Thursday, March 22, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

No Pension, Gratuity for Outgoing President

Posted: 22 Mar 2018 06:56 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW — Outgoing President U Htin Kyaw, who resigned on Wednesday, is not entitled to a pension or gratuity or any allowance.

Only presidents who have completed their terms are entitled to a gratuity and pension, and a president who resigns for health reasons is still entitled to a gratuity. But U Htin Kyaw will not receive any entitlements as he did not meet either criteria.

In a short announcement on Wednesday morning, the President's Office said the president was stepping down “as he wants to retire from his duties.”

“As he did not complete his term, he will not get a pension. As he is the president, he will not get retirement benefits. It is according to the law,” U Aung Kyi Nyunt, an Upper House lawmaker for the National League for Democracy (NLD), told The Irrawaddy.

He praised U Htin Kyaw's decision to resign from the country's top job as courageous. "He took responsibility and decided to resign when he was not able. No ordinary person can do like that," he said.

Lawmakers received considerable sums as gratuities under the U Thein Sein government, according to the law on emoluments, allowances and insignia for union-level officials enacted by the State Peace and Development Council.

“During our term, our salaries were increased from 300,000 kyats [$224] to 1 million kyats, and we got a gratuity of around 5 million kyats calculated on two amounts. NLD lawmakers got less than us because they joined Parliament only after the by-election [in 2012],” said U Ye Tun, a former lawmaker who represented Shan State’s Hsipaw Township.

U Htin Kyaw will move from the presidential residence to a one-story building purchased under the name of his wife, Daw Su Su Lwin, in Naypyitaw's Ottarathiri Township. The building was bought in 2017, said U Kyaw Min Hlaing, a Lower House lawmaker who represents Ottarathiri.

U Myint Lwin, a lawmaker representing Yangon Region’s Twante Township, said he had initially expected U Htin Kyaw to remain president for his full term but later learned that he would retire at some point because of health problems. He said he was sorry that U Htin Kyaw, whom he called an honest and righteous man, had resigned.

“[State Counselor] Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has said that she would be above the president. So I don't think there will be big changes because of his resignation,” he said.

“He is an honest man and a hard worker. I think he retired because of his health. I have nothing to say about his performance. I would say he was dutiful as the president as he acted with honesty and righteousness,” said U Thaung Aye of the Union Solidarity and Development Party.

According to the law on security for former presidents of Myanmar, which took effect during the U Thein Sein government, the Home Affairs Ministry will provide security for presidents who have completed their terms.

The Union Parliament approved U Htin Kyaw's resignation today. On Friday the Lower House will elect a third vice president; one of the three will then be voted the next president.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post No Pension, Gratuity for Outgoing President appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Incoming President Needs More Power to Implement Government’s Plans

Posted: 22 Mar 2018 06:39 AM PDT

While likely to be remembered as a decent, gentlemanly head of state, U Htin Kyaw, who resigned as president on Tuesday, will also be seen as a largely figurehead president in comparison with the other eight presidents the country has seen since independence in 1948.

In resigning, the 71-year-old cited a desire to retire from his duties, according to the President's Office. His health has been deteriorating since he underwent surgery last year.

U Htin Kyaw is certainly the least controversial president Myanmar has seen since the military staged its first coup in 1962, beginning decades of iron-fisted rule.

In his nearly two years as president, U Htin Kyaw did what was expected of him under the leadership of State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi—and no more. He had agreed to serve in the head of state position at the request of the country's de facto leader, who is herself barred from the office under the military-drafted Constitution because her children are foreign citizens.

Therefore, his role in the country's first elected civilian administration since 1962 was essentially ceremonial. His tenure was defined by the uncertain and perilous nature of the country's democratic transition, against the backdrop of a continued significant political role for the powerful military.

Since the day he was elected president—and even before then—U Htin Kyaw was clear that he believed he had been chosen as president by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi because he is a confidant of hers. He also made clear his view that she is the rightful president, as her party won a landslide victory in the last election in 2015.

