Thursday, June 22, 2017

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy

The Irrawaddy Magazine

UN: Myanmar Must Enable Women’s Entry Into the Workforce

Posted: 22 Jun 2017 07:18 AM PDT

YANGON – Myanmar needs to realize the potential of women and enable their entry into the labor market in order to generate economic growth driven by a "gender dividend," said the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on Thursday.

The UN said the conclusion was based on the findings from a series of 14 papers from the 2014 Myanmar Population and Housing Census Thematic Report, which examines the total labor force participation rate of both men and women. The department of population completed the Thematic Report on the Labor Force—the seventh paper out of 14—in June.

Although men and women make up almost an equal ratio of Myanmar's population, according to the census data, just 50.5 percent of women are working, compared with 85.6 percent of men.

"ILO agrees these figures highlight the untapped potential of women in the workforce and how creating jobs for women could really boost economic development," Rory Mungoven, Liaison Officer with the International Labor Organization in Yangon—the UN's labor agency—told The Irrawaddy in response to the UNFPA report.
The UNFPA has maintained that women "are critical to Myanmar's development," and that they "hold the key to Myanmar's future prosperity."

The agency highlighted that if more women were to join the jobs sector, Myanmar would experience "a dramatic rise in the country's per capita income."

"The gender dividend can be unlocked immediately if jobs are created. But for this to happen, women need equal rights to education, jobs, credit, land, and decision-making positions," said Janet Jackson, UNFPA Representative for Myanmar, in Thursday's statement.

"A better and safer working environment for women is a real need, in addition to providing vocational skills development for women to enter the labor market," echoed Daw Thet Thet Aung, the in-charge of the Future Light Centre, who has been helping laborers mostly in Yangon's industrial zones.

She told The Irrawaddy that she estimated that the vast majority of the total workforce in factories are women. She added that more women are entering employment, both domestically and internationally, as migrant workers.

She highlighted that many domestic workers may not be enumerated in the census as their jobs are in the home, and that, as a society, Myanmar "tends not to consider them as laborers."

Many women in the workforce also need greater support to build their capacity, Daw Thet Thet Aung added.

"It will be a significant challenge for Myanmar to build the skills of an inadequately educated population to the level required for an expanding modern economy," said Janet Jackson.

"Young people in particular require targeted policies and interventions,” she said, reiterating the argument from January, when the UNFPA released findings that one million new jobs were needed to ensure employment for Myanmar's young population over the next four years.

The UN agency said youth unemployment in Myanmar contributes to the low labor force, and the causes are linked to socioeconomic status and education.

In Myanmar, from age 19, joblessness is the highest within the richest fifth of the country's population. People with graduate diplomas have the highest unemployment rate, almost five times greater than those with no education.

One in four people aged 15-24 (25.6 percent) are not engaged in education, employment or training, a figure which is more than double for young women (34.9 percent) than for young men (15.8 percent).

However, those in then skilled labor sector, numbering almost 12 million, are underqualified for the work they perform, according to official census report.

Myanmar's labor force is amongst the lowest in Asean, according to the UNFPA. Only 63.6 percent of the population is economically active, compared to 80.9 percent in Cambodia and 77.4 percent in Laos.

The post UN: Myanmar Must Enable Women's Entry Into the Workforce appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Yangon Govt Bans 66(d) Opposition Signature Campaign Near Military Command

Posted: 22 Jun 2017 07:12 AM PDT

YANGON — The Yangon divisional government banned a signature campaign organized by journalists to oppose Article 66(d) of the Telecommunication Law that was going to be held near Yangon Region Military Command, stating that the area was restricted for national security concerns.

A letter from the government came after organizers were previously pressured to change the venue to a location in the same township but away from military command. It then deemed that location restricted as well.

Ko Tha Lun Zaung Htet, who works at the Democratic Voice of Burma and is a member of the Protection Committee for Myanmar Journalists, said organizers have now been told to move the campaign to Yangon's City Hall.

"We are still processing the venue but we will continue the signature campaign as planned on Friday," he said.

The signature campaign to repeal Article 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law is the second phase of the Protection Committee for Myanmar Journalists movement against the article, following 10 days of wearing white armbands in solidarity.

The first phase – which involved hundreds of journalists wearing white armbands and marching from a Bahan Township courthouse to The Voice Daily's office in support of the newspaper's detained staff members – faced no objection from authorities.

Ko Tha Lun Zaung Htet said the military had pressured the committee members through authorities and also by contacting reporters close to members of the campaign to advise them not to collect signatures in front of the military compound.

The journalists wanted to launch the signature campaign in front of Yangon Region military command in Mayangone Township to show their opposition to the military for opening a case against two journalists from The Voice Daily for a satirical article that was published last month.

