Wednesday, June 21, 2017

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Women Political Prisoners Demand Acknowledgment of Their Suffering

Posted: 21 Jun 2017 05:45 AM PDT

YANGON – We bear no grudge, but we cannot forget, said Daw Aye Aye Than, a 64-year-old former prisoner of conscience in Yangon, who was detained in the notorious Insein Prison for eleven months in 1998 without any charge.

Her views reflect those of other former political prisoners now searching for an acknowledgment of what happened to them decades ago under the military government.

"People think we have gained democracy easily, but we believe people, especially the younger generation, should know that such achievements have been yielded from those who made sacrifices," said Daw Aye Aye Than.

She clearly recalled what had happened almost two decades ago, when she was put into prison "without any particular charge," and had to pledge by signing, upon her release that she "would not tell others" that she had been in Insein Prison for 11 months.

As a mother of three children, Daw Aye Aye Than said worried about her family and her young female colleagues.

"It really damaged the dignity of a person," she added, "I was 45 years old when it happened in 1998. What if I had been a teenager? Society would think something bad of me when I was away, for having baby without a husband."

For two decades, she has not kept silent. "It is my responsibility to keep making my voice heard about such injustices and such violations of basic human rights," she told The Irrawaddy.

Many other female former prisoners of conscience have put effort toward retelling their experiences, particularly concerning inhumane treatment and gender-based violence while in detention.

In transitioning Myanmar, injustices on many issues are raised through protest, as civil society groups have grown stronger.

However, talk about past wrongs remains rarely heard. Those who were key figures in the democracy movement and who endured long prison sentences frequently do not raise their voices against perpetrators like the Tatmadaw, in an effort to safeguard the process of peace and national reconciliation prioritized by the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) government.

Dozens of women who were once prisoners of conscience want to change that. They urge "the acknowledgment of injustices" that happened under the military junta, while saying that they bear no grudge against those who violated their rights during the dictatorship in Myanmar.

Since 2014, they have given themselves time to come together to share their experiences and to raise their voices at events held by the Vimutti Women Organization, a psychosocial support group providing outreach to women who were former political prisoners, and the family members of such detainees. They say the organization "creates a space for them to unburden" their past and current experiences.

Vimutti is an ancient Pali word meaning "freedom." The group started in 2009 to organize rehabilitation activities for the victims of Cyclone Nargis, which struck the country in 2008, and began providing women's empowerment activities in the affected communities.

On Tuesday, Vimutti also held a talk in Yangon with former political prisoners, to share their views on how they want to move forward in the future, how justice can be sought by revealing past experiences, and how they can contribute to stopping such detentions.

Five women shared their experiences on the panel, highlighting how they were treated in prisons and interrogating centers.

One instance shared involved sexual harassment faced by female inmates in Insein: they were looked upon from above by the male wardens while they were bathing in their white prison uniforms.

"Even though former political prisoners seem somewhat emotionally stronger than ordinary people, we also need psychosocial support, social care and acknowledgement," said Daw Khin Mi Mi Khine, the director and the cofounder of the Vimutti Women Organization.

She explained, "Acknowledging the truth is not about the revenge. We think the acknowledgment can boost our morale," adding that the former political prisoners also need trauma healing support to overcome their nightmares from the past.

Daw Khin Mi Mi Khine was herself a political prisoner, arrested four times in 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2013. She had to stay in prison for six months to one and half years the latter three times. She was also an NLD member until 2004.

From the government, Daw Khin Mi Mi Khine wants an acknowledgment of what happened to her and others—not only prisoners of conscience, but also Myanmar's ethnic minorities as a result of longstanding civil war—adding that the perpetrators should also apologize to those who suffered.

"We should not keep allowing the perpetrators to defend what they did as 'just following orders.' If they continue accepting such abuses as the right things to do, and if we continue allowing it, our generation will have to further experience such abuses," Daw Khin Mi Mi Khine said.

The post Women Political Prisoners Demand Acknowledgment of Their Suffering appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Three Dead as Police Raid Suspected Militant Camp in Maungdaw

Posted: 21 Jun 2017 05:27 AM PDT

YANGON — Myanmar military and border police raided a suspected militant camp in the forests of Mayu mountain range of Rakhine State's southern Maungdaw Township on Tuesday, according to police, leaving three dead over two days.

