The Irrawaddy Magazine |
- Hindu Refugee Shares Eyewitness Account of Maungdaw Violence
- A Cat’s World
- Nationalists Urge Citizens to Support Govt Response in Rakhine
- Myanmar Govt to Redistribute Vacant Land
- Waves in Minds
- Malaysia’s Dissent on Myanmar Statement Reveals Cracks in ASEAN Facade
- UN Chief to Brief Security Council on Myanmar on Thursday
- Vietnam Uses Water Cannons to Disperse Protest at Global Fashion Brands Supplier
- Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on Politics and Crises: In Quotes
- Ten Things to do in Yangon This Week
| Hindu Refugee Shares Eyewitness Account of Maungdaw Violence Posted: 26 Sep 2017 09:07 AM PDT YANGON – Rica, a 25-year-old Hindu woman from Kha Maung Seik village tract in northern Rakhine State, told The Irrawaddy on Monday that she had escaped abduction by militants from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and recounted her experience from Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh, where she has sought safety. From Yangon, this reporter spoke to Rica on the phone in Bangladesh about her ordeal, which began on Aug. 25, but the details of which remain unable to be independently verified, because access for journalists to the region has been severely restricted. On that day, ARSA militants conducted coordinated attacks on 30 border police outposts, and, she claims, raided several Hindu villages. Armed with swords and guns, Rica estimates that they captured around 100 non-Muslims in Maungdaw Township's Kha Maung Seik. The victims, bound and blindfolded, were marched to a forest near the village of Yebaw Kya, before being executed, she said. "My husband knelt to the ground and a man chopped his neck with a machete right in front Before they killed the men, Rica said that the militants accused the Hindus of being "the same as" the Arakanese. She said that they brought up issues of citizenship, pointing out how the self-identifying Rohingya Muslims had been made stateless, but that Hindus and Buddhists were able to obtain identification documents. Rica said she was among eight women who were spared, but whose ID cards were burned, and who were selected to convert to Islam, prepare for marriage, and travel to Bangladesh. As the mother of young children, she explained that she cooperated so as to protect them. On the way, she said that she stayed in the forest with the militants, as well as in the abandoned village of Bawtala, and that she was forced to pray with them. Rica said that when government troops were spotted, ARSA members torched their hideout and that she had witnessed them looting from the bodies of the deceased. Once they crossed the border to Bangladesh on Aug. 28 or 29—she does not remember the exact day—Rica said that Bangladeshi authorities separated them from the men who had taken them. Soon after their arrival, other displaced Hindus noticed a bindi on her forehead and recognized her clothes, and managed to bring Rica and the other women to where they were staying. There are some 400 Hindus sheltering across the border in Bangladesh. They join around 480,000 self-identifying Rohingya Muslims, who have fled clearance operations by the Myanmar Army which immediately followed the ARSA attacks. In the days that followed, the eight women contacted their relatives by borrowing phones and told their stories. At that time, Maungdaw district administrative official U Ye Htut told this reporter—during a government-organized tour of the area—that he and other border police officers were not able to immediately verify any allegations of of mass killings, saying that searching for bodies in the Kha Maung Seik area was still unsafe. But over the weekend, Hindu community leader U Ni Mal, assisted by other locals, unearthed some 45 bodies, which the government has claimed belong to some of the missing Hindu villagers. On Tuesday, U Maung Ba, a teacher within the Hindu community who is in Kha Maung Seik village tract, told The Irrawaddy that they had not uncovered any new burial sites near Yebaw Kya village, and were still trying to contact the escaped Hindu women now in Bangladesh. Rica said, "I can show them every single burial site there [in Kha Maung Seik] when I come back to my area." Meanwhile, Rica explained that she and the other women have been awaiting contact from the Myanmar government since arriving in Bangladesh. She said that as she was not educated, she was not familiar with what an embassy was or how to reach out to Myanmar's embassy in Bangladesh. "As far as I know, Myanmar government officials did not come to meet us here," she said. The Irrawaddy phoned the President's Office spokesman U Zaw Htay on Monday, but he declined to comment and directed questions to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry's permanent secretary U Kyaw Zeya said that he was trying to speak with Myanmar's envoy to Bangladesh. "At this time, it is too early to reveal our plan. We are aware of their safety concerns," he said, referring to the women. "Understand the situation, please, as