Tuesday, January 22, 2019

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Organizers of Yangon’s 5th LGBTIQ Festival Promise Biggest Bash Yet

Posted: 22 Jan 2019 05:21 AM PST

YANGON — Myanmar's LGBTIQ Festival, put on by the non-profit &Proud initiative, will take place over two weekends, from Friday to Sunday and Feb.1 to 3. The many activities will include Yangon Drag Night and the first ever LGBTIQ river boat parade in Asia.

This is the 5th year running for the festival, though &PROUD has renamed it Yangon Pride to anchor it in the global Pride movement, which celebrates LGBTIQ people by fighting against the stigma they experience in many parts of the world.

"As we mark our 5th year anniversary, we believe it's high time we align more closely with the international Pride movement and have our very own Pride event here in Yangon,” said Hla Myat Tun, co-director of &PROUD and deputy director at Colors Rainbow, Myanmar’s main LGBT rights network.

“It's also a fitting name transition at this point in time when &PROUD is evolving and Myanmar’s LGBTIQ community is growing, yet stigma, harassment and discrimination are still very much with us," he added.

In Myanmar, Yangon Pride aims to build an LGBTIQ-friendly community that will last and grow beyond the festival.

"We’ve started being a public festival since last year, 2018. Before that, &Proud celebrated the Myanmar LGBTIQ Festival with photos and film exhibitions, competitions at galleries and the French Institute," Hla Myat Tun said.

Many people are getting to know more about LGBTIQ people and becoming more accepting of their identities. Some people have also been encouraged to come out, and many small LGBT campaigns have been started at local universities. Hla Myat Tun attributes much of that to the festival.

This year's festival features an exciting lineup of award-winning films, live performances, talks, a drag night and much more.

Yangon Drag Night, a new addition to the festival, will bring together nine of Yangon’s finest drag queens for the opening on Friday evening from 7 to 10 at Thakin Mya Park, along with a performance by Russell and music by DJ Mike.

The highlight of the festival will be Asia’s first ever LGBTIQ river boat parade, Yangon River Pride, on Saturday starting at 1:30 p.m.

Other additions to this year’s festival are an awards ceremony, the Hero Awards, aimed at shining a light on people helping to foster a positive understanding of LGBTIQ identities in Myanmar.

"Okka Min Maung will be honored for his coming-out video because many people recognize Myanmar's LGBTIQ community from his video, and he has encouraged many other LGBTIQ people with his words,” Hla Myat Tun said of the popular actor. “The other Hero Award winners will be a surprise.”

This weekend’s events will take place at Thakin Mya Park and also include free concerts by local stars May Khalar, Sophia, Jewel and Project K as well as exhibitions and games such as the “Drag Olympics.”

The events on Feb. 1 to 3 will be at the French Institute and feature a series of film screenings and talks on issues ranging from transgender health to legal reform.

"Every year we aim to make our festival as fabulous as ever, and this year is going to be the one to beat. We invite everyone to join us on Saturday for our very first Yangon River Pride. It's going to be spectacular as we set sail in a flotilla full of rainbow flags on the Yangon River. Lots of fun, music and surprises," said Jan Willem van Rooij, co-director of &PROUD and co-director and production head of Yangon Pride.

All events are free of charge, and no tickets are required except for the boat parade. Tickets for the boat parade are 3,000 kyats to 8,000 kyats, and space is limited.

&PROUD is a non-profit initiative founded in Yangon in 2014. It organizes arts and culture events in Myanmar for the LGBTIQ community that aim to create greater understanding and awareness of LGBT identities, to foster a conversation on LGBT rights, and to create stronger linkages within the community and with Myanmar society.

The post Organizers of Yangon’s 5th LGBTIQ Festival Promise Biggest Bash Yet appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Yangon Municipal Body Invites Firms to Participate in Smart Parking Project

Posted: 22 Jan 2019 04:24 AM PST

YANGON—The Yangon City Development Committee, the municipal body, has invited expressions of interest from private companies to introduce a smart parking system in the busy downtown area.

According to a statement released on Tuesday, the system will be introduced on roads in Kyauktada, Pabedan, Latha, Lanmadaw, Botahtaung and Pazundaung townships. The townships comprise the city's central business district, where parking problems are most severe.

