The Irrawaddy Magazine |
- Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Vows to Create ‘Enabling Environment for Women’
- Lawyers Object to Charging Journalists Under Export, Import Law for Flying Drone Over Parliament
- Important Takeaways from US Secretary of State Meetings in Naypyidaw
- Analysis: Tillerson Visit May Have Widened Division Between Army and Suu Kyi
- Artist U Thu Kha Remembered Fondly a Decade After His Passing
- Pope Advised Not to Use Term ‘Rohingya’ in Myanmar but Rights Groups Disagree
- Give Displaced Rohingya Jobs to Prevent Human Trafficking, Companies Told
| Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Vows to Create ‘Enabling Environment for Women’ Posted: 16 Nov 2017 05:44 AM PST YANGON — "Where have all the men gone?" State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi joked while delivering her keynote address at the Asean Business and Investment Summit in Manila on Sunday. The speech highlighted women's contributions to Myanmar's social and economic development. "They [men] haven't come into the civil service; they are not going into academia. They may be going into business, but our women are very strong there too. So I often have to ask this question: Where have all the men gone?" she said, eliciting laughter from the audience. More and more women entrepreneurs have emerged to participate in Myanmar's transformation, she said, adding that 49 percent of young entrepreneurs in the country are women. At Yangon University, 60 percent of students are women, and an increasing number of key faculty posts are going to women, demonstrating that women are playing a growing role in the education sector, she said. "Our women are putting a great premium on education… This is one of the reasons why we have great hopes for the future of our country, for the future of our young people, who will be encouraged to increase their abilities and their skills by their mothers, their sisters, and their wives," she said. But while women had played a remarkable role in recent political and economic changes in many countries, she said, they continue to be denied opportunities in countless areas. "The social norm that equates women with unskilled labor and perceives them as mere homemakers, incapable of making decisions, is one of our biggest challenges," she said. Gender Discrimination in Myanmar Despite the efforts of numerous women's rights groups campaigning for gender equality in Myanmar, there are many who don't believe it is a problem in the country. Speaking at the summit, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the country's de-facto leader, said, "There are those who say that there is no gender discrimination in our country, but this is not true." "It is traditional to look upon men as the superior gender. There is a Burmese saying, which I find somewhat reprehensible, that, "You must treat your son like a lord and your husband like a god." I don't think I could agree with that. And I don't think women can agree either." Such a comment from a state leader is exceedingly rare in Myanmar, a country that has been ruled by successive military administrations and ex-generals for nearly six decades. The military-drafted 2008 Constitution bars Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from becoming president despite her party having won the majority of votes. She currently holds the powerful position of "state counselor," designated to lead the country, and also holds two ministerial portfolios: foreign affairs and the president's office. "There is gender discrimination. It is true we are not discriminated [against] in the sense of being debarred from doing activities such as doing business or going in for various professions. But sill, there is the underlying traditional concept that men are superior," Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said. Prominent women's rights activist Ma May Sabe Phyu said she was surprised to see the extent to which Daw Aung San Suu Kyi addressed gender issues at the summit. She said that while she appreciated the state counselor's comments, more commitment and a number of concrete steps were needed from her and the government if practical solutions to gender discrimination problems were to be found. "As a key decision maker in Myanmar, she has an opportunity to support more women leaders to take roles in leadership and decision-making. And we hope she will be willing to do that," the activist said. Under its policy to prioritize women and youth in the elections, the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) fielded the most female candidates in the 2015 general election with 150. Of those, 134 won seats. Activists were disappointed, however, when Daw Aung San Suu Kyi herself turned out to be the only woman in the cabinet formed by the NLD to lead the Union Government. U Sein Win, training director at the Myanmar Journalism Institute, said he has wondered whether Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has faced discrimination from inside or outside her administration for being a woman since she took power. Certainly, he said, she had been shown disrespect and faced gender-based insults and attacks from opponents on social media. "As she starts to speaks out about discrimination, I hope this is the first step and that policy changes will follow," the lecturer said. Gender Challenges in Education "There are still many mothers who favor their sons above their daughters, especially when it comes to educational opportunities," Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said at the summit. Daw Thandar Oo, founder of the Women and