Friday, May 18, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Myanmar GDP on the Rise, Expected to Continue: World Bank

Posted: 18 May 2018 04:57 AM PDT

YANGON — Amid risk remaining high, Myanmar's economy performed better in the 2017-18 fiscal year with a recovery in agriculture, improved manufacturing performance with garments continuing to excel and strong services growth, the World Bank said in its Myanmar Economic Monitor report released on Thursday.

It said that the economy experienced a broad-based increase in real GDP growth to 6.4 percent in 2017-18 from 5.9 percent in 2016-17. Growth is projected to increase to 6.8 percent in 2018-19.

Inflation also declined year by year, from 7 percent in 2016-17 to 5.5 percent in 2017-18 and is expected to ease further to 4.9 percent, the World Bank said.

Rice exports reached record highs and like garments continued to access new markets, the report stated, while gas exports were propped up by a significant, but uncertain, increase in global gas prices, offsetting declining production from maturing fields, it stated.

While it noted that while economic outlook is positive, there are concerns that the slow pace of reforms, vulnerabilities in the financial sector and limited progress in addressing the humanitarian crisis in Rakhine are starting to affect business sentiment.

Investors concerned about the reputational risk of operating in Myanmar may defer already committed FDI or new investments, it said.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) approvals declined by 14 percent in relation to 2016-17, but FDI flows adequately financed the current account deficit, it added.

External risks from uncertainty in global trade policy and in commodity prices intensify the downside risks to the growth outlook, stated in the report.

The bi-annual report analyzes economic developments, economic prospects and policy priorities in Myanmar, based on available data reported by the Myanmar government and collected as part of the World Bank's regular economic monitoring and policy dialogue.

U Zaw Myo Hlaing, managing director of Unique Network Marketing Co., Ltd, said during the panel discussion at the report launch event on Thursday that the report is contrary to what most businessmen and farmers are saying in that doing business has become more difficult.

"Those working are saying that there are difficulties in doing business," he said.

"The GDP growth is not exciting, as it doesn't impact everyone in the country," he said, adding that people are not feeling much positive change due to the growth.

He urged wider awareness on taxation, assistance for small and medium enterprises, and combating corruption to improve the current climate of doing business.

"It's very important that the benefit of growth and income increases are shared across the population. This year, a lot of growth came from the agricultural sector, which comprises farmers. So they're producing more crops – rice, beans, and pulses – that are being demanded, not only in Myanmar but outside. The sale of those crops generates income for those farmers. We do feel that the rapid progress that Myanmar has made on reducing poverty with stable inequality can continue," Hans Anand Beck, lead economist of the World Bank, told The Irrawaddy.

The agriculture sector accounts for 26 percent of GDP, industry and manufacturing account for 33 percent, and services account for 41 percent.

Favorable weather conditions and increased external demand caused agricultural output to rise by an estimated 2.5 percent in this fiscal year.

The World Bank suggested that implementing the cogent new Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan, collecting more revenue and spending it better, and providing greater policy certainty and a simpler operating environment for businesses could support investment and economic prospects.

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Ta’ang Armed Group Opens First Liaison Office in Wa Territory

Posted: 18 May 2018 04:48 AM PDT

YANGON — The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) opened its first liaison office on Thursday in Panghsang, the declared capital of the Wa self-administered region in Shan State, to improve communication with allied armed groups.

The TNLA is a member of the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC), which is led by the United Wa State Army (UWSA) and has seven members in all.

Major Tar Aike Kyaw, a spokesman for the TNLA, told The Irrawaddy on Friday that the office was opened with the UWSA’s permission.

"We want to have better communication with each other, so we opened an office there," he said, adding that he did not know if other FPNCC members had plans to do likewise.

The TNLA is based in remote parts of northern Shan and has found it difficult to travel to other parts of the state to meet with fellow armed groups. It says the new office will save it both time and money and help foster closer relations with the UWSA and the rest of the committee members.

