Saturday, March 31, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

How Will Myanmar’s Political Landscape Change With a Newly-elected President

Posted: 30 Mar 2018 08:42 PM PDT

Kyaw Zwa Moe: Welcome to Dateline Irrawaddy! We can conclude that the National League for Democracy (NLD) government led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has changed the president in order to boost its performance. We'll discuss the prospects for national reconciliation and internal peace and if there will be more friction between the government and the military, which holds a certain degree of political power under the 2008 Constitution, if Vice President U Win Myint is elected as president. Yangon Region lawmaker Ma Kyi Pyar and political analyst Ko Maung Maung Soe join me to discuss this. I'm Irrawaddy English editor Kyaw Zwa Moe.

Dateline Irrawaddy: How Will Myanmar's Political Landscape Change With a Newly-elected President

DATELINE IRRAWADDYHow Will Myanmar's Political Landscape Change With a Newly-elected PresidentThe Irrawaddy discusses prospects for peace and progress in Myanmar with a newly-elected president at the helm.

Posted by The Irrawaddy – English Edition on Friday, March 30, 2018

U Win Myint was elected as vice president, and should be elected as president by the time this dateline is published. (He was elected as president on Wednesday, following the recording of this episode of Dateline). I assume that the NLD-led government changed the political landscape by changing the president two years after it took office. The difference between U Win Myint and U Htin Kyaw is that the former is more politically experienced, and has been elected three times since the 1990 general elections. He is also known for his assertiveness in Parliament. Ma Kyi Pyar, how will political landscape change if he is elected as president?

Kyi Pyar: I expect it will change a lot, but we'll have to wait and see. U Win Myint definitely was a strong navigator of Parliament in the past two years. There must be certain reasons behind shifting such a person to lead the executive branch. We've heard about a possible change in the presidency, but we didn't expect U Win Myint to be elected because he was so strong in Parliament. So, there must have been several reasons behind the shift.

First of all, the State Counselor has had to struggle in the government. There might have been hurdles and troubles. Meanwhile, the legislative branch is doing well and U Win Myint apparently has had to work hard to maintain balance with the executive branch. In some cases, the executive branch can't keep abreast of the legislative branch. If U Win Myint becomes the president—I am sure he will—it will be a boost for the State Counselor. Since U Win Myint is a member of the central executive committee of the NLD, he already has a strong position. And as the Lower House speaker, he knows well the function of the government. So, he will be able to better control and push the executive branch. We expect him to be able to support Daw Aung San Suu Kyi a lot.

KZM: We assume that U Win Myint was chosen for a different reason. He was chosen as he is politically shrewder and more experienced. We view this as the NLD taking a step forward for the next three years. To what extent will it be effective? To what extent will it change the cabinet?

Maung Maung Soe: The new president will be chosen for two reasons. First, as Article 59 (f) of the Constitution hasn't been changed over the past two years, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is still barred from the presidency. Again, she wants to share her responsibility with the president because of her workload and age. I would like to NLD government to be transparent in making the change. In democracies like the US, people know the next president one year in advance. In China, which exercises the one-party system, people know five years in advance who the president will be. But in our country, it is like a lottery. We don't know who will be the president. I want the government to change this. The government should declare who will be the president and seek public support. The NLD was born of the people, and it shouldn't be afraid to seek public support.

KZM: Do you think they will thoroughly reform the cabinet?

MMS: According to Article 235 of the 2008 Constitution, when a president dies or retires before completing his term, the existing cabinet shall be in office only until a new cabinet is formed. This means the new president may form a new cabinet, and the incumbent ministers may be or may not be included in the new cabinet. As soon as the new cabinet takes office, the incumbent cabinet has to step down. This is according to the Constitution. We will wait and see what the new cabinet looks like. In my opinion, ministers of the incumbent cabinet are too old. Most of them are 65 to 70. I want to see younger ones—they don't need to be too young—just around 50 to 60, active, and healthy enough to perform their duties—in the cabinet. And the NLD should appoint younger members in their 40s and 50s, even if they don't have experience, as deputy ministers to provide them a space to learn.

KZM: There must be changes to the cabinet in order to improve its capacity. Over the past two years, the performance of individual ministers, either in the field of economy or tourism, as well as the whole cabinet was strongly criticized. Ma Kyi Pyar, what is your suggestion for ministers and NLD party members?

KP: As U Maung Maung Soe has pointed out, they have experience given their age. But then they are not active or innovative enough. It would be better if we had ministers aged between 50 and 60. However, some are capable even though they are over 60. Ministers and deputy ministers are political posts. If they have political acumen and are capable of management, they can seek the recommendations from scholars anytime, in order to do their tasks well.

Over the past two years, the government did use relevant scholars. But those scholars could not think from a political point of view. The problem is that our country is not undergoing a smooth democratic transition. I think the government will be able to perform better if ministers can see things from a political point of view and seek advice from scholars.

Another problem is that the government didn't appoint deputy ministers at first, though it now has appointed a few over time. While ministers have to work directly with permanent secretaries, because of the mergers of some ministries, ministers had to take responsibility of many departments, and as permanent secretaries are in fact the old guard, there are considerable difficulties in running the government. Much remains to be done to improve the economy and education, which are crucial for the country. As ours is a poor country, we've expected a lot from the tourism industry for economic development, and there is still large room for improvement in those sectors, I think.

KZM: U Win Myint appears to outshine politically and has resolute leadership. But as the president, how would he engage with the Tatmadaw? I think it is a bigger problem since national reconciliation and internal peace depend on the relationship with the Tatmadaw. Will there be more friction? What do you think?

MMS: The army chief has repeatedly said that the Tatmadaw will obey the orders of the president. Taking a look at the performance of U Win Myint over the past two years, he worked strictly in line with the law. Even if there are frictions between the forces who declared allegiance to the 2008 Constitution and U Win Myint who can strictly act on provisions in the 2008 Constitution, he will be able to handle it properly, I believe. He will be able to enforce strict discipline on the government, whose discipline is too lax. The new president will share responsibility with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for the time being. He won't handle all of the issues. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will still maintain some ministries and handle some issues. He will be able to enforce strict disciple on the ministries he handles.

KZM: U Htin Kyaw didn't appear to have complete executive power. But I think U Win Myint will have greater executive power. Ma Kyi Pyar, what do you think?

KP: I think so. As I've said, the State Counselor has had to struggle alone amid troubles. I like former President U Htin Kyaw for his honesty and his way of living his life. But he seems to have had difficulty holding this political post. The new president-elect U Win Myint is not only a tower of strength in the party, but was also given the responsibility to lead the Lower House with trust, and he could perform well. So, he will be able to support the State Counselor a great deal, and I think the executive branch will be able to function more swiftly.

KZM: U Win Myint has legal expertise, and knows politically about what is happening on the ground. To what extent will he be able to play and push for peace as the president – as the peace process mainly depends on negotiation with military leaders?

MMS: The peace process is directly handled by the State Counselor through the NRPC (National Reconciliation and Peace Center). I am not sure if this responsibility will be handed over to the new president. I've read a news report that said the KNU (Karen National Union) said in a statement that it wants the new president to lead the peace process. But for the time being, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will still maintain this responsibility, and hand it over gradually.

KZM: President U Htin Kyaw was the 9th president of Myanmar elected by the people. And U Win Myint has become the 10th civilian president elected by the people. So, the trend of civilian presidency is continuing. To what extent will this push for political reform and what do you think will be achieved as a result in the next two or three years before the general elections in 2020?

KP: I personally have concerns for 2020. We contested the election in 2015, thinking we would make changes. But in reality, there have been a lot of difficulties. People have high expectations, and we still can't satisfy their expectations. Things definitely didn't get worse over the past two years, but we need to fulfill the requirements of people more. The government has started to make changes two years after taking the office, and if we can prepare as best we can in the next two, we won't have to worry much about the 2020 election. That is, if we can satisfy the public.

KZM: We now have a new president, but no matter how much he is capable, given the current political landscape and the 2008 Constitution, it is difficult to amend provisions like Article 59 (f) and build peace. The NLD government's expectation of peace and national reconciliation is still far from reality. How much we can expect? Do you think the military leaders will be willing to negotiate for this in next two or three years?

MMS: Peace-building is a long-term process and needs relentless effort. The NLD still has public support. And it needs to make good use of it. People will support the NLD whether they like it or not because they hate military dictatorship and don't want the return of the military-backed USDP (Union Solidarity and Development Party). So, people will support it anyway while there is no other option. The NLD should make good use of that support. What the NLD government should be aware of is economic problems. The inflation rate has been rather stable in the past two years. And the kyat-dollar exchange rate is also stable compared to the time of [former president] U Thein Sein. But, food prices have significantly increased. So, the government should be aware of the hardship facing the people. If people experience greater hardship, it will become a crisis for the government. There will be political instability. The NLD government needs to control this in the next three years. As I've said, peace and constitutional reform will still be difficult.

