The Irrawaddy Magazine |
- Burmese Migrants Continue to Eke Out a Living in Garbage Dump on Thai Border
- Migrant Workers Demand Full Labor Rights in Northern Thailand
- Timeline: Chinese-Burma Relations
- Migrant Rights Activist: Booming Thai Border Town ‘Built on Burmese Sweat’
- Chin State’s Unsuccessful Campaign to Ban Liquor
| Burmese Migrants Continue to Eke Out a Living in Garbage Dump on Thai Border Posted: 01 May 2017 09:19 AM PDT MAE SOT, Thailand — When entering the landfill on the outskirts of Mae Sot on Thailand's border with Burma, flies buzz chaotically around the waste, which ranges from metal devices to worn out clothes to rotten food, the pile standing taller than a grown man. "We consume wasted food if it is good enough. We cook it, if needed. We make our living by collecting wasted and recyclable materials and selling them," explained Ma San Aye, a 45 year-old Burmese woman originally from Kyaukki Township in Pegu Division who has made her home at the garbage dump for more than 15 years along with her children and grandchildren. "We can survive on 20 baht (US$0.58) a day here," she said, sipping her tea as flies attempt to land on the cup's rim.  The garbage piles stand like a small hill in an area called Mae Pa—it is where all of the waste from Mae Sot town is thrown. "Of course it is bad for our health. Before, I had no diseases. Now, I have back pain and chest pain. It is smelly, but we have adapted to it. Before, I would vomit and I couldn't eat for five days. But it is okay now," said Ma San Aye said. She said she makes around 2,000 baht (US$58) a month selling materials she finds at the dump. Those who reside near the waste site live in makeshift tents, where they eat and sleep. Some sort through the trash during the daytime, and others do so at night.  "We can't survive if we are afraid of bad, dirty and smelly waste. It is like our kitchen—we eat here and live here," said Ko Than Oo, 49, while collecting recyclable materials around the landfill. Sweat fell on his face and his clothes were soaked with perspiration. "I know the smell is not good for our health. I get severe headaches and dizziness. Sometimes, I have heavy coughing," he said.  Ko Than Oo has lived near the garbage pile with his blind and aging mother for 12 years. Despite the reforms underway in Burma, he said he has no plan to go back to his homeland, as he does not have a job there. He makes about 150 baht (US$4.34) a day by collecting and selling recyclable materials. This, he said, is enough to feed himself and his mother. Several other people, including women and children, are also busy, collecting rubbish in the heat. There are more than 100 households living at the garbage pile, and, according to residents, some have been living here for up to 20 years.  U Moe Joe, chairman of Joint Action Committee for Burma Affairs in Mae Sot, has been supporting Burmese workers in the area for 14 years. He told The Irrawaddy that there are 300 Burmese people currently living in and around Mae Sot's landfill; they came to Thailand hoping to escape poverty and unemployment in their hometowns. "They depend on the garbage. They make their living by collecting waste," he said. Although Mae Sot is experiencing economic growth, many of the benefits do not reach the Burmese migrant workers who live and work there, U Moe Joe explained, saying that instead, those who work in factories, construction, and in waste collection are frequently "left behind."  The garbage collector Ko Than Oo said that migrants like himself are excluded from experiencing development in Mae Sot, adding, "It has nothing to do with us." For Ma San Aye, her relationship with the waste site has become a way of life, and a resource on which she depends in order to make a living. "For us it is like a pile of gold and money. We rely on this garbage," she says, smoking a cheroot in her tent while her grandchildren play nearby.