Peace Action Network of Shan State, echoed the state counselor's statement. She cited a recent survey showing that Shan State has the lowest literacy rate among young women. "There is still a traditional concept in many ethnic regions that women don't need to be educated. Also, patriarchal views ensure that even families that can afford to educate their children tend to prioritize sons over daughters," she said. Security concerns are another important factor, she said. Many families don't feel safe sending their daughters long distances to attend school, as conflicts and lawlessness create an insecure environment. "The more access women have to education, the more they can contribute to their families and communities, and even at the state level. Also, they will have a positive effect on the young generation," Daw Thandar Oo said. Women and the Economy "Traditionally, our women have always been at the forefront of business," Daw Aung San Suu Kyi told the delegates at the Asean summit. She was raised, she said, to believe that men went into the civil service for reasons of prestige, while women engaged in business to put food on the table. "So, we have always depended on women to make sure that the household economy is secure." So it should not be such a surprise that 49 percent of Myanmar's young entrepreneurs are women, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said. She was just 2 years old when her father, Myanmar's late independence hero Gen. Aung San, was assassinated by political rivals in 1947. She later moved to India with her mother Daw Khin Kyi, who was appointed Myanmar's Ambassador to India and Nepal. Daw Khin Kyi was Myanmar's first woman ambassador. "I am also inspired by the millions of women who work each day — holding their heads high in the face of every adversity, saving and sacrificing everything so that their children can enjoy a better life," Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said. She added that measures are needed to empower and overcome social constraints, strengthen women's potential and unleash their economic power to contribute to the nation's development. To achieve positive changes in women's rights, it is important to increase the number of girls enrolling in primary and secondary schools, improve the participation of women in the labor force, ensure better maternal care outcomes, provide social protection measures and promote the role of women in decision-making, she said. "Our plan is ambitious but achievable. Myanmar is committed to creating an enabling environment for women that will allow them to realize their full potential," Daw Aung San Suu Kyi pledged. The post Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Vows to Create 'Enabling Environment for Women' appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Lawyers Object to Charging Journalists Under Export, Import Law for Flying Drone Over Parliament Posted: 16 Nov 2017 04:32 AM PST NAYPYITAW — Lawyers of two foreign journalists and two Myanmar nationals, who have already been sentenced to two months in prison under the Aircraft Act for flying a drone near Myanmar's Parliament, have raised an objection to another charge they are facing under the 2012 Export and Import Law. Journalists Lau Hon Meng from Singapore and Mok Choy Lin from Malaysia along with their interpreter Aung Naing Soe and driver Hla Tin were detained by police on Oct. 27 after they attempted to fly a drone near Parliament in Naypyitaw. The four were initially charged under the 2012 Export and Import Law for illegally bringing the drone into the country. However, at the trial on Nov. 10, they were faced with an unexpected charge and sentenced to two months in jail for breaching the colonial era 1934 Myanmar Aircraft Act. At the court hearing on Thursday, their lawyers objected to the Export/Import Law charge, which carries a penalty of up to three years in prison. "The plaintiff police officer testified that he knew the defendants had been sentenced to two months in prison for flying a drone. According to the law, no one shall be tried on similar charges. So I plead that the charge should be dropped," lawyer U Myo Win, who is representing Lau Hon Meng, told the judge. The judge accepted his pleading of double jeopardy, but the prosecution lawyer insisted that the defense lawyers submit a written pleading, which the latter agreed to do. The next court hearing is set for Nov. 20, where the judge will decide if the Export/Import Law charge is valid or not. "I'm expecting the best. I feel that the trial has been quite fair. I hope mine is a wrong arrest," Ko Aung Naing Soe told The Irrawaddy. He is well respected among Myanmar's journalistic community as a fixer, photographer and cameraman. U Khin Maung Zaw, a lawyer acting for the defendants, said that the charge for breaching the export and import law was inappropriate because the penalty of two months' imprisonment was supposed to cover not only flying the drone, but also bringing it into the country. The plaintiff police officer told the court that they had transferred the case to the Criminal Investigation Department at the instruction of the headquarters of the Myanmar Police Force, and also sought the remarks of the Ministry of Planning and Finance and Ministry of Commerce regarding the charges. The Customs Department replied that the four had not declared the drone at the airport on their arrival, according to the police officer. