Friday, November 9, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

No Apology From Journalists as Yangon Govt Drops Incitement Suit

Posted: 09 Nov 2018 04:49 AM PST

YANGON — The Yangon Region Government on Friday dropped its incitement suit against three Eleven Media Group journalists but was denied the apology it wanted from the reporter and two editors, who maintain that their coverage was accurate.

President U Win Myint last month ordered the regional government to drop its lawsuit against the trio — managing editors U Kyaw Zaw Lin and Nari Min and chief reporter U Phyo Wai Win — and adhere to the Media Law, which says the Myanmar Press Council should try to resolve complaints against the media before they reach the courts.

The council’s own rules preclude it from mediating a dispute that is being litigated in order to avoid accusations of contempt of court.

The government’s move to withdraw the suit comes three weeks after the council urged it to follow the president’s order.

Yangon Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein has demanded that Eleven Media apologize for an article about the regional government’s alleged financial mismanagement because it contained false information. He warned that legal action would resume if the Myanmar Press Council could not settle the dispute.

U Kyaw Zaw Lin said on Friday that the trio had nothing to apologize for because the story was accurate and based on credible sources.

The story in question was based primarily on what lawmakers had said during a session of the regional legislature about an official audit of the Yangon government’s 2016-17 fiscal year budget. Lawmakers themselves insisted the story was accurate.

"How can we apology for something that we didn't do wrong?" said U Kyaw Zaw Lin.

He said the company took full responsibility for the story and would defend how and why it was written before the Myanmar Press Council.

The Yangon government sued the three journalists in early October under Article 505 (b) of the Penal Code. They were arrested on Oct. 10 and detained at Yangon's Insein Prison before being released on bail Oct. 26.

Additional reporting by The Irrawaddy’ Zue Zue.

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Fire Kills Two Novices at Monastery in Southern Shan State

Posted: 09 Nov 2018 03:57 AM PST

YANGON—Two novices died and two others were injured in a fire at a monastery in southern Shan State on Wednesday night. Residents of Mong Pan Township's Pan Pi village, where the blaze broke out after 11 p.m., accused Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) members of deliberately setting the fire, a claim the group immediately rejected.

The novices who died were aged 12 and 13. The two injured boys are 10 and 12.

A resident of Pan Pi told The Irrawaddy that the fire "Was not caused buy a candle. The monastery fire happened after a group of people arrived in the village. We thought they were ordinary villagers."

RCSS spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Sai Oo denied the accusation, and speculated that the fire was caused by young novices mishandling candles on the night of the new moon, when there is no moonlight.

"It is not true and it was just [an accidental] fire. We heard they were playing with fire near a bottle of petrol, and thus the fire started," he said.

The monastery in Pan Pi village is home to over 30 novices aged 10-14, and two monks, including the abbot.

Pan Pi has a population of more than 2,000, with over 400 households. The majority of residents are PaO, but the village is also home to ethnic Shan and Lahu.

Locals told The Irrawaddy that they needed emergency assistance, but no administrative officials or lawmakers had arrived to provide relief.

Troops from the RCSS/Shan State Army South and PaO Nationalities Liberation Organization/PaO Nationalities Liberation Army operate near the village and clashed as recently as Oct. 16.

The RCSS also said the Myanmar military (or Tatmadaw) had deployed troops and built outposts near the village recently.

The RCSS spokesman said the accusation that the RCSS was involved in the monastery fire was intended to create misunderstanding about the organization among the public, to create disunity and aggravate the conflict in the area. He said the organization had already explained that it had nothing to do with the fire via its "Tai Freedom" online media outlet.

Sai Oo added that, "Actually, fires can happen out of ignorance. It is true that we were engaged in fighting before. But we are Buddhists too, and we do not target monks, monasteries or the public. We never think of engaging in such bad actions and we are not allowed to do so. We even provide support for building new monasteries in villages, regardless of the residents' different ethnic backgrounds, whether they are Shan or PaO."

"This allegation against us is an attempt to inflame the problem. It will cause disunity among our community. The locals know that we are not [that sort of people]."

Both the RCSS and the PNLO are signatories to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA). Article 9 of the NCA calls for the protection of civilians and prohibits destruction and causing damage to any public properties—including schools, hospitals, clinics and religious buildings—for any reason by any armed group. It also prohibits the deployment of troops and calls for signatories to promote public safety and development in ceasefire areas.

