Wednesday, February 6, 2019

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Hundreds of Arakanese, Chin Flee to Bangladesh as Army, AA Clash in Paletwa

Posted: 06 Feb 2019 06:03 AM PST

YANGON—About 250 newly displaced Arakanese and ethnic Chin from Chin State's Paletwa Township were driven from their homes into neighboring Bangladesh last week by fierce fighting between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army (AA). Some of the children in the group are reportedly gravely ill as the refugees lack food, clothing and shelter in the area's cold conditions, a rights worker said.

Medical and other aid workers were reportedly trying to reach the group, but the area they have fled into is extremely difficult to reach.

Win Thein, a member of Bangladesh's Bandarban District Human Rights Commission based in Ruma upazila (sub-district), told The Irrawaddy that over the weekend he met with the displaced villagers near a small village in a densely forested area known locally as Thuisa Para, about 11 km from the Remakri BGB (Border Guards Bangladesh) Camp.

He said that according to the displaced people, the Myanmar military (or Tatmadaw) torched homes in Kha Maung Wa village and Kin Tha Lin village in the upper Paletwa region last week. A group of 124 ethnic Chin arrived in Bandarban District's Ruma Township on Sunday. The following day, 126 Arakanese people from various villages entered the same area.

"We can't reach that region by car or boat; trekking is the only option. If we travel from Ruma Township it takes almost one day," Win Thein said.

According to initial reports from Ruma residents, the IDPs trekked for a couple of days to reach the Remakri region from the western Myanmar border. Relief groups could not reach Remakri by car; they had to take a boat trip from Ruma town and then make a six-hour trek to reach Thuisa village. The IDPs had been denied entry by local residents due to a lack of facilities there. Thus, all refugees are temporarily camping near a stream without enough food, tarpaulins or blankets.

Win Thein said the group included 60 children, including a few newborns. The refugees were without blankets or warm clothes. He said that their lack of warm clothing posed a threat of pneumonia among the children, adding that about five of the children had been unconscious since Monday.

When he returned to Ruma town from Remakri, he sent doctors and other relief workers to rescue the children and provide some emergency medical aid to the refugees.

He explained that the climate in the mountains in the area at this time of year is very cold, not unlike the hilly region of Shan State in northern Myanmar.

The refugees were not allowed to enter Thuisa village as it does not have sufficient shelter for them, and the entire village relies on shifting cultivation and growing seasonal fruits. "All they have are machetes and bamboo baskets. That's all I could see," he said.

"I have no idea what's happening there right now because that region is out of the range of telecom networks," Win Thein said.

Another activist from Ruma, Aye Tun, also went to meet the displaced Arakanese and Chin people in the Remakri region. He said arrangements were being made to transport tarpaulins to the refugees so they could put up modest temporary shelters near the stream.

He said that some local Marma people were helping by giving food to the refugees. The authorities had provided no support or humanitarian assistance to the refugees as of Wednesday. Despite the presence of Bangladesh border guards in the region, however, the refugees were not being driven back into Myanmar. Aye Tun said that the local Marma and hill tract people of Bangladesh are familiar with the Arakanese and Chin, and willing to assist the refugees.

"Even the adults could not stay longer without warm clothes in that densely forested area; just imagine the kids without blankets at night and sleeping on the ground," Aye Tun said.

District Human Rights Commission member Aye Thein said he was told by refugees that Myanmar Army soldiers set some homes alight in Kin Ta Lin village, which is home to 40 families, and Kha Maung Wa, which has 60 homes. It was unclear Wednesday whether the entire villages had been burned to the ground.

He said the displaced Arakanese villagers had initially wanted to flee to the nearest townships, Kyauktaw and Paletwa, but as the fighting had been going on for several days, they decided to cross the Bangladesh border and trekked for two days. On the way to Bandarban district, they met up with AA soldiers on the Myanmar border, who gave them some rice.

The Irrawaddy could not independently verify the claims of the Bangladesh-based human rights group. Regarding the allegations of the villagers, The Irrawaddy attempted to phone a brigadier-general at the Office of the Commander-in-Chief for comment but the calls went unanswered on Wednesday.