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. The post Lawyers Object to Charging Journalists Under Export, Import Law for Flying Drone Over Parliament appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Important Takeaways from US Secretary of State Meetings in Naypyidaw Posted: 16 Nov 2017 04:03 AM PST YANGON — US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was in Myanmar's administrative capital Naypyitaw on Wednesday to meet with the State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and military chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing regarding the issues in Rakhine State. The meetings came at a time when Myanmar has been under international criticism coupled with the reimposing of US and EU sanctions on military leadership as more than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims from northern Rakhine State have fled to Bangladesh following security clearance operations that began in August. Many of the refugees said they had witnessed arbitrary killings, rape and arson carried out by the Myanmar Army. After the meetings, Daw Aung San Suu kyi and Rex Tillerson held a joint press conference and took questions from the media, saying that the United States and friends from around the region are committed to helping the Government of Myanmar and its people work through this crisis with urgency, sensitivity, and openness while being dedicated to Myanmar's successful transition. The Secretary of State also had a separate meeting with the military chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing. Here are some highlights from the media briefing and the meeting with the military chief. The Purpose of the Secretary of State's Visit Rex Tillerson: "I'm here today in Naypyitaw to reaffirm our commitment to a successful democratic transition in Myanmar, and that commitment remains strong … We continue to support the elected government as it strives to make progress on urgently needed reforms, to solidify the democratic gains of recent years, and to bring peace and reconciliation, prosperity, and greater respect for human rights. The crisis in Rakhine State is one of the greatest challenges Myanmar has faced since the elected government came into office last year. We're deeply concerned by credible reports of widespread atrocities committed by Myanmar's security forces and by vigilantes who are unrestrained by the security forces during the recent violence in Rakhine State." US Condemnation of the ARSA Rex Tillerson: "We do condemn the August 25 attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army on Myanmar's security forces that initiated this violence and reiterate that there is zero tolerance for such attacks. We express our condolences at the loss of the lives among the Myanmar security forces resulting from this unprovoked attack." US Assistance for Rakhine Issue Rex Tillerson: "I am announcing today that the United States will provide an additional $47 million in humanitarian assistance for refugees, bringing the United States response to the Rakhine State crisis in Myanmar… The United States welcomes the government's commitments to allow refugees to voluntarily return and to implement the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State for creating lasting peace by supporting economic development and respecting the rights of all people in Rakhine State, including those displaced… We are encouraged by recent exchanges between the Government of Myanmar and Government of Bangladesh and urge both sides to continue to work together to ensure the safety and security of those who want to return to their homes." On Civil-Military Relations Rex Tillerson: "It is incumbent upon the military and security forces to respect these commitments of the civilian governments, to assist the government in implementing them, and to ensure the safety and security of all people in Rakhine State… We support the Government of Myanmar's goals of developing its military into a professional and respected institution. As I've told Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing, the military support for Myanmar's ongoing transition to a federal, democratic state is crucial. As part of that process, the military and government must work together to address the grievances of civilians throughout Myanmar and build strong, credible institutions… We recognize the military's responsibility to respond to terrorist or other insurgent attacks. Any response, however, must be disciplined and avoid to the maximum extent possible harming innocent civilians. We will be following up with the Myanmar Government to explore opportunities to collaborate on areas of counter violent extremism and counterterrorism." Calling for an Impartial Investigation on Human Rights Abuses Rex Tillerson: "The recent serious allegations of abuses in Rakhine State demand a credible and impartial investigation, and those who commit human rights abuses or violations must be held accountable. This need for justice and accountability applies not only to Rakhine State but to wherever such abuses or violations occur across Myanmar. Rex Tilerson to AFP: "I think clearly, as you point out, the scenes of what occurred up there are just horrific, and the commander-in-chief shared certain parts of their own internal investigation with me. However, as I indicated in my remarks, I think there still is more that we need to understand about what happened, and that's why we believe an independent investigation would be helpful to everyone to understand what transpired and who should be held to account." On the Rakhine Issue Daw Aung San Suu Kyi: "We have discussed the matter in some detail, and we agree that it most important that we should bring peace and stability to this country, and that can only be done on the