Friday, October 27, 2017

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Parliament to Consider Reinstating Gen Aung San on Currency

Posted: 27 Oct 2017 06:37 AM PDT

YANGON — It has been nearly three decades since the former military junta phased out pictures of the country's late independence hero Gen. Aung San on the bank notes.

But on Friday, a proposal to once again put the late hero's image on currency was agreed to discuss at the Lower House.

National League for Democracy (NLD)'s lawmaker U Aung Khin Win of Magwe Region's Myaing Township submitted a proposal on Friday urging the Union Government to issue future notes showing the face of Gen. Aung San.

"It goes without saying that people would love to use banknotes with the image of Bogyoke rather than with pictures of a lion or elephant," he told parliament.

Pictures of Gen. Aung San were first printed on currency notes in 1958, 10 years after he was assassinated along with other eight colleagues. Thakhin Pho Hla Gyi, who was a central figure in the first oil field workers' protest against British oil companies in the colonial era, and Saya San, who was a central figure in the massive peasants' rebellion against the British rulers, also featured on the 45 kyat note and 95 kyat notes in 1987.

But those bills were gradually removed from circulation after 1988, the year of a crackdown by the ruling military regime on pro-democracy protestors. The banknotes were later redesigned with a lion or elephant on the front and the country's famous buildings and landscapes on the other side.

Until today, individual collectors still keep bank notes with Aung San's image. They can still be found for sale by street vendors in Yangon as novelty items, in denominations as low as 1 kyat.

MP U Kan Myint of Magwe Region's Thanyat Township seconded the proposal on Friday.

He said in other countries banknotes feature the pictures of kings, queens, heroes and prominent figures in honor of their efforts. America's George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Jackson and more are featured. China's Mao Zedong, India's Mohandas Gandhi, Thai's Bhumibol Adulyadej are also all featured on banknotes in their respective countries, he added.

"It is really sad to see Myanmar's currency feature animals rather than heroes," he told the MPs.

He previously asked last November if there a plan to replace banknotes with Gen. Aung San pictures.

At the time of U Kan Myint's question, the Central Bank mentioned Myanmar's economic stability, saying the cost of replacing the banknotes of various denominations with redesigned notes could be between 100 billion to 300 billion kyats.

"My proposal is totally different from the previous question. We will need to print new banknotes to replace the damaged notes or to release new sizes or new denominations. At that time, we can print with Bogyoke Aung San pictures," MP U Aung Khin Win told MPs.

He added that the new banknotes have been printed every two or three years. In 2009, the Central Bank released the 5, 000 kyat notes and in 2012, 10, 000 kyat notes and in 2014, the new size of 200, 500, 1000 kyat notes.

The post Parliament to Consider Reinstating Gen Aung San on Currency appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Two Kachin Pastors Sentenced for Unlawful Association

Posted: 27 Oct 2017 05:54 AM PDT

CHIANG MAI — Lashio Township Court in northern Shan State sentenced two Kachin pastors to two and four years imprisonment under three charges including unlawful association on Friday.

Dumdaw Nawng Latt, 65, received four years and three months under Article 17[1] of the Unlawful Association Act, section 8 of Import/Export Act and section 500 of the Defamation Act in the Penal Code. Langjaw Gam Seng, 35, was sentenced to two years and three months under the first two charges.

Two members of the Kachin Baptist Convention in Mong Ko were abducted by Myanmar Army troops on Dec. 24, 2016, leaving no knowledge for the family on their whereabouts.

Three weeks later in January, the Tatmadaw released the information that they had detained the two pastors for helping the Northern Alliance and spreading wrong information. They were later handed over to police custody and charges were put against them.

Zau Ra, secretary of the Kachin Baptist Convention in Mong Mawng, told The Irrawaddy on Friday the KBC would make appeals for them at the higher court.

"We want them to be released unconditionally," Zau Ra said, stressing their innocence.

They were arrested and charged for helping journalists including The Irrawaddy reporters visit the site of a church reportedly destroyed by rockets fired from a Myanmar Army fighter jet, following the Nov. 20 attack by the Northern Alliance forces: Taang Nationalities Liberation Army (TNLA), Arakan Army (AA), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and Kachin Independent Army (KIA) in northern Shan State.

