Monday, June 11, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Organizers of Myitkyina Anti-War Protest Face Legal Action

Posted: 11 Jun 2018 07:06 AM PDT

MYITKYINA — Police plan to bring charges against the organizers of a demonstration held in Myitkyina on Saturday to mark the seventh anniversary of the resumption of military clashes in Kachin State.

Thousands of people attended a prayer event to mark the anniversary on Saturday at the Manaw Ground in the Kachin State capital. A 17-year truce between the Myanmar Army and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) collapsed on June 9, 2011.

Organizers had received official approval for the assembly. According to police, however, they continued the event beyond the permitted time and staged a drama for which permission had not been granted.

They would be charged under Article 19 of the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law, police said.

"Their agenda for the assembly didn't state that they would stage a drama. And the time allowed was only until 12 p.m. We will bring charges for these two reasons," said Police Major Myint Moe of Myitkyina Township Police.

Describing the event, Kachin Baptist Convention chairman Dr. Hkalam Samson said, "They just reenacted the atrocities of the war. By war, they mean both sides. Those who participated in the performance have suffered for seven years. They just wanted to express their grievances, and everyone should understand that."

The Kachin Peace Network said on Saturday that Yangon authorities had banned the holding of public events to mark the anniversary. The network condemned the ban, saying it was made without a sound reason.

It urged the government to lift restrictions on civilians' freedom of expression in conflict areas, and to protect the fundamental rights of citizens.

According to the Joint Strategy Team, a network of civil society organizations helping internally displaced persons, clashes have forced more than 120,000 people from their homes to 167 camps in Kachin and northern Shan State.

The post Organizers of Myitkyina Anti-War Protest Face Legal Action appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Yangon Lawmakers Say Port Project Short on Specifics, Ask for Details

Posted: 11 Jun 2018 05:34 AM PDT

YANGON — Yangon Region lawmakers today complained about the government’s plans to build a large new port near the mouth of the Yangon River for being short on specifics.

The regional government submitted plans last week for a 1,053-acre multipurpose terminal with a 2.2-km waterfront in Kawhmu Township, in Yangon's south. The government said the new port would also feature a liquid bulk terminal for storing oil imports.

The new terminal would handle both exports and imports as the draught of the river in the area was nine meters, deeper than at the existing Thilawa port nearby, according to the government’s project report.

"As the results of the feasibility study by Royal Haskoning and Surbana Jurong point out, the project has good potential to be successful. That's why the government submits the report about the project to Parliament," the report says.

The government says the project will promote regional development, create jobs and attract foreign investment. But frustrated by the lack of details, six lawmakers on Monday raised several questions and concerns. They wanted to know how much the project would cost, how long it would take to build, and the social and environmental impacts it might have on surrounding areas.

During the discussion, lawmaker U Nay Phone Latt said the project report failed to explain why the new port was needed and how the government would develop it.

"The report says the government could make the most of the project's proximity to the sea. But with the project’s slated oil storage facilities, the government should also care about the new port's social and environmental impacts on local livelihoods," he said.

Fellow lawmaker Daw Soe Pa Pa Hlaing said the project should not be discussed yet because the report was missing the most crucial information of all — how the land, now occupied by farms, would be legally confiscated.

Lawmakers agreed that the government should submit more details about the project.

The speaker asked the government to send a relevant official to the Parliament on Wednesday to explain the project further.

The post Yangon Lawmakers Say Port Project Short on Specifics, Ask for Details appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Coal Miners Given Permission to Resume Controversial Projects in Shan State

Posted: 11 Jun 2018 04:42 AM PDT

The Union government has given permission to two coal-mining companies in Mongkaing Township in southern Shan State to resume operations despite opposition from local people.

The two companies, Pyae Aung Hein and Hein Mitter, received permission to restart their coal-mining operations in Mongkaing after temporarily stopping work following protests by local groups.

Sai Lynn Myat, a member of the Shan State government and the minister of natural resources, environment and electric power, told The Irrawaddy today that the Union government had sent a letter to the Shan State government granting permission for the mines to reopen, but asked the companies to negotiate with local residents to avoid conflicts.

