The Irrawaddy Magazine |
- Amnesty International Shares Evidence of “Gruesome” ARSA Massacre
- Enjoy Authentic Kayan Cuisine with a River View in Yangon
- ‘Business for Peace’ Model Utilized in Nationwide Peacebuilding
- Drivers Fired After Alleged Beating by Ne Win’s Grandsons Seek Compensation
- Tour Operators Predict Drop in Arrivals This Year
- Illicit Drug Production Rages on in Conflict-torn Areas of Myanmar
- Two Anti-war Demonstrators Jailed for 2 Months Over Yangon Protest
- Ten Things to Do in Yangon This Week
- Myanmar Judge to Rule on Evidence Allegedly Taken from Reuters Reporters’ Phones
- Malaysia’s Embattled Najib Questioned by Anti-Corruption Agency
- China Launches Fresh Campaign Against Trash Smuggling
| Amnesty International Shares Evidence of “Gruesome” ARSA Massacre Posted: 22 May 2018 10:35 AM PDT YANGON — Amnesty International has released new evidence of a “gruesome” massacre of Hindus by Rohingya militants in Rakhine State last year, making it the first international rights group to shed light on what it calls “the largely under-reported human rights abuses” by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA). A press release issued by the UK rights group on Wednesday morning says ARSA killed up to 99 Hindu women, men and children and committed additional unlawful killings and abductions of Hindu villagers in August. The killings and abductions occurred after the armed group — which the government has labeled a terrorist organization — launched a series of attacks on security outposts in northern Rakhine on Aug. 25, killing 12 security personnel. The attacks prompted the Myanmar military to carry out clearance operations in the area that have driven nearly 700,000 Rohingya to flee to neighboring Bangladesh. Many of the refugees reported arbitrary killings, rapes and torture by the security forces. Since then, the Rohingya issue has continued to attract international attention. The EU and US have imposed sanctions against some of Myanmar’s military leaders. Rights groups have called for the military’ s prosecution at the International Criminal Court. Recently, the UN Security Council dispatched a team to Bangladesh and Myanmar to investigate the issue. The delegation urged Naypyitaw to allow the safe return of the Rohingya. But condemnation of ARSA has been relatively modest. The lack of international opposition to ARSA recently prompted Myanmar's ambassador to the UN to accuse some members of only listening to one side of the story and failing to acknowledge the group’s abuses. Amnesty International says its new report is based on dozens of interviews conducted inside Rakhine State and across the border in Bangladesh, as well as photographic evidence analyzed by forensic pathologists. "Our latest investigation on the ground sheds much-needed light on the largely under-reported human rights abuses by ARSA during northern Rakhine State's unspeakably dark recent history," Tirana Hassan, Amnesty’s crisis response director, is quoted as saying in the release. "It's hard to ignore the sheer brutality of ARSA's actions, which have left an indelible impression on the survivors we've spoken to,” the director adds. “Accountability for these atrocities is every bit as crucial as it is for the crimes against humanity carried out by Myanmar's security forces in northern Rakhine State." Amnesty’s findings focus on killings and abductions of the Hindu community in Kha Maung Seik village tract and Myo Thu Gyi village in Maungdaw Township. The Irrawaddy reported on the incidents extensively in September. The rights group's investigation found that at about 8 a.m. on Aug. 25, ARSA attacked the Hindu community in the village of Ah Nauk Kha Maung Seik, part of the Kha Maung Seik village tract. "According to a detailed list of the dead, given to Amnesty International, the victims from Ah Nauk Kha Maung Seik include 20 men, 10 women and 23 children, 14 of whom were under the age of 8. This is consistent with multiple testimonies the organization gathered in both Bangladesh and Myanmar, from survivors and witnesses as well as Hindu community leaders," the press release says. It continues that eight Hindu women and eight of their children were abducted and spared, after ARSA fighters forced the women to agree to "convert" to Islam. The survivors were forced to flee with the fighters to Bangladesh several days later, before being repatriated in October with the aid of Bangladeshi and Myanmar authorities. Also on Aug. 25, all 46 Hindu men, women and children in the neighboring village of Ye Bauk Kyar disappeared. Members of the Hindu community in northern Rakhine State presume they were killed by the same ARSA fighters. The total death toll in both villages is believed to be 99. The bodies of 45 people from Ah Nauk Kha Maung Seik were unearthed in four mass graves in late September. The remains of the other victims from the village, or of the 46 victims from Ye Bauk Kyar, have not been