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| Migrant Workers Demand Full Labor Rights in Northern Thailand Posted: 01 May 2017 05:24 AM PDT CHIANG MAI, Thailand—Burmese migrant workers and local Thai workers marched to Chiang Mai City Hall on Monday afternoon to demand full labor rights on the occasion of International Labor Day, or May Day. Around 200 workers from the Northern Thailand Labor Network—which is comprised of Thai and Burmese workers' associations as well as local academics—conducted a two-day workshop on Sunday and Monday to collect workers' voices on the internationally-recognized labor day. "Migrant workers face continuous problems [in Thailand], we want all domestic and foreign migrant workers' labor rights to be protected," said Brahm Press, the director of labor rights NGO Migrant Assistance Program. Workers called on the Thai government and its interior and labor ministries, Chiang Mai's governor, and the Burmese government to ensure workers in all occupations have access to a safe working environment, social security benefits without discrimination, and access to skills development. They want all occupations—including domestic work, the service sector, and sex work—to be covered by Thailand's labor protection law, which is not currently the case. The workers also recommended an increase in the minimum wage, and for it to be applied to foreign migrant workers as well as domestic workers. "Laborers want the minimum wage to increase to 450 baht a day, instead of 300 baht, for all workers, including migrants," explained Brahm Press, echoing the sentiments of marchers that the Irrawaddy spoke to. One such Burmese migrant worker, who did not give her name, said that she joined the march to demand an increase in the minimum wage and that workers had to continue to press the Chiang Mai authorities as promises of better labor rights were unfulfilled in the past. "We urge [the government] to use the more humanized term as 'migrant workers,' instead of using the term the 'Alien laborers' in Thailand," Brahm Press also said. Labor activists want Burmese and Thai authorities to implement changes as soon as possible. Pi Thong Khan, a legal consultant to migrants in northern Thailand, said they wanted their demands to "be fulfilled as soon as possible within the year 2017." However, Brahm Press said unless the governments adopt policy changes by ratifying the Internal Labor Organization (ILO) conventions, "it is hard to expect immediate implementation of the recommendations." He said that one small victory was won from demands last year: Migrant workers in Thailand holding a work permit were granted freedom of movement around the province in which they were registered without the need for prior permission. The migrant worker rights activists also want more cooperation from Burmese authorities. Pi Thong Khan said it is very rare to receive assistance from the Burmese consulate in Chiang Mai, noting that consulate officers declined to join the weekend seminar. The Northern Thailand Labour Network also demanded to extend Thailand's legal working age to 60 years, as currently Thai law forbids working passed the age of 55. The Network want the Thai government to ratify the ILO's conventions to guarantee rights including the freedom of association the right to collective bargaining and negotiation. The they also demanded the swift signing of ILO Convention no. 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers this year to promote recognition of domestic workers' labor rights.
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| Timeline: Chinese-Burma Relations Posted: 30 Apr 2017 11:56 PM PDT In 1949, Mao Zedong established the Peoples' Republic of China, which was formally recognized by the freshly independent Burmese government. Here is a chronology of the diplomatic relations in the 58 years that followed. 2017 Jan 28: The Rangoon government organizes Chinese New Year Celebrations, said to be the grandest Chinese New Year celebrations in more than five decades. Rangoon Division chief minister U Phyo Min Thein and National League for Democracy (NLD) Patron U Tin Oo both attend. April 6-11: Burma's President U Htin Kyaw makes his first goodwill visit to China and holds talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders. The Kyaukphyu-Kunming oil pipeline agreement is signed.  April 21: Burma's State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu kyi meets with Chang Zhenming, the chairman of the China International Trust and Investment Company (CITIC) Group in Naypyidaw to discuss the group's involvement in the deep-water Seaport project in Kyaukphyu SEZ and transportation and infrastructure development in Burma. The meeting is joined by Burmese cabinet members from the Ministry of Commerce, Foreign Affairs, Electricity and Energy along with Hong Liang, the Chinese Ambassador to Burma, and a CITC delegation.  April 25: China offers to help tackle a diplomatic row between Bangladesh and Burma over the flight of Rohingya Muslims from Burma. April 26: Top Chinese legislator Zhang Dejiang meets Chairman of the Legal Affairs and Special Cases Assessment Commission U Shwe Mann in Beijing. The two vow to push forward China-Burma ties. During the trip the chairman also has a meeting with the Chinese Deputy Foreign Minsiter Liu Zhenmin. 