Tuesday, March 6, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

 Activists Launch Campaigns Ahead of International Women’s Rights Day

Posted: 06 Mar 2018 07:23 AM PST

CHIANG MAI, Thailand – Prior to International Women's Day (IWD) on March 8, women's rights activists in Myanmar are taking part in #RespectHer and other social media campaigns in support of the global movement for gender equality. This year's global theme for IWD is "Press for Change", aimed at accelerating the process of achieving gender parity.

Social media users are sharing posts with the hashtags #RespectHer and #ItsnotOK to express their support for efforts to end domestic violence and all forms of harassment against women. They are posting their own experiences and those of others to bring attention to these issues.

"This [harassment] should not be happening in society, and we need to highlight the fact that seemingly minor acts can have a strong impact on women. It is not OK," said Sandi Sein Thein, a member of the #RespectHer campaign who is responsible for online activities.

"When we started brainstorming on how to raise awareness, we wanted to start with small but neglected facts; thus the #RespectHer campaign was initiated," she explained.

The campaign was started last month by the Myanmar Art Social Project with help from various individuals and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

The RespectHer social media page has amassed over 3,400 followers  Women and some men are posting photos tagged #ItsnotOK and #RespectHer and sharing their experiences.

Over the weekend, the campaigners also engaged in activities to raise awareness in the community, especially in crowded parks or on public buses. They used various forms of communication, including performance, poetry recital and roleplaying with commuters.

Sandi Sein Thein added, "When we say we are not comfortable with being teased by men over the shape of our bodies or how we move, people think we are overreacting, because this is 'normal' behavior. We forget that it is wrong. Any girl or woman has the right to feel safe while walking along the street."

The campaigner added that at the very least she hoped their efforts could bring the message to society that it is not normal or acceptable for men to tease or harrass women on buses or to engage in domestic violence.

"In Myanmar, there is a high social acceptance of violence against women. This is reflected in the normalization of domestic violence. For this reason, domestic violence in particular is largely regarded as a private matter: Marital rape is not a crime. For these reasons, Myanmar needs a law that criminalizes all forms of violence against women, and a strong justice system to underpin it," said Alexandra Robinson, a UNFPA specialist on gender-based violence.

She told The Irrawaddy that the agency is supporting the campaign "to amplify" the voices of the Myanmar people, who "are taking to the streets and to social media to call for zero tolerance of sexual assault and harassment, and indeed all forms of gender-based violence."

Such campaigns are still needed, as victim-blaming is entrenched in Myanmar's culture, with the target usually being women, said Mi Kun Chan Nom, the vice chair of the Mon Women's Organization. MWO works for the advancement, empowerment and protection of women in Mon State. Mi Kun Chan Nom's MWO is also a member of the Alliance for Gender Inclusion in the Peace Process (AGIPP).

"In cases of gender-based violence, women are blamed for the way they dress, while the perpetrators escape blame. Additionally, women leaders are held to a higher standard [than male leaders]," Mi Kun Chan Non said.

Robinson said that the more women and men who join and support the campaign, the better. "The campaign is a platform for a public dialogue across Myanmar, with a view to creating a critical mass of support for social change," she said. "It is time for women and men to work together for lasting change."

Women's organizations and women's rights defenders will take part in the IWD 2018 event in Yangon's Maha Bandula Park on March 10.

The post  Activists Launch Campaigns Ahead of International Women's Rights Day appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

USDP Lawmaker Accused of Politicizing Resettlement of Displaced Kaman

Posted: 06 Mar 2018 05:38 AM PST

YANGON – Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) lawmaker U Maung Myint on Monday submitted a motion to the Lower House accusing the government of having relocated ethnic Kaman internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Rakhine State to Yangon's outskirts since 2015, in breach of the Kofi Annan commission's recommendations.

The Kaman are one of Myanmar's 135 officially recognized ethnic groups and one of seven subgroups in Arakan State. Their ancestors served the Arakan kings as archers before Rakhine was conquered by the Burmese Konbaung Dynasty in 1784. Nowadays, the total Kaman population is estimated at a mere 45,000 nationwide. The majority live in Rakhine and most practice Islam.