KZM: We will wait and see how Myanmar will change under the new government. Thank you for your contributions!

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Friday, March 30, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

President’s Inauguration Raises Hopes, Reminds Us of Political Realities

Posted: 30 Mar 2018 07:19 AM PDT

Watching Myanmar's new president taking the oath of office this morning, a great many citizens no doubt had a feeling of "so far, so good", despite the political turbulence that has rocked the country over the past year. After more than half a century of military rule, we watched U Win Myint, an elected civilian, succeed another elected civilian as president.

After the decades-long ordeal of authoritarian government, the recent political instability has many people worried that the current democratic transition, which only dates back to 2011, could make a U-turn.

In this light, the current moment seems especially auspicious: President U Win Myint is still just the second elected civilian president in the 56 years since the military seized power in a coup in 1962.

And the 66-year-old president brings a certain amount of "added value": His record as a seasoned political activist and politician under military rule stretches back to 1988; prior to that he worked as a barrister. He has been a lawmaker since he won a seat in the 2012 by-election, serving as Lower House speaker since 2016. More importantly, he has been a core member of the National League for Democracy since Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her co-founders formed it in September 1988. The NLD is still the country's most popular party, having scored an unbroken series of landslide victories in the country's last four elections—the general elections in 1990 and 2015, and by-elections in 2012 and 2017.

However, the inauguration ceremony also served as a reminder of the political realities of the country, which no one can ignore. In his oath, President U Win Myint swore to "uphold and abide by the Constitution and its laws…" Like his predecessors, he swore an oath to abide by a Constitution—drafted by the previous military regime in 2008—that has come to be seen as undemocratic.

But minutes after taking the oath, the President delivered his inaugural address on the same stage, vowing to amend the Constitution as a first step toward building a democratic federal union.

How ironic! And how typical of Myanmar's political situation!

That's not all. Take a look at the scene: The President took his oath alongside two vice presidents, one of whom was U Myint Swe, a former general elected by the military appointees who comprise 25 percent of lawmakers. In short, he represents the country's powerful military.

U Win Myint took the oath in front of the members of parliament, 25 percent of whom are military officials appointed by the commander-in-chief, Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing, who was present at the inauguration on Friday morning.

Vice President U Myint Swe (left), President U Win Myint (center) and Vice President 2 U Henry Van Thio take their oaths at the Union Parliament on Friday. (Photo: President's Office / Facebook)

Sitting with distinguished guests and elected parliamentarians, the commander-in-chief, his deputies and the military appointees all looked on as the new president was sworn in.

This is the odd reality imposed by the Constitution, which also mandates the appointment of a vice president selected by the military appointees in Parliament and three key cabinet ministers appointed by the commander-in-chief.

It's a paradox, indeed—a political game between the elected civilian government and the powerful military. In this political climate, the main political goals of the NLD-led government under the new president will not change much.

As with his predecessor, this political situation led the new president to underscore national reconciliation—specifically between the government and the military—and the peace process in his inauguration speech.

But there is one important thing U Win Myint must understand. After two years of NLD rule, he must be pragmatic. The economy is more important to the daily lives of the population than politics. He seems to be aware of this.

Unlike former President U Htin Kyaw, whose inauguration took place two years to the day before that of U Win Myint, the new president cited improving the socio-economic conditions of the people, along with ensuring the rule of law, as his number one priorities, rather than national reconciliation, peace and amending the Constitution to build up a democratic federal union.

Over the two years since the NLD took office in March 2016, many people from all walks of life have consistently complained that the economy has deteriorated under the NLD and that their businesses are dying. This is largely due to the fact that the NLD-led government under Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as State Counsellor prioritized political matters such as the peace process over the economy.

But the president raised economic issues on his first day in office. Now the people of Myanmar will have to wait and see what he does in the coming weeks and months.

Beyond political matters, the president called for an attitude and mindset change on the part of the entire population in order to ensure the success of the democratic transition, which is still in its infancy. He said, "It's vital for the public and civil servants to change their mindsets and fixed habits," referring to the outmoded attitudes and habits that defined the previous military and authoritarian regimes going back decades.

The president said he would supervise government departments that have been slow to implement reform. Those specific points have drawn cheers from many people in the country as people are still suffering under the old bureaucratic system and old-style civil servants.

He also vowed to reform the judicial system, fight corruption, take steps to combat the illegal drug trade and manage the country's budget so as to eliminate waste. The president also pledged to uphold human rights.

U Win Myint is aware of how his country's image has declined due to authorities' human rights violations against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State, which forced over 600,000 Muslims to flee to Bangladesh last year. In his speech, he vowed to work hard to raise the dignity of Myanmar citizens and the image of the country on the international stage.

The new president faces challenges bigger than any the country has seen since the NLD took office in March 2016. It is not immediately clear how he will solve these gigantic problems and achieve the government's political and economic goals. But the president has to get to work right after making his speech. Otherwise, his three-year tenure won't be sufficient.

As a decisive and disciplined Lower House speaker, U Win Myint proved that he is not a wishy-washy person.

President U Win Myint seems to have rolled up his sleeves with the intention of getting to work on the goals he has set. The entire nation and the world will be watching closely to see if his actions match the promises he made this morning.

The post President's Inauguration Raises Hopes, Reminds Us of Political Realities appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

NLD Party Revamp Elevates U Win Myint to No. 2 Spot

Posted: 30 Mar 2018 07:07 AM PDT

YANGON— The ruling National League for Democracy has overhauled its leadership, giving the country's new president, U Win Myint, the party's top job behind chairwoman Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

In an announcement released on Friday, the NLD said that according to a party decision at a central executive committee (CEC) meeting last Saturday, U Win Myint had been appointed vice chairman (1), while Mandalay Region Chief Minister U Zaw Myint Maung had been appointed vice chairman (2). Both men are in their 60s.

U Zaw Myint Maung was also recently appointed as party spokesmen along with U Myo Nyunt, a CEC member.

The party's internal leadership revamp came at the same time as U Win Myint took over as the country's new president and as the NLD led government marked two years in office on Friday.

U Win Myint, a favorite of de facto leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, was sworn into office on Friday after being elected as Myanmar's 10th president on Mar. 28.

New party spokesperson U Myo Nyunt told The Irrawaddy that the appointment of the two vice chairmen was part of structural reforms to strengthen the party's leadership and energize the NLD by giving more leadership roles to younger members instead of senior members—many of whom are in their 70s and 80s.

CEC member U Win Htein, 76, who is known to be the party's steward and a close aide of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, was moved to an honorable member's role. Along with three other party elders, U Win Htein was appointed as a member of the board of patrons.

Many have speculated what will happen to the NLD in the post-Daw Aung San Suu Kyi era. The party icon and co-founder is now 72 years old.

It is expected that U Win Myint as president will be more active than his predecessor and exercise more executive power while sharing governmental responsibilities with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Asked if U Win Myint would take over the leadership of the NLD after Daw Aung San Suu Kyi departs the scene, party spokesperson U Myo Nyunt said the party is set up that way for now.

But according to the constitution's Article 64, on assuming the presidency, U Win Myint is expected to recuse himself from party activities during his term in office.

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Lawyers Say Filing of Multiple Charges Against Arakanese Pair Is Unlawful

Posted: 30 Mar 2018 04:58 AM PDT

SITTWE — Defense lawyers for an Arakanese lawmaker and an author who were arrested in January in relation to remarks they made at a public talk told the Rakhine State High Court on Wednesday that the filing of multiple charges against their clients was unlawful.

Arakanese lawmaker Dr. Aye Maung and author Wai Han Aung were each charged with defamation, unlawful association and high treason for public remarks in which they expressed support for the ethnic armed group the Arakan Army. The speeches were made at an event in Rathedaung Township to mark the 233rd anniversary of the fall of the Rakhine Dynasty to the Bamar.

At their seventh appearance at the Sittwe District Court and Sittwe Township Court on Wednesday, defense lawyer U Aung Kyaw Sein asked the courts to drop the charges.

"We have an existing law governing the defining of charges. According to that law, although by an act or an omission a person may have violated more than one law, he or she shall be charged under one law only. They have been charged under three laws. This is against the law," he said.

Defense lawyers also asked that the defendants be tried before only one court. The two were charged at both district and township level courts in Sittwe, which defense lawyers said is tiring for the accused and their families, and wastes their time.

"It is a misuse of the judicial system, so we asked the court to try them in just one court," U Aung Kyaw Sein told The Irrawaddy.

Sittwe Township Court scheduled a hearing for April 4 to consider their proposal to hold the trial in only one court.

After the court hearing on Wednesday, Dr. Aye Maung told reporters that he welcomed the election of president U Win Myint, saying he trusted him because U Win Myint is himself a former political prisoner and has legal knowledge.