found. Amnesty calls for independent investigators, including the UN Fact-Finding mission, to be given unrestricted access to Rakhine State in order to have the full extent of the abuses committed by both ARSA and the Myanmar military exposed. "In this brutal and senseless act, members of ARSA captured scores of Hindu women, men and children and terrorized them before slaughtering them outside their own villages. The perpetrators of this heinous crime must be held to account," Tirana Hassan says. "All the survivors and victims' families have the right to justice, truth and reparation for the immense harm they have suffered." The post Amnesty International Shares Evidence of “Gruesome” ARSA Massacre appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Enjoy Authentic Kayan Cuisine with a River View in Yangon Posted: 22 May 2018 08:03 AM PDT YANGON — A number of restaurants serving authentic ethnic cuisines including Shan, Mon, Rakhine, Kachin and Wa have opened in Yangon in recent years. But I had never seen a Kayan restaurant until I stumbled on a hidden gem named Vista Do Rio in Thuwunna Township. Since it opened on Myamarlar Street in May 2017, Vista Do Rio has been giving Yangon's foodies a chance to taste Kayan cuisine while enjoying a river view beside the Nga Moe Yeik Creek.  Most restaurants offering ethnic cuisine decorate their walls with traditional musical instruments or artifacts, but at Vista Do Rio you will be served by a woman wearing traditional dress, bronze rings and the Kayan's trademark brass neck coils — not to mention the beautiful smile on her face. Other waiters and waitresses also wear traditional clothing and the restaurant has a small Kayan souvenir shop at the entrance. I went there with a few colleagues last Saturday evening at around 5pm and the place had few guests. We chose a long table directly overlooking the Nga Moe Yeik Creek.  I fell in love with the vibe of this restaurant even before I had tasted a bite of the Kayan food; it's so breezy and secluded from the noise of the city traffic, you immediately feel relaxed. My previous knowledge of Kayan cuisine was limited to Kayan traditional pork sausage. My colleagues knew a bit more, but we asked the waiters to recommend a few dishes. Some of the waiters were better trained and more able to explain the menu than others, but on the whole the staff was friendly and tried to be helpful.  At the waiters' suggestion, we ordered Shwe Pae Ywat Thoke (Fresh Bean Leaf Salad, 3,000 kyats); Dee Mot Soe Pharr Kyaw (Traditional Smoked Frog with Onion Tempura and Crispy Basil, 8,500 kyats); Beef with Lemon Juice and Ginger Cooked in Bamboo (10,000 kyats); and of course the famous Kayan specialties, Potato Mat Khar (3,000 kyats) and Kayan Traditional Pork Sausage (4,000 kyats). We also ordered a traditional alcoholic drink, Khaung Yae, a home-brewed liquor made by the restaurant served in a bamboo cup (1,500 kyats per cup). With the exception of the item cooked in bamboo, the dishes were served promptly and arrived one after the other. The Kayan Traditional Pork Sausage was served with its own sauce. The fried sausage was cooked perfectly, neither too hard nor too oily, and went perfectly with the sauce, though the portion was small.  I didn't try the Dee Mot Soe Fried Frog, but my colleagues seemed to love it. This is really a fusion dish, combining smoked frogs sourced from Kayan villages fried up with onion and basil leaves. My colleagues assured me the frog meat was tasty and was complemented perfectly by the Khaung Yae liquor. The smoked frog dish portions were more generous and well worth the 8,500 kyats. "I collected the frogs from seven villages in the Kayan region. The villagers catch the frogs and dry them in the sun before smoking them. That's the only way to preserve the freshness of the ingredients, which are shipped all the way from Kayan to Yangon," said Vista Do Rio owner Ko Zayar. Ko Zayar is an adventurous fellow who spent two years preparing for the restaurant's opening by going to remote Kayan villages to study the cuisine and collect recipes.  The idea to open a Kayan restaurant came from his wife, and he made it happen. "Vista Do Rio" means "river view restaurant" in Portuguese. "Before opening this shop, I had a beer pub in San Chaung. One day, my wife gave me the chance to taste some Kayan sausage and I loved the flavor. Fortunately, one of my customers, a friend of my wife, was Kayan. He helped me with many things and got me started on my Kayan cuisine journey three years ago," Ko Zayar said. The care Ko Zayar takes with his ingredients and the authentic preparation of his meals is evident both in his words and in the delicious flavors of his dishes. The Fresh Bean Leaf Salad was bright green with soft leaves. While most Kayan dishes are spicy, this one is an exception, and stands out for its rich taste and freshness.  