Local companies and joint ventures between local and foreign companies are asked to submit expressions of interest from Jan. 28 until 3 p.m. on Feb. 27.

A smart parking system featuring automated payment technology is already up and running in a few townships in Mandalay, Myanmar's second-biggest city.

Amid complaints from local residents and lawmakers about illegal parking and limited parking spaces—one of the major causes of traffic congestion in Yangon—the regional government last year announced a plan to develop a modern parking system.

Union Deputy Transport and Communications Minister U Kyaw Myo said in Parliament on Nov. 30 that the Yangon regional government was widening roads to accommodate parking spaces, and preparing to invite private companies to introduce the smart parking system. He was replying to a lawmaker's question about what plans the government had to tackle Yangon's traffic and parking problems.

He said that under a new policy, new buildings would be required to have adequate parking space, adding that the government had a long-term plan to reduce private car usage by improving public transportation.

The government lifted restrictions on car imports in October 2011. As a result, the number of vehicles plying Yangon's previously sleepy streets rocketed from 160,000 in September 2011 to more than 530,000 by October 2018, according to the deputy minister.

The post Yangon Municipal Body Invites Firms to Participate in Smart Parking Project appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Myanmar Military Says Soldier Killed in Karen Rebel Attack

Posted: 22 Jan 2019 03:38 AM PST

Mon State — The Myanmar military says a soldier was killed and an army truck was destroyed in an attack by the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) in northern Karen State’s Papun Township on Friday.

The office of the military’s commander-in chief, Senior general Min Aung Hlaing, condemned the attack in a statement posted to its website Saturday.

Colonel Myo Aung, from the Myanmar military’s Southern Regional Command, said the military sent letters to both the KNLA and its political wing, the Karen National Union (KNU), which signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) in 2015.

"Based on the NCA, we sent them letters about their actions," he said, adding that the Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committee was sent a copy as well.

Major Saw Kler Doh, of the KNLA’s Brigade 5, based in Papun, blamed the clash on the military.

"The fighting broke out because they tried to sneak into our areas of control. They did not stay on the borderline, where we both agreed to stay,” he said. "If they had not crossed the borderline into our side, there would have been no fighting. They never informed us before they tried to sneak into our area of control."

The KNU and Myanmar military agreed a bilateral ceasefire in 2012 that requires each to inform the other of any armed incursion in advance.

While the military has reported only the two clash with the KNLA this month, the KNLA has reported four.

The KNLA said the vehicle it attacked and destroyed on Friday was not a truck but a bulldozer the military was using the upgrade a road between the villages of Baw Hsee Kee and Yung Sa Lin. The armed group said it had agreed to let the military pull the bulldozer out of the area but attacked because it was still being used.

The military said it had been both transporting food to its frontline troops in the area and upgrading a pair of roads running between Taungoo, in Bago Region, to the border with Thailand, including the stretch from Baw Hsee Kee and Yung Sa Lin, along which it had about 10 battalions stationed.

"We transport food during the dry season every year. We have used this road since 1990," Col. Myo Aung said.

The military clashed with the KNLA in Papun last year when it began upgrading a road from Baw Hsee Kee to Ler Mu Plaw, displacing hundreds of local ethnic Karen from their homes. The military suspended work following a meeting between Snr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing and KNU Chairman Saw Mutu Say Poe in Naypyitaw

But Col. Myo Aung said the military would continue upgrading the roads between Taungoo and the border in order to better supply its soldiers.

The KNLA’s Maj. Saw Kler Doh said the military should hold off on any development projects in the area while there was fighting there.

"Our area is a conflict area. The best thing would be for both armed groups to stay on the agreed border. No one should cross the borderline; that way there will be no fighting," he said.

The KNLA has asked the military to stop rebuilding the roads and to resupply its frontline soldiers by foot or horse only in order to avoid clashes. The military has ignored both requests.

The post Myanmar Military Says Soldier Killed in Karen Rebel Attack appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Asean Must Make the EU a Strategic Partner

Posted: 22 Jan 2019 03:38 AM PST

Asean can be vicious, as relations with the European Union demonstrate. At the Chiang Mai retreat last week, the official status of the EU as a new strategic dialogue partner was one of the prominent issues taken up by Asean foreign ministers. The press statement issued by the chair simply said that the EU’s status, which Asean has agreed in principle, is still subject "to further details and time to be worked out". In a nutshell, it is still in limbo.