"I'm glad that U Win Myint has become president. I ask him to release all political prisoners. There are many people who were charged under the defamation and unlawful association acts like us. If he can release them all, we will be able to attend the Panglong Peace Conference," Dr. Aye Maung said.

"It would be best if we can work for national reconciliation together peacefully," he added.

The post Lawyers Say Filing of Multiple Charges Against Arakanese Pair Is Unlawful appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Analysis: Audiences Embrace New Filmmakers, Cinema Industry Slow to Follow Suit

Posted: 30 Mar 2018 04:35 AM PDT

YANGON — One discussion that has taken over Myanmar social media in recent weeks is in regards to the country's mainstream movie industry. The talk revolved around a filmmaker couple whose two newly-released films excited cinemagoers who have been disappointed with a stagnant industry.

Deception and Mudras Calling, released in January and March respectively, received tremendous audience support and filled theaters. Film director Christina Kyi and her partner as well as her production's in-house actor Zenn Kyi came into the spotlight as "new idols." Myanmar netizens have taken to social media to show their support for the couple and the two films.

What made the support even more intense was the resistance of some famous mainstream community members and stars who have refused to recognize and receive the new generation of filmmakers with open arms.

Deception movie poster. / Deception Official Facebook

Embracing a New Generation of Filmmakers

Enthusiasm and hunger for a 'new' cinema stem from the disappointment with many local filmmakers who simply adapt stories from foreign films rather than create their own original stories, and who make comedy movies that mischaracterize the lives of transgender people and disabled communities. Even though Myanmar was one of the earliest countries to produce films in Southeast Asia, the country's current influence in the regional industry is among the lowest.

Such a situation is sad for an industry with a remarkable cinema legacy that will celebrate its 100-year anniversary in 2020. Despite bizarre censorship and political control by the socialist government, the period from the 1950s to the 1970s and sometimes 80s is viewed by many as the local industry's "golden age."

In order to protest the current state of the movie industry, audiences embraced the newcomers even more by turning out in droves to support films made by the 'Kyi' couple.

After studying filmmaking in the US, Christina Kyi and Zenn Kyi came back to their home country Myanmar nearly a decade ago and started making their debut feature film Mudras Calling. Due to financial and other production struggles, the film did not make it to theaters until March this year.

Zenn Kyi and Christina Kyi arrived at the Myanmar Academy Award ceremony on March 23. ( Photo: Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy)

Their second film Deception, was released two months before the debut film. It is a twisted drama of a marriage, betrayal, wealth and poverty. While there were shortcomings in the film's script and execution, Christina Kyi was able to prove that she was a capable director. She was praised for her directorial skill and actors Zenn Kyi and Aung Myint Myat were admired for their acting. The film stayed in local theaters for seven weeks and was also screened in Singapore.

Because of the success of Deception, no exceptional effort was needed to promote Mudras Calling, which featured the same director and lead actor. The film is a story of a US-raised young man's search for his roots in Myanmar while learning about the country's traditional music for his master's degree thesis. Most of the dialogue in the 95-minute film is in English with Myanmar subtitles.

Filmed in the country's most visited tourist hotspots of Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan and Inle Lake, Christina Kyi was applauded for promoting Myanmar traditions and values. The film also stressed cultural and ideological differences between Myanmar and western societies while depicting a love story between its two lead characters.

Despite flaws in screenplay, character development and technical work, the crew's years-long effort should be recognized for not following the conventional local practice and for pushing the industry forward.

U Win Pe, a Myanmar Academy Award winner, prolific author, painter and former radio reporter, praised the film as successful entertainment. He particularly appreciated the way the director skillfully mingled Myanmar culture with the film narrative, and said it gave a fresh perspective of the country even to Myanmar audiences.

"The good thing about this film is that it can deliver such a simple narrative in quite an interesting way from the start till the end," he said. "It gives a balanced ratio of entertainment and knowledge," he added.

Mudras Calling movie poster. / Mudras Calling Official Facebook

Divide, Scandal, and More

The fundamental difference between the "Kyi" couple and the existing mainstream movie makers is that the two learned filmmaking in college and the latter learned it from elders within the industry. While many young filmmakers cited classical films produced during the golden period as their artistic inspirations, those produced lately are regarded by many as "silly movies."

While audiences criticize the industry's low artistic standards and poor creative quality, the industry's conservative filmmakers still cite the country's poverty and dictatorship as the root causes of technical challenges in their films.

The real battle came after former actress and member of Myanmar film censorship board Daw Swe Sin Htike metaphorically commented that Mudras Calling was a product made by "urbanites" and other films produced by the existing mainstream industry were made by "villagers."

The divide between the "Kyi" audience and the existing mainstream industry members got out of control when screenshots of Facebook messenger group chat logs between some members were leaked on social media following the 66th Myanmar Motion Picture Academy Awards ceremony.

The screenshots of the chat history from the "Actors and Actresses" group revealed gossip about the filmmaker couple and strong backlash from the industry figures. The leak seemed to happen after several Facebook accounts of industry celebrities were hacked. While it should not happen to any individual, Myanmar netizens trolled celebrities and movie directors on social media about how they felt threatened by the two filmmakers.

The leak immediately led to a public apology by the chair of Myanmar Motion Picture Organization. Chairman U Zin Wyne, who was also involved in the chat, said he apologized to the couple on behalf of all the members who gossiped, and would like to collaborate with the new generation of filmmakers for the betterment of the industry.

"We always accept newcomers and must also warmly welcome them now," he said at a press conference on March 26.

Night movie poster. / Night Official Facebook

What he said was quite questionable as the film Night (Nya)—obviously one of the best films released in 2017— didn't get any nominations for the Academy Awards this year. The film is a psychological thriller and a debut feature by young filmmaker Htoo Paing Zaw Oo, who is also an award-winning music video director.

Even though it was tipped to be awarded for its outstanding cinematography, sound design, and directing work, it didn't even get nominated by the award selection board. Many young filmmakers said they felt discouraged by the fact that the industry didn't recognize the work of the new generation. However, director Htoo Paing Zaw Oo said he will keep making the kinds of films he likes to watch no matter if he gets recognized for it or not.

Many audience members expressed their support for the film and the director on social media by saying they gave the film the audience award. Such crowd support proves that Myanmar audiences are ready for a film revolution and a new wave of cinema.

Tin Htet Paing is a freelance journalist and photographer based in Yangon. She previously worked at The Irrawaddy as a reporter

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Villagers Flee as Specter of War Returns to Northern Karen State

Posted: 30 Mar 2018 03:03 AM PDT

It was dusk when we arrived in Taw Ku Mu Der. Basking in the golden light of the setting sun, the village located in a valley in Karen State’s mountainous Papun District (or Mutraw, as it is known in Karen) was majestic. Yet, devoid of human presence, only ominous silence remained. Gone were the carefree sounds of children playing, parents chatting on their porches, and farmers washing after a hard day in the fields. Only a handful of animals remained. A few chickens pecking for food under a hut, a goat wandering between houses and a lonely grey cat crouched on a veranda were the only remaining signs of life.

Four families from Taw Ku Mu Der are camped on a mountainside enduring frigid temperatures at night. (Photo / Brennan O’Connor)

Ten days earlier, the people of Taw Ku Mu Der fled into the night. They were running from the Tatmadaw (Myanmar Army) after large numbers of troops were deployed in Lu Thaw Township without warning. Many fled with just the clothes on their backs and a small bundle of possessions.

Taw Ku Mu Der village was abandoned after Tatmadaw moved troops into Karen National Liberation Army Brigade 5 controlled territories. (Photo / Brennan O’Connor)

Six battalions have been deployed into Lu Thaw Township, with orders to secure the area to expand a military road that has been abandoned since 2012. The military road will carve a swath through the forests and lands of local communities, to connect two Tatmadaw mountain bases.

"The Tatmadaw have changed their tactics and have a very solid strategy to build a military operations road to make it easier to connect their bases, and transport military supplies," said Saw Robin Moo, the Karen National Union (KNU) secretary of Papun District.

Families from Taw Ku Mu Der set up makeshift camps depending on directions they fled after Tatmadaw sent troops into the area. (Photo / Brennan O’Connor)

The Tatmadaw violated the terms of the 2015 Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) by moving troops into this area and firing first, Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) Brigade 5 leaders said. Since the Tatmadaw crossed the ceasefire line in early March, armed clashes between their troops and the KNLA have intensified, with battles now occurring daily as Karen troops seek to defend their territory. The KNLA’s political wing, the KNU, signed the NCA with the Tatmadaw, the Union government and seven other groups on Oct. 15, 2015.

The current fighting in Papun has displaced more than 2,000 people from 11 villages located in areas close to the military road. An additional 600 people from five villages have made preparations to flee as a result of the mounting instability. So far, these military operations have caused the largest civilian displacement in Karen State since September 2016, when more than 5,000 people were forced from their homes after the Tatmadaw’s Border Guard Force seized control of the Mae Tha Waw road.

