Friday, November 23, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Arakan Army Claims It Killed 3 Tatmadaw Soldiers in Remote Clash

Posted: 23 Nov 2018 06:24 AM PST

YANGON—Three government soldiers were reportedly killed on Thursday during fighting with the Arakan Army (AA) in an area between northern Rakhine State's Buthidaung Township and Chin State's Paletwa Township.

The fighting coincided with the Tazaungmone Festival, also known as the Festival of Lights, which marks the full-moon day in Tazaungmone, the eighth month in the traditional Myanmar calendar.

From its headquarters in Kachin State's Laiza, the AA reported the skirmish via its official Facebook page. It said the fighting broke out on Thursday afternoon. Citing witness accounts, the AA said three soldiers of the Myanmar Army (or Tatmadaw) had been killed and that one of its own fighters was wounded. It said the fighting erupted when an active AA frontline column unexpectedly encountered government troops near where the borders of Myanmar, Bangladesh and India meet.

A resident of Buthidaung Township told The Irrawaddy that a major from the Tatmadaw's Buthidaung battalion was killed and that his body had been evacuated by helicopter yesterday. He also claimed that at least a dozen AA rebels were killed.

The AA's statement did not elaborate on the cause of the clash; it said simply that the Tatmadaw commonly launches offensives against it at the end of the monsoon season. The military had not released any casualty figures via its website as of Friday. The Irrawaddy was unable to reach an Army spokesman for comment on Friday.

Ko Kyaw Aung, a member of an ethnic Chin charity group from Paletwa Township, said his group had heard about the renewed clashes from villagers, but said he did not have updated information because the area was outside telecom network coverage and was not linked to urban areas by a sealed road. The village nearest the fighting is a 10-hour boat ride from Paletwa. Despite occasional fighting in the region, not a single villager had sought refuge in the downtown area of Paletwa so far, he said.

Asked by The Irrawaddy whether the recent flare-ups in fighting were a sign that the AA had established a strong foothold in the Paletwa region, he said, "I am not a military expert but we can obviously see that many clashes are occurring in various locations in a single day."

There had been no tightening of security downtown, Ko Kyaw Aung said, but military officers were checking the IDs of passengers on boats bound for the upper Paletwa region.

The AA and the Tatmadaw have clashed on numerous occasions in recent months. In October, the AA even announced that its snipers had taken out a commander and three soldiers from the Tatmadaw's Infantry Unit No. 541.

In October 2015, during the administration of then-President U Thein Sein, the AA, Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Kokang groups were excluded from signing the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA). Eight armed organizations out of more than 20 in the country inked the accord, but some of the largest, including the Kachin Independence Army, declined to do so.

The post Arakan Army Claims It Killed 3 Tatmadaw Soldiers in Remote Clash appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Making Myanmar’s Last Royal Capital an ASEAN ‘Smart City’

Posted: 23 Nov 2018 06:18 AM PST

YANGON—Myanmar's last royal capital, Mandalay, was recently ranked by CIO Asia as number fifth among the top 10 cities in Southeast Asia in the process of becoming "smart cities," a ranking which is based on information from The ASEAN Post, The Economist Intelligence Unit,a the network's own project profiles and Govlnsider.

Mandalay City Development Committee (MDCD) has drawn up a 30-year urban development plan with a vision to improve the water supply system, wastewater treatment and solid waste management using smart technology. Sensors have been installed on the streets of Mandalay to monitor and control traffic in real time and to monitor the condition of pipelines and water meters as well as a new electronic toll-payment system. The efforts show Mandalay has strong potential to achieve its goal of becoming a "smart city" along with more than 20 other contending ASEAN cities.

U Ye Myat Thu, Mandalay's smart city officer and committee member of MCDC spoke with The Irrawaddy's reporter Nan Lwin about recent developments, the technological transformations of Mandalay municipality and challenges that may come in the process of gaining full smart city status.

Recently, Mandalay was recognized by CIO Asia as a Southeast Asian city in the process of becoming a smart city. It was ranked as the fifth most promising city on the list. Over MCDC's two remaining years in term, how do you envision this happening?

Some people may think a smart city is like something out of a James Bond movie where you would see lots of high-tech weapons or something like that. Perhaps some may think that everything in the city will be transformed into a luxurious form using a huge amount of money. Definitely not. Actually, a smart city is one that facilitates public services using technology.

