Thursday, October 26, 2017

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Rakhine Border Trade Running Again, Says Commerce Chairman

Posted: 26 Oct 2017 07:26 AM PDT

YANGON — Border trade in northern Rakhine State's Maungdaw Township has resumed, as the region has stabilized, according to the Maungdaw Border Trade Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber's chairman U Aung Myint Thein said trade stopped when the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) staged an early morning offensive on 30 police outposts in the district on August 25 although authorities did not officially announce the suspension of trade between Bangladesh and Myanmar.

In response, the Myanmar Army launched clearance operations against ARSA in the region that forced at least 600,000 Muslims to flee for Bangladesh. International rights groups and Muslim villagers accused members of the security forces of committing arson, killings and rape.

The violence halted to the Bangladesh border many exports such as ginger roots, dried fish and rice. Arakanese businessman U Aung Thein said the majority of traders' goods, including his own, perished in storage over the past two months.

U Aung Thein planned to export nearly 20 boats filled with ginger roots to Bangladesh before conflict in Maungdaw erupted in August.

"The fresh ginger is already dry as we have kept it for a couple months and [a recent Islamic festival] is over now," said U Aung Thein.

While the demand for fresh ginger is low, said U Aung Thein, demand for rice and dried fish is very high because of the sheer number of self-identifying Rohingya refugees—known locally as "Bengali" by many—sheltering in Bangladesh's Teknaf district.

U Aung Thein explained that a 50-kilogram bag of low-grade rice bag costs about 25,000 kyats in Maungdaw and about 32,000 kyats in a Bangladeshi market.

Muslim trader U Anowar, owner of Shwe Mya Ratanar Enterprise, who lives in downtown Maungdaw told The Irrawaddy over the phone on Thursday that the situation there has calmed and some businesspeople began trading again in mid-October. However, he said, most of the Muslim merchants have hesitated to do business, including himself, from fear of them or their families becoming a casualty in the troubles.

"People are worrying about conflict as much unverified information is circulating in the community. So they just briefly go shopping and then return home," he said.

Authorities have allowed shops—many run by Muslims—to open in municipal markets, he said, but only a handful of people sell goods for a couple of hours in the morning and shops close before the afternoon. The city's roads are not crowded in the daytime like they were before the conflict, he said, adding, "not many people go outside."

According to sources, security in downtown Maungdaw has tightened and more police checkpoints between Muslim and Arakanese quarters and village entrances have been deployed. Security forces ask people trying to enter downtown for national verification cards or official documents and check every package being brought in.

The Irrawaddy contacted the commerce office in Maungdaw to gauge the volume of border trade but there was no answer on Thursday.

Rakhine State government has been developing on the outskirts of Maungdaw the Kanyin Chaung border trade zone, a project estimated to cost about 2 billion kyats (US$1.5 million) altogether.

The project was begun under the Thein Sein administration and Rakhine State chief minister Nyi Pu, who was appointed by the National League for Democracy government, has earmarked 1.5 billions kyats of its 2017-18 fiscal year budget in order to complete construction.

According to government statistics, three foreign companies and 136 local companies are operating in the Maungdaw area, where trade this year is expected to reach US$6 million, with $5 million already reached by September.

The post Rakhine Border Trade Running Again, Says Commerce Chairman appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Police Open Cases After Fake Reports of Buddhist Academy Gun Haul

Posted: 26 Oct 2017 06:07 AM PDT

YANGON — A Yangon police station has opened cases under Myanmar's telecoms law against four unidentified Facebook users who allegedly spread false reports that police raided a well-known Buddhist academy and found firearms.

Stories circulated on Facebook on Oct. 23 said weapons and ammunition were discovered at Sitagu International Buddhist Academy's Yangon campus in North Dagon Township. The stories also claimed the academy's leading monks were detained for interrogation and urged the public to report suspicious monasteries.

The reports were widely shared, with many users quick to dismiss the news as fake. The academy—respected in Myanmar and abroad as a hub for Theravada Buddhism—reported the stories to North Dagon Township Police Station, complaining they were defamatory and damaged the image of the academy.

The station's police chief Than Zaw Min told The Irrawaddy they opened cases against four Facebook users under Article 66(d) of Myanmar's Telecommunications Law on Tuesday.

Police are still identifying the accounts' owners, he added.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture released a statement on Tuesday saying the reports were spread with the intention to incite racial and religious conflict in the country.

An account named "Faisal Thar Thakhin" first posted the news on Monday and "Myanmar News" page also posted it, the ministry stated.

Article 66(d) carries a maximum prison sentence of up to two years for "extorting, coercing, restraining wrongfully, defaming, disturbing any person using a telecommunications network."

The post Police Open Cases After Fake Reports of Buddhist Academy Gun Haul appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Police Charge 15 in Phyo Ko Ko Tint San Case

Posted: 26 Oct 2017 05:59 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW — Police have charged 15 individuals of ACE Company including company chairman U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San on 17 counts of illegal possession of firearms and illicit drugs and others, deputy home affairs minister Maj-Gen Aung Soe told reporters on Thursday.