Dundaw Naung Latt is the chairman of the Mong Ko's Kachin Baptist Convention and he received an additional two years for defamation. The military accused him of criticizing the Tatmadaw while being interviewed by media, explained Zau Ra.

Major Kyaw Zin Tun of Bridage 99 acted as plaintiff and filed the complaints at the Muse Township Court in January.

Since March they have had eight court hearings and received the final verdict today.

But on Friday verdict, the trial was tightly controlled, as journalists could not even take pictures of the accused outside of the court, said Lamai Mai Mai, a Kachin youth activist, who went to listen to the verdict.

"Today's verdict is another reminder that in Myanmar, human rights defenders have a choice: silence or a sentence," said David Baulk, Myanmar Human Rights Specialist with Fortify Rights.

He said, "These two men are looking at years in jail for doing what the Myanmar government should be doing anyway, standing up for the human rights of innocent people."

The National League for Democracy (NLD) government and the Tatmadaw have shown efforts to achieve peace in the country, despite clashes continuing in the northern Shan State.

The government's peace negotiation body, the National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC), which includes military representatives, has not able to create ceasefires with active ethnic armed groups in the region, or end claims of human rights violations.

"It's astonishing that government representatives can keep a straight face while they talk about their efforts to build peace. The Myanmar military continues to kill, injure and displace civilians in the war in the north, and to get away with it," said David Baulk.

"The biggest obstacle to ending human rights violations in this country is the unchecked power of the military – and the impunity with which they operate."

The post Two Kachin Pastors Sentenced for Unlawful Association appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Life in Bangladesh Refugee Camps

Posted: 27 Oct 2017 05:39 AM PDT

The US State Department on Monday said it had taken actions against current and former Myanmar military leaders by cutting off travel waivers and was considering further actions to impose economic measures against those responsible for atrocities against Rohingya.

Furthermore, the statement said all units and officers involved in operations in northern Rakhine State to be ineligible to receive or participate in any US assistance programs as well as rescinding invitations for senior Burmese security forces to attend US-sponsored events while exploring accountability mechanisms available under U.S. law, including Global Magnitsky targeted sanctions.

The US actions against the Myanmar military came at a time when the army has been condemned by international community for alleged arbitrary killings, arson and rape against Rohingya amid their clearance operations in northern Rakhine State in response to a series of militant attacks in August.

Followed by the operations, hundreds of thousands of Muslims have fled to Bangladesh to escape from the atrocities. Currently, the number of the refugees in Bangladeshi camps is more than 600,000 according to international aid agencies. Here are pictures from the camps reflecting the plight of the refugees that prompted the United States to take actions.

The post Life in Bangladesh Refugee Camps appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Myanmar Gives Green Light to Resume Food Aid to Rakhine, says UN

Posted: 27 Oct 2017 04:14 AM PDT

GENEVA, Switzerland — Myanmar authorities have agreed to allow the United Nations to resume distribution of food in northern Rakhine state which was suspended for two months, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday.

The WFP was previously distributing food rations to 110,000 people in northern Rakhine state – to both Buddhist and  Rohingya communities.

Rohingya insurgent attacks on police stations triggered an army crackdown, that the United Nations has called “ethnic cleansing”, and U.N. humanitarian agencies have not been able to access northern Rakhine to deliver aid since then.

“WFP has been given the green light to resume food assistance operations in northern part of Rakhine. We are working with the government to coordinate the details,” WFP spokeswoman Bettina Luescher told journalists in Geneva.

She had no timeline or details on the proposed distribution of rations to members of the Muslim Rohingya minority still living in northern Rakhine, and said it was still being discussed with the authorities in Myanmar.

“We just have to see what the situation on the ground is. It’s very hard to say these things if you can’t get in,” Luescher said.