we are now talking about safety measures for them." Rica remains focused on returning home to Maungdaw, and said she is anxious for the day when she expects the Myanmar authorities will take her back to Rakhine State, and out of the camp. "If possible, I want to go back home right now. Help us, please," she said. The post Hindu Refugee Shares Eyewitness Account of Maungdaw Violence appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Posted: 26 Sep 2017 08:02 AM PDT YANGON — A woman shares her table with a cat that stares at her french fries. A couple takes a selfie with a kitten that wears its gray stripes beautifully. While some cats roam freely about the space, others lounge in the windows. The place is full of cat shelves and playhouses. It is a cats' world, and humans pay to visit. Yangon opened its first cat café in June, offering residents the chance to cozy up to some furry friends while enjoying a cup of coffee, and joining a global trend. As a country, Myanmar opened up after 2012, and it not only began attracting investments, but also Asian trends – like the cat café.  The first cat café is believed to have opened in Taiwan in 1998, and then spread to Japan where a café opened in Osaka in 2004. Now there are dozens in Tokyo, according to Japan's Nikkei Trendy newspaper. Even though Yangon has not yet reached Japan's levels of stressful and sometimes lonely urban life, Myanmar's cat lovers have lined up for cuddles and coffee.  The owner of Freedom Cafe, Ma Pearl, repatriated to Myanmar in 2014 and brought back the concept of the cat café, an idea that she became familiar with after living in Thailand for 20 years, she told The Irrawaddy.  There are 25 quarantined cats and more than 10 different feline breeds at Freedom Café, including Persian, Chinchilla, Scottish Fold, Maine Coon and Exotic. All of the cats, along with their pedigree papers, were brought from Russia via Thailand, Ma Pearl said. Having owned 10 cats when she was a child, the 30-year-old Ma Pearl says she can decode cats' behaviors and understand their attitudes. To this end, she explains that she signed up for memberships at pet care and health associations in Thailand in order to study animal behavior.  After coming back to Myanmar, she wanted to bring something new to the country and teamed up with her older sister who had already planned to open an extended café on the second floor of her old location, Ma Pearl said of how the idea began.  "When I researched the pet market in Myanmar, the only exotic feline species that most people knew was Persian," she recalled. "They could not distinguish different kinds of cat species," she added. "One of the reasons why I opened this cat café is that I want people here to understand more about cat species and interact with them," she said. "Seeing them on the Internet is not the same as being able touch them in person."  "Cats are clean, independent, easy to tame and most importantly, they don't fake it. It's difficult to get their affection and love. You have to earn it," she explained why she prefers cats to dogs.  Ma Pearl has multiple employees supervising and assisting customers so that both the customers and cats are stress-free, she said. "Some customers who come here have their targeted cat. They come specifically to pet their favorite cat," she said.  Visitors pay 5,000 kyats to visit the café and they can buy treats for their "purrfect" and "fluffy" friends.  Arkar, who recently visited the café, said that he had to compete with other visitors for the cats' attention and that he would like to visit at a less crowded time next time. He also suggested that the café expand the space and increase the number of cats.  "I just love cats. I’d adopt one but I don’t have enough time to take care of them. A cat café is the perfect solution," Arkar told The Irrawaddy. Ma Pearl said she has arranged to house more cats in the café and is planning to open another one close to the downtown area as the current one is in Sanchaung Township—approximately one hour from the heart of the city in heavy traffic.  The post A Cat's World appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Nationalists Urge Citizens to Support Govt Response in Rakhine Posted: 26 Sep 2017 02:36 AM PDT MANDALAY — Nationalists from Mandalay Region gathered on Tuesday and urged the international community not to interfere in the internal affairs of the country, referring to the recent unrest in Rakhine State. About 3,000 nationalists from Mandalay and the surrounding areas including Kyaukse, Meikhtila, Bagan and Naypyitaw joined the event at Mandalay's Manawyaman grounds, where the crowd also showed their support for State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her government. The crowd held signs that read 'No Rohingya' and 'Save Rakhine,' while others held photos of the state counselor that said 'We Stand With You.' "There are many pressures from the international community toward our country and our government. We are here to let the international community