Mandalay is now using sensors which keep real time traffic light records and monitor traffic congestion through automated control centers. The sensors also track the condition of pipelines and water meters in real time to identify leaks. The city now uses a radio-frequency identification (RFID)-based system in a new electronic toll payment system.

Front view of Mandalay City Development Committee (MCDC) headquarters. / Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy

Early this year, while Singapore took the position of chair of ASEAN, the country's prime minister Lee Hsien Loong proposed the ASEAN Smart Cities Network initiative. All ASEAN member countries agreed to collaborate in the initiative in order to promote smart and sustainable urban development. Among more than 20 participating cities, our processes have shown strong improvements in [the process of] achieving our smart city goal. Hence we are considered to be in the process of becoming a smart city and already have some features needed to get full smart city status.

What are the characteristics and framework for an ASEAN smart city?

The official Smart Cities Framework is based on partnership and funding. The framework has six main areas— Civic and Social, Health and Well-being, Safety and Security, Quality Environment, Building Infrastructure and Industry and Innovation. In each area, there are categories to improve in such as Culture and Heritage Tourism, Public and Municipal Services, Governance, Housing and Home, Healthcare, Education, Resource Security, Cybersecurity, Public Safety, City Surveillance and Crime Prevention.

Here in Myanmar, Culture and Heritage, Resource Security, Cybersecurity, City Surveillance and Crime Prevention and Trade and Commerce are under different ministries. In other countries, those sectors are under the control of a mayor.

Unlike other countries, we can't control all sectors included in the ASEAN Smart Cities Framework. However, public and municipal services, governance (only e-government), environment quality, resource access and management, urban resilience, traffic control, buildings and construction are under the MCDC's umbrella so we can transform those sectors using technology.

What are MCDC's main technological transformations in Mandalay?

It started with garbage collection trucks. We installed GPS and software to monitor their routes and daily duty areas. We installed an alert system so if they don't go to a township where they are supposed to collect the garbage, we are alerted.

We are using IOT (Internet of Things) sensors on the street to keep track of vehicles. The sensors also scan vehicle numbers; we can track their route from the control room with real time control monitors to see whether they ran a red light and which direction they are heading.

We installed CCTV cameras at traffic lights. Some cameras can clearly see whether the seatbelt is fastened and also how many people are in the car. All the data is directly sent to the control room. By entering the vehicle's plate number, we can find details on the vehicle's routes. It can help the crime unit and investigations.

The traffic lights are automatic and adjust depending on traffic congestion. If there are no cars on the other side, the green light will turn red automatically. As in the system currently used in Singapore, vehicles from the other sides can pass through. By using technology, we also receive traffic congestion data. Therefore, we are able to learn which streets should be one-way or two-way.

A Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID)-based system has been installed at the toll gates. It is an electronic payment system. We assembled laser walls at every highway toll gate which scan the size of the vehicles and calculate the payment due. Traditionally, tolls were paid by hand at the toll gate. We didn't get detailed data. The cash that we received was always less than the actual number of vehicles. There were cases of corruption; the accounts used to be wrong.


The technology control center at MCDC’s headquarters. / Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy

Now most of the highway companies are satisfied with our electronic prepaid payment system because they can track their vehicles and also receive detailed data. Moreover, they don't have to spend extra money on a machine for counting exact cash amounts.

MCDC is introducing a 3-R (reduce, reuse, recycle) recycling system to the citizens. We have installed recycling bins for different types of waste in many places. Students are learning about the recycling bins at school. We are training them on how to put the waste into the different bins (paper, cans or plastics).

Can you elaborate more on the details of Mandalay's 30-year master plan?

We only announced the new garbage system to the citizens, but we have also started using an automatic meter-reading system in some townships with which government staff can record water usage on applications on their mobile phones just by walking in front of a house. We also installed sensors to record how many gallons of water are wasted. Those projects were funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Netherlands, Japan and other countries.

Drones have recorded the details of city planning and buildings. Moreover, we are re-collecting citizen data including family member numbers and properties and the number of vehicles. The project aims to produce a new dataset. If we know the number of family members, we can trace how many tons of garbage they produce. If we know how many vehicles they own, we can calculate traffic congestion and a potential new street-planning system.

It is interesting: we just received new figures for the city's population and housing. For example, previous data showed one million buildings while our new data shows double that figure. Based on the new data we can receive more taxes from the citizens.

MCDC have been adopting new technologies and rules that ordinary citizens may not be familiar with. How does MCDC engage with citizens?

