Thursday, November 15, 2018

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Door Still Open to Rohingya Repatriation, Gov’t Says

Posted: 15 Nov 2018 08:07 AM PST

CHIANG MAI, Thailand—Myanmar said the repatriation process is still open for displaced Rohingya, although no one opted to return from refugee camps in Bangladesh on Thursday.

This is the second failure of the repatriation effort; back in January, not one of the some 700,000 refugees in Bangladeshi camps was repatriated, though the government said Myanmar made the necessary preparations for the repatriation of displaced people.

After 10 months, at the end of October, Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed to repatriate Rohingya on a voluntary basis this week, a year after they left their homes following military clearance operations in response to attacks on security posts by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army in August last year.

A total of 2,261 people from 425 households were approved for repatriation at the meeting of the Joint Working Group of Myanmar and Bangladesh led by officials from both Foreign Affairs ministries in October.

Myanmar has prepared to accept 150 people per day at the repatriation center in Maungdaw Township, northern Rakhine State. On Thursday afternoon, the minister of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, Dr. Win Myat Aye, accompanied by his deputy U Soe Aung; the minister of Immigration and Population U Thein Swe, and Rakhine State Chief Minister U Nyi Pu, were waiting for refugees at the Taungpyo Letwei repatriation center, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

MOFA's permanent secretary U Myint Thu held a press conference regarding the repatriation situation on Thursday afternoon in Naypyitaw.

Even though no one has been repatriated yet, he said, "Myanmar has opened the process and will accept anyone who is ready to come back voluntarily. Myanmar will keep collaborating with neighboring Bangladesh for the voluntary, safe and dignified return of the displaced."

U Myint Thu, who is also a chair of the Joint Working Group of Myanmar and Bangladesh for the refugee repatriations, said collaboration would continue as the governments' JWG has a mechanism for the repatriation process.

China, India, Japan and ASEAN countries have been assisting the repatriation and rehabilitation process for Rohingya and more than 1,000 houses have been built.

Hundreds of Rohingya protested at Unchiprang camp in Teknaf, in Bangladesh, from where the first batch of the Rohingya families were to repatriate, on Thursday. They demanded justice and a guarantee of security and citizenship status.

Myanmar has made it clear that everyone has to go through the verification process as a standard procedure and those who can present proper documentation would be provided national verification cards and then go through the citizenship verification process.

"It is the will of those people to come back. If they come back and go through the process, we will make sure that their citizenship verification process would take less than five months," U Myint Thu told the reporters.

Human Rights Watch and UNHCR expressed concerns that Myanmar is not yet ready for the refugee repatriation.

"When they are saying that we are not yet ready, we wonder what standard they are using. We have been ready since January. We have arranged for villagers to be able to return to their villages once they arrive at the repatriation centers," U Myint Thu said.

He said they have established three categories of people among those who crossed the border into Bangladesh. They are: those who want to resettle in third countries; those who took part in the ARSA attacks against the security forces, either voluntarily or forced by ARSA; and those who want to return voluntarily as they have relatives and businesses in Rakhine State.

He said the first two groups would definitely not want to come back to Myanmar. But the UNHCR should focus on the latter group of people "so that the repatriation process would be smooth," he said. If only those who do not want to return are interviewed then there would be no one to return to Myanmar.

The UNHCR in Bangladesh was asked by Bangladesh authorities to make sure whether the short-listed returnees really want to go back.

Dr. Win Myat Aye, who met with reporters in Sittwe on Thursday evening, also urged the Bangladesh authorities and UN agencies to collaborate as per the agreement between them.

Htet Naing Zaw in Naypyitaw contributed to this report. 

The post Door Still Open to Rohingya Repatriation, Gov't Says appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Bangladesh Declines to Start Repatriation of Rohingya amid Protests

Posted: 15 Nov 2018 07:04 AM PST

DHAKA—Bangladeshi authorities have yet to start repatriation of the first group of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar from Unchiprang camp in Cox's Bazar amid protests and a lack of willingness among the refugees to leave their camps.

After waiting for a day and bringing five buses to carry the Rohingya to the departure area, Bangladeshi officials said they could not be cruel to the "forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals."

"We cannot forcefully send them back as we want them to volunteer. We cannot be cruel with them," Bangladesh Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammad Abul Kalam told The Irrawaddy on Thursday evening after a day of trying to persuade them to return.

