Wednesday, February 13, 2019

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Nine Bodies from Boat that Sank Near Rakhine Island Found

Posted: 13 Feb 2019 07:09 AM PST

SITTWE—The bodies of nine victims who were on board a Myanmar Port Authority vessel that sank on Monday near an island in Manaung Township in Rakhine State have been found. Ten of the 26 people who were on board at the time the vessel went down remain missing, after seven were found alive on Monday.

The vessel, the 180-ft-long Bull Elephant, sank early Monday morning after being struck by a large wave while moored off Let Pet Taw Island.

Eight of the bodies, including that of the helmsman, U Tun Tun, were found on Tuesday and were sent to Manaung Township. The ninth was found on Wednesday and was still at the seashore, according to U Myint Hlaing, a Manaung Township administrator.

Relatives of the deceased had arrived in Manaung Township and were negotiating with officials from the Transport Ministry and preparing funerals. The authorities continued their search-and-rescue operation to find the 10 remaining missing people.

A total of 34 people—24 vessel staff, nine staff from the lighthouse and passenger U Tun Oo, from Yangon, who was not on the original list of those on board—were taken to Let Pet Taw Island from Yangon to repair a lighthouse on Feb. 7 and arrived at the island on Feb. 9, according to township General Administration Department officials.

Eight of the lighthouse staff disembarked on the island before the vessel sank. Authorities said the vessel's 24 crew members, one employee of the lighthouse and U Tun Oo were on board when the vessel capsized some 4 miles from the Zeetaw shoreline.

U Zaw Tun Lwin, the general manager of the Myanmar Port Authority who is in charge of the research operation, said officials were continuing the search and would follow the families' wishes regarding the disposal of the victims' remains.

He said, "The bodies will be sent to Manning Hospital and shown to the families. Then we will do our best, whatever they want to do—whether they want to take them back to Yangon or bury them here. We will coordinate with the local authorities and the funeral services.”

Then, he said, the ministry would provide support to the family members after the search and rescue operation.

The post Nine Bodies from Boat that Sank Near Rakhine Island Found appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

AA Chief Vows to Set Up HQ in Rakhine State Soon

Posted: 13 Feb 2019 05:29 AM PST

YANGON—Amid intense fighting between government troops and the Arakan Army (AA) in northern Rakhine, the armed group's chief, Major-General Tun Myat Naing, told the Arakanese public that the group will build a temporary headquarters in Rakhine State very soon.

The Irrawaddy saw a video message from the AA chief in the Arakanese language issued on Feb. 10. In it, he repeatedly urged Arakanese who live abroad to return to Rakhine State in order to take part in what he said was a turning point in the history of the region. It is the second such video issued by the group this month; AA deputy chief Brigadier-General Nyo Tun Aung released one last week.

Several sources close to the AA confirmed the authenticity of the AA chief's video message. In the video, he is seen telling an audience of villagers that the current battle against government troops in Rakhine State is not just an armed conflict between the AA and the Myanmar military (or Tatmadaw), but a struggle between the Arakanese people as a whole and the country's military.

He said, "I absolutely believe that the Arakanese public and the AA stand side by side. We have also frequently said that the government military is fighting against the whole Arakanese public."

Maj-Gen. Tun Myat Naing said he suggested Arakanese return to Rakhine because once, many Arakanese went to other states or foreign countries to join in armed revolution. He said that era was over now because the AA's battlefield commanders and its supporters would recruit interested members. The AA chief promised they will fight until they achieve their ultimate goal.

"If you are interested in being a AA soldier, you don't need to travel Karen state. Just go back to your homes and enquire a bit about the AA," he said, adding, "The world-famous AK assault rifles, brand new AK firearms are waiting for you. Just come and join, OK?"

In the video, the Arakanese audience listening to his speech responds "Yes!" in unison. He appealed to women and disabled persons, explaining that carrying a gun in battle is not the only way to support revolution, and there are many different ways to revolt nowadays. For instance, acting as an informant on the ground is also a way of being a revolutionary, he said.

"Guns do not discriminate between men and women. All you need to do is just squeeze your finger," said Maj-Gen. Tun Myat Naing.