basis of rule of law. And everybody should understand that the rule of (inaudible) is to protect peace and stability, not to punish people. If we all understand, then I think we can cooperate on these issues, which are of great concern to the United States as well as to other members of the international community. "I hope you recognize the existing challenges are very great indeed and multifaceted. It's not a one-dimensional Rakhine problem, it's a multidimensional problem that the applies to the whole of the country, which is why we are all involved in its resolution." The State Counselor's Silence on the Humanitarian Crisis Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to FOX News: "I don't know why people say that I've been silent. I haven't been silent. Actually, we've been sending out a lot of statements from my office, and I've also made statements of my own. But I think what people mean is that what I say is not interesting enough. But what I say is not meant to be exciting, it's meant to be accurate. And it's aimed at creating more harmony and a better future for everybody, not for setting people against each other. We mustn't forget that there are many different communities in the Rakhine, and if they are to live together in peace and harmony in the long-term, we can't set them against each other now. We cannot make the kind of statements that drives them further apart. This is the reason why we are very careful about what is said." Ethnic Cleansing Rex Tillerson to FOX News: "I think clearly what we know occurred in Rakhine State that led to so many people fleeing the area has a number of characteristics of certainly crimes against humanity. Whether it meets all of the criteria for ethnic cleansing, I think we continue to evaluate that ourselves. I think this is the reason why an independent investigation would be very useful to help us understand not just who – who to hold accountable – but also why – what were the motivations behind what occurred. On the heels of – again, I'll remind you this started with an attack by the Arakan against Myanmar security forces, and then it was in the response that things seemed to have gotten out of control. So I think an independent investigation would help all of us understand a number of aspects of what's a very, I think, complex situation. Military Claims Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing: "Western countries including the US have used words alleging that the Bengalis fled to Bangladesh due to the use of force from the Myanmar Tatmadaw. The number of Bengalis fleeing to Bangladesh from August 25 to September 5 was very small, and more fled after that. The main reason is that the ARSA extremist Bengali terrorists fled to Bangladesh fearing counter-attacks of security forces after they failed to carry out successful attacks on the security outposts. As they fled, they took their families, causing an exodus….Other Bengalis were also threateningly forced to flee to Bangladesh, while some were persuaded to live in a third country. They left steadily. The international community assumed and said Bengalis fled from Myanmar due to torture but they did not know the real situation, they need to have the real situation. Preparations are being made to re-accept the Bengalis who left Myanmar, under the law." The post Important Takeaways from US Secretary of State Meetings in Naypyidaw appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Analysis: Tillerson Visit May Have Widened Division Between Army and Suu Kyi Posted: 16 Nov 2017 02:46 AM PST In his first visit to Myanmar, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met the two most important figures in the country: Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi praised Tillerson for being open-minded, while the commander-in-chief said in a press release that he had explained the "real situation" in Rakhine State to America's top envoy. The stated purpose of Tillerson's visit was to discuss the issue in Rakhine State and also to cover Myanmar's democratic transition, which faces challenges and uncertainty, as well as the ethnic conflict in Northern Myanmar. Tillerson said the United States would consider individual sanctions against security personnel found to be responsible for human rights abuses against the Rohingya in northern Rakhine State. The visit indicated that the US is not keen to take strong measures against Myanmar over the plight of Rohingya refugees and allegations of human rights violations. The secretary of state said he would not advise "broad-based economic sanctions" against the entire country, and this indeed is welcome news to the government and military leaders. But Tillerson also said, "If we have credible information that we believe to be very reliable that certain individuals were responsible for certain acts that we find unacceptable, then targeted sanctions on individuals very well may be appropriate." Interestingly, when addressing the Rakhine issue the US envoy avoided using the term "Rohingya" apparently so as not to offend the hosts. It is safe to say that the US has reliable information about what has happened since August 25 in northern Rakhine State and wants to limit any diplomatic action to individuals in the armed forces. As for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, it is clear she has no control over the military and she has reportedly opposed a proposal to declare a state of emergency in Rakhine State. Tillerson rightly condemned the initial terrorist attacks that triggered the current crisis. "We do condemn the August 25th attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army