The post Myanmar Gives Green Light to Resume Food Aid to Rakhine, says UN appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Myanmar Illustrator on Inspirations, Humor and Storytelling

Posted: 27 Oct 2017 04:04 AM PDT

During his freshman year in college, Wunna Soe and his classmates were asked to mention the names of Myanmar painters that they knew. Unlike other students, all the names he gave belonged to comic artists. As an art student who majored in painting, he felt embarrassed for not knowing the difference between comics, cartoons and painting.

Nearly 20 years later, he is known as an illustrator, cartoonist, painter and animator. His latest works include "Thaa Shin Pyu" (Novice Ordination Ceremony), an award-winning short animation film about Myanmar parents' endeavors and sacrifices to monastically ordain their sons, which he directed under the name Edo Vader.

The 38-year-old artist is also praised for his brave political cartoons drawn under his pseudonym Be Ru Ma. However, not many people know that the pseudonyms Edo Vader and Be Ru Ma belong to the same artist. Regardless of the differences between cartoons, illustration and animation, for him they are all sourced from his childhood love of drawing.

"I started drawing when I was a kid—as young as 3- or 4-years old," Wunna Soe told The Irrawaddy at his downtown Yangon studio, filled with his paintings, collections of vintage cassette players and anime figures.

"I could not understand when my father explained to me at that time that the animated movies I watched were created with many drawings like the ones I drew," he said.

Wunna Soe working at his studio in downtown Yangon, October, 2017. (Photo: Myo Min Soe/ The Irrawaddy)

Makings of an Artist

Born in Kalay, a town in Sagaing Region situated in upper Myanmar, Wunna Soe is the youngest child of three siblings and the only one in the family who is now making a living as an artist.

Inspired by Disney movies that he watched as a child, he eventually started studying animation and even made some flipbook animations. Knowing without any doubt that he wanted to continue drawing, he went to Yangon University of Arts and Culture (YUAC) after high school in 1998.

While studying painting, Wunna Soe began drawing cartoons under the name Edo Vader. "Edo" means "most beloved" in ethnic Karen language and "Vader" is dedicated to the name of his favorite master of Myanmar traditional orchestra "Sein Baydar." He combined the transliterated version of "Baydar" with his childhood nickname "Edo," Wunna Soe explained.

An illustration by Edo Vader. (Supplied)

He distributed his comic strips for free on campus. Even though the strips only cost the price of a tea, the country was in deep poverty and he felt bad for college students who could not afford to buy cartoons.

"I just wanted them to read and enjoy my works," he said. "I didn't feel right if they would be unable to read my comics just because they didn't have enough money to spend," he added.

Political Cartoonist

As Wunna Soe immersed himself into drawing cartoons, his strips attracted a fan base at college. He satirized everything in his environment—from the lifestyles of college students to blackouts in Yangon to many other social issues. His fame as a political cartoonist came in light of the Saffron Revolution in 2007 that resulted in the death of several demonstrators and the arrest of hundreds of Buddhist monks by the junta.

Due to the military government's sensitivity to criticism and strict censorship at the time, he had to use a different pseudonym to hide his identity. Coinciding with his studying of the Japanese language, he chose the name "Be Ru Ma," meaning "Burma" in Japanese.

An editorial cartoon by Be Ru Ma. (Supplied)

"As I was drawing political cartoons, I wanted to remind myself that it was a fight against military dictatorship but not against military personnel, like it was a fight against fascism but not against Japanese people during the Japanese colonial time in Myanmar," he said on the thinking behind the pseudonym "Be Ru Ma."

Photojournalist and cinematographer J Paing said his editorial cartoons about the Saffron Revolution were "brave and memorable."

"He is very creative and his cartoon characters have got personalities," J Paing told The Irrawaddy.

"We can recognize and distinguish his cartoons from other ones drawn by different artists because he's got his own style," he added.

However, Wunna Soe said local artists U Ba Kyi, Maung Sein and Paw Oo Thet have a lot of influence on his works.

Wunna Soe aka Edo Vader at his studio in downtown Yangon, October, 2017. (Photo: Myo Min Soe/ The Irrawaddy)

Animating Myanmar

Wunna Soe escaped the political turmoil left in the dust of the Saffron Revolution to Thailand, where he worked for two and a half years for exiled media Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB). Then in 2012, the man of many interests left for Korea to do a master's degree in animation at the Korea National University of Arts.

