Monday, June 25, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Myanmar Now Reporters Threatened With Arrest by Military

Posted: 25 Jun 2018 07:22 AM PDT

YANGON — Military personnel threatened to charge Myanmar Now reporters under the Official Secrets Act and asked them to promise not to disclose to the media their brief detention while reporting on the alleged recruitment of a disabled child soldier, the editor of the news website's Burmese edition said.

The incident occurred outside of the No. (6) Pathein Military Training Camp in Ayeyarwady Region, Zarny Win said.

"They asked them to delete all the data they had," he said.

Win Nan Dar, Kay Zon Nway and Phyo Thiha Cho were briefly detained by military officers while they interviewed the mother of a disabled child soldier outside of the No. (6) Pathein Military Training Camp on Saturday.

An estimated 20 people wearing civilian clothes and claiming to be military officers from the training camp surrounded the Myanmar Now reporters and took them into a house near the camp. Some of them were angry and threatened to charge the reporters under the Official Secrets Act and other laws, Zarny Win said.

"We can't confirm their ranks but I am sure they are not high ranking officers from the military camp," he told The Irrawaddy.

Myanmar Now reporters have been chasing an in-depth story on the alleged recruitment of a disabled child solider who is believed to have been taken to serve at a military division in Pathein Township.

Myanmar Now published the first story on the topic on June 20. It said 16-year-old Thet Min Paing was allegedly recruited by the military three months ago while working on a rubber plantation in Dawei city, Tanintharyi Region, southern Myanmar.

Zarny Win told The Irrawaddy that the reporters went to Pathein city for a pre-arranged appointment with Thet Min Paing's mother. But his mother also had an appointment with the officers inside the camp in the afternoon.

Hoping to get the latest information, the reporters waited until the mother's discussion with military officials had finished. After that, they interviewed the mother outside of the camp. However, the editor said his reporters did not conduct interviews or take photographs inside the camp.

Starting in the morning, Myanmar Now reporters requested permission from camp military officers for an interview to balance the story, but the officers refused.

The military officers seized a memory card from a camera and also inspected computers, phones, bags and a hard disk belonging to the reporters. The military officers also took copies of reporters' ID cards and home addresses, the editor said.

To mediate, the Myanmar Now editor contacted the Myanmar Press Council, Deputy Minister of Information U Aung Hla Tun and the director general of the State Counselor's Office, U Zaw Htay.

The reporters were detained at around 3:00 pm and released at around 5:30 pm, the editor confirmed.

Swe Win, an editor from Myanmar Now, officially posted at around 6:00 pm on Facebook a message thanking the mediators.

"It was a good outcome that they accepted Press Council intervention," Myint Kyaw, a member of the council, said.

When the military has concerns they should always come to the media with them, he added.

During the brief detention, an officer told the Myanmar Now reporters that the military had been re-examining the child solider case after the case was reported on social media.

"However, we have good news. According to the military members [who detained the reporters], the child solider will be released. As far as we know, the [release] process could take one month," the editor said.

The Myanmar Now case comes amid the ongoing detention of two Reuters journalists on suspicion of violating the Official Secrets Act after allegedly being given classified documents by two policemen in 2017.

The Irrawaddy tried several times to contact a spokesperson from the Military True News Information Team regarding the Myanmar Now reporters' brief detention but he did not answer the phone.

The post Myanmar Now Reporters Threatened With Arrest by Military appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Date Set for Third 21st Panglong Conference 

Posted: 25 Jun 2018 06:31 AM PDT

YANGON – The secretariat of the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC) has proposed July 11 as the starting date for the long-waited upcoming third session of the 21stCentury Panglong Peace Conference, and unveiled a tentative schedule for a five-day meeting.

U Zaw Htay, spokesman and director general of the President's Office, told reporters in Naypyitaw after a meeting of the UPDJC secretariat that the plan would be approved by the UPDJC on Friday, June 29.

Throughout this week, the UPDJC secretariat and the working committees on each sector — political, social, economic, land and environment and security — will discuss details of each issue.

The NLD-led 21st Panglong conferences have been conducted twice, in August 2016 and May 2017. The original plan was for the Union Peace Conference (UPC) to meet every six months but the gatherings have been postponed several times and the negotiators have tried to overcome the deadlock by leaving out the key federal principles, or the "package deal" on autonomy, the drafting of state constitutions and non-secession, of the conferences.

U Zaw Htay reiterated that talks on the package deal would resume as soon as the UPC is completed, as agreed during informal talks in late May.

"In the political sector, even though the key political package will not be included, we will focus on the rights of minorities and gender equality as agreed in the informal meetings," he added.

The government will invite the United Nations and international observers as well as national observers and non-signatories of the NCA to the conferences.

