Tuesday, October 9, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Arakanese Activist Arrested by Police in Sittwe

Posted: 09 Oct 2018 06:34 AM PDT

YANGON—Arakanese social activist and university student Aung Zaw Lin, also known as Aung Chay, was arrested by Sittwe police at around 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday as he and two colleagues were returning home from Sittwe University on a motorcycle.

A friend of the suspect who witnessed the arrest told The Irrawaddy on condition of anonymity that a fully armed group of police led by a police second lieutenant were waiting for Aung Zaw Lin on a roadside. He said the students had just completed their final day of university exams on Tuesday. As they were riding home they saw a police truck and initially thought it was a traffic police checkpoint. However, the second lieutenant walked straight up to them and handcuffed Aung Zaw Lin, the friend said.

Police took the suspect directly into custody. Aung Zaw Lin's two friends asked police why he was being detained but did not receive a clear answer. Asked why only one of the three was being detained, one of the police officers told them they should "think about it".

The friend said, "A police officer just briefly told me we could discuss it at the police station."

Aung Zaw Lin was taken to Sittwe's No. 1 Police Station. The Irrawaddy phoned officer Moe Zaw Thu, the chief of the station, but he declined to answer and referred questions to an inspector at Sittwe's No. 2 police station.

"I have no idea about that. I am not the inspector in that case. The investigator is from No. 2 police station," Moe Zaw Thu said.

The Irrawaddy was unable to reach the head of Sittwe's No. 2 police station by phone on Tuesday, as his phone was switched off.

Authorities had not made any announcement about the arrest as of Tuesday evening, but some Sittwe residents speculated it was linked to the death of Military Intelligence Corporal Win Htike, also known as Phoe Lone, on Sept. 25. The corporal was shot in the back and killed while attending a festival in Sittwe with his wife and child.

The day after the killing, police summoned Aung Zaw Lin and another student, Khine Zaw, from Pauk Taw Township for questioning. They were released after a few hours. Aung Zaw Lin later told The Irrawaddy the police asked him whether he had close ties with Cpl. Win Htike.

A friend of Aung Zaw Lin said they were at home all day on Sept. 25, the day the intelligence officer was shot dead.

"I'm ready to testify on behalf of my friend in court. I'm absolutely sure he is innocent and has done nothing wrong," he said.

The death of the Military Intelligence officer occurred on the same day the Sittwe Court re-arrested eight Arakanese just as they were completing their eight-month sentences for attending an illegal protest.

Alongside his senior, Wai Han Aung, Aung Zaw Lin has been actively engaged in relief efforts to support members of Arakanese sub-ethnicities affected by conflict in northern Rakhine State for several years. Among those he has helped were victims of conflict in Maungdaw District last year. Wai Han Aung was arrested without warning early this year and charged under the High Treason Act after authorities reportedly discovered he had unwittingly offered assistance to members of the Arakan Army (AA), an outlawed rebel group. He and prominent Arakanese politician U Aye Maung are now facing serious charges at Sittwe Court. Local media previously quoted Aung Zaw Lin as saying that police had questioned him about his ties to Wai Han Aung.

Cpl. Win Htike had been transferred to Yangon a few months prior to his death, but was temporarily returned to his family in Sittwe last month after he leaked via his Facebook account in April a false report that seven soldiers involved in the Inn Din massacre of 10 Rohingya villagers had been freed in a New Year's presidential amnesty.

The false information was reported by Myanmar National Television (MNTV) and quickly went viral on Facebook. Even the UN's Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Myanmar, Yanghee Lee, recklessly re-tweeted a false news report repeating the claim via her Twitter account. She later issued a letter of apology. Before Cpl. Win Htike was killed, he was publicly threatened on Facebook and some Arakanese even vowed to kill him as soon as possible.

As of Tuesday, the Home Affairs Ministry's official Facebook page carried no information on Aung Zaw Lin's arrest.

The post Arakanese Activist Arrested by Police in Sittwe appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Baptist Group Says UWSA Has Released Members But Still Holds Others

Posted: 09 Oct 2018 06:22 AM PDT

Mon State — The United Wa State Army (UWSA) has released more than 60 ethnic Kachin members of a local Christian group but continues to hold ethnic Lahu religious leaders, according to the group’s chairman.

"More than 60 members of our KBC [Kachin Baptist Convention] were released in the last few weeks. Some more people were also released recently, but I don’t have the latest information yet," Reverend Samson told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday.

UWSA spokesman Nyi Rang, however, said he was not aware of the situation.

“I haven’t heard about the arrests or the releases,” he said.

The KBC says the UWSA detained about 100 of its members in early September and that it plans to speak with those recently released about how they can help secure the freedom of the remaining detainees.

"We will also discuss with them how to adopt new religious policies to remain in harmony with the UWSA," Rev. Samson said.