2016 April 5: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pays a goodwill visit to Burma at the invitation of Burma's de facto leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. He is the first foreign minister to visit Burma since the government of the National League for Democracy (NLD) assumed office in March. The two discuss the strengthening of Sino-Burma ties and promoting the interests of citizens of the two countries.  July, 26: China's Special Envoy on Asian Affairs Sun Guoxiang addresses the summit of ethnic armed organizations in Kachin State's Mai Ja Yang. August 12: President U Htin Kyaw forms a 20-member commission to assess proposed hydropower projects on the Irrawaddy River. The commission is tasked with assessing the potential environmental and social effects of any proposed project along the Irrawaddy River, as well as the possible impact on foreign investment and the wider economy. August 17-21: At the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Burma's State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi visits China. In the trip, Burmese and Chinese governments sign economic and technical cooperation agreement and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a feasibility study for proposed Kunlong Bridge project which would be built with China's assistance. November 25: The first high-level meeting of foreign and defense ministries of Burma and China is held. Discussions focus on border stability and China's role in Burma's peace process. 2015 April 22: President U Thein Sein meets Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asian-African Summit also known as the Bandung Conference in Indonesia's Jakarta. April 26: Burma's Speaker of the Lower House meets vice chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and director of the International Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. June 10-14: At the invitation of the Communist Party of China, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi visits China for the first time in her capacity as the chairwoman of the NLD and meets Chinese President Xi Jinping.  July 30: Over 150 Chinese citizens who were handed life sentences by a Burmese court for illegal logging in Burma are released with presidential amnesty after they spent eight days behind the bars. Oct 3: President U Thein Sein attends the 70th Anniversary of Victory of the World Anti-Fascist War at Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Dec 4: Special Envoy of the Chinese Government and Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin pays a call on President U Thein Sein in Naypyidaw. 2014 Feb 19: Vice-President U Nyan Tun receives Chinese Ambassador to Burma Yang Houlan in Naypyidaw. April 7: A parliamentary delegation led by Lower House Speaker Thura U Shwe Mann visits China and meets Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. May 19: Burma Army Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing receives General Chang Wanquan, Minister of Defense and State Councilor of China in Naypyidaw. The Chinese general pays a call on President U Thein Sein the following day. June 23: Chairman of the Union Election Commission U Tin Aye receives Chinese Ambassador to Burma Yang Houlan at the commission in Naypyidaw. June 28-29: President U Thein Sein attends activities marking the 60th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence also known as Bandung Principles with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and Indian Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari. Nov 14: Chinese Premier Li Keqiang pays a state visit to Burma. Dec 16: President U Thein Sein receives a Chinese goodwill delegation led by Chinese Vice-President Li Yuanchao in Naypyidaw. Dec 22: Police Force and locals clash after China's Wanbao Co fenced in the farmlands of farmers who have refused to take compensation for their confiscated farmlands in Letpadaung Copper Mine. Daw Khin Win, a 56-year-old local, is killed by a stray bullet in the clash.  2013 Jan 1: Vice President Dr Sai Mauk Kham receives personnel of China Three Gorges Corporation (CTGC) and International Group of Entrepreneurs Company (IGOEC), which are implementing Mong Ton Hydropower Project. Jan 15: A Chinese delegation led by deputy commerce minister Chen Jian meets NLD chairperson Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at the Parliament building in Naypyidaw and discusses investment between the two countries. Jan 19: President U Thein Sein receives a Chinese special delegation led by deputy foreign minister Fu Ying at the Rangoon Division government office. April 5-7: President U Thein Sein meets Chinese President Xi Jinping in China. He gives an interview to journalist Li Xiaokun of the China Daily on April 6 and addresses the opening of Boao for the 2013 Asia Annual Conference.  April 10: Burma Army Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing receives Chinese Ambassador to Burma Yang Houlan. June 23: State Councillor Yang Jiechi visits Burma. July 23: President U Thein Sein receives Vice Chairman of Central Military Commission General Fan Changlong in Naypyidaw. September 2: President U Thein Sein attends 10th China-Asean Expo in Nanning and meets Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. October 16: Burma Army Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing visits China and meets President Xi Jinping who is also the chairman of Central Military Commission of Communist Party of China. 