"We will follow the framework to hold the conferences, as agreed at the second session (last year), and the non-signatories will be invited as special attendees, [who would have an observer role]," said Khun Myint Tun, the vice chair of the PaO National Liberation Organization, a signatory to the NCA and a member of the UPDJC.

The current non-signatories to the NCA are the Karenni National Progressive Party, Kachin Independent Army, Shan State Progressive Party, United Wa State Army and Mongla's National Democratic Alliance Army, Arakan Army, Ta'ang Nationalities Liberation Army, Kokang's Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Kaplang.

However, U Zaw Htay said further discussion were needed on whether to invite three active armed groups: the TNLA, AA and MNDAA, which are all based in Shan State in northeast Myanmar.

"We will invite the rest of the non-signatories [which are recognized by the government and Tatmadaw]. But we will not invite the Arakan National Council, a member of the United Nationalities Federal Council," added U Zaw Htay.

Htet Naing Zaw contributed to this report from Naypyitaw.

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International Pressure Over Rohingya Crisis Tests NLD, Army Relations

Posted: 25 Jun 2018 05:01 AM PDT

MON STATE — Relations between the National League for Democracy (NLD) government and Myanmar Army appear to be hanging by a thread with State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing at loggerheads over international involvement in the Rohingya crisis.

The state counselor and her party have stopped talking of national reconciliation with the army since U Win Myint became Union president in March, focusing instead on development and improving the rule of law.

Myanmar has come under heavy international pressure over the army’s response to militant Muslim attacks on police posts in Rakhine State in August; the military crackdown that followed has driven some 700,000 mostly Muslim Rohingya to Bangladesh and drawn accusations of ethnic cleansing, even genocide. The International Criminal Court has asked Myanmar to respond by July 27 to a request from the prosecution to try the country for the Rohingyas’ alleged forced deportation.

NLD spokesman U Aung Shin recently said the party would no longer protect human rights abusers, echoing earlier comments by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. In a public address last year on Rakhine State, she said: "Action would be taken against anyone, regardless of race, religion or political standpoint, who violated human rights in Myanmar."

"As our leader said, we will not protect anyone. We will take action against people who violate human rights if anyone is found to have truly done so,” U Aung Shin reiterated.

Asked about the possible fallout from such a policy, the spokesman said the party was not worried.

By allowing the UN’s new special envoy on Myanmar to establish an office in Naypyitaw, he added, the NLD was signaling its willingness to work with the international community in solving the Rohingya crisis.

It is an open secret that Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing did not agree with the state counselor's decision late last month to form an independent three-person commission of inquiry to investigate rights abuses in Rakhine State since the militant attacks in August. On June 11, military representatives in the Union Parliament objected to plans to include a foreign expert among the three, claiming it would make the country vulnerable to foreign interference and put its sovereignty at risk. As military appointees, their remarks can be interpreted as coming from the commander-in-chief.

Some observers say the army chief knows his days in the post are numbered, noting his many recent public appearances — including a visit to flood-hit Mon State — in possible preparation for an election run.

In the meantime, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will use the international pressure on the military over its alleged human rights abuses in Rakhine State to nudge Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing out. The state counselor also enjoys better relations with foreign allies China and the US, further strengthening her hand.

According to the 2008 Constitution it drafted, the military could still take back power from the civilian government. But Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her party won the 2015 elections in a landslide on a wave of popular support. Only time will tell who prevails.

The post International Pressure Over Rohingya Crisis Tests NLD, Army Relations appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rakhine Commission Criticizes Govt Spokesman For Calling it a ‘Shield’

Posted: 25 Jun 2018 03:38 AM PDT

YANGON — In a new report, Myanmar’s Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, chaired by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, has criticized comments made by a government spokesman last year about its supposed purpose.

When asked about the commission’s raison d’etre in July 2017, U Zaw Htay, who is also director-general of the State Counselor’s Office, said it served to protect the government from international criticism.

"Whenever there is an accusation from the international community, we say we are taking action in line with the recommendations of the Kofi Annan commission. The commission is serving as a shield for us," he said at the time.

In a report released earlier this month assessing its own work, “Lessons Learned,” the advisory commission said the spokesman’s comment hurt both the government and the commission.

"Such statements cast doubts on the government's sincerity in addressing the challenges in Rakhine and undermined the credibility of the commission," it said.

The commission said it did not react publicly to U Zaw Htay's comment but submitted a complaint to the Office of State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Amid mounting international pressure over the government’s handling of communal violence in Rakhine State, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi appointed Annan, a fellow Nobel Laureate, to chair the newly formed advisory commission in August 2016. The commission was tasked with advising the government on ways to bring development and lasting peace to a restive region and submitted its report to the state counselor at the end of its one-year mandate.

AI Haj U Aye Lwin, a member of the commission, told The Irrawaddy that the body made a verbal complaint about U Zaw Htay's comment at the time because it risked creating the wrong impression, especially internationally.