He asked the Arakanese public whether they were willing to join the AA this month and then instantly about 100 villagers in the audience raised their hands. He reminded them that a real battle is harder than they can imagine, and that there is a strong possibility of them dying or being wounded during the fighting. It is a tough journey, he said, but Arakanese need to sacrifice for a brighter future by taking action with their own hands for the sake of the next generation.

Ethnic armed affairs analyst U Maung Maung Soe commented that the AA's headquarters in N. Rakhine State could be a part of its "2020 Arakan Dream". By analyzing the AA's ambushes over the past few weeks, one could see that the conflict region has apparently broadened, and the AA had even attacked military columns where the Western Command of the Myanmar Army is based in Ann Township this month.

He pointed out that most of northern Rakhine State's townships in rural areas are under the control of the AA. U Maung Maung Soe said that looking at the number of clashes involving the AA, and their movements, the AA appeared to have a significant number of troops.

He said, "The AA has been trying to get a stronghold in Rakhine State since its establishment and they will probably stage a series of offensives against Army troops and then enter politics in 2020."

Another political analyst, Ko Win Aung, also concluded that the AA has been pragmatically and consistently implementing its dream on the ground both politically and militarily. The armed conflict in Rakhine State could even have major political consequences in near future, he said, as the AA and the Arakanese are now in solidarity. Based on the AA chief's message, he remarked that the government should reconsider its perspective on the AA. Failure to do so could see the area become a failed state, he said.

He urged all sectors of society—including the legislature, the military and the National League for Democracy-led government—to carry out a holistic approach to Rakhine, rather than working separately.

"I think they should seriously consider starting now. This is a very important time for the government," said Ko Win Aung.

The post AA Chief Vows to Set Up HQ in Rakhine State Soon appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Village Head Shot Dead at His Home in Rakhine State

Posted: 13 Feb 2019 05:17 AM PST

A General Administrative Department officer was shot dead at his home in Rakhine State's Minbya Township on Tuesday night.

Two unidentified gunmen shot U Maung Kyaw, 50, the head of Kyauk Khot village, at his home after 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Tharyarkone village administrator U Maung Tun told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday. Kyauk Khot is one of six villages in Tharyarkone village tract.

U Maung Kyaw's family members were not home when he was shot.

"He was shot and killed at his home. We heard two men come to his house and one pulled the trigger," the village administrator said.

U Maung Tun added, "His family members were at their noodle-making business. His daughter was warming herself at a fire with neighbors and ran back home when she heard the gunfire. She saw two men leaving their house."

U Maung Kyaw died after being shot four times, and his body was sent to Minbya Hospital, according to Police Captain Mya Zaw from Minbya Myoma Police Station.

He confirmed the killing but added, "We cannot provide further details of the case, as the body was taken to the hospital."

Rakhine State has seen a rash of fatal shootings of villagers, but authorities have yet to identify suspects or motives.

On the night of Jan. 22, U Maung Aye Thein, 56, a resident of Pan Myaung village in Minbya Township was shot dead by an unidentified gunman.

A month earlier on Dec. 24, 2018, U Khin Than Maung, a central committee member of the Arakan League for Democracy party from Kyar Inn Taung village in Myaybon Township was shot dead at his home while watching television.

The post Village Head Shot Dead at His Home in Rakhine State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

World Kachin Congress Awards Jailed Peace Activists

Posted: 13 Feb 2019 04:40 AM PST

YANGON — The World Kachin Congress has given its first Kachin human rights awards to three Kachin community leaders serving six-month jail sentences over an anti-war protest.

They were sued for defamation in May by the Myanmar military after leading a sit-in protest against armed fighting in Kachin State.

Clashes had broken out between the military and the Kachin Independence Army in Kachin State the month before, displacing more than 6,000 people in Tanai, Injangyang, Mogaung and Hpakant townships. Thousands of them became trapped between the two sides and about 3,000 Kachin youth staged a sit-in near the state government office from April 30 to May 6 to call for a ceasefire.

The military accused three of the leaders — Zau Jat of the Kachin National Social Development Association, Htoi Gender and Development Foundation Director Nang Pu, and lawyer Lum Zawng — of using defamatory terms against the Tatmadaw during the protest.

In December, a court sentenced them to six months in jail and fines of 500,000 kyats ($328).

