Wednesday, May 16, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Myanmar Tells UN to Investigate ARSA at Security Council Meeting

Posted: 16 May 2018 08:06 AM PDT

YANGON — Myanmar’s ambassador to the United Nations on Monday urged the UN Security Council to investigate the “atrocities” of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) against civilians while Western nations continued pressing Myanmar to cooperate in a credible probe into last year’s violence in Rakhine State.

The remarks came at a Security Council briefing in New York and followed a Security Council delegation’s visit in early May to Rakhine, where ARSA’s attacks on 30 security posts in late August triggered a sweeping military clearance operation that has driven some 700,000 mostly Rohingya to Bangladesh amid widespread reports of arson, rape and murder by security forces.

The EU and US have imposed targeted sanctions against top military generals in response, while rights groups are urging the UN to help ensure the Rohinyas’ safe return and to refer Myanmar to the International Criminal Court. ARSA had also been calling for international pressure on Myanmar before falling silent in January.

At Monday’s Security Council briefing, representatives from the UK and the Netherlands recalled the widespread destruction of villages they saw in Rakhine and the reports of abuse they heard from Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said it was critical for the Security Council delegates to have learned about the crisis in Rakhine and the challenges facing Rohingya refugees firsthand.  She said one of the reasons for the trip was "the continuing, disheartening response from the Burmese government" and went on to accuse Myanmar authorities of failing to acknowledge their role in the crisis.

"This is unacceptable and unsustainable if we're going to make any progress in ending the violence in Rakhine State. More than that, we must have the will as a council to do something now. Time is not on our side. The monsoon season has already begun and is putting hundreds of thousands of refugees at further risk," she said.

Haley encouraged Myanmar to cooperate in a credible independent investigation into the alleged abuses of its security forces and to lift an entry ban it imposed on the UN’s special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar in December. She also urged Myanmar to respect the basic rights of the Rohingya and made no mention of ARSA’s alleged violence against non-Muslim groups.

In September, residents of Rakhine State’s Maungdaw Township unearthed a mass grave with some 45 bodies of Hindu villagers that were identified by relatives.

At the briefing, Myanmar’s ambassador to the UN, U Hau Do San, echoed the country’s military chief in stating that Myanmar would take action against any army personnel guilty of abuse if presented with solid evidence.

He blamed the current humanitarian crisis on ARSA’s attacks on the security posts in August and accused Western media of pushing "Muslim victimhood narratives" while sidelining the “terrorist” group’s attacks on Rakhine State’s other minorities, including Hindus, Maragmagyi and Mro.

"ARSA must also be held accountable for atrocities committed against civilian populations in Rakhine. Investigation of violations must include cases of terrorist atrocities as well," he said.

U Hau Do San also accused ARSA members of killing Muslims in the Bangladesh refugee camps who were spreading information about the repatriation deal Dhaka and Naypyitaw struck in January. Not a single refugee has been repatriated to date, however, while each government accuses the other of delaying the process.

He complained that during the Security Council delegation’s visit to Maungdaw many non-Muslim locals had come to share accounts of ARSA attacks but only one Arakan and one Hindu woman had time to speak with them.

"Sadly, many tragic stories of the ethnic people in Rakhine have fallen on the deaf ears of some who wanted to listen to only one side of the story of their choice," he said.

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Researchers Urge Adoption of Multilingual Education

Posted: 16 May 2018 07:31 AM PDT

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — Ethnic studies researchers have urged the government to adopt an education policy that incorporates the mother tongue based-multilingual education (MTB-MLE) approach.

In 2012-2013, the government of then President U Thein Sein approved the use of ethnic languages in schools, but the textbooks used are merely translations of the existing Burmese-language curriculum into the respective ethnic languages.

The argument for adopting an MTB-MLE approach in educating Myanmar's ethnically diverse students has steadily gained momentum.

"Government educators have always said it is hard to implement the MTB-MLE approach, as Myanmar has 135 ethnicities. The state government officials we interviewed are not opposed to this teaching method, but expressed concern that implementation would be too complicated for them to handle. We want to show everyone that we can implement such an MTB-MLE system, as has been done at Mon national schools," said Dr. Pon Nya Mon, a deputy executive director of the Ethnic Nationalities Affairs Center (ENAC).

He was referring to the results of a new study by ENAC released last week. In August 2017, ENAC conducted a study at Mon national schools that have been using Mon-language curricula for more than four decades. It documented in detail how the Mon schools operate and shared case studies from schools in India, Switzerland, Papua New Guinea and the U.S.

A classroom at Mon National High School in Arn Din, Ye Township.(Photos: ENAC (supplied) )

ENAC plans to submit its findings to the upcoming third session of the 21st-Century Panglong Union Peace Conference and ask the delegates to incorporate the MTB-MLE system into their social sector policies.

"We hope the delegates to the 21st-Century Panglong will discuss MTB-MLE and take it into consideration when making decisions about the social sector, which includes education. As education policy is not as controversial as security, we don't think it will be hard to pass," said Zo Tum Hmung, the executive director of ENAC.

