Tuesday, December 13, 2016

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Japanese ANA Airline to Invest in Burma’s Air Industry

Posted: 13 Dec 2016 07:10 AM PST

ANA will reportedly be working with a local partner, the Shwe Thanlwin Co., which operates transportation, banking and broadcast media in Burma.

The post Japanese ANA Airline to Invest in Burma's Air Industry appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Analysis: Debate on Terrorism Raises Questions about USDP and Army Attitudes

Posted: 13 Dec 2016 07:05 AM PST

'This could cause delays or a complete stop to the peace process that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is pushing for,' says Lower House lawmaker.

The post Analysis: Debate on Terrorism Raises Questions about USDP and Army Attitudes appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Reporter Killed in Sagaing Division

Posted: 13 Dec 2016 05:39 AM PST

Police confirm that local reporter Ko Soe Moe Tun of Eleven Media Group was beaten to death in Monywa, where he was based.

The post Reporter Killed in Sagaing Division appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

TNLA Frees 11 People Suspected of Being RCSS Militiamen

Posted: 13 Dec 2016 05:34 AM PST

'The SNLD said they were civilians, but we caught them last month at the Mongbaw battlefield when we raided the RCSS camps,' says a TNLA spokesman.

The post TNLA Frees 11 People Suspected of Being RCSS Militiamen appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Govt Investigation Commission Concludes First Trip to Arakan State

Posted: 13 Dec 2016 04:50 AM PST

The delegation wraps up its first visit to Maungdaw amid doubts from rights groups that its investigation into abuses will be thorough and impartial.

The post Govt Investigation Commission Concludes First Trip to Arakan State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

State Counselor Calls Asean Ministerial Meeting

Posted: 13 Dec 2016 03:53 AM PST

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi hosts an Asean ministerial meeting to share details of development and the conflict in Arakan State with Asean counterparts.

The post State Counselor Calls Asean Ministerial Meeting appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Govt Proposes Locations for National-Level Political Dialogue

Posted: 13 Dec 2016 03:19 AM PST

The first round of national-level political dialogue sessions has been proposed for Karen State, Tenasserim Division and Naypyidaw.

The post Govt Proposes Locations for National-Level Political Dialogue appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Arakan Army Says 10 Government Soldiers Killed in Renewed Clashes

Posted: 13 Dec 2016 01:46 AM PST

Burma Army spokesman Maj-Gen Aung Ye Win declines to answer questions about military operations in Arakan State.

The post Arakan Army Says 10 Government Soldiers Killed in Renewed Clashes appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

President Appoints Two Deputy Ministers

Posted: 13 Dec 2016 12:46 AM PST

Burma's President U Htin Kyaw appoints deputy ministers to the President's Office and the Ministry for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation.

The post President Appoints Two Deputy Ministers appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rights Groups Call on Thailand to Ease Prosecution of Activists

Posted: 12 Dec 2016 09:39 PM PST

More than 100 rights groups send an open letter to Thailand's Prime Minister calling on the country to ease the prosecution of human rights defenders.

The post Rights Groups Call on Thailand to Ease Prosecution of Activists appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ten Things to Do in Rangoon This Week

Posted: 12 Dec 2016 07:00 PM PST

A DJ fueled group run, the symphony orchestra, a gospel music festival, Latin Christmas, and several art exhibitions.

The post Ten Things to Do in Rangoon This Week appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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National News

National News

Police suspect murder after Eleven Media reporter found dead

Posted: 13 Dec 2016 04:22 AM PST

A reporter for Eleven Media was found dead on the side of the road early this morning near a Monywa golf course, police have confirmed.

State counsellor calls ASEAN foreign ministers meeting

Posted: 13 Dec 2016 12:58 AM PST

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has called fellow ASEAN foreign ministers to a briefing over the ongoing crackdown in Rakhine State amid mounting international pressure and public spats with some neighbouring countries.

Shan political party calls for release of members, villagers allegedly held by TNLA

Posted: 13 Dec 2016 12:54 AM PST

The Shan Nationalities League for Democracy has called for the release of five party members together with more than 30 other detainees allegedly abducted by the Ta'ang National Liberation Army.

Investigation commission conducts Maungdaw field visit

Posted: 13 Dec 2016 12:50 AM PST

The investigative commission established to probe allegations of rights abuses in northern Rakhine State is wrapping up its three-day trip to the state after the delegation visited Maungdaw district yesterday.

Filipino photographer’s pagoda shoot prompts Facebook fury

Posted: 13 Dec 2016 12:49 AM PST

The Ministry of Religious Affairs is investigating a Filipino photographer after complaints surfaced online that a recent Myanmar photo shoot was an affront to Buddhism.

State counsellor’s edict set to shake up City Hall

Posted: 13 Dec 2016 12:25 AM PST

Yangon City Development Committee is in line for a shake-up, with the regional government looking to implement a top-level order to decentralise power and minimise duplication of efforts.