Though acknowledging an unprecedented number of animation companies producing films in Myanmar, he stressed many lack narrative and storytelling skills. The companies must prioritize creativity over profit, he added.

A fan of American illustrator and painter Norman Rockwell and legendary Japanese animator and manga artist Hayao Miyazaki, Wunna Soe said he wants to present Myanmar traditional and cultural stories in a contemporary style.

"I always think about how I can include our traditional and cultural identities in my works," he said.

His film "Thaa Shin Pyu" won the best short film award at local Wathann Film Fest in September this year. It tells a story about a Myanmar father who risks his life securing money in order to hold a monastic novice ordination ceremony for his only son, addressing many realities and social issues in Myanmar—from land grabbing to illegal organ trade to corrupt institutions—all in a 12-minute piece.

Poster of Edo Vader's award-winning animation film "Thar Shin Pyu". (Supplied)

The festival's audience and judges praised the film as an emotional piece about a father's love and an honest portrayal of Myanmar society.

"If it's a comedy, I want to make it really humorous. If it's a sad piece, I want to make it really emotional," Edo Vader said of his film.

For J Paing, the award-winning animation lacks the trademark style of its creator. "As much as I liked the film, it's also hard to tell that its creator is the same person as the cartoonist Be Ru Ma whose works I used to enjoy," he said.

Next Chapter

While best known as a cartoonist and an animator, Edo Vader has also not stopped painting. He will have a solo exhibition in December this year in Yangon and, like his films, his paintings are a mixture of Myanmar aesthetics with a contemporary style. (He posted a sneak peek of his works on social media.

Illustrations of characters by Edo Vader created for messaging stickers in application Viber.

Wunna Soe would choose illustrations as his long-term profession over his other passions because he wants to fill a gap in the local industry of illustration, focusing on children's books.

"There is limited contents if we talk about children's literature in Myanmar. There are some story books but rarely is there illustration."

He currently makes illustrations for the Third Story Project that creates children's books in Myanmar language and other local ethnic languages, addressing various issues including tolerance, diversity, gender, environment and children's rights.

"We used to have more choices of books to read when we were young," he said.

"Now the industry is in desperate situation and it needs people like us to contribute," he said.

The post Myanmar Illustrator on Inspirations, Humor and Storytelling appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Govt to Provide Aid to Displaced Persons

Posted: 27 Oct 2017 03:57 AM PDT

YANGON – The Myanmar government will provide food supplies for internally displaced persons (IDPs) if requested, said U Zaw Htay, director-general of the State Counselor Office.

Leaders of IDP camps can contact the National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC) if they are short on food, he told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday.

Refugee repatriation, rehabilitation and support is one of the issues the government and the ethnic armed organizations have included in their social sector discussions in ceasefire implementation.

"The State Counselor [Daw Aung San Suu Kyi] has already set out policies regarding IDPs. Our government will provide assistance in food, health and education and so on for them. They now receive aid from NGOs. If they are short [of food] because of cuts by NGOs, they should contact NRPC. NRPC will provide help," said U Zaw Htay.

At present, about 150,000 IDPs from various camps in Kachin and northern Shan states still receive food supplies from the UN's World Food Programme (WFP), but many of the supplies have been cut since 2016 and camps are therefore facing food shortages.

There are over 160 IDP camps in Kachin and northern Shan states, both in areas controlled by the government and armed ethnic groups, since citizens left their homes following the renewal of fighting between the government and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in June 2011, as well as active fighting with other armed groups in northern Shan state.

In addition, Myanmar has more than 110,000 IDPs in 24 townships in the southeast of the country, including in Karen, Karenni and Shan states, and nearly 100,000 refugees on the Thailand-Myanmar border because of the country's 70-year civil war, according to the The Border Consortium.

Food support has been gradually drying up since the country's peace process began.

Regarding Shan IDP camps on the Myanmar-Thai border which are facing food shortages, U Zaw Htay said said camp leaders can contact NRPC to get food for IDPs there.

"For IDPs inside our country, we can provide aid immediately. But for refugees [on the Thailand border], it is a little complicated as we have to talk with the Thai government," said U Zaw Htay.