Ko Tha Lun Zaung Htet went to the Mayangone Township police station on Wednesday morning and gave notification of the event to local authorities in advance, in line with the Peaceful Assembly Law.

The chief of the Western District Police Force and the chief of the Mayangone Township Police Force summoned the committee members on Wednesday afternoon and told them to change the venue.

On Thursday, the township administration summoned them again to negotiate the venue.

"We can't say the military pressured us directly. Authorities applied the pressure," said Ko Tha Lun Zaung Htet.

"If they [the military] want to stop this, they should drop all lawsuits against journalists and citizens under 66(d). If not, we won't stop," he added.

After the signature campaign ends on July 11, the petition will be submitted to President U Htin Kyaw, State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, army chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing and the speakers of the Lower House and Upper House.

The post Yangon Govt Bans 66(d) Opposition Signature Campaign Near Military Command appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Myanmar Army Warns Four Kachin Villages of Operations

Posted: 22 Jun 2017 04:19 AM PDT

YANGON — In a further escalation of the conflict in northern Kachin State, the Myanmar Army has ordered locals of four Kachin communities to remain in their villages, as the military prepares for battles in the area.

The Tatmadaw and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) have clashed every day in the lands surrounding Hpakant and Tanai townships since June 4, forcing thousands to flee their homes and their work in the area's amber and gold mines.

In a written statement issued on Wednesday, the Myanmar Army's 297th Infantry Battalion ordered the village heads of Nawng Mi, Warazup, and Shaduzup in Hpakant Township, and Tingkawk in Tanai Township to tell residents not to leave their villages, including for activities such as farming, logging, fishing, hunting, and tending vegetables.

The order started on Thursday and will run until July 2, according to the statement, which put responsibility for any injuries endured by locals who leave the villages on the community leaders. All four villages are on Ledo Road, a highway passing through Hpakant, Tanai, and Myitkyina, the Kachin State capital.

Many residents are aware of the statement, as it is spread on social media, although the order was first sent to the villages' heads, according to Kachin Baptist Church member Nor Seng from Tanai Township.

"We tried to find out from the villagers about the letters, and they told us that it was true," said Nor Seng.

The Northern Alliance, to which the KIA belongs, detailed clashes with the Tatmadaw in La War village in Hpakant and Kunsawyan village in Tanai on June 21. Local people said the two forces clashed five times on Ledo Road between Tanai and Hpakant on June 20.

La Daw, an ethnic Kachin taxi driver who works the route from Tanai to Myitkyina, said the number of cars and buses making the 190-kilometer journey from Tanai to Myitkyina were dwindling as the conflict intensifies.

The Karen Baptist Church reported that 513 internally displaced people (IDPs) have arrived in Tanai since June 9—most of whom were Kachin who fled from mining areas.

They abandoned their villages after the Myanmar Army ordered them via letters dropped from a military helicopter to leave the area by June 15 or else be "recognized as insurgents."

Nine villages in the Hugawng Valley region were abandoned, according to a joint statement from 28 Kachin civil society organizations.

The statement accused the Myanmar Army and the locally elected National League for Democracy politicians of wanting to drive out residents and seize the lands and farms of: Nam Byu/Nam Hkam; Nam Gawn; N'Ga Ga; Hkan Ja; Tung Mali; Kawng Ra; Ding Hkun 1; Ding Hkun 2; and Mung Hkawm.

"It is clear that the Tatmadaw's current military offensive is aimed at seizing local lands to make way for Naypyidaw-approved mining companies, agricultural companies and so-called environmental conservation organizations, and preventing the thousands of local inhabitants from ever returning," read the statement.

The post Myanmar Army Warns Four Kachin Villages of Operations appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Harn Yawnghwe Not Blacklisted by Myanmar Govt: Spokesperson

Posted: 22 Jun 2017 03:46 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW — Harn Yawnghwe, an influential figure and son of Myanmar's first President Sao Shwe Thaike, was not blacklisted by the Myanmar government but instead has had his visa changed from multiple-entry to social, presidential spokesperson U Zaw Htay told the press on Wednesday evening.

"U Harn Yawnghwe can enter Myanmar anytime, but with a social visa. We've informed the [concerned] embassies," said U Zaw Htay.

Harn Yawnghwe, who holds a Canadian passport, is the executive director of the Brussels-based Euro-Burma Office (EBO), an organization that provides funding to ethnic and civil society organizations.

The previous government issued him a multiple-entry visa because of his active role in the country's peace process, but he is not participating in the peace process under the new government, said U Zaw Htay.

"The new government has not signed any agreement or contract with EBO regarding the peace process. And he does not cooperate with the current government on the country's peace process. We have not denied him a visa; he will just be on a different visa than he was in the past," U Zaw Htay told reporters.

There were rumors in the second week of June that Harn Yawnghwe had been blacklisted by the Myanmar government, which close friends of his confirmed.