The beef dish cooked in bamboo could have been better, however; the meat was dry, despite being cut into small pieces. The dish included lemon peel, so the odd bite was very bitter. The dish is cooked in bamboo but the portions are small, so I'd recommend ordering other main dishes that aren't so pricy. The highlight of the evening was the specially ordered Mud-Roasted Chicken with Herbs (30,000 kyats for a whole chicken). This dish needs to be specially ordered in advance — and one of my colleagues did just that. For the best flavor, it needs to roast for eight hours, but we weren't able to order that far in advance, so we ordered a four-hour version. Despite being the quicker version, the taste was sublime. When the mud casing was cracked open, the aroma arising from beneath the banana leaves in which the chicken is wrapped was so delectable we were dying for a taste, despite being nearly full from the previous courses and the Khoun Yae.  But we easily made room for the Mud-Roasted Chicken; the meat was incredibly tender and the herbs with which the bird was stuffed blended into the sauce — the taste was heavenly. I definitely recommend this dish; it's really worth a try. Ko Zayar's chefs are Kayan, so you don't need to doubt the taste. This is authentic cuisine, though some of dishes would best be described as fusion. The restaurant serves breakfast and lunch. For those looking to catch up with friends at the weekend or just chill beside the river, however, evening is the time to go. As we wound up our meal, the evening sky was slowly darkening and the other tables began to fill. Most of the diners were families or middle-aged couples. The menu is not cheap, but it's worth the price due to the fresh ingredients and amazing flavors, not to mention the perfect view. And you will be offered a variety of fantastic dishes that you simply can't get anywhere else. So, Vista Do Rio is a place you shouldn't miss and a perfect choice for those craving an authentic ethnic dining experience. The post Enjoy Authentic Kayan Cuisine with a River View in Yangon appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| ‘Business for Peace’ Model Utilized in Nationwide Peacebuilding Posted: 22 May 2018 03:52 AM PDT CHIANG MAI, Thailand — Myanmar's 'business for peace' model, an initiative to support sustainable peace and development started last year, has been in progress, said economics professor Dr. Aung Tun Thet. He said this at an international workshop in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on May 19 aimed at promoting peacebuilding. The workshop was organized by Payap University's Institute for Religion, Culture and Peace and the World Fair Trade Organization. Dr. Aung Tun Thet, who is also the vice chairman of the National Economic and Social Advisory Council of Myanmar, explained in his keynote speech that the social enterprise model is what in Myanmar is called 'business for peace.' He told The Irrawaddy that the model is carrying on successfully, as signatories of the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) are participating. The government is also trying hard to bring in foreign investment. These investments would help with regional rehabilitation and building stable, strong and genuine peace in those areas, he said. "Foreign investors are worried about safety in the ceasefire areas," he said. "I have talked with many companies from Thailand and Singapore. There are opportunities in those regions if we can persuade them to invest." Despite government efforts, recent military tensions between the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and the Myanmar Army (or Tatmadaw) in Papun, Karen State, have raised doubts about the peace process. Meanwhile, clashes with Northern Alliance members: the Kachin Independence Army, Ta'ang National Liberation Army and the Arakan Army, respectively in north, northeastern and western Myanmar, are ongoing and problems in restive Rakhine State remain unsettled. These issues contribute to the reluctance of possible investors. Many observers see Myanmar's peace process as failing but Dr. Aung Tu Thet disagrees and calls it "a work in progress." He explained that Myanmar's approach to mega-development projects differs from in the past, in that consultations regarding possible effects are held with key stakeholders in the process. "For example, in the Dawei Special Economic Zone, there have been discussions with civil society groups. They have many objections to the project and we try to understand where they are coming from," he said. Dr. Aung Tun Thet is also a member of the government Peace Commission. He said that business-related discussions have been held among the NCA signatories. "We are now developing business opportunities for the Pa-O; in Tanintharyi with the Karen National Union and also in Karenni State (where the non-signatory armed group the KNPP is involved in peace negotiations). The Payap University workshop incorporated several topics: the peace process, refugees and internally displaced persons situated