He conceded that the convention had made mistakes.

"We have some weaknesses. Our members did not respect their [the Wa’s] culture. The KBC also recruited many members by force," he said.

But he added that the UWSA had also gone too far in restricting religious freedom by detaining KBC members and demanding that they completely stop promoting Christianity.

The UWSA last month detained a total of about 200 members of the KBC and Lahu Baptist Convention (LBC) as part of the armed group’s crackdown on Christian churches in areas under its control.

According to the LBC, more than 100 churches have been shuttered and that some have been razed. Its secretary-general, Reverend Lazarus, said the UWSA detained 92 of its leaders and that none have been released to date.

"The UWSA forced our school teachers to sign [statements] that they will not promote Christianity any more in the Wa region. But our members refused, so they were locked up in prison,” he said.

Based in northern Shan State close to the border with China, the UWSA is the largest ethnic armed group in Myanmar and exercise significant control over its territory.

The UWSA says it shut down the churches and detained members of the area’s Christian community because some of its leaders were religious extremists. In a Sept. 13 statement it said all churches built after 1992 were illegal because they went up without its permission and had to be destroyed.

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Yangon Court To Retry Suspects for Murder of Facebook Comedian

Posted: 09 Oct 2018 04:03 AM PDT

YANGON—The Yangon Eastern District Court will retry the murder case against three men accused of beating Facebook comedian Aung Yell Htwe to death.

"According to Section 351 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, witnesses will be summoned again and the case will be heard again from the very beginning," the joint judge of the court said on Tuesday.

The Anti-Corruption Commission last month filed a lawsuit against the former Yangon Region attorney general, a judge of the Yangon Eastern District Court, and a number of other law officers accused of taking bribes from the father of a suspect in exchange for their roles in dropping the case.

The commission said law officers intentionally built the murder case in such a way that it would be adjudged as lacking sufficient grounds to warrant further investigation, and that the since-removed regional attorney general approved a request from the victim's family to drop the case without making a full assessment.

Suspects Than Htut Aung, Pyae Phyo Aung and Kyaw Zaw Han were handed over by their families to police at Thuwunna Police Station in Yangon on Sept. 26, after being controversially freed by the court in late July.

There are a total of 22 prosecution witnesses. Three of them, including the plaintiff, will be heard at the next trial hearing scheduled for Oct. 16. Trial sessions will be held every Tuesday, the joint magistrate said.

The Eastern District Court previously dropped the case after questioning only 14 of 22 witnesses. These included three friends of the suspects; employees of The One Entertainment, where Aung Yell Htwe was beaten to death in January 2018; plaintiff Ko Thant Zin, the victim's elder brother; and the father and girlfriend of the victim.

The post Yangon Court To Retry Suspects for Murder of Facebook Comedian appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Myanmar’s Ambitious 20-Year Plan to Attract Foreign Investment

Posted: 09 Oct 2018 03:49 AM PDT

YANGON—In an effort to counteract the significant decline in foreign direct investment (FDI) over the last two fiscal years, the government's Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) has launched a major investment promotion plan which aims to attract more than $200 billion through responsible and quality business over the next 20 years.

The Myanmar Investment Promotion Plan 2018 (MIPP) announced on Monday, outlines three strategic periods in the plan to attract FDI. It projects to receive $8.5 billion the first four-year phase starting from the 2021-22 fiscal year, $12.3 billion in the four-year phase of 2026-2027 to 2030-2031 and $17.6 billion in the third phase from the 2031-2032 to 2035-2036 fiscal years.

The Myanmar government believes FDI is a key driver of economic development and is committed to an open, fair and clear investment policy, according to the MIPP.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's government is struggling through a chronic economic slowdown. A recently conducted short-term business sentiment survey showed that this year has been the worst across all business sectors and that business confidence had declined compared with last year, with a majority of businesspeople complaining of a lack of clear economic policies from the government.

FDI in Myanmar significantly declined from $9.5 billion in the 2015-2016 fiscal year to $6.6 billion in 2016-2017, after western investors became cautious and the country's image became badly tarnished by the Rohingya crisis in Rakhine State.

Director General of the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA), U Aung Naing Oo said, "The government is expecting to receive $5.8 billion during the 2018-2019 fiscal year which started on October 1. According to our calculations so far, we will achieve our target [of $5.8 billion] during this fiscal year."

Director General of the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA), U Aung Naing Oo at the launching event of Myanmar Investment Promotion Plan./ DICA / Facebook

The MIPP was jointly formulated by the MIC and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) with an aim to implement the MIPP objectives by adopting strategies and setting up a task force, he said.

The government promises to impose policies that support macroeconomic stability, encouraging and reliable laws and regulations and reliable financial systems in order to build an effective economic infrastructure.

