Thursday, August 24, 2017

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Kofi Annan: Don’t Leave Citizenship Issues ‘To Fester’

Posted: 24 Aug 2017 09:03 AM PDT

YANGON – The Kofi Annan-led Advisory Commission on Rakhine State has urged the National League for Democracy (NLD) government to grant birth certificates and citizenship to children born in Rakhine State in order to prevent increasing statelessness in the region among the Muslim community.

The commission—formed of nine members in Sept. 2016 by the NLD administration—just completed its mandate: to provide recommendations to address long-standing tension and conflict in Rakhine State.

Its final report criticized several aspects of Myanmar's 1982 Citizenship Law as failing to meet international standards, pointing out that it contradicts the principles of non-discrimination under international law and treaties signed by Myanmar, as well as recently-approved domestic laws, including the 2008 Constitution.

Mr. Annan acknowledged that modifying the citizenship law would be seen as highly sensitive in Myanmar, particularly for the ethnic Rakhine community.

"We are well aware that our recommendations on citizenship and freedom of movement touch on profound concerns of the Rakhine population," he said on Thursday at a press conference at Yangon's Sule Shangri-La Hotel.

The former UN Secretary General explained why the commission confronted the controversial issue in the report.

"If [these issues] are left to fester, the future of Rakhine State—and indeed Myanmar as a whole—will be irretrievably jeopardized," said Mr. Annan.

Further Citizenship Issues

The commission's final report also encouraged the government to accelerate the national verification process in line with 1982 Citizenship law in Rakhine State and create a transparent strategy and timeline for granting citizenship to those eligible.

In response to frustrations from applicants, the commission recommended that those who have lost their or their parents' documents should be permitted to submit documentation from another family member, such as an uncle or aunt. The report also emphasized the need to immediately recognize basic rights, such as freedom of movement, for those who are verified as Myanmar citizens.

Many Rakhine State Muslims have been critical of the verification process, citing it as discriminatory. However, Mr. Annan suggested that the Muslim community collaborate further with the government in order to advance the process.

According to the commission's final report, just 13,000 Muslims—of whom 9,000 are ethnic Kaman—have been recognized as full citizens or naturalized citizens, out of more than one million Muslims who are stateless in the region.

In a statement released on Thursday, James Gomez, Amnesty International's Director of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, corroborated the recommendations of the advisory commission that the 1982 Citizenship Law be amended, and encouraged the lifting of restrictions on freedom of movement. He also urged the government to implement the suggestions systematically in order to end discrimination and segregation in the region.

"Without concrete action by the authorities to address long-standing grievances and redress decades of violations, people in the region will continue to be trapped in a cycle of deprivation and abuse," Gomez said.

The Army Weighs In

Before holding a press conference in Yangon, Mr. Annan met with Myanmar Army commander-in-chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing and State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in Naypyitaw Thursday morning. Reporters asked Mr.Annan if he could reveal specific information about his discussion with the military chief but he provided very limited information on the encounter.

Later that evening, an update was posted on the official Facebook page of Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing concerning the meeting with Kofi Annan. Military representatives reportedly urged Mr. Annan's delegation to review some "factually wrong" points and questioned the "impartiality" of the commission's report.

Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing's statement maintained that citizenship must be granted in line with existing laws and that the national verification process existed in order to examine applicants for "associate citizenship."

Mr. Annan had encouraged the army chief to allow the media and humanitarian aid agencies access to conflict-torn Rakhine State; Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing's statement said that they had allowed journalists to enter the region, but lamented a lack of accurate reports.

The Office of the Commander-in-Chief also said more emphasis must be placed on Muslims' refusal to participate in the national verification process.

Overall, the commission, needs to understand the perspective of the military, government, and local Arakanese, Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing concluded.

"If the ethnic Rakhine people do not accept [the recommendations], it will be tough to address the issues," read the army chief's statement.

The post Kofi Annan: Don't Leave Citizenship Issues 'To Fester' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Northern Alliance Appeals for Chinese Cooperation in Peace Process

Posted: 24 Aug 2017 08:21 AM PDT

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — After a six-day meeting, the ethnic armed alliance the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC) appealed for more Chinese cooperation for the achievement of Myanmar's peace process.