along the Thailand-Myanmar border, public policy and social enterprise for peacebuilding, and fair trade practices. Ma Mon Mon Myat, the moderator and a Ph.D. student at the Institute of Religion, Culture and Peace at Payap University, said the contributions were useful as many of the speakers had observed the peace process, worked on the border or initiated use of the business for peace model. Roopa Mehta, a member of the WFTO Asia Board of Directors, said the keynote speakers made significant contributions on peacebuilding, social enterprise and decentralization. The workshop also exhibited art and crafts of refugee women, supported by the Women's Education for Advancement and Empowerment Foundation (WEAVE). WEAVE works with Myanmar refugee women along the Thailand border and is a member of the World Fair Trade Organization. "Members of the WFTO [including WEAVE] are creating opportunities for refugees. What they produce finds its way to wholesale and retail. And by buying these goods, people are supporting the refugee community," said Roopa Mehta. She said that fair trade practices in the region developed and expanded more than a decade ago and that they are contributing to development goals. She added, "The larger agenda is of course sustainable livelihood for marginalized people to address issues of inequality, poverty, equal wages, gender equality, child labor, environment, and safe workspaces – but these are all linked." The post 'Business for Peace' Model Utilized in Nationwide Peacebuilding appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Drivers Fired After Alleged Beating by Ne Win’s Grandsons Seek Compensation Posted: 22 May 2018 02:55 AM PDT YANGON — Two bus drivers who were fired and allegedly beaten by two grandsons of former military dictator Ne Win have filed a complaint with the Yangon regional labor dispute arbitration body seeking financial compensation for their dismissal. U Aung Myat, who previously worked as a driver for Omni Focus YBS Co. owned by Kyaw Ne Win and Zwae Ne Win, was allegedly beaten by the brothers after the bus he was driving was involved in a minor accident with another one of their company's vehicles driven by Ko Kyaw Min Tun on April 28. Ko Kyaw Min Tu also alleges that he was beaten and unfairly dismissed. Police charged the brothers with assault under Article 202 of the criminal code. The brothers deny the claims and have opened their own case against U Aung Myat for careless driving. All three are due to appear in court on May 25. The drivers seek payment of their remaining salaries for the month of April, compensation for unfair dismissal, plus 10,000 kyats each that was deducted from their salaries for not working on New Year's Day, which is a public holiday in Myanmar. "The township conciliation body said it would only order payment of the outstanding salary. So we appealed to the regional arbitration body on May 17. If their decision is not satisfactory, we will proceed to the Arbitration Council," said labor activist U Maung Maung Han, who is assisting the two drivers. According to Notification 84/2015 of the Ministry of Labor, Immigration and Population, employers are obliged to pay half a month's salary upon dismissal to employees who have worked for at least six months. The measure also requires that employers notify a worker one month in advance of pending dismissal. If they fail to do so, they are required to pay an additional one month's salary. Both drivers were sacked without notice. According to U Maung Maung Han, U Kyaw Min Tun is entitled to 740,000 kyats compensation, while U Aung Myat, who had only been on the job for four months, is entitled to 590,000 kyats. Omni Focus YBS said in a statement on May 15 that the two drivers refused to accept their salaries, and demanded other payments that the company has yet to negotiate. It said it was awaiting the decision of the regional arbitration body. The drivers say they have yet to receive their remaining salaries. U Aung Myat claims he is still receiving treatment for chest injuries sustained in the beating. The company has also allegedly seized their driving licenses, leaving U Aung Myint unable to find work to support his family. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. The post Drivers Fired After Alleged Beating by Ne Win's Grandsons Seek Compensation appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Tour Operators Predict Drop in Arrivals This Year Posted: 22 May 2018 02:55 AM PDT YANGON — Local tour operators say they expect foreign arrivals to decline this year with vacationers in Western countries canceling their bookings following the unrest in northern Rakhine State. "Some canceled their bookings after the Rakhine issue arose last September. Bookings are usually made one year in advance, and there has been criticism [over the Rakhine issue] from western Europe," U Thet Lwin Toe, chairman of the Union of Myanmar Travel Association, told The