"We have informed him about his visa. But rumors spread in the media and the government has been widely criticized for this. This has impacted the peace process so we wanted to explain," said U Zaw Htay.

Harn Yawnghwe is an ethnic Shan from Myanmar who has played a major role supporting and advising ethnic armed organizations both in exile and inside the country for decades. Due to his influential role in ethnic affairs, critics claim his involvement is controversial. Some criticize him for dividing the unity of ethnic armed groups.

Established in 1997, the EBO has been one of the main donors to Myanmar's democracy movement. In 2011, it was permitted to open a branch office in the country.

The post Harn Yawnghwe Not Blacklisted by Myanmar Govt: Spokesperson appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Lawmaker Urges Government to Release All Political Prisoners

Posted: 22 Jun 2017 02:17 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW — A lawmaker questioned the Upper House on Wednesday on why there were still political prisoners in Myanmar more than one year after the National League for Democracy (NLD) assumed office.

Lawmaker U Kyaw Kyaw of Rakhine State (4) Constituency cited Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who once said there should be no political prisoners in a democracy, as he urged the government to release such prisoners.

"Political prisoners are not the enemies of the government except when the government is authoritarian. In fact, political prisoners should participate in establishing a democratic nation," the lawmaker argued.

Myanmar has more than 80 political prisoners and 100 more facing trial, he told the Upper House.

Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Maj-Gen Aung Soe said the government has no definition of political prisoners or political offenses. It takes action against lawbreakers according to existing laws, he added.

"The incumbent government has said it still has no plans to define 'political prisoner.' At present, we take action in response to the violation of existing laws. And for the time being, we don't treat cases as political offenses or not," Maj-Gen Aung Soe told reporters after the parliamentary session.

In line with the military-drafted 2008 Constitution, the president has granted amnesty when he has believed it to be appropriate. Since taking office, the new government has released 286 Myanmar prisoners and 73 foreigner prisoners in six amnesties, he told Parliament.

Lawmaker U Kyaw Kyaw gave his definition of political prisoners as "those who are imprisoned by the government for their political activities that run outside the government's political beliefs."

While Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was the opposition leader, she said, "one political prisoner is too many in a democracy," added U Kyaw Kyaw.

"The State Counselor has the full authority—higher than the president. She has many opportunities to release all political prisoners in cooperation with the president and the home ministry," he said.

The government of former President U Thein Sein formed a committee to define 'political prisoner,' but did not finish the task before it left office. Of the incumbent lawmakers in Myanmar's bicameral parliament, more than 100 are former political prisoners, said U Kyaw Kyaw.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Lawmaker Urges Government to Release All Political Prisoners appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

CSOs Oppose Karen State Coal-fired Power Plant

Posted: 22 Jun 2017 02:10 AM PDT

MAWLAMYINE, Mon State — Nearly 150 civil society organizations (CSOs) across the country denounced a coal-fired power plant project in Karen State's Hpa-an Township as a state minister confirmed plans for 11 new plants with an aim to source 33 percent of Myanmar's energy consumption from coal by 2030.

"According to the energy ministry, the country's electricity consumption is increasing by 14 percent per year," said U Soe Hlaing, electricity and industry minister of Karen State, confirming plans for new plants in Yangon and Irrawaddy regions and Karen State.

"So, if there is no new production, there will be a shortage of electricity, and people will be in trouble," he said.

Thirty-three CSOs based in Karen State prepared a statement denouncing the use of coal to generate power when there are renewable energy options available. Another 114 national CSOs signed in support.

The Karen State government allowed Thailand-based Toyo-Thai Corporation to establish a 1280-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Karen State's Hpa-an.

The initial survey will be conducted until December this year and will include a feasibility study, an environmental impact assessment, and consultations with locals, according to a manager of the power plant project U Htet Aung Mon.

"We don't know when the project will begin, we are still in the stage of conducting feasibility studies," he told The Irrawaddy. The project is planned for outside Hpa-an, but the location has not been decided yet, he added.

Toyo-Thai will use coal from Indonesia and apply "ultra-supercritical clean coal technology" to minimize environmental impact, he said.

"It is about the technology and environmentally friendly facilities that remove sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide particles," he said.

Environmental activists are not convinced.

"The company [officials] said in a meeting with locals that they guarantee the plant does not affect the environment—it is a lie," said coordinator of Karen River Watch Saw Tha Bo, one of the statement's signatories.

"Clean coal is just a technical term—the plant still has an impact on the environment," he added.

Company officials met locals of two villages on Monday and Tuesday, and Hpa-an town residents on Wednesday, to discuss the project.

According to minister U Soe Hlaing, Toyo-Thai plans to start construction in early 2018, and the power generated will go to the national grid.

Toyo-Thai also attempted to establish a 1280-megawatt coal-fired power plant in the village of Inn Din in Mon State's Ye Township in 2014, but the project was suspended after of opposition from locals.