The government said they will establish simplified, fast and clear investment processes through the MIC and other related governmental organizations. They will also take responsibility for improving the investment environment, enhancing fair treatment of local and foreign investors and ensuring investor protection, according to the MIPP.

The Myanmar government said they will ensure that both local and foreign investors follow the rules and regulations which outline their responsibilities to society, the environment and natural resources.

The MIC said the slow-down in investments has been caused by ongoing concerns about political instability, weak macroeconomics, residual investment restrictions and uncertain investment approval procedures. They said there is a lack of investment promotion and that the infrastructure, financial sector and business regulatory systems are underdeveloped while the country also lacks skilled human resources.

According to the new investment promotion plan, the government aims for Myanmar to become a middle-income country by 2030 and will make economic reforms to ensure fair and transparent investment systems and institutional development for investment promotion. They intend to oversee infrastructure development, supportive business-associated systems, competitive industrial links and a higher quality of human resources.

The government projects the GDP to reach 152,174 trillion kyats during the 2021-2026 phase—up from 105,998 trillion kyats in the 2016-2021 phase. It is also expected to increase from 218,466 trillion kyats in 2026-2031 to 313,636 trillion kyats in 2031-2036.

The MIPP aims for improvements in the business environment that will increase Myanmar's rank in the World Bank's ease of doing business index to be within the top 100 by 2020 and the top 40 by 2035. Myanmar's 2018 ranking is at 171 while Laos ranks 141, Cambodia at 135 and Philippines at 113 among the ASEAN countries.

The government envisions four paths of investment growth for long-term improvements—investment in export-oriented industries, domestic market-oriented industries, resource-based industries and knowledge industries.

According to the MIPP, the government intends to make the most of Myanmar's abundant labor, natural resources and cost increases in advanced Asian countries as a way of attracting more investments in export-oriented industries.

There will be a focus on increasing investments in the domestic-oriented market by increasing its size and improving underdeveloped local industries (including infrastructure).

The government will promote the agriculture, mineral, forestry and fishery sectors in order to bring about growth in resource-based industries.

Moreover, it is also expected to promote service industries in order to be able to provide new services based on a particular expertise such as information and communication technologies, according to the MIPP.

According to DICA, the government will form five working committees for the implementation of the Promotion Plan.

The post Myanmar's Ambitious 20-Year Plan to Attract Foreign Investment appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Two Military-Appointed Cabinet Ministers Look Set To Be Replaced

Posted: 09 Oct 2018 02:46 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW—Following unconfirmed reports on social media and from some local news organizations that two military-appointed Cabinet posts are to be reshuffled, speculation has focused on the ministers of Defense and Home Affairs, who are near or above the age of 60, the legal retirement age for civil servants in Myanmar.

The reports also suggest that the military has reshuffled several top positions in the armed forces.

Defense Minister Lieutenant-General Sein Win, who was born in July 1956, is 62, while Home Affairs Minister Lieutenant-General Kyaw Swe, who was born in November 1959, is nearly 59.

However, the ministers' retirements would require the approval of both the president and the Parliament, government sources told The Irrawaddy.

Under the 2008 Constitution, the ministers of Defense, Home Affairs and Border Affairs are nominated by the Army chief, and appointed by the president with the approval of Parliament.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the military (also known as the Tatmadaw) had not officially informed the government of any reshuffle, and military spokesperson Major-General Tun Tun Nyi told the media he could not confirm the reports.

"[The Tatmadaw] has not reported [their ministers' retirements] to us. So, it can't have been done yet, according to the Constitution. They are ministers appointed by the president. [They can't retire] without reporting to us. They [the Tatmadaw] might have a plan to do so. But so far, we haven't received any report," a government source told The Irrawaddy on condition of anonymity.

Under military law, a lieutenant-general can retire if it has been five years since his last promotion. According to Tatmadaw leaders, however, the retirement age for a lieutenant-general who serves at a civilian ministry is 62.

According to unverified Tatmadaw documents circulating on social media, Lieutenant-General Nyo Saw, who currently serves as the quartermaster general and is a graduate of the 23rd Intake of the Defense Services Academy, is set to be appointed home affairs minister, while Lieutenant-General Hsan Oo, the Tatmadaw's adjutant general, will be appointed defense minister.

"Ko Nyo Saw is a man of military lineage. He is strong and pleasant," a source close to the Tatmadaw told The Irrawaddy.

Lt-Gen. Nyo Saw rose through the ranks from general staff officer Grade-1 at Yangon Command to tactical commander, commander and quartermaster general, he said.

Army Chief Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing has also praised Lt-Gen. Nyo Saw, the source said.

Regarding the reported military reshuffle, Lieutenant-General Tun Tun Naing, commander of Bureau of Special Operations (1), has retired, according to the unconfirmed Tatmadaw documents leaked on social media.