Villagers from Yay Ghoh Loh Der are camped in a mountain valley after fleeing their homes on 5th March. (Photo / Soe Doe)

Since the 2012 bilateral ceasefire between the Myanmar army and the KNU, people have been investing their trust in the ceasefire and hoping for lasting peace after decades of fighting. Yet the recent armed clashes and renewed conflict in Papun District has eroded this fragile trust.

On a mountainside, an hour from Taw Ku Mu Der, villagers were busy preparing their evening meal at a makeshift camp. Dogs and several kittens meandered around their feet anticipating food droppings. Four families camped together, while others set up their own small camps in the forest, locations determined by the direction they fled when the fighting began.

Villagers from Loh  Koh hold a sign in Karen language that says: "We don’t want the Burmese army to make more bases on our land". After abandoning their village, residents returned to participate in a prayer ceremony and protest organized by Karen Peace Support Network (KPSN). (Photo / Soe Doe)

Since Taw Ku Mu Der was abandoned, villagers have been returning, periodically, to collect precious possessions. Large bags of rice have been stacked on the downward trail leading to the camp.

As night fell, the temperature became frigid and villagers huddled around a fire to keep warm, talking before retiring to bed.

A young girl joined the prayer ceremony and protest in  Loh  Koh, (Photo / Soe Doe)

"We are waiting for the Myanmar army to leave the area," said 60-year-old Saw Bu Kwae from Boh Nar Der village, also displaced by fighting. His village is located just three minutes walk from the proposed military road.

“We see a lot more troops coming into the area, so we just have to prepare for our food and we (keep) moving a little further (away from the soldiers)," Bu Kwae explained. Weighing heavy on his mind is if he can get back to plough his fields before the planting season starts in early May.

During a prayer ceremony and protest participants imprint their painted hands on a banner calling for genuine peace. (Photo / Soe Doe)

The recent return to conflict has been a recurring concern that has marked much of Saw Bu Kwae’s life. Many of his friends were tortured or killed by the Tatmadaw in the wake of its brutal Four Cuts Policy. During this time, Tatmadaw troops shot their water buffaloes, and, unable to plough their fields, they faced food insecurity, recounted Saw Bu Kwae

As villagers, we have no power to stop the fighting, he said.

The Tatmadaw sent six battalions to secure an area it wants to build a military road that is pictured here. If constructed it will connect two of its mountain bases. (Photo / Brennan O’Connor.)

"I just want our KNU leaders to talk to the NLD (National League for Democracy) government to work out real peace," he said.

The post Villagers Flee as Specter of War Returns to Northern Karen State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

2 Sagaing Women Arrested for Trying to Keep Police from Entering Village

Posted: 30 Mar 2018 02:51 AM PDT

MANDALAY — Two villagers in the Letpadaung copper mining region of Sagaing Division's Salingyi Township were arrested after trying to prevent police from entering their village on Thursday.

The two women, residents of Wat Hmae village, were among a group of villagers who were angered by the large police presence during a previously agreed relocation of seven households from the village that had been declared to be in a mining zone.

According to the villagers, police began setting up security checkpoints outside the village on Wednesday, claiming it was necessary to protect villagers and assist those who wished to relocate to new villages.

"We told them [the police] not to enter our village and that we would help the villagers move, but they forcibly entered the village with their trucks, so we confronted them," said Ko Ko Latt, a resident of Wat Hmae village.

The locals said they were angered when about 100 police entered the village via its main road.

"The police acted as if they were preparing for battle. We do not want such actions, for we live in peace and have not created any problems as to who will move to a new village," he said.

Residents of Wat Hmae village in the Letpadaung copper mining region try to prevent police from entering their village on Thursday. / Ko Aung Nay Myo

What began as an exchange of words between villagers and police quickly escalated into a physical clash. Police eventually detained Ma Thwae Thwae Win and Ma San San Hla, who reportedly led the villagers in confronting the authorities.

The two women are currently under police detention while receiving medical treatment at Salingyi Township Hospital.

According to police, officers from Salingyi Township filed lawsuits against the two arrested women, Ma Phyu Phyu Win—the sister of Ma Thwae Thawe Win—and seven other locals for injuring police and obstructing a police officer, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years' imprisonment.

"The police used force to defame us and said our aim was to stop the relocation. This is completely untrue," Ma Phyu Phu Win said. "We just don't want the police to come into our villages. We want to tell President U Win Myint to take note of us and to ensure there is rule of law in our region."

Residents of Letpadaung region have been wary of allowing police or local authorities to approach their villages since copper mining began in 2013, as authorities and mining companies have tried to forcibly relocate villages that lie within designated mining zones.

Residents of Wat Hmae village in the Letpadaung copper mining region try to prevent police from entering their village on Thursday. / Ko Aung Nay Myo

Tensions first arose in the Letpadaung region in 2012, when locals protested the mining company's activities in the area, demanding compensation and the right to remain on their land.

About 7,800 acres of land in Salingyi Township were confiscated for the project, which has been dogged by protests over poor compensation and environmental safeguards.

The Letpadaung copper mining project, a joint venture between the Myanmar military-owned Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited (UMEHL) and the Chinese firm Wanbao, was launched in 2010.

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KNU Says Army Cancelled Meeting to Settle Standoff Because of Missing Delegate

Posted: 30 Mar 2018 02:50 AM PDT

YANGON — The Myanmar Army, or Tatmadaw, cancelled a meeting it had scheduled with the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) because the commander of one of the ethnic armed group’s brigades would not be attending, according to a member of the group’s political wing.

"The reason they gave us is that it was not suitable to have the meeting without the KNLA Brigade 5 commander. They said he has the most authority in the region," said Padoh Saw Thamain Tun, a central executive committee member of the Karen National Union (KNU).

"As for us, our representatives went on the trip to have the meeting with them," he said.

The goal of the meeting, scheduled for Thursday and Friday in Kyauk Kyi Township, was to settle a territorial dispute that erupted earlier this month when the Tatmadaw moved into an area claimed by Brigade 5 to rebuild an old road.

Some 2,000 ethnic Karen have fled the fighting.

Padoh Saw Thamain Tun said the KNU asked the Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committee (JMC) to mediate the meeting and that the KNU and KNLA had decided beforehand who to send. He said they decided not to send the Brigade 5 commander because he was not fluent in Burmese and chose to send a subordinate instead.

"Saying they would not attend the meeting because the KNLA Brigade 5 commander would not be there is not a good reason. The KNU and KNLA decided who had to attend the meeting. In fact there would have been no problem without having him there,” Padoh Saw Thamain Tun said.

The KNU has asked the Tatmadaw to withdraw its soldiers from the disputed area and help the displaced families move back. Karen community leaders have also written to State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for help.

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A Brief Bio of Myanmar’s Newly Sworn-in President

Posted: 30 Mar 2018 01:26 AM PDT

With his inauguration on Friday, U Win Myint has become Myanmar's tenth president.

The House speaker-turned-president is the second head of state elected by the Daw Aung San Suu Kyi-led National League for Democracy (NLD) government in two year's time, following U Htin Kyaw's sudden retirement from the post in the third week of March 2018.

Like the former president, the one-time lawyer is one of the State Counselor's allies. A hardcore NLD member since the formation of the party in 1988, the 67-year-old had three electoral victories on the party ticket—being elected for the seats in his hometown Irrawaddy Delta's Danubyu in the 1990 election, Irrawaddy's Pathein Township in the 2012 by-election and Yangon's Tamwe township in the 2015 election.

During his time in the Lower House, U Win Myint was known to be a strict taskmaster. He often warned lawmakers to do their homework before the parliamentary session and to keep their proposals and questions specific and to the point. The lawmakers were not alone in receiving his stern warnings. Union ministers were also among those faulted for poorly prepared answers in Parliament. Moreover, he has occasionally given military appointees in Parliament a hard time.

Like many other political activists and politicians, U Win Myint was arrested several times by the previous military regime.

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New President Vows to Bring Democracy, Human Rights to Myanmar

Posted: 30 Mar 2018 01:20 AM PDT

YANGON — Myanmar's new president vowed in his inauguration speech on Friday to implement democracy, human rights and other social changes that the public has long been waiting for.

"By applying the lessons learned from the challenges and crises we have experienced in the past, our government will try its best, with full impartiality, to bring about democracy and the respect for human rights that our people long for, U Win Myint said.

Laying out a roadmap for the remaining three years of the National League for Democracy-led government's current term, the president vowed to crack down on corruption and the illegal drug trade, and to reform the country's weak judicial system.

U Win Myint was inaugurated as the country's 10th president on Friday morning at the Union Parliament along with two vice presidents. He was elected by a parliamentary vote on Wednesday.

In his inauguration speech to the Union Parliament on Friday, U Win Myint emphasized the need for all parties to be open to change if the country's democratic transition is to succeed. He warned that "close supervision would be imposed on departments reluctant to make changes," referring to the fact that some department officials loyal to the previous government had resisted implementing changes ordered by the NLD government.