Police Maj Zaw Zaw Nay Hein of the three-mile border police checkpoint said the camp was empty but authorities seized 20 dummy guns, two homemade guns and bags of corn seed and rice.

Three police sources, who spoke to The Irrawaddy on condition of anonymity, reported that one suspected militant was killed on Tuesday when he allegedly attacked security forces. They said they had not received updated information from the raid due to the camp's remote location—a three-hour trek from the nearest village of Kai Gyee.

In a Wednesday press conference, President's Office spokesperson U Zaw Htay said that two more suspected militants had been killed by security forces, bringing the number of casualties over two days to three.

Officers from Kyi Kan Pyin border police headquarters rejected local media reports of clashes between security forces and militants near Kin Chaung Phyar in southern Maungdaw Township on Wednesday morning.

Border police officials told The Irrawaddy they suspected Muslim militants were attempting to establish militant training camps in the Mayu mountains. U Zaw Htay confirmed that the border police and military were carrying out a clearance operation in the Mayu range, and described Maungdaw as "vulnerable to attack" by militants, alleging that they had been providing "terrorist training" in the area.

One source noted that five militant trainees were reportedly killed in an incident with an improvised explosive device in Thae Ne village in Buthidaung in May near the mountains, and that border police had seized 40 walkie-talkies from an Iman's house in Chaung Kala (north) village.

"All these activities are linked with Muslim militant movement and evidence that they are trying to take foothold in the Mayu mountains," said the police official.

According to the State Counselor's Office Information Committee, 33 Muslim residents were murdered and 19 people went missing between 2016 October to 2017 May.

In October last year, nine border police were killed by suspected Muslim attackers and more than 50 firearms and ammunition were looted.

A months-long clearance campaign by security forces—mired by allegations of extensive human rights abuses—forced more 70,000 Muslim villagers to flee to neighboring Bangladesh, and an unverified number of casualties.

This story has been updated to include U Zaw Htay's comments.

The post Three Dead as Police Raid Suspected Militant Camp in Maungdaw appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Chinese Banks Freeze Myanmar Nationals’ Accounts

Posted: 21 Jun 2017 04:35 AM PDT

Myanmar authorities are leading negotiations to reopen 336 accounts belonging to Myanmar nationals frozen by banks in Yunnan Province, China, according to the district administrative officer of Muse Township across the border in Shan State.

Government representatives in Muse sent documents proving the legitimacy of account holders to the banks in question and the local Chinese government, said U Kyaw Kyaw Tun.

At a meeting of bank officials and representatives from China and Myanmar in the Chinese border town of Ruili on Sunday, Myanmar authorities told bank officials that accounts belonged to Myanmar traders who were not involved in money laundering, gambling or trafficking.

"We told [bank officials] our citizens made money from border trade only, and asked them to reopen the accounts as soon as possible," he said, adding that the officials said they were still checking if the accounts were linked to illegal activity.

Chinese banks have so far reportedly closed 5,000 accounts supposedly linked to illegal activity in Yunnan Province, with more than 100 bank accounts owned by Myanmar nationals frozen by the Agricultural Bank of China.

The Postal Savings Bank of China and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China also reportedly froze accounts.

The Chinese Embassy in Yangon issued a statement on Monday saying Chinese banks had locked accounts in Myanmar border areas, including those belonging to Myanmar border traders.

The move was a crackdown on crime and illegal trade, the statement said, but promised to free legitimate merchant accounts and protect longtime stability with Burma.

The post Chinese Banks Freeze Myanmar Nationals' Accounts appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

‘We Love Wirathu’ Campaigns Launched

Posted: 21 Jun 2017 04:25 AM PDT

YANGON — Supporters of firebrand nationalist monk U Wirathu launched campaigns to garner signatures in his support in Karen State and Mandalay Region earlier this month.

The "We Love Wirathu" campaigns were launched in response to allegations that U Wirathu's sermons were against Buddha's teachings, according to campaign organizers.

"I believe U Wirathu is on the side of Dhamma [the doctrine or teaching of the Buddha], and I'm upset that some people call him on the side of Adhamma [against the Buddha's teachings]," said a supporter of the petition in Karen State, who declined to give their name. "So, we confirm with our signatures that he is on the side of Dhamma."