"We didn't send a formal complaint letter and communicated verbally about the comment instead,” he said.

U Zaw Htay, an ex-military official, previously served as spokesman for former President U Thein Sein and has drawn criticism for inflammatory statements before, especially those targeting Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State.

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New Yangon City Project CEO Questioned About Role of Chinese Firm

Posted: 25 Jun 2018 02:55 AM PDT

YANGON—Serge Pun, the CEO of the controversial New Yangon City project on Saturday partially disclosed the terms of a deal with a Hong Kong-listed Chinese firm that could see it provide infrastructure for the first phase of the development.

The revelation came amid a question and answer session at a public meeting organized by the New Yangon Development Company (NYDC) to discuss and hear the public's views about the new city to the west of the Yangon River. Property mogul Serge Pun is also the vice chairman of the NYDC, the government body established to oversee the project.

NYDC plans to develop 20,000 acres of land in the first phase of the project. This will include five village townships, two bridges, power plants, water and wastewater treatment plants and a 10-square-kilometer industrial estate generating 2 million jobs. The company says the cost of initial infrastructure work in the first phase is expected to exceed US$1.5 billion.

During the meeting on Saturday in Yangon, audience members and panelists raised concerns about the project's nature, financing and risk, and sought details of China Communications Construction Co. Ltd (CCCC)'s involvement.

The NYDC was formed in March and the Chinese firm became the first company to sign the framework agreement one month later. The press release about the signing ceremony included few details of the contents of the agreement. Serge Pun at the time said the framework agreement itself doesn't give CCCC the right to carry out infrastructure work. Rather, the firm agreed to submit a set of Pre-Project Documents (PPDs) including technical specifications, a financial proposal and a business model for NYDC to review, as part of the first stage of a fair competition.

On Saturday, Serge Pun said that according to the framework agreement NYDC will provide land needed for CCCC, which will invest in building six infrastructure works including bridges, roads, and power and water treatment plants.

"Out of the six, only three will generate income," he said.

He didn't say how many acres of land were offered, adding that the land-leasing price will be the same as that offered by the government to investors in Thilawa, an SEZ project in Thanlyin Township.

He said the agreement includes a joint venture between the NYDC and the CCCC that would allow the NYDC to own a 25-percent share of the investment without putting any money down.

"But we don't have money for 25 percent. So we will invest land worth 10 per cent [of the whole investment] and CCCC has to invest 90 per cent," he said.

To make it fair, Serge Pun told the audience, the NYDC will guarantee the CCCC a 13-percent rate of return on the investment.

He added that the NYDC will let the CCCC take 95 percent of the income from the three infrastructure works that will generate revenue upon completion, while it will take 5 percent, despite its 25 percent holding in the joint venture.

"We will let them take it until they have covered the capital as well as the profit. For us, we will make it in a short time, as our investment is just 10 percent," he explained.

"After that, we will go with a 75-25 percent deal. By doing so, NYDC will own 25 percent of the investment."

He said the Chinese company agreed to the deal as it is economically fair.

When the framework agreement with the CCCC was signed in May, the NYDC said it marked the first stage of the NYDC Challenge Model, an adaptation of the global model of the Swiss Challenge for fair competition and transparency.

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

Once the PPD is submitted and approved by NYDC, it will be made public to allow any qualified party to challenge the agreement with better terms on the basis that it strictly adheres to the terms and conditions of the tender assessment criteria, the NYDC said.

During the meeting on Saturday, panelists and audience members also questioned whether or not the government should be involved in the business, as the NYDC is fully owned by the Yangon government. U Khine Win, one of the panelists, said if the NYDC is doing business it would be against the National League for Democracy's 12-point economic policy, which encourages the vibrancy of the private sector.

"I want every step the NLD government takes to be correct," he said.

But Serge Pun said the NYDC is responsible for bringing in the investors needed to make New Yangon City happen.

"That's the NYDC's business," he said.

The post New Yangon City Project CEO Questioned About Role of Chinese Firm appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

NLD Will ‘Not Defend Any Human Rights Violators’

Posted: 25 Jun 2018 02:48 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW — Myanmar State Counselor and chairperson of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) Daw Aung San Suu Kyi would not defend any individual or organization in the country that violated human rights, said Monywa Aung Shin, secretary of the NLD's information committee.

The Myanmar government's granting of permission to the UN's special envoy to set up an office in the administrative capital Naypyitaw shows that the country needs the international community's recognition and support in solving the Rakhine crisis, he said.

Christine Schraner Burgener, who was appointed as the new special envoy on Myanmar on April 26 by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, visited Myanmar in the second week of June.

She met Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Army chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing and parliamentary speakers during her visit. She also visited Maungdaw in Rakhine State.

