Tuesday, July 18, 2017

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

State Buddhist Authority Stands its Ground

Posted: 18 Jul 2017 06:54 AM PDT

YANGON — The State Buddhist Sangha authority—also known by its Myanmar acronym Ma Ha Na—will not issue further instructions regarding the signboards of Buddhist ultranationalist association Ma Ba Tha, said Sayadaw Bhaddanta Pandavabhivamsa, a Ma Ha Na member.

"It has been officially announced that actions will be taken for failure to follow the instruction. There is no need to give further orders," the Sayadaw told The Irrawaddy.

Ma Ha Na banned Ma Ba Tha from operating under its current name on May 23 and ordered it to take down its signboards by July 15. But Ma Ba Tha chapters in Mandalay and Karen State's Hpa-An have not followed the instruction. On Sunday, Karen State's Ma Ba Tha chapter replaced their old signboard with a new one.

Leading Ma Ba Tha monks in Mandalay and Karen State have explicitly refused to take down the signboards. They argued that the association was formed in line with the 2008 Constitution and Association Law and was not a terrorist organization.

"We've not breached any rules or regulations of Buddhist law. It is up to them [the government] whether or not to take action. We are firm in our stance and will face the consequences in line with the law," Ashin Yasa of the Mandalay Ma Ba Tha chapter told The Irrawaddy.

U Zarni Win, deputy permanent secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture, said his ministry would not give further instruction and that senior monks could decide what action to take.

"They [Ma Ba Tha] are expressing their stance, and we, the government and Ma Ha Na, have expressed our position in state-run news. It now falls under the responsibility of concerned divisional and state governments," he said.

"According to the 1990 law relating to the Sangha organization and existing laws, action will be taken by the Ministry of Home Affairs against any monks or lay persons that violate the ban," a statement released by Ma Ha Na on May 23 reads.

The penalties of Sangha organizational law say any monk or novice who violates the law will be punished with a period of imprisonment ranging from six months to three years.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Rights Groups Call for Justice Ahead of Thailand, Myanmar Trafficking Verdict

Posted: 18 Jul 2017 06:44 AM PDT

BANGKOK — Thailand should ensure those involved in trafficking migrants are brought to justice, rights groups said on Tuesday, ahead of a verdict in a major trafficking trial involving 103 defendants that has been beset by allegations of intimidation.

Thai and Myanmar nationals were arrested in 2015 following the discovery of graves in jungle camps used by traffickers to hold migrants near the Thailand-Malaysia border.

The grim discovery prompted a Thai crackdown on smuggling and trafficking networks which led to smugglers abandoning boatloads of migrants at sea.

That led to a regional crisis involving Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Indonesia which initially refused the boats permission to land.

The trial, which began in 2015, has been beset by allegations of threats against witnesses, interpreters, and police investigators. The verdict reading at a Bangkok court begins on Wednesday and is expected to last three days.

Rights groups say the arrests in 2015 were just the tip of the iceberg and that regional smuggling and trafficking networks continue to operate with impunity.

A lead investigator in the case fled Thailand in 2015 and sought political asylum in Australia citing threats to his life.

"It hasn't been without its challenges. Throughout the trial we saw threats against witnesses, we saw interpreters and investigators under threat," Amy Smith, an executive director of rights organization Fortify Rights, told Reuters on Tuesday.

"We also documented physical assault on witnesses that were involved in the trial," said Smith. "Although these irregularities don't invalidate the judgment, it does raise concern about the fairness of the trial."

Many of those abandoned at sea in 2015 were Rohingya Muslims escaping persecution in Myanmar's troubled Rakhine State which has seen renewed violence in recent months.

The defendants include 21 Thai government officials, including a senior army general. They stand accused of trafficking Rohingya and Bangladeshi nationals. All deny the charges against them.

The justice ministry initially provided protection for around a dozen witnesses in the trial. Reuters was not immediately able to contact the ministry for comment on Tuesday.

Despite the crackdown, which has made smuggling more dangerous, people-smuggling across the Thailand-Myanmar border has risen, Reuters reported in May.

Last month the US State Department left Thailand on a Tier 2 Watchlist, just above the lowest ranking of Tier 3, in its annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report because it did not do enough to tackle human smuggling and trafficking.

The post Rights Groups Call for Justice Ahead of Thailand, Myanmar Trafficking Verdict appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

As the World Moves to Renewable Energy, Myanmar Will Follow

Posted: 18 Jul 2017 04:50 AM PDT

YANGON — The government has been pushing plans for coal-fired power plants to address Myanmar's great need for electricity.

Renewable energy expert Hans-Josef Fell talks about how Myanmar can develop its energy plan. Fell is a former parliamentarian in Germany and the current president of the Berlin-based Energy Watch Group.

The Myanmar government has been proposing the use of coal-fired power plants but many people disagree with this option. What do you think?

Hans-Josef Fell: Strategies employing fossil energies like coal will lead to public or private bankruptcy. Look at Germany. Ten years ago, the German utilities invested in new coal power stations. Today, these coal power stations have only income deficits. It is a high burden for the utilities and they are nearly bankrupt because they overlooked how cheap renewable energy had become. Millions of German people invested in renewables, and the coal power stations cannot sell electricity at prices high enough to profit. The same will happen in Myanmar. Solar and wind are cheap and many people will invest. Myanmar should cancel the plans for coal-fired power stations and invest directly into renewables. That will bring employment and development, and fight poverty. This could happen quickly and Myanmar needs more electricity quickly.

Is there a particular renewable energy that is cheap to implement or are you referring to all renewable energy sources across the board?

Solar and wind are now the cheapest sources in the world. Bioenergy and geothermal are not so cheap. Hydropower as a traditional energy is also cheap. So, a mix of renewables – where we combine bioenergy and geothermal as a storable energy along with wind and sun – can extend the use of bioenergy and hydropower.  Even with investment into storage systems, hydro pump power, batteries and power; the mix of renewables – because of cheap solar and wind – bring a whole system that is 100 percent renewable and is cheaper than a base-loaded system with coal, nuclear, oil and natural gas. Fossil and nuclear are too expensive.

Are all these renewables practices 'clean energy?' How do you define clean energy?