The campaigns came as the Anti-False Buddhist Doctrine Group collected signatures across Yangon for a petition asking the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee, better known by its Burmese acronym Ma Ha Na, if the actions and speeches of U Wirathu conformed with Buddha's teachings or not.

One campaign, held at a monastery in Karen State's Hpa-an Township on June 11, garnered around 10,000 signatures and another on June 14 in Myawaddy Township got more than 300 signatures, campaign organizer and Hpa-an local Ko Thurein told The Irrawaddy.

"There is an ongoing campaign in Yangon, saying that Sayadaw U Wirathu's sermons contain Adhamma things," said Ko Thurein. "We organized these campaigns to show that he is not Adhamma, and that there are many people who love him."

People from other townships in Karen State and in Mon State's Mawlamyine (Moulmein) Township have contacted him to organize similar campaigns in their respective places, he said. The signatures collected will be presented to U Wirathu, he added.

Last week, the Patriotic Monks Union (Mandalay) and U Wirathu's supporters conducted a campaign and garnered over 55,000 signatures, said U Wirathu's supporter Mandalay local U Naing Win Tun.

"Those who speak ill of the Sayadaw [U Wirathu] online do so because they don't know exactly what Sayadaw is doing," he said.

The Anti-False Buddhist Doctrine Group conducted a petition against U Wirathu in nine townships in Yangon Region from May 21 to June 17. The founder of the group Ko Myat Kyaw said the number of signatures would be announced on Wednesday.

"We don't want him to be jailed or ruined, we just want to show that we do not accept his false doctrine," Ko Myat Kyaw told the press in May.

The petition will be put forward to the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture on Wednesday, and will also be sent to the President's Office, the State Counselor's Office and the Ma Ha Na.

Regarding the "We Love Wirathu" campaigns, Ko Myat Kyaw said: "I agree to disagree. They have the right to [campaign], and I cannot do anything."

The campaign organizers of "We Love Wirathu Campaign" said similar campaigns would continue across the country, and an online voting system was also launched on June 17. A total of 13,209 signatures were collected by Tuesday, according to organizers.

U Wirathu was banned by the Ma Ha Na from delivering sermons across the country for one year, starting from March 10, due to his religious hate speech.

The post 'We Love Wirathu' Campaigns Launched appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ministry Establishes Dept to Combat Domestic, Sexual Violence Against Women

Posted: 21 Jun 2017 04:03 AM PDT

YANGON — Myanmar's Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement has incorporated a new department tasked with helping women fight domestic and sexual violence.

The Women's Development Department will provide necessary help to victims within one week of receiving their phone calls, said department director Naw Thar Warr.

The newly minted department has established two 24-hour hotlines: 067-404666 and 067-40477, to which women can file complaints, she told The Irrawaddy.

"Women can call those numbers for assistance in cases of violence. They can leave their phone numbers if they do not want to provide detailed information to male receivers and we will respond," she said.

The department will help any woman living anywhere in the country, she added. The complaint lines were launched in October and have so far received more than 80 complaints.

Upon receiving a complaint, department staff will visit the victims at their homes within one week, help them obtain medical treatment and file a lawsuit. If the victims are young domestic workers or other women who need legal assistance, the department will file a lawsuit on their behalf, she explained.

"Some women don't want to file lawsuits; they just want to receive medical treatment. We comply with their wishes. Currently, [hospitals] only treat victims when they are admitted with a police letter regarding the case. But we are negotiating with concerned authorities to allow treatment as an emergency response whether the victim files a complaint with the police or not," she added.

The department also assigns case managers to provide professional help to victims in specific cases, she said.

However, civil society organizations (CSOs) in ethnic areas have criticized that the government is not doing enough to help women who have suffered from sexual abuse in conflict areas.

A number of local Kachin CSOs released a joint statement on June 19—International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict—demanding that the government launch a mechanism to prevent sexual violence against women in conflict areas like Kachin State plus a complaint center where victims can file complaints in person or by phone.

Khun Jar of the Kachin Peace Network said, "There is hardly a program for this [prevention of sexual abuse] run by the social welfare ministry here. I have not yet seen a plan or action in this regard by the concerned ministry."