To be candid, there is not much to say about U Htin Kyaw's presidency other than that he did nothing to dishonor his government or the country. He can only be seen as a good head of state when viewed alongside his predecessors, most of whom—from the late U Ne Win to U Thein Sein—were ruthless dictators or key players in oppressive regimes.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has come in for considerable criticism for not giving U Htin Kyaw a more active political role and for not allowing him to use his executive powers, especially in dealing with the powerful military. According to the Constitution, the president is "the Head of the Union and the Head of the Union is the President." Based on this, many political observers said U Htin Kyaw should have exercised more power.

The key questions now are: Who will replace him? And will State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi give the new president more executive power?

As soon as U Htin Kyaw's resignation was officially announced, Lower House Speaker U Win Myint submitted his resignation to Parliament. He is tipped to become the next president.

U Win Myint is one of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's favorites among the senior members of the ruling National League for Democracy. Since becoming Lower House speaker in February 2016, the former lawyer has developed a reputation for maintaining strict discipline during parliamentary sessions and decisively following parliamentary procedures.

Unlike U Htin Kyaw, U Win Myint has a record of electoral success, having run in three elections—the general election in 1990, the by-election in 2012 and the last election in 2015—and winning each time. He is regarded as a veteran politician whose experience extends back to the time of the military regime. Like other political activists and politicians, he was detained several times by the previous military regime.

Since becoming the Lower House speaker in February 2016 after the NLD won a landslide victory in the 2015 election, U Win Myint has demonstrated the ability to handle a Parliament in which the military occupies 25 percent of the seats.

When talk of his becoming president emerged, many members of both the Lower and Upper houses expressed concern over the prospect of his departure. They believe that the best place for U Win Myint to serve is in Parliament.

Which — if he has indeed been chosen to be the next president — raises the question of why he would be selected at all.

Perhaps Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's thinking on the role of the president has changed since she chose U Htin Kyaw in 2016. If she were looking for another "puppet" president, U Win Myint seems an unlikely choice.

One possible factor to consider is that she herself is not as young and fit as she once was. Pushing 73 and apparently overwhelmed with the countless matters confronting the country, she has been forced to cancel some events recently.

In these circumstances, she may need a "real" president who is strong politically, both in the general sense and when it comes to dealing with specific issues.

Furthermore, on the key political questions, there doesn't seem to be anyone in the government who can closely work with her. Only a few ministers in the current cabinet seem politically strong. It seems there is no one with whom she can discuss political complexities. U Win Myint might be able to fill that gap for the State Counsellor.

The NLD-led government needs to produce some tangible results before the election in 2020. To do that, it needs someone who can solve the country's problems on a daily basis and help the NLD achieve its broader goals. With his competence and parliamentary experience, U Win Myint might be more assertive and effective in tackling those issues.

Making progress on major goals like amending the 2008 Constitution and advancing the peace process will remain as difficult as ever, however, as this depends on the political will of the military leadership.

U Win Myint, if elected, will not find it smooth sailing to deal with the military leadership, who view him as "tough" and strong willed. The military may not appreciate such a president. U Win Myint has occasionally given military appointees in Parliament a hard time. But that's not unusual.

U Win Myint might be the best choice among the handful of candidates for the country's official top office. But if he is to be anything more than a ceremonial president, State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will need to give him more executive power. In other words, she would do well to make the office of president more effective in resolving the country's political stalemate.

The post Incoming President Needs More Power to Implement Government's Plans appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

NGO Helps Water-strapped Communities Help Themselves

Posted: 22 Mar 2018 03:19 AM PDT

In the summer, Myanmar’s rural areas face water shortages almost every year. Government assistance and private donations help ease the strain, but they aren’t enough. According to the 2014 census, only 61 percent of rural areas have access to clean drinking water. In February, the government said it was aiming to bring clean drinking water to the entire country by 2030.

For the past five years, Myanmar has marked World Water Day every March 22. This year’s theme is “Nature for Water” and aims to encourage people to find ways to use nature to overcome problems stemming from too much water, too little water, and pollution. In mid-2013 the Myanmar government started reforming the country’s water sector — with the support of foreign governments including the Netherlands, South Korea, China and Australia — to educate people about water resource management across the country.

In the meantime, local and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are also spreading awareness and teaching locals how to manage their water resources.