We must look at the details. In many politicians' papers, we see clean energy defined as nuclear, clean coal, natural gas and more. This is not clean energy. We cannot make coal clean. Coal emits a lot during mining; it pollutes the water. It is impossible to make clean coal and it is too expensive. Even clean coal power stations are not competitive because when you add carbon capture storage – to remove carbon from the chimneys of the coal power station – it is too expensive. It's double the price. How will it compete with solar and wind? It is impossible; solar and wind are so cheap.

Natural gas pollutes the atmosphere and is not a good option for climate protection. Nuclear energy is not free from carbon or radioactivity. Radioactivity pollutes big areas in Fukushima in Japan, Chernobyl in Ukraine and Russia, and other areas where uranium is mined. Uranium and nuclear power are not clean. Radioactivity is a big threat for the world. Only renewable energies – wind, solar, bioenergy when it is produced sustainably, small hydropower dams, geothermal, wave and tidal energy – are clean.

When Germany began implementing renewable energy projects, did the government offer subsidies?

Today, solar energy is the cheapest option, even for the poorest places in the world.  Look at Bangladesh. With microcredit, now two million people have light at night from solar power and batteries. This was impossible with coal or nuclear power. Fifteen years ago, renewable solar was expensive. So, we organized in the German Parliament and passed a law that guaranteed all renewable energy investors a return on their investment. This law led to tremendous growth, innovation, new technologies, mass production and huge factories. Now, 15 years later, it is the cheapest energy. One big nation had to make renewables cheap and then they could spread around the world and aid in climate protection. We are at the point where we can do this all over the world.

What was your impression from the roundtable discussion on energy in Naypyitaw on July 12?

There was not a good acknowledgment in the ministry of the benefits of renewables. They believe it will be expensive, but it isn't. They think it will lead to blackouts. But it won't. When we combined technologies in Germany, blackouts decreased with the increase of solar and wind to the grid. Grid operators can manage it, and they do.

But they listened well to new findings around the world. The world is changing. And I think this roundtable had a positive impact. Perhaps in a few months, Myanmar will propose a new energy strategy.

What kind of support will Myanmar need?

Many things are needed. It needs a feed-in tariff law, not a tendering law, for investment in renewable energies. A feed-in tariff law will aid small farms and individuals, as well as big utility companies. In a tendering system, only big finance can partake and we lose the movement in rural areas as far as private investment in renewables.

Education and research are also necessary. Also, Myanmar has a highly subsidized system. A lot of tax money goes to lowering the price of electricity from coal and gas and big dams. This is wrong. That money is needed for education, infrastructure and more. That money shouldn't subsidize pollution. It should create affordable, renewable energy for the people. Over time, renewables will bring profits and benefits to the public, including a growing economy and employment. Myanmar can fight for prosperity with renewable energies.

Currently, the government's energy policymakers don't seem interested in renewables. What is your advice to them?

I believe that the policymakers in Myanmar are not stupid. When they look around, they will see the benefits and that renewables are the cheapest option in China, the US, the EU, and South America. Everywhere is moving toward renewable energy. Myanmar will follow this strategy.

The post As the World Moves to Renewable Energy, Myanmar Will Follow appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

‘Building a New Burma’

Posted: 18 Jul 2017 04:42 AM PDT

The devastation of World War II was just a few years in the past and independence for Burma was almost within grasp when Bogyoke Aung San addressed the country's deep economic challenges in a speech that still carries bitter-sweet resonances today. The ideas that emerged at the event in Yangon which became known as the Sorrento Villa Conference went on to become the basis of independent Burma's first economic development plan.

We meet here today to work together in planning for the rehabilitation of Burma. We are concerned more with immediate recovery, at this stage, than with long-term planning. I have noticed that there is a general feeling of defeatism in tackling the many problems that face the nation. That is not due to any laziness or apathy on the part of the people. Rather it comes from the attitude that the Government must draw up the plans and take the initiative, and the people must follow. Let us, therefore, draft the plans and get the people moving. The opportunity is ours to lead.

We must draft comprehensive and coordinated plans, and this may take us several weeks of ceaseless endeavor; those of you who may have been planning holidays should postpone them. Our one objective is to restore and revitalize the national economy without delay. This, we must appreciate, is a matter of extreme urgency.

The plans we draft must be practical, and flexible enough to adjust themselves to the circumstances and the needs as they go along. Also, let us remember all the time that we must plan for the common man. We must take his viewpoint and not that of expert. People are apt to be awed by expert opinion. I have met many experts in many fields. They are useful people but they are not infallible. Experts are human, after all, and their opinions can be wrong. Commonsense and experience, in addition to expert opinion, must guide us in our work.

Let me also utter a word of warning about statistics. They can be helpful and informative, but some statistics are produced in support of certain theories. We must be able to use statistics intelligently, and to do that we must know how and why certain statistics are gathered and produced, and then interpret them correctly.

We must take first things first. We should agree on the priorities and take up the subjects in the proper order. In fixing priorities, we must forget our own prejudices and pet ideas.

We must also be wary of routine procedures and routine thinking. Procedures are prescribed for efficiency, but when they become obsolete they may produce the reverse effect. When that happens, they must be revised or abolished. The same applies to thinking. We must not try to think alike, act alike and speak alike. Routine thinking is wasteful.

Our plans should be simple and practical, and they should not be over-ambitious. In our eagerness we may fall into the error of wanting to accomplish too much in too short a time. Let us go forward step by step. By that I do not mean we must be slow and cautious. Maybe, sometimes, we can take two or three steps forward together, but let us be sure that we have at least one foot on firm earth.

When we plan our economy, do not let us confuse issues by bringing in politics. I appreciate that economics and politics are intimately connected, but let us keep politics out for the moment. Let us not indulge in attacks on imperialism; let us not look for excuses. Things have changed now. Our destiny is in our hands, and it will serve no useful purpose to blame imperialism for every ill the country suffers from.

Broadly speaking, our plans must aim at reducing the cost of living, reducing or getting rid of unemployment, the improvement of transport and communications, housing, education, and public health, the reorganization of the administration, and the restoration of law and order.

The cost of living is high because we are having to pay for non-essential goods. We must, therefore, stop or reduce imports of such goods. The purchase of such goods from foreign countries is a drain on the country's wealth and causes imbalance in the import and export trade. The people must get their primary needs, but they should not be permitted to indulge in luxury. We should also consider rationing, a measure which some countries still retain two years after the end of the war. The unpopularity of rationing is to a large part due to its association in the minds of people with profiteering and black-marketeering, and we should be able to devise means to suppress those unlawful and immoral activities. With proper rationing, we should also be able to save goods for export, and export alone can earn us a favorable balance of payment.

