AllSBNews: The Irrawaddy Magazine

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Controversial Recall Bill Needs More Time, Lawmakers Told
Chief Minister Drops Ministerial Nominations after Lawmakers Object
Judge Rejects Evidence in Myanmar Now Editor’s Defamation Case
12-Year-Old Girl Raped and Murdered in Kachin State
The Kachin Journalist Breaking Stereotypes
Gov’t Cannot Act Against Rowdy Monks Without Backing of Society, Minister Says
Five Modern Cities Built from Scratch
Aung San Suu Kyi Should Oppose Myanmar Military or Resign, Says Fellow Nobel Prize Winner
EU Agrees to Prepare Sanctions on Myanmar Generals
Ten Things to do in Yangon This Week

Controversial Recall Bill Needs More Time, Lawmakers Told

Posted: 27 Feb 2018 05:30 AM PST

NAYPYITAW — Proposed legislation that would allow for impeachment proceedings against sitting lawmakers will need more time to craft even after years of work, a member of the Union Election Commission (UEC) told a session of the Upper House of Parliament on Tuesday.

Replying to a question from USDP lawmaker U Sai Than Naing, Karen State (5), U Aung Myint said the Joint Bill Committee concluded that the so-called recall bill could affect national reconciliation efforts and required more in-depth discussion.

The bill was debated in Parliament twice during the U Thein Sein government, in 2012 and 2015, but the Upper and Lower houses could not agree on a single version.

"Fifteen lawmakers discussed the report of the Joint Bill Committee, which called for a suspension, and the Union Parliament approved the report," U Aung Myint said during Tuesday’s session.

Citing the 2008 Constitution, U Sai Than Naing said voters should have the right to recall their elected lawmakers if they fail to serve their interests or if they are incapable, corrupt or break the law.

"However, people still can't enjoy that right until now," he said.

U Ye Htun, a former lawmaker from Shan State’s Hsipaw Township, said he supported the bill, noting that no one, not even the president or parliamentary speakers, can now dismiss lawmakers.

"It is also provided in the Constitution. This is the check and balance between the people and the lawmakers they elect," he said.

Section 396 of the Constitution states that a representative can be “recalled” for a number of reasons including high treason, breaching any provision of the Constitution, misconduct as prescribed in the Constitution, and the inefficient discharge of their duties.

According to the Constitution, at least 1 percent of the original voters in the representative's constituency must submit a complaint to the UEC to recall a lawmaker.

NLD lawmaker U Aung Kyi Nyunt said there should be a mechanism for recalling lawmakers who perform badly but argued that the threshold for doing so in the Constitution was far too low.

"That 1 percent can be constituted by those who didn't vote for the lawmaker and other forces [parties]. No lawmaker won the election with over 99 percent of the votes. What if 1 percent from other forces always file complaints?" he asked.

Section 397 of the Constitution sets the Union Parliament the task of enacting legislation to enable the recalls.

"It is a loss for the people not to enact the law just because of that percentage," said U Nanda Hla Myint, a spokesman for the USDP.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Controversial Recall Bill Needs More Time, Lawmakers Told appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Chief Minister Drops Ministerial Nominations after Lawmakers Object

Posted: 27 Feb 2018 05:24 AM PST

YANGON — Magwe Region Chief Minister U Aung Moe Nyo withdrew nominations for two vacant regional ministerial positions in the Magwe Parliament on Monday amid opposition to the nominees.

Seventeen regional lawmakers from the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) submitted objections to nominees U Aye Ngwe, a former director of the Irrigation Department, and U Aung Kyaw Moe, a retired education officer.

The two were proposed by the chief minister on Feb. 14 at an emergency meeting of the regional Parliament to consider replacements for two regional ministers who resigned: Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation U Soe Myint, and Minister for Labor, Immigration and Population U Nay Myo Kyaw.

MP U Soe Win, one of the 17 who submitted the objections, said the opponents had planned to present strong evidence at Monday's parliamentary session that the two were not qualified for the posts.

However, "As the chief minister withdrew his nomination to abide by the public's desire, we withdrew our objections," he said.

He refused to give details on why they opposed the ministerial nominees, as the chief minister has now accepted their objection.