He said they even asked the refugees to pay preliminary visits to the facilities prepared by the Myanmar government for the Rohingya but none cooperated with Bangladeshi officials.

Several hundred Rohingya joined a protest at the camps as the Bangladeshi authorities brought five buses to carry 27 Rohingya families from Unchiprang to the departure point in Teknaf to start repatriation to Myanmar.

During the demonstration in Unchiprang, the Rohingya were seen holding handwritten placards in English. "We never return to Myanmar without citizenship and our rights," read one placard held by a youth. Another teenager was seen holding a sign that said in English: "We want justice".

Rohingya leaders in the vicinity alleged that they were under intense pressure from Bangladesh authorities to convince fellow Rohingya to leave, but none showed a willingness amid the protests.

Unchiprang Rohingya community leader Mohammad Yusuf told The Irrawaddy they wanted to return home but were not convinced by the "words" of the Myanmar authorities during the last discussion they held with a Myanmar delegation in the Kutupalang camp in Cox's Bazar on Oct. 31.

Mohammad Yusuf said that until their citizenship and security, among other rights, were confirmed, they would not return.

"The Myanmar authorities already have our names in their hands, so why do they need to verify us?" he said. "Our houses were gutted in 2012 and they announced those would be repaired. But it was not done.  We do not trust them [the Myanmar government] as they did not keep their promise."

He said they had come to Bangladesh after Myanmar came up with the idea of issuing National Verification Cards (NVC) for Rohingya.

"If we have to receive the NVC again after we return, we will leave the camps here and will commit suicide by jumping in the river," he said.

Myanmar does not recognize Rohingya among the native ethnic groups eligible for citizenship, and most Rohingya say the NVCs the government wants to issue them would only entrench their status as second-class residents.

On Oct. 31, Bangladeshi and Myanmar officials agreed to start repatriation of 2,200 individuals from Nov. 15.

The Rohingya leaders said 62 families were prepared by Bangladesh officials for repatriation on Nov. 15, 16 and 17.

"Our people here will remain tense until Nov. 17," said Yusuf.

Earlier in the day, the New York-based rights group Human Rights Watch issued an "immediate release" calling upon the Bangladesh government to halt the Rohingya repatriation plan, saying conditions would be unsafe "until Myanmar ensures rights and security".

HRW said the Bangladesh authorities have deployed the army in refugee camps ahead of carrying out a plan to repatriate the first group of 2,200 Rohingya refugees which the Cox's Bazar police described as joint security patrol around the camps.

"The Bangladesh government will be stunned to see how quickly international opinion turns against it if it starts sending unwilling Rohingya refugees back into harm's way in Myanmar," said Bill Frelick, refugee rights director at Human Rights Watch.

The HRW statement also said that—under pressure from China—Bangladesh and Myanmar officials met in Dhaka on Oct. 30 and 31 to hold the third meeting of a joint working group to implement a bilateral repatriation agreement signed in November 2017.

Officials in Bangladesh said they had built two checkpoints along the border—one each for refugees returning by land or by water—where they will be handed over to Myanmar authorities.

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has been advocating for the voluntary and sustainable repatriation of the refugees to their places of origin or choice. It recently said that conditions in Myanmar were "not yet conducive for returns."

The UN agency has started an assessment of the Rohingya's willingness to return.

The U.S. Embassy in Dhaka issued a press release on Thursday regarding the recent visit of U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration in Africa and Asia, Richard Albright, to the Kunapara border crossing, Rohingya camps including the UNHCR Transit Center, as well as a number of facilities in Cox's Bazar.

In the press release, the US said it had provided more than US$345 million to assist Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh since the start of the current crisis in August 2017.  In addition, the U.S. has contributed 40 per cent of the total contributions to date to the 2018 Joint Response Plan.

The release said that the U.S. is following developments closely regarding the joint plans of Bangladesh and Myanmar to repatriate Rohingya.

"We agree with the UNHCR's assessment that conditions in Myanmar are not yet conducive for returns," the statement stated, adding, "Full access to Myanmar is needed to understand the conditions in the areas of return and to allow refugees and internally displaced persons to make an informed choice about returning."

In his meetings with government officials, the statement said, Albright emphasized the value of go-and-see visits, as recommended by UNHCR, to enable Rohingya refugees to visit their villages of origin and the transit facilities in Myanmar so that they and their families can make informed choices about voluntary returns.