2012 March 26: President U Thein Sein receives Governor of Yunnan Province Li Ji Heng in Naypyidaw. July 10: President U Thein Sein receives State Councillor and Minister of Public Security of China Meng Jianzhu in Naypyidaw. September 11: Vice-President Dr Sai Mauk Kham receives Chinese Ambassador to Burma Li Junhua. September 22: President U Thein Sein attends the 9th China-Asean Expo in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. 2011 March 13: A Chinese delegation led by Lt-Gen Jia Tingan, deputy director of General Political Department of People's Liberation of Army of China, calls on Burma Army Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing and senior military officers in Naypyidaw. April 4: President U Thein Sein receives Member of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee Politburo and Chairman of the 11th National Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Jia Qinglin in Naypyidaw. April 27: VicenPresident Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo attends the signing of a MoU between the Ministry of Transport and China Railways Engineering Corporation on the Muse-Kyaukphyu railroad project. May 12: Burma Army Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing receives Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission General Xu Caihou in Naypyidaw and signs an agreement on cooperation between the two armed forces. President U Thein Sein also receives the Chinese general the next day. May 27: President U Thein Sein makes his first state visit to China since assuming presidency in March where he meets Chinese President Hu Jintao, Premier Wan Jiabao and other leaders. The two countries promote their relationship on a strategic level, and nine economic agreements and memoranda of understanding are signed. Oct 16: Vice President Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo receives chairman of the China Railway Engineering Corporation (CREC) in Naypyidaw and discuses cooperation in the railroad sector. Oct 19: Vice President Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo holds talks with the chairman of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Yang Kaisheng on bilateral cooperation in the financial and banking sectors. Nov 6: President U Thein Sein and his wife pay obeisance to the Tooth Relic of Buddha which is conveyed from China to Burma for a few days for public worship. 2010 Feb 25: The Ministry of Electric Power and two Chinese companies Hanergy Holding Group Limited and Goldwater Resources Limited (GRL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the implementation of Upper Thanlwin also known as the Kunlong Hydropower Project. April 24: The Ministry of Electric Power and China's Sino Hydro Corporation Limited, Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), and International Group of Entrepreneurs (IGE) sign an agreement on the implementation of the Hatgyi Hydropower Project. May 27: The Ministry of Electric Power, local company Tun Thwin Mining Co Ltd and China's Guodian Corporation sign memoranda of understanding on the Mawlaik Hydropower Project the and Kalewa Coal-fired Power Plant Project. June 2-3: A Chinese delegation led by Chinese Premier Wan Jiabao visits Burma and meets Snr-Gen Than Shwe in Naypyidaw. June 16: Burma Petroleum and Chemical Enterprise of the Ministry of Energy and China's North Petro-Chem Corporation Limited sign a profit-sharing contract on the production of oil and gas from Block F of onshore territory. Nov 9: Spokesperson of the China Ministry of Foreign Affairs Hong Lei congratulates Burma on the successful holding of a multi-party democratic election, reports Xinhua News Agency. 2009 Jan 23: Burma Army Deputy Chief Vice Senior General Maung Aye receives military attaches of China in Naypyidaw. March 18: Snr-Gen Than Shwe receives a Chinese goodwill delegation led by Chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army of China General Chen Bingde. March 26: Li Changchun, member of the Standing Committee of the Central Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China, pays a call on Snr-Gen Than Shwe in Naypyidaw. March 28: Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) General Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo receives the chairman of the China National Petroleum Corporation Jiang Jiemin. June 16: Vice Senior General Maung Aye and wife Daw Mya Mya San, at the invitation of Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, visit China. The Vice Senior General also meets Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. Nov 4: Media report about China National Petroleum Corporation (CNP)'s establishment of an oil and gas pipeline linking Burma's deep-water port of Kyaukphyu (Sittwe) in the Bay of Bengal with Kunming in Yunnan Province. Dec 20: Snr-Gen Than Shwe receives a Chinese delegation led by Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping in Naypyidaw. Xi Jinping also meets Vice Senior General Maung Aye and signs agreements on cooperation in trade, transportation infrastructure, financial sector, hydropower generation, energy, and oil and gas pipeline. 