Before we change something, we collect data first because data supports reasoning for making changes. The MCDC team were well-prepared for complaints from citizens. We have concrete reasons for every change in the city. We also have elected MCDC members who are the focal people for engaging with citizens.

Does MCDC face issues with changing the citizens' old habits during the period of transitioning to a smart city?

We try to make citizens follow rules. Trust is vital. They need to trust that we are making positive changes for them. If citizens don't follow the rules, all the money we spend will be wasted. I think citizens have changed a lot. It's like the broken window theory: a building with a few broken windows is more susceptible to vandals breaking the others. A clean space with no trash discourages people from littering.

I believe citizens can control their own community to follow the rules. In some townships people organized small trucks to collect garbage. We just need to provide the bins and gather all the garbage at the same place. They also installed CCTV to see who is continuing to put rubbish in the wrong place because some people are used to throwing near the bins. There are penalties for who those don't put rubbish into the bins directly.

I heard that smart city concept came from a city mayor who was very passionate about urban planning even before he became a mayor. What is the role of Mandalay's mayor during this transformation?

All the decisions for the city were based on Mandalay's mayor's vision. The mayor was brave as he dared to make decisions to buy the latest technology. If he is not brave, I would have to work with China-made machines and the result would be stumbling.

Whenever we have to use part of the budget for technology or software or machines for the smart city, we have challenges with the audit teams, but the mayor always explains to them that long-lasting products are more expensive. If he didn't understand those kinds of things, we would never get the best technologies or machines for the city.

MCDC have introduced new technologies in many sectors within a short time. How was the budget managed?

Some high-tech software was donated by foreign companies. Mostly, we got discounts because the companies want to show Mandalay as an example. If the project results are good here, the company will be able to advertise their products to the rest of the country.

MCDC didn't receive budget for this project from the Union government. After we collected building and population data, we received more taxes from the citizens. Moreover, the RFID systems at the toll gates are providing a huge income for MCDC. After we use technology in the public service sectors, including in toll gates, water meters and others, our income significantly increased.

In the past, people used to build or renovate buildings without MCDC's permission. Now we use drones to get actual figures and photos of buildings. Citizens understand if they build without permission we will immediately trace it from our data center. As a result, the income from the building permits has also increased.

What are the biggest challenges?

Every change faces resistance. Sometimes the resistance exists even within our employees. When we installed the GPS systems on garbage trucks, some employees put water in them so we couldn't trace their routes. We had to warn them that if they do it again, we will take serious action.

There are challenges dealing with some ministries. For example, at the riverfront area, a ministry has given permission to private sand companies [to take sand] so the area is so messy. However, we can't manage that kind of thing because it is not under our control.

Public transportation is not under MCDC's control. Even though drivers are breaking the rules and regulations, we can't take action against them. They aren't afraid of us at all.  Sometimes I joke with my ethnic friends that we also want federalism in Mandalay as well.

What are the future plans of MCDC?

We are planning to do standard mapping in order to easily find any location in Mandalay. We will draw up street direction signs using systems of international standards, particularly the United States' standardized system. We have been working on a payment gateway system so citizens don't need to come to the office to make payments on property taxes, construction permits and other municipal taxes.

In the future, they will be able to make payments using QR codes at the nearest bank. Technologically it is almost ready but we still need to negotiate with private banks. MCDC is looking to buy standard facial recognition technology which could help police in investigate crime cases.

A wastewater treatment plant is now under construction and we plan to clean all waste water in the near future. MCDC is also working with Japan to draw up a drainage master plan to solve flooding on the roads and other issues. We will bring in new technology for drainage systems in the future.

I can't predict when or if Mandalay will achieve full smart city status but we will leave all these achievements made during our administration as a foundation.

The post Making Myanmar's Last Royal Capital an ASEAN 'Smart City' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Separatist Rebels Storm China’s Consulate in Pakistan, Two Police Killed

Posted: 23 Nov 2018 05:03 AM PST

KARACHI, Pakistan — Three suicide attackers tried to storm the Chinese consulate in the Pakistani city of Karachi on Friday but were killed before they could get into the building, the city’s police chief said.

At least two police officers were killed in the attack, which was claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist insurgent group that opposes Chinese projects in the resource-rich southwestern province of Baluchistan.

All Chinese staff at the consulate were safe, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and China’s Foreign Ministry said.