The post Bangladesh Declines to Start Repatriation of Rohingya amid Protests appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

ASEAN will Continue to Support Myanmar in Resolving Rakhine Issues

Posted: 15 Nov 2018 05:22 AM PST

YANGON—Ten-member Southeast Asian bloc, ASEAN, has announced that it will continue its support for Myanmar in efforts to ensure "sustainable and equitable" development in Rakhine State, where violence which spurred an exodus of Rohingya Muslims to nearby Bangladesh was labeled by the United Nations as ethnic cleansing.

The chairman's statement from the 33rd ASEAN Summit held from Nov. 12- 15 in Singapore added that the bloc will also continue to help Myanmar to bring peace, stability and rule of law to the area and to help promote harmony and reconciliation among the various communities there.

Rakhine State, especially near its northern border, has been reeling from sectarian violence, mainly between Rohingya Muslims and ethnic Rakhine, since 2012. Last year, nearly 700,000 Rohingya fled to nearby Bangladesh after security forces' clearance operations in the area following Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army attacks on police outposts there.

The fleeing Muslims accused the security forces of rape, arbitrary killings and arson attacks on their properties, causing an international outcry for action to be taken against those who committed the atrocities. They also condemned the country's de facto leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, for staying silent on the issue, accusing her of failure to use her moral authority.

On Wednesday, US Vice President Mike Pence grilled her during their brief meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit, pressing the point that the persecution of the Rohingya was "without excuse" and asking her about progress in resolving the issue.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi responded, "We can say that we understand our country better than any other country does. And I’m sure you will say the same of yours, that you understand your own country better than anybody else does.”

The statement released by the chairman of the summit on Thursday said the humanitarian situation in Rakhine was a matter of concern but added that ASEAN stands ready to support Myanmar in its repatriation of Rohingya who voluntarily want to return to the country.

On the same day, Bangladesh and Myanmar intended to start the repatriation process for the first batch of verified displaced persons. Instead, the Rohingya held a protest, saying they would never return to Myanmar without their (Myanmar) citizenship being officially granted. No refugees came forward for repatriation.

Myanmar authorities on Thursday evening said the repatriation is still open and that they have no comments on the protests staged.

The summit statement said ASEAN welcomes the invitation extended by Myanmar to the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance (AHA Centre) to dispatch a needs-assessment team to identify possible areas of cooperation in Rakhine State in order to facilitate the repatriation process.

"We also welcomed Myanmar's commitment to ensuring safety and security for all communities in Rakhine State as effectively as possible, and to facilitating the voluntary return of displaced persons to Myanmar in a safe, secure and dignified way," it said.

The statement also stressed that Myanmar must find a comprehensive and durable solution to

address the root causes of the conflict and to create a conducive environment for the affected communities to rebuild their lives by fully implementing the remaining recommendations of the Advisory Commission's Report on Rakhine State.

"We expect the Independent Commission of Enquiry established by the government of Myanmar to seek accountability by carrying out an independent and impartial investigation of the alleged human rights violations and related issues," it added.

The post ASEAN will Continue to Support Myanmar in Resolving Rakhine Issues appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Govt to Name Finalists For Yangon Elevated Expressway Project This Month

Posted: 15 Nov 2018 05:22 AM PST

YANGON — Companies shortlisted for a contract to build an elevated expressway in Yangon aimed at alleviating the city’s traffic woes will be named by the end of the month, the Construction Ministry said Thursday.

A total of 12 local and international companies submitted prequalification applications between early September and Tuesday to develop Phase 1 of the project. They include two Chinese-Myanmar consortiums, a Thai-Japanese-Myanmar consortium, a Thai-Chinese consortium, four companies from China and one each from France, Korea, the Philippines and Japan.

U Kyi Zaw Myint, a deputy director-general at the Ministry of Construction, said some of the 53 companies that expressed interest in the project formed consortiums to submit applications together.

He said the ministry would announce the applicants who meet its qualification criteria later this month. The shortlisted companies will then get to submit proper project proposals.

The planned four-lane ring road will connect downtown Yangon, Yangon Port, Yangon International Airport, the Mingaladon Industrial Zone and the Yangon-Mandalay Highway.

The project will be implemented through a public-private partnership and is expected to spur economic development by improving connectivity across Yangon.

U Kyi Zaw Myint said Phase I would connect Dawbon Bridge, Pazundaung Township, the Mingaladon Industrial Zone and Yangon International Airport.