Unexpectedly, several thousand ethnic Kaman were targeted in 2012 when communal violence erupted between Rohingya Muslims and the Buddhist Rakhine population. Although some of their homes were spared during conflicts in Kyaukphyu and Ramree, authorities evacuated them to the outskirts of the town and established IDP camps.

U Maung Myint said the Annan Commission's report clearly states that displaced people must return to their place of origin. In violation of this, however, the National League for Democracy (NLD)-led government had resettled Kaman people in Yangon.

Another USDP lawmaker, U Maung Thin, seconded U Maung Myint's proposal, which the Lower House speaker approved for debate. U Maung Thin claimed that the government, by declaring that 55 Kaman families from Ramree township had been relocated without precisely stating the total number of people, had created a loophole through which people from other groups could migrate to Yangon posing as Kaman. He was apparently referring to Rohingya Muslims, who are restricted from traveling without a permit.

U Tun Ngwe of the Kaman Social Network, who has been providing jobs and modest houses for new arrivals in Htauk Kyant in recent years, told The Irrawaddy over the phone on Tuesday that the Rakhine State Government provided evacuees from Ramree with a total of 5 lakh to cover travel expenses. He said they hadn't received any humanitarian assistance from non-government organizations or the authorities.

U Tun Ngwe said, "I see this as an attempt to inflame religious sensitivities for political purposes," adding, "They should not label us as illegal Bengali immigrants. I would like to send a message that all Myanmar citizens should oppose this action, as it aims to exploit religious attitudes toward an ethnic minority group."

He explained that 55 families comprise around 200 people at most, adding that they consistently urged the authorities to relocate them back to their place of origin when they were housed at IDP camps in Kyaukphyu, Sittwe and Ramree townships, as they were concerned about the education of their children and faced financial hardship.

In 2015, Social Welfare Minister Dr. Win Myat Aye, who was handpicked by the country's de facto leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and now chairs the Union Enterprise of Humanitarian, Resettlement and Development (UEHRD) in Rakhine State, submitted to Yangon a relocation plan for the Kaman. Last July, the government paid about 80 million kyats in compensation to displaced Kaman for 45 homes. Authorities did not disclose details of the agreement between Kaman community leaders and the government.

"We really thank U Maung Myint for his proposal because our people are keen to return their place of origin. But the government must assist on security and promise there will be no further restrictions upon the Kaman minority," U Tun Ngwe said.

In early 2018, Rakhine civil society groups and community leaders held a meeting regarding the government's relocation plan for Kaman displaced within Rakhine quarters in Kyaukphyu and Ramree townships. Participants opposed the plan, purportedly over concerns about what would happen if further violence erupted between Muslim and Buddhist Rakhine groups.

 

The post USDP Lawmaker Accused of Politicizing Resettlement of Displaced Kaman appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Sri Lanka Declares State of Emergency After Buddhist-Muslim Clash

Posted: 06 Mar 2018 05:30 AM PST

COLOMBO — Sri Lanka declared a nationwide state of emergency for 10 days on Tuesday to stop the spread of communal violence, a government spokesman said, after clashes erupted between majority Buddhists and members of the minority Muslim community.

Tension has been growing between the two communities in Sri Lanka over the past year, with some hardline Buddhist groups accusing Muslims of forcing people to convert to Islam and vandalizing Buddhist archaeological sites.

Some Buddhist nationalists have also protested against the presence in Sri Lanka of Muslim Rohingya asylum-seekers from mostly Buddhist Myanmar, where Buddhist nationalism has also been on the rise.

"At a special cabinet meeting, it was decided to declare a state of emergency for 10 days to prevent the spread of communal riots," government spokesman Dayasiri Jayasekara told Reuters.

He said some people were instigating violence through Facebook and warned of tough action against them.

The unrest in the Indian Ocean island's central district of Kandy began on Sunday after the funeral of a truck driver from the majority Sinhalese Buddhist community who died days after he was involved in an altercation with four Muslims, the government has said.