One of them is Singapore-based Lien AID. CEO Koh Lian Hock believes in equipping people with the knowledge and skills to solve their problems on their own.

A businessman-turned-development worker, Koh Lian Hock spoke with The Irrawaddy's Nyein Nyein about his NGO’s work in Myanmar.

As a Singaporean NGO, what brought you to Myanmar and other countries like Cambodia, Vietnam and China?

First of all, based on the UN report on water and sanitation, I think Myanmar needs support. Also, we have experience in developing countries, so we hope to do some work in Myanmar.

We were providing support after Cyclone Nargis in 2008-09, building some infrastructure projects. We came back in 2015 and have completed projects in Magwe Region and Bogale and Myaungmya townships in Irrawaddy Region. We will expand our programs to other parts of Myanmar in the near future, including Shan State.

What water management and sanitation programs does Lien AID have in Myanmar?

We work with the government's Department of Rural Development (DRD) and focus on capacity building. Together with the DRD, the village leaders and township departments we help them to be able to create programs for themselves. In five villages [in Magwe and Irrawaddy regions] we are hoping that the townships themselves can use these model programs and run the same programs on their own and to extend them. We work with some of the townships’ public health departments and schools. They can do these kinds of water and sanitation projects collectively, and over time they can repeat them themselves. Our approach is really capacity building, working with local governments so that hopefully they can sustain [the programs] after us.

Lien AID CEO Koh Lian Hock. / Lien AID / Supplied

Can you elaborate on your programs and capacity building?

In one of the townships, we did some research to understand the water issues in the area. Then, with the DRD, we identified what kind of challenges they faced and what other local NGOs wanted to work on this kind of water project and were able to mobilize the communities in the villages. We want to be able to work with village people. They are very motivated and willing to solve their own problems. We got them together in a forum and discussed the challenges they faced, their strengths and weaknesses, and identified some of the gaps and then mobilized them. We facilitated the discussion between the government, the CSOs (civil society organizations) and the local villagers and provided support in terms of knowledge, technical support and funding.

In the past the government did one thing, CSOs did their own (thing) and villagers did it in a different way. We try to bring them together to solve this problem as a group and try to solve the problem on their own. We facilitate this discussion.

If they need knowledge, we provide knowledge. If they need solutions or technical know-how or funding, we help them find funding to help them find a solution as a group. Because we believe this issue, in this location, is best addressed by the people. Although we have experience, when we come here the issues are different from what we have seen in other countries. What we can do is we can have discussions with them.

Myanmar has a lot of water resources because we have many rivers, tributaries and streams. But, sadly, we face water shortages every year, especially in the summer. Why do you think that is, and how could we prepare to overcome this problem? 

It is because the monsoon season, which brings most of the clean water, is ending earlier, so that contributes to it. Also, the poor management of the existing water infrastructure causes pain for rural communities. In Irrawaddy areas, seawater intrusion, especially into the Irrawaddy River, is the other reason. What we believe is the way forward is to have all the various stakeholders — the local governments and non-profits and companies operating in Myanmar, and individuals and academics — (come together) to solve the problem. This is the big issue. The issue is also different for different locations.

The other angle to look at is the policy issue. The government may have a national policy, which is very broad. When it comes to the local, sub-national level, it brings benefit to little locations. That's why it’s necessary to bring collaboration to the local communities, especially to the rural communities.

The program we are trying to work on now is really to work together as a team and understand the local situation and then find out what the gaps are in terms of knowledge, funding and capacity building. And from there we work as a team and make sure this issue can be resolved.

If you go to the [Irrawaddy] delta, there are so many ponds that have been built by many people. The problem is ongoing, how to make sure this infrastructure [the ponds] can be maintained. It is a big challenge we see, and it requires people on the ground and NGOs like us and various parties. This maintenance requires knowledge and making sure it is carried out on an ongoing basis. If you don't have people to maintain infrastructure all the time, the volume of water in that location will not be enough, especially in the dry season.

From your experiences traveling to villages in Myanmar, how do you find the water management knowledge of Myanmar people?