The 67-year-old acknowledged that Myanmar today faces problems in every sector, while challenges mount both at home and abroad.

"While it's impossible to tackle them all, I will do my best to prioritize them," he said.

In a 7-minute-long speech delivered in front of State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, military chief Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing, Union cabinet members and lawmakers, the president said the government would tackle corruption; take steps to combat drug trafficking; provide compensation for illegally confiscated land; and uphold human rights. He also vowed to improve the lives of farmers, workers and students.

"To make this happen, the three pillars of the country [legislative, judiciary and executive] need mutual understanding and respect, and to coordinate their activities for the interests of the people," he said.

He urged the public to take the social role of the media sector seriously, describing the media as the eyes and ears of the people.

U Win Myint assumes the presidency at a time when Myanmar faces both domestic and international challenges. At home, peace with ethnic armed groups continues to prove elusive, and the economy is in decline due to mismanagement. And while the country now has a democratically elected civilian government, the military retains a strong influence.

Internationally, the NLD government has come under unprecedented criticism for its handling of the Rohingya issue; more than 600,000 Muslims have fled Rakhine State for Bangladesh since August last year, alleging arbitrary killing, rape and torture at the hands of security forces. The UN has accused of the country of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya, though the government has repeatedly denied this. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has come under criticism for her silence on the issue.

Mindful of the situation, Myanmar's 10th president said on Friday: "We need to keep working to raise the dignity of our citizens as well as the image of the country in the international community."

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Family of Journalist Killed in Traffic Accident with Army Major Drops Charges

Posted: 30 Mar 2018 12:07 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW — The family of a local journalist has dropped charges against an army officer who hit and killed the reporter in a traffic accident nearly two weeks ago.

U Tin Lin, a senior reporter at The Voice Journal, was killed instantly as he rode his motorcycle near the Naypyitaw Central Railway Station in Pobbathiri Township after being hit from behind by the car driven by Major Kaung Htoo Lwin on the night of March 17.

Police handed over the investigation into the fatal crash to the army, as the driver was an army major with the Health and Disease Control Unit in Zayarthiri Township.

U Tin Lin lived alone in Pobbathiri, away from his family in Yangon. He had worked as a reporter for more than 15 years.

In the 2010 general election, with the National Democratic Force, he unsuccessfully contested a Lower House seat representing Yangon Region's Kungyangon Township, where he was from.

U Tin Lin’s 85-year-old mother is in poor health and agreed to drop charges against Major Kaung Htoo Lwin after the army officer’s relatives came to apologize three times, said Daw San San Kyu, the younger sister of U Tin Lin.

"The brother [of the major] came crying and begged my ailing mother. He told her that he and his brother would take care of her as if they were her sons and provide monthly [financial] assistance. My mother sympathized with him and decided to drop the charge out of motherly love," she said.

"This type of crime allows the aggrieved party to drop the charge," Pobbathiri police Lieutenant Thaung Htike Oo told The Irrawaddy.

U Tin Lin’s mother and other family members signed an agreement dropping the charges on Wednesday in the presence of community elders and the village administrator.

"It all depends on his mother. We can do nothing against her will," said Ko Aung Soe, The Voice’s executive editor.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Fire Kills 20 Myanmar Migrant Workers on Bus in Thailand: Police

Posted: 29 Mar 2018 10:39 PM PDT

BANGKOK — A fire on board a bus in western Thailand killed 20 migrant workers from Myanmar early on Friday, police said.

The bus was carrying 47 workers who had just crossed the border into Thailand to work legally. Three other people on the bus were injured but the rest escaped unharmed, police said.

“The driver said he saw fire breaking out from the middle of the bus, which then spread quickly,” Kritkanok Dan-udom, the chief of Maetor district police station, told Reuters.

Pictures in Thai media showed the burnt-out shell of the bus.

Thailand’s roads have been ranked as the deadliest in the world after Libya’s, according to the World Health Organization’s most recent study.

Thailand is estimated to have more than 3 million migrant workers, many of whom come from much poorer neighbor Myanmar. Work permit rules were tightened last year.

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Rights Lawyer Amal Clooney to Represent Reuters Reporters Held in Myanmar

Posted: 29 Mar 2018 10:29 PM PDT

YANGON — Prominent human rights lawyer Amal Clooney has joined the legal team representing two Reuters reporters jailed in Myanmar, who are accused of possessing secret government papers, her office said on Thursday.

A court in Yangon has been holding preliminary hearings since January to decide whether Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, will be charged under the colonial-era Officials Secrets Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.

The journalists had been working on a Reuters investigation into the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men in western Myanmar’s Rakhine State during an army crackdown that began in August, which has sent nearly 700,000 people fleeing to Bangladesh.

Lawyers for the two reporters on Wednesday asked the court to throw out the case, saying there was insufficient evidence to support charges against the pair.

“Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are being prosecuted simply because they reported the news. I have reviewed the case file and it is clear beyond doubt that the two journalists are innocent and should be released immediately,” Amal Clooney was quoted as saying in a statement released by her office.

“The outcome of this case will tell us a lot about Myanmar’s commitment to the rule of law and freedom of speech,” said Clooney, who is married to actor George Clooney.

Zaw Htay, spokesman for Myanmar’s civilian government, declined to comment.

Government officials have previously denied the arrests represent an attack on press freedom, which rights advocates say is under growing threat in the Southeast Asian country.

Myanmar’s ambassador to the United Nations, Hau Do Suan, said last month that the Reuters journalists were not arrested for reporting a story, but were accused of “illegally possessing confidential government documents.”

Gail Gove, chief counsel of Reuters, said retaining Clooney would strengthen the company’s international legal expertise and broaden efforts to secure the release of the reporters.

Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo have been in custody since their arrest on Dec. 12.

The pair have told relatives they were arrested almost immediately after being handed some rolled up papers at a restaurant in northern Yangon by two policemen they had not met before, having been invited to meet the officers for dinner.

The district court in northern Yangon will hear arguments from prosecutors and defense lawyers on the motion to dismiss the case on April 4.

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Migrant Construction Workers’ Children in Thailand Exposed to Violence: UN

Posted: 29 Mar 2018 09:47 PM PDT

BANGKOK — Women migrant construction workers and their children in Thailand are exposed to violence and abuse in hazardous living conditions, the United Nations said on Thursday.

The report by the UN children’s agency (UNICEF) underscores the risks to laborers from some of the poorest countries in Asia.

Besides physical abuse and limited access to healthcare and education, the 60,000 or more migrant children living in construction site camps are particularly vulnerable to child labor, according to the report.

Nearly a third of the children surveyed said they had started working before turning 15, the legal minimum age. Almost 90 percent had suffered some form of physical violence.

“These experiences of violence are severe barriers to the children’s physical, emotional and social development, in addition to being threats to their basic safety and well-being,” said Thomas Davin, UNICEF’s Thailand representative.

“That is not a childhood for any child.”

Thailand has more than 3 million migrant workers, according to the International Organization for Migration, with rights groups putting the figure higher.

Construction is the top employer of migrant workers, with women from Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos making up about 40 percent of the nearly 600,000 documented migrants in the sector, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO).

They are a rarity in an industry generally dominated by men. But they are paid less than men, get few maternity or childcare benefits, and are more exposed to safety risks, the ILO said.

Families live in refashioned containers or flimsy shacks of tin and plywood at the sites, with poor sanitation and limited access to potable water, according to the survey of 119 migrant parents and children in 21 sites in northern Thailand.

More than 40 percent of mothers said they had experienced some form of abuse or physical violence, it said.

“I was shocked at the extent of the violence faced by women and children,” said Nicola Crosta of Baan Dek Foundation, a non-profit which helps to provide education and healthcare to migrant workers at construction sites.

“But many companies are stepping up to provide better facilities and services, which can help reduce the incidence,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Since taking power in a 2014 coup, Thailand’s ruling junta has had varying degrees of success in regulating the foreign workforce, spurred partly by media reports that unregulated workers faced exploitation by employers.

Thai industries are under international scrutiny this week as a team of UN experts undertake their first visit to the country to examine human rights in a range of businesses.

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Thursday, March 29, 2018

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Lawmakers Press Information Ministry to Open Up, Help Private News Outlets

Posted: 29 Mar 2018 04:17 AM PDT

YANGON — Lawmakers asked the Ministry of Information (MOI) if it had plans to help support the country’s struggling private news outlets and improve the public’s access to even the most basic government information during a session of the Lower House on Thursday in Naypyitaw.

National League for Democracy (NLD) lawmaker U Myint Lwin, representing Yangon Region’s Twante Township, complained that private news outlets were at an unfair disadvantage to publicly funded government outlets, raising concerns about the quality of news readers will have access to if private outlets die out. He said private outlets felt like lightweight boxers being forced to step into the ring with heavyweights.