It was not clear why the initial altercation occurred but after the driver's funeral on Monday, a Sinhalese mob attacked Muslim shops, police said. The body of a Muslim youth was found in a burnt-out house early on Tuesday, police said.

Muslims make up about 9 percent of Sri Lanka's 21 million people. Buddhists make up about 70 percent and ethnic Tamils, most of whom are Hindus, about 13 percent.

The government sent troops and elite police to the area on Monday and imposed a curfew. A curfew was reimposed in two districts of Kandy on Tuesday, police said.

The government ended a 26-year civil war in 2009 with the defeat of Tamil separatist rebels. Muslim communities were occasionally caught up in that violence. But on the whole, Muslims managed to stay out of the war.

The post Sri Lanka Declares State of Emergency After Buddhist-Muslim Clash appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Anti-corruption Commission Seeks to Catch Big Fish

Posted: 06 Mar 2018 04:51 AM PST

YANGON — Unlike previous amendments, the proposed bill amending the Anti-Corruption Law seeks to expand the new anti-graft commission's work in combating bribery and catching big fish.

U San Win, the secretary of the anti-corruption commission, submitted the draft bill during the parliamentary session on Monday.

He told lawmakers that the proposed amendments aimed to reduce waste and the abuse of the state budget by corrupt institutions and officials, as well as to abide by the United Nations Convention against Corruption.

The Anti-Corruption Law was originally enacted in 2013 under the previous U Thein Sein government. Since its enactment, it has been amended three times: in 2014, 2016 and 2017 but with no significant changes.

U Han Nyunt, a commission member, told The Irrawaddy that after the latest draft bill is approved, the commission will be granted more authority.

The bill carries 21 proposed changes including expanding the commission's offices in other states and divisions, he said.

"Now, we have only one office in Naypyitaw. If it is approved, it will help the commission be more effective and faster in handling complaints within branch offices," he said.

Most importantly, the draft amendments allow the commission more chances to catch big fish, he added.

He said under the proposed changes, the commission could conduct investigations against civil servants who are known among the public for unusual wealth if the commission suspects a breach of the Anti-Corruption Law, including by those who are in high official positions of power. Under previous amendments, the commission could only launch an investigation after a formal complaint was filed with strong supporting evidence.

The draft amendments also reduce the punishment against those who make false complaints to defame a person from five years in jail to six months' imprisonment, a move that is considered an encouragement for the public to collaborate in fighting corruption.

But the Upper House Bill Committee suggested on Monday that the maximum prison sentence should be three years imprisonment for that provision.

The bill will be debated during upcoming parliamentary sessions.

The post Anti-corruption Commission Seeks to Catch Big Fish appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Women’s Group Seeks Donors to Treat Acid Attack Victim

Posted: 06 Mar 2018 04:45 AM PST

MANDALAY — A government-led women’s affairs group is looking for donors to help cover the costs of medical treatment for a housemaid whose face and body were badly scarred in a 2010 acid attack but only recently escaped her abusive employers.

Ma Nan May Zin Oo, 20, was blinded in one eye from the 2010 attack and confined by her employer, Ni Ni Nu Nwe, at her house in Mandalay’s Chan Mya Thazi Township for eight years.

"She needs support because she suffered physical and mental trauma for a long time. We want to give her treatment, at least for her face. We also want to treat the scars left by the attack on half of her body," said Daw Thandar Phone Win, Mandalay Region secretary for the Women’s Affairs Committee.

Nan May Zin Oo left her village in Shan State’s Ywa Ngan Township for Mandalay in 2008 to work at a grocery shop owned by Daw Moe Moe, the mother-in-law of Ni Ni Nu Nwe, in the Mya Yi Nanda Ward of Chan Mya Thazi, earning 10,000 kyats  ($7.48) a month.

According to Mandalay’s anti-human trafficking police, Ni Ni Nu Nwe threw acid on Nan May Zin Oo while she was bathing on New Year’s Day in the Myanmar calendar, which falls in April.