"As our leader (Daw Aung San Suu Kyi) has said, we have no reason to defend anybody. If there are violations of human rights, the concerned perpetrators will be punished. We will not defend them. And our party will not be worried about it and neither will our leader," he told The Irrawaddy.

The Myanmar government has been under pressure from the UN and the international community following widespread allegations that the Myanmar Army and security forces violated human rights in their counter-insurgency operation in northern Rakhine State last year.

On Thursday, the International Criminal Court asked Myanmar to reply by July 27 to a request made in April that the ICC should exercise jurisdiction over the alleged crimes in Rakhine State.

Last week, the opposition Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) urged the government to reconsider its decision to let the UN's new special envoy on Myanmar set up an office in Naypyitaw, warning that it could leave the country vulnerable to international interference.

The office will open the way for the Rakhine issue to be brought to the ICC, said U Thein Tun Oo, a former USDP lawmaker of Amarapura Township in the Lower House of Parliament.

"Our party therefore has concerns about the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country. We want our territory to be peaceful and stable," he said.

"I haven't seen any country that can solve their problems peacefully after international bodies come and interfere as if they were their own internal affairs," he added.

Rakhine affairs analyst U Maung Maung Soe said that although he welcomed Myanmar government's cooperation with the UN, there was a need for caution when it came to interaction with UN agencies.

"It is important to make sure that their decisions and actions are not biased. You may notice that even the United States has resigned from the UNHRC," he said.

An NLD lawmaker said on condition of anonymity that Scharner Burgener's attitude towards the Rakhine issue is different from that of former UN special envoy Ms. Yanhee Lee.

"She (Scharner Burgener) can't overstep existing laws in Myanmar," said the lawmaker.

The mandate of the UN special envoy is to investigate alleged human rights violations in Myanmar and to report to the UN secretary general, said U Thein Tun Oo, spokesperson of the USDP. She is not authorized to give orders to the Myanmar government, he added.

"Most of the countries that allowed interference by such [international] persons have ended up breaking up or losing territory."

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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USDP to Contest Upcoming By-Election

Posted: 25 Jun 2018 02:30 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW — The Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) has not made preparations although it has decided to contest the upcoming by-election in November, said party spokesperson Dr. Nanda Hla Myint.

"As a major party, we acknowledge that the election is our political stage. We have a policy to contest. We'll hold a CEC [central executive committee] meeting to decide in which constituencies we'll contest," Dr. Nanda Hla Myint told The Irrawaddy on Saturday.

The CEC meeting is scheduled to be held the last week of June, he said.

The USDP will hold a press conference regarding the Rakhine crisis, the November by-election, and a bill that would allow impeachment proceedings on June 29, and the CEC meeting will be held before that, he said.

The credibility of the Union Election Commission (UEC) is one factor that the USDP considered when deciding whether or not to contest the by-election, he added.

He said that the election body formed under the USDP government did not favor the party. In a 2012 by-election, it decided in favor of the National League for Democracy (NLD) regarding four complaints made by the USDP.

In the 2015 general election and the 2017 by-election, the USDP filed a total of 31 complaints and lost all of them, said Dr. Nanda Hla Myint, who questioned the credibility of the commission.

The commission and the USDP met recently after the latter said at a press conference that it had no trust in the commission.

U Myint Naing, a member of the UEC, responded that the commission is free and independent. "We have always acted freely and fairly in line with the law. We will continue doing so," he told The Irrawaddy.

Four seats in the Lower House, one seat in the Upper House, eight seats in the regional parliaments, totaling 13 seats will be up for grabs in the Nov. 3 election, according to the election commission.

The four seats vacant in the Lower House are Chin State's Kanpetlet Township, Shan State's Laihka Township, Mandalay's Myingyan Township and Yangon's Tamwe Township. The vacant seat in the Upper House is Kachin State Constituency 2. Vacant seats in the regional parliaments are Chin State's Matupi Township, Sagaing's Tamu Township, Bago's Oktwin Township, Rakhine State's Rathedaung Township, Magwe's Minbu Township, Yangon's Seikkan Township and the ethnic Shan constituency for Mandalay's regional Parliament.

The NLD will contest all of the vacant seats, said party spokesperson U Myo Nyunt.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Government to Ignore ICC Request for Response on Rohingya Case

Posted: 25 Jun 2018 01:46 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW — The government will not respond to a request that the International Criminal Court (ICC) consider opening a case over the alleged deportation of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to Bangladesh, government spokesman U Zaw Htay said.

"The ICC has nothing to do with Myanmar. Whatever [steps toward] prosecution the ICC has made, Myanmar has no reason to respond," U Zaw Htay told The Irrawaddy on Friday.

The President's Office called the ICC's demand a deliberate attempt to increase international attention and pressure on the Myanmar government. It said the ICC's demand is not in line with international law, rules, regulations or procedures.