I have traveled to the villages about 10 times. We were having a discussion in a village house, through translation. This person asked me similar questions about water scarcity in the delta and how to solve it. A villager said he wanted to drill more wells in his village. I actually told him, based on my understanding that the village had a big pond every five or 10 meters, that they should be enough for the village. If they could manage the ponds and maintain the wells, they should be sufficient.

So I asked him, why do you want to drill the wells? He said because all the other international NGOs that had come there said that drilling wells was the best thing to do. Have you considered that if you dig wells you are potentially extracting very precious water currently in the ground and you may have no water in the next generation because the underground take thousands, if not millions, of years to form this water? Now the best way to manage water sources is base on rainfall and maintaining it well, and there is no need to spend money to drill wells. The villager told me, how come in the past nobody urged us to manage this water and said the first thing was to spend more money and drill more? That is from a short conversation we had.

The post NGO Helps Water-strapped Communities Help Themselves appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Muslim Houses Attacked After Interfaith Elopement

Posted: 22 Mar 2018 02:37 AM PDT

PATHEIN, Irrawaddy Region — Some 30 people attacked Muslim houses with stones in Irrawaddy Region's Lemyethna Township on Tuesday following an interfaith elopement.

A Buddhist woman ran away with a Muslim man on Feb. 11 in Eai Thabyu village. Her parents had demanded an official proposal from his Muslim parents for their marriage and a wedding reception according to village customs, but the Muslim parents did not show up even one month after the elopement, and angry locals attacked their home, said U Khin Zaw, administrator of the Eai Thabyu village tract.

"The attack happened around 9:45 p.m. and ended around 10 p.m. A crowd of approximately 30 people threw stones at four Muslim houses, including the homes of friends of the Muslim man," U Khin Zaw told The Irrawaddy.

A car windshield was broken in the attack. / Myanmar Muslim Media

"Three houses were damaged and a car windshield was broken. But no one was injured," he added.

According to the Eai Thabyu police station, the kiosk of U Tu Tu Maung's home; the kiosk, a cupboard and a fridge in U Bo Bo's home; and U Kyaw Min Han's car windshield were damaged in the attack.

"As soon as we heard about the attack, we went to the scene with riot gear. The attackers had left by the time we arrived. We saw the stones that they threw and took them as evidence in line with police procedure. We provided security for the whole night for fear that more attacks would happen," police officer Zaw Tun of Eai Thabyu police station told The Irrawaddy.

The interfaith couple was hiding during the attack, but afterwards, the Buddhist wife wrote on her Facebook page that she had run away with her husband of her own volition.

A Muslim house was damaged in the attack. / Myanmar Muslim Media

Myanmar Muslim Media, an online media site operated by Muslims, reported that police officer Zaw Tun and administrator U Khin Zaw urged the attacked Muslim families not to open a case. Police officer Zaw Tun denied that accusation.

"Both the township administrator and chief of the township police force told them (Muslim families) that they could file complaints with the police station if they wanted to. But they didn't. It is not that we didn't open the case, but they didn't file a complaint," said police officer Zaw Tun.

The Lemyethna Township police force provided security in the village on Wednesday evening.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Muslim Houses Attacked After Interfaith Elopement appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Jewelry Expo to Showcase Diamonds, New Production Techniques

Posted: 22 Mar 2018 02:28 AM PDT

YANGON — Diamonds will be the focus of the 9th Myanmar International Gems, Jewelry and Watch Expo 2018 in Yangon, an industry association representative said.

The expo will be held at the Emporium Hall on Kabar Aye Pagoda Road from March 30 to April 2, said U Tun Hla Aung, secretary of the Myanmar Gems and Jewelry Entrepreneurs Association.

"Most of the exhibits will be diamond items. Imported gemological testing devices will also be showcased. The expo is being organized by Asiaconnect Co., and we are assisting them," he said.

According to Asiaconnect, items of jewelry featuring rubies, sapphires, pearls, jade and the latest gemological technologies from Germany will also be on display.

The exhibition will feature more than 30 pavilions from Myanmar, Thailand, Hong Kong, Germany and India, U Tun Hla Aung said.

"Asiaconnect Co. has brought in foreign merchants, as well as equipment for making gold and silverware. This is beneficial to local businessmen. The government still doesn't allow the display of gemstones, so only finished products will be showcased," U Tun Hla Aung said.