The assault was the most prominent attack in Pakistan against China, a neighbor and close ally which is pouring billions of dollars into Pakistan as part of its Belt and Road initiative.

It was also the highest-profile operation in years by the BLA, which mostly wages a low-level insurgency in Baluchistan. The group also calls itself the Balochistan Liberation Army.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan ordered an inquiry, with his office calling the attack “part of conspiracy against Pak and China economic and strategic cooperation.”

As the attack unfolded, an explosion and gunshots rang out in Karachi’s affluent Clifton neighborhood, where the consulate is located, and a plume of smoke rose over the area.

Karachi police chief Amir Shaikh said the three attackers came in a car filled with explosives but failed to get inside the heavily fortified compound.

“They tried to get inside, but the Rangers and police killed one of the terrorists,” Shaikh said.

A gun battle broke out with the two other attackers trying to enter the consulate’s visa section, but they were also killed, he said.

At least three cars parked near the embassy were destroyed in the initial blast. A helicopter hovered over the area for hours after the attack.

Insurgency

A spokesman for the BLA confirmed there were three attackers.

“They stormed the Chinese Embassy in Karachi. China is exploiting our resources,” spokesman Jiand Baloch told Reuters by telephone.

The insurgents are based in Baluchistan, where China has funded development of a deep-water port in the town of Gwadar and other projects on a China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Baluchistan, which is on the borders of Afghanistan and Iran, has rich mineral and natural gas reserves but is Pakistan’s poorest province.

Separatists have for decades campaigned against the central government and what they see as the unfair exploitation of the province’s resources, in particular natural gas and minerals.

The BLA says the state is also taking over land belonging to indigenous people and has targeted Chinese-funded projects.

India was quick to condemn the attack, saying there was no justification for such violence.

India and Pakistan regularly blame each other for violence in each other’s countries and Pakistan has long accused India of supporting the Baluchistan insurgents. India denies that.

India has for decades accused Pakistan of supporting Islamist separatist militants fighting Indian security forces in the Indian part of the Himalayan region of Kashmir.

“The perpetrators of this heinous attack should be brought to justice expeditiously,” the Indian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Chinese targeted

The Friday attack was “reflective of a growing China focus by the BLA,” said Raffaello Pantucci, director of international security studies at the London-based Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies.

In August, a BLA suicide bomber attacked a bus carrying Chinese mining workers in Baluchistan, wounding five people.

China has in recent years become one of Pakistan’s most important investors and supporters with some $60 billion poured into projects as part of China’s continent-bridging Belt and Road initiative.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang condemned the attack and said China “requests the Pakistani side takes measures to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals and organizations.”

When asked whether the attack would affect Chinese investment in Pakistan, Geng said China would “continue unswervingly” to work with Pakistan to develop CPEC projects.

The post Separatist Rebels Storm China’s Consulate in Pakistan, Two Police Killed appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Military Releases Ta’ang Locals Arrested in Retaliation for Detainment of Captain

Posted: 23 Nov 2018 03:34 AM PST

The Myanmar Army in Kutkai Township, northern Shan State, has released six Ta'ang locals which they arrested this week, while four others remain in detention following the Ta'ang National Liberation Army's (TNLA's) detaining of an army officer on Tuesday, according to local sources.

Myanmar Army Infantry Battalion 45, based in Kutkai, released five people yesterday evening and another this morning, according to the village head of Pan Ku in Kutkai Township where the incidents have been taking place.

"Those five people were released [on Thursday] at 8 p.m. local time," said Aike Sam, village head of Pan Ku.

One of the detainees was a woman who gave birth just 10 days ago. She, along with her new born baby and her two-year-old daughter, were among the five released yesterday.

The army continues to detain four others, one of whom is said to be the girlfriend of the Myanmar army captain who is currently being detained by the TNLA.

The locals detained have no involvement with the TNLA, according to Aike Sam who negotiated with the Myanmar Army for their release.

After the Myanmar Army interrogated the six people, they found them to be innocent and therefore released them, he said.

Joint forces of Infantry Division 99 and Infantry Battalion 45 of the Myanmar Army detained 10 people in total from the area where their army officer was detained by the TNLA.

The TNLA reported that they detained a captain named Chan Myay Htun from the Myanmar Army's Infantry Battalion 45, which is based in Kutkai Township, on Tuesday.

Members of the TNLA who stopped a car found the captain inside and seized two guns and bullets from him.

The TNLA have announced that they will take action against Capt. Chan Myay Htun under their own laws.