AA spokesman U Khine Thuka told The Irrawaddy that the group was taking care of about 120 displaced villagers from Paletwa in its area of control on the Myanmar border. He explained that based on their own accounts, the refugees had been in a chaotic situation since the fighting broke out, with families being separated.

Aye Thein said that Bangladeshi authorities summoned Myanmar's envoy to Bangladesh at least twice in recent days to discuss the new refugee arrivals in Bandarban District. He said they reminded the envoy that Myanmar has still not repatriated the nearly 800,000 Rohingya refugees who fled to Bangladesh in 2017, and was now allegedly driving ethnic groups out of its territory again.

"The Bangladesh authorities are now really mad at the Myanmar Army, as it is creating more troubles for Bangladesh," he said.

As a human rights defender, Aye Thein urged both Myanmar and Bangladesh authorities not to block aid shipments to the region. If they fail to transport necessary medicines and food to the refugees, the children who had just moved into a cold climate from a tropical zone were at risk of developing deadly pneumonia, he said.

The post Hundreds of Arakanese, Chin Flee to Bangladesh as Army, AA Clash in Paletwa appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

‘State Gov’t Lacks Community Connection’—State Counselor in Shan State

Posted: 06 Feb 2019 04:41 AM PST

CHIANG MAI, Thailand—State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi urged the Shan state government to have a closer relationship with its people and fulfill the needs of the public as necessary during her trip to townships in eastern Shan State which commenced on Tuesday.

She met locals of Tachileik and Mongyawng townships on Tuesday, and Kengtung, Mongton and Mong Hsat townships on Wednesday, to listen to their concerns and to receive their questions. She gave public replies to those gathered at each township.

"Frankly, I've noticed that the state government and people do not have the communication you should have. Many of the public concerns and issues heard during meetings like this should have been dealt with by the state government," she said during her address to the public in Kengtung.

The State Counselor, who also takes the role of chairperson of the Central Committee to Implement the Development of Border Areas and Ethnic Nationals, visited Kachin and Chin states in October 2018 and made a second trip to Chin State in January. She will attend Shan State Day celebrations in the Shan capital Taunggyi on Thursday before her trip concludes.

During her speeches in eastern Shan state, she focused on the importance of regional development, including access to clean water, road and electricity infrastructure, employment and improvement of the education and healthcare sectors. She spoke about land issues, building peace and rule of law.

She pushed the need for the state government and public to communicate frequently and to tackle issues such as requests to upgrade urban drainage systems and other township matters as necessary. She also encouraged the locals to raise their concerns with respective township and state officials who are assigned to deal with the matters.

She highlighted that it is inappropriate for these issues to be solved only after Union-level government officials pay visits to a region or state. As for issues to be taken to Union level, she said they would be dealt with immediately or directed to be solved through the relevant channels.

In Kengtung, the locals requested the government's help in the reopening of a road near Mongla closed by the Tatmadaw (Myanmar Army) since October 2016 and the opening of the border gates with neighboring China. The State Counselor responded that the border gate matter would need to be discussed with China. As for the road closure, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said that because it relates to the lack of peace and stability in the region, internal conflicts must first be resolved.

"Thus we need peace as well as development. I have repeatedly said it.…We cannot maintain peace without development, and vice visa. They are inseparable," she added.

Similarly, in Mongyawng on Tuesday residents raised the issue of border trade with China, saying they don't have free movement in order to carry out trade as the town is adjacent to Mongla's Special Region No. 4, which is controlled by the National Democratic Alliance Army.

U Aik Kham Hlaing, the Shan State parliamentarian from Constituency No.1 in Mongyawng told The Irrawaddy that the local people have high expectations of the State Counselor, and hope she will ease their concerns. He said, "they were told their complaints would be shared with the relevant ministries and replied to later."

As during almost every trip the State Counselor makes around Myanmar, she spoke about the role of young people in society and the importance of vocational training.

She urged the people to carry out their duties and responsibilities while the country is in the process of building a democratic federal union.

"In a country like ours where there is a need to establish unity from diversity, we need to nurture understanding and mutual respect of one another," she told the public in Tachileik on Tuesday. "It is acceptable to love your own people but it would be a grave mistake to be intolerant of others because of this reason."