The post Fire Kills Two Novices at Monastery in Southern Shan State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Church Accuses Karenni Chief Minister of Stealing its Land

Posted: 09 Nov 2018 03:53 AM PST

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — A Catholic church is accusing Karenni State Chief Minister L Phaung Sho of stealing a piece of its land in Mese Township and of preparing to fence it off.

At a press conference in Yangon on Thursday, Father Richard Thura Tun said the chief minister had stolen the land — less than half an acre — in 2014, when he was a Mese Township assistant education officer, and secured a lease for it last year.

He said he decided to finally come forward with the claim after the chief minister started clearing the land for his home and, as of last month, was preparing to build a fence in front of the church’s entrance to mark it off.

The chief minister could not be reached for comment.

Father Richard Thura Tun said the 14-acres church compound was recognized as a religious site by township authorities in 1994 and obtained a license for the property from the Department of Land Registration in 2006.

He said the church has asked the President’s Office and the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) for help settle the dispute but so far to no avail.

 "We also met with him [L Phaung Sho] twice before we sent our first letter in July 2017, but he refused to give the land back," he told The Irrawaddy. 

 "The chief minister seized the land to use to build his home," he added. "It is a misuse of his power.”

Father Richard Thura Tun said the secretary of Karenni State’s General Administration Department, U Tin Maung Soe, had tried to broker a compromise that would see the church regain two-thirds of the disputed land and let the chief minister keep the rest. But he refused because he thought the offer was not fair.

He said church authorities met with NLD spokesman U Myo Nyunt in September but were told to wait until after the by-elections, which took place on Saturday.

On Friday, U Myo Nyunt told The Irrawaddy that NLD leaders have since met with Father Richard Thura Tun in Yangon and that an investigation was “ongoing.”

 "We cannot say when we will be able to go there, but it is a priority case for us to follow up on," he said.

Before being appointed chief minister, L Phaung Sho was elected to the state legislature in 2015 to represent Mese’s Constituency No. 2.

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Mandalay Textile Factory Rehires Fired Workers, But Protest Leaders Sued

Posted: 09 Nov 2018 03:07 AM PST

PALEIK, Mandalay Region — A textile factory in Mandalay Region agreed on Thursday to rehire the 207 workers it fired three months ago, though police sued four of them the same day for their protest.

About half of the fired workers were on their way to the regional capital to ask the Mandalay chief minister to help them get their jobs back at the Panda Textile factor when three of their leaders were detained by police in Paleik on Thursday morning.

The three were released that evening after the protesters sat down in front of the local police station to demand their freedom. They also agreed to call off the protest after the factory promised to rehire all the workers it had fired.

However, the Paleik police filed a lawsuit against fourth of the protest leader — including the three they had detained — under articles 18 and 19 of the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law, according to the workers.

"We are not surprised by the lawsuit because that's how the authorities always work, without taking care of the welfare of the people. They only know how to take legal action," said Ma Zarchi Win, one of the four who claim they were sued.

The workers also said that some of their demands had yet to be met, including that their water and electricity bills over the three months they were jobless be waived.

"We are going to meet with the factory authorities in the presence of lawmakers and local authorities to negotiate about the bills, and if there is a deal the workers and the factory will sign the agreement and the workers will go back to work," Ma Zarchi Win said.

Police and factory representatives at the police station on Thursday declined to comment for this story.

The factory has seen its share of protests over the past five years.

After Panda took over the factory in 2013 from the Ministry of Industry, workers staged a series of protests claiming their labor rights were abused during the transition period.

In 2015, hundreds of workers set up a protest camp outside the factory to demand that 200 recently fired colleagues be rehired. The factory agreed to take a few dozen of them back, but two protesters died of pre-existing conditions during the sit-in and four of the leaders were fired.

Then in 2017, once negotiations to rehire the remaining workers fired in 2015 stalled, employees staged a protest in Mandalay City.

The post Mandalay Textile Factory Rehires Fired Workers, But Protest Leaders Sued appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Explore Lion City’s Food and Arts at 3rd Singapore Festival

Posted: 09 Nov 2018 02:29 AM PST

YANGON—The third edition of the Singapore Festival will run from Nov. 30-Dec. 2 on Bogalay Zay Street in downtown Yangon, with many exciting new activities added this year.