Deep down, quite a few Asean members are resentful over the EU's condescending attitude toward them, whether it has been over trade or human rights issues. “The EU loves to make Asean furious, if not belittle us,” commented one diplomat whose country objected to granting the EU elevated status without a strong commitment to respect "the Asean way" in return.

Asean foreign ministers are meeting with their EU counterparts in Brussels early this week to discuss bilateral relations. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini will co-chair the one-day meeting with Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan. Asean and the EU will discuss cooperation on climate change and strengthening the rules-based multilateral system, among other things.

The bone of contention in Chiang Mai was the status of the strategic partnership with the EU. In Singapore in November, Asean leaders actually agreed in principle to make Russia and the EU the 8th and 9th strategic partners of the Southeast Asian bloc, respectively. Earlier, in the case of the EU, Cambodia held up the decision, objecting to Brussels’ constant threats to sever its tax-free trade status, known as the “Everything But Arms” arrangement. However, for Russia, it was the opposite. Asean members quickly reached consensus at the senior level. Russian President Vladimir Putin also made a rare appearance at the 13th East Asia Summit. Putin said he had intended to raise the status of Russia's strategic partnership with Asean leaders directly if the bloc remained recalcitrant.

At the special 20th anniversary commemorative summit in the Russian city of Sochi in May 2016, Russia gave Asean leaders the red carpet treatment with the pomp and ceremony they deserved. But Moscow was disappointed because Asean continued to view Russia as a junior partner, even though it is one of the world’s great powers, affecting peace and security around the world, especially in the Middle East. For the record, the US was made the bloc’s 7th strategic partner just a few months ahead of the special summit in Sunnylands, California, in February 2016.

In addition, Indonesia and Malaysia feel strongly that the EU has a displeasing attitude toward Asean, imposing its values and standards on them. The two palm oil exporters believe that some of the criteria for agricultural products demanded by the EU are discriminatory and unfair.

Fortunately, Thailand, which has also suffered greatly over the past four years over its domestic politics and the illegal fishing issue, has overcome several hurdles erected by its European partners. It would be nice if the EU could consult with Asean members before setting these criteria in the future, otherwise it could lead to disputes that dampen other important cooperation agreements. Indeed, Thailand sacrificed blood, sweat and tears to overcome the stringent criteria outlined by the EU, which would not have been possible without its military rulers’ vigorous use of the much-condemned Section 44.

As a coordinator of Asean-EU relations and the Asean member that has the most advanced ties with the EU, Singapore managed to put on a brave face vis-à-vis the EU in convincing its Asean colleagues to back the strategic partner proposal. Amid rising protectionism and a trade war, as well as the EU’s new strategic thinking as a great power-balancer in a region dominated by the US-China rivalry, Asean can no longer drag its feet with the EU on this issue. The EU needs new friends outside the transatlantic alliance and supporters of free trade and globalization. Asean needs the EU to ensure that no major power can exercise hegemony in the region.

It is hoped that in Brussels, EU leaders will be more realistic in assessing the intrinsic value of Asean—both its individual members and as a whole. Self-reflection among EU members would also help the bureaucrats and politicians working for Brussels to understand better the complexities of the challenges facing Asean. The EU has to exhibit a new attitude; otherwise cooperation will be sluggish.

As the current Asean chair, Thailand’s theme of “Advancing Partnership for Sustainability” resonates with fellow Asean members, as they all face the dilemma of trying to stay on track with sustainable economic development. This is an area where the EU can help Asean to further increase the bloc’s capacity to address protectionism and issues endangering the environment.

In the weeks ahead, Thailand is writing to all Asean colleagues handling environmental issues to obtain their input on climate change. The Asean chair is planning to issue a joint statement on climate change ahead of the next summit. In 2017, Asean and the EU issued a powerful joint statement pledging to implement the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, much to the chagrin of Washington, which unilaterally withdrew from the global accord it helped shape.

As the Asean chair, Thailand is planning to hold a meeting of global leaders, particularly those from the Security Council members, later in the year.