Some reports have circulated that under military rule, candidate U Aung Kyaw Moe fired middle school teacher U Pyuu Lwin for welcoming then opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as she was on her way to visit Chin State.

U Pyuu Lwin was elected to an Upper House seat in Magwe region in the 2015 general election, representing the NLD.

Local media reported that political activists said they would stage protests across the region if the two were approved as ministers.

At the time, the then district assistant education officer U Aung Kyaw Moe questioned the long-time teacher, who had worked in the field for 17 years. He was later forced to resign without any pension or entitlements, U Pyuu Lwin told The Irrawaddy.

"I was not a party member at that time. But I am now and we believe the party shouldn't reward him, even if we don't punish him for his action," U Pyuu Lwin said.

The ruling party lawmakers' objection to the chief minister's nomination was applauded by some political analysts and said that hopefully it was the start of a pattern of checks and balances developing between Parliament and the government.

According to the Constitution, the chief minister has the right to submit the list again with new nominees.

The post Chief Minister Drops Ministerial Nominations after Lawmakers Object appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Judge Rejects Evidence in Myanmar Now Editor’s Defamation Case

Posted: 27 Feb 2018 03:01 AM PST

YANGON — A lawyer for Myanmar Now editor Swe Win said he would ask a court in Mandalay to take action against the person suing his client for defamation, claiming the plaintiff had presented “false evidence” in the case.

Swe Win made his 19th court appearance in Mandalay on Monday, accused of defaming ultranationalist monk U Wirathu by sharing a Facebook post critical of the monk’s support for Kyi Win, who is on trial for fatally shooting prominent Muslim lawyer U Ko Ni in January 2017. The case was filed by Kyaw Myo Shwe following a complaint from an U Wirathu supporter.

After yesterday’s hearing at the Mandalay Maha Aung Myay Township Court, Swe Win’s lawyer, U Khin Maung Myint, said Kyaw Myo Shwe could not show the court that two printouts of photos presented as evidence in the defamation case were taken with his phone’s camera, as the plaintiff has claimed. U Khin Maung Myint said one photo was of a Frontier Myanmar article in which Swe Win comments on U Wirathu and that the other was of a photo of Swe Win that ran with the text.

"The judge at the court asked him [Kyaw Myo Shwe] to turn on his phone and show that he took the evidence with his phone. But he could not show that the two items of evidence were taken with his phone,” the defense lawyer said.

He said Kyaw Myo Shwe asked the judge for permission to check his other phone for the photos. But U Khin Maung Myint said he objected — because Kyaw Myo Shwe may have transferred the photos to his other phone from someone else’s phone after the case had been filed — and that the judge subsequently rejected the two printouts as evidence.

Swe Win and his team claim that Kyaw Myo Shwe never took the photos he claims he did.

"We, including Ko Swe Win, will discussed how to take action soon. We will ask the court to take action against the plaintiff at the next hearing," said U Khin Maung Myint.

"He just tried to punish Ko Swe Win, but he did not have his own evidence and took it from others.”

The Penal Code allows a court to take action against a plaintiff over false evidence at the request of the defense.

The court did accept evidence from Kyaw Myo Shwe at a hearing earlier this month, including paper records and a recording of a Radio Free Asia broadcast of a press conference Swe Win gave about U Wirathu. It accepted the recording of the broadcast over objections from U Khin Maung Myint, who argued that it had been edited to take his client’s remarks out of context.

Kyaw Myo Shwe is currently serving a prison sentence in an unrelated case. His lawyer could not be reached for comment.

The post Judge Rejects Evidence in Myanmar Now Editor’s Defamation Case appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

12-Year-Old Girl Raped and Murdered in Kachin State

Posted: 27 Feb 2018 12:56 AM PST

Yangon—A 12-year-old girl was raped and brutally murdered in Kachin State's Mogaung Township on Sunday.

The girl together with her younger brother went into woods near her village to collect firewood on Sunday morning. She left her brother in the woods and headed back to a farm hut near their village to get a drink of water, but was apparently raped and killed on the way.

"Her bother waited for a long time and then searched for her. He found her stiff body around 11 am in the woods," U Kyaw Lwin Soe, chairman of the Lawkahta Sarira social organization based in Mogaung Township, told The Irrawaddy.