The three-day event organized by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) aims to allow Yangonites to experience the riches of Singapore's culture through food, urban design, art, music and film, said John Gregory Conceicao, executive director of STB's International Group.

He added, "This annual event is a celebration of Singapore's close friendship with Myanmar. We plan to offer consumers a much more interactive and personal experience of Singapore's 'Passion Made Possible' destination brand at this year's festival."

The Singapore Festival has been held in Yangon annually since 2016. For the past two years, the event was used by airlines and travel agents to sell travel packages at special prices.

2018 Singapore Festival visual art design

"This time we want to do something different from the past two years. Air ticket promotions and travel packages will be available online only. We would like to do new experimental things and wanted to showcase our street foods. I think Myanmar people are already familiar with some Singapore dishes. Some Singapore street foods and Myanmar street foods are quite similar and people can try both at the festival," he said at a press event last Thursday.

STB is worked along with local partner Doh Eain and more than 18 Myanmar partners to ensure that the festival continues to be relevant and meaningful to Myanmar people, he said.

"We needed to ask for a permit from Yangon authorities to hold the event on Bogalay Zay Street. Doh Eain is already familiar with Yangon authorities' processes. This is the first time, and we have had good collaboration with Yangon's authorities; we never done this before. I think this is groundbreaking for us to do something like this in Yangon," Conceicao explained.

He added that, "We want to create awareness in Myanmar about visiting Singapore. To attract Myanmar people to visit the Singapore is our job, but the most important thing is to build people-to-people connectivity."

During the three-day event, visitors will get to enjoy an exciting array of activities including films, a 500-kyat street-food fair, a Singapore art showcase and installations, a children's workshop and play zone, and others.

"Singapore Festival 2018 is designed in Myanmar, with Myanmar and for Myanmar. The various activities showcase the essence of 'Passion Made Possible', inspire the public to pursue their dreams, and provide Myanmar consumers an experiential taste of Singapore," Conceicao explained.

According to him, more than 146,000 Myanmar travelers visited Singapore last year, up 28 percent compared with 2016.

"In the first half of 2018, 74,000 Myanmar travelers visited Singapore, and travel season in Myanmar is just starting now. So, we hope to see more travelers in the second half of this year," he said.

Most of the visitors from Myanmar are family leisure travelers and business travelers, he added.

"Singapore has many things to do for the family and kids. So, family leisure travelers are our top visitors. Also, groups of young Myanmar people visit Singapore to explore the nightlife and parties," he said.

At the festival's main event, visitors can experience Singapore's very own annual "50 Cents Fest", the "500 Kyat Food Fair", a diverse range of Singapore and Myanmar traditional and contemporary flavors across 20 street food stalls for 500 kyats per dish.

Visitors also have the opportunity to experience popular Singapore attractions such as Sentosa Island, Gardens by the Bay, Resorts World Sentosa, and Wildlife Reserves Singapore through interactive stations.

"Through Singapore Festival 2018, we hope that Myanmar people will build a deeper connection with Singapore not just as a holiday destination, but also a place where they can come and discover, fulfill and rekindle their passions," Conceicao said.

The post Explore Lion City's Food and Arts at 3rd Singapore Festival appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Central Bank Removes Lending Restrictions on Foreign Bank Branches

Posted: 09 Nov 2018 02:29 AM PST

YANGON—The Central Bank of Myanmar on Thursday announced that the Myanmar branches of international banks are now permitted to extend loans to local companies and provide other banking services, opening up a new source of funding to local corporates.

Currently, branches of 13 international banks from China, Japan, Singapore, India, Malaysia and Vietnam are listed with the Central Bank, while 49 other banks have representative offices here.

Previously, the international branches were only allowed to finance foreign companies operating in Myanmar. 

U Saw Bo Bo, an ex-Citi banker, said the central bank's move would facilitate the circulation of both local and foreign currencies through the national economy.

"If there is more currency in circulation, businesses will be more active. This may help reduce exchange rate fluctuations caused by poor circulation of foreign currencies," he said.  

At the same time, he said, the central bank's green light for foreign banks to provide a full range of banking services to local corporations will pose a challenge to the local banking industry, which is ill equipped to compete with foreign banks in terms of the U.S. dollar interest rate, and providing long-term collateral-free loans.

"Foreign banks have much better technology and their service fees are lower. Therefore, big corporations, especially multinational ones, may gradually seek services from foreign banks," he explained.