President U Win Myint has formed a steering committee to oversee the development of the expressway including Yangon’s chief minister and deputy construction minister and the Union ministers for construction, transport and communication, planning and finance, and electricity and energy.

The International Finance Corporation, the private lending arm of the World Bank Group, has been appointed the project’s exclusive lead adviser.

The winning bid will be announced by June 2019 and construction would take about two-and-a-half years, U Kyi Zaw Myint said.

The post Govt to Name Finalists For Yangon Elevated Expressway Project This Month appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Laxer Rules of Foreign Banks to Spur Trade, Central Bank Says

Posted: 15 Nov 2018 04:10 AM PST

YANGON — The Central Bank of Myanmar said its decision last week to let foreign banks operating in the country lend and provide other services to domestic companies will help exporters limited by local lenders finance their trade with the rest of the world.

"We expects that they [foreign banks] will mainly provide foreign currency to the local corporations, particularly to finance trade, which would support the country's trade sector," central bank Deputy Governor U Soe Thein said at a press conference in Yangon on Wednesday to explain the new rules.

"Foreign Banks will be able to provide financing and other related banking services in foreign currencies as well as in Myanmar kyats," U Soe Thein said.

Central Bank Deputy Governor U Soe Thein speaks at a press conference in Yangon on Wednesday. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy

Fellow Deputy Governor U Bo Bo Nge said foreign banks can now provide full trade financing services and that the central bank will no longer fix interest rates for foreign currencies but let them float with the market. Interest rates for kyat loans by domestic banks will not be allowed to exceed 13 percent, however.

The central bank allowed foreign banks to open branches in Myanmar five years ago, but only to finance foreign companies in foreign currencies. There are now 13 foreign banks from China, Japan, Singapore and elsewhere operating in the country, versus 25 private local lenders.

In December three foreign banks — ANZ, MUFG and China’s Industrial and Commercial Bank — were allowed to proved trade financing for exports only.

Myanmar's exporters have had a hard time accessing financing for international trade; local banks only issue loans against collateral. And since foreign banks cannot lend to them in Myanmar, they have had to provide letters of credit — a form of payment that provides a guarantee from a creditworthy bank — through brokers in offshore centers such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Thailand.

According to the central bank, foreign lenders cannot accept immovable property such as real estate and buildings as collateral. But they can accept gold, treasury bonds and other related properties in line with international standards.

"We were concerned there would be some problems with immovable property if the properties were handed to the foreign banks, so we restricted it," U Soe Thein said.

The deputy governor said foreign banks were not allowed to provide retail banking services such as fixed deposit savings accounts or cards, either. But they can now provide letters of credit in Myanmar.

U Bo Bo Nge said the central bank also had plans to change rules that currently let domestic banks accept only immovable property when making loans, a practice that has been blamed for raising land prices.

Central Bank Deputy Governor U Bo Bo Nge speaks at a press conference in Yangon on Wednesday. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy

Since the National League for Democracy took power in early 2016, the government has been slow to reform the banking sector. These recent reforms, however, have signaled its willingness to open up to foreign liquidity to alleviate the low circulation of foreign currencies among domestic banks, a challenge that has recently destabilized the kyat’s exchange rates.

The businesses community has welcomed the reforms, hoping they will help meet the high demand for US dollars and stabilize the kyat.

But U Soe Thein cautioned that the foreign banks have tougher lending criteria and that to access their loans local businesses will have to prepare budgets, tax receipts, convincing business plans and other legal documents.

Some local banks have also been complaining that, with their superior technology, services and capital, foreign banks were at a distinct advantage.

Undeterred, the central bank said foreign banks will be allowed to open more branches in Myanmar in the coming years.

"We are no longer restricting foreign banks from doing business in the country just because the local banks are not ready yet." U Soe Thein said.

The post Laxer Rules of Foreign Banks to Spur Trade, Central Bank Says appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Two Badly Burned as Fireworks Fall on Crowd at Balloon Festival

Posted: 15 Nov 2018 03:19 AM PST

MANDALAY—At least two people were seriously injured when a frame carrying fireworks fell from a hot-air balloon onto a crowd of onlookers on the opening day of the annual Fire Balloon Festival in Taunggyi, southern Shan State, on Wednesday.

According to the festival committee, a frame carrying about 50 kg of burning fireworks fell from the fire balloon belonging to the Dat-Khae team onto a crowd of spectators below.