In Panghsang, the capital of the Wa Self-Administered Zone in northern Shan State, the United Wa State Army (UWSA)-led FPNCC gathered since last Friday for meetings. The bloc discussed principles to negotiate with the government, the 21st Century Panglong peace conference, the country's political situation and collaboration among ethnic armed organizations.

U Nyi Rang, of UWSA's Lashio liaison office, told The Irrawaddy that the six-day meeting had concluded on Thursday.

In a FPNCC statement released on Thursday, the bloc stated, "We appealed for more cooperation from the Republic of China to bring success to the peace process."

It also stated that the group had elected Gen N'Ban La, the vice chairman of the Kachin Independence Organization, to become vice chairman no. 2 of the FPNCC. The current chairman is Bao Youxiang, the head of the UWSP/A.

"The FPNCC's political negotiation policies and means were all approved and we maintain a collective political negotiation under the FPNCC title," read the statement. It also said the bloc "would join the upcoming third session of the 21st Panglong peace conference if they were invited officially."

Almost three months after showing up at the last peace conference in Naypyitaw in May, there have been no negotiations between the government and the northern alliance FPNCC, as the government – and particularly, the Myanmar Army – do not want to recognize its establishment.

FPNCC said they have also opened their door for political negotiations toward building a federal democratic Union which guarantees equality and self-determination for ethnic nationalities. The group also called for an immediate end to the Tatmadaw’s military offensives.

The government continues talks with the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), an ethnic alliance established more than six years ago. During a meeting earlier this month in Yangon, the two sides reached an understanding on half of the bloc's eight principles which must precede the bloc's signing of the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA).

The UNFC and FPNCC hold different positions regarding the peace process: the UNFC has pledged to sign the NCA once its demands are met, but the FPNCC called for the replacement of the NCA.

The FPNCC's stance on the NCA and the peace process were shared with the government during the peace conference in May, on a trip arranged by China.

UNFC Head Visits Wa

Reportedly invited by the UWSA, a UNFC delegation led by Nai Hong Sar – the head of the UNFC – traveled to Panghsang on Monday.

Although the UNFC did not release any information about their confidential trip, Wa and Kokang news services covered the meeting.

According to the Kokang News (in Chinese) on Tuesday, the UNFC delegation said there were still many ways to cooperate with their northern counterparts, although the two sides seek different political paths to peace.

The UNFC appears to be upholding negotiations with the government even though there was speculation that the bloc would fall apart after key member and co-founder the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) left the alliance in June. Another member, the Wa National Organization also left the bloc in the same month, and is believed to have merged with the UWSA.

Four former UNFC members – the KIA, Ta'ang National Liberation Army, Kokang's Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and Shan State Progress Party – are members of the FPNCC, joining the UWSA, Mongla's National Democratic Alliance Army and Arakan Army. They all have been members since the northern alliance's official inception in February. The Shan State Progress Party just sent its resignation letter to the UNFC two weeks ago.

The UNFC now comprises the New Mon State Party, Karenni National Progressive Party, Lahu Democratic Union and Arakan National Council.

Nai Hong Sar also visited the Wa region in April this year to maintain ties among the ethnic groups, regardless of geography.

Although UNFC members stood firm on their all-inclusion stance regarding the NCA and political dialogue process and boycotted last May's peace conference, the FPNCC members joined the conference, with the support of Chinese officials.

In the meantime, Nai Hong Sar's New Mon State Party (NMSP), of which he is the vice chairman, will meet with State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

NMSP representatives met with state government officials on Wednesday and central committee member Nai Win Hla told reporters that the group is trying to sign the NCA before the third session of the Panglong peace conference.

Until now, the four-member UNFC has acted as a bloc, but it remains unclear if it will continue as such or join the northern alliance.

The post Northern Alliance Appeals for Chinese Cooperation in Peace Process appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Human Rights Program Launches in High Schools

Posted: 24 Aug 2017 06:22 AM PDT

YANGON – A human rights training program has launched for thousands of high-school students in 73 public schools in Bago Region, according to U Aung Myo Kyaw of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).

"The human rights introduction program is starting in the schools of our town under an agreement of the government and the education ministry in Pyay," said Daw Mar Mar Zin, Bago's Pyay Township Education Officer.

AAPP's two-hour curriculum introduces the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child with cartoons, videos, talks and insights from human rights educators and activists.

"We aim to acknowledge respect for each other's human rights and fundamental freedoms for the students," U Aung Myo Kyaw told the Irrawaddy on Thurday.