Both the French and UK leaders have agreed to attend the pre-event ahead of the East Asia Summit (EAS) in early November, joining their council counterparts from the US, China and Russia, which are EAS members. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has pledged to participate as well. European Council President Donald Tusk, who attended the EAS luncheon meeting in Manila back in 2017, will also be invited.

Therefore, elevating the EU as a new strategic partner now is a must to pave the way for a much-needed rejuvenation of cooperation. The time has come for the EU and Asean to work on a free trade arrangement. Look around: Four years after the conclusion of the Singapore-EU free-trade accord, it is not yet implemented and effective. The EU is not so enthusiastic either about Vietnam’s current negotiations, because of labor standards. It must be noted here that these are the same labor standards approved by the US and members of the now-defunct Trans-Pacific Partnership.

To move ahead, the EU should set up working groups to deal with specific issues bilaterally with Asean members, be it human rights or the environment. That way, overall Asean-EU relations will not be held captive as they have in the past.

Kavi Chongkittavorn is a veteran journalist and expert on regional affairs. This column first appeared in The Bangkok Post.

The post Asean Must Make the EU a Strategic Partner appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Public Demands Transparency in Forced Resignation of Kachin Ministers

Posted: 22 Jan 2019 03:25 AM PST

YANGON—More than three dozen community-based organizations in Kachin State made a collective demand for transparency on Tuesday following the abrupt forced resignations of three ministers from Kachin State cabinet, calling on the state's chief minister for an explanation for the dismissals which are not in line with official procedures.

"It happened suddenly. We citizens have a right to know the reasons and to know clearly what they have done wrong," Hkawng Nan, a representative of the Transparency and Accountability Network Kachin, told The Irrawaddy.

The community-based organizations have pointed out that the dismissals shocked and annoyed local people and give rise to a distrust in the government's peace process and the national reconciliation process.

On Friday and Monday, the Kachin Chief Minister U Khet Aung ordered three ministers to resign from their positions—the only explanation given being that the instruction came from the State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The three Kachin State ministers are U Mya Thein, minister for agriculture, livestock and irrigation, U H La Aung, minister for environment and natural resources and U Thin Lwin, minister for social affairs. U Khet Aung suggested that the ministers write "personal health condition" as the reason for their resignations.

While two of the ministers accepted the forced resignation and agreed to write the letter, the outgoing natural resources minister U H La Aung refused, insisting that he would not resign from his post until he knew the reason for the demand. The President's Office later issued two separate statements—one announcing the retiring of the two ministers and another announcing the dismissal of the third.

All three ministers said they have not been the subject of any complaint letters or corruption reports from the public. Along with the outgoing ministers, critics also pointed out that the dismal was not in line with official procedures—according to the law, an investigation should precede any decision by the state counselor or government.

According to Myanmar's 2008 Constitution, the minister of a region or state may be impeached for one of the following reason: high treason; breach of any of the provisions of the Constitution; misconduct; disqualification of the chief minister or minister of the region or state as prescribed in the Constitution; or inefficient discharge of their duties as assigned by law.

If there is a need to impeach, a charge signed by not less than one fourth of the total number of representatives in Parliament is supposed to be submitted to the House speaker. The speaker is then supposed to form a team to investigate the charge. If the investigation finds that the minister is unfit to continue in office, the speaker submits the resolution to the president. Upon receipt of the report, the president "shall remove the impeached minister."

U H La Aung said, "Our party is a democratic party. [The Chief minister] should not force me to sign the resignation letter without letting me know the reason. It could tarnish the NLD's image and also the government's image. I have a right to defend myself."

"I told him (the chief minister) that I need to receive an official letter from above. The order should come through official lines. We have laws and procedures [to follow] if ministers break the law," he said.

Outgoing minister U Mya Thein said he agreed to sign the resignation letter but is disappointed with not being told the reason, as he also serves as president of the NLD for Kachin State.

U Mya Thein said, "In the party, we have some people who want to remove us from our positions. They also want to take our positions. Our cases involved personal grudges."

NLD spokesperson U Myo Nyunt told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that he still doesn't know the detailed reasons for the resignations however, the party will look into the case having received a complaint letter from one of the outgoing ministers.