know that we are standing with our government to protect our ethnic people and our country," said U Aye Paing, a legal advisor of the former Ma Ba Tha association. He added that he believed international pressures would be relieved if Myanmar citizens came out in support of the leadership. At the event where nationalists gathered to condemn the violence in Rakhine State and the international community's response to it, ultranationalist monk U Wirathu was also seen. U Wirathu did not give a speech to the crowd, however, he wrote on his Facebook page that he was attending the event to show that "there are no Rohingya in the country," referring to the fact that the self-identifying Rohingya are not granted citizenship by the government and are commonly referred to as interlopers from Bangladesh despite having lived in the country for generations. According to the event organizers, the regional government gave permission for the gathering but on numerous conditions including that attendees not use the words 'Rohingya,' 'Bengali,' 'Kofi Annan,' or 'Yanghee Lee.' Apart from voicing support for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy government, those speaking at the event slammed her and her government for oppressing nationalists, referring to the banning of Ma Ba Tha as an organization and the recent arrest of nationalist monks in Mandalay. The nationalists also voiced their disagreement with suggestions set out by Kofi Annan's Rakhine State Advisory Commission and the international community. "We strongly disagree with amending the 1982 Citizenship Act, which the commission recommended," said lawyer U Win Kyi in his speech. The speakers also warned the media not to publish fake news or news biased toward the Muslim community. "There are many Buddhists and Hindus suffering in [Rakhine] State. But we do not see that in the news, only the suffering of Muslims," said U Myo Chit, another nationalist speaker. Since violence broke out in Rakhine State on Aug. 25, some 430,000 self-identifying Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh, while some 30,000 Arakanese and Hindus have fled to other areas within the state. The post Nationalists Urge Citizens to Support Govt Response in Rakhine appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Myanmar Govt to Redistribute Vacant Land Posted: 26 Sep 2017 01:47 AM PDT NAYPYITAW— The Myanmar government is developing a plan to redistribute vacant or fallow plots of land to rural landless people willing to farm the land. The Union Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Dr. Aung Thu told The Irrawaddy on Monday the government had obtained US$4.19 million from the Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT)—a multi-donor fund established in 2009 to improve the lives and prospects of smallholder farmers and landless people in rural Myanmar—for the plan. "We'll start the plan within one or two months to provide land to landless people," Dr. Aung Thu told reporters in Naypyitaw, adding that state and regional governments were already holding meetings. The minister said authorities in Magwe, Mandalay, and Sagaing regions and Chin State had proposed suitable land for a trial project with LIFT but his ministry had not yet decided where to begin the pilot. LIFT donors include the United States of America, Britain, Denmark, Australia, France, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden and funds are managed through the UN Office for Project Services (UNFOPS). He could not comment on how candidates would be chosen and how land would be redistributed. U Soe Myint, agricultural minister of Magwe Region, said the regional government had seized nearly 13,000 acres of unused land from two private companies in Minhla Township, and would distribute it to people without land, smallholder farmers, and those who did not receive compensation for previously confiscated farmland. "We have to give back land to original owners, and will give the surplus to those wishing to be engaged in farming," said U Soe Myint. "But they have to perform well within four years, otherwise we'll take back the land." Farmer rights activist U Myo Thant of 88 Generation Peace and Open Society welcomed the government's plan to provide free land, but said that the government should be transparent about the population of landless people as well as the amount of available land. "It is important that land is not confiscated from other farmers," said U Myo Thant. He suggested land redistribution should take place in the mountainous areas home to ethnic minorities, not just Myanmar's plains. "No matter where lands are reclaimed, it is important that locals' voices are listened to," he said. The government of the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League (AFPFL) performed large-scale land redistribution after independence, according to lawyer U Kyi Myint. The government limited landowners to 50 acres and handed surplus land to farmers or smallholders. "In the AFPFL era, communist and socialist beliefs were strong. The [proceeding] government Burma Socialist Programme Party didn't distribute land, but enacted laws to protect farmers. The U Thein Sein government annulled all the laws protecting farmers, and introduced new laws to protect cronies," he said. "Farmers sold their land as they got a good price. Later, land prices increased exorbitantly, but farmers had already sold their land and got nothing. They faced hardship and were forced to work in foreign countries—mostly Thailand and Malaysia. Many have come to places like Hlaing Tharyar [industrial zone]," he said. The post Myanmar Govt to Redistribute Vacant Land appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Posted: 26 Sep 2017 01:14 AM PDT Artist Ye Minn has creatively portrayed the complex nature of the human mind in his latest solo exhibition. In place of heads on his figures, there are broken bricks, rolls of tissue, combs, and plastic bags – which he has said represent the mind. "Being an artist, I have to understand my mind through painting. At times, the mind can be tough, weak, free or lethargic. I represented these states of mind in my work," said the artist.  Ye Minn's solo 'Waves in Minds' art exhibition is taking place until September 29 at Nawaday Tharlar Art Gallery on Yaw Min Gyi Street in Dagon Township. In the early days of his artistic career, Ye Minn was a realist, but later he found his true love in surrealism. About a bare-chested man with folded arms—on his neck a broken brick instead of head—Ye Minn said: "If the mind is rigid and haughty……Those who are rigid are easy to break, fragile. The broken brick in place of his head portrays his mind."  His exhibition features 16 paintings, each priced at US$1,000. He has participated in dozens of art exhibitions at home and abroad. "Ye Minn's creations are a presentation of contemporary art. It is a different genre of surrealism and reflects the life and feelings of people," artist Aye Ko said of Ye Minn's works.
The post Waves in Minds appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Malaysia’s Dissent on Myanmar Statement Reveals Cracks in ASEAN Facade Posted: 25 Sep 2017 10:46 PM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Dissent surfaced again in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) after Malaysia disavowed a statement issued by the bloc's chairman, the Philippines, as misrepresenting "the reality" of an exodus of 430,000 self-identifying ethnic Rohingya from Myanmar. The grouping of 10 nations in one of the world's fastest growing regions has long struggled to reconcile conflicting interests in tackling issues such as China's claims over the South China Sea and the crisis facing the Muslim minority. "The Philippines, as chair, tolerates the public manifestation of dissenting voices," the Philippine foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday. The move showed a "new level of maturity" in pushing ASEAN's principle of consensus when dealing with issues affecting national interests, it added. Malaysia had made its position clear "in several ASEAN meetings" in New York, the ministry said, adding that it had to also take into account the views of other members, however. On Sunday, Malaysia "disassociated itself" from the ASEAN chairman's statement on the grounds that it misrepresented the "reality of the situation" and did not identify the Rohingya as one of the affected communities. Myanmar objects to the term Rohingya, saying the Muslims of its western state of Rakhine state are not a distinct ethnic group, but illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Senior diplomats and foreign ministers of ASEAN nations discussed the contents of the statement on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York before it was published, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Malaysian government sources said. No consensus was reached by the ASEAN foreign ministers, however, said two Malaysian government officials aware of the discussions. The chairman's statement released by the Philippines did not reflect Malaysia's concerns, said one of the officials, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue. Malaysia has objected once before to a similar statement on the crisis in Myanmar's western Rakhine state, but Sunday's response was unexpected, as the grouping has an overriding policy of non-interference in domestic matters. Myanmar must halt "atrocities which have unleashed a full-scale humanitarian crisis," Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman urged on Sunday. "Viable and long-term solutions to the root causes to the conflict must be found," he said in a statement. Dissent Reflects Strain Malaysia's dissent, however, only reflects strained ties in ASEAN, said Shahriman Lockman, a senior analyst with the Institute of Strategic and International Studies in the country's capital. "What's truly exceptional here is not Malaysia's move to dissociate itself from the statement," he told Reuters. "It's the failure of the Philippines to attempt to reflect the views of