Cooperative organizations should be encouraged. Such organizations failed in the past because they did not have the support of the people. Where they could identify themselves with the interests of the people, they flourished. We will probably need to consider having inspectors to see that Co-operatives are properly run, and we should arrange for the distribution of information and intelligence regarding the Co-operatives.

We must devise means to prevent the flight of capital. We must encourage savings so that the need to borrow from foreign countries will be obviated as far as possible. We spend large amounts of foreign exchange in buying such things as vegetable oil, onions, and such items. We must grow and produce them at home to meet our needs.

Unemployment is a national evil and must be cured by drastic measures. We cannot leave it to the free play of economic forces; the Government must step in. We must step in. We must solve the problem by manpower planning on a national scale.

Transport and communications are poor in the country. I do not need to emphasize the great need for their improvement. Extending them in and with Arakan and the frontier areas must be a task of first priority.

The needs in housing are also acute. We must build government offices, schools, hospitals, and such for the general welfare, and public housing for the poor. Immediate needs may call for temporary arrangements, but temporary affairs in housing are often the least satisfactory, as sights in the city of Rangoon will prove.

Education is also a priority, but we cannot yet think in terms of compulsory education. We must, however, increase the number of technical schools and encourage vocational and technical education. We should publish more books on popular education in Burmese and we should set up a translation department to do that. We should send out more state scholars, but the students we send must be fully qualified, and on their return they must make their contribution in the reconstruction of the country. The subjects and fields for their study and training must be chosen carefully with that object in view, and the students must be guaranteed jobs and useful employment when they return.

Public health is another subject on our list. Prevention is better than cure, and we must plan for cleaner and healthier conditions of life for the people, promote health education, and improve and expand the training of doctors, nurses, and public health officers.

In the reorganization of the administration, there are two things I must draw your attention to. First, many departments are overstaffed or even unnecessary. We must check carefully and retrench, or abolish the unnecessary departments. We must review the fitness of personnel who are holding jobs, and those who are found of personnel who are holding jobs, and those who are found unfit must be removed. Second, we need to make the administration more popular. The Government is considering plans to form advisory councils in the districts and the towns, and these may render the administration more popular, clean and efficient and less expensive. With the people directly participating in the administration, by discussion and personal contacts, red-tapism should also end.

I have put law and order last on my list not because it is not an important subject but because it is linked with every question and every problem we take up. We cannot, therefore, tackle the question of law and order separately at all; it will come in when we consider transport and communications, trade and business, agricultural production.

When we have drafted our plans and come to the point where we look for money, we must be businesslike. We will never be able to find enough money for all our projects. So, the realistic and businesslike thing to do will be to find what we can and allocate it intelligently, giving more to those plans which need and deserve more, less to those which need and deserve less, and none at all to those which do not call for any spending.

Let me end by reminding you of an old way of ours, the classic way of getting things done, namely the people's way of self-help and mutual cooperation. We must resurrect this classic way and stir and inspire the people to work together in the building of a New Burma.

The above excerpts are taken from Aung San's inaugural speech delivered on 6 June, 1947, at a Yangon convention of national leaders in economics and government to draft plans for the rehabilitation of then-Burma. The excerpts are taken from the book Aung San of Burma, compiled and edited by Maung Maung, Yale University, 1962.

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Reporter’s Notebook: Has China’s Pipeline Project Benefited Maday Island Locals?

Posted: 18 Jul 2017 04:11 AM PDT

MADAY ISLAND, Kyaukphyu — It has been seven years since construction began on a China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) pipeline project that cuts 480 miles across Myanmar. The transmission of crude oil from Maday Island to China's Yunnan Province began on May 2.

The pipeline can transport up to 22 million tons of crude oil annually. Myanmar will annually receive a Right of Way fee of US$6.905 million, a pipeline usage fee of $1 per metric ton of crude oil, a crude oil tariff of $31.56 per metric ton and profit shares as per the shareholder agreement. The project is a joint venture between CNPC and the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE), holding stakes of 50.95 percent and 49.1 percent, respectively.

The Irrawaddy's reporter visited the island last week to see how the project was affecting locals. While the pipeline garners millions for the Myanmar government annually, the lives of Maday Island locals do not appear to have improved markedly.

Ywar Ma village resident Daw Phyu Ma said, "We assumed that our village would be developed as the international project built up our island. But we realize now that we were absolutely wrong."

An oil tanker docked at the CNPC jetty on July 13. / Moe Myint / The Irrawaddy

Boating to Maday Island

The island is located in the eastern part of Kyaukphyu, 12 kilometers from the downtown area. Three major villages—Ywar Ma, Prein and Kyauktan—have a total population of about 3,000.  Maday can only be reached by water.

Maday residents generally take motorboats or schooners to get to Kyaukphyu, though they hesitate to recommend schooners in the rainy season due to wind and waves.

On July 12 around 2 p.m., I boarded a motorboat for what was supposed to be a two-hour trip from Kyaukphyu to Maday Island along with 16 other passengers. The sea was calm, minus occasional small waves.

About halfway, the operator suddenly stopped the boat and anchored some six kilometers from town, saying: "Don't worry, everything will be fine," as he went to check on a malfunction in the engine room.

A child walks home from school, which is located near a CNPC office. / Moe Myint / The Irrawaddy

Escaping the Rocky Coastline

After an hour, the operator found a problem with the axle, and recklessly lifted the anchor as he thought he could fix the problem while we floated on the deep waterway. The wind and the tide quickly pushed us toward a lighthouse near the Thanzit River.

At 4:30 p.m., two schooners arrived and pushed our boat to Pan Taw Pyin village. We were lucky. If the schooners had not arrived, we could have been shipwrecked on the rocky coastline with no life jackets on board.

After three hours floating already, and still a ways to go to our destination, the two schooner operators offered to transport us the rest of the way.

After the first ordeal, I asked one operator about life jackets. He replied: "You can go back to Kyaukphyu and buy one at the market. Stay on your boat if you don't want to come."

The response seemed flippant as I recalled a tragic accident in which a boat carrying 17 schoolchildren capsized in Rakhine State last August. The boat reportedly had only one life jacket on board.

I got on the boat, my mind filtering through possible worst-case scenarios. But at last, at 7 p.m., we arrived safely at Maday Island.