"Our government received a letter dated May 30, allowing those two mining companies to continue working," Sai Lynn Myat said.

The Pyae Aung Hein and Hein Mitter companies were granted permission in 2014 by the central government in Naypyitaw to start coal-mining projects in Mongkaing Township, which is in Loilem District, southern Shan State.

The Shan Herald Agency for News reported last year that the coal-mining operations would cause irreparable damage to 2,000 acres of land, including conifer forests, mountains and farmland.

Local ethnic Shan residents protested several times, and operations at the two mining sites, which are beside each other, were suspended. Hundreds of ethnic Shan protested in May last year to demand the two companies leave the region.

Some ethnic Shan lawmakers including local community leaders sent letters to the Union and state parliaments, and the government asking for the mining operations to cease amid concern they will cause environmental damage in Mongkaing.

The two companies suspended work three months ago, according to local sources, but mining may start up again soon now that they have permission from the Union government.

"Our local people will not accept those mining companies even if the Union government allows them to resume working in our township," said Sai Lon, a state lawmaker in Mongkaing.

"But I heard that the companies will negotiate with our local people, especially with our Buddhist monks. They will try their best to find a negotiated settlement," he said.

"The companies should move out from our region. That is the best way," he said.

Sai Shwe Thein, a senior member of the National League for Democracy from Mongkaing Township said, "We do see it as a good thing that mining companies come and invest in our town. But there needs to be transparency.

"There are lawmakers and community leaders in Mongkaing. The company needs to negotiate and talk with these people. If there is transparency, our local Shan will not demand they leave," he said.

He said the companies also needed to share some of the proceeds from the mines with the local community, as well as support healthcare and education programs, and build better infrastructure for local people.

"There should be a monitoring committee to check that the mining companies are bettering the environment base as they promised," Sai Shwe Thein said.

Local ethnic Shan are worried about water runoff from the two coal-mining operations will pollute the environment and their farmlands. They are also worried about their health as the two mines are only seven miles away from the town area, sources said.

The post Coal Miners Given Permission to Resume Controversial Projects in Shan State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Pao Mon: Mon Kitchen 

Posted: 11 Jun 2018 02:30 AM PDT

MOULMEIN, Mon State — In the Mon State capital of Moulmein, traditional Mon dishes available at Pao Mon or "Mon Kitchen" let visitors experience the local cuisine.

Many restaurants in Myanmar focus on international cuisine, forgetting to promote local dishes. Pao Mon fills that gap.

The restaurant has been in business for two years, featuring sweet, sour and hot flavors, as almost every dish uses dried Marian plum and green chili.

String bean salad. / Pao Mon / Facebook

Pao Mon is a social enterprise run by a team of incredible indigenous women from the Mon Women's Organization (MWO), which aims to empower women. The restaurant was started to preserve Mon tradition and culture, serve local dishes and teach Mon cooking.

The chef, Ngu Wah (aka) Mi Khamoon Khit Chan, had been interested in cooking since she was a child. She joined the MWO in 2001 and contributes her culinary skills to the group.

She said that she just wants others to be able to know about and try Mon dishes. She ensures that the vegetables, fish and meats are all locally sourced when possible to help local farmers. As Mon State is near the Thailand-Myanmar border, the farmers have to compete with imported goods.

Green fish curry with rice. / Pao Mon / Facebook

Along with sharing the food, customers can spend time with the chef, learning how to prepare Mon dishes.

Mi Khamoon Khit Chan's sense of cooking comes naturally, and she has been taught by local elders. She challenges herself and succeeds in creating delicious meals for her customers.

Pao Mon restaurant. / Nyein Nyein / The Irrawaddy

"There are not many restaurants where you can get local dishes. We want to promote our traditional foods. We don't use MSG or artificial flavors. The foods are all natural, fresh and healthy. We try to be sustainable through this social enterprise so that we won't need outside support in the long run," said Mi Kun Chan Non, the vice chair of the MWO.