Despite the challenges, local banks have their own strengths.

"There may be a lot of inconveniences for local businessmen engaging with foreign banks. There is a saying among international businessmen that domestic banks are the best to partner with. And foreign banks will in no way be able to compete with local banks in terms of their branch networks," U Saw Bo Bo said.  

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Home Affairs Ministry Admits to Challenges Blocking Drug Precursor Imports

Posted: 09 Nov 2018 02:14 AM PST

NAYPYITAW — Deputy Home Affairs Minister Major General Aung Thu on Wednesday conceded that Myanmar has had limited success blocking the illicit import of chemicals from China and India used to make illegal drugs.

"As Myanmar is sandwiched between two big countries that are the biggest producers of precursors, controlling the border gates has been a challenge in the fight against drugs," he told reporters in Naypyitaw after the opening of a regional conference on controlling the supply of precursors.

Conference attendees included more than 80 high-ranking officials from Asean members, China, India, Australia, New Zealand and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

In 2017, police handled more than 10,000 drug cases across the country, according to Colonel Shwe Nyar Maung, spokesman for the Myanmar Police Force’s anti-narcotics unit.

"It was an increase from around 2,600 cases nationwide in 2011," he said.

Precursors smuggled across the border have been seized in Shan and Mon states, from where they reach other parts of the country, Col. Shwe Nyar Maung added.

The UNODC is working with countries across the region to draft a strategy to control the production of precursors in order to combat the manufacture of narcotics.

Precursors including caffeine, pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, and ethylamine have been seized both inside Myanmar and along its borders with China, Laos and Thailand.

In May, the President's Office created an anti-drug department and promised rewards for tips that lead to drug seizures and arrests.

"The police force is understaffed to effectively fight drugs. What the president has been doing is very good, but I wish he took a tougher line," said lawmaker U Hla Than, a member of the Lower House’s Judicial and Legal Affairs Committee.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Thame Hla Island: a Vanishing Haven for Sea Turtles

Posted: 09 Nov 2018 01:07 AM PST

THAME HLA ISLAND, Andaman Sea—Out in the Andaman Sea at the southernmost tip of Myanmar's Ayeyawaddy Delta lies Thame Hla Island. At first glance, the one-square-mile area look like any another fishing point with trawlers busy with their catch day in, day out. But when night falls, and the steady march of green sea turtles out of the sea and onto the shore begins, Thame Hla is no longer a fishermen's haven. Instead, it becomes a hatching ground for the world largest sea turtles.

Of the world's seven species of sea turtles, five can be found in Myanmar's coastal waters. Two of the five, the leatherback and the loggerhead, are on the verge of extinction, according to sea turtle conservationists, but the total population of all five species has dropped by 70 percent in the past two decades as excessive fishing and environmental degradation have destroyed their habitats and food chains. (The flatback turtle and Kemp's ridley sea turtle are the varieties not found in Myanmar.)

Normally, sea turtles visit certain shores at specific times for hatching, but green turtles come to Thame Hal Island the whole year round to lay their eggs.

"Probably that's because of the easy access to food and the safe habitat here," said U Hpone Maw, the head of the government-run hatchery on the island.

He explained that fishing contributes a lot to the extinction of sea turtles, as the fishing season in Myanmar, coming at the end of the monsoon, coincides with the turtles' mating season. Adding to the problem, the fishing areas are in the same locations as the turtles' mating areas.

"Every time you lift the net, there are always two to four adult turtles in it," he said. "Let's say there are 4,000 fishing boats, nearly 16,000 turtles are killed per day as a result. This has happened for a decade. It's no wonder they are on the verge of extinction."

With its vast, sandy shore, the whole of Thame Hla Island used to be a safe haven for the green sea turtle. But with a booming fishing industry and man-made environmental degradation like sand-mining, only a tiny fraction of the island is available to the reptiles for hatching these days.

"It would be better if we had conservation centers along the coastline," U Hpone maw said.

Despite its long coastline, Myanmar only has government-run hatcheries in three locations, including Thame Hla.

"The one in Longlone in Taninthari Region is merely a hut with one staffer," the hatchery chief said.

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Energy Ministry Negotiates to Lower Fuel Oil Prices

Posted: 08 Nov 2018 10:46 PM PST

NAYPYITAW — The Ministry of Electricity and Energy is negotiating with suppliers to bring down fuel oil prices, said managing director of the ministry U Thant Sin.