The community-based organizations had not received a response from the Kachin chief minister by Tuesday afternoon. Hkawng Nan said community-based organizations support U H La Aung for his efforts in law enforcement at the notorious Hpakant jade mines and the China-backed banana plantations in Kachin State.

"He has been doing his job very well. There is no reason to force him to resign from his position," Hkawng Nan said.

The post Public Demands Transparency in Forced Resignation of Kachin Ministers appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Deputy Speaker of Irrawaddy Region Parliament Denies Embezzlement Claims

Posted: 22 Jan 2019 02:30 AM PST

PATHEIN, Irrawaddy Region — The deputy speaker of the Irrawaddy Region Parliament on Monday denied the embezzlement allegations that recently saw him purged from the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD).

U San Min Aung is accused of pocketing a share of the money earmarked for the regional government last year to buy five vehicles.

"Far from using the funds for ourselves, we even paid out of our own pockets” to buy the vehicles, he told reporters in Pathein, Irrawaddy Region.

He said all the purchase decisions were made with the approval of a nine-member committee formed by the speaker of the regional parliament for the express purpose of procuring the vehicles.

The NLD launches an investigation into the purchases in December, following a complaint by a Pathein resident, and kicked U San Min Aung out of the party on Jan. 13.

According to NLD spokesman U Myo Nyunt, the Irrawaddy Region Parliament was given $104,000 from the Union Parliament’s 2017-18 fiscal year budget to buy five used vehicles. But the market price for the vehicles the local legislature ended up buying was about $4,000 less, money U San Ming Aung was accused of pocketing.

U San Min Aung had refused to meet with reporters until Monday, following a session of the Irrawaddy Parliament.

He said the $4,000 in question went to vehicle taxes and repairs.

"I learned from the media that I was expelled from the party for embezzling funds meant to buy vehicles. When I contacted the party’s central executive committee, spokesperson Dr. Myo Nyunt said I could appeal if I was not satisfied with the ruling. But I haven't received any dismissal letter in black and white," he said.

U San Min Aung also said that he had not submitted his resignation either verbally or in writing, as claimed by the speaker of the Irrawaddy Region Parliament.

The speaker, U Aung Kyaw Khine, declined to comment on U San Min Aung’s remarks.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Deputy Speaker of Irrawaddy Region Parliament Denies Embezzlement Claims appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Party Logos Banned for Yangon Municipal Election

Posted: 22 Jan 2019 12:58 AM PST

YANGON—The Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) has decided that political parties will not be allowed to use logos during campaigning ahead of the March 31 municipal elections in the commercial capital.

The municipal authority made the decision at a meeting on Monday.

"Candidates will be allowed to use photos [of themselves] during the campaign, rather than party logos," municipal election commission member U Khin Maung Kyaw told The Irrawaddy.

A total of 105 seats will be up for grabs: three in each of the city's 33 townships and six for the YCDC's executive board.

One of the six elected members will be named vice mayor, a post created by the new YCDC Law to ease the workload of the mayor of Myanmar's largest city.

The ruling National League for Democracy will contest the municipal elections, party spokesperson Dr. Myo Nyunt said. It is not yet clear how many constituencies it will contest.

"To ensure a fair election, it is important that both the party and the government refrain from abusing their power, and allow candidates to contest independently," said Daw Nyo Nyo Thin, founder of Yangon Watch, an independent governance-monitoring group.

Candidates can register for the election from Jan. 18 to 28. The list of qualified candidates will be announced in the second week of February.

The post Party Logos Banned for Yangon Municipal Election appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Cambodia Businesses, Unions Ask EU Not to Impose Trade Sanctions

Posted: 21 Jan 2019 09:29 PM PST

PHNOM PENH—Cambodian businesses and unions urged the European Union on Monday to not withdraw trade preferences from Cambodia over human rights concerns, saying such a decision would pose serious economic damage and harm millions of workers and their families.

The EU warned last year that it would strip Cambodia of its “Everything but Arms” (EBA) duty-free trading access, after long-time Prime Minister Hun Sen won every seat in a July general election following a crackdown on the opposition.

The 28-country bloc is Cambodia’s biggest export market, worth billions of euros a year.