on Myanmar's security forces that initiated this violence and reiterate that there is zero tolerance for such attacks. We express our condolences at the loss of the lives among the Myanmar security forces resulting from this unprovoked attack," he said. At the same time, he called for a credible investigation into human rights abuses against Muslim villagers that were allegedly committed by Myanmar's security forces. In his meeting with Tillerson, Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing carefully stated that the military would follow the government's policy on Rakhine State. Regarding the Rakhine issue and the return of refugees from Bangladesh, the general said, "The government will carry out such issues and the Tatmadaw will help the government." But in reality there is fear that there is a deep and growing division and mistrust between Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the top army generals. Some generals believe that she is in favor of Western sanctions and the army sees her as an agent of sabotage according to a recent article in the Bangkok Post. Yet, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has little control over the armed forces. The charges by some international activists about the government and Suu Kyi's involvement in the crackdown on the Rohingya are groundless. She is in fact opposed to martial law and putting Rakhine under military control. However, some foreign critics see her as defending the army and covering up the atrocities in northern Rakhine State during the army operations in late August and early September in response to the terrorist attacks. What many observers fear is that irreparable damage has been done to the relations between the top army leaders and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as the generals suspect she is scheming to have sanctions reimposed against them specifically. She will have to walk a tightrope as in the past. The army remains the most powerful force in the country and relations between Suu Kyi and the military leadership are likely to remain fragile. The post Analysis: Tillerson Visit May Have Widened Division Between Army and Suu Kyi appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Artist U Thu Kha Remembered Fondly a Decade After His Passing Posted: 16 Nov 2017 02:24 AM PST Only a few of Myanmar's artists are honored with statues; and of these statues, only a few are regularly visited by people wishing to pay tribute to the artist's memory. U Thu Kha is one of these select few. A decade after his death, his statue still draws many people paying their respects.  He started working at the State School of Fine Arts in 1964 and mentored hundreds of artists before his death in 2007. "Sayagyi [U Thu Kha] was very kind to his students and colleagues. He mainly taught us about anatomy. His lectures were very clear and easy to understand. He explained the fundamentals very well," said Zaw Win Pe, an artist known for his colorful landscape paintings.  Born in 1918, U Thu Kha devoted his entire life to teaching art. After he passed away, former students commissioned a statue and established a foundation bearing his name, which provides assistance to artists. "He was a very caring person. He not only took care of the health of his students but also acted as guardian for them when they got married. I remember he once made a bed out of fence posts for me while I was studying under him," said artist Min Wai Aung.  A memorial art exhibition, the fifth in a series, is being held until Saturday at New Treasure Art Gallery on Thanlwin Street in Bahan Township. The exhibition showcases more than 300 paintings by U Thu Kha, his contemporaries and his students. The works are for sale, priced at between $200 and $15,000. A percentage of the proceeds will go to the U Thu Kha foundation.  The post Artist U Thu Kha Remembered Fondly a Decade After His Passing appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Pope Advised Not to Use Term ‘Rohingya’ in Myanmar but Rights Groups Disagree Posted: 15 Nov 2017 09:12 PM PST VATICAN CITY — Leading figures in the Catholic Church and international politics have advised Pope Francis not to use the term Rohingya during a trip to Myanmar due to political sensitivities but human rights groups want him to uphold international law on self-identity. Hundreds of thousands of Muslim Rohingya have fled Myanmar following a military crackdown that the United Nations has described as ethnic cleansing. Majority Buddhist Myanmar rejects the term Rohingya and does not recognize them as citizens nor as an ethnic group in its own right. In the run-up to the his Nov. 27 to Dec. 2 trip to Myanmar and Bangladesh, several high-profile figures including former US Secretary General Kofi Annan and Myanmar Cardinal Charles Maung Bo have indicated he should not use the term Rohingya. The pope, a less predictable figure than his predecessor who has overruled advisors in the past, has used the term Rohingya before, and it is widely employed by international institutions such as the United Nations and governments including the United States. The Vatican, which does not make comments on papal speeches ahead of trips, would not say if Francis might heed the advice and use a term like "Muslims in Rakhine State." Roman Catholics make up a tiny minority in Myanmar. Francis, a strong defender of human rights and migrants, has spoken earlier this year of "the persecution of our Rohingya brothers and sisters" and has defended their right to "live their culture and Muslim faith." This month Annan met the pope along with three