Moreover, the central government should allow state governments to manage their education budgets, he said.

Mon national schools have been operating under the Mon National Education Committee of the New Mon State Party (NMSP) since 1972. Some schools were integrated into the public school curriculum after the NMSP signed a ceasefire with the military government in 1995.

Mon schools currently use an integrated curriculum. More than 130 Mon National Schools focus mainly on Mon language (100 percent) at the primary level, and then reduce this to 60 percent in the middle school (early secondary) curriculum and 20 percent for high school (Grades 9-10). From the secondary level the curriculum integrates Mon and Bamar, the official language, to prepare the students to take the government's matriculation exam in Grade 10.

At mixed-language schools, Mon literature is taught. There are 92 schools currently using this system.

Children sit in front of Mon National Middle School in Ye Township's Tamawkanin village.(Photos: ENAC (supplied) )

However, at government schools, Mon, like all ethnic language classes, is taught only outside of the schools' official hours.

Ethnic language teachers have raised concerns about the difficulty of teaching translated textbooks, which they say do not reflect the respective minority ethnic groups' cultures.

Integrating two languages is more effective than using translated textbooks, explained Dr. Pon Nya Mon. But he added, "These ethnic language classes are still not being taught during the schools' regular timetables. Teaching outside of school hours is not practical; we can integrate the curriculum and there are ways to do it."

The researchers insisted that there are many bilingual teachers who can speak both Bamar and their own languages, be it Mon, Karen, Kayah or other languages. The Mon curriculum was prepared for government schools in 2016. Other minority-language curricula are in the drafting process, though they are not yet integrated as Mon has been.

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Minimum Wage Hike Only a First Step, Labor Activists Say

Posted: 16 May 2018 06:28 AM PDT

YANGON — As Myanmar's new daily minimum wage of 4,800 kyats (USD3.50) takes effect, labor-rights advocates are emphasizing that further steps are needed, including monitoring to ensure that workers are actually being paid the full amount, and that their basic needs are being met.

Monday's increase was the first since the country introduced a minimum wage of 3,600 kyats ($2.65) in September 2015. However, a lack of proper enforcement mechanisms means many people are still working for below minimum wage, more than two-and-a-half years after the law was passed, said Daw Khaing Zar Aung, a member of the Confederation of Trade Unions Myanmar (CTUM)'s executive committee.

The confederation is currently assisting two groups of workers totaling about 200 people in two factories who are still not being paid the minimum wage, she said.

"It is important to make sure all employees get paid the minimum wage of 4,800 kyats," she said.

Daw Khaing Zar Aung added that public forums need to be conducted in other states and regions in order to raise awareness about the minimum wage, along with monitoring and follow-up work.

The new rate of 4,800 kyats took effect Monday, according to an announcement by the National Committee for Designating Minimum Wages. The committee said the rate for an eight-hour working day would not apply to small, family-run businesses that employ fewer than 10 people.

The rate was decided in March after a long period of consultation. It faced objections from both workers and employers, with most workers demanding an average minimum wage of 5,600 kyats and employers unwilling to pay more than 4,000 kyats.

Daw Hla Hla, an executive member of the All Myanmar Trade Union, said 4,800 kyats is not sufficient to cover the daily living costs of workers.

Workers eat dinner at Thiri Mingalar market in Yangon in November 2015. (Photo: Reuters)

The country's Minimum Wage Law states that the wage must meet the essential needs of workers and their families, but the current rate isn't even sufficient for one person to survive on, let alone their families, she said.

The All Myanmar Trade Union has called for a minimum wage of 5,600 kyats since 2015, said Daw Hla Hla.

CTUM's Daw Khaing Zar Aung, who is also a member of the National Committee for Designating Minimum Wages, said she wasn't satisfied with the 4,800-kyats rate, either.

The committee comprises economists, officials from concerned ministries and representatives of labor and employer groups.

She said the committee was unable to properly surveys workers' living costs in states and divisions due to time constraints. As a result, some of the survey results do not accurately reflect the workers' real cost of living, she added.

The group advised the committee to conduct regular meetings every six months. It also urged it to meet with employees and employers periodically to update them and to conduct follow-up work. It recommended more time be spent conducting the surveys, she said.

Another significant problem is that some employers cut other allowances and benefits when the basic wage is increased.

Such problems were encountered when the country's first minimum wage of 3,600 kyats was established in 2015, said Ko Ye Naing Win, a labor rights advocate who previously worked for the Arbitration Council for Labor Disputes.

He said employers had reduced or abolished allowances and other benefits, so there was not much difference for workers. Commodity prices had increased, putting pressure on employers and leading to labor strikes, he added.

The government needed to protect the rights of the laborers, he said.

The minimum wage is intended as a basic salary for unskilled workers (especially those entering the workforce), and pay raises are still expected to be paid as an employee gains in skill and experience, he said.