U Thant Sin, who is also the vice-chairman of the government supervisory committee on petroleum and petroleum product business activities, said during a monthly press conference on Thursday in Naypyitaw that the ministry wants to lower fuel oil prices to less than 1,000 kyats per liter in Yangon.

"We have requested that all fuel oil distributors reduce prices to below 1,000 kyats in Yangon.  The Myanmar Fuel Oil Importers and Distributors Association has also asked the distributors to sell at reasonable prices," said U Thant Sin.

The government can only request that distributors reduce the price, but cannot impose price controls. The price is determined by market forces and the law of supply and demand, he said.

Fuel oil prices have increased mainly due to the weakening of the kyat against the US dollar. Since June, the kyat has slumped against not only the greenback but also regional currencies like the Thai baht and Singapore dollars.

Singapore is the main source of Myanmar's fuel imports, and prices have declined sharply in Yangon compared to last month as the Singapore dollar weakened, according to U Thant Sin.

Fuel oil prices increased by around 300 kyats per liter over the past three months, with prices varying from place to place depending on transportation costs.

On Thursday in Yangon, a liter of premium diesel was sold for 1,075 kyats, a liter of Octane 92 for 985 kyats, and a liter of Octane 95 for 1,065 kyats. The prices are higher outside of Yangon due to transportation costs.

The ministry has intervened in the market twice before, in December 2017 and April 2018, following price spikes.

The Myanmar Investment Commission relaxed regulations last year and allowed 100 percent foreign-owned companies to invest in local fuel oil distribution. Since then, a few foreign companies have inquired about the possibility, but none has made an official proposal.

"We can accept this if the market is free and fair without a monopoly and anyone can sell in the market," said secretary of the Lower House Investment and Industrial Development Committee U Aung Aung Kyaw Oo.

In response to the fuel oil price increase in the domestic market, the Ministry of Electricity and Energy has sold domestically produced petroleum, but this is only suitable for use in motorbikes.

Since April, the ministry has sold 15 million gallons of domestically produced petroleum at 3,800 kyats per gallon.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Drowsy Driver Sends Rakhine Chief Minister’s SUV Into Stream, No One Hurt

Posted: 08 Nov 2018 10:27 PM PST

SITTWE, Rakhine State — The Rakhine State chief minister's SUV fell into a stream next to a bridge along the main road between Yangon and the state capital of Sittwe early Friday morning, but no one was injured.

U Nyi Pu was returning to Sittwe from Naypyitaw when the accident occurred at about 5 a.m. in Rakhine State’s Mrauk-U Township.

The SUV veered off the road and down the bank “because the driver was feeling sleepy,” said U Kyaw Khin, the chief minister’s support officer, who was among the three men on board.

He said the driver was tired because he had been driving since they left Naypyitaw at 7 p.m. the previous day and that the chief minister was now back at work at his office in Sittwe.

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Smog in Indian Capital Severe After Unfettered Festival Fireworks

Posted: 08 Nov 2018 08:35 PM PST

NEW DELHI — Pollution in the Indian capital, New Delhi, rose to a “severe” level on Thursday after revelers let off fireworks long into the night to mark the Hindu festival of Diwali.

Two federal government pollution indices showed air at “very poor” and “severe” levels, indicating that prolonged exposure could lead to respiratory illnesses.

The indices mostly measure the concentration of tiny poisonous particulate matter, or PM 2.5, particles that are less than 2.5 microns in diameter, which can be carried deep into the lungs.

The US Embassy said PM 2.5 levels in its part of central Delhi had soared to 689, indicating emergency conditions, posing a serious health risk.

A level of 50 or less is considered safe.

A task force under the federal pollution control board was scheduled to meet to assess the situation, a city government spokesman told Reuters.

After the Diwali festival, levels of airborne PM 10 and PM 2.5 touched 470 and 322 respectively, up from 438 and 180 in 2018, the Central Pollution Control Board said in a bulletin.

But this year’s concentrations of both PM 10 and PM 2.5 were lower than 2016, it added.

Few Delhi residents wear face masks when they go out in heavy smog and joggers and passersby were out as normal near Parliament early on Thursday.

Last month, the Supreme Court allowed the use of “green” firecrackers for Diwali, but only for two hours in the evening.