The MWO's purpose is to empower women in the community through vocational skills such as hand weaving and cooking. Along with community development and social enterprise, it also raises awareness about women's involvement in politics.

Pao Mon is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day except Monday and customers can also order dishes in advance by calling 09425329170. For groups, pre-order is preferred. The restaurant is located on the corner of Myaing Tharyar Road and Third Street, about a 15-minute drive from downtown Moulmein.

A group of three or four that does not pre-order should expect to wait about 25 minutes for their meal to be prepared.

Customers can also buy traditional Mon sarongs and other souvenirs at Pao Mon, as well as enjoying the local food.

The post Pao Mon: Mon Kitchen  appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Chairman Defends Anti-Graft Body After Dismissing Claims Against Ex-Minister

Posted: 11 Jun 2018 01:15 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW — The Anti-Corruption Commission will not forgive anyone if there is strong evidence of graft, commission Chairman U Aung Kyi said at a press conference in Naypyitaw on Saturday.

"We are obliged to take legal action against anyone if there is strong evidence that they were involved in corruption after this [anti-corruption] law took effect. So I'd like to request the aggrieved party or those who witness corruption to file complaints with strong evidence," U Aung Kyi said.

The commission had just announced that it would not be pursuing legal action against former Planning and Finance Minister U Kyaw Win — who resigned last month amid reports that he was under investigation for taking bribes — for a lack of evidence.

The chairman also warned that the commission would file defamation charges, under Article 59 of the Anti-Corruption Law, against those who file complaints with the intention of defaming someone.

U Aung Kyi said the commission has been able to alleviate some of the corruption the public has long endured, comparing the number of complaints filed with the graft-busting body today and in the past.

"Anti-corruption efforts are on the right track," the chairman said.

Since the commission’s shakeup in November, the number of complaints has increased by the month, from 353 in December to 581 in January, 593 in February and 607 in March.

The number hit 640 in April, then nearly doubled to 1,057 in May, said U San Win, the commission’s secretary.

Of the more than 3,800 complaints the commission has received, he said it has handled 3,045.

The commission is only responsible for taking action against corruption and is not responsible for other offenses.

Last week, both houses of the Union Parliament approved a bill amending the Anti-Corruption Law to grant the commission a broader mandate.

Most significantly, the changes give the commission the authority to investigate any civil servant who is seen to be unusually wealthy at its own discretion. Until now, it could only probe allegations of corruption in response to formal complaints filed with strong supporting evidence.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

 

The post Chairman Defends Anti-Graft Body After Dismissing Claims Against Ex-Minister appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

N. Korean, US Officials Meet to Narrow Differences on Eve of Trump-Kim Summi

Posted: 10 Jun 2018 09:30 PM PDT

SINGAPORE — US and North Korean officials were in talks in Singapore on Monday in a late bid to narrow differences before their leaders hold an unprecedented summit meeting aimed at finding ways to end a nuclear stand-off on the Korean peninsula.

North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump arrived in the tropical city-state on Sunday for the historic meeting, which will be the first time leaders of the two countries have come face-to-face.

Key gaps remain over what denuclearization would entail for two countries that have been enemies since the 1950-1953 Korean War, and the officials were trying to push the agenda forward before the leaders meet on Tuesday.

Commenting for the first time on the agenda, North Korea’s state-run KCNA news agency said the two sides would exchange “wide-ranging and profound views” to reset relations. It heralded the summit as part of a “changed era."

Discussions would focus on “the issue of building a permanent and durable peace-keeping mechanism on the Korean Peninsula, the issue of realizing the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and other issues of mutual concern,” KCNA said.

In the lead up to the summit, North Korea rejected any unilateral nuclear disarmament, and KCNA’s reference to denuclearization of the peninsula has historically meant that Pyongyang wants the United States to remove its “nuclear umbrella” protecting South Korea and Japan.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is also in Singapore, said in a tweet that Washington was “committed to the complete, verifiable, irreversible denuclearization of the Korean peninsula."