"The new rate is does not fully cover employees' cost of living, but employers claim they have difficulty paying more than that. Given that, the government also needs to draft policies for the betterment of employees," Ko Ye Naing Win said.

He stressed the need to implement welfare schemes for workers such as housing projects with low-priced rental apartments and low-cost restaurants to ease the impact of rising living costs.

Under the Minimum Wage Law, a new rate must be enacted every two years.

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USAID Official Stresses Need For ‘Voluntary’ Repatriation of Rohingya

Posted: 16 May 2018 05:13 AM PDT

DHAKA — USAID Administrator Mark Green reiterated the United States’ desire to see “voluntary repatriation” of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar under safe conditions during a visit to Bangladesh, where some 1 million Rohingya are taking shelter.

“The United States’ position is that we support and want the voluntary repatriation of the Rohingya to Burma under safe conditions. That has continued to be our position,” Green told reporters on Tuesday after visiting Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, calling Myanmar by another name.

“I wish to listen, learn and bring some recommendations and some information back to the secretary of state,” he said.

Green is traveling to Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand from May 13 to 23 with the US aid agency’s senior deputy assistant administrator for Asia, Gloria Steele, and US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration Mark Storella.

The US Embassy in Dhaka said that while in Bangladesh and Myanmar Green plans to visit several sites where the US government is providing humanitarian assistance to displaced Rohingya and affected host communities. It said Green would also be meeting with Bangladesh government officials.

In Myanmar, the embassy said, he will meet with civil society representatives, students and youth leaders, and Myanmar government officials to discuss the steps needed to address the crises in Rakhine State and violence in other parts of the country.

The embassy said Green will then visit Bangkok from May 21 to 22 to meet with USAID mission directors from across Asia to discuss the implementation of US President Donald Trump’s Indo-Pacific strategy.

Green said most of his time in Bangladesh and Myanmar would be spent “fact finding, learning, listening” in order to report back to newly appointed US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

He said he found the Rohingya he met to be “tremendously courageous," "hopeful" and “optimistic.”

Green also announced an additional $44 million in US humanitarian assistance to meet the urgent needs of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and people affected by violence and conflict in Myanmar. The funds bring total US humanitarian assistance for displaced people in and from Myanmar to more than $299 million since the beginning of the 2017 fiscal year, the US Embassy in Dhaka said.

Since August, nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled violence in Rakhine State for Bangladesh, which was already hosting more than 300,000 Rohingya who had fled past bouts of communal violence in Myanmar.

Another 8.3 million people in Myanmar live in areas affected by conflict, in Rakhine and elsewhere.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide direct technical and scientific support to prevent, detect, and respond to disease outbreaks and other major public health issues facing the Rohingya.

Earlier this year, the centers provided laboratory training and supplies that allowed the Bangladesh Health and Family Welfare Ministry to confirm a diphtheria outbreak in the Cox’s Bazar camps.

  Separately, a joint working group between Bangladesh and Myanmar on Rohingya repatriation will hold its next meeting on Thursday in Dhaka, according to Bangladeshi media.

At the group’s first meeting on Jan. 15 in Myanmar, the two countries agreed to the “physical arrangements” for the repatriation of Rohingya “forcibly displaced from Myanmar.”

The neighbors signed a repatriation deal in November. So far, Myanmar has confirmed 878 refugees as former residents from an initial list of 8,032 volunteers provided by Bangladesh in February and is still vetting the others. None of them has returned to Myanmar as of yet.

Meanwhile, at Bangladesh’s third Universal Periodic Review before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday, the country’s law minister, Anisul Huq, said many countries were ignoring the plight of refugees.

“In such a global context, I take pride as I represent Bangladesh, which has opened its border for the forcibly displaced nationals of Myanmar," he said in a prepared statement.

“Despite constraints, our people embraced the helpless Rohingyas, who had been forced to flee from their homes in Myanmar," he added. “We have been providing temporary shelter to about 1.1 million Rohingyas who are victims of [the] worst kind of human rights violations in Myanmar.”

Huq said Bangladesh has been expediting the registration and visa applications of international non-governmental organizations, noting that the number of such groups working in Cox’s Bazar has jumped from 15 in August to 122 as of this month.

“To ensure decongestion in the camps and better facilitation of humanitarian assistance, we are now developing Bhashan Char [island], where livelihood opportunities will also be created for the Rohingyas pending their return to Myanmar,” he said.

The minister added that, “as a party to [the] Rome Statute, we remain fully supportive to the activities of the International Criminal Court. We also support the Kampala Amendment to the Rome Statute."

The New Age, a Dhaka daily, reported on May 8 that the Hague-based court had asked Bangladesh to provide it with observations and evidence for use in deciding whether it has jurisdiction to investigate Myanmar's “expulsion” of Rohingya.