"When we first met her, she was so overwhelmed that she could not speak a word. So we had to give her a warm atmosphere," said anti-human trafficking police Major Myo Zin.

The left side of her face, along with much of the left side of her body, was badly scarred by the acid.

"At the time, her father had filed a missing persons report at the Ywa Ngan police station. A restaurant owner from Tada U [in Mandalay] went to Ywa Ngan to recruit workers for his restaurant, and the Ywa Ngan police station showed him a photo of the girl. He said he knew the girl and brought her father to Mandalay," Maj. Myo Zin said.

"At the time, the girl’s injuries had not yet healed, so she lied to her father and said she was injured in an accident," he added.

Daw Moe Moe gave the girl’s father 300,000 kyats and asked him not to open a case with the police.

"Afterwards her father didn't contact her. She was confined and not given medical treatment," Maj. Myo Zin said.

Ni Ni Nu Nwe reportedly continued to hit and swear at the girl over the following years. Nan May Zin Oo finally ran away in February and made contact with the Women’s Affairs committee.

"She has had those injures for a long time, so we will seek donors to provide medical treatment to her," said Daw Thandar Phone Win.

Daw Moe Moe and Ni Ni Nu Nwe were arrested by police on March 1 and have had human trafficking charges filed against them.

According to the police, the trafficking of women and children carries a prison sentence of anywhere from 10 years to life.

"This is the first case of confinement and serious physical attack inside the country," Maj. Myo Zin claimed.

In a prior high-profile case, however, four family members who own the Ava Tailor Shop were sentenced to between nine and 13 years in prison in December for torturing two young domestic workers over several years.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Women’s Group Seeks Donors to Treat Acid Attack Victim appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Hundreds March Against Proposed Changes to Peaceful Assembly Law

Posted: 06 Mar 2018 02:46 AM PST

YANGON — Some 500 people took to the streets in Yangon on Monday to protest proposed amendments to the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law, which prescribes a three-year prison sentence for funding a protest.

Political and human rights activists and representatives of civil society organizations (CSOs) joined the demonstration, marching from Thakhin Mya Park to Maha Bandoola Park along Bogyoke Aung San and Anawrahta roads.

The protesters said the proposed amendments further restrict people's freedom of expression and are so broadly defined that they could be exploited to stifle political dissent.

"The law prohibits freedom of expression and procession, which is against democratic norms. It prescribes three years' imprisonment. And it infringes on people's privacy," Land in Our Hands Network general secretary Ko Si Thu told The Irrawaddy.

A total of 230 CSOs and 25 individuals issued a joint statement opposing the bill to amend the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law.

Article 4 of the draft law states that demonstrators who want to exercise their right to peaceful assembly and procession are required to inform police at least 48 hours before the intended day of the rally and to ensure the rally is "not contrary to the existing laws, stability, rule of law, peace and tranquility of the community and public morality."

CSOs have called for abolishing this provision, saying that it is too broadly defined, and is similar to Article 354 of the 2008 Constitution.

Article 4 (d) states that "protest organizers shall present in detail to the authorities the estimated cost of the protest and source of funds." CSOs said this infringes on individual privacy rights and the protesters' confidentiality.

Section 19 of the proposed bill states that "anyone who provokes, persuades or urges anyone to join a peaceful assembly and peaceful procession by using money or assets or other ways, with intent to shatter state security, law and order, will receive a three-year prison sentence and unlimited fine."

CSOs pointed out that the punishment in the proposed bill is much harsher than the one in the original law.

Lawmakers discussed the draft law in the Upper House on Monday. Four of the five lawmakers who spoke argued against the draft law.

U Khin Maung Latt of Arakan National Party said the draft law contributes to authoritarianism rather than democracy.

Naw Susana Hla Hla Soe of the National League for Democracy (NLD) said Article 4 of the draft law is broadly defined and infringes on human rights.

"'Peace and tranquility of the community' and 'public morality' are quite broad. It largely depends on authorities to determine what action infringes on them," she said.