Limited Development 

No one was waiting for me at the riverbank when I arrived.

I went to the nearest village to call a contact there. There are no guesthouses on the island, but fortunately, a local from Kyauktan came to meet me and we walked 20 minutes to the village.

There were lampposts in the villages but not on the roads between them. Locals told me that some of the lights had been provided by the government. CNPC provided funds for meter boxes for all of the households on the island, though some have not received them yet due to alleged government mismanagement.

We used flashlights to pass through unlit areas. I tried to hire a motorbike but drivers wouldn't use the muddy roads. Electricity is still a limited resource on the island, with CNPC providing only four hours a day, from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. The majority of Maday residents still rely on firewood to cook.

Two trucks stuck in the mud next to a CNPC office. / Moe Myint / The Irrawaddy

Effective Donations?

CNPC stated that by the end of 2013 it had invested more than $10 million in education, health care, sanitation and disaster relief in Myanmar.

It has constructed clinics and schools, and installed water pipelines to five villages for drinking water. Kyauktan resident Ko Tun Tun Win, said: "They used iron pipes instead of PVC. The water is now yellow and even the cattle won't drink it."

Kyaukphyu Rural Development Association (KRDA) coordinator U Tun Kyi pointed out that CNPC had also donated to the island via the local government, but claimed that those funds were mismanaged.

I wondered where the money was spent as well. Most of the locals still travel in privately owned wooden schooners, without life jackets. I couldn't find evidence of new jetties, ferries, or improved transport for locals.

Villagers told me they had asked for such infrastructure development for years but in vain.

U Aung Tun Mya, a former village administrator from Ywar Ma criticized that despite the massive oil project, little had improved on the island, and fishermen had even lost fishing areas in the process.

He pointed at a muddy road near a CNPC jetty and said, "You can see the benevolence of the Chinese company there."

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Detained Journalists’ Hearing Date Moved in Surprise Court Appearance

Posted: 18 Jul 2017 03:11 AM PDT

YANGON— Three detained journalists were taken unexpectedly to Hsipaw Township court in Shan State on Tuesday morning ahead of their scheduled court hearing on July 21.

The Irrawaddy's senior reporter Lawi Weng (U Thein Zaw), and Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) reporters U Aye Naing and Ko Pyae Phyo Naing were taken to the court after it was decided that their trial could be moved back to Hsipaw from Namhsan Township, said The Irrawaddy reporter's defense lawyer Daw Khin Mi Mi.

The lawyer added that the trial's start date has been moved to July 28. She described only finding out about the court appearance when the deputy township judge phoned her after reporters left.

Police chief Myint Win of Hsipaw told The Irrawaddy that the judge brought the hearing forward because she had United Nations Development Program (UNDP) training on July 21.

Outside the court, the detained reporters briefly spoke to a DVB reporter who was in the area. Lawi Weng said detaining journalists for doing their job was not democratic.

"It is the military's threat to the press. But we won't be afraid," he said.

"We don't even have a pen sharp enough to be a weapon," said U Aye Naing. "We can die any time by stepping on landmines or being shot. We take risks for our work. But sadly, we were sued with Article 17(1) of the Unlawful Associations Act, which was never used to sue journalists."

The case of the three journalists was previously scheduled at Namhsan court but Daw Khin Mi Mi appealed to the Kyaukme District judge for the reporters to be examined in Hsipaw.

Journalists planned to attend and cover the court hearing on July 21. The first appearance was initially scheduled for July 11, but the reporters were unexpectedly taken on July 7 to the court, where their remand was extended.

The Protection Committee for Myanmar Journalists is planning to take Yangon-based journalists to the court hearing.

Ko Tha Lun Zaung Htet of the committee told The Irrawaddy that moving forward the scheduled dates of the court hearings showed the authorities had "no respect" for the public and proved they could do "whatever they want."

The reporters were arrested on June 26 in Namhsan on their way back from covering a drug-burning ceremony held by ethnic armed group the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) to mark the United Nations' International Day Against Drug Abuse.

The three journalists—and three men who drove them through the area—were charged under Article 17(1) of the colonial-era Unlawful Associations Act for contacting the TNLA and were placed in detention in Hsipaw prison.

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UN Probe ‘Can Only Aggravate’ Rakhine Tension, Myanmar Tells Diplomats

Posted: 18 Jul 2017 02:08 AM PDT

YANGON — Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi's security adviser told diplomats on Tuesday that a UN mission looking into allegations of rape, torture and killings of Rohingya Muslims would only "aggravate" troubles in the western state of Rakhine.

Myanmar has declined to grant visas to three experts appointed by the United Nations in May to look into allegations of abuses against the powerful armed forces.

Last week, the US ambassador to the United Nations in New York, Nikki Haley, called on Myanmar to accept the mission, which was mandated in a Human Rights Council resolution.

"We dissociated ourselves from the decision because we found that it was less than constructive," said National Security Adviser Thaung Tun, speaking to UN officials and diplomats, including US Ambassador Scot Marciel.

The decision of other countries—including China and India—to join Myanmar in distancing themselves from the resolution was a "principled stand," Thaung Tun said.

"We feel that that mission can only aggravate the situation on the ground," he said.

The treatment of the roughly one million Muslim Rohingya has emerged as majority Buddhist Myanmar's most contentious rights issue as it makes a transition from decades of harsh military rule.

The Rohingya are denied citizenship and classified as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, despite claiming roots in the region that go back centuries, with communities marginalized and occasionally subjected to communal violence.

The government denounces the violence but has done little to improve the lot of the Rohingya.

'Increasing Terrorist Activity'

The European Union proposed the investigation after the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said the army's operation in the northern part of Rakhine State—where most people are Rohingyas—likely included crimes against humanity.

Troops fanned out to villages after Rohingya militants killed nine policemen in attacks on border posts in October. The operation sent an estimated 75,000 people across the nearby border to Bangladesh, where many gave accounts of abuses.

Reuters was among international media escorted to the area last week in a tour closely overseen by security forces.

Rohingya women told reporters of husbands and sons arbitrarily detained, and of killings and arson by security forces that broadly match the accounts from refugees in Bangladesh.

Myanmar has largely denied the accusations, and says most are fabricated.

Thaung Tun did not directly address the allegations, but said Myanmar had a "clear right to defend the country by lawful means" as it tackles "increasing terrorist activities."