"There have been complaints in other countries about state-run media using government funding to operate. But our country is reforming, so I do not want to complain yet about government money being used to run media outlets," he said.

U Myint Lwin said 44 private media outlets have applied for operating licenses since the beginning of democratic reforms in 2011, but many were scaling back because of financial difficulties.

"They all feel like state-run media do not play fair because state-run media have many sections and branch offices, and they [sell] lots of advertising because they sell at a low price. So they feel like when they have to compete…they are boxing with heavyweights," he said.

Deputy Information Minister U Aung Hla Htun said the government was trying to help private outlets.

The ministry, he said, “is trying to ask the government not to collect taxes from private media. But other people also need to work with the MOI in order to ask the government for tax breaks for private media."

He said state-run news outlets were a bridge between the government and the people and charged low prices for advertising because the ministry did not want to earn a profit off the public or make its news unaffordable.

Switching topics, lawmaker Daw Aye Mya Mya Moe, representing Yangon’s Kyauktan Township, said the MOI was falling short of its responsibility to help the public access basic government information and recounted her own attempt to do so.

She said she had gone to the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) to find out what laws governed development projects in her constituency, but an official told her he could only share that information with approval from a superior.

Daw Aye Mya Mya Moe said the official’s superior promised to gather the information she was looking for and share it. She said that was several months ago and that she was still waiting. The lawmaker said she tried to get the information from township authorities, but they knew nothing about it.

"So I have a question: How can we develop our area if the YCDC cannot tell us the laws? I found that civil servants are very poor at providing information to the public. So when will the MOI provide basic rights like the right to information to the public?” Daw Aye Mya Mya Moe said. “Maybe you can teach the civil servants how to provide information to the public. The MOI should take action against [civil servants] who do not follow instructions from [superiors]."

U Aung Hla Htun, the deputy minister, said the government has posted contact information for spokespeople online. He said his ministry also opened a call center to provide the public with free information, held workshops across the country, and was working on a law addressing access to information.

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Italy to Fund €300,000 Effort by UNESCO to Restore Mrauk-U

Posted: 29 Mar 2018 02:05 AM PDT

YANGON — The Italian Embassy in Yangon and UNESCO's Myanmar office signed a €300,000 agreement on Wednesday to boost conservation efforts in Mrauk-U, the ancient capital of the Arakan kingdom. The centuries-old site in northern Rakhine State is known for its stone pagodas and stupas.

According to an Italian Embassy statement, the contribution to the archeological project is being made in direct response to recommendations in the August 2017 final report of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State led by Kofi Annan, which called for greater support for development in the state.

The embassy said the Myanmar government had acknowledged the role that promotion of Mrauk-U could play in the sustainable development of the state, and had therefore decided to boost efforts to have the site nominated for listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The statement said the embassy would support Mrauk-U's candidacy and cooperate on the protection of monuments in line with World Heritage standards. UNESCO will implement the initiative under the supervision of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation in partnership with the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture's Department of Archaeology (DOA).

Italian Ambassador Pier Giorgio Aliberti and the head of UNESCO in Myanmar, Min Heong Kim, signed the agreement, "Supporting the safeguarding, management and valorization of Mrauk", at the embassy on Wednesday.

To draw more tourists, local authorities announced in 2015 a plan to build an airport in Mrauk-U, but it is still not finished due to delays by authorities in funding the 26 billion kyat ($18.9 million US) project, which was not begun until last year.

Until early 1783, the Arakan kingdom was a sovereign nation and ruled by Maha Thamada Razar. It was conquered by the Burmese Konbaung Dynasty in 1784.

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Army Brings Case Against Relative of 2 Kachin Villagers Allegedly Killed by Soldiers

Posted: 29 Mar 2018 01:54 AM PDT

YANGON  —The Myanmar Army has opened a case against a female relative of two Kachin men allegedly killed by the army in January in Kachin State's Mansi Township, under Article 17 (1) of the Unlawful Association Act.

The Myanmar Army has filed a complaint against Kaw Awng, the daughter-in-law of Hpaugan Yaw, one of two men allegedly detained and shot dead by the army in January.

According to Fortify Rights, a non-profit human rights organization based in Southeast Asia, Hpaugan Yaw, 65, and Nhkum Naw San, 35, two villagers from Maing Hkawng, were last seen in the custody of Myanmar Army soldiers on Jan. 31.

The two were reportedly farming in a field near Hkat Pra village when soldiers arrested them.

"Many people in that village are connected with the KIA [Kachin Independence Army]. So, the army opened the case. We are still investigating," chief of Mansi Township Police Force police major Myo Thant told The Irrawaddy.

A captain from Light Infantry Battalion 602 based in Mansi Township opened the case against Kaw Awng under the Unlawful Association Act, while accusing Hpaugan Yaw and Nhkum Naw San of being KIA members.

According to Fortify Rights, eyewitness saw the two victims being dressed in KIA uniforms on Jan. 31. Families of the two then filed a missing persons report with Mansi Township police station and requested help from the Kachin state chief minister, Northern Command, and the Lower House lawmaker of Mansi Township.

After the disappearance of the two, the army restricted travel on the road linking Hkat Pra and Maing Hkawng villages after 8 p.m.

The bodies of the two victims were found on March 8, and recovered by the Mansi Township administrator, law officer, and medic from the Mansi Township Hospital the following day.

On March 10, Mansi Township police station collected accounts of eyewitnesses and family members of the two victims.

"The Tatmadaw said they had to kill the two because they were at the scene of fighting with guns. And they opened the case under Article 17 (1) to accuse their family members of having connections with the KIA," said David, who is helping internally displaced persons in the area.

"We will make sure justice is done for the two," he added.

According to fractures found on their bodies, the two victims appeared to have been severely beaten and had their hands tied, he said. However, the forensic report has not yet been given to family members.

Police Major Myo Thant said that police would be able to proceed with the case of the two victims only after receiving the forensic report.

In January, a military tribunal reportedly sentenced six Myanmar soldiers to 10 years in prison for the murder of three people from the Maing Hkawng camp in May 2017.

The tribunal convicted the soldiers from Myanmar Army Light Infantry Battalion 319 of killing Nhkum Gam Awng, 31, Maran Brang Seng, 22, and Labya Naw Hkum, 27, while the three were gathering firewood in a nearby forest.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Northern Alliance Seeks Continued Support From China in Peace Process Negotiations

Posted: 29 Mar 2018 01:14 AM PDT

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — The northeastern-based ethnic alliance the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC) seeks further support from China in Myanmar's peace process, according to a statement it released on Wednesday.

The FPNCC stated that China's positive involvement in Myanmar's peace process has become more important and cannot be averted.

The alliance will join the upcoming third session of the 21st Panglong peace conference in Naypyitaw – tentatively slated for May – only when it is formally invited, the FPNCC said. It is unclear whether non-signatories to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) will be invited to participate in the Union peace conference and in what capacity.

"If the FPNCC receives a formal invitation, all member groups will attend together," read the statement, released after a three-day FPNCC standing committee meeting in Panghsang, the capital of the Wa self-administrated region, held from March 26 to 28.

This is the same stance it has held since the alliance's first standing committee meeting in August.

The bloc members, led by the United Wa State Army (UWSA), joined the second session of the peace conference in May last year, after China intervened.

In the statement, the alliance asked for China's help to ensure its security, citing safety concerns for ethnic armed groups that are in ongoing clashes with the Myanmar Army,

"If we cannot be assured security, how can we move forward with discussions," Nyi Rang, a liaison officer for the United Wa State Party, told The Irrawaddy via message. He added that the groups would not attend if invited individually, as they stood firmly in their stance to attend as a bloc.

The bloc called for the halt of the Myanmar military's offensives against its allies, including the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in Kachin State; the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Kokang’s Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) in Shan State, and the Arakan Army (AA). It welcomed the newly-elected President U Win Myint and said it "hoped that peace in Myanmar would be promptly implemented under the leadership of the new president."

Seeking official Chinese intervention in negotiations, the FPNCC showed interest in further collaboration for peace.

Observers of that the peace process expect that it could proceed smoothly with continuous Chinese mediation between the Myanmar government and ethnic armed groups, as well an easing on restrictions that exclude the TNLA, AA and MNDAA.

China's efforts to bring all the groups based along its borders into the peace process could boost its international image, said Maung Maung Soe, a political and ethnic affairs analyst.

Observers said the FPNCC's stance seemed more flexible this time around as it omitted mention of the NCA or an alternative to the NCA.

U Maung Maung Soe said this could be attributed to development in including the TNLA, AA, and MNDAA (who are all NCA non-signatories) in the process.

However, government peace negotiators led by State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi did not reveal any information in regards to ongoing negotiations with the bloc.

As China moves forward with its One Belt One Road initiative, Myanmar's neighbor “seeks stability on its border, thus encourages the northern alliance to take part in the peace process, and also pressures both the Tatmadaw and the alliance to reduce military tensions," U Maung Maung Soe added.