Many experts on North Korea, one of the most insular and unpredictable countries in the world, remain skeptical Kim will ever completely abandon its cherished nuclear weapons. They believe Kim’s latest engagement is aimed at getting the United States to ease the crippling sanctions that have squeezed the impoverished country.

A Trump administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the US side was entering the talks with a sense of optimism and an equal dose of skepticism given North Korea’s long history of developing nuclear weapons.

“We will not be surprised by any scenario,” said the official.

With the eyes of the world following him, Trump flew into Singapore’s Paya Lebar Air Base aboard Air Force One on Sunday, fresh from a divisive G7 meeting in Canada with some of Washington’s closest allies that further strained global trade ties.

Asked by a reporter how he felt about the summit, Trump said: “Very good."

In a tweet on Monday, he said: “Great to be in Singapore, excitement in the air!”

Kim had arrived hours earlier in a plane loaned by China, which for decades has been North Korea’s only major ally. Both leaders were greeted on arrival by Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.

The summit’s venue is the Capella hotel on Sentosa, a resort island off Singapore’s port with luxury hotels, a Universal Studios theme park and man-made beaches.

"Spur of the Moment"

Trump, speaking in Canada on Saturday, said any agreement at the summit would be “spur of the moment,” underscoring the uncertain outcome of what he called a “mission of peace."

He initially touted the potential for a grand bargain with North Korea to rid itself of a nuclear missile program that has advanced rapidly to threaten the United States.

But he has since lowered expectations, backing away from an original demand for North Korea’s swift denuclearization.

He has said the talks would be more about starting a relationship with Kim for a negotiating process that would take more than one summit.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said US and North Korean officials would hold working-level talks on Monday. She said the US delegation would be led by Sung Kim, a veteran diplomat who recently held talks with North Korean officials.

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Monday’s meeting appeared aimed at making 11th-hour progress ahead of the summit since Sung Kim’s earlier talks did little to narrow a gap between the two sides on the definition of denuclearization or win agreement on tangible commitments from Pyongyang toward dismantling its nuclear arsenal.

Their Entourages

Trump is to meet Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday while Kim has no official agenda.

Kim arrived at Singapore’s Changi Airport after his longest trip overseas as head of state, wearing his trademark dark “Mao suit” and distinctive high-cut hairstyle. He has not left his country since taking office in 2011 other than to visit China and the South Korean side of the border Demilitarized Zone.

Traveling with him were top officials including Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho, Defense Minister No Kwang Chol and Kim Yong Chol, a close aide of Kim who has been instrumental in the diplomacy that culminated in Tuesday’s summit.

Kim Yo Jong, leader Kim’s younger sister, was also spotted in his delegation. She emerged as an influential figure in Pyongyang’s opaque leadership in February, when she led a North Korean delegation to the Winter Olympics in South Korea.

Officials who arrived with Trump include Pompeo, National Security Adviser John Bolton, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders.

Bolton's hardline rhetoric last month infuriated North Korea and nearly derailed the summit. He called for North Korea to follow a “Libya model” in negotiations. Libya unilaterally surrendered its nuclear weapons program in 2003, but its leader, Muammar Gaddafi, was killed in 2011 by NATO-backed rebels.

The post N. Korean, US Officials Meet to Narrow Differences on Eve of Trump-Kim Summi appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Malaysian PM Mahathir Says Growing Countries Need Different Trade Protections

Posted: 10 Jun 2018 09:10 PM PDT

TOKYO — Growing nations like Malaysia need different trade protections and, while Kuala Lumpur is not against trade pacts such as the Trans Pacific Partnership, the TPP must be renegotiated, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Monday.

Mahathir, 92, became premier for the second time last month after Malaysians, angered over accusations of massive corruption, voted out a coalition that had led the country for the six decades since independence.

Mahathir told an international seminar in Tokyo on his first foreign trip since the election that different economies needed different rules in order to compete fairly with giants such as the United States and China.

“Small countries cannot compete on the same terms as bigger countries,” he said on the second day of a three-day visit, during which he will woo Japanese investment and meet Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and other officials.