Officials say a domestic investigation, led by Vice President Myint Swe, a former lieutenant general, is sufficient.

A commission headed by former UN chief Kofi Annan is looking into the problems in Rakhine State, but is not tasked with investigating rights abuses.

Thaung Tun said the government had started implementing interim recommendations the panel proposed in March, which included shutting camps where more than 120,000 Rohingya have languished since communal violence five years ago.

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Will Yangon’s Secretariat be Returned to the Public?

Posted: 18 Jul 2017 01:47 AM PDT

RANGOON — As a child in the 1950s, Tin Tun played football on the grounds of Rangoon's Secretariat complex, just across from his home on Bo Aung Kyaw Road, formerly Sparks Road.

"At that time, people were allowed to enter and explore the old colonial buildings. As neighborhood children, we played there in our free time," the 71-year old said.

"I want to see the building returned to the public," he said, sat at his residence some ten paces distant from the edge of the Secretariat compound. The redbrick colonial structure, more than 120 years old and now ringed with bamboo scaffolding, is visible beyond a fence rising from the adjoining pavement.

A building inside the compound as seen on July 19, 2015. (Photo: Tin Htet Paing / The Irrawaddy)

The Secretariat, sprawling for 16 acres across an entire city block in Yangon's Botahtaung Township, is closed for renovation, having being neglected for decades by the state—despite its historical significance as the former seat of the British colonial administration, and of successive governments in independent Burma.

It was the site of the assassination of Myanmar (Burma)'s national hero Gen Aung San—the man who negotiated independence from the British—along with eight of his colleagues by a political rival in one of the second-floor rooms on July 19, 1947, a date marked annually as Martyrs' Day.

The room where General Aung San and his eight colleagues were gunned down in 1947, photographed in 2015. (Photo: The Irrawaddy)

Its grounds also hosted the ceremony ushering in Myanmar's independence, held—in line with the dictates of astrologers—at 4:20 am on January 4, 1948. Burma's first parliament was located there.

Following the military coup in 1962, public access was severely restricted and the structure was re-branded the Ministers' Office. It was used to house government offices up until the military junta announced the founding of a new capital, Naypyitaw, in 2005—after which it was abandoned.

One of the stairways of the Secretariat building as captured on July 19, 2015. (Photo: Tin Htet Paing / The Irrawaddy)

In 2010, the government undertook some limited renovation efforts and in 2011 announced plans to privatize the site along with other state-owned colonial heritage buildings in Yangon.

In 2012, the Anawmar Art Group—a company owned by family members of a former junta general, Tun Kyi—was declared the winner of a government tender for the site.

Inside Myanmar's first Parliament building located in the compound of the Secretariat. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy)

Now, after the installation of the country's first democratically elected government in more than five decades, there are high hopes that the iconic building will be returned to the public in some form.

"I hope the elected National League for Democracy [NLD] government will consider returning the building to the public," said Maw Lin, vice president of the Association of Myanmar Architects.

"This is a place of urban heritage, cultural heritage and historical heritage. Such buildings should be handled by the government and open to the public," he said.

Visitors bow in silence to honor Gen Aung San and his fallen colleagues on July 19, 2015. (Photo: Tin Htet Paing/ The Irrawaddy)

However, beyond its aesthetic qualities, architectural significance and history as a former seat of power, it figures chiefly in the minds of the Myanmar public as the site of a national tragedy—the gunning down of Gen Aung San and his comrades in 1947.

The building was opened to the public for the first time on Martyrs' Day in 2014, remaining closed for the rest of the year. On Martyrs' Day this year—for the third time in a row—the public was allowed in for the day. Queues stretched around the block. For the first time, the Yangon Division government put on a commemorative ceremony at the site.

Yangon Heritage Trust founder Thant Myint-U accompanies US President Barack Obama through the central courtyard of the Secretariat on November 14, 2014. (Photo: Kyaw Phyo Tha / The Irrawaddy)

On Wednesday last week, Yangon Division Chief Minister Phyo Min Thein met with representatives of the Anawmar Art Group and the Yangon Heritage Trust, an organization that lobbies for the preservation of Rangoon's architectural heritage, to discuss the renovation work at the complex.

Soe Thwin Tun, Anawmar Art Group director and grandson of former Lt-Gen Tun Kyi, told The Irrawaddy that, although Anawmar won the tender in 2012, renovation could only get underway after they had finished drawing up a Conservation Management Plan—in collaboration with the Yangon Heritage Trust—in October of last year.

He said they now plan to house a historical museum in the room where Gen Aung San was assassinated and in the chamber of the first parliament, to be opened to the public in time for next year's Martyrs' Day. Thereafter, the museum would be open three to four days a week.

"As arts and crafts collectors, we plan to open a museum. But it is not easy to cover the costs of renovating and maintaining the building with only a museum. So, from the outset, we told the [previous] government that we needed to include some commercial ventures on the site, to preserve it for the long term," Soe Thwin Tun said.

He said US$50 million had been put toward its renovation. Alongside the museum, the company plans to open a library, to rent out parts of the structure for offices and restaurants, and to use other parts for the performance and exhibition of Myanmar's traditional arts.

The Secretariat building undergoing conservation work, photographed in July 2016. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy)

"Whether it is nationalized or privatized, our intention is to open the place to the public. We are not developing a hotel or shopping mall. We want for anyone who is interested to be able to come and visit," Soe Thwin Tun added.

Last year, the Anawmar Art Group faced a public backlash after the grounds of the Secretariat were used to host the birthday party of Tun Kyi's daughter, Thi Thi Tun. The organizers later claimed that the private event had been staged in order to raise funds for the renovation.

Visitors seen touring the Secretariat building on this year's Martyrs' Day. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy)

"I was really happy to see thousands of people enter the building on Martyrs' Day. The place is part of our heritage. It shouldn't be privatized, but should belong to the public," said Aung Htoo, a National League for Democracy (NLD) lawmaker in the Yangon Division parliament representing Botahtaung Township, which abuts the Secretariat.

The lawmaker said he would submit a proposal for the return of the Secretariat to the public during the upcoming parliamentary session.

Nay Phone Latt, an NLD lawmaker representing Yangon's Thingangyun Township in the divisional parliament, said that the government should review the contract made between the previous government and the Anawmar Art Group.

A pillar in the courtyard of Rangoon's Secretariat commemorates the 1947 assassination of Gen Aung San and his colleagues. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy)

"The more significant the building is, the more safeguards are required to preserve it," said Moe Moe Lwin, director and vice-chairman of the Yangon Heritage Trust.