Lieutenant-General Min Naung, commander of Bureau of Special Operations (4), has reportedly been appointed Defense Services Inspector General, while Lieutenant-General Aung Soe, who has served in that post, has been transferred to Bureau of Special Operations (1).

Head of Naypyitaw Command Major-General Myint Maw has reportedly been appointed quartermaster general, and the Northern Command chief, Major-General Teza Kyaw, has been named adjutant general.

Major-General Moe Myint Tun, a graduate of the 30th Intake of the Defense Services Academy, who will be just over 55 in 2020 and is widely tipped to succeed Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, has been transferred to Bureau of Special Operations (6).

Maj-Gen. Moe Myint Tun and General Mya Tun Oo, chief of the General Staff (Army, Navy, Air Force), have both risen through the ranks of the military rapidly.Gen. Mya Tun Oo was once tipped as a future military chief, but his age now makes that unlikely. Like Maj-Gen. Moe Myint Tun, Lieutenant-General Myo Zaw Thein is also seen as a potential future military chief.

A retired lieutenant-general said that due to previous news leaks, the Tatmadaw no longer publishes written promotion orders, but directly informs the concerned individuals of their promotions.

The information in the as-yet unverified reshuffle reports is widely believed to be credible because it mentions ranks and Defense Services Academy intakes, which are otherwise unknown to the general public, said a leader of the Union Solidarity and Development Party who is close to the Tatmadaw.

"At first, I heard that it [the announcement] was true, and the news was leaked. So, [the military] covered it up," he said.

The post Two Military-Appointed Cabinet Ministers Look Set To Be Replaced appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

TNLA Gives Shan Woman 3-Year Jail Term

Posted: 08 Oct 2018 11:58 PM PDT

MANDALAY — The Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) says it has sentenced an ethnic Shan woman to three years in jail for informing on the armed group’s fighters to the Myanmar military.

TNLA spokesman Mai Aik Kyaw told The Irrawaddy that Nang Mo Hom was sentenced on Friday.

"It is correct that Nang Mo Hom was sentenced to three years in prison on Oct. 5 and she is in good health,” he said.

Nang Mo Hom, a mother of three, was abducted at gunpoint by TNLA fighters from her home in Namhkam Township, northern Shan State, on Aug. 17 for allegedly informing on two TNLA fighters extorting money from local businesses. One of the fighters was later shot dead by the military and the other was arrested.

The woman’s relatives deny that she was an informant. They have not been allowed to meet her since her arrest.

Earlier this month, the TNLA said Nang Mo Hom had violated the armed group’s laws by obstructing its members from carrying out their duties. They said her trial would be transparent. But her family says it has not been informed of any of the hearings.

"We have heard nothing from the group about the sentence or my wife. We also do not know how she is doing and we worry for her," said her husband, Sai Saw Kyaw.

The family told The Irrawaddy that Nang Mo Hom's sister and activists were meeting with the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee, an alliance of seven ethnic armed groups, hoping it can help win her release.

"We don't know what to do yet. We are waiting for the results of the meeting and hope there will be good things for the release of my wife," Sai Saw Kyaw said.

Activists urged the government to help as well.

"The TNLA previously said it would open up its court, but we were shock by the news that Nang Mo Hom received three years in prison. We condemn the sentence because we cannot accept that the TNLA judged her with its own laws," said Nang Thin Thin Aye, a member of the Namhkam Youth Network.

"We would like to request President U Wint Myint, State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the government and all responsible people for the release of Nang Mo Hom and to take care of this case because it can affect the trust between Shan and Ta'ang communities that have lived in the area peacefully for ages,” he said.

Mai Aik Kyaw, the TNLA spokesman, declined to elaborate on Nang Mo Hom’s condition or explain what evidence the armed group used to convict her and what measures it took to make the trial transparent.

The post TNLA Gives Shan Woman 3-Year Jail Term appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

The Need for Stress Management in Myanmar

Posted: 08 Oct 2018 11:06 PM PDT

Management is becoming a popular conversation point in Myanmar these days, and rightly so. After all, in order to be successful, knowledge of management techniques is important. Most people need resource, financial and time management. As a result, management trainings are growing in popularity. But as a society, the most important thing we need to manage is our stress.

Stress can occur at home, at the workplace, in fact, anywhere. Stress occurs for many reasons; traffic, power cuts, work deadlines and financial issues. For those struggling to earn a living, stress is all too common a result. Yet stress also exists due to political and social circumstances. There is a lack of social justice within Burmese society; living in an unjust society is a cause of stress. Repressive legislation and a simultaneous culture of impunity for those who commit serious crimes lead people to feel unsafe, and unsurprisingly, more stressed. This stress needs to be challenged and its origins need to be tackled.