2008 May 10: Military Attach̩ of the Chinese Embassy in Rangoon Senior Colonel Fan Lianfeng observes people voting in a national referendum to ratify the 2008 Constitution. May 30: Chinese medical teams provide medical services for Cyclone Nargis victims from May 19 to May 30 in Rangoon and Irrawaddy divisions. August 8: Prime Minister General Thein Sein attends the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games and meets Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wan Jiabao. Oct 28: Member of the State Peace and Development Council General Thura Shwe Mann receives a Chinese goodwill delegation led by General Zhang Li of People's Liberation Army. 2007 Jan 13: China and Russia veto a draft resolution regarding Burma, submitted by the United States to the United Nations Security Council. Jan 23: Senior General Than Shwe receives Li Tieying, Vice-Chairman of the Chinese National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, in Naypyidaw. June 6: Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) Lt-Gen Thein Sein visits Beijing at the invitation of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China. June 29: SPDC member General Thura Shwe Mann receives deputy commander of the Yunnan Military Region Maj-Gen Lin Tinggui of China at the Ministry of Defense in Naypyidaw. Nov 18: Prime Minister General Thein Sein attends the 13th Asean Summit and related meetings in Singapore. At the summit, Chinese Premier Wan Jiabao says imposing sanctions and putting pressures on Burma would contribute nothing to its national reconciliation process. 2006 August 8: Burmese Prime Minister General Soe Win receives Chairman of the Chinese Development Bank Chen Yuan in Naypyidaw. Sept 19: The Chinese government presents locomotives and coaches to Myanma Railways (MR) in a ceremony at the Central Railway Station in Rangoon. Oct 22: Chief of the General Staff of the China People's Liberation Army Liang Guanglie pays a call on Snr-Gen Than Shwe at the Ministry of Defense in Naypyidaw. 2005 June 7: Senior General Than Shwe sends a message of congratulations on the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Burma and China. Oct 17-20: Burmese Prime Minister General Soe Win attends the second China-Asean Expo in China's Nanning and the China-Asean Economic and Investment Summit. Nov 16: Senior General Than Swe receives member of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee Politburo and Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Wang Zhaoguo. 2004 Feb 23: Snr-Gen Than Shwe receives vice-chairman of the People's Political Consultative Conference Luo Haocai in Rangoon. April 23: Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice Senior General Maung Aye receives outgoing military attach̩ Senior Colonel Xu Shulai and incoming Senior Colonel Ma Shoudoing in Rangoon. Dec 2: РDeputy Chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China General Ge Zhenfeng and party pay a goodwill visit to Burma. Dec 16: Vice Senior General Maung Aye receives a Chinese military delegation led by Lt-Gen Sun Zhiqing of the People's Liberation Army of China. 2003 Jan 6-11: At the invitation of Chinese President Jiang Zemin, Snr-Gen Than Shwe and wife Daw Kyaing Kyaing visit China. November 14: Secretary of Yunnan Province Communist Province of China Bai Enpei pays a courtesy call on Snr-Gen Than Shwe in Rangoon. December 1: Deputy Chief of General Staff General Wu Quanxu pays a courtesy call on Snr-Gen Than Shwe in Rangoon. 2002 Jan 20: At the invitation of Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), a Chinese goodwill delegation led by the secretary-general of the State Council of China Wang Zhongyu visits Burma. Snr-Gen Than Swe receives the delegation. May 7: The committee to implement Burma-China bilateral agreements meets in Rangoon, addressed by Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt. Sept 30: Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt attends a ceremony to mark China National Day at the Chinese Embassy in Rangoon. 2001 January 17: Chinese Minister of Public Security Jia Chunwang meets with Sec-1 Lt Gen Khin Nyunt. April 25: General Fu Quangyou, Chief of General Staff Headquarters for China People's Liberation Army meets with Prime Minister Than Shwe and Army Chief Gen Maung Aye. May 7: Maj-Gen Nyunt Tin, Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation, observes the Chinese agriculture industry and factories that produce machinery for water distribution. December 12-16 Jiang Zemin visits Burma and signs economic and border agreements. 2000 May 2-5: Engineers from China's armed forces meet with Burmese military officers at a naval base in Tenasserim Division according to a Radio Free Asia report. The meetings focus on the construction of two bases in the area with assistance from the Chinese Navy and Air Forces. May 31: Chinese State Councillor Ismail Amat meets with Prime Minister Than Shwe and Sec-1 Lt Gen Khin Nyunt. June 5: Gen Maung Aye meets with Chinese president Jiang Zemin and Premier Zhu Rongji on separate occasions in Hong Kong and China, and holds talks with Vice-President Hu Jintao. The sides sign a joint statement on the framework of future bilateral relations and cooperation. July 16: Vice President Hu Jintao and Deputy Foreign Minister Wang Guangya, meet with PM Than Shwe, Gen Maung Aye, Lt Gen Khin Nyunt, and Lt Gen Tin Oo in Burma. August 6: Chinese Deputy of Foreign Affairs meets with Sec-1 Lt Gen Khin Nyunt, Minister of Foreign Affairs Win Aung and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Khin Maung Win. September: A new special trade zone intended to open an