"This [award ceremony] reflects the unity of the Kachin across the world and especially shows the support of Kachin people outside the country," said awards committee member U Steven Naw Awng.

Relatives of the three winners received the awards on their behalf in a ceremony at the Manau Grounds in the Kachin State capital, Myitkyina, on Wednesday morning. They each received a medal and 4 million kyats ($2,621).

U Steven Naw Awng said the award is intended to inspire Kachin youth to take an active part in promoting justice and human rights, and reflects the fact that Kachin across the world are working together for democracy in Myanmar.

"Anyone who strongly supports justice and human rights deserves this prize," said Sut Seng Htoi, another member of the awards committee.

U Steven Naw Awng said one of the winners, Nang Pu, had been suffering from diabetes and tuberculosis before her arrest and was in poor health in prison.

"They have suffered from cold weather, and after winter there are many mosquitoes. Because they are not allowed to use mosquito nets, we are concerned that they might catch malaria," he added.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners has labeled the three of them political prisoners.

Some of those who joined April's sit-in held placards reading "Stop dropping bombs targeting civilians" and "Stop torture and killing of civilians." At a press conference, the three convicted leaders accused the military of preventing the trapped people from escaping, prompting the lawsuit.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post World Kachin Congress Awards Jailed Peace Activists appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Kokang Rebel Group Denies Military’s Conscription Claims

Posted: 13 Feb 2019 03:19 AM PST

On Dec. 21 the Myanmar military, or Tatmadaw, declared a unilateral ceasefire lasting until April 30. It said it hoped to hold talks with non-signatories to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement during that time. Nearly two months after declaring the ceasefire, however, it has not held talks with any of them.

Meanwhile, fresh fighting has broke out in northern Shan State’s Kunlong Township between the Tatmadaw and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army — the MNDAA or Kokang Group, a member of the Northern Alliance — and continued into this week.

The Office of the Commander-in-Chief says hundreds of civilians in Kunlong have fled their homes to avoid conscription by the MNDAA and that it will do whatever it takes to protect the population. Yet more than 300 civilians in Kunlong fled their homes on Jan.28 and 29.

The Irrawaddy reporter Nan Lwin Hnin Pwint interviewed Lt. Col. Phone Win Naing, spokesman for the MNDAA, about developments since the Tatmadaw declared the ceasefire in late December.

What steps were taken to have peace talks after the Tatmadaw announced a ceasefire?

The Northern Alliance was the first to release a statement in response. China helps us and meets our requests for help. We have considerable trust in China. We also have trust in the government for the time being. But the Tatmadaw still looks at us with a jaundiced eye. After it announced a ceasefire, we stayed back. But the Tatmadaw launched attacks on our friend and ally, the Arakan Army. We want the international community to know that the Tatmadaw is treating us unfairly.

There were also clashes with the TNLA (Ta'ang National Liberation Army). They attacked us on Feb. 4. Clashes took place at Hon Aik, our headquarters, and around Hsenwi, west of the Thanlwin River. The Tatmadaw does not keep its promise. It bullied our civilian members and set their houses on fire. It does whatever it wants and puts the blame on us. It is not that civilians fled because we are listing them for conscription, but because it (the military) is bullying them.

So we are relocating local people [to safety], and it is attacking us as we do so. Many of our soldiers were killed and civilians have suffered. We don't know what to do. We wish the international community knew this.

How did the Tatmadaw attack Hong Aik? Is it targeting your headquarters?

It is always present in the areas surrounding our headquarters. It fired artillery at us, and infantry also came and attacked us. They might have been targeting our headquarters, or they might have been preparing.

But the Tatmadaw said it attacked because your group is conscripting.

This is our region. This is the place where our ethnic people live. It is just their accusation. They came and burned our villages and forced our people to leave (their houses on) the hills. Because our people could not stand it, they have joined us and are taking part in the revolution.

But hundreds of people fled from the Kokang, and they said they fled because of conscription. What do you want to say about that?

There will be bad people in any ethnic group. They will accuse us of doing bad things. They are just pretending.

The Tatmadaw said your group has had nine call-ups.