Irrawaddy. "Because of its impact, the number of visitors from western countries is likely to decline by 20 to 30 percent," he added. On the other hand, tourist arrivals from Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and China have been on the rise, with China alone accounting for almost 70 percent of Asian travelers to Myanmar, U Thet Lwin Toe said. Visitor arrivals in Myanmar in 2017 increased 22 percent year on year, with arrivals through airports and seaports specifically rising 7 percent, according to the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism. U Htet Tun Aung, however, information officer for the Myanmar Tour Guides Association (Bagan), said total arrivals paint an overly rosy picture because they include overland entries through border gates. "The figures released by the Hotels and Tourism Ministry are high because it counts visitors who enter through border gates. According to my experience and records, the number of foreign travelers has declined since 2016," he said. "Some foreigners entered the country through border checkpoints for business and stayed only for a day. Figures that include such visitors are not a reliable indicator," he added. "This month I have only been hired by two visitors, and both of them are from Asian countries. Tourist arrivals from Western countries have significantly declined." Myanmar’s tourism industry started to develop after the country began opening up in 2011. Tourist arrivals increased steadily and in 2015 hit a record high five million visitors. But U Thet Lwin Toe said numbers have since dipped. "Smaller tour operators have been struggling and some have closed their businesses. Only bigger operators are doing well," he said. "This goes against the all-inclusive tourism adopted by the Hotels and Tourism Ministry; policymakers have to adjust it." "The Rakhine issue has had an impact on Yangon's tourism industry. Misleading international reports have had a strong impact on the country's tourism industry," Yangon Region Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein said during the vice-president's regular meeting with businesspeople in Yangon on May 11. The World Bank’s latest economic outlook for Myanmar, released last week, said lower tourist arrivals resulting from the ongoing Rakhine crisis could weaken tourism spending and demand for related services such as hospitality and transport, leading to a broader economic slowdown of the economy. Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh since late August, when militant Rohingya attacks on security posts in northern Rakhine State triggered a sweeping military response rife with reports of arson, rape and murder by security forces. The military and government have denied any widespread abuse. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. The post Tour Operators Predict Drop in Arrivals This Year appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Illicit Drug Production Rages on in Conflict-torn Areas of Myanmar Posted: 22 May 2018 01:38 AM PDT NAYPYITAW — Illicit drug production rages on in conflict-torn regions in Myanmar, with supplies being smuggled into nearby countries but also reaching as far as Australia, said the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Senior drug policy leaders from the Mekong region – Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam – and UNODC officials are in Naypyitaw to discuss the illicit drug situation in the region and to negotiate a new strategic plan. "Drug production is high in unstable regions and drugs from those areas are smuggled across the world, reaching even to Australia," Jeremy Douglas, UNODC regional representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific Region, told reporters after the opening of the conference.  Methamphetamine produced in the Golden Triangle – the border regions between Laos, Myanmar and Thailand – is being seized in large volumes in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Malaysia and Indonesia, said a UNODC statement. Opium and heroin production have recently declined in the region but production and trafficking of both low-grade Yaba methamphetamine and high purity crystal methamphetamine have increased to alarming levels, said the UNODC. Only a few months into 2018, several Mekong countries have already surpassed 2017 seizure totals, it added.  Methamphetamine and heroin are currently estimated to be worth US$40 billion in the regional drug market, according to UNODC Advisor Tao Zhiqiang. According to the UNODC and Myanmar's Anti-Narcotics Police Force, methamphetamine in the country is produced primarily in Shan State, in unstable areas experiencing armed conflict. The UNODC suggested that the Myanmar government discuss the drug problem as a topic in peace negotiations. Not only locals but also citizens of other countries are involved in transnational organized crime groups that run the illicit drug businesses, said Jeremy Douglas.  "They are from different countries including China and Taiwan. They have come and are doing [illicit drug businesses] mostly in northern Shan State. We must handle this through collaborative efforts," he said. Police Colonel Zaw Lin Tun, the head of Myanmar Anti-Narcotics Police Force, said that it is difficult for the police to control drug production in northern Shan State because of instability and the involvement of government officials in the business. The police colonel reiterated that the Myanmar government objected to signing an agreement of cooperation to fight drugs between the United Wa State Army and the Chinese government because Wa State is a part of Myanmar and the two governments have already signed an official agreement for cooperation, he added. Myanmar was able to reduce opium cultivation by 25 percent last year at the national level, but opium cultivation in northern Shan State and Kachin State did not decline, the UNODC pointed out. The Myanmar government has to make greater efforts to fight drugs. Drug problems, especially in remote and unstable areas, are a major challenge for Myanmar, said the UNODC. "Responding to the situation requires acknowledging some difficult realities and agreeing to new approaches at a strategic regional level. Here in Myanmar it means focusing on peace and security in the Golden Triangle and places where conflict and the drug economy are connected," said Jeremy Douglas. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. The post Illicit Drug Production Rages on in Conflict-torn Areas of Myanmar appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Two Anti-war Demonstrators Jailed for 2 Months Over Yangon Protest Posted: 22 May 2018 01:08 AM PDT MANDALAY — A court in Mandalay's Chanayethazan Township sentenced two anti-war demonstrators to two months' imprisonment on Tuesday for violating the Peaceful Assembly Act. Ko Aung Hmine San and Ko Soe Moe were arrested on May 8 and sued under Article 19 of the act. Article 19 is a bailable offense, but the two protesters refused to post bail and stood trial while in detention. At Tuesday's court session, the judge said the two protesters were found to have violated the act by failing to seek permission from local authorities before staging a May 6 protest. "Using the Peaceful Assembly Act to suppress freedom of expression is unjust. We demonstrated nonviolently in support of peace and to urge the responsible armed groups to stop fighting," Ko Aung Hmine San said after the court session. "We believe in the [National League for Democracy-led] government and its struggle for peace. However, we don't believe that other institutions want to join hands with the NLD government," he said. Since early May, numerous protests have been staged in Yangon and Mandalay calling on the government to take action to help local residents trapped by fighting in Kachin State, and calling for an end to the conflict there. The demonstrations spread to Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin, where a protest camp was set up. Thousands of villagers have been displaced by the recent spike in fighting in Kachin State. Police in Yangon have arrested 19 protesters at a series of rallies. Most were released on bail and are being sued under Article 20 of the Peaceful Assembly Act. In Mandalay and other cities, two protesters have been arrested while at least six others are on a list of protesters being sued by local police for violating Article 19. On May 9, the same court in Chanayethazan Township sentenced Ko Kalint to two months' imprisonment under the same law for participating in the peace protest in Mandalay. "Our situation shows that people who do not want peace are threatening others who want peace," Ko Soe Moe said after the court session on Tuesday. The post Two Anti-war Demonstrators Jailed for 2 Months Over Yangon Protest appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Ten Things to Do in Yangon This Week Posted: 21 May 2018 10:56 PM PDT
J-Me Album Release Party J-Me performs with Kyet Pa, X Box and others to mark the release of his new album. May 27, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Hard Rock Café, 4th Floor, Myanmar Plaza. Free entry to those who can show a copy of J-Me's new CD. Finance Career Expo Twelve banks and securities companies will recruit at this event. May 27, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Yangon Stock Exchange.
The president of the Free Funeral Service Society talks about his life as an altruist. Limited seating; register here. May 25, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Parami Institute of Liberal Arts and Science, Shwe Gone Plaza. Free entry. All costume play fans welcome. May 27, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. City Mall St. John Japanese instructors teach origami paper folding. Limited to 20 persons; register through messenger here. Japan Culture House, Room 322B, 2nd Floor, Building C, Pearl Condo. Free entry.