The government's energy plan from 2012-2030 aims to generate more electricity from coal power plants—up to 30 percent—and solar power—up to five percent—while trying to reduce reliance on hydropower and gas.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post CSOs Oppose Karen State Coal-fired Power Plant appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Sixty Years After Fleeing Tibet, Refugees in India get Passports, not Property


Posted: 21 Jun 2017 10:34 PM PDT

DHARAMSALA/NEW DELHI, India — Event organizer Lobsang Wangyal has to travel overseas often, but as a Tibetan refugee born in India, he did not have a passport and sometimes had to wait days to get the mandatory permits every time he went abroad.

So Wangyal, whose parents fled Tibet as teenagers, went to court to demand his right to an Indian passport.

In response to his petition, the Delhi High Court said authorities must abide by an earlier ruling that all Tibetans born in India between January 1950 and July 1987 are Indian citizens by birth, and can be issued passports.

The order came into effect in March, and Wangyal got his Indian passport shortly thereafter, using it to go to Thailand. For the first time, he was spared the additional scrutiny that his documents always got from immigration officials.

"I feel like a real person now, having obtained a passport," said Wangyal, 47, who was born in a Tibetan settlement in eastern Odisha state and now lives in the hill town Dharamsala.

"Tibetans are seen as refugees and as stateless in India. Being seen that way after having been born and lived our whole lives in India is unfair and impractical," he said.

Emotional Turmoil

Tibetans have been seeking asylum in India since the Dalai Lama fled Lhasa in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese occupation.

The Tibetan spiritual leader has since lived mostly in Dharamsala in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh, where his supporters run a small government in exile and advocate for autonomy for Tibet by peaceful means.

More than 100,000 Tibetans live in 39 formal settlements and dozens of informal communities across India. They generally arrive via Nepal, after a perilous trek across the Himalayas.

The Indian government has funded schools to provide free education for Tibetans, and reserved seats in medical and engineering colleges. Those eligible can get voter identification cards.

But Tibetans do not have citizenship rights, which limits their access to government jobs and freedom of movement within and outside India. They cannot own land or property.

In some states, they cannot get driving licenses or bank loans. Those without identity documents are at risk of harassment, arrests and deportation to China.

"The status of statelessness is demoralizing and frustrating. There's a lot of emotional turmoil," said Tenzin Tselha, an activist with Students for a Free Tibet, whose father served in the Indian Army.

"Sometimes I eat rice and daal [lentils] more than thukpa [Tibetan noodle soup], but I never feel Indian; I am Tibetan. It drains my energy, this struggle to always prove who I am and where I am from," she said.

Foreigners by Law

India is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, which spells out refugee rights and state responsibilities to protect them. Nor does it have a domestic law to protect the more than 200,000 refugees it currently hosts, including Tibetans, Sri Lankans, Afghans, Bangladeshis and Rohingyas from Myanmar.

They are all considered foreigners by law. Tibetan refugees get "enough rights and benefits," and not everyone wants citizenship, said Sonam Norbu Dagpo, a spokesman for the Central Tibetan Administration, the government in exile.

"Even those Tibetan refugees who qualify for Indian citizenship do not apply for citizenship," he said.

While the number of refugees across the world has risen in recent years, the number of Tibetans arriving in India has fallen significantly since 2008, following a crackdown by China which considers Tibet a renegade province.

Only 87 Tibetans registered in Dharamsala in 2015, compared to about 2,500 each year before 2008.

"India's policy towards refugees has always been dictated by geo-political compulsions," said Saurabh Bhattacharjee, a professor at the National University of Juridical Sciences in Kolkata.

But beyond ensuring basic protections and civic amenities for all refugees, India must consider the status of Tibetan refugees more carefully, he said.

"Will they always remain refugees, or should they be given some sort of permanent resident status, as they have been here for so long, and have little chance of being repatriated?"

Decent Life

Recent court orders and the Tibetan Rehabilitation Policy of 2014 promise more rights and benefits.
The policy proposes, for the first time, to give refugees welfare benefits on par with Indians, subsidies for some college courses, more job options and greater ease in getting documents.

It does not address property ownership, getting government jobs, or travelling freely within and outside India.

But the issue of rights and citizenship is also an emotional one that divides the community.

"I don't think it's important to have citizenship rights or to have an Indian passport," said Dorjee Tsering, 28, who works in a store in Dharamsala selling Free Tibet T-shirts and sweatshirts.

"We may face some problems, but we should sacrifice a little to preserve our heritage and identity."

But for Wangyal, who fought for a passport, more rights are necessary.

"I would like the right to own property. A little house and a small business would be good to live a decent life," he said.
"Tibetans will fight on for Free Tibet, but at the same time we have to live our lives now."

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