The post 'State Gov't Lacks Community Connection'—State Counselor in Shan State appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Helicopter Ferrying Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Makes Emergency Landing

Posted: 06 Feb 2019 04:37 AM PST

NAYPYITAW — A military helicopter ferrying State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi made an emergency landing in Shan State's Mong Ton Township on Wednesday because of a hydraulic fluid leak.

The state counselor had just attended the groundbreaking ceremony for Mong Ton Ta Seng Bridge in eastern Shan and was en route to Mong Hsat Township when the chopper was forced to land.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi thanked the pilot and said he made the right decision, State Counselor's Office spokesman U Zaw Htay told The Irrawaddy.

"Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was grateful to the Tatmadaw [military], which arranged the helicopters and the pilot, who made the right decision," he said.

"Under such circumstances, it is up to the pilot to decide whether or not it is safe. His decision was right, and the trip went well, as expected," he added.

The helicopter that made the emergency landing as well as two others have flown back to base in Nansang Township.

"Shortly after the helicopter took off, it had to land due to a hydraulic fluid leak. Then she switched to another helicopter and left," U Tin Khaing, chairman of the Mong Ton Township chapter of the ruling National League for Democracy, told The Irrawaddy.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi finally arrived safely in Mong Hsat, where her meeting with local residents was broadcast by the State Counselor’s Office.

U Win Myat Aye, the Union Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, once told the media that the government did not have its own helicopters and had to ask the military to help facilitate trips on its own choppers.

In August the state counselor rented helicopters from the Htoo Company for her trip to Magwe Region’s Pakokku Township. U Zaw Htay said at the time that she did not use military helicopters on the occasion because the trip was partly personal.

According to sources in Naypyitaw, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will be travelling around Shan State and then visit Tanintharyi Region.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Helicopter Ferrying Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Makes Emergency Landing appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Say No to Myitsone

Posted: 06 Feb 2019 04:20 AM PST

Anyone saying "Yes" to resuming the Myitsone Dam project on the Irrawaddy River in Kachin State can expect public fury at best and—it doesn't seem like much of an exaggeration to say it—a death squad at worst. The controversial project is officially suspended, but recently returned to the center of public attention thanks to some undiplomatic remarks from Chinese Ambassador Hong Liang, delivered as he was meeting with Kachin politicians and religious leaders in the state capital, Myitkina.

Hong claimed the Kachin people were not opposed to the dam's resumption. Really? His remarks drew public outrage, but there has been no apology from the senior Chinese diplomat.

To gauge public opinion in Myanmar we could call a nationwide referendum; China—with which we have nurtured a long-lasting relationship—would then be in no doubt as to where the public stands. If we believe in paukphaw (fraternal) relations between China and Myanmar, our Chinese brothers should know that the majority of people in this country oppose the dam project.

But I can see at least one potentially positive development in all this: Since the majority of people oppose the controversial project, Myitsone is an issue on which all citizens can find some common ground, forging much-needed unity in the country. Government and religious leaders, politicians, lawmakers, activists and the public have strong opinions on the issue and will make it known to the world that they despise the project—this is healthy.

The Myitsone controversy also offers a valuable lesson to us all; the contract was signed when the country was under the former military junta. In future, any issue related to mega projects will need to be handled with more transparency and accountability, and public participation is, as always, important.

On the issue of Myitsone, the National League for Democracy-led government's stance should be loud and clear. So far, however, the public is not satisfied with the government's position. State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi recently said that no investor would trust Myanmar if a new government abolishes projects approved by its predecessor just because they do not comply with its policies.

"Suppose a foreign investor established a business and the government that approved that business then left office. If its successor terminates the project saying it did not approve it, then no businessperson would want to invest in this country."

Her statement coincides with widespread concerns among the public over China's attempts to resume the dam project after seven years.

In 2011, when she finally joined the protest against the dam project, the then opposition leader echoed the public's concern that the dam was dangerous and divisive. In a statement issued at the time, she said, "Since the commencement of the Myitsone project, the perception long held by the Kachin people that successive Burmese governments have neglected their interests has deepened."

Kachin CSOs protest in front of the Myitsone Dam project in Kachin State in 2017. / The Irrawaddy

She went on to say, "We would urge that in the interests of both national and international harmony, concerned parties should reassess the scheme and cooperate to find solutions that would prevent undesirable consequences and thus allay the fears of all who are anxious to protect the Irrawaddy."