"CSOs (Civil Society Organizations) in Kachin are working in cooperation with Dr Win Myat Aye [Union minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement]. And IDP camps in Shan State can contact us if they also want to receive help," he added.

If requests for food supplies are made to the government, the State Counselor and representatives of the Myanmar Army, Parliament and the government's Peace Commission will discuss them at regular meetings of the NRPC. Concerned state governments and ministries will provide assistance according to the decisions of the meeting, said U Zaw Htay.

According to U Zaw Htay, the government will provide food to IDPs with funds from three sources—funds of the Union and concerned state governments, funds of the NRPC and funds of the Coordination Body for Peace Process Funding (JCB).

U Zaw Htay continued that food supplies could be requested from the government through these three channels. Leaders of IDP camps can submit the list of IDPs and details about the camp directly to the NPRC to request food supplies.

Ethnic signatories to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) can also ask for help through their peace talks, and CSOs helping IDP camps can seek assistance from the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement.

Saw Steve, the chairperson of the Committee for Internally Displaced Karen People (CIDKP), said he had not heard of such a plan yet from the current NLD government and this would be a new initiative. But he said under the then Myanmar Peace Centre, IDPs in Karen State had received the support mainly for rehabilitation, not relief, through the Japanese Nippon Foundation's support for conflict-affected people.

"The support under the conflict-affected people was mainly for the IDPs as well as local villagers in the area. We have not had any experience before of the government directly providing support to the IDPs," he said.

State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has coordinated with the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC) for helping out the IDPs in Kachin and northern Shan State, following their meeting in Naypyitaw in July. The State Counselor instructed the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement to provide assistance in food, education, health and job opportunities to IDPs both in areas controlled by both the Union government and the KIA in Kachin State.

This month, the Thai border-based Shan State Refugee Committee (SSRC) said that six IDP camps along the Myanmar-Thai border which shelter over 6,200 people will run out of food starting this month. Those IDPs—who fled from their homes due to the fighting between the Restoration Council of Shan State and the Myanmar Military in late 1990s—are not recognized as refugee status by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee (UNHCR), although they receive international relief support.

A report released by the Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF) in August said aid to refugees along the Thailand Myanmar border should not be cut as fighting continues in Shan State. Two of the six camps—Loi Tai Laeng and Loi Kaw Wan—also had to move around in 2006 and 2009 respectively after the Thailand authorities accused them of crossing into their territory and told them to return to Myanmar.

Lung Sai Pieng, SSRC secretary who which oversees six IDP camps, told The Irrawaddy that as they are facing a food shortage, they want to receive support from the government and are hoping the government will assist the victims of civil war.

He told the Irrawaddy this week that the news that U Zaw Htay relayed about helping IDPs is new to him and they did not know about it before. "As we know now, we would discuss between our committee and would communicate with the government," he said.

The post Govt to Provide Aid to Displaced Persons appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

TNLA Members Rape School Headmistress in Shan State

Posted: 27 Oct 2017 02:22 AM PDT

YANGON — Two members of Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA)—an ethnic armed group often clashing with the Tatmadaw—raped a school headmistress in a village in Kyaukme Township, northern Shan State, according to the Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services' Office.

Two individuals wearing TNLA uniforms raped the 44-year-old headmistress in Mankauk village in Kyaukme Township outside her house around 1 a.m. on Wednesday, said the report.

Brig-Gen Tar Bong Kyaw, spokesperson of TNLA, confirmed the rape: "Yes, they are our soldiers. We've detained them in a cell."

The TNLA military court will hand down penalties that fit their crime, he said, adding that he was not clear exactly how the two committed the crime.

"I don't know the details. But the rape case has been confirmed. We've instructed that a speedy trial be held to punish them," he said.

"We'll open a case at the police station," said deputy education officer of Kyaukme Township U Kyaw Win. "We've now brought the headmistress to Kyaukme."

The township education department has also brought 13 other female teachers from Mankauk village school to Kyaukme as the rape case has thrown the teachers into a panic.