"Ropes holding the frame to the balloon snapped while the balloon was in the air. The frame fell onto the crowd and two people were seriously injured," said U Than Zaw, the head of the festival committee.

The committee said one young man received burns to about 15 percent of his body, mostly on his right leg and arm, and another suffered burns to his hand.

"They are in stable condition after receiving medical treatment in hospital. About three or four other spectators received minor injuries and had to run for their lives," U Than Zaw said.

According to the committee, the field where the festival was held was overcrowded for the festival's opening ceremony on Wednesday.

"Every year, we warn spectators not to approach the fire balloons, especially those carrying fireworks, as it is potentially dangerous if anything goes wrong. However, yesterday was the opening ceremony and the field was overcrowded, making it hard for spectators to escape the accident," U Than Zaw said.

Dozens of fire balloon teams compete for prizes at the Taunggyi Fire Balloon Festival, which is one of the most famous and significant cultural celebrations in Myanmar. Accidents are common, with at least one or two people injured most years, either during preparations for the festival or during the event itself. Fatalities have occurred.

The festival continues until Nov. 22—the Full Moon Day of Tazaungmone—with hundreds of teams from Taunggyi and surrounding villages competing to send the grandest and most beautiful hot-air balloons aloft.

This year a total of 81 teams entered fireworks-bearing hot-air balloons, 42 teams entered lantern-decorated balloons, and 291 teams entered animal-shaped balloons.

The post Two Badly Burned as Fireworks Fall on Crowd at Balloon Festival appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ethnic Pa-O Forced to Participate in Pro-Military Rally

Posted: 15 Nov 2018 02:02 AM PST

Hundreds of ethnic Pa-O were forced to join a pro-military rally in Taunggyi, the capital of Shan State on Wednesday according to a number of community leaders.

Khun Soe Myint, general secretary of the United National Pa-O Organization told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that many members of the ethnic Pa-O community living close to Taunggyi live in fear under the control of the authorities and had no choice but to join the rally.

"Those who attended the pro-military rally were ethnic Pa-O but they don't represent the entire Pa-O ethnicity," he said.

There are two types of authorities controlling Pa-O areas in Myanmar—some areas are run by government-appointed village leaders while others are under the authority of village leaders appointed by the PNO.  The PNO was originally an armed group serving as a local militia until it signed a ceasefire with the Myanmar government in 1991.

Khun Soe Myint said that government authorities involved in the rally forced local Pa-O people to join it.

He said that his party is still investigating whether the rally participants—many of whom came from southern parts of Taunggyi Township—were paid to join the event.

Saw Khun Kyaw Win, a member of the Pa-O National Organization (PNO)'s central executive committee, denied that his party was involved in the rally or that it forced local Pa-O people to join it.

He said that the government group Social Networking and National Security Centre (SNNS) did not contact his party for help with the rally this time. SNNS did, however, ask them for assistance for a previous pro-military rally.

"As a political party, we did not have any cooperation with them. However, it is our principle to accept the Tatmadaw (Myanmar army) as protectors of the country. But our Pa-O people did not need to join the rally," he said.

While denying the PNO's involvement in the rally, Saw Khun Kyaw Win couldn't confirm whether other local militias were involved.

He said that the authorities were involved in forcing local people to join the rally: "Our ethnic people were used. [The authorities] used them."

For a previous pro-military rally in Taunggyi, SNNS members came to meet the PNO asking for cooperation in the rally, but he said that despite his party agreeing to cooperate, members did not ultimately get involved in it.

Khun Myo, director of Kaung Ywai Youth in Taunggyi, said authorities sometimes threatened to kick people out of the village if they refused to join the rally.  At least one person from each house was required to attend it.

"Some local people did not know exactly what they were going to the town for. They understood they were going for a meeting only but they joined the rally when they got into the town of Taunggyi," said Khun Myo.

Pro-military rallies have been held three times in Taunggyi already and the authorities acted similarly each time, he said.

He said that the local people are worried that other ethnic groups will hate the Pa-O people for their participation in the military rally.

Despite some residents and political group in Taunggyi asking the government not to go ahead with the pro-military rally, the event proceeded as planned on Wednesday starting at noon in the center of Taunggyi and ending at 4pm. Hundreds of ethnic Pa-O showed up to the rally wearing their traditional clothing.

Residents said the rally would cause disturbances to the large number of visitors flocking to Taunggyi this week for the major annual Tazaungdaing hot air balloon festival.