Two Italian movies with English subtitles will be screened at this event. May 22, 6:30 p.m., ("Fortapasc") and 8:30 p.m. ("La pazza gioia"). Free Admission, but ID required for entry. Launch party for Myanmar's first bilingual magazine focusing on the silver screen. Music performance starts at 3:30 p.m. May 27, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Pyinsa Rasa Art Space, The Secretariat, Theinbyu Road. 'Moment of Expressions' Five artists will showcase their work at this exhibition. May 26-28, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Yangon Gallery, People's Park. 'The Fatal Mandalay' Than Htay displays cave paintings on canvas. May 22-27, Nawaday Tharlar Gallery, Yaw Min Gyi Road, Dagon Tsp. 'Under the Sky' This is the first solo art exhibition by Saw Satay Pha. May 26-30, Bo Aung Kyaw Art Gallery, Bo Aung Kyaw Street. The post Ten Things to Do in Yangon This Week appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Myanmar Judge to Rule on Evidence Allegedly Taken from Reuters Reporters’ Phones Posted: 21 May 2018 10:01 PM PDT YANGON — A Myanmar judge will rule on Tuesday whether to allow the submission of evidence police say they obtained from the mobile phones of two Reuters reporters arrested in December for alleged possession of secret documents. The court in Yangon has been holding hearings since January to decide whether Wa Lone 32, and his Reuters colleague Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, will be charged under the colonial-era Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison. On Monday, Judge Ye Lwin ordered Major Aung Kyaw San, a police IT expert summoned by the prosecution, to demonstrate at Tuesday’s hearing how he says he extracted data from phones taken from the reporters after their Dec. 12 arrest. The order was made after Aung Kyaw San read out extracts from documents he said had been stored on the devices. Prosecutor Kyaw Min Aung then asked the judge to accept printed copies of the documents as evidence in what has become a landmark free speech case in Myanmar. Defense lawyers objected, arguing the police major had not demonstrated the documents had indeed been extracted from the reporters’ phones, prompting the judge to rule that Aung Kyaw San must give additional testimony before they could be admitted as evidence. “Tomorrow, that expert witness will come and by looking at the phone handset and laptop that were seized from the defendants, he will explain how he extracted (the documents) … whether it’s technically correct,” defense lawyer Khin Maung Zaw told Reuters after the hearing. Aung Kyaw San did not say how the 21 documents he identified in court – some allegedly confidential government letters, others documents related to a tourism development plan on an island off Myanmar’s western coast – were relevant to the case. “I couldn’t understand the situation because they are submitting unknown documents which we don’t even know,” said Wa Lone, standing on the steps of the court before being shoved to the back of a police pick-up truck. Prosecutor Kyaw Min Aung declined to comment after Monday’s hearing. Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay was not immediately available for comment. Previously, he has said Myanmar courts were independent and the case would be conducted according to the law. Army Crackdown At the time of their arrest, the reporters had been working on an investigation into the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men and boys in a village in western Myanmar’s Rakhine State. The killings took place during an army crackdown that United Nations agencies say sent nearly 700,000 people fleeing to Bangladesh. The reporters have told relatives they were arrested almost immediately after being handed some rolled up papers at a restaurant in northern Yangon by two policemen they had not met before, having been invited to meet the officers for dinner. Last month, Police Captain Moe Yan Naing testified that a senior officer had ordered his subordinates to plant secret documents on Wa Lone to “trap” the reporter. Senior police officials have dismissed the testimony as untruthful. After his court appearance, Moe Yan Naing was sentenced to a year in jail for violating police discipline and his family was evicted from police housing. Police have said the eviction and his sentencing were not related to his testimony. Global advocates for press freedom, human rights activists, as well the United Nations and several Western countries, have called for the release of the Reuters journalists. On Monday, diplomats from Denmark, France and the European Union – as well as others – observed the proceedings. The post Myanmar Judge to Rule on Evidence Allegedly Taken from Reuters Reporters' Phones appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Malaysia’s Embattled Najib Questioned by Anti-Corruption Agency Posted: 21 May 2018 09:52 PM PDT KUALA LUMPUR — Embattled former Prime Minister Najib Razak arrived at the headquarters of Malaysia’s anti-corruption commission on Tuesday, which has ordered him to explain a suspicious transfer of $10.6 million into his bank account. The sum