outlet to Southeast Asia is established on the border between Burma and Yunnan, China. Meanwhile, the Bank of China approves a US$120 million loan to the Myanmar Electric Power Enterprise to build a massive hydroelectric generator. October 25: Sec-3 Lt Gen Win Myint pays a goodwill visit to the Chinese Association for International Understanding. November 24: Fang Zuqi Political Commissar of Nanjing Military Command of the People's Liberation Army meets with Army Chief Gen Maung Aye. 1999 June: Burma-China bilateral trade, including border trade, reaches US$78.21 million in the first two months of the year, a sharp increase of 123.7% over the $34.95 million figure registered in the same period the prior year, according to Burma's Central Statistical Organization. June: Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt visits China. December: Foreign Minister Win Aung visits China. 1998 Burma and China sign a US$250 million loan deal under which Beijing agrees to provide funds for a 280 megawatt hydroelectric power plant near Pyinmana. The Burmese government allows the publication of two local Chinese language newspapers "Mian Dien Huo Bao (The Burmese Morning Post) and Shijie Ribao (Universal Daily) that target readers both in Burma and other countries in the region. May: Junta blasts George Fernandes, Indian Defense Minister, for accusing Rangoon of allowing China to set up military installations within its territory. 1997 March: Chairman Li Ruihuan visits Burma. October: Vice-Premier Wu Bangguo visits Burma. December 14-16: Senior Gen Than Shwe meets with Jiang Zemin in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at the second Asean informal summit. 1996 January 7: Senior Gen Than Shwe makes his first visit to China since taking over as Chairman of ruling SLORC in 1992. October: Army Chief Gen Maung Aye visits China. 1995 Defense Minister Chi Haotian visits Burma. 1994 August: General Li Jiulong, commander of China's Chengdu military region visits Burma. Chengdu is the command headquarters and major supply base for Chinese troops in Tibet. August: Burma buys two modified Jianghu-class Chinese frigates. August: Chinese consulate in Mandalay opens. September: Khin Nyunt visits China. September 2: Burmese Air Force chief Lt-Gen Thein Win, goes to Kunming, China to oversee the delivery of another squadron of military aircraft from China. September 29: Burma signs an agreement with a leading Chinese shipping firm in Rangoon to purchase new ships for Myanmar Five Star Shipping Line. November: Sec-2 Tin Oo visits China. December 26-28: Chinese Premier Li Peng visits Burma at the invitation of Than Shwe, the head of the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). 1993 February: State Councillor and Foreign Minister Qian Qichen visit Burma. September 1: Burma opens a consulate in Kunming, China. 1991 January: State Councillor and Sec-Gen of the State Council, Luo Gan visits Burma. Early May: Eleven Chinese-made F7 jet fighters are delivered to Burma as part of a US$1 billion arms deal between Beijing and Rangoon which also includes naval patrol boats, tanks, armoured personnel carriers, light arms, anti- aircraft guns and missiles, ammunition and other military equipment. August 21-26: Gen.Saw Maung visits China. He meets Prime Minister Li Peng and President Yang Shangkun, who promise more political and military aid to Rangoon. November: Deputy Chief of General Staff He Qizong visits Burma. 1990 August 10: The first major shipment of arms and ammunition from China arrives in Rangoon. 1989 February 20: The CPB's politburo holds a crisis meeting at Panghsang. It is revealed that Chinese have approached the CPB and offered the leaders retirement in China. The CPB leadership reacts angrily to the suggestion, saying: "We have no desire to become revisionists." October 18-29: A 24-member senior Burmese military delegation, led by Lt-Gen Than Shwe, visits China. 1988 December: Border trade is officially opened between the two countries. 1980 July 10: The government announces that the Chinese aid program signed in Beijing on July 12, 1979 will consist of eight projects: the building of the Rangoon-Syriam Bridge, 40,000 spindle yarn-making machines, three rice mills with 150 ton per day capacity, the supply of water to Moulmein city, and three million renminbi-yuan for machinery and tools. 1979 July 12: Rangoon announces a new US$63 million aid agreement with China for unspecified projects. November 28: China's foreign minister, Huang Hua, arrives in Burma. 1975 November 11-15: Ne Win visits China for four days, and reaches an agreement that there will be no "aggressive acts" between the two nations. 1973 December 15-18: Shan State Army (SSA) leaders Hso Hten and Hso Noom appeal for help from the CPB during a meeting at Panghsang. The first links between the SSA and the CPB are established. The Shan and Karen rebel delegations to Panghsang are invited to visit China. They travel to Simao and Kunming. 1971 A new trade agreement is signed giving each country most-favored nation status. 1968 January 1: Several hundred heavily armed CPB troops, led by Kachin wartime hero Naw Seng, cross the border from China and capture Mong Ko in northeastern Shan state. All-out Chinese support for the CPB insurgence begins. January 5: CPB troops led by Pheung Kya-Shin and Pheung Kya Fu cross the border from China into Kokang area in northeastern Shan State. April 6: China protests against "unwarranted arrests" of ethnic Chinese in Burma. 