In a decision published on Thursday, the ICC asked Myanmar to respond by July 27 to a request made in April that the ICC exercise jurisdiction over the alleged crimes. The ICC asked Myanmar to submit its views on the court's jurisdiction and the circumstances surrounding the movement of Rohingya across the border into Bangladesh.

"Considering that the crime of deportation is alleged to have commenced on the territory of Myanmar, the chamber deems it appropriate to seek observations from the competent authorities of Myanmar on the prosecutor's request," the ICC said.

Around 700,000 people, mostly Rohingya, have fled Myanmar to Bangladesh since a military counterinsurgency operation in August 2017 that the United Nations has called ethnic cleansing.

The 1998 Rome Statute establishing the ICC was signed and ratified by 123 member states. The statute establishes the court's functions, jurisdictions and structure.

The ICC does not have automatic jurisdiction in Myanmar because it is not a member state. However, prosecution could be possible through Bangladesh, which is a member.

Myanmar signed a bilateral agreement in November providing for the repatriation of Rohingya from Bangladesh. The process has stalled, however, with officials on both sides citing a lack of preparations.

On June 6, the UNHRC and UNDP signed a memorandum of understanding with Myanmar to establish a framework for cooperation to create conducive conditions for the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable repatriation of refugees from Bangladesh and for helping to create improved and resilient livelihoods for all communities living in Rakhine State.

The government also announced plans to form a three-member investigation commission, including an international member. The Lower House of the Union Parliament approved establishing the commission over opposition from the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and the Arakan National Party (ANP).

U Pe Than, a central executive member of the ANP and a lawmaker representing Myebon Township in the Lower House, said the ICC's intervention will only worsen the problem.

"It is the Bengali organizations that triggered the problem. The accusations that security personnel created the problem are unreasonable," he said.

Some lawmakers from the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) told The Irrawaddy that the Myanmar government has no reason to respond to any demands from international agencies including the ICC.

"The United States has resigned from the UNHRC because of its accusations. Even a country like the US, which has championed human rights, has resigned from it because of its prejudice. This explains everything," U Zaw Htay said.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Buddha’s Teaching and the Problems in Rakhine State

Posted: 25 Jun 2018 01:30 AM PDT

As someone who has reached the third phase of life, "the age of seeking Dhamma," according to Buddhist custom, I have realized that the world's other major religions must also have some positive contributions to make to humanity. Based on this idea, I have been studying these other major religions in recent years. On modern media platforms such as YouTube, as well as in recent publications, I have come across several debates and discussions on religion, centering on what it has contributed to human society in positive as well as negative ways. I find many such debates in the Western media are open and frank, contrary to our way — a result of our nation's British upbringing — that "one should not discuss religion." Many such debates, as well as academic studies, also address the issues of religious extremism and religious fundamentalism, which have become a serious global security threat, especially to the Western world, over the past 20 years or so, along with other issues that European countries are currently facing as the result of migration crises.

Many of the scholars and religious leaders involved in these debates and discussions offer amicable criticisms and defenses of each side, based on the relevant teachings and scriptures, as well as on the historical deeds and conduct of the followers of the respective religions. They also offer comparisons with other religions, including Buddhism. Concerning Buddhism, most authors and debaters express amicable opinions, as Buddhism has no place for violence or belligerence in its teachings or in the historical accounts that result from or are stimulated by the teachings. On the other hand, during more heated debates, just to show that other religions are capable of spawning religious extremism and terrorist attacks, terms like "Buddhist Extremists," "Religious Conflicts in Myanmar," "Karma and the Killings" etc. are used to indicate that we, though in a Buddhist country, are also capable of such behaviors and conduct.

As an academic, I surely have no suggestions regarding the ways and means of solving our dilemma and predicament, which our nation has inherited from the events of 19th and 20th centuries. However, as a Buddhist I certainly have objections to fallacies and mistaken assertions. Simply put, my reasoning is as follows: The problems our country is facing are connected with immigration and legal matters; these are not by any means associated with religion or concerned with Buddhism. I shall support this statement with concrete data.

It is a historical fact that the areas of the Rakhine Kingdom, before it was integrated into the rest of the Burmese Kingdom in 1785, covered the Chittagong District and the Chittagong Hill Tracts, presently in Bangladesh. For this reason, of the approximately 160,000 people who live in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, 48% are Theravada Buddhists according to the 2011 Bangladesh census, including three semi-autonomous regions within Bangladesh: Khagrachari, Rangamati and Bandarban.(1) Of the Buddhist community of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, a large percentage is of the Marma ethnic group, the descendants of the Bago-Hanthawaddy Dynasty of the 16th century. (The details of this history can be studied in the relevant literature.)