That is wrong. All the ethnic people living along the border are our friends, our ethic people. We are united. We don't need to conscript. In spite of the Tatmadaw doing those things [to mar our image], many have fled to join us in order to rise up against the Tatmadaw. The Tatmadaw just claims nine times, 10 times or even 100 times.

Are there still clashes today? What is the situation like?

First, we value China's help. We have to keep our promises when a foreign country helps our country. Second, we want the government to properly control the Tatmadaw [to make sure it observes its ceasefire]. We will keep our promise. We also want the international community to help [with the peace process]. We are sorry that our country has such a Tatmadaw. It kills its own people. I think Myanmar is the only country in the world where the Tatmadaw kills its own compatriots.

Has the Tatmadaw offered to hold peace talks with ethnic leaders?

We have been waiting for it. But it hasn’t come.

Hasn't the government contacted your group yet?

It might have contacted the FPNCC [Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee, or Northern Alliance]. As we are under the FPNCC, we are waiting for its order.

What does the MNDAA want to discuss with the Tatmadaw and the government?

Yes, there are many things. We, the MNDAA, don't have the right to say. I can't say anything without the order of the FPNCC.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Kokang Rebel Group Denies Military’s Conscription Claims appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Bangladesh Steps Up Patrols to Stop Rohingya Risking Boat Trips to Malaysia

Posted: 13 Feb 2019 12:25 AM PST

DHAKA — Authorities in Bangladesh say they are stepping up patrols to thwart Rohingya refugees from risking dangerous boat journeys to Malaysia now that calmer seas have returned with the dry season.

"We are mobilizing our teams to prevent human trafficking,” said Lt. Col. Asaduz-Zaman Chowdhury, commanding officer of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in the Teknaf region of Cox’s Bazar District, where the camps are located.

At least 150 Rohingya believed to have been preparing for the journey, mostly women and children, have been “rescued” in Teknaf since November, according to reports from the police, coast guard and BGB.

Eighteen alleged traffickers have also been arrested and three criminal cases filed accusing 16 of them, Cox’s Bazar police said.

On Nov. 9, the coast guard arrested six suspected traffickers and caught 33 Rohingya refugees from a fishing trawler headed for Malaysia in the Bay of Bengal.

Abul Kashem, executive director of Help Cox's Bazar, which is working in the Rohingya camps, said refugees were desperate to reach Malaysia with the help of paid traffickers.

"The situation is alarming now," he said.

Rohingya community leaders said the refugees, who are Muslim, were targeting Malaysia because they had relatives there and because it was a majority Muslim country.

"Many of their relatives are asking them to travel to Malaysia by any means," said community leader Muhammad Ali.

More recently, BGB caught six Rohingya preparing to board a boat bound for Malaysia on Tuesday and another 22 on Sunday. They caught 30 on Friday and arrested two suspected traffickers.

Lt. Col. Chowdhury said those caught on Friday left their camps a week earlier and were staying in makeshift accommodations provided by the traffickers, whom they had paid between 50,000 takas ($596) and 100,000 takas ($1,192) to take them to Malaysia.

Two young women caught Friday told reporters that they were about to board their boat but changed their minds after seeing the sea and growing worried for their safety.

“My parents could not arrange my marriage, so I was planning to travel to Malaysia by sea because the Bangladeshi brother [the suspected trafficker] assured me he would arrange my wedding and provide money. But I retreated after seeing the danger of the sea,” said Nur Jahan Begum.

Shahena Akhter said her parents died in Myanmar when she was a child and afterwards lived with her uncle’s family.

"They could not arrange my marriage,” she said. “I am going to Malaysia for my marriage there."

On Thursday police caught 20 Rohingya refugees from the camps during a raid on the home a suspected trafficker. Police said the refugees told investigators they had relatives in Malaysia who had already made the sea journey and found jobs.

The U.S. State Department’s 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report said the Rohingya refugees were at high risk of trafficking because of their stateless status and inability to work legally in Bangladesh.

The report said Bangladesh was a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking and placed it on the department’s Tier 2 Watch List. It said the government was making strides to combat the problem but still “does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking."

The report adds: "In the recent past, some Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants who traveled by boat to Southeast Asian countries were subjected to exploitation when they were unable to pay ransoms and were instead sold into forced labor."