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Clashes Escalate Across the Country

Posted: 16 May 2018 05:04 AM PDT

Fighting between the Myanmar Army and ethnic armed forces has escalated not only in Kachin but also in Palaung, Kokang and Rakhine areas, the ethnic bloc the Northern Alliance reported on Wednesday.

Attacks have broken out nearly every day recently between the Myanmar Army, or Tatmadaw, and Northern Alliance members including the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and Arakan Army (AA).

On Tuesday, clashes occurred with government troops and KIA Brigade 2, Battalions 2 and 6 in the Hukawng area, as well as KIA Brigade 1, Battalion 4, in Injangyang Township, Kachin State.

The Northern Alliance claims that during an attack in Injangyang on May 15 between its troops and Myanmar Army Infantry Battalion 120 under Infantry Division 33, it seized guns, grenades, and ammunition, and that the government troops fled after suffering casualties.

The Myanmar Army used air strikes against KIA Battalion 6 in Hpakant Township on Tuesday, and the KIA suffered injuries, the Northern Alliance reported.

Joint alliance armed forces from the KIA Brigade 6 and the MNDAA have also clashed with the government troops recently, which the Northern Alliance posted video footage of.

There was also ongoing fighting almost every day in northern Shan State, according to Colonel Tar Aike Kyaw, a spokesperson from the TNLA.

"Clashes broke out 11 times in just the first half of this month," said the spokesperson, adding that the Myanmar Army has continued to deploy troops in northern Shan.

The TNLA claims that fighting has broken out as the Myanmar Army attacks TNLA bases.

In Rakhine State, the AA reported that fighting has broken out three times in May.

The TNLA, AA and MNDAA issued a statement on May 8 that they would help fellow Northern Alliance group the KIA to fight the Myanmar Army, which continues to launch military offensives in Kachin.

Three days after issuing the statement, the TNLA launched attacks in Muse, Shan State, at a casino, police base and militia base – killing at least 19 people including police, local militia members and civilians.

Fighting escalated in Kachin after the Myanmar Army launched a military offensive on April 11 in Tanai. The UN reported that 10,000 Kachin IDPs have fled the area because of Myanmar Army offensives since then.

The Northern Alliance has pledged to fight back.

Right activists have launched protests across the country asking the Myanmar Army to stop the attacks in Kachin and for the rescue of displaced persons who have been trapped in Kachin due to fighting between the government troops and the KIA.

The Freedom of Expression Activist Organization reported that 42 rights activists have been charged in May for violating the Pe

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Govt Declares Two Bridges ‘Dangerous’ In Midst of Nationwide Review

Posted: 16 May 2018 02:09 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW — The Construction Ministry has been inspecting all suspension bridges across the country since the collapse of a bridge in Irrawaddy Region last month and will inform the public whether they are safe by the end of July, Deputy Construction Minister U Kyaw Lin said on Tuesday.

A 22-year-old suspension bridge in Irrawaddy’s Myaungmya Township collapsed on April 1, killing the driver and passenger of a truck passing over it at the time. In the days following, the Construction Ministry blamed the collapse on an outdated design that made it difficult to inspect the bridge’s steel suspension cables, which had rusted and eventually snapped.

At a press conference in Naypyitaw, U Kyaw Lin said two of Myanmar’s 29 suspension bridges have been deemed dangerous already: the Maezali bridge in Magwe Region and the Zar Thapyin bridge in Karen State.

The Construction Ministry has been inspecting the suspension bridges with the assistance of 22 Chinese technicians.

"We are inspecting all 29 bridges, and Chinese technicians have pointed out the worst two of them. We have declared them dangerous," the deputy minister said, adding that the ministry would replace them as soon as possible.

The Construction Ministry inspects suspension bridges twice a year, but its technicians can only inspect their outer features. The deputy minister said it has had to turn to the Chinese technicians for help inspecting the bridges’ internal features using X-rays.

In April, the ministry said the cables that rusted and snapped inside the bridge that collapsed were hidden from view because they had been laid in concrete.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Army Sues Kachin Protesters for Defamation

Posted: 16 May 2018 01:57 AM PDT

YANGON — The Northern Command of the Myanmar Army has sued three Kachin youth who led a sit-in protest against ongoing clashes in Kachin State for defamation.

On Wednesday, a local court issued summons against the three—Zau Jat of the Kachin National Social Development Association, director Nang Pu of the Htoi Gender and Development Foundation, and lawyer Lum Zawng.

"We have been sued and summoned by the court to appear tomorrow," Zau Jat told The Irrawaddy.

"If we are to be sued, we should only be sued under Article 19 of the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law. We are surprised that they sued us for defamation. We didn't defame them," said Zau Jat.

"We only called for enabling the rescue of trapped civilians. We don't know what was defamatory to them," added Zau Jat.

The defamation charge allows bail and carries a maximum two years' imprisonment and a fine.

The Irrawaddy was not able to contact the Northern Command for comment.

Police Major Myat Moe of the Myitkyina Township police station said that the command might have directly filed a complaint with the court.