"It was very difficult to get to Wa areas; we had to spend a lot of time to get there. It was also not safe when we traveled,"Major Tar Aike Kyaw said.

The FPNCC was formed to help its members hold peace talks with the national government and military and has received occasional assistance from China as a mediator. It has condemned the Myanmar military over its latest offensives against the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), one of its members, in Kachin State and against the TNLA in Shan.

The Myanmar military has repeatedly warned the UWSA not to support the TNLA or any other members of the Northern Alliance, a separate but overlapping bloc of armed groups that often clash with the military in Kachin, Rakhine and Shan states.

But the UWSA, which claims some 30,000 fighters and the largest rebel army in the country, has ignored the warnings, with little direct blowback from the military.

The military has, however, been restricting the movement of ethnic Wa is some parts of Shan in an apparent bid to pressure the UWSA to cut ties with the Northern Alliance.

The FPNCC consists of the KIA, TNLA, UWSA, Arakan Army, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, National Democratic Alliance Army and Shan State Progressive Party.

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Chinese Demand Fueling Spike in Elephant Poaching

Posted: 18 May 2018 03:30 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW — The Forestry Department has blamed growing demand from China for a surge in elephant poaching in Myanmar.

"Elephant poaching has increased rapidly because of increasing demand from a neighboring country for both consumption and medical use," said Forestry Department deputy director-general U Kyaw Kyaw Lwin as he answered questions at a press conference at the Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry in Naypyitaw on Thursday.

Such references by Myanmar officials to a "neighboring country" in the context of the illegal wildlife trade are commonly understood to refer to China.

He added that while in the past elephants were mainly poached for their tusks, demand for flesh, trunks, and hide had increased.

The number of poached elephants has risen steadily since 2014. While only four were poached in 2014, the number increased to 20 in 2015 and 18 in 2016, before jumping to 46 in 2017, according to Forestry Department records.

Meanwhile, more than 50 elephants died of natural causes over the past four years.

"If we are losing an elephant every week, including those that die of natural causes, the population of wild elephants could drop significantly in the next 20 to 30 years," U Kyaw Kyaw Lwin said.

Irrawaddy, Bago and Yangon regions have become poaching hot spots, but the Forestry Department has only around 300 staff members assigned to combat the illegal trade, and therefore has to rely on cooperation from local authorities and residents, he said.

Police brought 56 poachers to trial last year, and have arrested six this year.

In January, the department launched an initiative offering rewards of 3 million kyats each to those providing authorities with information leading to the arrest of elephant poachers. In March, the department awarded the sum to a villager in Irrawaddy Region after forestry police were able to arrest a poacher thanks to a tip from him.

In mid-February, the government launched the Myanmar Elephant Conservation Action Plan (MECAP), a strategy for the next 10 years (2018–27) with the overall aim of securing viable and ecologically functional elephant populations in Myanmar for the next century and beyond with support from international and local organizations.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Chin State Minister Resigns Amid Reshuffle

Posted: 18 May 2018 02:26 AM PDT

Myanmar President U Win Myint allowed the resignation of the Chin State minister for municipal works, electricity and industry on Thursday, following the regional Parliament seeking presidential approval to reshuffle three ministers earlier this month.

Salai Isaac Khen, the resigned minister, told The Irrawaddy on Friday that his resignation "showed accountability" for his failure to implement projects related to the Hakha urban city plan, Hakha market and Falam water distribution.

He said that he takes full responsibility even though respective departments under the ministry could not perform these tasks. The public has complained about the lack of success of these projects in particular.

"I was appointed as the minister and not elected, therefore, I believe taking responsibility is important."

The water supply project was intended to access water from Lavia Dam, some 25 miles from Falam, and the water was to be distributed to households in Falam. This project was supposed to be completed in March.

However, there were issues with the contract and implementation. Za Thang, a Falam resident, told The Irrawaddy that no one knew about the contract made with the tender-winning Authentic Co. except the chief minister, municipal minister and company director. Furthermore, Za Thang said, the town elders later found out that the pipe installed in the project was not eight inches wide but six inches wide.