However, there were no “green” fireworks available for sale and countless fireworks were let off through the evening.

Authorities have been reluctant to ban fireworks to avoid offending members of the majority Hindu community. Diwali is one of their biggest festivals.

“The Supreme Court order on fireworks was not followed and health warnings from the government were limited to few newspapers and some websites,” said Greenpeace campaigner Sunil Dahiya.

The apparent lack of concern about the toxic air – whether through ignorance or apathy – gives politicians the cover they need for failing to address the problem, say environmental activists and others.

Tiny particulate matter can cause major health problems.

In recent weeks, Delhi doctors have reported an increase in patients with respiratory problems.

Adding to the smog has been smoke from the surrounding countryside, where farmers at this time of the year burn the stubble in their fields to prepare for winter sowing.

More gentle winds and cool air, which can trap pollution, exacerbate the problem.

For a second year, New Delhi’s chief minister has likened the city to a “gas chamber." Last year, he declared a public health crisis, shut schools for a week and told residents to remain indoors.

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Bangladesh’s PM Hasina to Seek Re-Election Dec. 23

Posted: 08 Nov 2018 08:32 PM PST

DHAKA — Bangladesh’s chief election commissioner said on Thursday that the South Asian nation would hold a general election on Dec. 23, and vowed that the Election Commission would ensure a free and fair election.

K.M. Nurul Huda, the head of the Election Commission, said he hoped all parties would participate in the election, in which Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is seeking to get re-elected.

“A favorable situation prevails in the country to hold a free and fair election,” Huda said during a nationwide address aired by state-run television and radio stations, adding almost all preparations for an election were already complete.

While Hasina’s government has won widespread global plaudits for letting in hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees who fled persecution in Myanmar, its critics have decried Hasina’s increasingly authoritarian rule, the government’s handling of student protests this year and its crackdown on free speech.

Huda said there would be 40,000 voting centers across the nation and more than 600,000 law enforcement personnel would be deployed to ensure a free and fair election.

Bangladesh’s ruling Awami League party on Wednesday rejected an opposition party’s demand for a caretaker government ahead of the election. The opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) says that a caretaker government is essential for free and fair polls, but the ruling party says the demand is unconstitutional.

“I urge political parties to participate in the election to make it meaningful,” said Huda, adding that if parties have any differences of opinion they should resolve these via talks, but not boycott the elections.

It is still not immediately clear whether the BNP plans to contest the elections. The BNP boycotted the last election, in 2014, which was marred by deadly violence and shunned by international observers as flawed.

Following Huda’s announcement, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told Reuters that his party and its allies were still deliberating whether to participate. He said the BNP had asked the commission to defer the vote, but that its wishes had not been met.

“There is no reflection of public wishes and expectations in the schedule and it is moving toward a unilateral election,” he said.

The BNP, which is in disarray following the jailing of its chief, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, on corruption charges, had also pressed for a caretaker government ahead of the 2014 election and boycotted it after the demand was not met.

Hasina and Khaleda, who between them have ruled Bangladesh for decades, are bitter rivals and the BNP says its leader has been jailed on trumped-up charges to keep her out of politics.

Separately, certain civil society groups and activists have also criticized the country’s new Digital Security Act and a new Broadcast Law that is under consideration, warning these regulations would erode free speech in the country ahead of the election.

The post Bangladesh’s PM Hasina to Seek Re-Election Dec. 23 appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Comic Artist Draws on History for Tales of Politically Powerful Women

Posted: 08 Nov 2018 08:26 PM PST

KUALA LUMPUR — A feminist manga-style artist says she will use characters based on an Egyptian pharaoh and a Chinese empress to bring more female empowerment to the male-dominated world of comic books.

Queenie Chan is working on a series of non-fiction biographies aimed at children called “Women Who Were Kings”, which will be rendered in manga, a comic book genre that originated in Japan.

“I’m doing a series of biographies on a bunch of queens from all over the world, and from many different cultures, who achieved political power on parity with what we expect from kings – hence the title,” said Chan.

The first completed story focused on Hatshepsut, a female Egyptian pharaoh, and the next will be on Wu Zetian, the first and only female Chinese empress, she said by phone from her home in Sydney, Australia.

Manga developed its modern meaning — to describe a whole genre of Japanese animated art — at the beginning of the 1900s when artists in Japan were influenced by imports of political comic strips from the United States and Britain.