Anywhere from 100 to 700 students will join the training sessions at each school. The program began on Aug. 1 and will conclude on Sept. 30. AAPP will visit the Taung Gyi and Monywa districts to check on the progress of participants and instructors.

"We found out that even the teachers didn't clearly know what human rights were. They were also actively interested in program, and they asked for a CD and training assistance for further teaching in the classes," said U Aung Myo Kyaw.

"Some requested that we talk about about responsibilities as well in the topics. We are glad to get this chance as a discussion for promoting human rights," he added.

The Program was conducted in eight state schools in Yangon Region and three state schools in Bago in 2016. The program has been expanded widely, from 11 to 72 schools, with the permission of the region's chief minister and education ministry this year.

U Aung Myo Min, a human rights activist and director of Equality Myanmar, told The Irrawaddy that the inclusion of a human rights curriculum needed to be part of the formal education system.

U Aung Myo Min added that this requires a proper curriculum based on the audience, and that the trainers should be qualified and committed.

Although it has been agreed that a new curriculum will be written collaboratively between the government, the Myanmar education research bureau and experts from Unicef, the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Asian Development Bank, the implementation process has been delayed, reportedly due to government transactions.

The post Human Rights Program Launches in High Schools appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Amendments to Telecoms Law Passed

Posted: 24 Aug 2017 05:42 AM PDT

YANGON — Myanmar's Upper House of Parliament has passed a bill amending the 2013 Telecommunications Law, as per the amendments sent back from the Lower House.

During the parliamentary session on Thursday, no Upper House lawmakers objected to the amendments that were approved in the Lower House on Aug. 18.

With the green light from the Upper House, the most controversial provision of the law, Article 66(d), which free speech advocates have called to repeal,  remains in place.

Article 66(d) has been, and still is, used to stifle political dissent, through punishment that is considered severe in relation to the crime. It has been used to charge more than 90 people with "online defamation," including more than a dozen members of the media who have been detained and jailed.

It prohibits the use of a telecommunications network to "extort, defame, disturb or intimidate."

But the provision, which previously carried a maximum prison sentence of up to three years, has now been reduced to two years under the amendments, in order to guarantee bail.

Myanmar's criminal procedure states that charges that can be accompanied by three years or more in jail shall not allow bail.

Third parties will now be banned from filing cases under the law unless they are affected directly by the action or are acting on such an affected individual's behalf, under the amendments that were approved by Parliament.

The amended law will still require permission from the Ministry of Transport and Communications to proceed, as in the original law.

The post Amendments to Telecoms Law Passed appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Chief Ministers Told to Review Past Govt MOUs

Posted: 24 Aug 2017 05:13 AM PDT

YANGON — Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has instructed regional chief ministers to review the memorandums of understanding and agreement (MOUs and MOAs) signed under the previous government, according to Sagaing Region chief minister Dr. Myint Naing.

In her first-ever video conference with cabinet members on Wednesday, the State Counselor spoke with chief ministers of Magwe, Sagaing and Mandalay, and told them to expedite regional development endeavors.

"Mainly, she instructed us to speed up regional development works and review the memorandums of agreement signed under the previous government," Dr. Myint Naing told The Irrawaddy.

The chief ministers of Sagaing and Mandalay regions presented plans for agricultural modernization, improved transportation and electricity supply, and tourism development, he said.

Magwe Region chief minister Dr. Aung Moe Nyo told The Irrawaddy that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is expected give further instructions regarding a newly discovered oil field in Minbu Township in the next video conference.

He explained that the oil field could potentially measure 20 miles long and three miles wide, and is adjacent to Mann and Htauk Shar Bin oil fields in crude oil-rich Magwe.

Dr. Aung Moe Nyo also said that an ore deposit had been discovered on the border of Magwe's Sidoktaya and Chin State's Kanpetlet townships.

The State Counselor also reportedly told him that the government is continuing to inspect the funds of regional governments.

More than three billion kyats was recently retrieved from the previous government in Magwe, after the President's Office ordered an investigation into a missing 7.46 billion kyats in regional development funds collected from small-scale crude oil producers.

Dr. Aung Moe Nyo said that with these funds, his government would procure fire engines and garbage trucks, and speed up departmental works.

For Magwe in particular, the auditing continues on public funds at the instruction of President's Office, according to Union-level Auditor-General U Maw Than.