The girl was a student attending 5^th grade at a local school. Their village, Aung Mingalar, is about two miles from Mogaung, and the woods where the crime happened lies to the west of the village.

According to a postmortem, she had been stabbed around 10 times in her chest, shoulders, waist and limbs and slashed across her neck, in addition to the signs of rape.

"Her family has opened a case for rape and murder. We are still trying to identify the offender," an officer at Mogaung Township Police Station said.

U Kyaw Lwin Soe said further forensic tests were carried out on Monday, "I felt both angry and sad upon seeing her body. I could not stop the tears. The offender should be given the death penalty," he said, calling the crime "inhuman".

According to the Home Affairs Ministry, there were 897 cases of child rape [children aged under 16] nationwide in 2017—up from 671 in 2016.

In Kachin State, there were 14 cases of child rape in 2016, with the number increasing to 21 in 2017. Meanwhile, there were 1,405 cases of women above the age of 16 being raped in 2017 across the country.

On Feb. 8, women activists launched a campaign near North Dagon Township Court in Yangon calling for harsher legal measures including capital punishment to deter rapists.

The post 12-Year-Old Girl Raped and Murdered in Kachin State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

The Kachin Journalist Breaking Stereotypes

Posted: 27 Feb 2018 12:33 AM PST

YANGON — "It was my dream to start up a local publication that reflects local needs, reports on the huge human rights violations and raises people’s concerns," said Seng Mai Maran, the 28-year-old co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Myitkyina News Journal.

Taken the journal’s name from the capital of Kachin State, Myitkyina, the founders launched the paper four years ago with the aim of informing all residents of the state regardless of their race or religion.

Into the late 2000s, state and private media were rarely reporting on Kachin State, where allegations of human rights abuses are common, particularly in the area’s jade and gold mining industries and its illegal logging business.

"People were afraid to speak out, so such news was not reported even in the private media," Seng Mai Maran said, despite a 1994 ceasefire deal between the Myanmar military and Kachin Independence Army (KIA) that was still holding but would collapse in 2011.

Chasing a Dream

"When I first started my journalism training, the media trainer U Ye Naing Moe, my first mentor, asked why I wanted to be a journalist. My answer was I wanted to be a journalist because I wanted to establish a regional news journal in Kachin State," she said. "There were many human rights violations. At that time there was still a ceasefire, and even then no journals dared to publish stories about such abuses."

She became interested in journalism in 2008, at the age of 18. She worked for the Kachin News Group, took a three-month introductory journalism course provided by the Internews journalism network and interned at the Yangon Times Journal. She then worked as a freelancer both for local publications and foreign broadcasters including the BBC’s Burmese service.

In January 2014, the Myitkyina News Journal applied for a publishing license and printed its first issue by March, starting out as a bi-monthly. The paper now publishes every Friday, with an average circulation of 8,000. That number has not dropped, despite the challenges of gathering the news, getting the issues to readers on time amid the ongoing fighting between the military and ethnic armed groups, and online attacks from hackers.

The Myitkyina News Journal has meanwhile grown from a staff of 13 to nearly 30. Seng Mai Maran trains the new recruits.

“It is a success in the eyes of outsiders, but in my eyes I always need to do more," she said.

While most of Kachin’s residents are ethnic minorities, and despite calls to support ethnic language media, the Myitkyina News Journal publishes in the nationally dominant Bamar language.

Seng Mai Maran herself speaks Kachin and Bamar more fluently than her native Lisu, a sub-tribe of the Kachin.

"But it is a shame,” she said. “We were not taught the Lisu language at the government school. I know Kachin because I grew up in the Kachin community and learned Kachin at church.”

Reporter and Photographer

On Saturday, Seng Mai Maran, who taught herself how to take pictures, won first place at the 10th Yangon Photo Festival in the professional division for her photo essay "I Feel Safe," which portrays the lives of female KIA soldiers.

KIA soldiers at the group’s training school in Kachin State in November. This image was part of Seng Mai Maran’s winning photo essay at this year’s Yangon Photo Festival. / Supplied

Last year, she won the emerging talent division for her photo essay "The Trap," about female drug addicts in the jade mining town of Hpakant.

The eldest of five siblings, Seng Mai Maran was raised by parents who made a living through trade and put little focus on encouraging their children to read.