For reasons that are not hard to grasp, since the NLD came to power, her stance on this issue has become increasingly equivocal. She ordered the establishment of a committee to look for an appropriate resolution to the Myitsone Dam project. During her visit to China in 2016 she said she is willing to look for a resolution that "suits both sides' interests".

Last week, U Thaung Tun, minister for investment and foreign economic relations, acknowledged that the China-backed project is dogged by major problems and has received nationwide pushback. "As we are the government, we are working hard to find a solution," the minister said at a press conference during the Invest Myanmar Summit in Naypyitaw.

The minister said the government and the commission set up by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi are in very serious discussions and considering all possibilities, including downsizing the dam, relocating it or developing other projects instead. He said the dam project as it was initially conceived under the previous government was "misguided".

So would Daw Aung San Suu Kyi say "yes" to the Myitsone project?

Government leaders including the State Counselor realize that resumption of the dam project is political suicide.

Recently, we have seen many brave people come out to protest against the dam project. One is the respected Cardinal Charles Bo, who said that the dam, which is slated for construction at the source of the Irrawaddy River, known as Myanmar's lifeline, "must be stopped" to ensure a peaceful future for the country, adding that construction of the dam would be a "death sentence for the people of Myanmar".

The cardinal's call follows a strong push by China to convince local people to support the project. His statement, titled "Stop Trafficking Our Mother Irrawaddy", is timely. In it, Cardinal Bo told local authorities and the international community that Myanmar is facing the sad prospect of losing the Irrawaddy "to the greed of a superpower." China, no doubt, will not be pleased.

"On behalf of all the people of Myanmar, especially the poor farmers, we earnestly request all stakeholders to stop their attempts to abuse our Mother Irrawaddy," the cardinal said in his statement. It was a wonderful statement that echoes the sentiments of millions of people in the country.

Make no mistake: The public outrage against the dam project is gaining momentum and the government must listen to these voices.

Certainly, whoever speaks out on this issue could make himself or herself a hero. And a surprising candidate has emerged!

In a recent meeting of stakeholders in Myitkyina, Myanmar military chief Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing held discussions with Kachin religious leaders on IDPs, the peace process and the Myitsone project. The commander-in-chief, who has made no secret of his political ambitions in 2020, reportedly said it is hard to go against the public's will on the dam issue, and promised that the Tatmadaw would do anything it can. But, he added, the final decision would be made by the Hluttaw, or Parliament. Without a doubt, introducing this hot-button issue into the sleepy Parliament will liven it up again.

To be fair, Myanmar and China are neighbors, and Beijing is always in a hurry to assist whenever Myanmar faces a political or diplomatic crisis; the government's recent efforts to strengthen ties with Beijing as criticism over the Rohingya refugee crisis pushes Myanmar away from the West are understandable.

But Myanmar is still an independent nation, and China must respect this.

Malaysia's Mahathir Mohamad, who returned as the country's prime minister at the age of 93 early last year, traveled to Beijing in August and said "No" to Chinese projects worth more than $20 billion, including the East Coast Rail Link, which was supposed to run down peninsular Malaysia's eastern seaboard as part of Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative. Likewise, the government in Myanmar can say "No" to past projects and renegotiate deals to reflect public opinion.

Whatever amount of pressure the government is subjected to, and regardless of the challenges the country faces, it's time to demonstrate that Myanmar is not a client state of any country and still exercises independence and a neutral foreign policy. Saying "No" to Myitsone will ensure the future of the country.

The more China pushes Myanmar to resume the dam project, the greater the public outrage and fury it will face. When it comes to Beijing's efforts to achieve a paukphaw relationship, this can only be counterproductive.

Aung Zaw is the founding editor-in-chief of The Irrawaddy.

The post Say No to Myitsone appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Infographic: NLD’s First Big Step Toward Constitutional Reform

Posted: 06 Feb 2019 03:51 AM PST

YANGON — With Parliament’s approval Wednesday of a committee to draft amendments to the Constitution — by a vote of 414 to 191 with six abstentions — the efforts of the National League for Democracy (NLD) to democratize the charter appear to be on their way. It was the ruling party’s first official attempt at amendments since taking office in 2016.