“We are not completely against the TPP but it needs to be re-negotiated … so that smaller countries would have the chance to compete because they would be given certain handicaps,” he said.

Mahathir said the ideal would be a broad trade pact such as the East Asian Economic Caucus (EAEC) he proposed during his previous administration.

“Yes, I am still in favor of EAEC. In the past, of course, we were not able to do this due to the objections of America, but now America seems to become isolationist again so it is not in a position to demand that we cannot form EAEC,” he said.

Such a group would also be useful in the face of China’s surging economic power.

Mahathir’s visit is seen as a sign of Malaysia’s move away from China, which contentiously pumped billions of dollars into the scandal-tainted administration of ousted leader Najib Razak.

The new government has said some Chinese companies are under suspicion of being used to cover up the graft scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) that contributed to Najib’s downfall.

Mahathir said foreign direct investment should involve bringing in capital and ideas.

“We have to deal with China whether we like it or not, we should deal with it as a group,” he said.

Mahathir did not make any reference to the 1MDB investigations.

He said Malaysia hoped to possibly start a new national car project, perhaps with help from Southeast Asia, but did not give further details.

State-owned Proton was founded in 1983 during an industrialization push in Mahathir’s first term. Its domestic market share peaked at 74 percent a decade later but Geely bought 49.9 percent of the struggling carmaker last year, marking the Chinese automaker’s first push into Southeast Asia.

Mahathir praised the peaceful transition since the election and said he would stay in power as long as the people of Malaysia wanted him.

The post Malaysian PM Mahathir Says Growing Countries Need Different Trade Protections appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Give Us an Identity to Stop Myanmar Exodus, Urges Award-Winning Rohingya Lawyer

Posted: 10 Jun 2018 09:03 PM PDT

LONDON — Stateless Rohingya must be recognized as citizens of Myanmar and given identity documents so they can safely stay in the country instead of fleeing abroad like hundreds of thousands of members of their community, an award-winning lawyer said on Sunday.

Kyaw Hla Aung, a Rohingya lawyer from Myanmar who was named the winner of the Aurora humanitarian prize, has for decades fought for the rights of the world’s largest stateless minority.

Rohingya Muslims are denied citizenship in Buddhist-majority Myanmar where they numbered more than 1 million as of last year.

But about 700,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since August after insurgent attacks triggered a response by the army.

“We belong on this land. This government is denying our citizenship,” Aung told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a phone interview from Armenia, where the award ceremony was held.

“We are citizens of Myanmar, so why have we become stateless?” added Aung, who spent 12 years in prison due to his work. “We cannot keep going from our land to other countries.”

The Rohingya Project estimates there are 4 million Rohingya around the world, the majority living outside their ancestral land since Myanmar excluded them from the country’s recognized ethnic groups in 1982, effectively rendering them stateless.

The United Nations refugee agency says the Rohingya are the biggest minority among an estimated 10 million people who are stateless, a status that deprives them of an identity, rights, and jobs.

The latest exodus of Rohingya Muslims followed a crackdown last August by the military in the northwestern Rakhine state. Rohingya refugees reported killings, burnings, looting and rape, in response to militant attacks on security forces.

The UN and aid agencies have described Myanmar’s counteroffensive as ethnic cleansing, which the state denies.

Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed in January to complete the voluntary repatriation of Rohingya refugees by 2020, followed up by an agreement with the UN last month aimed at eventually allowing those in Bangladesh to return safely and by choice.

Yet Aung said the lack of documents and citizenship for the Rohingya would hinder their ability to go home and resettle.

“How can these people produce their documents for the government? They are trying to do such things to call us stateless,” added Aung, who said he would give most of his $1.1 million prize money to aid groups helping Rohingya refugees.

The Aurora prize runner-ups were Indian campaigner Sunitha Krishnan, co-founder of the anti-trafficking charity Prajwala, and Héctor Tomás González Castillo, a Franciscan friar in Mexico who provides shelter for migrants headed to the United States.

The post Give Us an Identity to Stop Myanmar Exodus, Urges Award-Winning Rohingya Lawyer appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)