Bangladeshi officials say fewer refugees tried to flee the camps during the previous dry season because they were busier setting up their shelters, having just recently arrived in Bangladesh after fleeing a Myanmar military crackdown in Rakhine State in late 2017.

More than 720,000 Rohingya fled the crackdown for Bangladesh, according to the U.N.’s refugee agency.

Since October 2017, several dozen Rohingya women have also been caught in Cox’s Bazar and other districts trying to arrange passports through brokers to leave the country and sent back to the refugee camps.

Md Nikaruzzaman, executive officer of Cox’s Bazar’s Ukhia Sub-District, said local authorities have set up 11 security checkpoints around the camps and spoken to the refugees about the risks of being trafficked.

"We have also tightened our monitoring of the passport verification system" to thwart refugees trying to obtain Bangladesh passports for travel, he told The Irrawaddy.

In 2015, Bangladesh launched a crackdown on traffickers after authorities in neighboring Thailand discovered mass graves filled with the remains of Rohingya trafficking victims and caught boats overcrowded with thousands of them adrift at sea.

The post Bangladesh Steps Up Patrols to Stop Rohingya Risking Boat Trips to Malaysia appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Cases Dropped Against 55 Karenni Anti-Statue Activists

Posted: 13 Feb 2019 12:25 AM PST

YANGON—The Karenni State government has agreed to drop lawsuits against 55 rights activists charged for their participation in a series of protests over the past year against the installation of a bronze statue of General Aung San in a park in the state capital, Loikaw.

Protest leaders and the state government reached an agreement after holding talks at noon on Tuesday, said rights activist Ko Kyaw Htin Aung, adding that the crowds outside the park then peacefully dispersed.

The talks came after thousands of local residents led by the Karenni State Youth Force staged a protest march earlier Tuesday against the bronze statue. Police used water cannons and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators who attempted to break through a police cordon. Over 20 people were injured in the clash, according to the committee that organized the protest.

Protesters had also demanded that the state chief minister and planning and finance minister, who they said are responsible for the statue, resign from their posts, and that all those detained for participating in the protest be unconditionally released.

The heated talks started around 3 p.m. and went on for four hours. "Youths agreed to suspend the demonstration in exchange for a promise [from police] that unfair lawsuits against 55 youths would be dropped," Ko Kyaw Htin Aung said.

Since February 2018, authorities had opened 86 cases against 55 youths for protesting against the installation of the Gen. Aung San statue, and for offenses relating to their efforts to promote a Karenni perspective on history.

They were charged under Section 505 (b) and (c) of the Penal Code for defamation of the state, and under sections 19 and 20 of the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law, Ko Kyaw Htin Aung said, adding that there were 86 cases because some youths were charged multiple times.

The state government said that the Gen. Aung San statue was funded by a committee comprising civil society organizations, and asked the protesters to hold talks with the committee. It said the talks should be aimed at reaching a decision within one month.

"And they said it was not the protesters' place to demand the resignation of the state chief minister and the finance and planning minister, and that was [an issue] to be handled by the Union government," Ko Kyaw Htin Aung said.

According to protesters, hundreds of people rallied in support of the statue during an inauguration ceremony on Feb. 2 and several National League for Democracy members, including the state chief minister, attended the event.

The two sides agreed that no further rallies, either for or against the statue, would be held at the park during the one-month negotiation period between the protesters' committee and statue installation committee. However, rallies can be held at the Karenni State Hall.

At noon on Tuesday, Karenni youths and activists in Yangon staged a protest over the police use of rubber bullets against the demonstrators in Loikaw.

Holding placards reading, "What ethnic communities want is Gen. Aung San's promise, not his statue," and "Don't kill Gen. Aung San again", the demonstrators marched along Bo Aung Kyaw Street, Anawrahta Road and Sule Pagoda Road to Maha Bandoola Park.

"Local ethnicities have no right to determine their own destiny, and reveal their 'true' history. What's worse is youths who reveal the true history are arrested and shot [with rubber bullets]. This is not an answer," said Ma Ei Thinzar Maung, who participated in the demonstration.

The statue of the late independence hero was brought to Loikaw on Jan. 29. Local residents were surprised by its arrival, and accused the government of breaking a promise the state's chief minister made in July not to erect it without the public's approval.