A letter addressed to EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom and seen by Reuters said the trade threat was most concerning for Cambodia’s rural women. “[They] make up 85 percent of the 700,000 garment workers and [are] therefore most likely to suffer … from the social and economic repercussions of any change to the status quo,” it said.

The EBA withdrawal would threaten the income of another 3 million people, said the letter, which was signed by some pro-government unions, and the European and American Chambers of Commerce in Cambodia, among others.

“We ask the European Commission instead to examine the current situation through the context of Cambodia’s difficult history,” the letter said.

The Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia (GMAC) and the American Chamber of Commerce, two of the 40 signatories, confirmed the authenticity of the letter.

The EU’s Ambassador to Cambodia, George Edgar, did not immediately respond to a request from Reuters for comment.

In a tweet on Monday, Malmstrom said she had discussed the EBA agreement and the possibility of a withdrawal of the tariff preferences with Cambodia’s Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn.

“Reiterated our concerns on democracy, human rights and rule of law. The EU continues to keep the path of dialogue open,” she said on Twitter.

Brussels began a formal procedure in October to strip the Southeast Asian nation of its special trade status, which could impose tariffs within 12 months on Cambodian sugar, garments and other exports and make the country less attractive for retailers exporting to Europe.

In 2017, Cambodia’s Supreme Court dissolved the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) and banned 118 party members at the request of the government after accusations the party was plotting to take power with the help of the United States. The party and the United States denied any such plot.

CNRP leader Kem Sokha was released from prison in September after spending more than a year in jail on treason charges but remains under house arrest in Phnom Penh.

He denies any wrongdoing. Fearing arrest, other senior party members have left the country.

The post Cambodia Businesses, Unions Ask EU Not to Impose Trade Sanctions appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rohingya Muslim Group Fleeing India to Bangladesh Stuck on ‘Zero Line’

Posted: 21 Jan 2019 08:45 PM PST

DHAKA—Bangladesh has denied entry to 31 Rohingya Muslims trying to enter from India and they are stuck in no-man’s land on the border, Bangladesh authorities said on Monday, as India cracks down on members of the community.

The stranded Rohingya, including women and children, had been living in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, according to a Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) official who said he had seen some of their identity cards issued by the UN refugee agency in India.

The 31 had been stuck on Bangladesh’s border with northeast India since Friday, said the BGB commander in the area, Golam Kabir.

“We stopped them as they were crossing the border,” Kabir told Reuters by telephone.

“They’ve been on the zero line since the 18th of this month,” he said, referring to the border.

Two rounds of talks on what to do with the 31, with India’s Border Security Force on Sunday, had “ended without any conclusive decision,” Kabir said.

Many hundreds of thousands of members of mostly Buddhist Myanmar’s Rohingya community have left their homes in Myanmar’s Rakhine Sate over the decades, most fleeing military crackdowns and discrimination.

Many have sought shelter in Bangladesh—where nearly 1 million live—but others have ended up in India, Southeast Asia and beyond.

An Indian border force officer in Tripura state told reporters on Sunday that they were providing food and clothing to the Rohingya, 16 of whom were children.

The force could not be reached for comment on Monday.

India estimates that 40,000 Rohingya are living in scattered settlements in various parts of the country.

But its Hindu nationalist government regards them as illegal aliens and a security threat, and has ordered that they be identified and repatriated.

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has issued about 16,500 Rohingya in India with identity cards that it says can help “prevent harassment, arbitrary arrests, detention and deportation.” India does not recognize the cards.

Hundreds of Rohingya families have left India for Bangladesh since seven Rohingya men were deported to Myanmar in October and a family of five were sent to Myanmar this month.

The United Nations says conditions are not conducive for Rohingya to return to Myanmar.

In August, the United Nations accused the Myanmar military of mass killings and rapes of Rohingya with “genocidal intent” in a 2017 military operation that drove more than 700,000 of them into Bangladesh, according to UN agencies.

Myanmar has denied the accusations, saying its military launched a counter-insurgency operation after attacks on security posts by Muslim terrorists.

The post Rohingya Muslim Group Fleeing India to Bangladesh Stuck on 'Zero Line' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China’s Huawei in Unprecedented Media Blitz as it Battles Heightened Scrutiny

Posted: 21 Jan 2019 08:28 PM PST

HONG KONG—China’s Huawei has launched an unprecedented public relations blitz, thrusting its low-key founder in front of international media as the telecoms firm seeks to ease concern among Western nations bent on shutting it out of their markets.