It is also clear that there was a Bengali population on the Myanmar side before both our countries came under British rule. Among them were Hindu, Muslim and Buddhist Bengalis. Rakhine State became the first part of Myanmar to be annexed to the British Empire, after the First Anglo-Burmese War in 1826. Owing to the administration system introduced by the British, reliable demographic data for Rakhine can be found in the 1872 census, according to which the population of Sittwe District was 276,671, of which 58,255 or 21% were Bengali-Muslims. It is a known fact that population movement was practically free all throughout the colonial period. As a matter of fact, this was the case, with a few restrictions, until the 1980s. Due to this essentially free migration, along with different customs and behaviors, the Bengali-Muslim population of Sittwe District increased 2.7 fold to 33.7% of the total Sittwe population by 1901 (versus only a 1.7-fold increase in the overall population of Sittwe District during the same period). It appears that, regrettably, the last reliable data on the Muslim population of Sittwe District is from the 1931 census, in which the Bengali-Muslim population had increased to 38% of the total population of Sittwe. (Data for 1931-2014 is incomplete; see table below.)

According to the latest data from several media sources, in 2014 there were between 1 and 1.3 million Bengali-Muslims in Sittwe District, in addition to around 1 million living abroad; this gives a total so-called Rohingya population of around 2.3 million. (2) This implies that the so-called Rohingya population increased more than nine-fold between 1931 and 2014, whereas the Sittwe District population itself saw a 1.8-fold increase during the same period. Obviously, this discrepancy and inconsistency can only be attributed to immigration from other regions.

Overall population and Bengali-Muslim population growth in Sittwe District

Source: Census data. (Sittwe District population includes nine townships, as in the British colonial period: Sittwe, Ponnagyun, Pauktaw, Yathedaung, Mrauk U, Kyauktaw, Minbwa, Maungdaw and Bothidaung. What is now Taungpyoletwe Sub-township was formerly part of Maungdaw)

Concerning the term "Rohingya", and the issue of whether they are an indigenous race or not, this term was not known and not used even by Bengali-Muslims themselves until the late 1950s. The British administration was exact and systematic; starting from 1872, the decadal censuses included precise information on race, religion, and indigenous or foreign status. (For example, the Indian population was divided into nine groups, the Chinese into five, etc.) Data was collected in all townships. There was no mention of this race called Rohingya. Another source of information on the indigenous races of Myanmar is the 1931 book "Races of Burma" by Major C.M. Enriquez. (3) He counted and described all the national races of Myanmar, right down to the minute details of their physical stature and appearance, and even the mental characteristics of the national races of Myanmar. The book makes no mention of this race.

Concerning linguistic affiliation, I have dedicated myself considerably to studying the languages and peoples of this region from the time I lived there in the 1980s while working for the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat). One of my assignments was the planning of the Ramu region. (Ramu is an upazila, or sub-region, of Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar District. The Burmese name is Pan Wa — the location of the Battle of Pan Wa during the First Anglo-Burmese War.) The Bengalis in Sittwe District speak a kind of Bengali dialect, the same one that is spoken in Ramu and in Cox's Bazar. It is a branch of the Chittagong-Bengali dialect, considerably different from the standard Bengali that one hears on Bangladesh's national radio or television. The dialect is spoken by the Buddhist, Muslim and Hindu Bengalis in these areas. Buddhist Bengalis from these areas usually have family names like Barua; a common surname of Hindu-Bengalis is Chakrabarti; and Muslim-Bengalis normally have Arabic/Islamic names. Regardless of the faith or which side of the border they live on, the Bengali population in these regions all speak the same dialect. Educated people can also speak standard Bengali.

The truth is that this term, Rohingya, was never widely known, or even used by most ordinary Muslim-Bengalis. I have tested this myself several times during my stay in these areas in the 1980s and also later on during my official duties in Rakhine State in the 1990s. When asked, "What is your ethnicity [lu myo]?" they immediately answer "Bengali." This term "Rohingya" was simply invented by the educated upper class Muslims of this area. Furthermore, it is not logical for any group of people to have such a name, as "Rohin" simply means "Rakhine" in the Bengali language.

The serious animosities in Rakhine started during World War II, in connection with the endeavors to separate Pakistan from India. In the face of the Japanese invasion, the retreating British Army gave weapons to the Bengali-Muslims. In March 1942, there were killings by both sides in northern Rakhine State, in Minbya and Mrauk-U townships.(4) After the war, the Muslim leaders of Rakhine founded the Arakan Muslim League in Sittwe and contacted Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, asking for his assistance in incorporating the Mayu region of Rakhine into Pakistan. The proposal was turned down and never initiated by Jinnah, as that would have been tantamount to interference in the matters of a neighboring country;(5) Jinnah also mentioned this matter to General Aung San during their meeting in 1947, while on his way to England to participate in independence negotiations. (6) Shortly afterwards, some Sittwe Muslims started a rebel organization named "Muja-Hid" prior to Myanmar's Independence in January 1948. (7) In short, these are the main points that prove that immigration is the main source of the issues and the problems that later on resulted in undertakings to achieve separation.