Chit Min Tun contributed to this report. 

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Lawyers for Reuters Reporters Ask Myanmar Court to Dismiss Case

Posted: 28 Mar 2018 10:17 PM PDT

YANGON — Lawyers for two Reuters reporters jailed in Myanmar asked a court on Wednesday to throw out the case, saying there was insufficient evidence to support charges against the pair, who are accused of possessing secret government papers.

A court in Yangon has been holding preliminary hearings since January to decide whether Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, will be charged under the colonial-era Officials Secrets Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.

On Wednesday, defense lawyer Khin Maung Zaw filed a motion to dismiss the case. The district court in northern Yangon agreed to hear arguments from prosecutors and defense lawyers on the motion on April 4.

“Of all the prosecution witnesses that have testified and been cross-examined, no proof” of legally sufficient evidence could be made against the defendants, Khin Maung Zaw told reporters after the hearing.

“It’s suitable for the defense lawyers to ask for the release at this stage,” he said, adding that there had been discrepancies in the testimony of some witnesses. He declined to elaborate.

Lead prosecutor Kyaw Min Aung left the court building before Reuters was able to put questions to him after the hearing. At previous hearings he has declined to speak to reporters.

Government and police spokespeople have declined to comment on the case, citing the ongoing court proceedings.

Appeal to New President

Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo have been in custody since their arrest on Dec. 12.

The journalists had been working on a Reuters investigation into the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men in a village in western Myanmar’s Rakhine State during a military crackdown in August, which has sent nearly 700,000 people fleeing to Bangladesh.

They have told relatives they were arrested almost immediately after being handed some rolled up papers at a restaurant in northern Yangon by two policemen they had not met before, having been invited to meet the officers for dinner.

Previous police witnesses, however, have said the reporters were stopped and searched at a traffic checkpoint by officers who were unaware they were journalists, and found to be holding in their hands documents relating to security force deployments in Rakhine.

During a break in proceedings, Wa Lone made an appeal to Myanmar’s new president, U Win Myint, a close ally of the leader of the civilian government, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who was elected by Parliament on Wednesday.

“Journalists who are in the Insein prison at the moment would like to say to the newly elected president that we are now in Insein prison because we covered news. We are facing court because we found out the unjust things,” he told reporters. “I would like to ask the new president to bring about media freedom for the press.”

Calls to the spokesman for Myanmar’s civilian government seeking comment went unanswered.

Myanmar’s ambassador to the United Nations, Hau Do Suan, said last month that the journalists were not arrested for reporting a story, but were accused of “illegally possessing confidential government documents.”

Senior UN officials, Western nations and press freedom advocates have called for the release of the journalists.

Diplomats from Australia, the European Union, Denmark and the Netherlands were among those who attended Wednesday’s hearing.

The post Lawyers for Reuters Reporters Ask Myanmar Court to Dismiss Case appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Fishermen Long for Justice as Thailand Comes Under UN Scrutiny

Posted: 28 Mar 2018 10:07 PM PDT

SAMUT SAKHON, Thailand — Sold to a boat operator in Thailand for 6,000 baht ($192) two years ago, Win from Myanmar worked as a fisherman until he lost his forearm in an accident on the vessel this year.

Toiling for 19 hours a day, Win said the crew of 30 sometimes would not get any rest during peak season, with a United Nations team in Thailand this week to investigate such reports of abusive working conditions.

“Life is difficult as a fisherman in Myanmar so I thought it would make my life better if I come and work in Thailand,” the father of four, 39, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

“The ‘agent’ did not tell me what work I was going to do or how much I would be paid. I just ended up working on the boat.”

The world’s third largest seafood exporter, Thailand’s fishing industry employs more than 300,000 people, many of them migrant workers from neighboring countries, and the sector has long been dogged by allegations of abuses.

The industry is under further international scrutiny this week as a team of United Nations experts undertake their first visit to examine human rights in a wide range of businesses in Thailand, including the fishing and seafood sectors.

Speaking from Samut Sakhon, a major fishing hub one hour drive from the capital Bangkok, Win said he lost his left arm after it was caught in a wheel as he hoisted the net one day.

Unhappy with the offer of 10,000 baht compensation from his employer, Win is now appealing to the Thai authorities for a higher amount.

Hit on the Head with a Machete

But even before the incident Win said he felt underpaid.

Starting at about 10,000 baht in the first month, the fisherman said his wages had gradually gone down to 4,000 baht. Thailand’s legal monthly minimum wage is about 9,000 baht.

“Any slight mistakes we made, we would be scolded or beaten up. I was hit twice – one time with a machete to my head,” said Win, who asked that his full name not be published as he fears it will affect his case with the Thai authorities.

Thailand’s multi billion-dollar seafood sector has come under scrutiny in recent years after investigations by the media and human rights groups showed slavery, trafficking and violence on fishing boats and at onshore processing facilities.

The military, which took power in a 2014 coup, has rolled out reforms since the European Union threatened in 2015 to ban fish imports from the Southeast Asian nation unless it cleaned up the industry.

Employers now often complied with new rules, such as paying fishermen a minimum wage and issuing contracts, research by the International Labor Organization (ILO) this month showed.

But the ILO also found signs of continuing forced labor despite pressure from retailers to clean up the industry, including abusive working conditions and excessive overtime, especially among migrants from Cambodia and Myanmar.

More than a third of migrant fishermen in Thailand were victims of trafficking, according to a study of 260 fishermen by anti-trafficking group the International Justice Mission last year.

A spokesman from the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights said the group would meet officials, activists and migrant workers during its 10-day mission to Thailand to ascertain whether the government measures have been effective.

“Business and human rights issues are becoming more and more prominent, including in Asia,” Surya Deva from the working group, a law professor at the City University of Hong Kong, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

“Human rights abuses in supply chains, for example, are a very critical issue. Another area of global concern is the rights of migrant workers.”

The group is expected to urge Thai authorities to adopt a national action plan on dealing with modern slavery and human trafficking in industries from seafood, to manufacturing and tourism at the end of their visit.

An estimated 425,500 people live in conditions of modern slavery in Thailand, according to the Global Slavery Index 2016 by campaign group Walk Free Foundation.

‘I Am Not Happy Here'

But activists urged the UN team to do more than just make recommendations.

“If the UN just come do research and collect data that doesn’t really help,” asked Patima Tungpuchayakul from Thai advocacy group, the Labor Rights Promotion Network Foundation, involved in rescuing migrant fishermen from labor abuses.

Back in Samut Sakhon, boats were pulling into a port on a sunny morning and fishermen busy unloading their catch.

Local women and migrant workers from Myanmar quietly sorted sardines and mackerel according to their size before they were loaded onto trucks and sent to nearby processing plants.

But this is a scene that Win would like to forget. All he wants now is to get compensation for losing his arm and go home.

“I am not happy here. At least if I go home, I can be with my wife and children,” he said.

The post Fishermen Long for Justice as Thailand Comes Under UN Scrutiny appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Can A New President Pull Myanmar Out of the Quagmire of Conflict?

Posted: 28 Mar 2018 09:59 PM PDT

U Win Myint — a former Speaker of the House of Representatives — will become Myanmar's 10th president, succeeding U Htin Kyaw, who resigned from his position after less than two years in office.

On Wednesday, Parliament voted unanimously to make U Win Myint president. A series of lingering challenges including a stagnant economy, the civil war, the Rohingya crisis and amending the Constitution are waiting to be addressed by the new president.

Yet the question "How can we end the civil war and build peace in Myanmar?" might be the main challenge facing incoming President U Win Myint.

His two immediate predecessors, U Htin Kyaw and U Thein Sein, managed to get 10 ethnic armed groups to sign the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) — eight groups in 2015 under U Thein Sein and two groups during U Htin Kyaw's tenure. The 10 groups are: the Karen National Union (KNU), the Pa-O National Liberation Army, the Chin National Front (CNF), the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP), the All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF), the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), the Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army (Peace Council) (KNU/KNLA PC), the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), the New Mon State Party and the Lahu Democratic Union.

However, the most powerful groups have refrained from signing the NCA. These comprise the seven groups that make up the Federal Political Negotiation Council Consultative Commission (FPNCC), namely the United Wa State Army, Kachin Indepedence Organization, National Democratic Alliance Army, Shan State Progress Party, Ta'ang National Liberation Army and the Arakan Army, and two groups from the United Nationalities Federal Council, namely the Karenni National Progressive Party and the Arakan National Council.

While the government and ethnic armed groups negotiate over signing the NCA, the lingering conflicts have become a major obstacle for all parties. These conflicts include both signatories and non-signatories of the NCA.