The post Ethnic Pa-O Forced to Participate in Pro-Military Rally appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rohingya Protest in Bangladesh as Repatriation Postponed

Posted: 15 Nov 2018 01:44 AM PST

COX'S BAZAR, Bangladesh—Hundreds of Rohingya Muslim refugees in Bangladesh protested on Thursday against any attempt to send them back to Myanmar after sources in Bangladesh said the launch of a repatriation plan had been postponed.

Bangladesh had begun preparations to repatriate an initial batch of Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar on Thursday, in line with a plan agreed with Myanmar in October.

But there have been extensive doubts about the plan and it has been opposed by the UN refugee agency and aid groups, who fear for the safety of the Rohingya in Myanmar, and by many Rohingya in the camps in Bangladesh.

"No, no, we won't go," hundreds of Rohingya protesters chanted in the Unchiprang camp in southeast Bangladesh, near the Myanmar border.

Some protesters also waved placards that said "We want justice," and "We will never return to Myanmar without our citizenship."

More than 700,000 Rohingya fled a sweeping army crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine State last year, according to UN agencies. The crackdown was launched in response to Rohingya insurgent attacks on security forces.

The Rohingya refugees say soldiers and Buddhist civilians massacred families, burned hundreds of villages and carried out gang rapes. UN-mandated investigators have accused the Myanmar Army of "genocidal intent" and ethnic cleansing.

Myanmar denies almost all of the accusations, saying its security forces have been engaged in a counter-insurgency operation against terrorists.

Earlier, three sources directly briefed on the issue said repatriation would not begin on Thursday as none of those selected to go back had agreed to.

"Nobody wants to go back," said one of the sources.

The repatriation of a first group of 2,200 refugees was to begin on Thursday, and officials in Myanmar had said they were ready to receive the returnees.

But Bangladesh has vowed not to force anyone to return and it has asked the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to make sure those short-listed to return really want to go back.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said Bangladeshi officials were due to meet Myanmar counterparts at a border crossing to inform them that no one had agreed to return.

The Bangladesh government declined to comment.

Unverified images on social media showed officials on the Myanmar side of the border waiting at a reception center.

UN rights boss Michelle Bachelet called on Bangladesh on Tuesday to halt the repatriation plan, warning that lives would be put at "serious risk".

The UN human rights office continued to receive reports of ongoing violations committed against Rohingya in Myanmar—including alleged killings, disappearances and arbitrary arrests, Bachelet said.

Myanmar does not consider the Rohingya a native ethnic group and most are stateless. Many in the Buddhist-majority country call the Rohingya "Bengalis", suggesting they belong in Bangladesh.

The post Rohingya Protest in Bangladesh as Repatriation Postponed appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Development Foundation Returns 3.3B Kyats to Irrawaddy Govt

Posted: 14 Nov 2018 11:15 PM PST

PATHEIN, Irrawaddy Region — A development foundation led by ministers of the previous Irrawaddy Region government has returned 3.3 billion kyats, which it had held in banks, to the current regional government.

The Ayeyarwady Health and Education Multi-Developments Foundation has to give back a total of 5.2 billion kyats, which former Irrawaddy Region Chief Minister U Thein Aung allegedly transferred to the foundation before handing power to the new government in early 2016.

The previous regional administration had raised funds for regional development by organizing concerts and soliciting contributions from local businesses.

The foundation on Nov. 1 returned some 3.3 billion kyats to the current government, the regional parliamentary speaker U Aung Kyaw Khaing informed lawmakers on Wednesday.

The government has also instructed that 400 million kyats invested in joint ventures with three private companies be returned within 30 days and more than 860 million kyats lent for 28 regional development projects be returned within 60 days.

"Those funds will be used in line with financial regulations for the development of the region," said regional parliamentary speaker U Aung Kyaw Khaing.

Secretary of the foundation U Kyi Aung said the remaining money would be returned in the set timeframe as instructed.

The investigation into missing funds started after U Zayar Min Thein, a lawmaker representing Pyapon (1) in the local legislature, asked the Irrawaddy Parliament in 2016 if the previous administration had handed over the regional development funds to the new government.

On instructions from the President's Office, the Auditor General's Office carried out an investigation and reported back that the funds should be reclaimed from the foundation.

The President's Office then instructed the current regional government to reclaim the funds.

The foundation offered to provide records of the savings accounts, accounts receivables and loan contracts, but the administration insisted that the funds be returned in cash. So, there have been delays in the return of the funds.