There are physical and mental issues relating to the side effects of stress. According to the American Psychological Association, stress that is left unchecked has a number of worrisome related side effects including anxiety and depression. Those who suffer from such anxiety and depression have twice the risk of heart disease. Stress can also lead to abuse of alcohol and drugs and can increase heart disease and obesity.

Even more worrying is that stress can lead to depression, which is already a big problem in Myanmar, where cases of suicide are rising.  We need to raise awareness among the new generation; we cannot continue to ignore stress or any mental health issue within Myanmar. Stress management is fundamental to creating stable building blocks for society.

Such levels of stress are increasingly commonplace in Myanmar, due to our recent political history. A recent study conducted by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoner's Mental Health Assistance Project found demonstrated links between the military dictatorship and current high levels of stress.

Resilience is being able to deal with the challenges and stress of daily life and makes up a large aspect of stress management. The promotion of resilience in society is of vital importance, particularly for the youth. Studies have shown that half of all lifelong mental health problems start before a person is 14 years old. Fostering resilience in stress management allows us to take an important two-pronged approach – allowing us to prevent future occurrences while dealing with current challenges. It is easier, cheaper and much better to alleviate and solve potential issues before they manifest than to wait to deal with them when they actually do.

The benefits of proper stress management are not limited to the individual. Without stress management and resilience, people with poor stress responses can become angry and aggressive. Therefore, the paucity of stress management techniques in Myanmar should be worrying. Negative coping strategies such as drug and alcohol abuse have harmful effects on society, as well as on the individual. Poor coping mechanisms can lead to aggression and outbreaks of violence. The teaching of stress management can lead to positive coping mechanisms such as meditation, deep breathing and exercise, which in turn can lead to increased coping capacity, reducing stress and its negative side effects.

There is a need to manage stress positively and constructively for society to exist in a harmonious state. As Myanmar continues with its national reconciliation and attempts to move on from the internal conflict of the past, it needs all of its civilians to be of healthy body and mind. If not, dormant mental health issues could jeopardize the future.

So often people who are suffering from stress do so in silence; this needs to be combatted. Policy makers, public health officials and members of Parliament should not only be concerned over such high levels of stress, but they should plan to introduce stress management techniques into all aspects of society, from classrooms to offices.

A society is a collection of individuals. If all of the individuals are stressed and have poor coping mechanisms, an unhealthy society will surely follow. Individuals are the building blocks of the future, yet they cannot play their part if they are broken by stress or wracked with doubt.

Bo Kyi is the joint secretary of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).

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Crackdown on Illegal Wildlife Trade Focuses on Yangon

Posted: 08 Oct 2018 10:13 PM PDT

YANGON — The Yangon regional government will take a tough line on the illegal wildlife trade including the selling of wildlife curries at restaurants, said U Thein Toe, director of the Yangon Region Forest Department.

The forest department announced its plan to end illegal wildlife trade in the commercial capital in the last week of September, said U Thein Toe, adding that his department has "sufficiently" educated shops across the region about the negative impact of the illegal wildlife trade.

The announcement came 11 months after the launch of a six-month nationwide campaign "Voices for MoMos" against the increased poaching of wild elephants in Myanmar.

"Yangon is the main city and receives the most international travelers [in Myanmar]. Travelers come to Yangon both by air and by ship, so the illegal trade is higher compared to other cities," U Thein Toe told The Irrawaddy.

Handicrafts made from elephant skin and parts such as tails and tusks are sold in Yangon, Mandalay and at Kyaiktiyo Pagoda in Mon State, while most of them are smuggled into China and thriving wildlife markets in the Golden Triangle, where the borders of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar converge.

Since last year, the department has been educating staff in souvenir shops at Bogyoke Market, shops at Shwedagon Pagoda, and restaurants that sell wildlife meat, he said.

"Foreigners like things that are normally not listed on a regular menu, so we have warned restaurants that sell wildlife curries," he said.

Illegal wildlife trading is still rampant in Myanmar though the practice has been criminalized since 1994.

Myanmar's Parliament passed the Protection of Biodiversity and Conservation Areas Law enacted in May, which prescribes harsh penalties for hunting and illegal wildlife trading as protected under Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The law carries a minimum of three to a maximum of ten year's imprisonment plus a fine.

Christy Williams, the country director of World Wildlife Fund Myanmar said, "We're glad that Yangon has announced its new step. We are ready to help the government in enforcing the rule of law in the region. The next step is to end wildlife crimes across Myanmar."

The Myanmar authorities destroyed hundreds of seized elephant tusks, pangolin scales and other animal parts, worth a total of $1.3 million on the black market, last week in the administrative capital Naypyitaw.