Karenni State Chief Minister L Phaung Sho announced on June 12 last year the plan to unveil the statue on July 19 to mark Martyrs' Day, which commemorates the anniversary of the assassination of Gen. Aung San and his cabinet members. The plan was then shelved after it met strong opposition from locals.

The post Cases Dropped Against 55 Karenni Anti-Statue Activists appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Thai Princess Apologizes After Being Disqualified From PM Run

Posted: 12 Feb 2019 08:28 PM PST

BANGKOK — The Thai king’s sister, disqualified this week by the Election Commission from running for prime minister, apologized on Tuesday for causing “problems” for the Thai people ahead of next month’s election, the country's first since a 2014 coup.

Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Sirivadhana Barnavadi’s comments came a day after the commission dropped her name from an official list of prime minister candidates.

The commission said members of the royal family should stay above politics, echoing a sharp rebuke from King Maha Vajiralongkorn that her bid was “inappropriate” and unconstitutional.

“I am sorry my genuine intention to work for the country and Thai people has caused such problems that shouldn’t have happened in this era,” she said on Instagram late on Tuesday, after making a public appearance in central Thailand. She ended her statement with the hashtag “#howcomeitsthewayitis.”

Ubolratana’s unprecedented nomination by a party allied with populist ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra unsettled the Southeast Asian nation, where the monarchy is revered by millions of Thais and remains above politics.

The Election Commission is also considering dissolving the Thai Raksa Chart party as a result of the nomination. Electoral laws forbid involving the monarchy in political campaigns.

The March 24 election is set to be a showdown between the military-backed, royalist Prime Minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha, and supporters of Thaksin, who was ousted in a 2006 coup and forced into exile but remains immensely popular.

The post Thai Princess Apologizes After Being Disqualified From PM Run appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

With ‘On-the-Go’ Loans and Tech, Social Firm Boosts Myanmar Farmers

Posted: 12 Feb 2019 08:12 PM PST

YANGON — A social venture in Myanmar is boosting farm outputs with customized technologies and giving loans for seasonal migration to raise incomes in one of the world’s poorest countries.

Proximity Designs, which was set up in 2004 in the country’s commercial hub, Yangon, focuses on farming, on which more than two-thirds of the population relies to make a living.

The ethical business gives farming advice, custom-designed irrigation products and loans for crops, livestock and migration to about 200,000 clients in the country.

“It’s about improving access of smallholder farmers to knowledge, technology and capital,” said Ben Warren, head of strategy and finance at Proximity.

“Myanmar was closed for so long, it was hard for farmers to access these. While access is better now, not many products are made for farmers or reach them.”

Myanmar began emerging from nearly half a decade of military rule in 2011. Helping its smallholder farmers requires a deep understanding of context, as well as empathy and creativity, Warren told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Across Southeast Asia, businesses with a social purpose are improving the lives of vulnerable communities and helping narrow inequality.

In Myanmar, farmers rely heavily on the monsoon rain, and the country has one of the lowest percentages of irrigated farmland in Asia, according to Proximity.

The company designed a range of products including drip and sprinkler irrigation systems, and solar-powered pumps that can help increase yield by about a third, Warren said.

As a social venture, Proximity is better placed to help farmers than businesses with a purely profit motive, he said.

“Some areas are not viable or are hard to get to. Since we are supported by some funding, it allows us to subsidize our products and go the extra mile to reach farmers,” he said.

Proximity started giving micro loans to farmers in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis in 2008, Myanmar’s worst natural disaster, which killed nearly 140,000 people and affected some 2.4 million people.

About two years back, based on feedback from its clients, Proximity began “on-the-go” loans to help families during the dry season from November to April, when many men move to cities in search of factory or construction jobs.

A loan of about 200,000 kyats ($130) helps the family in the village until they receive remittances from the city, and also pays for the initial trip to the city, Warren said.

While on-the-go loans are a small part of Proximity’s portfolio now, they could grow because of demand, Warren said.

“Seasonal migration is an annual occurrence in nearly every rural family. With a loan from a reliable source, they can do it without worry,” he said.

The post With ‘On-the-Go’ Loans and Tech, Social Firm Boosts Myanmar Farmers appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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