Capt. Chan Myay Htun's girlfriend is ethnic Ta'ang and lives in Mang Pan Village, according to local villagers. He often traveled to the village to visit her and some members of the TNLA knew about their relationship. He was arrested by the TNLA while enroute to her village.

In retaliation to the arrest, the Myanmar Army detained Capt. Chan Myay Htun's girlfriend along with her older brother who is the head of their village, Mang Pan, as well as the other villagers.

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Hong Kong Firm Close to Finalizing New Yangon City Proposal

Posted: 23 Nov 2018 03:07 AM PST

YANGON—Hong Kong-listed China Communications Construction Co. Ltd (CCCC) has nearly finalized its proposal for the development of US$1.5 billion (2.4 trillion kyats) worth of initial infrastructure for the controversial "New Yangon City" project across the Yangon River from Myanmar's commercial capital, according to a government body established to oversee the project.

New Yangon Development Company announced on Sunday that the final stage of negotiations with CCCC for the preparation of the Pre-Project Documents (PPD) including technical specifications, a financial proposal, a business model and related documents are now under way.

Upon the submission of the documents and approval by NYDC, CCCC will be able to enter the first stage of the NYDC Challenge Model, an adaptation of the global model of the Swiss Challenge for fair competition and transparency, according to NYDC chief executive Serge Pun.

The documents are expected to define the scope of nine initial infrastructure projects in the first phase of the mega-project.

They are: a six-lane bridge spanning the Hlaing River from Kyinmyindine Kannar Road near Bargaya Road to the New City; a two-lane bridge spanning the Pan Hlaing River alongside the existing Pan Hlaing River Bridge; 26 km of arterial roads connecting the major nodes of the new city; basic infrastructure and utilities for the five new Resettlement Village Towns; infrastructure for the first 10 sq. km of a planned industrial Estate; power distribution and transmission facilities; a water-treatment plant for the entire New City; a wastewater-treatment plant; and a water intake facility near the Toe River approximately 32 km from New Yangon City plus a water main distribution line.

NYDC plans to develop 20,000 acres of land in the first phase of the project, and claims this will generate 2 million jobs. The company says the cost of initial infrastructure work in the first phase is expected to exceed $1.5 billion.

The company and the Chinese firm signed a framework agreement in April this year.

As part of the NYDC Challenge, should a second party challenge with a lower bid, CCCC will be allowed to match the offer or forgo the bidding. If CCCC chooses to forgo, the second party will be awarded the contract and will be obliged to reimburse all costs incurred in connection with the preparation and submission of the PPD. Those costs will be agreed between NYDC and CCCC prior to the initiation of the tender process.

The project has come under criticism due to the low-lying topography of the area, which is prone to flooding as it has a maximum elevation of just 5 meters above sea level. NYDC said it had kick-started a flood-risk assessment for the New Yangon City project with Royal HaskoningDHV, a Dutch consultant.

However, Serge Pun said he believed the project will be "a success" if Myanmar is able to take advantage of current trade tensions between the U.S. and China and lure more foreign investors.

He said many factories in China were thinking about relocating to avoid the impact of U.S tariffs, which impose a 25-percent tax on goods made in the country. The property mogul described the situation as "an opportunity" if Myanmar could attract those factory owners to relocate to the New City.

The post Hong Kong Firm Close to Finalizing New Yangon City Proposal appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Human Rights Body Investigating Man’s Death in Yangon Police Custody

Posted: 22 Nov 2018 11:44 PM PST

YANGON — Myanmar’s National Human Rights Commission on Tuesday launched an investigation into the death of a man who was allegedly beaten by Yangon police while being interrogated.

Ko Aung Aung, 28, a taxi driver, was arrested by Thanlyin Township police on the evening of Sept. 12 along with two suspected thieves. According to local media, the two suspects told police that they hired Ko Aung Aung for a ride and that the taxi driver had nothing to do with the theft.

Ko Aung Aung died on Sept. 26, after the trial. His family then filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission, believing he was tortured by police and died from his injuries.

U Phone Kywe, who is heading the investigation, said commission members have since met with the family, people who had contact with Ko Aung Aung during his detention, and the doctor who performed the post-mortem. He said they also intended to question police and the suspected thieves, who are being held at Insein Prison.

U Phone Kywe said the commission has also received other complaints accusing police of abusing detained suspects.