On April 30, more than 3,000 Kachin locals staged a protest march against ongoing clashes between the Myanmar Army and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in Kachin State. Around 3,000 Kachin youth also staged a sit-in protest from April 30 to May 6, calling for the rescue of thousands of displaced persons trapped by the fighting.

Clashes that broke out on April 11 displaced more than 6,000 people in Tanai, Injangyang, Mogaung and Hpakant townships.

After negotiations between the Kachin State chief minister and the protestors on May 3, the Kachin State government agreed to intervene. On May 6, it rescued 160 villagers in Hpakant.

They fled their village following the clashes on April 11, but they were brought back to their village by the military column and had been trapped in the village since then.

Most of those trapped by the fighting have now escaped, but around 1,000 remain trapped in Tanai Township.

On May 9, lawyer Lum Zawng, and another protest leader Sut Seng Htoi were fined 30,000 kyats each by the Myitkyina Township court for breaching Article 19 of Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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India-Myanmar Open Border Policy: A Travesty for Sustainable, Traditional Agriculture

Posted: 16 May 2018 12:53 AM PDT

Up in the hills some 1,524 meters above sea level the practice of slash and burn agriculture, popularly known as "jhum cultivation," has carried on uninterrupted feeding several thousands of people in the Naga hills for generations. This unique practice of hill farming has in fact debunked myths about shifting cultivation (as jhum is also known) being harmful and environmentally destructive and has proven it to be one of the most resilient forms of agriculture in the highlands, which are mostly inhabited by indigenous communities.

But one such fascinating example of jhum cultivation practiced by the Khiamniungan Nagas since the beginning of the tribe across the eastern part of Nagaland State in India and the western part of Myanmar now faces a distinctive threat of being wiped out owing to a lopsided plan to secure an imaginary border by constructing physical fences and militarizing the hills. At the center of this extremely skewed plan is the government of Myanmar's push to fence this imaginary line with support from its Indian counterpart, which is providing the armed military security to construct the fences.

An abortive attempt was made by the Myanmar government in 2016 to fence about three kilometers of the imaginary border that passes through the sleepy hamlets of Dan and Pangsha in the Noklak district of Nagaland. The fencing was halted after massive protests by locals of Dan, Pangsha and other villages, as well as several Naga organizations. But it could resume anytime and in the process convert 3,500 hectares of cultivable area – which are part of the jhum fields – into a no man's land, while dividing Khiamniungan Naga families that inhabit these hills.

A recent visit to Dan brought to the fore the immense hardships the proposed fencing and the Indian security outpost is causing to locals. Unlike before, locals from both sides are not able to move freely to plow their fields.

Land cleared for slash and burn agriculture on the way to Pangsha village. / Bidhayak Das

"There are restrictions imposed on us if we move through the checkpoint area, and also, if we go through other passages, these Indian army men watch us through binoculars," said Nyukha, the 80-year-old Khaimniungan Naga gaobura (village headman) of Dan.

The Khiamniungans are one of the major tribes among the Nagas. They are spread across the eastern part of Nagaland State in India and the western part of Myanmar. Khiamniungan literally means "source of great water or river," (Khiam means water, Nui means great and Ngan means source). The nomenclature is said to derive from the biggest river of the land (Laang) and the Chindwin River downhill with which the former converges. Apart from the Konyaks, the Khiamniungan Nagas were considered to be the most ferocious headhunters before they converted to Christianity.

The Khaimniungan Nagas of Pangsha and Dan, who also identify themselves as the "Pangshas," have 10 jhum fields, three on the Myanmar side separated by Dan mountain and seven on the Indian side. The cultivation follows a cyclical pattern and after the first year, the field is left fallow to be visited by the Jhumias (as local jhum farmers are known) again after the tenth year when the topsoil regenerates fully with full-grown trees. Usually rice (paddy), millet, maize, black gram, ginger, soybean and other vegetables are cultivated in a rotational format in the first year followed by only millet in the second year before the land is left to regenerate.

Incidentally, this unique method of hill farming creates a traditional economy that has sustained several Naga tribes for generations. Cultivating a plot of land – which is called Liu – goes through a process of endorsement by the village, after which each household can cultivate the plot of land given to them – known as Eiu.

Almost 2,000 households comprising old and new Pangsha and Dan villagers have an Eiu, which provides them all the essential food they need.

"We only have to buy salt and tea," said Pape, the gaobura of New Pangsha. The same story is repeated by Jhumias from the Naga hills in Myanmar. They too have plots on both sides and follow a similar pattern of either a 10- or 11-year cycle.

The jhum fields are also closely interwoven with another age-old practice – that of rearing Mithun, a wild yak, which is used for its meat by the Khiamniungans. This herbivore, which thrives on a lot of salt, is found all across the Naga hills.

Wild Mithuns roaming the forest of Pangsha in Noklak district Nagaland. / Bidhayak Das

"Mithun is a big thing for the villagers. One Mithun may be owned by many people and the sale of it could help fund the education of two school-going children in a year. This animal is usually reared on the Myanmar side of the border where the forest is dense and more suitable," says Hempao Lam, a local Khaimniungan church leader.