is just a fraction of billions of dollars allegedly siphoned from state fund 1MDB, a scandal that dogged the last three years of Najib’s near-decade-long rule and was one of the main reasons why voters dumped him in an election on May 9. That shock election result upended Malaysia’s political order, as it was the first defeat for a coalition that had governed the Southeast Asian nation since its independence from colonial rule in 1957. Malaysia’s new leader, Mahathir Mohamad, who at the age of 92 came out of political retirement and joined the opposition to topple his former protégé, has reopened investigations into 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and has vowed to recover money that disappeared from the fund. Since losing power, Najib and his allegedly shopaholic wife, Rosmah Mansor, have suffered a series of humiliations, starting with a ban on them leaving the country, and then police searching their home and other properties. Flanked by security guards, Najib entered the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, moving slowly through a throng of journalists outside the building. Wearing an open-neck shirt, Najib looked relaxed and smiled once he entered the building’s atrium. US Says to Pursue 1MDB Probe Najib has consistently denied any wrongdoing since the 1MDB scandal erupted in 2015, but he replaced an attorney general and several MACC officers to shut down an initial investigation. Najib has said $681 million of funds deposited in his personal bank account were a donation from a Saudi royal, rebutting reports that the funds came from 1MDB. The initial focus of the MACC’s new probe is on how 42 million ringgit ($10.6 million) went from SRC International to Najib’s account. SRC was created in 2011 by Najib’s government to pursue overseas investments in energy resources, and was a unit of 1MDB until it was moved to the finance ministry in 2012. MACC has been able to track the money trail from SRC more easily because transactions were made through Malaysian entities, whereas most other transfers of 1MDB funds went through foreign banks and companies. To investigate 1MDB, the new government on Monday set up a task force made up of members of the anti-graft agency, police and the central bank, to liaise with "enforcement agencies in the United States, Switzerland, Singapore, Canada and other related countries." The US Department of Justice said on Tuesday it would continue to pursue investigations into 1MDB and looked forward to working with Malaysian law enforcement authorities. “The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that the United States and its financial system are not threatened by corrupt individuals and kleptocrats who seek to hide their ill-gotten wealth,” a DoJ spokesperson said in an email statement to Reuters. “Whenever possible, recovered assets will be used to benefit the people harmed by these acts of corruption and abuse of office,” the statement added. The U.S. filed forfeiture complaints in 2016 and 2017 seeking to recover over $1.7 billion in assets traceable to funds allegedly misappropriated from 1MDB. These complaints alleged that more than $4.5 billion was diverted from 1MDB and laundered through a web of shell companies and bank accounts located in the United States and elsewhere. The post Malaysia’s Embattled Najib Questioned by Anti-Corruption Agency appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| China Launches Fresh Campaign Against Trash Smuggling Posted: 21 May 2018 09:35 PM PDT SHANGHAI — China launched a fresh crackdown on Tuesday against trash smuggling from overseas in Beijing’s latest move to curtail the inflow of foreign garbage and strengthen its “war on pollution.” China’s customs administration announced the effort on its Weibo social media feed but provided no details other than to say the campaign would be “huge.” The effort comes at a time when authorities around China have been intensifying actions against illegal trash imports as part of nationwide plans to clean up the environment and move the economy up the global value chain. China told the World Trade Organization last year it would stop accepting imports of 24 types of foreign waste by the end of the year and that it would phase out shipments of other waste products, including those readily available from domestic sources, by the end of 2019. The move has thrown the global recycling industry into turmoil and left domestic recyclers to cope with raw material shortages. The General Administration of Customs said in early April it had seized 110,000 tons of smuggled solid waste this year and arrested 52 people. China arrested 259 people for smuggling foreign waste last year, with some criminal gangs accused of taking containers of electronic waste from Hong Kong to North Korea and then smuggling them across the border into China in order to circumvent restrictions. The post China Launches Fresh Campaign Against Trash Smuggling appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
Talk by Kyaw Thu 
Cosplay Contest 
Origami Club
Italian Film Festival
3-Act Cinema Magazine Launch
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