The Myanmar Gems and Jewelry Entrepreneurs Association hopes local businessmen will be able to pick up some of the latest techniques for making value-added products from jade and gems.

"We have found that gold shops in Myanmar are usually crowded. Myanmar people love gems and gold. That's why we have organized the exhibition," Asiaconnect Co. director Michael Khaniss said at a press conference on Tuesday.

Previous Myanmar International Gems, Jewelry and Watch expos have featured new technologies from the U.S. and Germany.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Lower House Elects Ex-USDP Lawmaker as House Speaker

Posted: 21 Mar 2018 11:07 PM PDT

The National League for Democracy elected U T Khun Myat, an ex-USDP lawmaker from Kutkai Township in northern Shan State, as the Lower House Speaker to fill in the place of U Win Myint, who submitted his resignation from the post on Wednesday.

U T Khun Myat, a 68-year-old ethnic Kachin, was a deputy Lower House speaker until yesterday. He was also a chairman of the Lower House's Bill Committee during this parliamentary term.

The Lower House elected a new speaker on Thursday from two nominations: U T Khun Myat and U Thaung Aye, the current USDP lawmaker from the Pyaw Bwe constituency in Mandalay Region.

But independent lawmaker T Khun Myat was voted in with 280 votes, while U Thaung Aye earned 141.

The Lower House continued to nominate the new deputy speaker and the NLD's U Tun Aung aka U Tun Tun Hein, from the Naung Cho constituency in Shan State, was elected with 270 votes against Dr. Maung Thin, a USDP lawmaker from Meikhtila constituency in Mandalay, who received 143 votes.

T Khun Myat has been a lawmaker since January 2011. He was re-elected in the 2015 general election and continues to serve the same constituency. He was a lawyer for 35 years and was the director of the Attorney General's Office until 2010.

He resigned from the USDP in 2017 and is said to be close to the then party leader U Shwe Mann, who was purged from the party leadership by Thein Sein in 2015 during a midnight raid at the organization's headquarters in Naypyitaw. Former Union Parliament Speaker Thura Shwe Mann established a good working relationship with Suu Kyi since she entered Parliament in 2012.

T Khun Myat's selection for the deputy speaker post in 2016 raised some eyebrows, given that he had faced allegations of involvement in the illicit narcotics trade in a series of investigative reports by the Shan Herald Agency for News (S.H.A.N.).

His ties to the USDP go back to the former military government, serving as the secretary of the Kutkai Township Peace and Development Council under the junta. While he was serving as legal director at the Attorney General's Office from 1990 to 2010, he concurrently served as leader of a local paramilitary force in Kutkai Township under the command of the Myanmar Army's Northeastern Command. He also took part in the constitutional drafting commission in 2007.

He was secretary of the Kutkai Township Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) and an executive of the northern Shan State chapter of the USDP that succeeded it.

The post Lower House Elects Ex-USDP Lawmaker as House Speaker appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Zuckerberg Apologizes for Facebook Mistakes with User Data, Vows Curbs

Posted: 21 Mar 2018 10:41 PM PDT

SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg apologized on Wednesday for mistakes his company made in how it handled data belonging to 50 million of its users and promised tougher steps to restrict developers’ access to such information.

The world’s largest social media network is facing growing government scrutiny in Europe and the United States about a whistleblower’s allegations that London-based political consultancy Cambridge Analytica improperly accessed user information to build profiles on American voters that were later used to help elect US President Donald Trump in 2016.

“This was a major breach of trust. I’m really sorry this happened. We have a basic responsibility to protect people’s data,” Zuckerberg said in an interview with CNN, breaking a public silence since the scandal erupted at the weekend.

Zuckerberg said in a post on Facebook the company “made mistakes, there’s more to do, and we need to step up and do it.”

He said the social network planned to conduct an investigation of thousands of apps that have used Facebook’s platform, restrict developer access to data, and give members a tool that lets them to disable access to their Facebook data more easily.

His plans did not represent a big reduction of advertisers’ ability to use Facebook data, which is the company’s lifeblood.