Recently in Ahlon Township, a tour operator detained as a suspected thief said police beat him in custody. Police apologized to the man after his allegations spread on social media and have launched an internal investigation of the accused officers.

In another case, a man suspected of stealing a fishing net died while in the custody of police in Dedaye Township, Irrawaddy Region. The National Human Rights Commission launched an investigation and on Aug. 1 sent a report to the Home Affairs Ministry, which oversees the police force, recommending that action be taken against the inspector and police officers involved.

"Police have a police manual and procedures. If they followed the law, there would be fewer extrajudicial cases. Unnecessary things happen because they are poorly followed. We need to find answers instead of placing blame. It is important that all police know and follow the police manual," said U Phone Kywe.

He said the commission would also speed up the education programs it runs that teach police and soldiers about human rights laws and rules.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Human Rights Body Investigating Man’s Death in Yangon Police Custody appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China Says US-China Trade Talks Should be Equal, Mutually Beneficial

Posted: 22 Nov 2018 09:51 PM PST

BEIJING — Trade talks between the United States and China should be equal and mutually beneficial, Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen said on Friday, adding that he hoped the two countries can find ways to manage their differences through dialogue.

US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, are expected to hold talks during the G20 summit in Buenos Aires next week as trade ties between the world’s two largest economies become increasingly fraught.

Wang, speaking at a press conference in Beijing, said he hoped both sides could move in the same direction and find ways to resolve their problems. Officials from both countries are in close contact under guidance from their leaders, he added.

Washington wants Beijing to improve market access and intellectual property protections for US firms, cut industrial subsidies and slash a $375 billion trade gap. Trump has imposed tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese imports to force concessions.

The US tariff rate on $200 billion in Chinese goods is set to increase to 25 percent from 10 percent on Jan. 1. Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on all remaining Chinese imports — about $267 billion more in goods — if Beijing fails to address US demands.

Trump said on Thursday that he hoped he can make a deal with China when he meets Xi.

“I can say this, China wants to make a deal very badly — because of the tariffs,” Trump told reporters in Palm Beach, Florida.

“China wants to make a deal; if we can make a deal, we will,” he said.

The high-stakes meeting comes as the Trump administration shows little sign of backing down in its demands and rhetoric.

Washington said on Tuesday that China has failed to alter its “unfair” practices at the heart of the US-China trade conflict, in an update of the US Trade Representative’s “Section 301” investigation into China’s intellectual property and technology transfer policies.

China rejected the fresh US accusations of perpetuating “unfair” trade practices and urged Washington to stop making provocations.

The Chinese commerce ministry said on Thursday that it was deeply concerned by the report issued by the US administration this week.

Citing security concerns, the US government on Monday also proposed stepping up scrutiny over technology exports in 14 key high-tech areas including artificial intelligence and microprocessor technology, a move that many analysts view as directly targeting China.

A 30-day public consultation period on the proposal to include those sectors in its broader export control regime is underway and will end on Dec. 19, according to a document published on the US government’s Federal Register.

The post China Says US-China Trade Talks Should be Equal, Mutually Beneficial appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China Steps Up Prosecutions For Pollution Offences: Authority

Posted: 22 Nov 2018 09:08 PM PST

SHANGHAI — China prosecuted more than 3,500 people for pollution-related crimes in the first 10 months of the year, up nearly 40 percent on a year ago, law enforcement authorities said, as Beijing looks to courts and police to curb violations.

China has struggled to enforce its environmental laws as growth-obsessed local governments turn a blind eye to polluting local enterprises, and it has been trying to ensure violations are properly punished.

China’s Procuratorate said at a Thursday briefing that it would show “zero tolerance” to environmental crimes, adding that it also prosecuted nearly 8,500 people for the wider offence of “damaging resources” in the first 10 months, up 44 percent.

The number of criminal prosecutions is still small compared to the nearly 130,000 environmental violations reported in the first nine months of the year, leading to fines of 10.63 billion yuan ($1.53 billion), according to Environment Ministry data.

Beijing has encouraged courts and police departments to establish dedicated environmental divisions, while financial regulators and other government departments are under pressure to play a bigger role in punishing polluters.

In a speech earlier this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping promised to deploy the full weight of the state to reverse decades of environmental damage, forcing several ministries and regulators to draw up their own plans to fight pollution.

However, the central government still regards grass-roots enforcement as a weak link, and has launched a series of reviews into the way local officials rectify violations, focusing on what they describe as “fraudulent”, “superficial” or “perfunctory” efforts to meet pollution standards.