‘Diplomatic zone’ land disputes under scrutiny

Posted: 13 Dec 2016 12:15 AM PST

Land now occupied by diplomats accredited to the nation's capital was once owned by farmers, many of whom are demanding compensation for property seized during military rule. The Nay Pyi Taw City Development Committee is putting together teams of government officials to help resolve confusion over who owned what, and how much they should be paid for it, according to committee representative U Min Thu.

Explosive materials discovered at Mandalay monastery

Posted: 13 Dec 2016 12:14 AM PST

Explosive detonators and bomb-making ingredients were discovered during a police raid on a monastery in Mandalay's Maha Aung Myay township, after a public tip-off.

Police make major narcotics seizures over the weekend

Posted: 13 Dec 2016 12:09 AM PST

Police seized about 17.5 million tablets of methamphetamine along with nearly 700 grams of heroin over the weekend in two major busts, one of which involved three foreign nationals.

No changes to Malaysia’s maligned visa application centre

Posted: 13 Dec 2016 12:07 AM PST

Dashing hopes that the government will pressure Malaysia into dropping a pricey visa system adopted at the beginning of this year, Amyotha Hluttaw MPs were told yesterday that there is no plan to scrap the sole application processing agency or to force its hand on pricing.
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Shan Herald Agency for News

Shan Herald Agency for News

Speech by U Aung Min at U Aung Naing Oo’s Book Launch

Posted: 12 Dec 2016 11:55 PM PST

(November 7, 2016)

Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is a pleasure for me to see all of you again today and speak about what we have done together during the past four or five years. I may not be the easiest boss to work under, especially considering the type of work we do, but I am thankful to Ko Aung Naing Oo for publishing his book, and of course, for still remembering to invite me to speak at his book launch.

It has been quite a journey and I think all of you will agree with me when I say that we have tried our hardest in the time we have been given. All of us knew when we started that achieving peace in Myanmar would be a long and winding road. We had to overcome many challenges between each other and sometimes within ourselves. We have also helped each other and worked together to get through what seemed at the time to be our darkest hours. So, despite the recent outbreak of fighting in the north, and even if peace seems to be further away than what we all envisioned, we must not give up working on peace.

I have been asked to speak about peace to many different stakeholders in many different surroundings. And I have spoken about the technical aspects of the Myanmar peace process, what we have tried to do, how we have tried to do it, who tried to help us and who tried their best to hinder it, and whether we were successful in what we wanted to achieve. But these grand endeavors, overreaching goals and promises of the future are not possible without the dedicated people who worked on the process. Like any other process, a successful peace process requires the right people to do the right things at the right time. These human connections, both with friends across the table as well as with colleagues sitting next to me, are the ones I will remember most.

I have been lucky to work with many dedicated individuals on our common journey towards peace. I have become friends, and in some cases even brothers, with those who I once considered to be enemies. From General Mutu Sae Poe to General Yawd Serk, and U David Taw who is no longer with us, I am honored to have learned from them the courage it takes to want peace. I do not want to imply that every meeting was easy or that every negotiation was successful. I remember our earliest meetings where the air hung heavy from all the tension inside the room. But little by little, we rolled up our sleeves to do the work, leaned on each other during tough times and learned to trust one another. These relationships will stay with me and remind me of what we tried to do together against all odds.

To tell you a story, I remember a quiet conversation I shared with General Mutu Sae Poe many months back. It was right after the ceremony to open part of the Asia highway connecting Kawkareik to Myawaddy. We were looking at a nearby hilltop when General Mutu told me that he was commanding his troops many years back when the Army was trying to take that location. I leaned over slowly and told him that I was the Army commander who was trying to take that particular hilltop. We shared a laugh at first and then a silence of remembrance afterwards. There are moments that the words don't reach and we may never be able to explain to each other what we carry with us. But during that very personal moment, the two of us came close to understanding our joint purpose to end war. And I continue to be amazed by the threads that bind us, both seen and unseen, in war as well as in peace.

Even though I may have received most of the spotlight for what we were able to accomplish during the past four years, all of you will agree with me that my own journey for peace was travelled in the company of my comrades from the Myanmar Peace Center. They need no introduction and you know who they are. And they are sitting next to you today. I, who demanded, know how hard they worked and what they have given up. We were a band of brothers, a collection of misfits from different walks of life, who fit together at a critical moment in time when Myanmar decided to chart a new course. We were at our best when everything seems most hopeless. We were at our greatest when we worked as a team.

One of them, Ko Aung Naing Oo, has put out a book recording what we have done together. When he came to me and told me he was writing an insider account of the Myanmar Peace Process, I told him that he cannot write everything he knows. But of what he writes, I asked him to be honest, sincere and truthful. And Ko Aung Naing Oo has done us proud. I am also thankful that he put pen to paper and write down an account of our common journey. And we are here to celebrate it.


All the best.   
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