The move, along with significant personnel change in its 300-strong corporate affairs department, comes as the world’s largest telecommunications equipment maker battles fear of Chinese authorities accessing its infrastructure for espionage.

In a 25-minute interview aired late on Sunday—his first with state-controlled China Central Television (CCTV)—Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. Chief Executive Ren Zhengfei shrugged off the global push against his company, which has repeatedly denied any state links.

“If you do (your product) well, there is no need to worry about sales… It would be stupid on their part if they don’t buy,” the 74-year-old said in a one-on-one, adding to three group interviews last week with English, Chinese and Japanese media outlets.

“It would be their loss,” Ren said, referring to the United States and other Western countries which have restricted Huawei in their markets.

Before last week, Ren had had no more than 10 interviews across media since founding Huawei in 1987, CCTV said. He last met international media at Davos in 2015.

“My public relations department forced me,” a smiling Ren told CCTV when asked why he had opened up to the media. “I must make our clients understand us, make our 180,000 employees understand us, come together and get through this tough time.”

Personal attack

The comments come as Polish authorities earlier this month arrested a Huawei executive on spying allegations, fueling Western suspicion against Huawei on national security grounds.

While the Chinese national who was immediately sacked by Huawei denied the allegations, Huawei is bracing for potential fallout from its biggest Western markets as Germany debates whether to follow the United States and allies such as Australia in restricting Huawei’s market access.

The firm has been shut out of Australia and New Zealand’s markets for fifth-generation (5G) mobile telecoms equipment, while the US President Donald Trump is considering an outright ban on all Huawei equipment with an executive order.

Huawei is nevertheless seeing fast growth, securing 30 contracts to supply 5G equipment and shipping 25,000 5G base stations already—up from 25 contracts in December, Ren told CCTV.

A person close to Ren told Reuters that the CEO felt the need to talk to the media after the string of negative events overshadowed the company’s business over the past year.

Among the most high-profile events was the arrest in Canada of Ren’s daughter—Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wenzhou—over alleged violations of US sanctions on Iran.

“With all the attacks over the past year, now it got personal—when your daughter gets arrested,” said the person, who was not authorized to speak with media and so declined to be identified.

The arrest was made at the request of the United States, and further strained Sino-US at a time when trade friction was already threatening to undermine ties.

Still, with his daughter released on bail and awaiting a US extradition request, Ren, in an interview with international media last week, described Trump as a “great president.”

Firefighting

Ren’s media engagement is part of a broader public relations offensive by a firm whose traditional opaqueness results from being in a highly competitive sector and having significant R&D programs, “perhaps lending credence to misperceptions we are too secretive,” said Chen Lifang, president of public affairs.

“Huawei is very concerned about misunderstandings which continue to linger despite our best efforts in recent years,” Chen told Reuters in a statement. “Huawei is committed to being even more open and transparent for not only this year but the foreseeable future.”

The firm has expanded its international communications team by 25 percent to 30 people over the past six months as it steps up engagement with foreign media, including tours to research labs that had not previously been open to outsiders.

Among major personnel changes, Huawei’s president of global media and communications, Joy Tan, has moved to Washington to run media and government relations operations there, while Song Kai, former deputy CEO of Huawei US and former CEO of Huawei France, has moved back to headquarters to take over Tan’s role.

Huawei’s Washington office has more than halved in size over the past year to low single-digit regular staff members, with some employees voluntarily leaving the firm as it was pushed out of the market, people familiar with the matter said.

Reuters reported earlier this month that Huawei Canada’s vice president of corporate affairs had left the company as scrutiny of the firm deepened.

Some Huawei employees described the rapid turn in the international environment as beyond their imagination.

“The AT&T deal at the start of the year was like the party about to start,” a member of Huawei’s public relations team told Reuters, referring to a partnership with US company AT&T Inc.

“And then suddenly the house caught fire, the party became firefighting, and then the fire spread to more and more places… Now we decided we’ve just had enough. It’s time to be proactive and open ourselves up to the world.”

The post China’s Huawei in Unprecedented Media Blitz as it Battles Heightened Scrutiny appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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