Za Thang said, "The municipal minister is a hard-working person who unfortunately could not go against the chief minister."

Salai Isaac Khen was a director of the research and advocacy group Gender and Development Initiative Myanmar and a leading civil society member until he was selected to become a minister in the Chin State government in 2016.

His tireless efforts during his two years in the position were acknowledged by many, despite some objections to his performance.

He said he plans to continue his studies at this time, as he was preparing to begin a Ph.D. when taking the ministerial position. He will also resume work with Gender and Development Initiative Myanmar.

The Chin State cabinet reshuffle is still in process, as two other state ministers – social affairs and transportation – are slated to be transferred.

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Finance Ministry to Investigate Customs Director Over Bribery Allegations

Posted: 17 May 2018 11:51 PM PDT

NAYPYITAW — The Ministry of Finance and Planning says it will launch an internal investigation into a department director who allegedly encouraged his staff to take bribes.

On Sunday, an audio file was posted on the “Golden Gatekeeper” Facebook page purportedly of U Yin Min Aung, director of the Finance Ministry’s Customs Department. In the recording, the man stresses the importance of maintaining cohesion when taking bribes. The director is alleged to have made the remarks on May 26, 2016, during a meeting with taxation officers about to take up assignments across the country.

The recording has gone viral since being posted online and sparked a public outcry.

On Thursday, Deputy Finance Minister U Maung Maung Win said an internal investigation body had been formed to look into the allegations.

"But we have not yet started the investigation. We'll gather evidence first," he told reporters in Naypyitaw, where the ministry’s work over the past year was being reviewed.

U Thein Swe, the Customs Department’s deputy director-general, said the investigation was ordered by the President's Office.

"The investigation body consists of a deputy director-general and a director. I don't know who they will investigate," he said.

"An internal investigation is not enough. The maximum punishment will be a transfer or a warning. In fact, that case should be handled by the Anti-Corruption Commission. Only then will the public get a satisfactory answer," lawyer U Kyi Myint told The Irrawaddy.

In the recording, the man tells his audience to beware of attracting legal action when taking bribes.

"Everyone should unite and be satisfied. Everyone should be in agreement. But don't be too greedy beyond your position. The elephant has his own share, the horse has his own share, the goat has his own share, and the ant has his own share," the man says.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Myanmar Agrees to Accelerate Repatriation of Rohingya Despite Challenges

Posted: 17 May 2018 11:44 PM PDT

DHAKA — A Myanmar foreign ministry delegation on Thursday in Dhaka said it is accelerating the repatriation process of Myanmar nationals living in Bangladesh but that it needs to promote awareness among its citizens.

"We are working on [the challenges of repatriation].  We need to promote awareness among Myanmar people and we will be providing more information to the counterpart foreign secretary in Dhaka," said Myint Thu, the permanent secretary of the Myanmar Foreign Affairs Ministry, when asked about the challenges to repatriating Rohingya refugees now living in Bangladesh.

A second Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting with Bangladesh was held in Dhaka. A 15-member delegation from both countries joined the meeting, where the main discussion was starting the physical repatriation of forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals who are currently living in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.

The Myanmar delegation head said, "We had a candid discussion on repatriation. We discussed our preparations to date, are continuing to have working group meetings and are setting up a mechanism to receive the refugees.

He added that the two sides were working on the bilateral agreement to begin the process.

When asked about claims that Myanmar has been delaying the repatriation process, the delegation head replied, "That's what we are here for. We are working on accelerating the process."

Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque, who is leading the 15-member team from Bangladesh, told reporters that he could not give a specific date as to when the process would begin because "this kind of repatriation is very complex and difficult."

The JWG is reviewing the progress to date of plans to repatriate some 700,000 Rohingya who fled Myanmar's Rakhine State largely following Myanmar Army security clearance operations that began in August 2017.

Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a repatriation agreement on Nov. 23, 2017.

On Jan. 16, Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a "physical arrangement" document that would facilitate the return of the Rohingya Muslim refugees to their homeland.

The document stipulated that the process would be completed preferably within two years from its start.

In mid-February, Bangladesh handed over a list of more than 8,032 Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar during a meeting in Dhaka.

Myanmar has so far verified the residency of only 878 Rohingya out of the 8,032 who were on the list from Bangladesh.

The head of the Bangladesh delegation said issues regarding the residency verification process and preparations to address these matters were also discussed.

Shahidul Haque said that a new list would be sent and that both parties agreed to foster the repatriation process.

A Bangladesh official told The Irrawaddy that it was "productive meeting" and that "things were moving in the right direction even though the issue is quite complex."

Asked whether the delegations discussed the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army in the meeting, the official stated that it was discussed and that "there are no ARSA members in our territory."

"They are convinced of our position and we will work together to identify ARSA members," the official stated.

Meanwhile, in a statement, the United States Embassy in Dhaka said on Thursday that the US Agency for International Development administrator Mark Green met with Shahidul Haque, the Bangladesh Foreign Secretary, at the latter's office in Dhaka on Wednesday.

In the meeting, the administrator reiterated that any repatriation or relocation of the Rohingya must be safe, voluntary, dignified, and based on informed consent.

The two discussed the strong partnership between the United States and Bangladesh, including USAID’s long history in the country.

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US Aid Chief Calls on Myanmar to End Violence Against Rohingya

Posted: 17 May 2018 10:46 PM PDT

DHAKA — The US government’s aid chief on Thursday called on Myanmar to end violence against members of the Rohingya Muslim minority and to provide humanitarian workers and media unhindered access to the country.

Mark Green, administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, visited Rohingya refugee camps on a three-day visit to Bangladesh this week.

The United States would provide $44 million in additional aid to help meet the needs of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, he told reports in Dhaka, before travelling on to Myanmar, which is also known as Burma.

“Today, I will fly to Burma and will ask them to end the violence and will also ask them to allow media access," Green said.

“This humanitarian crisis is a global challenge and our government along with the international community will work together to support Bangladesh,” he said.

According to UN officials, nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled into Bangladesh from Buddhist-majority Myanmar’s Rakhine State to escape a military crackdown since August, launched in response to Rohingya insurgent attacks.

Refugees have told of numerous incidents of murder, rape and arson by Myanmar troops and Buddhist vigilantes, which the United Nations has likened to “ethnic cleansing.”

Myanmar has denied nearly all of the allegations, saying its security forces have been waging a legitimate counter-insurgency operation against Rohingya “terrorists.”

Green, who is due to meet Myanmar government officials in the capital, Naypyitaw, said he would ask for “free and unhindered humanitarian access throughout the country” as well as access for media to travel freely.

US President Donald Trump this month assured Bangladesh of US support in dealing with the Myanmar Rohingya refugee crisis.

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China Seeks Investigation Into University of Southern California Abuse Accusations

Posted: 17 May 2018 10:00 PM PDT

LOS ANGELES — The Chinese government has expressed “deep concern” over published reports that a University of Southern California gynecologist was allowed for years to treat students, many of them from China, despite accusations of sexual abuse and harassment.

The Los Angeles Times reported this week that Dr. George Tyndall, 71, resigned from USC last year after an internal investigation at the university found he performed unnecessary or unprofessional physical exams and made inappropriate comments to some of the young women in his care.

Tyndall was not suspended by the university until 2016 despite complaints dating to the 1990s, according to the article. He has not been arrested or charged with any crime, the newspaper reported.

Late on Wednesday, China’s state-owned news agency Xinhua quoted an unidentified official of the Consulate General of China in Los Angeles as saying, “We noticed the report and expressed our deep concern over the situation.”