all ASEAN member states." In the statement, the foreign ministers condemned the attacks on Myanmar's security forces and "all acts of violence which resulted in loss of civilian lives, destruction of homes and diplacement of large numbers of people". More than 400 people have died and 430,000 self-identifying Rohingya Muslims have fled Rakhine, where an Aug. 25 attack on military and police outposts by militants provoked a military offensive the United Nations calls "ethnic cleansing." The post Malaysia's Dissent on Myanmar Statement Reveals Cracks in ASEAN Facade appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| UN Chief to Brief Security Council on Myanmar on Thursday Posted: 25 Sep 2017 10:23 PM PDT UNITED NATIONS — United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will publicly brief the Security Council on Thursday on violence in Myanmar, which he has described as ethnic cleansing, after seven countries on the 15-member body requested the meeting. Sweden, the United States, Britain, France, Egypt, Senegal, and Kazakhstan requested the meeting. In preparation for Thursday’s public meeting, the council will be briefed behind closed doors on Tuesday by UN political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman, diplomats said. Some 436,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar since Aug. 25, when attacks by self-identifying Rohingya militants triggered a military crackdown. US President Donald Trump wants the UN Security Council to take "strong and swift action" to end the violence, Vice President Mike Pence said last Wednesday. The council has already met twice behind closed doors since the crisis began and earlier this month issued an informal statement to the press condemning the situation and urging Myanmar authorities to end the violence. Diplomats say the Security Council could consider adopting a formal statement if the situation does not improve, but China and Russia are unlikely to agree to stronger action that would require the adoption of a resolution they could veto. A Security Council resolution would need nine votes in favor and no vetoes by Russia, China, the United States, Britain and France. Myanmar said earlier this month it was negotiating with veto powers China and Russia to ensure Myanmar would be protected from any Security Council action. The post UN Chief to Brief Security Council on Myanmar on Thursday appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Vietnam Uses Water Cannons to Disperse Protest at Global Fashion Brands Supplier Posted: 25 Sep 2017 10:07 PM PDT HANOI — Vietnamese authorities on Monday used water cannons and electric rods to end a five-month protest by villagers blockading a textile plant that serves global fashion brands, an official and a villager said. The blockade represents another challenge to the communist nation's government over industrial pollution woes, at a time when Vietnam seeks more foreign investors to keep up one of the highest rates of growth in Southeast Asia. Hundreds of people from the northern province of Hai Duong have maintained watch in shifts day and night since April to stop work at the Pacific Crystal Textiles mill, operated by Hong Kong-based Pacific Textiles. Japanese clothing giant UNIQLO is among those affected by the stoppage, which has led Pacific Textiles to report a "significant financial impact" from the disruption. On Monday, about 500 policemen used water cannons and electric rods to disperse around 200 villagers, said villager Bui Van Nguyet, who was one of the protesters. Two people were injured as the policemen beat protesters and set on fire a field tent pitched in front of the plant, he added. "It's unimaginably evil," Nguyet, who vowed to keep fighting, told Reuters. Talks with protesters had proved unsuccessful, said a local official, adding that Pacific Textiles had promised to ensure better environmental standards. "The villagers have set up the tent for several months already," said Truong Van Hon, head of the people’s committee office of Hai Duong province. "The investor [Pacific Textiles] has invested a lot and the environment ministry had done examinations and allowed the company to overcome the incident and invest more to ensure all environmental standards," he added. The local authority would shut down Pacific Textiles' factory completely if it fell short of environmental standards again, Hon told Reuters. In a statement, Pacific Textiles said its staff were able to enter the factory on Monday, but it was not certain whether the issue had been completely resolved. The factory opened in 2015 as a venture between Pacific Textiles and garment maker Crystal Group, with a reported initial investment of at least $180 million. Villagers have accused Pacific Textiles of multiple discharges of waste water since last year. The company has said it only discharged waste water once, on Dec. 24, 2016, and has been taking steps to halt further discharges. A local authority fined the company 672 million dong ($29,557.95) for the December