"The Secretariat is of high significance not only because of its history but also its location. It sits at the heart of Rangoon [Yangon]. Its border of trees and greenery act like a lung for the city," she said.

The Yangon Heritage Trust had lobbied for a Conservation Management Plan (CMP) before partnering with the Anawmar Art Group to develop one.

"However, we don't have a system to monitor whether the company actually follows the CMP. The government should develop one," Moe Moe Lwin said.

She said, that according to the CMP, Anawmar must consult with both the Yangon Heritage Trust and the government if they wish to make structural changes to the Secretariat.

Moe Moe Lwin, who is an architect by training, said they had first encouraged the government to manage the project, with the involvement of experts, the family members of the "fallen heroes" [those killed on July 19, 1947], businessmen, parliamentarians and civil society.

However, she said they would be satisfied so long as the private leaseholder prioritized heritage conservation and accessibility to the public—but income-generating ventures to ensure long-term sustainability must be "appropriate."

The post Will Yangon's Secretariat be Returned to the Public? appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Artists Awaken Spirit of Gen Aung San

Posted: 18 Jul 2017 12:25 AM PDT

YANGON — Seventy years ago, Gen Aung San, widely regarded as Myanmar's independence hero, was assassinated along with seven of his colleagues and a bodyguard. With Myanmar observing Martyrs' Day on Wednesday in remembrance of their tragic deaths, nine artists firmly believe the spirit of Aung San is still present.

Only July 19, people will visit the Martyrs' Mausoleum where Aung San, who is still commonly referred to as "the General," was entombed, the Secretariat Building where he was assassinated and his house in Yangon's Bahan Township, which was turned into a museum.

But nine artists—Suu Htet Aung, Myoe Kyaw, Htin Lin Naing, Thaw Thaw Tint, Wunna Thitpin, Ko Thet, Ko Soe, Maharzan, and Nyein Chan Ko—will be at an art exhibition titled "Aung San Be Still Alive!" at Maharzan Gallery in Kandawgyi Park.

An art exhibition titled "Aung San Be Still Alive!" at Maharzan Gallery in Kandawgyi Park. (Supplied)

The exhibition will be launched on Martyrs' Day and continues until the end of this month, featuring works depicting the life of Aung San as a student leader, leader of the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League, known by its Myanmar acronym Pa Sa Pa La, a military general, a parliamentarian, and a minister.

Ko Thet's painting shows Gen Aung San in black and white, surrounded by broken pieces of colored Myanmar maps. "These maps depict the General's efforts to unite and free Myanmar, which was colonialized and divided into mainland and hilly regions. His portrait amid the maps represents his honesty and righteousness," Ko Thet told The Irrawaddy.

Referring to an Aung San portrait that includes lyrics and musical notes, Ko Thet, who is also a guitarist, explained: "The musical notes are from the Myanmar national anthem, which is always sung at schools. I created this to remind people about the General and his colleagues who sacrificed their lives to protect the Union."

Artist Htin Lin Naing focused on Aung San in action—one of his pictures shows Aung San going to Parliament in a longyi; another shows him vigorously addressing the public at Yangon City Hall.

"I've respected him since I was a child. I admire his love for the country. He is the father of Myanmar's independence, and the independence architect. I am glad and proud that I've had the chance to draw him," said Htin Lin Naing.

Suu Htet Aung's picture depicts Aung San smiling reassuringly, as he strides through the middle of a chessboard, a roll of paper in his hand. Suu Htet Aung created a series of the General in this posture last year.

"Today, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is boldly walking through a strategy. Likewise, Gen Aung San had to maneuver amid strategies in his time and achieved independence through various means," said Suu Htet Aung.

The exhibition has 21 oil and acrylic paintings measuring 4 feet x 3 feet and 3 feet x 2 feet, priced between US$200-$900.

Artist Maharzan, the curator of the exhibition and owner of Maharzan Gallery, said: "The General never dies. He is still alive. I've long had an idea of gathering paintings of the General for an exhibition. But we didn't have that degree of freedom at that time, plus I didn't have an art gallery. Now, I have opened an art gallery, and the time coincides with Martyrs' Day, so I organized the exhibition."

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Artists Awaken Spirit of Gen Aung San appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Myanmar Insists no North Korea Links as US Envoy Visits

Posted: 17 Jul 2017 10:33 PM PDT

YANGON — Myanmar has no military ties with North Korea, a Myanmar official said on Monday, as a US diplomat responsible for North Korea arrived for talks in which he was likely to seek assurances on efforts to isolate it.

Ambassador Joseph Yun met Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and the military's commander in chief in the capital, Naypyitaw, on Monday, their offices said.

Yun attended a conference in Singapore over the weekend focusing on tension on the Korean peninsula over the North's unrelenting nuclear and missile programs.

Ambassador Joseph Yun's trip to Asia was announced after North Korea's test on July 4 of on intercontinental ballistic missile that it says can carry a large nuclear warhead and some experts believe has the range to reach Alaska.

Myanmar is the only other stop on his trip, pointing to concern in Washington that the Myanmar Army, which used to have ties with North Korea, continues to give succor to Kim Jong Il's regime.

The United States did not inform Myanmar what Yun would discuss, Kyaw Zeya, permanent secretary at Myanmar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Reuters before the meetings.

"They are not very specific from the very beginning but we understand he is the special envoy on North Korea," Kyaw Zeya told Reuters.

Myanmar was complying with UN resolutions on North Korea, he said.

"It's normal relations between the two countries," said Kyaw Zeya. "As I understand, there's no such relations between military to military. Definitely not."

The United States in May asked Southeast Asian countries to do more to isolate North Korea, and efforts have increased after its July 4 ballistic missile test.

Myanmar's Commander in Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing issued a statement after the meeting with Yun but did not directly address Myanmar's relations with North Korea.

"We only have friend countries, there is no enemy country for us," Min Aung Hlaing was quoted as saying, adding that he wished to see a nuclear-free Korean peninsula and have good relations with militaries all over the world.

Residual Pockets?

Myanmar's former ruling junta, which, like North Korea, was also widely shunned by the outside world over its suppression of human rights, was known to have ties to North Korea, which included sending missile experts and material for arms production to Myanmar.