NCA Signatories

The Mon National Liberation Army (MNLA), the armed wing of the New Mon State Party, has clashed with the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), the armed wing of the KNU, twice recently. On Feb. 14, I wrote an article, "The UNFC: Reasons Behind Signing and Not Signing the NCA," warning of a potential clash between these two groups. I clearly stated in the article that the expansion of the KNU's territory toward Yay Phyu, Kawkareik and Kyainseikgyi along the Karen and Mon state borders threatened to cause a major conflict.

More than a week later on Feb. 24, a clash between these two NCA signatories broke out in Yay Phyu, with both sides reporting injuries. Even as the two sides were discussing how to solve the dispute, clashes erupted again on March 4. The lack of a clear demarcation of territory between these two groups makes it hard to prevent clashes. The Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) has been unable to prevent hostilities despite both sides being signatories of the NCA.

NCA Signatory and Non-signatory

The Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) — an NCA signatory — and the TNLA— a non-signatory — have consistently clashed in northern Shan State. The RCSS signed the NCA on Oct. 15, 2015. Fighting between the two groups erupted on Nov. 27, 2015, due to the RCSS's territorial expansion toward the TNLA-controlled areas such as Kyaukme, Nansang, Mongton and Namkhan.

The TNLA believes the RCSS has been allowed to gain a dominant position by the Tatmadaw due to its having signed the NCA — a charge the Tatmadaw denies. Clashes have erupted several times, resulting in both combatant and civilian casualties. The clashes have also displaced many people, fostering resentment between the ethnic Shan and Ta'ang (Palaung) people.

Tatmadaw and NCA Signatories

Surprisingly, clashes between the Tatmadaw and NCA signatories have erupted several times. The recent fighting between the Tatmadaw and the KNU highlights the weakness of the NCA.

Fighting broke out between the Tatmadaw and the KNLA's 5th Brigade due to the Tatmadaw's alleged deployment of security patrols to facilitate the rebuilding of an old road in Lel Mu Palaw on March 5. The clash not only displaced about 2,000 people, but also negatively affected the ongoing peace process.

On March 19, hundreds of Karen people staged a protest to demand the Tatmadaw withdraw its forces, alleging they had been deployed to expand territorial control. The KNU met with the Tatmadaw to try to solve the recent tension on March 30, but it seems further talks will be required to stabilize the region.

The Tatmadaw has fought not only with the KNU, but also with the RCSS. The Tatmadaw and the RCSS clashed in July 2017. General Yawd Serk, a leader of the RCSS/SSA, accused the Tatmadaw of not abiding by the terms of the NCA after the Myanmar military attaché in Bangkok blocked a July meeting of the Committee for Shan State Unity in Chiang Mai, Thailand last year.

Furthermore, tensions between the Tatmadaw and the Karen State Border Guard Force (BGF) recently flared after Tatmadaw forces and police seized hundreds of cars without licenses owned by the BGF. Clashes between the Tatmadaw and NCA signatories seem mostly to stem from the ignoring of terms of the agreement, such as the requirement to inform the other side prior to crossing an area under its control.

The clashes between the Tatmdaw and NCA signatories highlight the flawed nature of the NCA and only make non-NCA signatories more wary about signing the deal.

Tatmadaw and Non-NCA Signatories

The clashes between the Tatmadaw and non-NCA signatories have become intractable, particularly with the KIO.

Fighting resumed in 2011 between the Tatmadaw and the KIO, and continues despite the two sides having met in Dali, in China's Yunnan province, in February in an attempt to cease the escalation. The KIO's 14th Battalion recently abandoned a base in its amber-rich area due to a Tatmadaw clearance operation. The KIO has lost several outposts, including those of its 6th Battalion and 8th Brigade, as well as its Hkaya Bum, Gidon and Hpun-pyen Bum posts.

The fighting has also produced tens of thousands of displaced people who are now sheltering on the Sino-Myanmar border in Myitkyina, Bhamo, Tanai Township and elsewhere.

The Tatmadaw has also fought against other armed groups such as the TNLA, AA, MNDAA, SSPP and KNPP. The Tatmadaw's clashes with the TNLA and MNDAA have produced thousands more displaced people and constantly disrupted the major trade route between Muse and Mandalay.

The recent territorial dispute between the Tatmadaw and the UWSA has made potential talks between the government and the FPNCC more difficult.

The clock is ticking for the third session of the 21st-Century Panglong Peace Conference, which has been canceled several times and is due to be held in May. Yet it is unclear whether the government will invite the non-NCA signatories to the conference. They were excluded from the second session.

All ethnic groups, both NCA signatories and non-signatories, share a common vision to build a federal Union. However, according to KIO chair General N'Ban La, Lieutenant-General Tun Tun Naung, commander of the Bureau of Special Operations-1, insisted that the Tatmadaw would not accept "a federal union." The message from the Tatmadaw to all ethnic minorities is that building a genuine federal Union is a forlorn hope.

No one knows how long the federalism path will take, but many people, particularly ethnic minorities, have put concerted efforts into speeding up the process. Yet, stopping the fighting between the Tatmadaw and ethnic armed groups ought to be prioritized before further causalities among combatants and civilians occur, as all are Myanmar citizens.

Thus, ethnic people are hoping the new president will order the military to stop fighting against the ethnic armed groups, as former President Thein Sein did in December 2011, though the Tatmadaw failed to comply. If President U Win Myint can pull Myanmar out of this quagmire of conflict, his efforts will be seen as historic and will shape Myanmar's future for the better.

Joe Kumbun is the pseudonym of a Kachin State-based analyst.

The post Can A New President Pull Myanmar Out of the Quagmire of Conflict? appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Malaysia to Redraw Electoral Map in Contentious Move Just Before Polls

Posted: 28 Mar 2018 09:44 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia approved on Wednesday plans to redraw boundaries for more than a third of its parliamentary seats, changes that critics say will help Prime Minister Najib Razak cruise to a victory in a general election likely to be called within days.

Hundreds of protesters marched to parliament ahead of the tabling of the redelineation motion and opposition lawmakers raised their objections in the House of Representatives – with one member calling Najib a “thief."

But the motion, which will change the voter demographic in nearly 40 percent of Parliament’s 222 seats, was approved by a simple majority within five hours of the tabling by Najib.

Opposition lawmakers chanted “cheat, cheat” as the motion was passed.

Critics say the new boundaries will benefit Najib’s Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, which is facing arguably its toughest polls since independence more than 60 years ago, by assigning larger number of opposition-leaning voters to fewer seats and dividing constituencies along ethnic lines.

“Today, Parliament was asked to pass a motion to save Najib and the ruling government,” said Lim Kit Siang, veteran leader of the opposition Democratic Action Party.

Lim had earlier denounced Najib as a “thief” and was asked to leave the house by the speaker for disrupting proceedings.

Najib is under pressure to deliver an emphatic victory, as he grapples with a scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), and public anxiety over rising living costs.

His coalition lost the popular vote in the last general election, in 2013, but managed to stay in power.

An election must be held by August, but Najib is widely expected to call it in days.

The recommendation to modify electoral boundaries was made in a report by the Election Commision (EC), which has for years been accused by the opposition of taking instructions from the prime minister.

The EC and the government have both said the recommendation for change in electoral borders was free from political interference.

“The government did not disturb or influence the EC in their work, and respects decisions made by EC in the interest of the people and the country,” Najib told parliament.

‘Manipulating the Rolls'

Maria Chin Abdullah, former chairwoman of pro-democracy group Bersih, and one of about 200 protesters who had marched earlier in the day, said the commission’s report was being used to unfairly force through the boundary changes.

“They want to bulldoze the report that contradicts the constitution, ignores the rule of law and manipulates the electoral rolls,” she said.

Former premier Mahathir Mohamad, who at 92 is the opposition candidate for prime minister, should Najib, his former protégé, be defeated, briefly joined the protesters.

Electoral boundaries were last changed in 2003, under the leadership of then-premier Mahathir. He, too, was accused of manipulating the process in favor of the ruling coalition, which has held power since independence from Britain in 1957.

The latest changes will not alter the number of seats in the parliament or state assemblies, but will modify the size of several constituencies.

Selangor – the country’s richest state and one of the few controlled by the opposition – will see voter demographics change in 18 of its 22 parliamentary seats.

Johor state, where the ruling coalition is expected to face a tough battle, will see changes to 19 of its 26 parliamentary seats.

The redrawing of boundaries will mean some pro-opposition constituencies with grow to include more than 100,000 voters, while pro-government ones are much smaller.

For instance, in Selangor outside Kuala Lumpur, the biggest parliamentary constituency would be Damansara – held by the opposition – with 150,439 voters, while the smallest would be Sabak Bernam – held by BN – with 37,126 voters.

Earlier in the week, the government tabled a bill seeking to outlaw “fake news," with fines and up to 10 years in jail, raising more concern about media freedom in the wake of the 1MDB scandal.

The bill is expected to be passed on Thursday.

The post Malaysia to Redraw Electoral Map in Contentious Move Just Before Polls appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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