In Kachin State, where there have been cases of unwanted pregnancies and abortion as a result of sexual abuse, the government does not run a post-abuse contraceptive program.

Naw Thar Warr said her department has a sufficient budget from the government to help women anywhere in the country during the 2017-18 fiscal year, though she declined to reveal the amount.

A draft law to prevent the sexual abuse of women will soon be submitted to Parliament, she added.

There have been several unresolved cases of abduction, sexual abuse and murder of women in Kachin State since 2011. An ethnic Kachin woman was abducted by the Tatmadaw's Light Infantry Battalion No. 321 on Oct. 28, 2011, and is still missing. The case of two ethnic Kachin volunteer teachers who were raped and killed in Shan State on Jan. 19, 2015 remains unsolved.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Ministry Establishes Dept to Combat Domestic, Sexual Violence Against Women appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Peng Jiafu, Brother of Peng Jiasheng, Dies at 81

Posted: 21 Jun 2017 12:17 AM PDT

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — Peng Jiafu, the younger brother of Peng Jiasheng – the leader of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) – died from lung disease at the age of 81 near the Myanmar-China border on Tuesday.

Peng Jiafu, along with his brother Peng Jiasheng, was forced into hiding along the border after the Tatmadaw launched an offensive against the MNDAA (also known as the Kokang group) in 2009. The military government issued an arrest warrant for the two, but the warrant was annulled under former President U Thein Sein's administration.

The National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), also known as Mongla Group – an MNDAA ally – confirmed his death.

"He had resigned [from the MNDAA] after the warrant was annulled under President U Thein Sein. He lived in Thailand, but he developed a lung condition and received treatment in China. He came back to Mongla – after his disease was found to be beyond a cure – where he passed away," NDAA spokesperson U Kyi Myint told The Irrawaddy.

Peng Jiafu was married twice. He had a son and a daughter from the first marriage.

U Aung Kyaw Zaw, who served as a subordinate under Peng Jiafu in the Communist Party of Burma (CPB) and is now a military analyst living on the China-Myanmar border, praised him as a tower of strength in both the political and military fields throughout successive periods from the time of the CPB to the MNDAA.

"He was a chain-smoker. His lungs were in bad shape. But he still served as a patron and consultant in the MNDAA. Although he could not take an active role due to his health, his advice was sought in serious clashes," U Aung Kyaw Zaw told The Irrawaddy.

Peng Jiafu served as the deputy commander of Kokang Battalion No. 404 of the CPB and when the communists established the northeastern military region by combining battalions No. 404 and No. 303 in 1970, he served as the deputy commander of the military region.

From 1971 to 1979, he served as the commander of Brigade No. 8, and tactical commander of Division No. 48 from 1979 to 1985. He became the vice chief of staff of the CPB Northern Bureau in 1985.

After the collapse of the CPB in 1989, the Kokang region was designated as the first autonomous special region in Burma, and from then until fierce clashes broke out with the Tatmadaw in 2009, Peng Jiafu served as the chief of staff of Kokang Special Region 2.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Peng Jiafu, Brother of Peng Jiasheng, Dies at 81 appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Harn Yawnghwe: Perhaps Govt no Longer Sees Value of my Work

Posted: 21 Jun 2017 12:12 AM PDT

Influential figure on Myanmar affairs and executive director of the Brussels-based Euro-Burma Office (EBO) Harn Yawnghwe was denied a visa this month, allegedly due to his involvement in the country's peace process. Irrawaddy senior reporter Saw Yan Naing spoke to Harn Yawnghwe about allegedly becoming a recent addition to the government's blacklist.

What is your comment on the government refusing to issue a visa to work in Myanmar?

The Myanmar Embassy in Ottawa said they did not know the reason why Naypyitaw did not authorize them to issue me a visa. If they do not know, I do not know either. Perhaps the government no longer sees the value of my work. But the embassy has said that it is not a visa ban and they are waiting to hear from Naypyitaw. I hope they hear soon. We started our visa process by contacting the Myanmar Embassy on April 2 and formally submitted an application on April 24. It has now been two months. I do not think visas normally take two months to process. Last year, I also applied for a visa through the Myanmar Embassy in Ottawa and was given a visa that was valid for a year.