Still, her father supported her dream and helped her choose Seng Mai Maran as her pen name (her parents had named her Ma Shwe Yin). Concerned she might get arrested and locked up, her mother and other relatives tried to discourage her. It didn’t work. "I just wanted to share what I knew with other people," she said.

A KIA soldier at the group’s training school in Kachin State in November. This image was part of Seng Mai Maran’s winning photo essay at this year’s Yangon Photo Festival. / Supplied

Breaking Stereotypes

Seng Mai Maran gives every appearance of being a man, keeping her hair short and wearing shirts and pants. But as a female journalist, she is aware of the added risks she faces reporting in a conflict zone.

She said her tomboy looks also help her to overcome the challenges and everyday stresses of running a newsroom. She is happy to leave the publisher duties to her two male co-founders.

She recalled her efforts to get the paper licensed four years ago with the Information Ministry’s Office of Copyright and Registration, where an official did not believe that such a young woman and tomboy could run a paper. "I still remember the look of the official who did not believing in my abilities," she said.

But after a month of multiple trips back to the office, the license did come through.

Professionalism vs. Nationalism

As a regional paper, the Myitkyina News Journal knows it can be risky sometimes to present balanced news to an audience that often wants to hear only one side of the story.

Seng Mai Maran recalled a story her paper ran in 2016 about a young Kachin man fatally shot by a soldier. The military blamed the death on a “misfire” from the soldier’s gun, which it claimed a group of young men had tried to steal.

"We did face challenges getting witness voices because no one would speak up for the murdered man, and we published [the military’s version of events] as is. The journal was accused of printing false claims, but it was the official record from law enforcement," she said.

Her paper has to be careful when reporting on human rights violations in order to avoid repercussions from the military or from ethnic and religious groups. And when reporting on the military’s fight with the KIA, there is still the fear of a lawsuit or arrest under the Unlawful Associations Act.

The team even has to tread carefully when reporting on Pat Jasan, a local vigilante group that fights drug use.

A past article triggered a boycott campaign against the paper.

"It is a weekly challenge and we always have to worry about when the fire might be sparked, because even if there is a human rights perspective the religious and racial issues are very sensitive," she said.

The post The Kachin Journalist Breaking Stereotypes appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Gov’t Cannot Act Against Rowdy Monks Without Backing of Society, Minister Says

Posted: 27 Feb 2018 12:08 AM PST

NAYPYITAW — A lack of consensus in society about the political role of Buddhist monks is making it difficult for the government to act as certain monks become ever more reckless in their behavior, in defiance of the Buddhist Order's code of conduct, said Union Minister for Religious Affairs and Culture Thura U Aung Ko.

The government still can't take action against monks because of the differing views about Buddhist monks and nationalism among the various stakeholders in the country and in society at large, the minister told reporters in Naypyitaw on Monday.

"Some monks have taken advantage of this and become more reckless. But the game is not yet over. We've recorded their actions," said the minister.

The minister last week urged the nation's highest religious authority, the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee (known by its Burmese acronym, Ma Ha Na) to take action against monks who disgrace Buddhism through their activities or speech, during the committee's annual meeting.

Ma Ha Na oversees violations of the traditional regulatory framework of Theravada Buddhist monks, while the government can use its executive power to intervene if monks' defiance goes beyond the ability of Ma Ha Na to control it, said the minister.

There must be unity between the government, the people and Myanmar's military (known as the Tatmadaw) before legal action can be taken against badly behaved monks, said the minister.

"Disunity will not last forever. The time of unity will come for certain. This will be decided by the people," said the minister.

Nationalist monks forced the cancellation of a press conference on Sunday at which a monk had planned to call on religious and civil authorities to prevent the firebrand monk U Wirathu from spreading hate speech.

The event planned by Buddhist monk Ashin Issariya of Karen State's Hpa-an Township at the Myanmar Journalist Network (MJN) was called off after dozens of monks and laymen who support U Wirathu arrived and took seats at the venue an hour before the scheduled start of the press conference.

Last year, Ma Ha Na banned ultranationalist monk U Wirathu from preaching for one year for spreading hate speech, which it said could lead to religious conflict. The ban expires next month.