"We've detained 15 persons in connection with this case, and are conducting investigation," said Maj-Gen Aung Soe.

On Oct. 15, police detained U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San, who is the son of sports minister under U Thein Sein's administration U Tint San, and two ACE employees at Naypyitaw Airport after discovering 12 WY tablets, 1.5 grams of methamphetamine, two pistols and 72 bullets in U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San's backpack.

According to to the deputy home affairs minister, a total of 24 firearms—20 guns and four air guns—have been seized from ACE hotel, company property, and U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San's houses in Naypyitaw and Yangon so far.

The 15 men are charged on ten counts in Naypyitaw and seven counts in Yangon of illegal possession of firearms and drugs as well as under the State Secrets Act, Export/Import Law and Telecommunications Law, according to the homes affairs ministry.

"We're collecting information from computer files and documents [of U Phyo Ko Tint San] and are investigating to identify more accomplices," said Maj-Gen Aung Soe.

U Than Zaw Aung, a lawyer based in Yangon, said U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San's case should be tried at a district level court because he is charged under the State Secrets Act which carries harsh penalties.

"If he is sentenced separately for separate counts, he may get over 20 years in prison. Each count could hand down three to seven years of imprisonment. And the charge under State Secrets Act is punishable by 14 years in prison. It depends on what the court will decide," U Than Zaw Aung told The Irrawaddy.

According to initial police investigation, U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San had been planning to establish a security company though none of the existing laws allows provision of armed security services by private companies.

U Phyo Ko Ko Tint San's case has been transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and progress on the investigation of the case will be informed to the public according to the approval of the Union government, said the deputy home affairs minister.

The post Police Charge 15 in Phyo Ko Ko Tint San Case appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Lower House to Debate Social Media Surveillance

Posted: 26 Oct 2017 01:40 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW — Lower House lawmakers will debate whether to monitor social media—particularly Facebook—and step up Internet surveillance after a motion passed on Wednesday to discuss the issue.

National League for Democracy (NLD) MP of Magwe Region's Gangaw Township Daw Yin Min Hlaing urged the government to monitor online activity, saying that irresponsible use of the Internet can disrupt law and order and corrupt morals.

"While the use of social media has increased a lot, [fabricated] reports that disrupt the stability of the state and morals of citizens are spread far and wide on social media. They have caused disruption and also negatively affect the current government," she told reporters after the parliament session.

She said fabricated reports along with religious and racial hate speech on social media have earned Myanmar a negative image on the international stage.

MP Daw Khin Moh Moh Aung of Latha Township seconded her proposal, saying that "egocentric power maniacs" are deliberately disrupting the transition of government and State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi by exploiting racial and religious issues and inciting emotions through the social media.

"A group of people are abusing social media to create misunderstanding between important stakeholders of the country and delay the national reconciliation process. So I support monitoring," said Daw Khin Moh Moh Aung.

While the country's democracy is still in its nascent stage, some people will easily sway citizens with low political awareness, which can pose a threat to the country, she argued.

Myanmar Media Council secretary U Thiha Saw said views differ among governments on the control of social media, citing the Chinese government as an example of a state that aims for complete control of social media, while it is unrestricted in most other governments.

He suggested educating netizens to become "intelligent users" rather than controlling social media would be better.

"Will a total ban be imposed or a tax be levied as people are saying? If tax is imposed, few people will use social media," he said.

"What is important is to use it beneficially. There may also be netizens who use it irresponsibly," he added.

"According to the proposal, users will have to register their Facebook accounts and it will make it easier to identify those who abuse," said U Tin Maung Win, chairman of Lower House Communications and Transportation Committee.

He said his committee has not yet received any suggestion about levying tax on Facebook users.

Fellow Asean members and other countries strictly monitor the identity of social media users, but Myanmar has not even been able to register all of its SIM card subscribers, Daw Yin Min Hlaing told the parliament.

U Ye Myat Thu, an IT expert in Mandalay, said: "You can't control social media like that. What you have to control is the behaviors of the people. Behaviors are influenced by how you grow up and what you are taught at school. It is to be controlled by the community. It is nothing to do with social media. If it is banned, people who swear will find another platform to swear."

Facebook is the most popular social media platform among Myanmar's netizens and according to Internet World Stats, there are 11 million Facebook users in Myanmar as of June, 2017.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Lower House to Debate Social Media Surveillance appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Thai Capital Draped in Yellow as Tens of Thousands Gather for King’s Funeral

Posted: 25 Oct 2017 10:56 PM PDT

BANGKOK, Thailand — Amid beating drums , the whistle of an ancient flute and an artillery salute, Thailand began an elaborate ceremony steeped in ancient rites to mark the start on Thursday of a lavish cremation ceremony for revered late King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Hundreds of thousands of mourners lined the streets of Bangkok to watch the funeral procession, with buildings on the route draped in yellow marigolds on the eve of his cremation.

Mourners dressed in black slept overnight on thin plastic mats on pavements near the Grand Palace in the Thai capital in order to secure a good view of the procession.