Though Article 4 (d) seems to target dishonest demonstrations, people can differentiate between real and fake ones, she said, adding that Parliament therefore needs to consider whether the article is necessary.

"We have vowed to get rid of authoritarian acts and suppression of the people in Myanmar. The provisions [in the draft law] go against those objectives," NLD lawmaker U Htay Oo told the media.

On Wednesday, eight more lawmakers will debate the draft law, and it will be put to a vote.

The post Hundreds March Against Proposed Changes to Peaceful Assembly Law appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Mon and Karen Ethnic Armed Groups Clash

Posted: 06 Mar 2018 12:22 AM PST

YANGON — The Mon National Liberation Army (MNLA), the armed wing of the New Mon State Party (NMSP), which recently signed the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) with the government, clashed with NCA signatory the Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army (KNU/KNLA) on Sunday in Tanintharyi Region's Yebyu Township.

Nai Aung Min, a central executive committee member of the NMSP, said clashes broke out when MNLA troops asked KNLA troops about their abduction of locals. He added that an MNLA member was injured in the clash.

"They detained crop growers. We went to see what happened and there was an encounter. One of our troops was injured," he told The Irrawaddy, adding that the abductees escaped after the two sides clashed.

The NMSP signed the NCA with the National League for Democracy-led government on Feb. 13 and the KNU signed with U Thein Sein's government in 2015.

According to Nai Aung Min, the MNLA has clashed with the KNLA twice in the former group's controlled area after signing the NCA. The two sides clashed in Mon State's Ye Township on Feb. 24 after KNLA troops allegedly came and logged trees in forest reserves managed by the NMSP.

Pado Saw Tardo Hmu, the general secretary of the KNU, said he did not have ground reports regarding Sunday's incident, but that a recent clash on Feb. 24 was only an engagement between ground troops.

"I don't know what happened on the ground. I have no comment at this time," he told The Irrawaddy.

The NMSP has banned logging in its controlled areas to prevent deforestation. KNLA troops allegedly entered the area with trucks, elephants and more than 40 workers in February for logging and NMSP troops arrested them.

The NMSP then released them after a week in consideration of the relations between the two sides. But then again, KNLA troops allegedly entered the area on Feb. 24 to log trees, resulting in clashes. The NMSP seized two firearms from KNLA troops in the clash.

On Feb. 27, Mon State security and border affairs minister Col Win Naing Oo and representatives of the two sides met in Ye Township to discuss the conflict.

Among the proposals made at the discussion were returning the two firearms, the suspension of logging, and a de-escalation of tensions between the two sides. The two sides clashed again on Sunday, as an agreement had not yet been reached regarding the proposals.

There is no clear demarcation of territory between the KNU and NMSP, and renewed clashes may occur until a clear line of demarcation is established, according to ethnic affairs analysts.

Representatives of the two sides met on Monday to de-escalate the situation.

"There are many areas where both the KNU and the NMSP operate. Therefore, we are concerned that this may give rise to problems," said Nai Aung Min.

The KNLA and MNLA clashed several times in 1989 to control Three Pagodas Pass at the Myanmar-Thai border. Since then, there were rarely clashes until November 2016.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Mon and Karen Ethnic Armed Groups Clash appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ten Things to Do in Yangon This Week

Posted: 05 Mar 2018 08:54 PM PST

Han Htoo Lwin's Solo Exhibition | March 9-11

Celebrated singer Han Htoo Lwin (Kyar Pauk) will showcase his modernist paintings at his debut solo art exhibition.

March 9-11, Ahla Thit Art Gallery, No. 17, University Avenue Road, Bahan Tsp.

Yangon Employment Fair | March 10

Top companies will fill various positions.

March 10, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Rose Garden Hotel, Upper Pansodan Street. Tel: 09-31349834.

 

Yangon Book Street | Every Weekend

Old and new books are up for grabs for bookworms in one location.

Every weekend. Theinbyu Road.

 

JobNet Career Fair | March 10

Heineken, Ooredoo, CB Bank, Yoma Bank, Hilton Hotel and many more will be at this event. Registration here.