Drafted in 2008 by the then-ruling military junta, the Constitution reserves 25 percent of parliamentary seats for military appointees — just enough to veto amendments — and has been widely criticized as undemocratic.

NLD lawmaker U Aung Kyi Nyunt submitted a proposal to form the joint parliamentary committee "as soon as possible" last week, drawing strong objections from the military appointees and lawmakers from the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).

On Tuesday, 30 lawmakers joined a debate on the proposal. All but five — all of them from the USDP — spoke in favor of the idea, especially those from the NLD and ethnic minority parties.

It was a week of strong opposition but even stronger support for constitutional reform in Parliament.

Here, The Irrawaddy breaks down the committee’s path to approval in graphics and numbers.

The post Infographic: NLD’s First Big Step Toward Constitutional Reform appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Anti-Corruption Commission Trains Officials at ‘Problem’ Ministries

Posted: 06 Feb 2019 03:44 AM PST

NAYPYITAW—The Corruption Prevention Unit of the Myanmar Anti-Corruption Commission will conduct training for officials at the 14 ministries that have drawn the most complaints from the public.

"There were many complaints filed against them. Those ministries have to engage with the public directly. There may be procedural irregularities, and even if they acted according to procedures, dissatisfied individuals file complaints," spokesperson U Kyaw Soe of the anti-graft body told the press after opening the technical training session on Tuesday.

Among the ministries that have drawn a high number of complaints are Home Affairs; Office of the Union Government; Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation; Transport and Communications; Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation; Electricity and Energy; Labor, Immigration and Population; Commerce; Education, Health and Sports; Planning and Finance; Hotels and Tourism; Construction; and the Union Attorney-General's Office.

The commission said it received 10,747 complaints from Nov. 24, 2017 to Dec. 31, 2018, of which over 2,000 were filed in Yangon Region and 1,837 in Mandalay Region.

The three-day training session will help restore trust between the public and the government, U Kyaw Soe said.

President U Win Myint in December approved the creation of corruption-prevention units (CPUs) within government departments.

The CPUs are a component of the Public-Private Collaboration against Corruption plan, a key part of the Anti-Corruption Commission's 2018-21 strategy.

Anti-Corruption Commission chairman U Aung Kyi stressed the importance of CPUs, saying they are key to restoring the credibility of civil servants and the public's trust in the government's public service delivery.

U Aung Kyi said the CPUs' most important task is to conduct corruption risk assessments in order to find the causes of corruption and devise appropriate control measures.

Daw Lei Lei Thwin, a member of the commission, said at a press conference in March last year that most of the complaints were filed against the Home Affairs Ministry.

The Anti-Corruption Commission plans to conduct similar training at all ministries to help fight corruption, U Kyaw Soe said.

U Thein Than Oo, general secretary of the Independent Lawyers' Association of Myanmar, expressed his support for the training, saying that knowing the penalties for taking bribes would deter civil servants.

The post Anti-Corruption Commission Trains Officials at 'Problem' Ministries appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Families Displaced by Fighting in Chin State Flee Toward Indian Border: Arakan Army

Posted: 06 Feb 2019 02:35 AM PST

YANGON — More than 120 residents of Chin State's Paletwa Township displaced by fighting between the Myanmar military and Arakan Army (AA) are taking shelter in territory under the control of the ethnic armed group near the border with India, a spokesman for the group said.

"There are 124 people altogether, and we are finding out where the other villagers have fled to," U Khaing Thu Kha told The Irrawaddy.

He said 48 people from Kin Talin Village and 76 people from Khamaungwa Village arrived on Sunday — 32 men, 33 women and 59 children under 12 years old.

"We are taking the best care we can of the civilians who have arrived in our area of control. But it will not be easy in the long run. We will have to find other ways," said U Khaing Thu Kha.

He said that clashes from Jan. 20 through Monday have displaced people in seven villages including Khamaungwa, Kin Talin, Khaw Sa and Tawagu. But only those from Khamaungwa and Kin Talin have arrived in AA-controlled territory, he added, with the whereabouts of the others unknown.

The spokesman said the military has damaged several Arakanese villages along the Shin Let Wa and Kin Talin creeks with artillery fire.

On Sunday, police in Paletwa arrested 24 people who had recently fled Rakhine State’s Kyauktaw Township along with two locals sheltering them in their homes, after army Maj. Aung Naing Soe filed a complaint under Section 17 (1) and (2) of the Unlawful Associations Act. They are being detained at Sittwe Prison.