He said the investigation is expected to be completed by the end of September, and that the findings would be submitted to the President.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko

The post Chief Ministers Told to Review Past Govt MOUs appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

A Trip to Anyar

Posted: 24 Aug 2017 03:36 AM PDT

Last month, Win Pe Myint and Phoe San visited townships such as Minbu and Sagu in Central Myanmar, known as Anyar in Myanmar language. The two artists spent a week in Anyar, and came back to Yangon with bundles of gifts – not typical Anyar souvenirs like jaggery, plum jam, and horse gram sauce, but paintings depicting the lifestyles, pagodas, stupas and cultural buildings of Anyar.

Two artists depict life in the central plains, in a gallery show at Aung San Stadium.

Phoe San is a graduate of the State School of Fine Art (Yangon) and Win Pe Myint is a noted artist and an art teacher.

The two will be showcasing their paintings from August 26-31 at the newly opened OK Art Gallery in the north wing of Aung San Stadium in Yangon.

From dawn to dusk during their weeklong stay in Anyar, the two captured many aspects of the culture and lifestyle of the plains.

In the early mornings, they visited monasteries, jetties, and houses. It is typical of Anyar people to build more than one house on a compound where extended family lives together, and where cattle and poultry are also kept.

Two artists depict life in the central plains, in a gallery show at Aung San Stadium.

The two artists did not mind painting directly under the scorching Anyar sunlight when they found something that attracted them. For some of the paintings, they waited hours to get the right color or timing.

"The painting of the sunrise from the Minbu [Irrawaddy River] Bank is memorable. On the first day, the sun rose a bit and I didn't get the color I wanted; I only saw the yellow sun. So, I waited for the sunrise the following day. Then, I got the pink color that I wanted," Phoe San said.

Phoe San said he was happy about his art tour with mentor Win Pe Myint, but was upset to see the deteriorating ancient monasteries.

Two artists depict life in the central plains, in a gallery show at Aung San Stadium.

"I'm sure you'll miss Anyar when you come and see this exhibition," said Phoe San.

"The visitors will feel that they were in Anyar," said Win Pe Myint, who is known for his still life works.

"We've tried to make sure these paintings give the full essence of Anyar," he said. Each of the artists will feature 25 paintings, priced between US$150 and $500.

Two artists depict life in the central plains, in a gallery show at Aung San Stadium.

The post A Trip to Anyar appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Excessive Force Won’t Solve Myanmar’s Rohingya Crisis: Annan Panel

Posted: 24 Aug 2017 02:28 AM PDT

YANGON — Myanmar should respond to a crisis over its Muslim Rohingya community in a "calibrated" way without excessive force, a panel led by former UN chief Kofi Annan said on Thursday, adding that radicalization was a danger if problems were not addressed.

The treatment of approximately 1.1 million Rohingya has emerged as majority Buddhist Myanmar's most contentious human rights issue as it makes a transition from decades of harsh military rule.

Annan's commission—appointed last year by leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to come up with long-term solutions for the violence-riven, ethnically and religiously divided Rakhine State—said perpetrators of rights abuses should be held accountable.

Security deteriorated sharply in the western state on the border with Bangladesh last October when Rohingya militants killed nine policemen in attacks on border posts.

In response, the Myanmar military sent troops fanning out into Rohingya villages in an offensive beset by allegations of arson, killings and rape by the security forces, and which sent 87,000 Rohingya fleeing to Bangladesh.

The situation in the state deteriorated again this month when security forces began a new "clearance operation" with tension shifting to a township, Rathetaung, where Buddhist Rakhine and Rohingya communities live side-by-side.

"While Myanmar has every right to defend its own territory, a highly militarized response is unlikely to bring peace to the area," the nine-member commission said in its final report.

Instead, a nuanced, comprehensive response was urgently needed to "ensure that violence does not escalate and inter-communal tensions are kept under control," it said.

The commission warned that if human rights were not respected and "the population remain politically and economically marginalized—northern Rakhine State may provide fertile ground for radicalization, as local communities may become increasingly vulnerable to recruitment by extremists."

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.

Annan has visited Myanmar three times since his appointment, including two trips to Rakhine State. On Thursday, he presented his findings to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and army chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing and was due to give a news conference later in the day.

The United Nations said in a report in February security forces had instigated a campaign that "very likely" amounted to crimes against humanity and possibly ethnic cleansing.