“We request USC to take serious step to investigate the issue and protect Chinese students from illegal violation.”

The Chinese consul general in Los Angeles could not be reached for comment.

Tyndall could not be reached by Reuters for comment. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, he denied any wrongdoing, saying, “I’m there to protect the health of Trojan women,” referring to the school’s mascot.

Emily Gersema, a spokeswoman for the university, said on Thursday that it was preparing a statement in response to the Chinese government. USC enrolled 5,101 students from China in 2017, according to its website.

In a “letter to the USC community” issued on Tuesday on the school’s website, its president C.L. Nikias said Tyndall was placed on administrative leave in June 2016 after a complaint by a staff member and since then had not been allowed contact with students.

The school acknowledged in the letter that it did not report accusations against Tyndall to the California Medical Board until this year, when he sought reinstatement at USC.

“On behalf of the university, I sincerely apologize to any student who may have visited the student health center and did not receive the respectful care each individual deserves,” Nikias said.

Earlier this year Larry Nassar, a former faculty member and physician at an on-campus clinic at Michigan State University and a doctor for USA Gymnastics, was sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to criminal sexual conduct.

The post China Seeks Investigation Into University of Southern California Abuse Accusations appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

A Third of Protected Wildlife Areas Marred by Roads and Towns: Study

Posted: 17 May 2018 09:55 PM PDT

OSLO — A third of the world’s protected areas for wildlife are suffering road building, more farms and other man-made threats that are undermining goals to safeguard the diversity of life on Earth, scientists said on Thursday.

Almost 200 nations agreed in 2010 to set aside at least 17 percent of the world’s land areas in parks and other sanctuaries by 2020 as a cornerstone of a plan to shield animals and plants from pollution, land clearances and climate change.

But many protected areas fall short, according to a report in the journal Science led by researchers at the University of Queensland in Australia.

“Six million sq km (2.3 million square miles) – 32.8 percent – of protected land is under intense human pressure,” from threats including more roads, cities, farms and railways, the scientists wrote.

The area is roughly equal to the size of India and Argentina combined. Mangroves, Mediterranean forests, some grasslands and savannahs were among protected areas most at risk.

James Watson, a professor at the University of Queensland and co-author, told Reuters he was “stunned” by the data. “Governments are claiming these places are protected for the sake of nature when in reality they aren’t,” he said.

Overall, governments say the extent of protected lands has roughly doubled since the early 1990s and now covers 15 percent of the world’s land in more than 200,000 protected areas, the study said.

Among examples of threats, the study showed satellite images of Kamianets-Podilskyi, a growing city within a national park in Ukraine, roads slicing through Mikumi National Park in Tanzania and farms and other buildings in Dadohaehaesang national park in South Korea.

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which oversees the 2020 plan, said it hoped Thursday’s findings would spur more action to ensure that protected areas exist in more than name.

“There is indeed a risk for protected areas to be misrepresented as paper parks,” Cristiana Pasca Palmer, executive secretary of the CBD, told Reuters in an email.

Among recommendations, countries should improve assessment and management of protected areas, and try where possible to connect them so threatened species can migrate.

Another study in Science on Thursday showed that strict limits on global warming would help safeguard most species of plants and animals, especially insects such as bees or butterflies that are vital to pollinating crops.

“A species with a very small range is at greater risk of extinction,” lead author Rachel Warren of the University of East Anglia told Reuters.

A rise of 1.5C degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times, the toughest goal under the 2015 Paris climate agreement, would mean that only six percent of insects species would suffer a halving or more of their natural habitats.

But risks would rise fast with higher temperatures. Eighteen percent of insects would lose more than half their ranges if temperatures rise 2C (3.6F), the main Paris goal.

The post A Third of Protected Wildlife Areas Marred by Roads and Towns: Study appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

A New Business Sense Helps Bind the Ties Among Northern Alliance Members

Posted: 17 May 2018 06:51 PM PDT

Some ethnic Shan have wondered publicly whether the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) is providing material support to the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) in its fight against the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) after grenades carrying KIA markings were found following a clash between the RCSS and TNLA in Kyaukme Township early this month.