1967 January 27: One hundred and thirty-two Naga rebels from northeastern India reach the Yunnan frontier, having been trekking through northern Burma since Oct. 24, 1966. Led by Thuingaleng Muivah and Thinoselie M.Keyho, they are received by the Chinese, who provide them with political and military training. June 19: The Ministry of Education bans the wearing of all "unauthorized badges" by students. The order is aimed at the wearing of Mao badges primarily by students of ethnic Chinese origin in Rangoon. June 26: Two thousand Burmese gather outside two Chinese schools in Rangoon. June 28: One thousand three hundred and twenty eight Chinese in Rangoon are detained. The Chinese embassy protests officially against the incident. June 29: The Chinese embassy in Rangoon is attacked by demonstrators. Beijing announces that its ambassador will not return to Rangoon. Official Burmese sources say over fifty Chinese were killed during the period June 22-29; the Chinese say that several hundred were killed. July 7: China's aid program to Burma is suspended. July 16: A correspondent for the New China News Agency is expelled from Burma. August 11: The Chinese foreign minister delivers protest to the Burmese embassy in Beijing, accusing Burmese aircraft of intruding into Yunnan. August 21: All Burmese students studying in China are recalled. Critical Burmese sources claim that the anti-Chinese riots were stirred up the government to deflect attention from acute rice shortages. August-September: The Kachin rebels send their first delegation to China, led by Brang Seng. They visit Beijing and Shanghai. October 6: All Chinese technicians are ordered to leave Burma. 1965 July 24-August 1: Ne Win visits China. A joint communique is issued, reaffirming the 1961 treaty and five principles of peaceful coexistence.  1963 September 3: The third group of CPB members, led by Thakin Ba Thein Tin, returns from China to Rangoon to participate in peace talks. November: Thakin Ba Thein Tin returns to Beijing from Rangoon. CPB members Khin Maung Gyi, San Thu and Thein Aung return from Moscow to Beijing where they rejoin Thakin Ba Thein Tin and the others. Thakin Ba Thein Tin, Khin Maung Gyi, Thakin Than Myaing, Than Shwe and Tin Yee set up a "leading group of five" in Beijing to prepare for a China-sponsored push into Burma. San Thu begin to survey the Sino-Burmese border areas for possible infiltration routes into northeastern Burma. Naw Seng's Kachins, who have been staying in Guizhou, go to Sichuan for talks with Thakin Ba Thein Tin and other CPB leaders. 1962 February 24: China issues a protest against US intervention in Vietnam, saying it poses a "direct threat" to North Vietnam and jeopardizes "the security of China and the peace in Asia" August 1: Communist Party of Burma [CPB] exiles in China are allowed to issue their first public statement, condemning the new military regime. 1961 January 2-9: Zhou Enlai visits Burma. The border agreement is ratified. An economic and technical cooperation agreement is signed on Jan. 9, according to which the Chinese pledge to give Burma an interest-free loan of US$30 million to be disbursed during the period Oct. 1, 1961 to Sept. 30. January 26: A combined force of three divisions (20,000 troops) of regulars from the Chinese Peoples' Liberation Army (PLA) and 5,000 Burmese troops attack KMT bases north of Kengtung, Shan State. The campaign is codenamed the "Mekong River Operation". April: A joint US-Taiwan communique says, "the 6,000 KMT soldiers remaining in Burma's Shan State are not in any way connected or concerned with the US government or The Republic of China. October 10-15: U Nu visits China.  1960 September 4-early October: U Nu visits China and attends China's National Day celebrations with a delegation of more than 400 persons. October: A boundary treaty between China and Burma is signed in Beijing. 1954 The first trade agreement between the two countries is signed. 1953 April: The Democratic Nationalities United Front (DNUF) is formed in the hills near Papun by Karen, Karenni, Pa-O and Mon rebels. Another Chinese army unit enters the Wa hills and clashes with the Burmese Army. June 28-29: Chinese foreign minister Zhou Enlai visits Rangoon. July 30: Defense Minister Ba Swe says that Burma is going to the UN to have Nationalist China declared an aggressor and unseated from the world body. September: Lt-Gen Ne Win leads a high power military delegation to China. They visit munitions factories and army training establishments. November: U Nu (in his capacity as AFPFL President) visits China and meets with Zhou Enlai. China agrees to withdraw all its forces from disputed border areas in Kachin State. Anti-Fascist People Freedom League [AFPFL]. November: Thirty Chinese soldiers enter the Wa Hills and clash with the same number of troops from the Burmese army. December 1-16:U Nu visits China. More talks are held about the border question and the question of nationality of Chinese residents in Burma. 1950 January-March: Over 2,000 Kuomintang (KMT) forces from Yunnan cross the border to set up base in Kengtung, eastern Shan state following the Communist victory in China. 1949 October 1: Mao Zedong proclaims the Peoples' Republic of China in Beijing. December 17: Burma recognizes the Peoples' Republic of China.