To rebut the accusations that these are religious conflicts, we should remember that Buddha in his lifetime, as Prince Siddhartha or afterwards as Buddha Gautama, never held a sword or any kind of weapon in his hand. There are several verses in the Sutta Pitika concerning hatred and vengeance, and all his teachings and actions are based on tolerance rather than "fighting back". Buddha was once on a battlefield where the armies of two states, the Shakyas and the Kolis, were about to start a war over the use of the water in the Rohni River that ran between Kapilayastu and Koli. Buddha engaged himself between the armies and asked the two warring parties to consider and compare the value of water and that of human blood. This convincing argument ended the matter.

The following are a few of Buddha's teachings concerning war and hatred.

Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world; by non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This a law eternal.

Happy indeed we live, friendly amidst the hostile. Amidst hostile men we dwell free from hatred.

Victory begets enmity, the defeated dwell in pain. Happily, the peaceful live, discarding both victory and defeat. (From Dhammapada, Verses 5, 197 and 201, from the text translated by Acharya Buddharakkhita)

Kyaw Lat is an urban planner and has worked for the United Nations Center for Human Settlements, UN-Habitat in Rakhine State.

Notes:

  1. Chittagong Hill Tracts, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia
  2. Rohingya people, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia
  3. Major C.M. Enriquez, "Races of Burma", Delhi Publishing 1931
  4. Ibidem no. 2
  5. Ibidem no. 2
  6. Bo Gyoke Aung San Ahmat Taya, by Takatho Nay Win
  7. Tint Swe, Kyor Po Eikalay ko Chikar Lway

 

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NLD Stands by Commitment to Amend 2008 Constitution

Posted: 25 Jun 2018 01:21 AM PDT

YANGON — The National League for Democracy stands by its commitment to amend the 2008 Constitution, said a vice chairman of the NLD on Sunday at a press conference following its second congress.

Another aim of the NLD's party congress is to push for the success of nationwide peacebuilding, continued Dr. Zaw Myint Maung, the No. 2 vice chairman of the NLD, who is also the Mandalay Region chief minister.

Dr. Zaw Myint Maung highlighted that the government is trying to solve political problems through political means and peace conferences, where negotiators are trying to achieve democratic federal principles through the Union Accord as a way to amend the Constitution.

In May's conference last year, negotiators including the government, Tatmadaw and ethnic armed organizations who are NCA signatories, reached 37 basic principles for the federal Union and labeled this part one of the Union Accord, but these were criticized for lacking key federal principles.

"Not achieving peace is an obstacle to a flourishing democracy in Myanmar, so we aim to support peace. It is important for our people," Dr. Zaw Myint Maung added.

Under the incumbent NLD, two more ethnic armed groups became signatories to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) in February, which now has 10 signatories. The government is trying to add more and is holding talks with the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) and armed forces based along the Sino-Myanmar border.

U Aung Soe, a member of the government Peace Commission and an NLD lawmaker, also told The Irrawaddy on Sunday that the group is hoping the KNPP will become a signatory to the NCA during the third session of the 21st Century Panglong peace conference slated to be held in mid-July. He did not elaborate, stating that "things could go wrong" if he elaborated on the details while negotiations were still ongoing.

The NLD's peacebuilding efforts and progress were shared with party delegates at the congress, where senior party leaders shared political and public organizing activity reports. The NLD then elected six additional central executive committee (CEC) members and dozens of new central committee members nationwide from its 1,056 delegates on Saturday. The following day, 176 central committee leaders, both old and new, held a discussion on future party activities including the president's aim to develop people's livelihoods, rule of law, peace and national reconciliation, and amending the military-drafted 2008 Constitution. The ruling party also aims to win the upcoming by-election in November and the general election in 2020, and to strengthen the party.

Dr. Zaw Myint Maung, U Nyan Win and Dr. Myo Nyunt, all members of the CEC, answered reporters' queries regarding future NLD activities, progress on the amendment of the 2008 Constitution, promoting the well-being of the public and a younger generation of NLD leadership.

More Needs to Be Done to Fulfill Public Needs

The NLD has been criticized for the economic hardship felt by the general public, as well as its failure to bring peace, particularly in northern Kachin, northeastern Shan and western Rakhine states.

Party leaders stated that they are well aware of the issues they face and that they try to adjust to the needs of the people.

"We are not worried about the criticism as it keeps us informed," said U Nyan Win.