Zuckerberg said he was open to additional government regulation and happy to testify before the US Congress if he was the right person.

“I’m not sure we shouldn’t be regulated,” he told CNN. “I actually think the question is more what is the right regulation rather than yes or no, should it be regulated? … People should know who is buying the ads that they see on Facebook.”

Zuckerberg said Facebook was committed to stopping interference in the US midterm election in November and elections in India and Brazil.

Investor Fears

Facebook shares pared gains on Wednesday after Zuckerberg’s post, closing up 0.7 percent. The company has lost more than $45 billion of its stock market value over the past three days on investor fears that any failure by big tech firms to protect personal data could deter advertisers and users and invite tougher regulation.

Zuckerberg told the New York Times in an interview published on Wednesday he had not seen a “meaningful number of people” deleting their accounts over the scandal.

Facebook representatives, including Deputy Chief Privacy Officer Rob Sherman, met US congressional staff for nearly two hours on Wednesday and planned to continue meetings on Capitol Hill on Thursday. Facebook was unable to answer many questions, two aides who attended the briefing said.

Zuckerberg told the website Recode that fixes to protect users’ data would cost “many millions of dollars.”

The whistleblower who launched the scandal, Christopher Wylie, formerly of Cambridge Analytica, said on Twitter he had accepted invitations to testify before US and UK lawmakers.

The German government said Facebook must explain whether the personal data of the country’s 30 million users were protected from unlawful use by third parties, according to a report in the Funke group of German regional newspapers.

‘Scapegoat'

On Tuesday, the board of Cambridge Analytica suspended its Chief Executive Alexander Nix, who was caught in a secret recording boasting that his company played a decisive role in Trump’s victory.

However, the academic who provided the data disputed that on Wednesday.

“I think what Cambridge Analytica has tried to sell is magic, and they’ve made claims that this is incredibly accurate and it tells you everything there is to tell about you. But I think the reality is it’s not that,” psychologist Aleksandr Kogan, an academic at Cambridge University, told the BBC in an interview.

Kogan, who gathered the data by running a survey app on Facebook, also said he was being made a scapegoat by Facebook and Cambridge Analytica. Both companies have blamed Kogan for alleged data misuse.

Only 300,000 Facebook users responded to Kogan’s quiz, but that gave the researcher access to those people’s Facebook friends as well, who had not agreed to share information, producing details on 50 million users.

Facebook has said it subsequently made changes that prevent people from sharing data about friends and maintains that no breach occurred because the original users gave permission. Critics say that it essentially was a breach because data of unsuspecting friends was taken.

Analysts have raised concerns that the incident will reduce user engagement with Facebook, potentially lessening its clout with advertisers. Three Wall Street brokerages cut their price targets.

“Investors now have to consider whether or not the company will conclude that it has grown in a manner that has proven to be untenable,” said Pivotal Research Group analyst Brian Wieser.

The company has risen more than 550 percent in value in the past five years.

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Reuters Reporters in Court 100 Days After Their Arrest in Myanmar

Posted: 21 Mar 2018 10:01 PM PDT

YANGON — Two Reuters reporters appeared in a Myanmar court for the 11th time on Wednesday, which marked 100 days since they were arrested in December and accused of possessing secret government papers.

The court in Yangon is holding preliminary hearings to decide whether reporters Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, will face charges under the colonial-era Officials Secrets Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.

“We have spent 100 days in prison,” Wa Lone told reporters during a break in proceedings. “Our journalism spirit was never down even after spending many days in there.”

Wa Lone’s younger brother Thura Aung, 26, gave testimony on Wednesday, describing a police search of the family home on the evening of Dec. 13, the day after the journalists were arrested.

Thura Aung said that police who searched the house in north Yangon did not show a warrant, identify themselves or explain the reason for the search, during which a laptop, charger and bag, a hard drive and an old notebook were seized.

His testimony contradicted Police Major Soe Aung, who told the court two weeks ago that police had presented a warrant to Wa Lone’s family when they arrived.

Defense lawyer Than Zaw Aung told reporters after the hearing that under Myanmar’s Criminal Procedure Code police must identify themselves and explain the reasons for their search.