March 10, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sedona Hotel.  

Myanmar Photography Exhibition | Until March 11

This exhibition displays the history and development of photography in Myanmar.

Until March 11, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Secretariat Building, Theinbyu Road. Free Admission.

 

Rainbow Night | Every Thursday

A weekly LGBT party.

Every Thursday, starting at 10 p.m. Club Pyrite at No. 37, Kabar Aye Pagoda Road, near Inya Lake Hotel. Reservation at 09-258 835 885, 09-254546932. Free Entry.

 

Open Studios | March 11

Studios of famous artists U Win Pe, Soe Naing, Zaw Win Pe, Aung Min, U Khin Zaw and Than Kyaw Htay will be open to public.

March 11, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thara Phi Street, 34 Forestry Quarter, North Dagon Tsp. Free.

 

Photo and Book Exhibition | March 7

Historic photos and books will be on display to mark the 80th birthday of well-known librarian U Thaw Kaung.

March 7, Universities' Central Library, Yangon University. Free Admission.  

Great Love Line | March 7-9

Myat Kyawt will showcase his creations in various mediums including installation, performance, videos, and more.

March 7-9, OK Art Gallery, Aung San Stadium (North Wing).

 

Group Art Exhibition | Until April 16

This art exhibition will showcase more than 300 paintings of various artists.

Until April 16, New Treasure Art Gallery, Thanlwin Road, Golden Hill Avenue, Bahan Tsp.  

The post Ten Things to Do in Yangon This Week appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

India’s Child Marriage Numbers Drop Sharply, Driving Down Global Rate: UNICEF

Posted: 05 Mar 2018 08:17 PM PST

MUMBAI — The proportion of girls getting married in India has nearly halved in a decade, the United Nations children’s agency UNICEF said on Tuesday, which has contributed significantly to a global decline in child marriage.

UNICEF said 25 million child marriages were prevented worldwide in the last decade, with the largest reduction seen in South Asia – where India was at the forefront.

“India constitutes more than 20 percent of the world’s adolescent population and accounts for the highest number of child marriages in South Asia given its size and population,” said Javier Aguilar, UNICEF’s chief of child protection.

“In the current trend, 27 percent of girls, or nearly 1.5 million girls, get married before they turn 18 in India. This is a sharp decline from 47 percent a decade ago,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Child marriage adds to health, education and abuse risks, and increases the chance of intergenerational poverty, said Anju Malhotra, UNICEF’s principal gender adviser, in a statement.

“Given the life-altering impact child marriage has on a young girl’s life, any reduction is welcome news, but we’ve got a long way to go,” Malhotra said.

Campaigners and officials attributed the drop in child marriages to better access to education for women and increased public awareness on the negative impact of child marriage.

UNICEF estimates that 12 million girls a year are married globally, and says more is needed to end the practice by 2030 – the target set under the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

UNICEF’s conclusions on India came after comparing data from its 2006 and 2016 health survey that asked women in the 20-24 age group whether they had married before they turned 18. It also took into account child marriage data from the 2011 census.

The legal age of marriage in India is 18 for women and 21 for men. Last year the Supreme Court ruled that sex with an underage wife constituted rape.

India’s Prohibition of Child Marriage Act imposes a fine of 100,000 Indian rupees ($1,535) and two years in prison for parents caught trying to marry off their underage children.

Despite the law, child marriage remains deeply rooted and accepted in society, and is widespread in parts of the country.

Mahesh Bhagwat, police chief of Rachakonda district in Telangana, where child marriage is widespread and where wedding hall decorators and priests were enlisted last year to help combat it, said the law had made an impact.

“But things are still going on clandestinely,” he said.

Jayna Kothari, executive director of the Bangalore-based Centre for Law & Policy Research, who has petitioned the government to declare child marriages invalid, said more action was needed.

“Better awareness of the Supreme Court’s verdict would deter child marriages, and declaring them invalid would strengthen India’s laws against them,” she said.

The post India's Child Marriage Numbers Drop Sharply, Driving Down Global Rate: UNICEF appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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