rights Watch, said in an email. Demosistō, the political party that Wong heads in Hong Kong, also called for his release. Thailand, Southeast Asia's second-biggest economy, is slowly recovering from the events of 2014, when months of street protests and the coup almost brought economic activity to a standstill. Since then, the military has clamped down on dissent and banned political protests. The post Thailand Bars Entry to Hong Kong Democracy Activist appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
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