China is also making use of its feared graft-busting body to crack down on local government violations, documents published by the corruption watchdog showed this week.

Anti-corruption teams throughout China have been investigating officials for failing to rectify environmental problems, according to notices published on the website of the Central Commission of Discipline Inspection (CCDI), which normally handles corruption and other acts of misconduct.

At a meeting of the disciplinary body in Xian in northwest China, officials were reprimanded for oversight failures during the construction of a wastewater pipeline, CCDI said in a notice on Thursday.

In another case, the local party discipline committee of Sichuan punished local Communist Party cadres for failing to respond to public complaints about an unregulated dog slaughterhouse in the city of Jianyang, the CCDI said.

The post China Steps Up Prosecutions For Pollution Offences: Authority appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China Halts Bridge Construction After 6,000 Rare Fish Die: Media

Posted: 22 Nov 2018 08:54 PM PST

SHANGHAI — China has halted construction of a bridge in the province of Hubei after it was said to have caused the death of around 6,000 critically endangered Chinese sturgeon, the China Daily said, citing the Agriculture Ministry.

An investigation team found the construction project in the city of Jingzhou had illegally encroached on a protected national nature reserve, the paper said.

The fish were bred at an aquafarm in Jingzhou. Their deaths were attributed to the “shocks, noises and changes of water sources” brought about by the bridge project.

The Chinese sturgeon is on the brink of extinction as a result of pollution, overfishing and the construction of massive hydroelectric dams along the Yangtze River.

Overdevelopment of the river has also decimated the population of the native Yangtze porpoise and caused the extinction of the baiji dolphin, known as the “Yangtze mermaid.”

A total of 1,085 animals and plants native to China are listed on the global red list of “threatened” species compiled by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

According to a report published last year by a group of Chinese non-governmental organizations, 738 of the protected species saw their numbers decline from 2000 to 2015, with only 102 seeing improvements over the period.

The post China Halts Bridge Construction After 6,000 Rare Fish Die: Media appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Bamboo House For Manila Slums Wins Top Prize in Future Cities Contest

Posted: 22 Nov 2018 08:27 PM PST

BANGKOK — The creator of a low-cost house made of bamboo to tackle the chronic shortage of affordable housing in the Philippine capital has won a top international prize to design future cities in a rapidly urbanizing world.

Earl Forlales, 23, won the first prize from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in its Cities for our Future competition. The prize money of 50,000 pounds ($63,915) will fund a prototype, as well as actual units.

The house, known as CUBO, uses engineered bamboo, and can be put together in four hours at a cost of 60 pounds per square meter, according to a statement released Thursday.

The modular housing, which can be manufactured in a week, includes design elements such as a tilted roof that captures rainwater and reduces heat gain, and elevated stilts that prevent floodwaters from entering the home.

“The world’s cities are growing all the time and there is a real need to make sure they are safe, clean and comfortable places to live in,” said John Hughes, competition judge and president of RICS.

“Earl’s idea stood out for its simple, yet well thought through solution to the world’s growing slum problem,” he said.

Of Manila’s population of 12 million, about a third live in slums, possibly the most in any urban area in the world, charities estimate.

Many residents are migrants from the provinces who come in search of better opportunities, and cannot afford housing. An additional 2.5 million migrant workers are forecast to move to the city in the next three years.

The National Housing Authority last year committed to building 800,000 homes over five years. The backlog for government housing in the Philippines is about 5.5 million, campaigners estimate.

Forlales, a graduate in material science engineering, said he took inspiration for CUBO from the bamboo hut his grandparents lived in outside Manila.

CUBO will first be used to house the incoming worker population in the short term, and then extended to the city’s slums. The plan also includes options to provide residents with new skills and jobs, Forlales said.

“The affordable housing solution must necessarily be low-cost, sustainable, robust and long lasting. We cannot make do with band-aid solutions,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

“Housing opens up opportunities, so the solution must be decent and dignified, giving residents access to all necessary amenities for a better life,” he said.

CUBO can be built in any city where bamboo is available, including most of Southeast Asia, and parts of Africa and Latin America, he said.

The inaugural Cities for our Future competition — run by RICS and supported by the United Kingdom National Commission for UNESCO and the Association of Commonwealth Universities — drew more than 1,200 entries.

The post Bamboo House For Manila Slums Wins Top Prize in Future Cities Contest appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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