spill, which breached limits for acidity and alkalinity balance and color, among other violations. A toxic spill from a Taiwanese-run steel mill in central Vietnam last year sparked unprecedented protests. The post Vietnam Uses Water Cannons to Disperse Protest at Global Fashion Brands Supplier appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on Politics and Crises: In Quotes Posted: 25 Sep 2017 07:07 PM PDT Amid international criticism over her approach to the Rohingya crisis, Myanmar State Counselor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Daw Aung San Suu Kyi held a diplomatic briefing and televised it for domestic and international audience last week. In the same week, she gave rare interviews to selected media outlets, focusing on the country's political situation, especially issues concerning Rakhine State. The Irrawaddy has compiled noteworthy extracts from the three interviews—with the Washington-based Radio Free Asia (RFA) broadcast, the Nikkei Asian Review and the New Delhi-based Asian News International (ANI)—which highlight the challenges facing her government. Rohingya Crisis "Regarding the current situation in Rakhine State, it has never been good, even since we took office. However, the issue has needed to be handled more delicately, lately as it has received extra attention from the international community. It is more difficult to resolve any problem when all are watching it." – RFA "It’s a humanitarian issue, which has risen out of long-term socio-economic problems and politics of course. In the Rakhine State, go back to the 19th century, and periodically trouble has broken out there between the Muslim community and the Rakhine community. And we have inherited this very complex problem and we have to deal with it and have to resolve it. So, obviously, it is not something we can do overnight." – ANI Terminology Controversy "I think that instead of using emotive terms, this term has become emotive, and highly charged. It’s better to call them as Muslims, which is a description that nobody can deny. We are talking about the Muslim community in the Rakhine state and other terms may be applied to that community but I do not see any point in using terms that simply inflame passions further." – ANI Rule of Law in Conducting Security Operations "We have taken people to court if it has been found that they have broken the law or they have overstepped their conduct when they are carrying out their responsibilities. We have a very strong code of conduct that has been distributed to all the security forces and they have been instructed to follow them very closely. – ANI "If you’re going to try to work in accordance with the rule of law, you have to have proper evidence, acceptable evidence—not just hearsay, or not just something that might be considered evidence. It has to be acceptable in a court of law." – Nikkei Asian Review Repatriation of Rohingya Refugees "We can start quickly; it doesn’t mean it will be completed quickly … we can begin any time, because this is nothing new. The criteria for the verification process [was] laid down in 1993 by the Bangladeshi and Myanmar government[s]; so there’s nothing new and the Bangladeshi government has agreed to it. It can literally begin any minute … When it begins will depend as much on the Bangladeshi government as on us. We cannot go in and carry out a process in their country unless they are willing." – Nikkei Asian Review Counterterrorism "Counter-terrorism is something that we have to take very seriously. And I have to confess that our country has not had experiments with regard to counter-terrorism." – ANI "We don’t want to hurt those who are innocent and at the same time, we have to make sure terrorists are not allowed to carry on with their activities." – ANI Personal Reaction "My true feelings are very very simple. I want peace and harmony in Rakhine. It’s the responsibility of every government to maintain a position of integrity and fairness. We have to be fair to all communities. We have always maintained this that we don’t condemn either of the communities. We condemn actions that are against the rule of law and that are against the humanitarian needs of all people. But we have never condemned communities as such." – ANI The Relation of Development and Investment to Conflict Resolution "Socio-economic development is a very important part of the solution." – ANI "Those who are interested in the Rakhine situation from the outside will only focus on the Rakhine situation. But we have to carry on with the rest of the country — including the economy, health, education, development, peace process, everything. And we keep our eyes open to make sure that we are doing the best in every possible sector."