Modern manga grew in popularity in Japan after World War Two and then spread overseas, with millions of copies of magazines sold each year, pulling in about $3.8 billion in 2017, according to the Research Institute for Publications.

The genre is afforded unrivalled freedom in Japan and covers a variety of themes from horror, romance and same-sex relationships to comedy and pornography, but female empowerment is rarely tackled.

“It isn’t unusual for women to be making manga, but it is unusual to have the theme,” said Paul Gravett, an expert and who has written books and curated international manga exhibitions.

“The women’s position in Japanese society hasn’t had the big push of feminism that we’ve seen in many other countries.”

Manga-style artists outside of Japan are also rare, as the industry is dominated globally by male-dominated comics produced by US publishers like Marvel and DC.

As a child, Chan used to read pirated manga comics from newsstands in Hong Kong, where she was born, and returned to the medium as a teenager in Australia.

Chan purposefully puts powerful female leads in her comics, and her first published work, “The Dreaming”, contained nearly all female characters.

“In terms of projecting women as powerful – there are many different kinds of power,” she said.

“One kind of power that women are frequently depicted of lacking – because there just aren’t any representations of that in popular media – is political, economic and military power.”

Chan has also published a three-book series called “Fable Kingdom”, which is a fairytale-inspired story with a powerful female lead.

“In our society when we talk about the lack of female representation in boardrooms or politics, it is important for people to have representations of women who can fill that role, Chan told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

“You can’t be what you can’t see. I’m just letting people know that these things exist and have for a long time.”

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Rohingya Crisis, Suu Kyi Under the Microscope at Southeast Asia Summit

Posted: 08 Nov 2018 08:16 PM PST

SINGAPORE/YANGON — The customary cordiality of Southeast Asian summits may be missing when the region’s leaders meet next week due to sharp differences over Myanmar, whose military has been accused of genocide against the country’s Rohingya Muslim minority.

Myanmar leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is due to attend the Nov. 11-15 Singapore meeting, and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, a doyen of the group, has served notice he has lost faith in the Nobel peace laureate because of the Rohingya issue.

“We have made it quite clear we don’t really support her any more,” Mahathir said in an interview with Turkish news channel TRT World just over a month ago.

“Our policy in ASEAN is non-interference in the internal affairs of the countries, but this is … grossly unjust,” he said, referring to the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The Rohingya crisis is one of the biggest man-made disasters involving a member since ASEAN was founded in 1967, and it is one of the thorniest issues yet faced by a group that traditionally works by consensus.

Many diplomats and rights activists say ASEAN’s credibility is at risk if it fails to tackle the matter head-on.

A UN report in August detailed mass killings and gang rapes with genocidal intent in a military crackdown that began in 2017 and drove hundreds of thousands of Rohingya from Myanmar’s Rakhine State into neighboring Bangladesh.

Outrage over what the United Nations branded “ethnic cleansing” has brought demands from Western nations for criminal charges and sanctions.

“ASEAN credibility and its international standing would be severely tarnished if ASEAN remains indifferent to the Rakhine crisis,” said Kavi Chongkittavorn, a former special assistant to the ASEAN secretary-general and a veteran Thai journalist who has worked in Myanmar.

The Rohingya issue comes at an important juncture for a region pushing for more economic integration in response to rising protectionism and a trade dispute between the United States and China.

ASEAN’s Muslim-majority members – Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei – tend to take the toughest line on the Rohingya question, while Myanmar has close regional allies in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Under military control in recent years, Thailand has also provided cover for Myanmar.

In remarks delivered alongside Daw Aung San Suu Suu Kyi at a forum in Hanoi in September, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said countries outside Indochina were too critical of politics in the region and questioned whether they understood Myanmar.

“Uncomfortable Scrutiny"

Richard Horsey, a former UN diplomat in Myanmar and a political analyst based in Yangon, said leaders from outside the region who will attend the meetings in Singapore will be asking difficult questions about Myanmar.

US Vice President Mike Pence, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are among those expected to join ASEAN leaders in meetings later in the week.

“Beyond this uncomfortable scrutiny, and possible distraction from other ASEAN priorities, some ASEAN elders also worry about the risk of the group polarizing along religious lines,” Horsey said.

Singapore will deliver the chairman’s remarks next week so its role in the tone that ASEAN strikes will be pivotal.