Thus now, if we are to understand why the likes of 80-year-old Nyukha and Hempao are so worried, it is simply because a lot is at stake. Not just the 3,500 hectares of cultivable land that will be gone, but a traditional lifestyle that has been sustaining people in these very difficult and challenging mountains will be destroyed forever.

Hempao puts it as, "It's not just about the free movement regime, as even if we are allowed to move, we have to enter our names and will be at the mercy of the security forces. It will also badly impact our jhum patterns and result in devastating impacts on the ecology."

Well-known environmentalist Amba Jamir, who also hails from Nagaland, is of the opinion that the fences will not only impact agricultural activities but also the entire land use and resource management regimes. In his words, "Shifting cultivation is about more than just food production; it involves a long forestry phase and all of this will be negatively impacted by physical fences."

Explaining the jhum cycle, Jamir – who is also the executive director and executive secretary of the Sustainable Development Forum Nagaland, says: "If the land is left to recover on its own, nature will take its own course. Having a fence will disrupt the natural movement of wild animals. That will be bad as the northeast is rich in biodiversity, as the region is located on the ‘transitional zone’ between the Indian, Indo-Malayan and Indo-Chinese bio-geographic realm."

A jhum land in Pangsha in Noklak district of Nagaland in India. / Bidhayak Das

The environmentalist without mincing words makes a point when he says, "It's about people and the natural world and this must be taken into consideration." The worry according to him is that the traditional land domains of the communities in the border areas "will be severely interfered with."

"It will impact their food production systems, their forest management systems and even reduce their hunting and gathering ranges. It could also negatively impact those clans or families that have land on the other side of the border," Jamir warns.

Such land could be encroached on and claimed by others and could cause conflicts. Finally, such moves will not bring the local communities to be with any government that deprives them of their land and resources. These may further cause economic and political rifts.

He suggested that instead of erecting fences and setting up security outposts, the authorities on both sides should instill a sense of pride in locals' resources, culture and institutions as a sure way of ensuring that they secure their rights and that of the nation. Indeed, there is merit in what he says that "rather than putting up physical boundaries at such extravagant costs, why can the place not be patrolled or monitored using technology?" Besides, using technology, education and services that respond to people's needs and requirements will also ensure that there is loyalty, responsibility and national pride.

Hempao has five plots of land within the 3,500 hectares on the Dan side. But he is apprehensive that when he visits his fields in five years when the jhum cycle completes its 10-year cycle, the land may be out of bounds owing to security restrictions for him and his relatives. He is equally worried that with increasing sanctions on movement that there would be pressure on the jhum fields on the Indian side of Dan and cultivation cycles may be reduced to six or seven years.

"People may also start to cultivate where they have never cultivated before like forest areas in the higher reaches," he says. "If Jhumias start going higher there will be a scarcity of water, but if cultivation areas in the lowlands are reduced, farmers will have no option and this beautiful ecosystem will be severely affected."

A view of settlements in the hills of Nagaland. / Bidhayak Das

As many as 244 villages, 44 on the Indian side and 200 in Myanmar, are facing the brunt of the fencing. "Over 10,000 people's livelihood will be affected. The most hard-hit will be our fellow Nagas from Myanmar," says 80-year-old P Behism, an adviser to the Khiamniungan Tribal Council (KTC)

However, Naypyitaw and New Delhi may be far from understanding these social dynamics on the ground. In a meeting held on March 9 in New Delhi under the chairmanship of the Special Secretary Ministry of Home Affairs India (border management-I division) on "effective implementation of the free movement regime," the need was felt for restricting movement, especially vehicles, on the pretext that "movement of vehicles across IMB (imaginary boundaries) has no legal sanctity without bilateral agreement between India and Myanmar." Perhaps this speaks volumes regarding the shortsightedness of the government on the issue which will only bring more problems than solutions.

The author is a former senior journalist who has worked for national and international news media in India and elsewhere. Currently he is a contributing editor for The Irrawaddy.

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More Informal Talks Scheduled In Lead-up to National Peace Conference

Posted: 16 May 2018 12:32 AM PDT

YANGON — Ethnic armed groups that have signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) will hold more informal talks with the government and military later this week on political and security issues in preparation for the third session of the 21st Century Panglong peace conference.

The delegates are scheduled to meet in Naypyitaw on Friday and Saturday, said Pa-O National Liberation Organization patron Colonel Khun Okkar.

An earlier round of informal talks took place on April 20-21.

"We will have informal talks to smooth the path to make official decisions," Col. Khun Okkar told The Irrawaddy.

The NCA signatories will each send two groups of delegates to discuss political and security issues separately.

"The government is working to hold a UPDJC [Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee] secretarial meeting and work committee meetings in the third week of May in order to hold the [21st Century Panglong] conference by the end of this month," said U Hla Maung Shwe, a member on the UPDJC’s secretarial board.