Myanmar insists that arms deals and other military relations with North Korea stopped before its transition to a nominally civilian government in 2011.

Nobel laureate Suu Kyi took power last year amid a transition from full military rule. But the military could still have "a few residual pockets" with links to North Korea, the then top US diplomat for East Asia, Daniel Russel, told a congressional hearing in September.

In March, the US Treasury leveled new sanctions against Myanmar Army's procurement body, the Directorate of Defense Industries (DDI), under the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Act Sanctions.

The DDI was previously sanctioned in 2012 and accused of materially assisting North Korea's regime, but had fallen off the sanctions list in October after the Obama administration dropped most measures against Myanmar in recognition of a successful political transition.

But despite Suu Kyi leading the civilian administration, Myanmar's military remains free from civilian oversight and firmly in charge of security policies.

A 2008 Constitution drafted by then-ruling generals keeps the army central to politics.

In May 2014, experts analyzing satellite imagery of military facilities in central Myanmar identified a site where North Korea was helping Myanmar with production of surface-to-air missiles.

The paper by Catherine Dill and Jeffrey Lewis of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey, California, said the site near the town of Minbu was staffed by up to 300 North Koreans.

The post Myanmar Insists no North Korea Links as US Envoy Visits appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ten Things to do in Yangon This Week (July 18 – July 24)

Posted: 17 Jul 2017 10:19 PM PDT

AFC U-23 Championship Qualifiers | July 19 – 23

Myanmar's U-23 men's football team is in Group F, along with Australia, Singapore and Brunei in the AFC U-23 championship qualifiers in China. Myanmar will be playing against Singapore, Brunei and Australia on July 19, 21, and 23. All matches will be held in Yangon.

July 19-23, 6:00 pm. Thuwunna Stadium. Advanced tickets at Hledan Center, Aung San Stadium and Thuwunna Stadium on July 18 between 10:00 and 5:00 pm.

Book Sale | July 19 – 26

A total of 70,000 old books, priced between 200 and 500 kyats will be sold to mark the 70th Anniversary of Martyrs' Day.

July 19-26. Yangon Book Plaza, Thazay Market.

First Celebrity Product Fair Yangon | July 18

Celebrities will sell their own brands of cosmetic products alongside entertainment and games programs for visitors.

July 18, 9:00 am – 10:00 pm, July 19, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. Myanmar Convention Center (MCC), Mayangon Tsp. Free admission.

An Evening of Musical Friendships | July 22

This concert features the music of Myanmar, Taiwan and Singapore, along with masterpieces from classical repertoire, and will be performed by the Philharmonic Society of Myanmar's festival directors, artists and students, as well as renowned traditional musicians Myanmar Pyi Kyauk Sein (circle drum), Wai Phyo Naing (traditional harp) and Zin Min Htike (traditional flute).

July 22, 5:00 pm. Myanmar Ballroom, Sule Shangri-La Hotel. Free admission.

Dway's Memorial | July 21

Families and fans of late celebrated actor Dway will organize a memorial service to mark the tenth anniversary of his death, selling his clothes, paintings and personal items. Proceeds will be used to renovated pagodas and religious buildings built by the actor.

July 21, 4:00 pm. Hledan Center.

Japanese Movie Night | July 21

An anime film directed by Japanese director Makoto Shinkai, the "Garden of Words" will be screened.

July 21, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm. Japan Culture House, Room 322B, 2nd  Floor, Building C, Pearl Condo, Kabaraye Pagoda Road. Free admission.

Charity Comedy Show | July 23

Dozens of comedy groups will entertain at charity show to raise funds for veteran comedians.

July 23, 7:00 pm. National Theater. Tickets between 5,000 kyats and 15,000 kyats.

Art Exhibition: Aung San is Alive | July 19 – 21

A group exhibition by nine artists will showcase 21 paintings depicting Gen Aung San, the independence hero of Myanmar in his struggle for the country's independence.

July 19-31. Maha Zan Art Gallery, Kandawgyi Park.

Art Exhibition: Thua Kha's centenary | July 22 – 27

A group art exhibition to mark the centenary of late versatile artist U Thu Kha will be held at New Treasure Art Gallery.

July 22-27, New Treasure Art Gallery, No. 84/A, Thanlwin Street, Golden Hill Avenue, Bahan Tsp.

 

Art Exhibition: Two Hearts of Myanmar | July 23 – 27

Artist Aung Htet Lwin's solo exhibition will showcase paintings depicting watercolor landscapes and pagodas and stupas in Yangon and Mandalay.

July 23-27. Cloud 31, No.49/51 (first floor), 31st Street (lower block) between Merchant Street and Maharbandoola Street.

The post Ten Things to do in Yangon This Week (July 18 – July 24) appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Yoga for Life

Posted: 17 Jul 2017 07:52 PM PDT

YANGON — Yoga is no longer simply about physical exercise for Nan Su Kay Swan, but a practice through which she finds meaning and simplicity in life—a perspective 17 years in the making.

One of Myanmar's pioneer yoga instructors admitted to The Irrawaddy that she had been mistaken for more than a decade in what she thought was the purpose of yoga.

As a young practitioner and trainer, she pursued new and increasingly challenging poses, which initially attracted her to the practice. She had been inspired by it since she was around 15 years old, after growing up with an admiration for ballet.

Yoga became a part of Nan Su Kay Swan's life after she fled her hometown of Kengtung, eastern Shan State, for Thailand in 2000, due to her father's political resistance activities in military-ruled Myanmar. Her mother died in a bomb blast when she was only an infant, after which she was raised by her grandmother.

Then in her twenties, Nan Su Kay Swan joined a yoga class in a park while she was working at a Thai sportswear shop—a way to both cope with sleepless nights away from home and because of her ambition to achieve the poses she observed.

After practicing for two hours every morning for six months, the health benefits she experienced encouraged her to learn more. She said yoga helped in her sleep, build strength, and improve her immune system, as well as address abdominal and intestinal issues.

Na Su Kay Swan practices yoga. (Photo: Chanson / The Irrawaddy)

Using what she learned from the class she attended during her two-year stay in Thailand, she began working as a yoga instructor in Yangon after she returned in 2002.

"As I was interested in the yoga postures, I practiced six or eight hours every day to be able to do the challenging poses," she said, adding that those achievements gave her confidence.

Nan Su Kay Swan's turning point came in 2012, after 12 years of dedicating herself to yoga. She faced great losses in a small business she was running at the time, and suffered from hypothyroidism, leading to her having three operations within a year.