Residents of Shin Let Wa Village told The Irrawaddy by phone that the military had increased security in the village and restricted their movements.

The Irrawaddy could not verify the report independently and could not reach military spokespeople for comment.

The Paletwa Township administrator told The Irrawaddy there were no new displaced people in the area recently.

The military and AA have clashed sporadically in Paletwa since 2015. Fighting there resumed in November and has since spread to Buthidaung, Rathaedaung, Kyauktaw and Ponnagyun townships in neighboring Rakhine State, displacing more than 5,000 people.

On Dec. 21 the military announced a unilateral ceasefire with armed groups in the northeast to last until April. 30. It said it left Rakhine State out because of the ongoing threat posed by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army.

On Jan. 4 the AA attacked four border guard police posts in Buthidaung, seizing more than 40 arms and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Thirteen police and nine others were injured in the attack. Afterward, the President's Officer ordered the military to crush the AA.

The government’s National Reconciliation and Peace Center is meanwhile taking steps to hold talks with the Northern Alliance, of which the AA is a member.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Families Displaced by Fighting in Chin State Flee Toward Indian Border: Arakan Army appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

One Year On, No Response on Myitsone Impact Assessment

Posted: 06 Feb 2019 12:20 AM PST

NAYPYITAW—The commission tasked with evaluating hydropower projects on Myanmar's Irrawaddy River—including the Myitsone Dam in Kachin State—submitted its assessment to the President's Office more than one year ago.

The commission was formed on August 12, 2016, and was assigned to assess potential impacts of proposed projects on the environment, society, foreign investment, economy and water resources along the Irrawaddy River.

Speaker the Lower House of Parliament U T Khun Myat chairs the 20-member commission and the State Counselor's Office Minister U Kyaw Tint Swe serves as vice-chairperson. Union ministers and Kachin State's chief minister are also members of the commission.

"We presented our assessment, but [the President's Office] has not made any reply about what to do next. The authority of the commission is limited [to submitting the assessment]," Mi Kun Chan, a member of the commission, told The Irrawaddy.

The commission has studied the dam project contract signed under the former military government by Myanmar's former Vice Sen-Gen Maung Aye and China's President Xi Jinping, who was vice president at the time.

"It is up to the government to make the decision. As the commission includes a lot of experts, I don't want to make personal comments. I don't know if [the government] will release the report during its two remaining years [in office]," said Mi Kun Chan.

Sources close to Chinese investors said that Beijing has invested at least $6 billion in Kachin State including the $3.6-billion dam project in Myitsone to be located at the confluence of Mali or the N'Mai rivers where the Irrawaddy River begins.

The project was shelved by then-President Thein Sein in 2011 amid widespread public concern over its social and environmental impacts and recently returned to the spotlight when Chinese Ambassador Hong Liang claimed after a visit to Kachin State at the end of December that the Kachin people were not opposed to its resumption.

Kachin spiritual leaders, Kachin political parties and Kachin people have publicly objected to the dam project, and called for its termination.

"There is the Sagaing Fault, and if something happens Myitkyina will be flooded in seconds, and Bhamo will be flooded in minutes," said Lower House lawmaker U Aung Thein of Bhamo Township.

None of the Chinese-backed projects in Myanmar, including those in Kachin, benefit Myanmar citizens, he claimed.

The post One Year On, No Response on Myitsone Impact Assessment appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Parliament Approves Committee to Draft Amendments to Constitution

Posted: 05 Feb 2019 11:00 PM PST

YANGON — Nearly 67 percent of Union Parliament lawmakers voted Wednesday morning to form a committee to draft amendments to Myanmar’s undemocratic Constitution.

Parliament approved the formation of the committee with 414 votes in favor, 191 opposed and six abstentions. Though it was a secret ballot, the 31 percent who voted against the motion were likely military representatives appointed by the army chief, who hold 25 percent of the seats, and members of the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), who hold 5 percent.

Following the vote, Speaker U T Khun Myat announced that the committee would be chaired by Deputy Speaker U Tun Tun Hein, comprise an equal number of lawmakers from both houses of Parliament, and include military representatives and independents.