"We hope the coming informal talks will pave the way for peace, which is what all citizens desire," said Col. Khun Okkar.

The results will be discussed at the 21st Century Panglong, which is slated to be held by the end of May in Naypyitaw.

The informal talks are expected to focus on setting a precise date for the peace conference and on obstacles to holding political dialogues in Shan and Rakhine states, a government official said on condition of anonymity. The official said they may also address security sector reform and disarmament, demobilization and the reintegration of rebel soldiers.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post More Informal Talks Scheduled In Lead-up to National Peace Conference appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Police Chief Denies Using Thugs to Break Up Anti-war Protest

Posted: 16 May 2018 12:16 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW — The chief of the Myanmar Police Force has denied using civilian thugs to arrest anti-war demonstrators in Yangon's Tamwe Township on Saturday.

In response to The Irrawaddy's question about the arrest of protesters, Police Major-General Aung Win Oo said, "I'd say we didn't use civilians in that case."

Speaking at a press conference on Monday to report on the police force's activities over the past year, he said officers controlled the protest in line with the law.

Around 200 people joined Saturday's protest in Yangon calling for an end to fighting between the Myanmar military (or Tatmadaw) and ethnic armed groups. Eight people were detained and sued for violating the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law, and released on bail the following day.

The police chief vowed to find out "who the persons in ordinary clothes were" and take legal action against them. He did not provide further details, however.

After police halted the demonstration, anti-war protesters were arrested by people wearing plain clothes, said Yangon-based journalist Ko Tha Lun, who was at the scene.

"Those in ordinary clothes were clearly supporters of Ma Ba Tha [the Association for Protection of Race and Religion] and the Tatmadaw. You can identify them if you watch the video clips [of previous protests in support of Ma Ba Tha and the Tatmadaw]," said Ko Tha Lun, who is also a member of the Press Freedom Committee in Yangon. The Tatmadaw refers to Myanmar's military.

"They also jostled the reporters. And the police didn't protect us. Therefore, we've filed a complaint with the Myanmar National Human Rights Council and the Press Council," he said.

The police chief said action was taken against anti-war protesters in several townships because the demonstrators did not seek prior approval from the appropriate police stations.

He cited Section 128 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which states that if participants in an unlawful assembly do not obey a police order to disperse, police can use force to disperse them, and may use the assistance of any unarmed male person who is not a police officer or soldier.

"But we didn't use any civilian force in this case," Maj-Gen Aung Win Oo said.

On Monday, 391 civil society organizations issued a joint statement condemning the beating of anti-war protesters by the police and those in civilian clothing. The statement calls on the government to identify and take action against those who illegally cracked down on the protesters. It also demands the unconditional, immediate release of activists across the country who have been detained for anti-war activities.

Protests against the fighting in Kachin State have escalated since a protest camp was set up in the Kachin State capital, Myitkyina, a few weeks ago. Though the camp has since been broken up, protests have spread to Yangon, Mandalay, Bago and Pyay.

So far this month, 42 people have been detained and sued in 13 cases related to anti-war protests (seven cases in Yangon Region, three in Mandalay Region, two in Kachin State and one in Bago Region), The Voice, a civil society group lobbying for freedom of expression, said on Monday.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Police Chief Denies Using Thugs to Break Up Anti-war Protest appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

AirAsia CEO Says Talks About Opening Myanmar Airline ‘Have Stopped’

Posted: 15 May 2018 10:09 PM PDT

BANGKOK — Talks between AirAsia Group Bhd and a partner to open an airline in Myanmar have stopped, the group’s chief executive told reporters on Tuesday.

Chief Executive Tony Fernandes told Reuters in March his budget carrier was in talks with a potential partner to open an airline serving Myanmar, which would help the low-cost carrier to cover up to 95 per cent of the Southeast Asian travel market.

But Fernandes told reporters at an AirAsia event in Bangkok, “The negotiations have stopped. We are not moving ahead with Myanmar at the moment… We might revisit that but we’ve decided not to go into Myanmar just yet.”

He did not disclose the potential partner.

Fernandes said he expected AirAsia’s Vietnam joint venture to be flying by the end of the year or early 2019.

A330neo Still "The Favorite"

Fernandes tentatively reconfirmed the group’s commitment to the A330neo jet at the event in Bangkok celebrating the carrier’s half-a-billion customer milestone.

Fernandes, who is Co-Group CEO of AirAsia X, the long-haul arm of AirAsia, said the neo was still the “favorite choice of aircraft” for AirAsia X.

“It looks a fantastic aircraft. It looks everything that we thought it would be but we’re holding off at the moment until we see exactly how it performs,” he added.

Boeing has been trying to convince AirAsiaX to abandon the A330neo and switch to its newer 787 Dreamliner.

Shares in AirAsia Group fell as much as 10 percent on Monday in the first trading session since Fernandes apologized for endorsing former Malaysian leader Najib Razak days before he lost a general election last week to veteran politician Mahathir Mohamad, 92.