With the ban still in effect, U Wirathu shared video files on social media in which he claimed to be the mentor of Kyi Lin, the accused assassin of prominent Muslim lawyer U Ko Ni. To support killing is against Buddhist teaching, Ashin Issariya said.

"People want to know why U Wirathu hasn't been arrested while U Parmaukkha was. If everybody is not equal in front of the law, there will never be rule of law in our country," he added.

Ultra-nationalist monk U Parmaukkha was arrested in November and sentenced last week to three months in prison for inciting public unrest, for leading an anti-Rohingya protest outside the U.S. Embassy in Yangon in April 2016.

Nationalist writer Maung Thway Chun said the Buddhist monks who forced the cancellation of the press conference do not belong to the Association for Protection of Race and Religion (known by its Burmese acronym Ma Ba Tha), but to the Patriotic Monks Union. However, he did not deny Ma Ba Tha's leading role in forcing the cancellation of the press conference.

"The E.U., U.S. and OIC [Organization of Islamic Cooperation] all loathe Ma Ba Tha. Their [the National League for Democracy-led government's] rival is the USDP [Union Solidarity and Development Party]. Ma Ba Tha won't grab power. Ma Ba Tha is not a political party. It has no interest at all in politics. I don't understand why the government targets Ma Ba Tha," he said.

Ma Ba Tha was born out of the 969 Movement — a nationalist campaign that called for the boycott of Muslim-owned businesses — in 2012. In 2013, 969 members rebranded the group as the Association for Protection of Race and Religion, better known by its Burmese acronym Ma Ba Tha.

After Ma Ha Na banned the group on May 23, 2017, the association rebranded itself as the Buddha Dhamma Charity Foundation.

"We have records [of conduct-violating monks]. And there have been louder calls by people [to take action against them]. But as I have said, we have to consider the underlying factors. It could become a nationalist issue [if we take action]," said Minister Thura U Aung Ko.

"There may be challenges. And there are causes for concern for Buddhism [in Myanmar]. And this issue is also connected with politics."

The post Gov't Cannot Act Against Rowdy Monks Without Backing of Society, Minister Says appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Five Modern Cities Built from Scratch

Posted: 26 Feb 2018 09:57 PM PST

AMARAVATI, India — A new city, Amaravati, is being built in an area of 217 square kilometers, about the size of Seattle, along the banks of the Krishna River in the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.

It is the country’s first greenfield capital in decades, and is being hailed as a viable option to its polluted, congested cities, which are often seen as failures of urban planning.

But activists say farmers are being driven from their homes for Amaravati, whose name means “place of immortals,” and that the project also ignores its ecological impact.

Here are five modern, purpose-built cities that have also sparked debates around public interest:

Astana — Often dubbed the world’s weirdest capital, the Kazakh capital was moved here in 1997. The urban plan was drawn up by Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa, and the city is known for its futuristic buildings.

Brasilia — Arguably the most famous planned city in the world, it was founded in 1960. It is distinguished by its modern architecture, chiefly designed by Oscar Niemeyer, and it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. Yet the city is dogged by an inadequate mass transportation system, segregation, and neglected public spaces.

Canberra — The site for the capital was chosen as a compromise between rivals Sydney and Melbourne, Australia’s two largest cities. Construction began in 1913 but was beset by delays, and the Commonwealth parliament moved to Canberra in 1927. Despite its high standard of living, the city is little known overseas and little loved even within Australia.

Naypyitaw — The capital of Myanmar was moved from Yangon to the center of the country in 2005. Covering nearly 7,000 square kilometers — about four times the size of London — it features a 20-lane avenue, multiple golf courses and a replica of Yangon’s famous golden Shwedagon Pagoda. Yet, its wide streets are mostly empty, as relatively few live there.

Songdo — The International Business District in Songdo is built on reclaimed land along the Yellow Sea. All apartment buildings and businesses are built within 12 minutes from bus or subway stops. There are sensors to monitor temperature, energy use and traffic flow, and a pneumatic tube system for garbage disposal. The district was the backdrop for the blockbuster music video for “Gangnam Style” by Korean pop star Psy.