Among globally threatened species, those found in Myanmar include the elephant, tiger, dolphin, pangolin, bear, python, turtle, banteng, takin, hairy-nosed otter, and so on.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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US’ Pompeo Hails ‘Significant’ North Korea Progress; Experts Skeptical

Posted: 08 Oct 2018 09:38 PM PDT

SEOUL/WASHINGTON — US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday hailed “significant progress” in talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the weekend and said the sides were “pretty close” to agreeing details for a second summit between Kim and President Donald Trump.

However, experts questioned what Pompeo had achieved on Sunday on his fourth visit to Pyongyang this year. They said the North Korean leader appeared simply to be repackaging and dragging out past pledges.

Pompeo told reporters Kim had said he was ready to allow international inspectors into North Korea’s Punggye-ri nuclear testing site and the Sohae missile engine test facility as soon as the two sides agreed on logistics.

However, Pompeo declined to say whether there had been any movement on North Korea allowing inspectors to visit its Yongbyon site, which produces fuel for nuclear weapons, as the United States has sought. North Korea has said it could permanently close Yongbyon if Washington took “corresponding measures,” of which there has so far been no sign.

In May, North Korea blew up tunnels at Punggye-ri and called this proof of its commitment to end nuclear testing, but a senior White House official accused Pyongyang at the time of breaking a promise to allow experts to witness dismantlement of the site, which meant there was no one there to verify what actually occurred.

Pompeo did not say when inspectors would be allowed to Punggye-ri, and the State Department did not respond when asked if they would be Americans or others from international nuclear bodies.

“There’s a lot of logistics that will be required to execute that,” Pompeo told a news briefing in Seoul before leaving for Beijing, where the frosty tone of talks will raise worries about China’s willingness to help maintain a tough US-led sanctions regime on North Korea.

“Selling the same horse twice”

Experts said the offer on inspections amounted to dressing up of an old, unfulfilled pledge as a new concession.

“The real takeaway from this Punggye-ri pledge is that Kim has mastered the art of milking a single cosmetic concession for months to burn clock,” Vipin Narang, an associate professor of political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said on Twitter.

“We are still talking about Punggye-ri and Sohae 6 months after he pledged to dismantle them. Brilliantly selling the same horse twice.”

Even so, Pompeo said both sides were “pretty close” to agreement on the details of a second summit, which Kim proposed to US President Donald Trump in a letter last month.

“Both the leaders believe there’s real progress that can be made, substantive progress that can be made at the next summit,” Pompeo said.

Trump and Kim held an historic first summit in Singapore on June 12 at which Kim pledged to work toward denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. However, his actions have fallen short of Washington’s demands for a complete inventory of its weapons and facilities and irreversible steps to give up its arsenal.

Stephen Biegun, the US special representative for North Korea who accompanied Pompeo to Pyongyang, said he offered to meet his counterpart, Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, “as soon as possible” and they were in discussion over time and place.

Pompeo told South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Sunday his latest trip to Pyongyang was “another step forward” to denuclearization, but there were “many steps along the way.”

Inspection

At last month’s inter-Korean summit, the North expressed its willingness to close Yongbyon if Washington took corresponding action, which Moon said would include a declaration of an end to the 1950-53 Korean War.

Moon also said the North would “permanently dismantle” the Sohae missile engine testing site in the presence of experts from “concerned countries.”

Pyongyang’s failure to keep its pledge to allow international inspections at Punggye-ri in May fanned criticism that the move could easily be reversed.

In July, satellite imagery indicated it had begun dismantling the engine test site, but also without allowing outside verification. The 38 North project said last week that no dismantling activity had been spotted since Aug. 3.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Kim had invited inspectors to visit Punggye-ri to confirm it had been irreversibly dismantled.

Skeptics of Trump administration policy said it was difficult to see what Pompeo had achieved.

“Did Mike Pompeo go all the way to Pyongyang for party planning purposes?” Daniel Russel, the chief US diplomat for East Asia until last year, said on NBC. “Is this just to set up yet another summit without a clear understanding of what that's going to generate?”

Pyongyang’s official KCNA news agency was upbeat. It said on Monday Kim lauded his talks with Pompeo and “explained in detail the proposals for solving the denuclearization issue.”

“Kim Jong Un expressed satisfaction over the productive and wonderful talks with Mike Pompeo at which mutual stands were fully understood and opinions exchanged,” KCNA said.

Kim said the bilateral dialogue would continue to develop “based on the deep confidence between the two leaders,” and expressed gratitude to Trump for making a sincere effort to implement the agreement made at their June summit, KCNA said.

KCNA also said the two sides agreed to hold working negotiations for the second summit as early as possible.

But it made no mention of inspections.

North Korea had denounced Pompeo on his previous trip to Pyongyang in July for making “gangster-like demands.” Pompeo did not meet Kim on that trip.