These experiences changed her approach to the practice of yoga.

"Giving that much time… became an obsession, but it wasn't helpful in life. I realized I took it wrong," she said, of her long yoga sessions. She reduced her daily practice time from eight hours to three, and started doing meditation.

Now the mother of a five-month-old daughter, Nan Su Kay Swan said she feels reborn, with less stress.

"I didn't get it before. We can learn about one's body and mind in yoga, like [we do in] meditation."

The technique that she now shares with trainees not only covers yoga poses, but the link between the body and the mind—a different approach than when she once pushed students to attain challenging poses.

Na Su Kay Swan practices yoga. (Photo: Chanson / The Irrawaddy)

"We don't normally concentrate on what we do, whether it is work or yoga. During a half hour in my class, I tell them to watch, with mindfulness, what is happening to their mind and body while they are doing yoga," she said, explaining that this observation is based on concepts in Buddhism.

Some newcomers who are interested primarily in achieving new postures are impatient with her technique, she added.

"They want to focus on doing the poses. But what I want to give them is a practice that they can apply in their daily life. They might forget the poses if they don't do them regularly, but not the practice," she said.

The range of her Ahlone Township class attendees is wide: the elderly, youth, parents with children, and those recovering from injury or illness.

Her methods, Nan Su Kay Swan said, help the practitioners to be mindful, to control their anger, reduce stress, and better understand their bodies.

"I am not advertising yoga anymore as a tool to become more beautiful or to slim down. You will know what difference it has made for you because of your practice. Maybe you will fall asleep better than before, or have better blood circulation…or control your stress or anger differently. If it is good, then do it," she said.

Na Su Kay Swan practices yoga. (Photo: Chanson / The Irrawaddy)

Now 40 years old and reflecting on the days when she first began her practice, Nan Su Kay Swan said yoga has become much more popular than it was 17 years ago.

"In the  past, there was rarely a yoga class in a township. But now, almost all streets have yoga classes," she said, attributing the growth to a desire among people to reduce stress.

"Yoga, for me, is a practice to support whatever you do," she said.

The post Yoga for Life appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

The Lady and the Generals

Posted: 17 Jul 2017 07:06 PM PDT

It takes two to tango, say Burma-watchers trying to make sense of the relationship burgeoning between the new government and the armed forces. This last week, some intriguing gestures have passed between the two.

On July 19—Burma's Martyrs' Day, commemorating the assassination of independence hero Aung San and eight of his colleagues in 1947—Commander-in-Chief Snr Gen Min Aung Hlaing became the first armed forces commander in decades to take part in the annual ceremony at the Martyrs' Mausoleum in Rangoon. This is bound to become protocol for Min Aung Hlaing's successors.

There were more surprises. After delivering his salute at the mausoleum, the commander-in-chief showed up at Aung San Suu Kyi's Rangoon residence for a Buddhist merit-making ceremony, switching his uniform for a traditional Burmese jacket and longyi.

Pictures of Min Aung Hlaing and Suu Kyi nodding and smiling at each other alongside prominent Buddhist monks in Suu Kyi's lakeside villa were shared widely among the Burmese public and foreign observers.

Prominent former generals were also present, including Myint Swe, vice president and a protégé of former dictator Than Shwe, and Shwe Mann, who was once "number three" in Than Shwe's military junta and is now a close ally of Suu Kyi.

Relations between Shwe Mann and the military establishment have grown chilly at best; with Suu Kyi in the middle, they were forced to exchange pleasantries.

Last month, the military attempted to sue a local newspaper for a story that quoted from a speech given by Shwe Mann to graduates of the Defense Services Academy, in which he urged them to work with the country's newly elected democratic government. The military claimed the publication of these words could "destroy the unity of the military."

Tin Oo, a commander-in-chief of the military during the 1970s and now one of the senior-most leaders of the National League for Democracy (NLD), was seen conversing with top members of the military establishment at Suu Kyi's house on July 19.

The event was like a social gathering of the current bi-polar political elite in Burma, minus President Htin Kyaw. The general public reacted positively.

Min Aung Hlaing, who had turned 60 by July 19, brought his wife along; she was photographed sitting behind Suu Kyi as the monks partook of their lunch offerings. It was a demonstration of closer relations forged between Suu Kyi and the armed forces chief.

So what was the deal underlying all this?

One theory circulating among political analysts asserts that the government first proposed that President Htin Kyaw attend the ceremony at the Martyrs' Mausoleum, which would have made him the first Burmese head of state to attend since before the 1988 coup.

However, this would have led to concerns that such a move would reflect badly on previous heads of state—who chose to remain aloof from a monument so closely associated with Aung San, the late father of then-opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi—and would have set a binding precedent for all succeeding presidents.

In the end, President Htin Kyaw commemorated Martyrs' Day in Naypyidaw at a Buddhist merit-making ceremony, receiving little publicity. Assigning Min Aung Hlaing to the high-profile ceremony in Rangoon was part of the compromise reached, so the theory goes.

A rumor shared among political pundits several months ago was that Min Aung Hlaing was facing resistance in extending his position for another five years—on the understanding that, constitutionally, he would need the go-ahead from the president.

On Wednesday of last week, Lt Gen Mya Tun Oo addressed a press briefing in Rangoon on behalf of the military, in which he confirmed that Min Aung Hlaing and his deputy, Soe Win, would continue in their roles for the full term of the current government, ending in 2020. Under an amended defense services law, the retirement age is now pegged at 65.

Political insiders have since claimed that the NLD government had given the green light for this extension; Suu Kyi and senior NLD officials were not ready to begin relations with a new commander-in-chief.

In May, Min Aung Hlaing clarified his position at a press conference in Naypyidaw: "The commander-in-chief is below the president. Contrary to what many had assumed, we are working together [with the civilian government]."

Suu Kyi's present goal is to achieve peace in a war torn country. For this, she must find common ground with army generals as well as ethnic leaders. Like her father, she has shown herself to be a pragmatic politician.

The events of last week, with the appearances of the commander-in-chief at the Martyrs' Mausoleum and in Suu Kyi's Rangoon home, signal such an attempt to reach out and build trust.

This augurs a new political dynamic in Burma—a cause for cautious optimism.

Aung Zaw is the founding editor-in-chief of The Irrawaddy.

The post The Lady and the Generals appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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