The KIA has produced a range of weapons including sniper rifles, grenades and ammunition for a long time. But some ethnic Shan may not understand this, and have accused the KIA of supporting the TNLA. While it is likely the KIA has been willing to sell the TNLA guns, grenades and ammunition, the deals are more commercial than political. They are also not unique. The TNLA also purchases arms from the United Wa State Army — indeed, almost all the AK-47 guns used by the TNLA come from the UWSA – and have bought weapons from Chinese arms dealers as well. Illegal weapons markets can be found at a number of different spots along the Chinese border, and according to TNLA sources, for the right amount of money, it's possible to buy any type of gun.

The ethnic armed forces based near the Chinese border know how to generate cash, which they then look to invest in a variety of ways to generate returns to finance their revolutions. In March 2017, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), attacked several casinos in Laukkai in Kokang, and made off with US$73 million, according to a report in the South China Morning Post. This set an example for other ethnic rebels groups not just to attack your enemy, but to think about how to use their armed forces to raise money too. The MNDAA justified the attacks by claiming that the casinos belonged to Myanmar Army generals and local Kokang authorities who were former members of the MNDAA.

Following the casino raids, different rumors circulated around the border that the MNDAA would use the cash to set up an arms factory to produce guns. But, other sources in the area said the MNDAA invested the money in businesses in areas controlled by the UWSA and the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA).

The UWSA controls Special Region 2, while the NDAA controls Special Region 4 (Mongla) in the eastern and northern parts of Shan. These two armed groups signed a ceasefire agreement in 1989, and their territories have since seen a range of commercial activity develop. The central government does not have any influence over or enough power to control this region. The UWSA has 30,000 troops, according to the National Reconciliation and Peace Center, while the NDAA has 3,000 men under arms.

Chinese authorities occasionally crack down on illegal money laundering through banks, so the rebel groups do not view it as prudent to keep their money there. They do view it as safe, however, to invest money in the Wa and Mongla regions and even further afield; some say that the MNDAA has invested its casino horde in different enterprises in China.

Members of the Northern Alliance – the KIA, Arakan Army, TNLA and MNDAA — have no shortage of ideas about how to make money, and they understand that is better not to spend it all waging war. They have tried to think ahead about how to make money, grow interest and ensure the have the funds to finance their revolutions in the future.

In their attack on Muse on May 11, the TNLA targeted a casino belong to the Pansay militia, which historically had been involved in the illegal drug business. The TNLA claimed that the casino even belonged to some Burmese officials cooperating with the Pansay militia.

However, the TNLA could not get inside the casino.

The TNLA may have intended to seize laundered money when attacking the casino but motivated by good reasons. Gambling has ruined the lives of many poor people in the region, while the casino also plays a part in the illegal drug trade in the area, they say.

The leaders of the TNLA, AA, and MNDAA want to build their own capitals similar to those established by the KIA, UWSA, and NDAA (Mongla). There are several reasons why. The groups have concluded that if they want to have peace they need their own separate areas. As long as they live among the Burmese, there will be no peace. They point out that the KIA has Laiza, and Mai Ja Yang towns and KIA soldiers have shown they are willing to sacrifice their lives to protect these places.

The TNLA, AA and MNDAA want to set up arms factories similar to those operated by the KIA. The KIA arms factory were initially run by Chinese engineers but in 2015, according to border sources from China, the KIA was able to replace them with their own engineers, who had been trained by the UWSA. Today, the KIA operates the factories on its own.

The Myanmar Army has repeatedly threatened to eliminate the KIA and other armed groups. But, the ethnic armed groups including the UWSA, which is based near the Chinese border, have shown a united front, one built as much on commercial motivations as communal interests.

The post A New Business Sense Helps Bind the Ties Among Northern Alliance Members appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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