Moon also spoke positively of Pompeo’s latest meeting with Kim. He said it set up conditions for another Trump-Kim summit and help denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

Moon said Kim was expected to visit Russia soon and that Chinese leader Xi Jinping was also expected to travel to North Korea, but did not elaborate.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia had invited Kim to visit, but the time and place had yet to be agreed.

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Ten Things to Do in Yangon This Week

Posted: 08 Oct 2018 09:31 PM PDT

Myanmar vs. Bolivia

Myanmar’s national football team will play Bolivia in this exhibition match.

Oct. 13. 6 p.m. Thuwunna Stadium. 5,000 kyats for grandstand seats, 3,000 kyats for regular seats. Tel: 09-445151010.

Myanmar Lethwei

Myanmar boxers will fight with Thai opponents.

Oct. 14. Starts at 2 p.m. Theinbyu Stadium. Tickets are 10,000 kyats to 70,000 kyats. Tel: 09-254214160.

Reggae Night

Saw Phoe Kwar will perform with the One Love Band.

Oct. 13. 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Vintage Luxury Yacht Hotel. Free admission. Tel: 09-459949993.

Oktoberfest

The German festival of beer and BBQ comes to Myanmar.

Oct. 12 to 13. 5 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. Rose Garden Hotel. Tickets are 50,000 kyats to 70,000 kyats. Tel: 09-445151010.

Property Expo

Apartments starting at 20 million kyats will be on sale.

Oct. 13 to 14. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Pan-Pacific Hotel, near Bogyoke Market.

Haydn, Mozart, Mendelssohn — Orchestra Concert

The young Myanmar musicians of the AOC Orchestra Yangon and members of the Thai Philharmonic Orchestra Bangkok will perform.

Oct. 12. 7 p.m. The Strand Hotel. Free tickets at info-yangon@goethe.de.

Stranger: Solo Poetry Day

Poet Sai Win Myint will read his poems.

Oct. 13. 3 p.m. Yangon Book Plaza, Than Zay Market. Limited tickets for 5,000 kyats including a soft drink and a book of poetry by Sai Win Myint. Tel: 09-767019926.

Going Together

This exhibition features paintings by various artists.

Oct. 9 to 14. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Lokanat Galleries, No. 62, corner of Merchant Street and Pansodan Street.

Myanmar Modernist Salon

This exhibition showcases the works of a dozen Myanmar modernists.

Oct. 13 to 22. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Myanm/art, No. 98 Bogalay Zay Street (3rd floor).

Thit Sar Ni: Play With Color

Author Thit Sar Ni showcases paintings he created without using brushes.

Oct. 13 to 14. 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Yangon Book Plaza, Than Zay Market, Lanmadaw Township.

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

Indonesian Islanders Fight Developer with Snorkels and Homestays

Posted: 08 Oct 2018 09:29 PM PDT

PULAU PARI, Indonesia — Syahrul Hidayat’s family has lived on the Indonesian island of Pulau Pari for four generations, fishing in its clear blue waters and selling seaweed to supplement their incomes.

But their lives and livelihoods have come under threat in recent years as their customary land rights have been denied, and a developer claims ownership of much of the island off the northern coast near Jakarta.

The 1,200-strong community is already contending with the existential threats of warmer temperatures, rising seas and worsening marine pollution. But the denial of land rights could strike the deadliest blow, said Hidayat.

“We have adapted to smaller catches of fish and smaller volumes of seaweed, because of climate change and pollution,” said Hidayat, who is leading the campaign to reclaim the community’s land rights.

“But how can we cope with losing our homes and land? Where will we go, what will we do?”

Indonesia, an archipelago of thousands of islands, has about 81,000 km (50,000 miles) of coastline, with millions of people dependent on the sea for their livelihood.

Across the country, many have already been forced to move because of eroding coastlines.

Others face pressure from developers keen to build hotels and apartment blocks on its acclaimed beaches, activists say.

“The coastal communities have always had customary rights, but few have formal titles, and this is being used as a way to evict them,” said Susan Herawati, secretary general of the People’s Coalition for Fisheries Justice, KIARA.

“We are an island nation, yet so many coastal communities are struggling without rights. They are forgotten even in the push for agrarian reform in the country,” she said.

Seaweed and Snorkels

President Joko Widodo last month signed a decree on agrarian reform, with an aim to issue titles and distribute land to peasants and indigenous people.

Officials distributed more than five million land titles last year, and plan to issue seven million titles this year.

But the effort is hampered by the government’s insistence on providing titles only if ownership can be considered “clean and clear,"which excludes areas where land is disputed, activists say.

That affects residents of Pulau Pari, who say that local officials promised a few years ago that they would receive land certificates after submitting the old papers that were informal records of the land they occupied.

They handed over their documents, but never did get the certificates, said Hidayat.