Fernandes apologized and said he was under intense pressure to support the Najib government.

The Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) on Tuesday refuted accusations by Fernandes that it had told the budget airline to cancel all additional flights intended to help voters return home before polling day.

The regulator said it had filed a police report against Fernandes.

Fernandes told Reuters in Bangkok he would not comment on the police report and referred Reuters to statement by AirAsia on Tuesday saying it “strongly refutes” the report lodged by Mavcom.

The post AirAsia CEO Says Talks About Opening Myanmar Airline 'Have Stopped' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Malaysia’s 92-year-old PM Says He’ll Stay in Office for 1-2 Years

Posted: 15 May 2018 09:41 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR/TOKYO — New Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Tuesday he will remain in office for one or two years and that Anwar Ibrahim, the jailed reformist he had vowed would replace him, will be released on Wednesday.

Mahathir, 92, said he thought that “in a short while” the government could have a case against his predecessor, Najib Razak, who has been dogged by a multi-billion-dollar scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

A four-party alliance driven by Mahathir and Anwar won the general election last week, ousting the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition for the first time in the history of the Southeast Asian nation. Mahathir was sworn in as prime minister on Thursday, making him the world’s oldest democratically elected leader.

In “an initial stage, maybe lasting one or two years, I will be the prime minister," Mahathir said, speaking by live video link from Kuala Lumpur to a Wall Street Journal CEO conference in Tokyo.

“I will play a role in the background even when I step down.”

The pardons board in Malaysia’s capital will meet on Wednesday to discuss Anwar’s release and Mahathir said he would be released the same day.

Anwar, 70, is serving a second five-year jail term for sodomy. He and his supporters have said the charges are politically motivated.

A royal pardon would reverse Anwar’s conviction and make him eligible to actively participate in politics. He has been in hospital for a few months recovering from a shoulder operation.

During the campaign, Mahathir, who was prime minister for 22 years in a previous stint from 1981, promised to step aside and make Anwar prime minister once he was pardoned.

But there have been differences between the two over the cabinet formation, and Mahathir made it clear on Tuesday that he was in charge.

“I expect him to play the same role as the leaders of the other three parties. There will be no special powers given except as are given to ministers or deputy ministers or deputy prime ministers,” Mahathir said. He added that he would make the final decision about cabinet posts.

The Wall Street Journal cited what it called audio remarks from Anwar as saying Mahathir should be given time to achieve his objectives.

“I’m not in a rush,” Anwar was quoted as saying.

Reuters could not verify the report.

Volatile Relationship

Mahathir has named just three ministers so far in addition to himself and Anwar’s wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, as deputy prime minister.

Anwar’s People’s Justice Party (PKR), which has the most seats in the alliance, is demanding a proportionate number of posts in the cabinet.

The volatile relationship between Anwar and Mahathir, from friends to foes to allies, has dominated Malaysia’s political landscape for more than three decades and is central to the future of the alliance.

When Mahathir was prime minister in the 1990s, Anwar was his deputy and clear heir-apparent.

But in 1998, they disagreed on how to tackle the Asian financial crisis and fell out. Anwar was sacked, and later jailed on charges of sodomy and corruption.

Anwar was freed in 2004 but in 2015, he was jailed again – for five years – for sodomizing a former aide, a charge he and his supporters describe as a politically motivated attempt by Najib to end his career.

In an astonishing U-turn last year, Anwar shook hands with Mahathir and agreed to join forces to oust scandal-tainted Najib.

Mahathir vowed on Monday to investigate any faults that may have been committed by Najib’s government and said all ministries had been instructed not to destroy any documents.

Asked if Najib would go to prison, he said: “It all depends on the investigation being made and whether there is a case against him or not. If there is no case, we do not go for detention without trial.”

The scandal is being investigated in at least six countries, including Singapore, Switzerland and the United States.

The Swiss attorney general’s office said on Tuesday that federal prosecutors were seeking quick talks with Malaysian counterparts on how to press forward with the investigation.

News broke in 2015 that about $700 million allegedly stolen from 1MDB had made its way into Najib’s personal bank accounts. Najib has said the deposit was a donation by an unnamed member of the Saudi royal family, which had been largely returned.

Najib was cleared of wrongdoing by the attorney general in 2016 but Mahathir has said the official has been asked to go on leave and replaced.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission found evidence in late 2015 that 42 million ringgit ($10.6 million) was transferred from a former subsidiary of 1MDB into an account of Najib, but its recommendation for further investigation was rejected by the attorney general, a member of a panel that reviewed the commission’s case files told Reuters.

Najib set up 1MDB in 2009 and previously served as chairman of its advisory board. He and the fund have denied wrongdoing.

Mahathir blocked Najib from leaving the country over the weekend.

The post Malaysia’s 92-year-old PM Says He’ll Stay in Office for 1-2 Years appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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