"The public is not saying that democracy is going backward," he replied to a reporter's question. "They are complaining that change is taking too long and that they are in poverty. We need to have real progress in the democratic transition as well as nationwide economic development."

There are some obvious achievements but others are unnoticeable, added U Nyan Win. "We are working toward the policy that we set from the beginning," he said.

U Kel, a member of the Sagaing Region Parliament representing Lahe Township, told The Irrawaddy that he believes the NLD government will continue performing well during its remaining two years in office.

"We cannot say that the NLD has completely lost public support. It has until 2020 to improve its image," said U Kel, an ethnic Naga who is sympathetic toward the leadership and optimistic about overcoming the challenges they face.

The party's senior leaders who are cabinet members stated that they are satisfied with their performance to date but that much remains to be done to fulfill the needs of the public.

"We are satisfied with our performance because we work with good intention," said Dr. Zaw Myint Maung.

NLD Highlights Freedom of Expression

The NLD leaders did not elaborate on successes in relation to campaign promises they made prior to the 2015 election.

"One thing we can highlight is progress in freedom of expression as people take to the streets to voice their demands and criticisms. We welcome this constructive criticism," said Dr. Zaw Myint Maung.

However, the NLD government has been criticized for police forces detaining protesters and charging them under the Unlawful Assembly Act. The government has said that this is because according to the Constitution, the Ministry of Home Affairs is controlled by the military.

Putting the Ministry of Home Affairs under the elected government is one of the key amendments the NLD wants to make, added Dr. Zaw Myint Maung.

"As the home affairs minister is appointed by the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and not directly appointed by the government, it is not easy to address [affairs related to his tasks]. However, it is not that we are not watching over the works of the minister. Our Parliament is monitoring all of the cabinets."

The post NLD Stands by Commitment to Amend 2008 Constitution appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

US Plans Limits on Chinese Investment in US Technology Firms

Posted: 24 Jun 2018 09:16 PM PDT

WASHINGTON — The US Treasury Department is drafting curbs that would block firms with at least 25 percent Chinese ownership from buying US companies with “industrially significant technology," a government official briefed on the matter said on Sunday.

The official, whose comments matched a report by the Wall Street Journal, emphasized that the Chinese ownership threshold may change before the restrictions are announced on Friday.

The move marks another escalation of President Donald Trump’s trade conflict with China, which threatens to roil financial markets and dent global growth.

Tariffs on $34 billion worth of Chinese goods, the first of a potential total of $450 billion, are due to take effect on July 6 over US complaints that China is misappropriating US technology through joint venture rules and other policies.

The Treasury investment restrictions are expected to target key sectors, including several China is trying to develop as part of its “Made in China 2025” industrial plan, the US official said.

Among its objectives, the plan aims to upgrade China’s capabilities in advanced information technology, aerospace, marine engineering, pharmaceuticals, advanced energy vehicles, robotics and other high-technology industries.

The Wall Street Journal also said the US Commerce Department and National Security Council were proposing “enhanced” export controls to keep such technologies from being shipped to China.

Spokespersons for the Treasury, Commerce Department and the White House did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment on the proposed restrictions.

The government official said the Treasury would invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA) to devise the restrictions.

The act gives the president sweeping authority to restrict assets based on national security concerns. IEEPA was invoked broadly after the 9/11 attacks in 2001 to cut off financing for terrorist networks.

The Journal said the administration would look only at new deals and would not try to unwind existing ones, adding that the planned investment bar would not distinguish between Chinese state-owned and private companies.

The White House on May 29 said the Trump administration would press ahead with restrictions on investment by Chinese companies in the United States as well as “enhanced” export controls for goods exported to China, with details to be announced by June 30.

It also said it would unveil a revised list of Chinese goods for tariffs, which it did on June 15.

The post US Plans Limits on Chinese Investment in US Technology Firms appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Singapore Says Trump-Kim Summit Cost Just $12M, After Some Question Expenses

Posted: 24 Jun 2018 09:12 PM PDT

SINGAPORE — Singapore said on Sunday it spent S$16.3 million (USD$12 million) on hosting the summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, less than earlier reports that had angered some locals.

Most of the money went to security, the foreign ministry said, without giving a detailed breakdown.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had earlier estimated the event cost Singapore S$20 million. Foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan had said that included the cost of Kim’s hotel room.

Those reports drew anger from some Singaporeans on social media – though one commentator said it was a small price to pay – the cost of a chicken-rice dish for each citizen – to contribute to regional peace.

Marketing experts said the publicity generated from hosting the summit could be worth more than 10 times the cost to the tiny Southeast Asian city-state.

Trump and Kim spent each spent three days in Singapore for the June 12 summit where the two pledged to work on ending North Korea’s nuclear program and improve ties.

The post Singapore Says Trump-Kim Summit Cost Just $12M, After Some Question Expenses appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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