A source close to pre-summit discussions, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Singapore is leaning towards a stronger stance because it is the most internationally engaged member of ASEAN and feels responsibility as host to protect its credibility.

Asked for comment, Singapore’s Foreign Ministry said ASEAN leaders are expected to discuss the situation in Rakhine State when they meet next week and, as chair, Singapore supported discussions on the matter.

“However, ultimately, it is the responsibility of the Myanmar government and the relevant stakeholders to reach a comprehensive, viable and durable political solution to this situation,” a spokeswoman said in an email response to Reuters.

Earlier this year, Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan said the group had urged Myanmar to give a full mandate to a commission of inquiry to hold accountable those responsible for the crisis in Rakhine State.

That was a toughening of rhetoric that had previously focused on repatriation of displaced persons to Myanmar and reconciliation among communities.

“The shift in language, especially the recent calls for more accountability, reflect to a certain extent that ASEAN views the Myanmar issue as an indicator of its own ‘accountability’ in dealing with a recalcitrant member,” said Moe Thuzar, a lead researcher at Singapore’s Institute of Southeast Asian Studies who specializes in ASEAN and Myanmar issues.

A government source in Thailand, which takes over as chair of ASEAN next year, also said the group’s credibility was at stake, especially after the UN report on the Rohingya crisis. A third source close to the discussions said the issue “is a problem and we know it is a problem.”

Myo Nyunt, spokesman for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, said Myanmar would explain the situation at the summit.

“We accept there are different views, but we have to make decisions for further plans based on the real situation of our country. I want them to understand that there are some parts we cannot handle,” he said.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has previously said her civilian government should not bear all responsibility for the crisis because the military retains a powerful political role under the constitution.

The post Rohingya Crisis, Suu Kyi Under the Microscope at Southeast Asia Summit appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Re-Imagining the Beauty of Mandalay

Posted: 08 Nov 2018 05:59 PM PST

YANGON—Kyaw Naing has re-defined the beauty of Mandalay, the old royal capital, from his cubist perspective.

In one of his paintings, Kyaw Naing skillfully blends views of several Mandalay landmarks—Mandalay Hill, Zaycho Market, Thudhamma Hall, Phayagyi Pagoda—with a horse-cart in the foreground.

Some of the paintings on display at Kyaw Naing's solo exhibition at OK Art Gallery in Yangon.  / Photos supplied

"I have created this so that viewers can see Mandalay's landmarks afresh," Kyaw Naing said.

Besides Mandalay's historic sites, the works on display at Kyaw Naing's first solo exhibition at OK Art Gallery in Aung San Stadium (North) depict traditional festivals and other scenes.

Some of the paintings on display at Kyaw Naing's solo exhibition at OK Art Gallery in Yangon.  / Photos supplied

The artist's subjects are not new—they include the Mingun Bell, Mandalay's city wall and moat, a cane-ball game, an elephant dance festival and traditional musical instrument players—but his innovative use of color and pattern catch the eye.

Kyaw Naing's use of grey square shapes to depict Yankin Hill foregrounded by toddy palms gives viewers a fresh perspective on the landmark.

Some of the paintings on display at Kyaw Naing's solo exhibition at OK Art Gallery in Yangon.  / Photos supplied

"The Sabbath Day at Phayagyi" instills peace of mind, rendering the best view of Mandalay's most famous place of worship in straight and curved lines, colored in yellow, green, blue and white.

The Mandalay Moat comes alive in dark blue, with red, green, yellow and brown cubes reflected in the water of the moat creating pleasing abstractions.

Some of the paintings on display at Kyaw Naing's solo exhibition at OK Art Gallery in Yangon.  / Photos supplied

"Yankin Hill is usually depicted in a lush green. But I have used grey and yellow colors to give viewers a new taste," said the 50-year-old artist. "As the city wall is stationary, I drew clouds in patterns to create a sense of movement," he said.

"Phayagyi is a beauty of peacefulness and purity," he added, referring to the Maha Myat Muni Buddha image by its local name.

Some of the paintings on display at Kyaw Naing's solo exhibition at OK Art Gallery in Yangon.  / Photos supplied

The exhibition will run from Nov. 10-14. Kyaw Naing learned his beloved modernism from Mandalay-based painters. He has participated in group art exhibitions in Myanmar, Korea and Taiwan.

The post Re-Imagining the Beauty of Mandalay appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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