"The teachers will go back to their school when normalcy is restored there. We've brought them as they are a bit frightened now," said U Kyaw Win.

The Kyaukme Township Education Department has also filed complaints with the township general administration department and the district education department, and the school in Mankauk village has been closed as teachers are sheltering in Kyaukme.

The Irrawaddy contacted the Kyaukme Township police station to inquire about the case, and police said that the case happened in the controlled area of Monglon police station which will be responsible for handling the case.

"Monglon is too far from us. It is difficult to contact them because they are a local police station. We only have contact with them through walkie-talkie. We don't even have their phone numbers," said the police officer of Kyaukme Township police station.

TNLA is active in a number of townships including Nawnghkio, Kyaukme, Hsipaw, Namhsan, Lashio, Kutkhaing, Namtu, Mantong, Manhsam, and Manpan in northern Shan State.

The post TNLA Members Rape School Headmistress in Shan State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Appeal to Deny Myanmar Now Editor Bail Fails

Posted: 26 Oct 2017 10:55 PM PDT

MANDALAY — A court in Mandalay rejected on Friday an appeal to revoke bail for Ko Swe Win, chief editor of news agency Myanmar Now.

The editor was detained and then released on bail in July after Mandalay resident U Kyaw Myo Shwe filed a complaint under Article 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law, accusing Ko Swe Win of insulting ultranationalist monk U Wirathu.

The plaintiff opposed the granting of bail and filed an appeal in September. However, Mandalay District Court decided it would not deny bail.

"The court said it will give bail to the Myanmar Now editor and he will continue the trial at the township court," said Ko Swe Win's lawyer U Myo Min Zaw.

Ko Swe Win will continue the trial at Maha Aung Myay Township Court next week.

The post Appeal to Deny Myanmar Now Editor Bail Fails appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

‘Like a Roar’: Dozens Killed in Blasts at Indonesia Fireworks Plant

Posted: 26 Oct 2017 10:48 PM PDT

KOSAMBI, Indonesia — Two explosions tore through a fireworks factory on the outskirts of Indonesia's capital on Thursday, killing at least 47 people and injuring dozens.

It was one of Indonesia's worst industrial disasters and is likely to cast a new spotlight on lax safety standards in the Southeast Asian country, where rules are often ignored or weakly enforced.

Workers had no time to escape from the plant in Tangerang, an industrial and manufacturing hub to the west of Jakarta, after the explosions that one neighbor described as a "roar" that could be heard miles away.

A video of the scene inside the warehouse, widely shared on social media, showed charred bodies sprawled about the burnt-out factory, and Reuters reporters at the scene saw grass scorched over an area about 10 meters (33 feet) from the site.

"People were burned so badly you couldn't see their faces … It was really bad," said search and rescue official Deden Nurjaman, who expected the death toll to climb as more bodies were found inside the factory.

Fireworks are frequently used in Indonesia for religious and other celebrations, and are widely available.

There have been a series of major fires in Indonesia this year, including one that engulfed one of Jakarta's main markets.

Thick, dark plumes of smoke billowed from the factory through the afternoon as an inferno took hold. As night fell, the PT Panca Buana Cahaya Sukses warehouse was still smoldering and there was a stench of chemicals and burning plastic.

Jakarta police spokesman Argo Yuwono told Metro Television that 47 bodies had been discovered, 46 people were injured and 10 people were unaccounted for. He said the missing might have left with light injuries or not have been working at the time.

One of the first policemen on the scene, Raymond Masengi, told Metro TV that he and other officers had to smash holes in the factory wall to help the injured escape.

Fiza, a doctor in the emergency unit at Tangerang General Hospital, said he was treating seven people, some of them with burns to more than 80 percent of their bodies. Three were in critical condition.

A nearby mosque held prayers for the victims.

'Like a Roar'

Forensic police worked in fading light to examine the debris, setting up a few floodlights to try and establish the cause of the blaze.

Yuwono said police were looking into the permit of the factory, which was close to a school and housing and—according to media reports—had been operating for only two months.

A witness who lives around the corner from the factory said she heard an explosion "like a roar."