In 2014, signs went up on the island declaring that much of the land belonged to a private firm.

“We were tricked into giving up the only proof of ownership we had, and were not informed of the plans to sell our land,” Hidayat told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

“We paid taxes on the land, yet many of us were charged with trespassing, and some threatened with civil and criminal suits. Some were scared and left the island,” he said.

The company Bumi Pari Asri did not respond to calls seeking comment.

The 95-hectare island was uninhabited until the early 1900s, when dozens of people from the large island of Java decamped there to avoid forced labor under Dutch colonialists, according to historians.

The first residents named it Pulau Pari for the pari, or rays swimming in its clear waters.

Residents mostly made a living from fishing, then cultivated seaweed as warmer temperatures led to diminished catches.

But the seaweed was affected by pollution from reclamation of land in Jakarta Bay, said Hidayat.

As residents discussed livelihood options, a few non-profits suggested they try eco-tourism.

Nearly all households on the island have been involved in the effort since about 2010, offering homestays and activities such as snorkeling, canoeing and cycling for visitors.

“Residents are able to be self-sufficient while also conserving the island’s eco-system with their traditional knowledge,” said KIARA’s Herawati, who assisted the community in the project.

“It was the best possible solution.”

‘New Balis'

Tourism is a major source of revenue for Indonesia, accounting for more than 10 percent of its annual gross domestic product. The country, famed for its beaches and volcanic craters, aims to draw 20 million visitors a year by 2019.

Key to this goal is the creation of “10 new Balis,"as the president has vowed, referring to the country’s most popular tourist destination.

Among the proposed new Balis are islands that will be spruced up with new airports, wider roads, resorts and other tourist facilities.

But officials risk damaging fragile eco-systems and excluding local communities from livelihood opportunities and access to their land, say analysts and activists.

That is becoming a common complaint across the region.

From Thailand to the Philippines, authorities have come under fire for allowing unchecked sprawl on islands and denying coastal communities their “right to island."

“Instead of a resort that occupies the land of the residents and may damage the ecology without much benefit to the people, a community-led effort is a far better option,” said Herawati.

“Our thirst for fancy beach resorts must not come at the cost of the land and livelihoods of coastal people,” she said.

Following petitions by Pulau Pari residents to the Jakarta governor, an ombudsman conducted an inquiry.

The ombudsman said earlier this year that there had been violations in issuing certificates of ownership and building permits to the developer. He advised an audit by the National Land Agency.

“I have asked for detailed reports on the dispute. I will check all the facts and make a decision,” Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan told reporters in May after the ombudsman’s report.

In the meantime, residents of Pulau Pari will keep fighting, said Hidayat.

“This is our home,” he said.

“We are simply asking the government for our legal right over the land we have lived on all these years. Who else can we appeal to?”

The post Indonesian Islanders Fight Developer with Snorkels and Homestays appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Bangladesh Sets Death Penalty For Drug Offences in Draft Law

Posted: 08 Oct 2018 09:21 PM PDT

DHAKA — Bangladesh’s cabinet on Monday approved a draft law prescribing the death penalty for drug offences, despite widespread criticism over a narcotics crackdown in which police have shot dead more than 200 people since May.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has launched a campaign to toughen punishments for drug crimes ahead of a general election due by December. But the police killings have prompted fears among rights groups of a bloody Philippines-style campaign to wipe out drugs offenders.

The proposed amendment to the 1990 Narcotics Control Act for the first time defines methamphetamine pills, also known as yaba, as narcotics, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam told reporters after a meeting chaired by Hasina.

The current maximum punishment for possession of yaba is a prison term of 15 years.

The draft law “proposes the death sentence as maximum punishment for producing, smuggling, distributing and using more than 5 grams of yaba,” Alam said, adding possession of less than 5 grams would attract a maximum jail term of five years.

The amendment also targets the smoking of cannabis in shisha water pipes.

Tougher punishment was needed to curb the spread of yaba, a highly potent stimulant smuggled in from neighboring Myanmar, Alam said, adding that the bill had been prepared in line with other international legislation on drugs.

Bangladesh has said an influx last year of Rohingya fleeing Buddhist-majority Myanmar is partly to blame for soaring methamphetamine use. But many Rohingya say their young people are being pushed into crime because they cannot legally work or, in many cases, even receive aid.

Hasina has vowed to continue the campaign until Bangladesh is freed of the drug menace, but critics see it as a sign of her increasingly authoritarian rule ahead of the election.

In more than a third of the killings recorded by Dhaka-based human rights group Odhikar since mid-May, the suspects were arrested before they were killed.

The government has dismissed accusations of extrajudicial killings, saying the crackdown has popular support.

The post Bangladesh Sets Death Penalty For Drug Offences in Draft Law appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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