U Tun Tun Hein, 70, a former high court advocate, was elected deputy speaker in March 2018.

U Aung Kyi Nyunt, a lawmaker for the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD), introduced an urgent proposal to Parliament to form the committee “as soon as possible” on Jan. 29. The military lawmakers objected to the proposal and boycotted the parliamentary debate on the motion on Tuesday.

Thirty lawmakers from the NLD, USDP and some ethnic minority parties did join the debate. All but the five USDP lawmakers who joined in endorsed the proposal and offered suggestions on what form it should take. The USDP lawmakers strongly objected to the motion.

The Constitution, drafted by the then-ruling military junta in 2008, has been widely criticized as undemocratic. It reserves 25 percent of parliamentary seats — both regionally and nationally — for the military and gives the army chief the power to appoint the ministers of defense, home affairs and border affairs. The army can also select one of the country's three vice-presidents.

Amending the charter also requires approval from more than 75 percent of the total lawmakers in Parliament, effectively giving the military a veto over any proposed changes.

The post Parliament Approves Committee to Draft Amendments to Constitution appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Indian Police Rescue 180 Nepalis in Major Anti-Trafficking Operation

Posted: 05 Feb 2019 09:02 PM PST

MUMBAI—Indian police have rescued more than 180 Nepali men and women in a major operation near the border with Myanmar after activists raised suspicions they were being trafficked into forced labor.

Police in the northeast Indian state of Manipur said they had arrested four Nepalis in the main city of Imphal and charged them with human trafficking. Other arrests had been made elsewhere, they said.

“We got specific inputs from certain NGOs (non-government organisations) who were alerted by relatives that their family members had gone without their knowledge and permission,” said Manipur’s director general of police L.M. Khaute.

“So there was circumstantial evidence that this could be human trafficking,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Campaigners say traffickers are using the road between India and Myanmar to transport workers illegally to other Southeast Asian countries or the Middle East without going through Indian airports, where checks have intensified.

Most of the 183 people rescued so far had either flown to India from Nepal or travelled by road. Campaigners suspect others may have already crossed into Myanmar.

“This is an easy road route for labor trafficking,” said Hasina Khabhih, founder of Impulse NGO Network, which helps state authorities conduct rescue operations.

Campaigners who spoke to the rescued men and women said they had been promised work permits and new passports and in some cases the agents had kept their original documents.

“There is complete labor exploitation in such cases,” said Bishwo Khadka, head of Maiti Nepal, one of the charities that tipped off Indian authorities.

“They are not provided what they have been promised. There are hundreds of cases of girls working in the Middle East who call us for help because they are confined and are not paid what they were promised,” Khadka said by phone from Nepal.

Khadka was to fly to India on Tuesday to help repatriate the rescued Nepalis.

South Asia is the fastest-growing and second-largest region for human trafficking in the world after East Asia, according to the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Victims, mostly from poor rural areas, are lured by traffickers with promises of good jobs, only to find themselves forced to work in fields or brick kilns, enslaved in homes as domestic workers, or as prostitutes.

Traditionally, traffickers have used Nepal as a transit point to send women to the Gulf. But trafficking through Myanmar is now on the rise, police say.

The post Indian Police Rescue 180 Nepalis in Major Anti-Trafficking Operation appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

‘Water from Air’ Aims to Turn Back Thailand’s Tide of Plastic

Posted: 05 Feb 2019 08:37 PM PST

PHUKET, Thailand—Staying at a hotel on the Thai island of Koh Samui in 2015, Meghan Kerrigan noticed the four bottles of water she was given every day were clogging her bin with plastic.

Outside her door, Chaweng beach was smothered in rubbish. It was then that she and Kohler brothers, Ryan and Matthew, had a “light-bulb moment”.

“Instead of trying to solve the problem by cleaning the beaches every day, let’s go to what the source of the problem is, and take the plastic bottle away,” said Kerrigan, now 31.

In 2016, the trio founded startup company Generation Water, based on the Thai resort island of Phuket.

They partnered with Marriott, the world's largest hotel brand, in January 2017 to come up with a sustainable alternative to plastic bottles that would be commercially competitive and meet the needs of resorts and authorities.