“In the criminal procedure, the search officer must show the search warrant at the search place,” he said.

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. The date of the next hearing was set for March 28.

Restaurant Meeting

The journalists have told relatives they were arrested almost immediately after being handed some rolled up papers after being invited to a restaurant by two police officers they had not met before.

Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo had been investigating the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men in a village in western Myanmar’s Rakhine State during a military crackdown in August.

The crackdown, which the United Nations has said was ethnic cleansing, has sent nearly 700,000 people fleeing to Bangladesh.

After the arrests of the reporters, the military admitted its soldiers took part in the killing.

“They have been detained in Myanmar since December 12 simply for doing their jobs as journalists,” Reuters President and Editor-in-Chief Stephen J. Adler said in a statement.

“Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are exemplary individuals and outstanding reporters who are dedicated to their families and their craft. They should be in the newsroom, not in prison.”

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."

Judge Ye Lwin declined a defense attempt to submit the Reuters report describing the killings at the village of Inn Din as evidence, citing a decision at an earlier hearing not to admit the story at this stage in the proceedings.

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

The US Embassy in Yangon tweeted: “Today is the 100th day in detention from reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo. Freedom of the press remains critical for Myanmar’s democratic transition.”

Diplomats from countries including the United States, Canada, Sweden attended Wednesday’s hearing.

The Danish Embassy, which has closely monitored the case, said the pair had spent “100 days behind bars for ensuring the public’s right to information."

A statement from Sweden’s Embassy said: “We believe they have done nothing wrong and that the charges against them should be dropped immediately.”

EU Ambassador to Myanmar Kristian Schmidt, asked about the journalists’ reporting of the Rakhine crisis, said it was imperative to establish what had taken place there.

“We all want to find out the truth of what happened,” he said. “I fear for the moment we have not seen the full truth of what has happened.”

The post Reuters Reporters in Court 100 Days After Their Arrest in Myanmar appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Chinese Paper Says China Should Prepare for Military Action Over Taiwan

Posted: 21 Mar 2018 09:54 PM PDT

BEIJING — A widely read Chinese state-run newspaper said on Thursday China should prepare for military action over self-ruled Taiwan, and pressure Washington over cooperation on North Korea, after the United States passed a law to boost ties with Taiwan.

Beijing was infuriated after US President Donald Trump signed legislation last week that encourages the United States to send senior officials to Taiwan to meet Taiwanese counterparts and vice versa.

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Alex Wong said in Taipei on Wednesday the United States’ commitment to Taiwan has never been stronger and the island is an inspiration to the rest of the Indo-Pacific region.

China claims Taiwan as its own and considers the self-ruled island a wayward province, which Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday would face the “punishment of history” for any attempt at separatism.

The Global Times said in an editorial China had to “strike back” against the law.

“China can pressure the US in other areas of bilateral cooperation: for example, the Korean Peninsula issue and Iran nuclear issue. China can also set itself against the US in international organizations such as the UN,” it said.

“The mainland must also prepare itself for a direct military clash in the Taiwan Straits. It needs to make clear that escalation of US-Taiwan official exchanges will bring serious consequences to Taiwan,” said the paper, which is published by the ruling Communist Party’s official People’s Daily.

“This newspaper has suggested that the mainland can send military planes and warships across the Taiwan Straits middle line. This can be implemented gradually depending on the cross-Straits situation,” it said.

The island is one of China’s most sensitive issues and a potential military flashpoint. Underlining that threat, Taiwan sent ships and an aircraft earlier on Wednesday to shadow a Chinese aircraft carrier group through the narrow Taiwan Strait, its defense ministry said.

The Global Times said it was a misunderstanding to think that “peaceful unification” would be a harmonious, happy process.

“Sticks matter more than flowers on the path to peaceful reunification,” it said. China’s hostility towards Taiwan has risen since the 2016 election of President Tsai Ing-wen, a member of the island’s pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party.

China suspects Tsai wants to push for formal independence, which would cross a red line for Communist Party leaders in Beijing, though Tsai has said she wants to maintain the status quo and is committed to ensuring peace.

The post Chinese Paper Says China Should Prepare for Military Action Over Taiwan appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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