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| Migrant Rights Activist: Booming Thai Border Town ‘Built on Burmese Sweat’ Posted: 30 Apr 2017 11:34 PM PDT MAE SOT, Thailand — Mae Sot, a border town in western Thailand, has changed starkly in the past few years. Once quiet, the town now has shopping malls, hotels, an airport, a new bridge, and construction projects widening its main road. The graft of Burmese labor workers contributes greatly to the town's development. U Moe Joe, a longtime Burmese migrant rights activist and the chairman of Mae Sot-based Joint Action Committee for Burma Affairs (JACBA), has been supporting Burmese workers in the town for 14 years. Senior reporter Saw Yan Naing interviews U Moe Joe about his views on the growth of Mae Sot and its consequences for migrant workers. How do you see the expansion of Mae Sot? There are huge expansion projects in Mae Sot, including an airport, shopping malls, supermarkets, government offices, buildings, and a hospital. These all benefit the Thai people, but many Burmese migrant workers who work in construction don't receive proper wages. Many workers on Robinson [a shopping mall named for its primary department store] still haven't received their wages and we heard that migrants who helped construct the airport didn't get full wages. The workers were supposed to be paid 300 Thai baht (US$8.5) a day but some received 160-250 baht ($4.5-7.2). There's still exploitation—it's one of the results of expansion in Mae Sot, but Burmese migrant workers should also benefit. Every construction project has problems paying the migrant workers. Have you noticed many Burmese migrant workers returning home now that their country is opening? Some Burmese workers are going back to live in Burma now the NLD [National League for Democracy] has come to power, but we don't know the official figure. Some permanently move back and others go back and forth. Garment factory workers, who do well back in Burma, often go back but it doesn't work out so well for those in construction and agriculture. They come to Thailand after they don't find work in Burma. Numbers of Burmese people still come to Thailand for work but we don't have the statistics because many of them cross into Thailand illegally. Migrant workers visiting their homes have brought back friends in the past but we don't see that now. The number of newcomers is decreasing. What about the abuse and exploitation of Burmese migrant workers in Mae Sot compared to the past? Employers used to solve their problems with employees in a criminal way and the migrant workers always lost, but now the Thai government is working on upgrading standards, especially for child workers and forced laborers. The government fines employers but in no case has the employer been jailed. It's common for employees to be jailed, so there are many things that need improving. Guilty employers should also been jailed yet, for now, they pay the fine and are free. Why do Burmese people still go to work in Thailand? There are still problems with the wages in Burma, although it's improving under the new civilian government compared to the previous regime. Workers in Burma do not get paid the same rate as those in Thailand, which is why they still come. When did Mae Sot begin to expand? Mae Sot is a town in Tak Province where all the government offices are based. It has a lot of factories—180 registered factories by our estimate. So migrant workers go to Mae Sot. Within the last five years, government offices, departments, privately owned buildings and hotels have sprung up. All the construction on those buildings was built with the labor of Burmese migrant workers. They work in the heat. They built them with their sweat. The post Migrant Rights Activist: Booming Thai Border Town 'Built on Burmese Sweat' appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Chin State’s Unsuccessful Campaign to Ban Liquor Posted: 30 Apr 2017 07:30 PM PDT For eight years, prohibition was in effect in Chin State's Thantlang Township. Today, it is water under the bridge. Liquor is once again legal in the town and there is no longer a need for villagers to travel to nearby Hakha to imbibe. After a vigorous but unsuccessful eight-year campaign to ban liquor, campaigners abandoned their efforts in 2015, according to campaigner and pastor of the Thantlang Township Baptist Church Lawng Benk. Following an increase in the number of bars, local ethnic Chin people had asked the government in 2006 to ban the sale of liquor to prevent the demoralization of the younger generation as well as to reduce crime. Chin State is one of the least developed areas in Burma, and struggles with a lack of educational institutions and general infrastructure.  Although alcohol is legal throughout Burma, the government did not sell or renew licenses in Thantlang Township in 2006 and 2007 following the request made by locals. In 2008, Christian churches and community elders contributed money—at least 2 million kyats annually—to buy the annual allotment of licenses in order to prevent distribution. In 2010, the Baptist Church announced that it would expel those who distributed liquor, bootleggers, and their families from the church, and that it would not cover funeral services for concerned parties. Campaigners also carried out programs to raise awareness among the youth regarding the health risks of drinking. Farming is a major source of livelihood for locals, and many have said liquor helps them fight weariness and harsh weather. Despite campaigners' efforts, liquor was brought in from bordering townships and sold illegally. Pastors tried unsuccessfully to control the black market by stopping cars and motorbikes that came into town and destroying any liquor they found. "Pastors checked town entrances at night, but the more people we caught, the more who carried it in," said Lawng Benk. There was eventually a standoff between locals and pastors. Pastors filed complaints against smugglers in court, but they were met with nominal fines, which did not mitigate the smuggling. Police and soldiers sold liquor illegally, Lawng Benk said, and pastors took to impersonating buyers in order to find unsanctioned sellers.  As campaigners were unable to arrest the sellers and fines had little effect, more than 2,000 Chin locals staged a protest, calling on the government to impose an official ban and introduce necessary regulations and punishments. More than 1,300 locals signed a petition to this effect. "But nothing happened," said Lawng Benk. At the same time, some Thantlang locals asked the state government to allow bars in line with nationwide laws and regulations. The Chin State government, perhaps prompted by the steady smuggling and high price of liquor on the black market for locals, allowed bars to reopen. Campaigners eventually gave up on their efforts. "It was like the more we prohibited liquor, the worse the situation became," said Lawng Benk. Currently, there are three licensed bars in Thantlang Township, which has a population of some 50,000 people. The post Chin State's Unsuccessful Campaign to Ban Liquor appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
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