The foundation, despite having to give back billions of kyats, will continue to engage in promoting the health and education sectors of the region, which is its primary objective, said U Kyi Aung

"Members of our foundation will work to get financing to continue our operations," said U Kyi Aung.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Safety Apps Map Hotspots of Harassment of Indian Women

Posted: 14 Nov 2018 10:28 PM PST

LONDON — New web and phone apps in India are helping women stay safe in public spaces by making it easier for them to report harassment and get help, developers say.

Women are increasingly turning to technology to stay safe in public spaces which in turn helps the police to map "harassment prone" spots—from dimly lit roads to bus routes and street corners.

Safety is the biggest concern for women using public and private transport, according to a Thomson Reuters Foundation survey released on Thursday as improving city access for women becomes a major focus globally.

"Women always strategize on how to access public spaces—from how to dress to what mode of transport to take, timings and whether they should travel alone or in a group," said Sameera Khan, columnist and co-author of Why Loiter? Women And Risk On Mumbai Streets.

Indian government data shows reported cases of crime against women rose by more than 80 percent between 2007 and 2016.

The fatal gang rape of a young woman on a bus in New Delhi in 2012 put the spotlight on the dangers women face in India’s public spaces.

The incident spurred Supreet Singh of charity Red Dot Foundation to create the SafeCity app that encourages women across 11 Indian cities to report harassment and flag hotspots.

"We want to bridge the gap between the ground reality of harassment in public spaces and what is actually being reported," said Singh, a speaker at the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s annual Trust Conference on Thursday.

The aim is to take the spotlight off the victim and focus on the areas where crimes are committed so action can be taken.

Dimly lit lanes, crowded public transport, paths leading to community toilets, basements, parking lots and parks are places where Indian women feel most vulnerable, campaigners say.

Stigma attached to sexual harassment and an insensitive police reporting mechanism result in many cases going unreported, rights campaigners say.

But apps like SafeCity, My Safetipin and Himmat (courage) promise anonymity to women reporting crimes and share data collected through the app with government agencies such as the police, municipal corporations and the transport department.

"The data has helped in many small ways," said Singh of the Red Dot Foundation.

"From getting the police to increase patrolling in an area prone to ‘eve-teasing’ to getting authorities to increase street lighting in dark alleys, the app is bringing change."

Police in many Indian cities, including New Delhi, Gurgaon and Chandigarh, are also encouraging women to use apps to register complaints, promising prompt action.

"Safety apps are another such strategy that could be applied by women but I worry that by giving these apps, everyone else, most importantly the state, should not abdicate its responsibility towards public safety," said Khan.

The post Safety Apps Map Hotspots of Harassment of Indian Women appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Eyes to the Sky for Taunggyi Hot Air Balloon Spectacle

Posted: 14 Nov 2018 10:12 PM PST

Wednesday Nov. 14 saw the opening of the country's largest hot air balloon festival in Shan State’s cool capital and events will continue for one week up to the November full moon of Tazaungdaing.

After nightfall each evening, handmade decorative hot air balloons, with a frame of fireworks attached, are launched into the air amid music and dance as the balloon-making teams celebrate the successful launch from the ground below, while the fireworks explode in the air above the crowd of thousands of festival-goers.

The schedule of balloons for the first day of the festival saw 13 balloons launched, including some traditional candle-lit balloons.

The festival will continue until Nov. 22.

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US Returns ‘Bells of Balangiga’ to Philippines a Century After Clash

Posted: 14 Nov 2018 09:55 PM PST

F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyoming — US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Wednesday formally returned church bells to the Philippines that were taken as war trophies over a century ago following gruesome clashes, seeking to close a contentious chapter in the two allies’ shared history.

The decision to return the “Bells of Balangiga” to the Philippines ends a decades-long quest by Manila, including by President Rodrigo Duterte, and is expected to bolster US-Philippines relations.

But it has upset some US veterans and Wyoming’s delegation to the US Congress, which uniformly opposed returning bells that were a memorial to the 45 US soldiers who were killed during a surprise attack on Sept. 28, 1901, in the central town of Balangiga.

Two of the three bells have been on display at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming. The third bell is at a US Army museum in South Korea.

Mattis, speaking at a ceremony at the air force base attended by the Philippines ambassador to the United States, said the Philippines has proven itself as a great US ally in conflicts over the century since that clash. He said the sacrifices of US forces would not be forgotten.