– Nikkei Asian Review "It’s natural that they should be concerned about it. But they should step back a little and look at it coolly. They will be able to see that one of the reasons why we have problems like these is because of underdevelopment rather because of investments. So investments would actually help to make the situation better.” – Nikkei Asian Review International Criticism "Regarding how Myanmar people and the international community should view the current situation of Myanmar, I think they should view with a complete sense of responsibility. But what our citizens should know is that the main responsibility lies on them if they want their country to develop and have peace. But at the same time, they can't ignore the international community. The world today is like a village. You can't stay unconnected, and it is important to get along well with the international community. This is also a responsibility for your country. So, you have to take responsibility for your country, and global citizens also have to take responsibility for this world. If all have a sense of responsibility, there will be problems for no one. However, we can't always see this sense of responsibility." – RFA Foreign Policy "We will maintain our policy of trying to establish friendly relations with all countries all over the world. Of course, we are always aware that Myanmar is not just Rakhine." – Nikkei Asian Review Peace Process "Frankly speaking, I didn't envisage how the country's peace process would go on; I believe it will be successful, but it will take time. Looking at other peace processes, none of them were smooth. So speaking of the peace process, there is no peace because there were the factors that caused discord from the very beginning. Removing those factors will never be fast." – RFA Citizenship Law "It is up to the Parliament whether or not to amend a law. The Parliament is the representatives elected by the people. To amend a law is not a flippant matter. If we are to face the reality as it is, I expect there will be intense controversy over whether or not to amend it." — RFA Rise of Nationalism "Hatred is never good. Promoting hatred in the name of Buddhism is quite contradictory to the Buddha's teachings. Lord Buddha never supported hatred." — RFA Relationship With the Military "It is normal." — RFA "There is appropriate engagement now. And I always try to cooperate on some issues. We've already said that we'll work toward national reconciliation. We've not criticized the Tatmadaw for being the Tatmadaw. We've only said that we don't agree with this or that action carried out by it." – RFA The post Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on Politics and Crises: In Quotes appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Ten Things to do in Yangon This Week Posted: 25 Sep 2017 06:56 PM PDT
Charity Variety Performance | Sept. 27 Magician Mr. Top and other artists will perform at this event to raise funds to donate to people affected by conflict in Rakhine State. Sept. 27, 6 p.m. National Theater, Myoma Kyaung Street. Free admission.
Yangon Thadingyut Festival | Oct. 1-3 Revelers can set oil lamps afloat on water at Kandawgyi Lake, with lots of food stalls, games, and performances by famous artists, plus traditional Anyeint entertainment. Oct 1 – 3, 4 p.m.-11 p.m. Kandawgyi Myaw Sin Kyun. Entrance fee: 1,500 kyats.
Centenary of Myanmar Short Stories | Sept. 30 – Oct. 6 The celebration of short stories will feature a book sale, meetings between authors and their readers and reading sessions. Sept. 30 – Oct 6, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Yangon Book Plaza, 5th Floor, Thanzay Market. Free admission.
Czech Republic: Country of Castles and Chateaux | Sept. 28 – Oct. 12 Pictures of architecturally and historically prominent sites will be displayed at the National Museum. Sept. 28 – Oct. 12. National Museum. Pyay Road. Free admission.
May Kha Lar's Solo | Sept. 30 Popular singer May Kha Lar will perform at the National Theater. Sept. 30, 7 p.m. National Theater, Myoma Kyaung Street. Tel: 09-452427464. Tickets: 10,000 -50,000 kyats
Ye Kyaw Thadingyut Festival | Oct. 2 – 6 Ye Kyaw is the place to experience the hustle and bustle of the annual Thadingyut Festival in Yangon. Oct 2-6. Ye Kyaw Street.
Urban Talent: Hip Hop | Sept. 30 Famous hip-hop musicians will perform and contestants will compete in a rap showdown. Sept. 30, 5 p.m. Fusan Basketball Court. Kabar Aye Pagoda Road. Free admission.
Beautiful Waterfall | Oct. 1 – 4 Artist Hla Htun Aung will showcase around 20 paintings in his waterfall-themed solo show. Oct. 1-4, Hninzi Myaing Art Gallery, Hninzigon Home for the Aged, Kabar Aye Pagoda Road.
Enlightenment | Sept. 30 – Oct. 9 Artist Kyaw Phyu San's solo will feature paintings depicting tales about the previous lives of the Buddha as well as those exploring Myanmar tradition. Sept. 30 – Oct 9. Lokanat Galleries, 62 Pansodan St., 1st Floor, Kyauktada Tsp.
Rain | Sept. 30 – Oct. 11 There will be over 30 creations using different mediums at this group art exhibition of 15 artists. Sept. 30 – Oct. 11. Ayerwon Art Gallery at No. 903 – 904, U Ba Kyi Street, 58 Ward, Dagon Seikkan Tsp. The post Ten Things to do in Yangon This Week appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
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