It is rather strange for a government that claims to be democratically elected to be denying visas to anyone. As you know, I left Myanmar in 1963 after Gen Ne Win seized power from U Nu's democratic government. For thirty years, I worked with Dr. Sein Win's National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma and the Democratic Voice of Burma to free political prisoners and restore democracy in Myanmar.

In 2011, President Thein Sein allowed me to return after 48 years in exile to help the democratic transition by facilitating the peace process. We managed to get Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing to sign the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) in 2015 and commit to resolving 70 years of civil war through political dialogue. He also committed to the establishment of a federal democratic union. This was a great achievement because in 1962, Gen Ne Win seized power by claiming federalism would lead to the disintegration of the country. After the new government came to power, we continued to facilitate the participation of ethnic armed groups, political parties and civil society in the 21st Century Panglong peace conferences.

Do you think the move is politically motivated?

I find it hard to believe that it is politically motivated because that would mean that the government does not want democracy or peace. Surely peace and reconciliation are what Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has been working for.

Who do you think is behind the move? 

I have no idea. The embassy [in Ottawa] reports to Myanmar's foreign ministry. Logically thinking, the instruction to the embassy not to issue me a visa must come from the foreign ministry. The Ministry of Defense does not have authority over the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Some say you are undermining the current peace process led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi?

The current government has told foreign diplomats that I urged ethnic armed organizations that signed the NCA in 2015 to boycott the 21st Century Panglong peace conference that was held last year. I did not do so, and the signatories all attended.

The government has also told diplomats that I urged ethnic armed organizations that have not yet signed the NCA, to not sign. This is not true either. We want all groups to participate in the political dialogue that will determine the future of the country.

At the last 21st Century Panglong peace conference in May, the government asked ethnic armed group leaders whether I had influenced them to not sign the Accord that the government had wanted them to sign. This is incorrect thinking. The armed group leaders make their own decisions. They control thousands of battle-hardened soldiers and cannot be easily influenced if it does not suit their purpose. They did not want to sign the non-secession clause because they thought it was unnecessary since that had already committed to the Three National Causes that call for the non-disintegration of the nation.

I have asked to meet the persons in the government who are responsible for the peace process. To date, the answer has either been negative or silence. I do not know why they do not want to meet me to allow me to clarify any possible misunderstanding.

U Myint Kyaing, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Labor, Immigration and Population, said the ministry would explain the reason behind a visa ban if an applicant seeks explanation. Will you seek an explanation? 

I believe U Myint Kyaing was speaking in general terms. I do not think he was specifically referring to my case. I am currently seeking an answer from the embassy. They have said that it is not a ban on my entry, but that they are just waiting for an answer from Naypyitaw. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has also said anybody can apply for a visa through normal channels. If no answer is forthcoming from the embassy, I will take further steps including contacting the Ministry of Labor, Immigration and Population to find out if there is a visa ban against me, and why. In a democracy, there has to be transparency and everybody should have the right to know why the government will not issue them a visa.

We heard that two other EBO staff members were also blacklisted. Do you think your organization has been targeted?

EBO is both an international and a local organization. Our local staff has had no difficulty working with local partners and local authorities—both under the U Thein Sein administration and the current government. One other international staff was denied a visa. But it may have been because we applied for a visa together. No other EBO staff has been denied a visa.

The post Harn Yawnghwe: Perhaps Govt no Longer Sees Value of my Work appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Market Day in Shan State’s Thandaung Village 

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 07:39 PM PDT

NYAUNG SHWE TOWNSHIP, Shan State — The five-day market rotating around Shan State's Inle Lake area is famous for its rustic, bustling scenes, as tradespeople of different ethnic backgrounds, including Intha and Pa-O, migrate daily from one site to another to sell their produce and ware.

While several lakeside villages such as Indein, Nampan, Thaung Tho and Khaung Daing host the market, the main five places are in Nyaung Shwe (Yawnghwe), Heho, Taunggyi, Maing Thauk and Shwe Nyaung. The market calendar is lunar: there are no markets on full and black moon days.

On the west side of the lake, about a one-hour drive from Nyaung Shwe, Thandaung village has a less touristic market day than Indein and Nampan. It offers an authentic chance to see how locals trade. Sellers arrive at the marker before dawn to prepare for the day, and the market usually lasts until around noon.

The post Market Day in Shan State's Thandaung Village  appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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