“To those who fear we lose something by returning these bells, please hear me when I say: Bells mark time, but courage is timeless,” Mattis said. “It does not fade in history’s dimly lit corridors.”

In Manila, the Philippines’ Foreign Affairs Department cheered the move.

“Today is a time of solemn remembrance as we pay tribute to all those who gave up their lives during the Filipino-American War,” it said.

Wyoming’s Congressional delegation, which did not attend the ceremony, issued a terse statement.

“We continue to oppose any efforts by the Administration to move the Bells to the Philippines without the support of Wyoming's veterans community,” Senators Mike Enzi and John Barrasso and Representative Liz Cheney told Reuters in a joint statement.

All three bells will be restored and handed over to the Philippines as early as December, said Joe Felter, deputy assistant secretary of defense for South and Southeast Asia.

The 1901 attack in Balangiga, on the Filipino island of Samar, was seen as perhaps the worst routing of US soldiers since the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876, also known as Custer’s Last Stand.

According to historians, one or more of the church bells were rung to signal the attack in Balangiga.

US forces took the bells after a brutal counterattack that killed anywhere from hundreds to thousands of people in the Philippines, historians say. One US general was said to have directed his troops to “make the interior of Samar a howling wilderness.”

Some Wyoming veterans, like Cheryl Shannon of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), said they were fine with the decision to return the bells.

“We’re tired of it always being an issue,” said Shannon, an Iraq war veteran.

But Hank Miller, a veteran with the VFW who wanted to keep the bells in Wyoming, said broader support for his position had faded as it became clear Washington would return the bells.

“I was advised to ‘stop fighting a losing battle’ and ‘stop beating a dead horse’ as the bells were going back,” Miller told Reuters.

The post US Returns ‘Bells of Balangiga’ to Philippines a Century After Clash appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rohingya Repatriation to Myanmar Will Not Begin on Thursday: Sources

Posted: 14 Nov 2018 09:43 PM PST

COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh — The repatriation of Rohingya Muslims back to Myanmar will not begin on Thursday as planned, two sources directly briefed about the matter said late on Wednesday.

Bangladesh had begun preparations to repatriate an initial batch of Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar on Thursday, in line with a bilateral plan agreed on by the two governments in October.

The plan has been opposed by the United Nations’ refugee agency and aid groups, who fear for the safety of the Rohingya in Myanmar.

Bangladesh has vowed not to force anyone to return and it has asked the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to make sure those short-listed to return really want to go back.

“It is not happening tomorrow as nobody wants to go back,” said one of the sources.

The sources, who spoke on condition on anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said an official announcement from the Bangladesh government confirming that was likely to come on Thursday.

The Bangladesh government was not immediately reachable for comment.

The repatriation of a first group of 2,200 refugees was to officially begin on Thursday, and officials in Myanmar had said they were ready for them.

More than 700,000 Rohingya fled a sweeping army crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine State last year, according to UN agencies. The Rohingya refugees say soldiers and local Buddhists massacred families, burned hundreds of villages and carried out gang rapes. UN-mandated investigators have accused the Myanmar army of “genocidal intent” and ethnic cleansing.

Myanmar denies almost all of the allegations, saying security forces were battling terrorists. Attacks by Rohingya insurgents calling themselves the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army preceded the crackdown.

UN rights boss Michelle Bachelet called on Bangladesh on Tuesday to halt the repatriation plans, warning that lives would be put at “serious risk."

Refugees Say No

A third source said a Bangladeshi government task force that met late on Wednesday maintained its commitment to voluntary returns. “Some 48 families interviewed by the UNHCR have said no to repatriation,” the source said.

Earlier this week, dozens of Rohingya families on the list of refugees to be repatriated began fleeing camps in Bangladesh.

And last week, over 20 individuals on the list told Reuters they would refuse to return to Rakhine, as they were terrified.

US Vice President Mike Pence expressed the Trump administration’s strongest condemnation yet of Myanmar’s treatment of Rohingya on Wednesday, telling leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in Singapore that “persecution” by the Myanmar army was “without excuse."

Suu Kyi, responding to Pence, said people had different points of view.

“In a way, we can say that we understand our country better than any other country does and I’m sure you will say the same of yours, that you understand your country better than anybody else,” she added.

 

The post Rohingya Repatriation to Myanmar Will Not Begin on Thursday: Sources appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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