The post Five Modern Cities Built from Scratch appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Aung San Suu Kyi Should Oppose Myanmar Military or Resign, Says Fellow Nobel Prize Winner

Posted: 26 Feb 2018 09:09 PM PST

PHNOM PENH — Myanmar leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi should try to stop military atrocities against Rohingya civilians or resign, fellow Nobel laureate Tawakkol Karman said on Monday.

Rights groups and United Nations investigators have collected evidence of widespread abuses including sexual violence, killings and arson and described the military crackdown as “ethnic cleansing.” But since coming to power in 2016, Aung San Suu Kyi — who won the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize for her decades-long pro-democracy fight — has failed publicly to condemn abuses against Rohingya civilians which began after Rohingya insurgents attacked police and military outposts.

“We are so angry about our Nobel sister Aung San Suu Kyi,” said Karman, who visited women in refugee camps on Sunday and Monday along with another two laureates.

“She should tell the truth or she should resign,” said Karman by phone from Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. “If she continues in this role, she is one of the perpetrators.”

Karman, who in 2011 was jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in Yemen, said Aung San Suu Kyi could face international prosecution — along with military officers — as she had failed to protect civilians.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s spokesman’s phone was turned off, while two officials at the foreign ministry, which she also leads, said they were not able to answer questions. A military spokesman did not answer his phone.

Karman told the Thomson Reuters Foundation she had spoken to 15 women who said their husbands and some of their children had been killed, and that they had been raped repeatedly by soldiers.

“You can’t imagine what we heard today,” said Karman.

Aung San Suu Kyi, 71, has rarely directly addressed allegations of abuses against Rohingya people even though at least 688,000 Rohingya have fled to neighboring Bangladesh, according to UN figures.

On Monday, European Union foreign ministers agreed to draw up sanctions on military leaders.

Aung San Suu Kyi is barred from the presidency but her party installed her as de facto leader after a landslide 2015 election. In her current role she has no control over the military. Many hoped Aung San Suu Kyi’s ascent to power would help halt abuses against Rohingyas, an ethnic and religious Muslim minority who are mostly denied citizenship and live under an apartheid-like system.

The post Aung San Suu Kyi Should Oppose Myanmar Military or Resign, Says Fellow Nobel Prize Winner appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

EU Agrees to Prepare Sanctions on Myanmar Generals

Posted: 26 Feb 2018 08:50 PM PST

BRUSSELS — European Union foreign ministers agreed on Monday to prepare sanctions against Myanmar generals over the killings of Rohingya Muslims and to strengthen the EU arms embargo, accusing state security forces of grave human rights abuses.

As reported by Reuters last week, foreign ministers meeting in Brussels asked the EU’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, to draw up a list of names to be hit with EU travel bans and asset freezes.

In a statement, ministers called for “targeted restrictive measures against senior military officers of the Myanmar armed forces responsible for serious and systematic human rights violations without delay.”

The measures would be the EU’s toughest yet to try to hold the Myanmar military accountable for the abuses, likely joining US and Canadian sanctions already in place.

Foreign ministers also want to strengthen the bloc’s 1990s-era arms embargo on the Southeast Asian country that remains in place, although they did not give details.

Reuters investigations have highlighted the killing of Rohingya Muslim men who were buried in a mass grave in Rakhine State after being hacked to death or shot by ethnic Rakhine Buddhist neighbors and soldiers.

No names of generals to be targeted for sanctions have been yet discussed, two diplomats said, but the United States said in December it was sanctioning Major General Maung Maung Soe, who is accused of a crackdown on the Rohingya minority in Rakhine.

One EU diplomat said the EU’s list was likely to include more than just one senior military officer.

The EU’s decision to consider sanctions reflects resistance to such measures in the UN Security Council, where veto-wielding powers Russia and China said this month they believe the situation in Rakhine was stable and under control.

The United States, as well as United Nations, has described the military crackdown in Myanmar as “ethnic cleansing.” More than 680,000 people, mostly Rohingya, have fled Rakhine for shelter over the border in Bangladesh, the EU said.

Myanmar has denied most allegations of abuses and asked for more evidence of abuses, while denying independent journalists, human rights monitors and UN-appointed investigators access to the conflict zone.

The post EU Agrees to Prepare Sanctions on Myanmar Generals appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ten Things to do in Yangon This Week

Posted: 26 Feb 2018 05:28 PM PST