That led to the establishment of a UN fact-finding mission a month later.

But Myanmar's domestic investigation team criticized the UN report this month and rejected allegations of abuses.

Myanmar declined to grant visas to three experts appointed by the United Nations and instead the government said Myanmar would comply with recommendations by the Annan team.

But Annan's panel—which has a broad mandate to look into, among other things, long-term economic development, education and healthcare in the state—said it was "not mandated to investigate specific cases of alleged human rights violations."

It said that the government "should ensure—based on independent and impartial investigation—that perpetrators of serious human rights violations are held accountable."

The commission made a host of other recommendations, ranging from a faster and more transparent citizenship verification process, to lifting restrictions on movement and equal access to healthcare for all residents.

The post Excessive Force Won't Solve Myanmar's Rohingya Crisis: Annan Panel appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Former Security Ministers Become Upper House Lawmakers

Posted: 24 Aug 2017 12:30 AM PDT

YANGON — Seven former security and border affairs ministers have become military representatives to the Upper House.

Former security and border affairs ministers of Chin, Shan, Karen, and Rakhine states and Yangon, Magwe and Mandalay regions Col Kyaw Kyaw, Col Soe Moe Aung, Col Aung Lwin Col Htein Lin, Col Tin Aung Tun, Col Naing Oo and Col Myo Min Aung took the oath as military representatives to the Upper House on Wednesday.

They were appointed by the military as security and border affairs ministers of regions and states after the National League for Democracy (NLD) government assumed office last year.

According to the military-drafted 2008 Constitution, the military holds three important ministries: defense, border affairs, and home affairs.

One year after taking the ministerial positions, the army chief replaced them on June 29. They were then appointed to the Upper House to fill the seats left vacant by military representatives who had retired, been promoted, or resigned.

"They should have been assigned back to the military, but they were appointed to Parliament. Since they served in the administration they have more experience than ordinary military representatives," a military representative told The Irrawaddy on condition of anonymity.

NLD Upper House lawmaker U Ba Myo Thein viewed the move as a military attempt to use their experience in security and border affairs in parliamentary matters. Some of the appointees served in areas that experienced ongoing clashes and violence.

"Maybe the military appointed them for their administrative experience or their experience in engaging with the civil administration. At least, they'll be able to provide suggestions to Parliament," said Upper House lawmaker U Khin Maung Latt of the Arakan National Party. (ANP).

Recently, in the Upper House, lawmakers have been debating an urgent proposal to take action against suspected militants in the north of Rakhine State under the 2014 Counter-Terrorism Law, and support locals who have fled their homes because of recent killings in the area.

The post Former Security Ministers Become Upper House Lawmakers appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Pope to Visit Myanmar, Bangladesh Before Christmas

Posted: 23 Aug 2017 09:17 PM PDT

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis will almost certainly visit Myanmar and Bangladesh, two countries caught up in a crisis over the Rohingya Muslim minority, before the end of the year, a senior Vatican source said on Wednesday.

The trip, which would be the first time any pope has visited Myanmar, is due to be officially announced before the end of August, added the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The trip is likely to take place between the end of November and the start of December but definitely before Christmas, the source added. The Vatican has so far officially said only that a trip to both countries is "under study".

A Vatican team is visiting both countries to sort out details and report back to the pope, who will make the final decision.

Myanmar is facing international scrutiny over atrocities against its Rohingya community. In February, Francis issued a stinging criticism of their treatment, saying they had been tortured and killed simply because they wanted to live their culture and Muslim faith.

The recent histories of Myanmar and Bangladesh have been linked by the Rohingya crisis.

Around 1.1 million Rohingya live in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, but are denied citizenship and face severe travel restrictions. Many Buddhists across Myanmar regard them as illegal immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh.

More than 87,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since Rohingya insurgents killed nine police last year. That prompted a military crackdown, drawing allegations of rape, killings and arson by the security forces.

The Vatican, which is a sovereign state, and Myanmar established full diplomatic relations in May when its de facto civilian leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, visited the Vatican.

There are about 700,000 Roman Catholics in Myanmar according to the country’s cardinal, Charles Maung Bo, out of a population of about 51.4 million, the majority of whom are Buddhist.

Pope John Paul visited Bangladesh, which is overwhelmingly Muslim and where Catholics make up only a tiny minority, in 1986.

The post Pope to Visit Myanmar, Bangladesh Before Christmas appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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