other members of "The Elders" group of veteran statesmen and women and later hinted strongly that he believed the pope should not say Rohingya. Annan, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and author of an advisory commission report on Rakhine State given to the Yangon government in August, met the pope on the evening of November 6. The Vatican gave no details of the meeting but at a breakfast with a few reporters the next day, Annan was asked if he agreed with those who say the pope’s use of the word Rohingya while he is in Myanmar could be "incendiary." "They are right," Annan said. Annan gave the pope a copy of his 63-page report, which does not use Rohingya but refers only to "Muslims in Rakhine State." "[The word] is so emotional," he said. Asked if he believed that message had been conveyed to the Vatican, Annan nodded. Lakhdar Brahimi, a former Algerian foreign minister and UN conflict mediator called the report "quite substantial." "Little Left Besides Their Name" Human rights groups hope the pope does not pull his punches in Myanmar. "The Rohingya have little left besides their group name after years of statelessness, discriminatory restrictions on movement and access to life-sustaining services, and being targeted by a military subjecting them to ethnic cleansing and atrocities," said Phil Robertson, deputy director for Human Rights Watch in Asia. "The Pope absolutely should stand up for the Rohingya by using the name Rohingya," he said in an email. Myanmar has denied UN accusations of ethnic cleansing. The government says the clearance operation in Rakhine State was necessary for national security after Rohingya militants attacked 30 security posts and an army base in August. Myanmar leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi assumed power in 2016 in a landslide election win after former military leaders initiated a political transition. Asked if the pope should say Rohingya, Laura Haigh, London-based Myanmar expert for Amnesty International, said: "International law recognizes the right of a group to self-identify. It comes down to a principled stand." Father Bernardo Cervelera, head of the Catholic news agency AsiaNews, said the pope should follow the local Church's advice in the country, which has some 700,000 Catholics in a population of more than 51 million that is mostly Buddhist. "Both the Church there and Aung San Suu Kyi are in a delicate position and I think the pope knows that," he said. In 2015, Pope Francis angered Turkey when he used the word "genocide" to describe the World War One mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks. The Turkish government, which denies that the deaths constituted a genocide, recalled its ambassador to the Vatican in protest. The post Pope Advised Not to Use Term 'Rohingya' in Myanmar but Rights Groups Disagree appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Give Displaced Rohingya Jobs to Prevent Human Trafficking, Companies Told Posted: 15 Nov 2017 09:03 PM PST LONDON — Businesses could cut the risk of human trafficking and exploitation of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya in Bangladesh who have fled violence in Myanmar by giving them decent job opportunities, experts said on Wednesday. Fighting in Myanmar's Rakhine State has sent more than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims, a minority group denied citizenship in Myanmar, over the border into Bangladesh since late August, in what the United Nations called "a textbook example of ethnic cleansing." John Morrison of the Institute for Human Rights and Business said the refugees, mainly women and children, would likely end up working as cheap laborers in factories across Bangladesh. "Cox's Bazar is a very poor part of Bangladesh, what are they going to do to subsist?" Morrison said, after speaking at the Thomson Reuters Foundation's annual two-day Trust Conference, which focuses on slavery and women's rights issues. "Many of them will be drawn into the black economy, some of them will be exploited by criminals. They will be exploited again unless proper job opportunities are created for them," the London-based think-tank's chief executive said. Based on case studies, Morrison said Syrian refugees who have fled to Turkey ended up working for a pittance in factories supplying major Western brands. "This could easily happen in the Bangladeshi textile sector as well," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Morrison said firms could protect the Rohingya from human trafficking by offering "meaningful work" and this task should not be left to the host country Bangladesh alone. "Bangladesh is a very poor country," he said. "There is a lot that the big companies here today and others could do to create economic opportunities." Asif Saleh from the Bangladesh-based development agency BRAC said the Rohingya were arriving in an area where traffickers were known to operate and cited a news report this week, which said women refugees were being sold for 5 British pounds. He said Bangladesh's "national denial" of the problem of human trafficking makes it harder to tackle the issue, which was closely linked to poverty. "It's … a social taboo. You can't use words like slavery – the government will react very badly," Saleh said, adding the problem was exacerbated by state corruption. "Very powerful people at the very top are involved in this chain because it's a lucrative market." The post Give Displaced Rohingya Jobs to Prevent Human Trafficking, Companies Told appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
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