“This is the last goodbye. I really love and miss him. It is very difficult to describe,” said a tearful Pimsupak Suthin, 42, who travelled to Bangkok from the northern province of Nan for the funeral.

Officials dressed in blue and orange removed a symbolic golden urn from the Dusit Maha Prasart Throne Hall at the start of the ceremony.

The late king’s body, which had been lying in state at the palace since his death a year ago, was moved to the cremation area on Wednesday night.

New King Maha Vajiralongkorn, King Bhumibol’s only son, arrived at the Grand Palace dressed in a red uniform with his two daughters and young son.

He presided over religious chanting as the urn was removed by soldiers and placed onto a golden chariot. Other senior members of the Thai royal family walked behind the urn.

All television stations in Thailand broadcast the ceremony that evoked images of ancient Siam, Thailand’s former name.

Officials in charge of the ceremony said around 110,000 members of the public had gathered near the cremation area, with another 200,000 in adjacent areas in the city’s historic centre.

Ancient Rites

The king’s cremation will feature a number of ancient rites. A series of processions leading the urn wound through the streets from the Grand Palace in Bangkok’s historic quarter to the 50-metre (165-feet) high Royal Crematorium that has been erected in a square nearby.

A sum of $90 million has been set aside for the funeral, the likes of which has never been seen in Thailand, officials in charge of preparations have said.

King Bhumibol, also known as King Rama IX, died last October aged 88 after ruling for seven decades. He played a pivotal role in maintaining stability during years of political upheaval and rapid development.

Piyamat Potsopho, 38, said she had been waiting for the king’s funeral procession since Wednesday night.

“I was very fortunate to have been born under the reign of King Rama IX,” she said.

Another Bangkok resident, Suchinda Samparp, 67, said: “It’s so hard to describe the dedication I’ve seen, how people have come out to help each other and how the late king has inspired this.”

Analysts say the king’s death has left a large vacuum in the Thai psyche.

Thailand has observed a year of mourning for King Bhumibol and radio and television stations have played songs dedicated to the monarch almost non-stop since his death.

The songs urge Thais to follow in “father’s footsteps”.

King Bhumibol is often referred to as “father” by Thais and is credited with reviving the popularity of the monarchy in Thailand.

Days of heavy rain failed to deter mourners, many of whom pitched tents in order to gain the best access to the funeral.

Many businesses around the Southeast Asian nation were shut, while Bangkok’s old quarter was draped in floral garlands made of marigolds. Some government buildings placed potted yellow marigolds around portraits of the late king.

King Bhumibol was born on a Monday, a day which Thais associate with the colour yellow.

The post Thai Capital Draped in Yellow as Tens of Thousands Gather for King's Funeral appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

N.Korea Leader Sends Congratulations to China’s Xi After Congress

Posted: 25 Oct 2017 10:11 PM PDT

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a rare congratulatory message to China's President Xi Jinping on Wednesday wishing the Chinese leader "great success" in his future tasks as head of the nation, the North's state media said.

The friendly gesture by the North Korean leader, who rarely issues personal messages, was sent at the end of China's all important Communist Party Congress at which Xi became China's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong.

The message comes as China is being urged by the international community to do more to rein in the North's missile and nuclear tests that have raised tensions globally.

"It expressed the conviction that the relations between the two parties and the two countries would develop in the interests of the peoples of the two countries," the North's state-run central news agency said in a statement on Thursday, citing the message sent by Kim to Xi.

"The Chinese people have entered the road of building socialism with the Chinese characteristics in the new era" under the guidance of Xi, the message also said.

The two countries often exchange routine diplomatic correspondence and ceremonial letters to each other on political anniversaries or political promotions, although personal messages to and from the bilateral leaders tend to be few.

Analysts said it was yet too early to tell whether or not ties between the two countries were warming up.

"Congratulatory messages between North Korea and China is an old story and reading too much into the message exchanged would be a one-sided analysis," said Yang Moo-jin, professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.

"It's what they usually do and not surprising at all."

China is the North's sole major ally, and accounts for more than 90 percent of trade with the isolated country.

Beijing has been called upon by several countries, especially the United States, to step up its efforts to curb North Korea's ambitions towards building a nuclear-tipped ballistic missile that can reach the United States.

It has shown it is irritated with Pyongyang following the isolated state's numerous missile launches and nuclear tests, repeatedly calling for restraint and urging all sides to speak and act carefully.

China has said it will strictly enforce UN Security Council sanctions banning imports of coal, textiles and seafood, while cutting off oil shipments to the North.

Meanwhile, North Korea has not engaged in any missile or nuclear provocations for over a month since mid-September, although the isolated state tends to test fewer missiles late in the year for unexplained reasons.

"North Korea has been walking a diplomatic tightrope by taking advantage of strategic mistrust between China and Russia, but it has not been easy as Beijing has sternly responded to its nuclear and missile provocations," said Kim Han-kwon, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy in Seoul.

"China's party congress is over, but Kim Jong Un's concerns will only continue to deepen. The most significant event at hand is the upcoming summit between Xi and Trump," said Kim.

The post N.Korea Leader Sends Congratulations to China's Xi After Congress appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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