"I dressed and stepped outside the house, and saw the flames, they were almost in my face. The smoke, the heat was in my face. I panicked, I was scared, I picked up my son and ran away from the fire," said Kartini, 40, who uses one name, like many Indonesians.

Hundreds of children at a school just 100 meters (yards) from the factory jumped in terror over a wall as the explosions boomed, dropping books and bags in their haste to get away.

Science teacher Asep Mahmud, 47, said: "There were several small explosions and then one really big one that shook our buildings and desks."

The post 'Like a Roar': Dozens Killed in Blasts at Indonesia Fireworks Plant appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Tillerson Tells Myanmar Army Chief US Concerned About Reported Atrocities

Posted: 26 Oct 2017 10:41 PM PDT

WASHINGTON, United States — US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke on Thursday with Myanmar's army chief and expressed concern over reported atrocities against self-identifying Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State, the US State Department said in a statement.

Tillerson urged the army chief, Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, to support the Myanmar government in ending the violence and allowing the safe return of ethnic self-identifying Rohingya who have fled the area, the statement said.

More than 600,000 self-identifying Rohingya Muslims have fled Rakhine State in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, mostly to neighboring Bangladesh, since security forces responded to self-identifying Rohingya militants' attacks on Aug. 25 by launching a crackdown.

The State Department is considering formally declaring the crackdown on self-identifying Rohingya Muslims to be ethnic cleansing.

In his call with Min Aung Hlaing, Tillerson also urged the Myanmar military to facilitate humanitarian aid for displaced people, allow media access and cooperate with a UN investigation into allegations of human rights abuses, the State Department said.

Pressure has mounted for a tougher US response to the self-identifying Rohingya crisis ahead of President Donald Trump's maiden visit to Asia next month when he will attend a summit of Southeast Asian countries, including Myanmar, in Manila.

The post Tillerson Tells Myanmar Army Chief US Concerned About Reported Atrocities appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Remains of Late Thai King Collected After Night of Tears and Ancient Funeral Rites

Posted: 26 Oct 2017 09:58 PM PDT

BANGKOK, Thailand — The cremated remains of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej were collected on Friday as part of an elaborate, five-day funeral ceremony that drew hundreds of thousands of black-clad mourners to Bangkok's historic old quarter.

King Bhumibol was the world's longest-reigning monarch when he died a year ago aged 88. His seven-decade rule spanned some of the most tumultuous moments in modern Thai history, including several coups, a deadly crackdown on student protesters, natural disasters and a regional financial crisis.

His son, new King Maha Vajiralongkorn, presided over the burning of his father's remains in a golden crematorium in a dramatic, late-night ceremony in the Thai capital on Thursday.

Many mourners stayed to watch as smoke rose from the crematorium. Some broke down in tears at the end of what was an emotionally charged day, the mid-point of the lavish, US$90 million ceremony. Others had travelled many miles to pay their final respects to their revered late king.

Shielded from the sun by a large white-and-gold umbrella, King Vajiralongkorn led a religious ceremony in the morning to collect his father's remains. He sprinkled the bones with sacred water as classical Thai music played in a ceremony that was televised live.

The remains were blessed by Thailand's Supreme Patriarch, the head of the order of Buddhist monks. The late king's bones will be taken to the Grand Palace, where he had lain in state since his death last October.

Although Thailand does not conduct polls on the monarchy's popularity—partly because of strict laws that protect the royal family from insult—the king built up a wide personal following and is often referred to as "father."

In a ceremony steeped in colors, ancient traditions and beating drums, a royal urn was brought from the Grand Palace to the cremation site in three processions on Thursday.

The ceremony brought Thailand to a standstill as many businesses, including banks, shut to honor the late king.

The late king's nine-spired crematorium, built to honor the ninth king of the Chakri Dynasty, features intricate carvings and staircases with sculptures of nagas—a half-human, half- cobra beings—among other mythical creatures.

Pictures of mourners wearing black and holding photographs of the late king flooded social media in Thailand, with many using popular hashtags such as #rama9, #kingofkings, and #thegreatestking.

The post Remains of Late Thai King Collected After Night of Tears and Ancient Funeral Rites appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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