Two years on, the South African-born entrepreneurs explained the workings of a pilot water plant at the JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa on Mai Khao beach, next to slogans saying "Save Water Drink Air" and "Made 100% from the air".

Here, in the sweltering heat, two water generators suck in vapor from the air, which then condenses into water when it hits cold coils.

The water drips into tanks, making 4,000 liters a day. It is filtered, minerals are added, and it is put into reusable glass bottles. These are placed into 445 guestrooms at the JW Marriott Phuket and neighboring Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa.

The bottled water is also being trialed at two Marriott vacation clubs nearby.

The move is part of a wider effort on the holiday island to cut down on plastic bottles, rife in the hospitality industry, and a major problem in Asia and its travel hotspots.

Sustainable shift

In many parts of Asia, tap water is unsafe to drink, so hotel guests get complimentary water, mostly in plastic bottles.

As much as 60 percent of the plastic found in the ocean comes from five Asian nations, including Thailand, according to U.S.-based non-profit group Ocean Conservancy.

In 2017, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific organized a forum to encourage sustainable water management on resort islands.

On Phuket, which is half the size of Hong Kong, more hotels are being built, and water is already in short supply.

Trucks navigate crowded roads as resorts without their own catchment area bring in water from reservoirs.

Phuket was the world’s 11th top city destination in 2017, with 11.6 million international arrivals, according to global research company Euromonitor International.

To cope with the environmental impacts of this influx, nearly 70 hotels from the Phuket Hotels Association have pledged to cut plastic bottles and straws by the end of 2019.

Since Marriott started producing its own water four months ago, it has stopped more than 100,000 plastic bottles from entering landfill or oceans, the chain says.

It plans to expand the scheme to all Marriott resorts in southern Thailand, handing out 4 million glass bottles.

Carsten Siebert, Marriott International’s director of operations for Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar, said the company understood it had “a greater obligation to operate responsibly given our expanding global footprint”.

The chain has a goal to reduce water consumption per occupied room by 20 percent between 2007 and 2020.

'Climate positive'

The "water from air" technology uses 78 percent less energy than producing standard bottled water, has a lower carbon footprint, and is about a third cheaper, Generation Water says.

"The good thing is that it starts to become financially affordable," said Matthias Y. Sutter, general manager at JW Marriott Phuket.

Nor does the system rely on pulling water from the ground, rivers or lakes.

"We don’t have to invest in land to secure our own water," said Kanokwan Homcha-aim, corporate social responsibility manager for the same Marriott hotel.

Guests here have reacted positively since the bottled water was introduced in September, happy that "finally a big brand made a move", she said.

They also like the taste. Michael Lawson, a lawyer from Sydney sitting at the Sala Sawasdee lobby bar, said his children were “quite picky” about water. “But it's very refreshing and they are fighting over it in the room,” he said.

Downstairs in the Siam Deli, teenage student Jeremy Frydman from Melbourne said it was better than tap water at home.

One challenge for Generation Water is explaining the science behind the technology.

Many guests ask about air pollution, for example. But the water collected is clean to start with, and the technology still works if the air is polluted as only water condenses, not the air or its contaminants, said Ryan Kohler.

And with human activities emitting more greenhouse gases, the atmosphere is warming up, causing more water to evaporate, which further heats the air in “a vicious circle”, he added.

The water-from-air system helps reduce this vapor, said Kerrigan, adding that it has no impact on rainfall levels.

Thailand's food and drug administration approved Generation Water last August, and the company is now expanding.

It is building a plant in Phuket, which will use solar energy to make "climate-positive" water, producing more than 20,000 liters of water per day by the end of the year.

Nine Marriott resorts on Phuket are in the process of signing up, along with 30 other hotels.

Generation Water is now eyeing the rest of Thailand, and is talking to hotels in Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Maldives, Kohler said.

It also sells smaller water production units that can be used in homes, offices, classrooms and yachts.

The company’s goal is to stop 1 billion 500 ml plastic bottles from entering landfill and the oceans every year by the end of 2021—equal to supplying 3,000 hotels of 250 rooms.

As for Marriott staff on Phuket, they have “no excuse now”, said Homcha-aim.

Their birthday gift from the company will be a reusable tumbler, which they can fill up with “water from the air”.

The post ‘Water from Air’ Aims to Turn Back Thailand’s Tide of Plastic appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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