Thursday, March 14, 2019

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Activists Point to Links Between Exploitation of Waterways and Conflict, Rights Abuses

Posted: 14 Mar 2019 08:30 AM PDT

YANGON—"Let the rivers flow freely means 'Stop the civil war,'" said prominent poet Ko Lay (or Innwa Goneyi), during a panel discussion in Mandalay to raise awareness about protecting rivers and to commemorate the International Day of Action for Rivers, which fell on Thursday.

The poet, who is in his 80s and has witnessed the 70-year-long civil war, remarked on Wednesday that the prolonged conflict "is not a sincere one and I would say it's a financial war: Every group uses guns to make money and sells natural resources. So when we talk about protecting rivers, we need to talk about ending the civil war."

River networks and environmentalists from both the majority and minority ethnic groups have been consistently outspoken about protection of rivers, largely as a way to preserve their ethnic identity, traditions and way of life.

This year, on March 13-14, the Burma Rivers Network, the Save the Salween Network and those who care for the Irrawaddy River raised awareness together about the need to let rivers flow freely with panel discussions, documentary film screenings and cultural exchanges in Mandalay.

They urged the government to listen to the locals' concerns and include their views whenever they consider development projects, including dams on rivers, whether big or small ones, in minority ethnic regions.

On Thursday, the network members also conducted a prayer service at the Irrawaddy Myitsone area and on the Salween riverbank, according to Boi Nu, a spokesperson for the BRN.

Boi Nu, an ethnic Kuki woman who lives near the upper Chindwin River in Homalin Township, Sagaing Region, added that the local residents are never consulted on development plans, and by the time they learn about it, the projects are already implemented.

"Being a woman, I urge other women to participate in those discussions whenever we hear about the projects, because women suffer most from the consequence of these projects," said Boi Nu.

She stressed that the local people, both men and women, know when there are changes in the rivers, citing her experience with the Chindwin River. The Chindwin River is contaminated mostly through the Uru (Uyu) River, which suffers from contamination from mining in the Hpakant areas in Kachin State.

"Women also know if the color of the river water has changed. But there is no awareness-raising or immediate instructions about whether the water is safe for drinking and for household use," she added.

Regarding approaches to development projects, the authorities and the ethnic minorities have different perspectives, said Saw Tha Poe from the Save the Salween Network.

Saw Tha Poe added that the ethnic villagers living along the Salween riverbanks have a lot of different traditions, cultures, languages, knowledge and skills, and these need to be taken into consideration.

Residents of Ei Tu Hta on the Salween River near the Thai border demand no dams and call for peace on their river on the International Day of Action for Rivers on March 14, 2019. / Hsa Moo / Karen River Watch

Sharing his experience working as a researcher on the way of life of people along the Salween River, he said, "They have their own knowledge of life skills built upon the ecosystem of the rivers. The rivers are their schools for survival, and for fishing and river transportation. If the rivers were closed, and the waterways changed, it would directly impact their ways of life. But sadly their views are not included for consideration in the policy drafting process."

"Our culture also largely depends on those rivers, as the locals use the names of the waters and rivers for their villages. If the dams are built for development, their traditional knowledge would be disregarded," Saw Tha Poe added, citing the example of the Karen communities in Irrawaddy Region, many of whose residents can no longer speak the Karen language and are unable to practice their customs.

The Karen environmentalist added that his community envies the attention the Irrawaddy River is getting thanks to the presence of the majority Burman group, which speaks out against dams on the mighty river, while many seem to forget about other crucial rivers and tributaries.

"Instead of talking about protecting one river or a key river, this time we have to have a unified voice for free-flowing rivers so that we can leave behind a good legacy for our younger generations. The legacy that we must leave is not the dams, but the free-flowing rivers," said Saw Tha Poe.

To protect rivers, the environmentalists and authors urged protection of the marine species they contain. In the case of the Irrawaddy River, many Irrawaddy dolphins have been killed due to electric-shock fishing. "If law enforcement was good enough and trustworthy, and if our people were more aware of the need to value the dolphins, we could reduce electric-shock fishing," said Nyi Pu Lay, a prominent author based in Mandalay.

The panelists also highlighted the dangers of building too many bridges across rivers, which can cause changes to the waterways and sand accumulation.

Large dams drive conflict

In southeast Myanmar, Karen Rivers Watch and some 2,000 members of local communities gathered in Ei Tu Hta on the Salween riverbank to urge that "all proposals [of the government] for the construction of large dams on our [Salween] rivers be completely abandoned" on Thursday.

The Karen communities oppose the government-planned Hatgyi Dam on the Salween River, fearing it will flood and starve their ancestral territories.

"[It] permanently displaces us from our heritage, and inflames conflict and [threatens] security. For our Karen people the Hatgyi Dam is a symbol [of] violence and a tool used by the Burma [Myanmar] Army to occupy our territory," reads the communities' statement issued on Thursday.

Locals suffered from armed conflict due to the dam project along the eastern access road leading to the Hatgyi Dam site in September 2016, when the military-backed Border Guard Force moved to the area to take control of the dam site, which lies in Paan district. The action forced the displacement of over 5,000 residents of 28 villages to Myaing Gyi Nyu.

Those displaced people are still not able to return and now live without access to adequate food, medicine or humanitarian support, said Hsa Moo of Karen River Watch.

"Our people want peace, not mega-development projects, as they will not bring us any benefits," said Hsa Moo. She said large dams like the Hatgyi project drive conflict and uproot people from their homes and indigenous territories.

The post Activists Point to Links Between Exploitation of Waterways and Conflict, Rights Abuses appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Try Buthee For a Village-Style Burmese Lunch

Posted: 14 Mar 2019 07:04 AM PDT

YANGON — Bogalayzay Street in downtown Yangon has been getting increasingly popular of late thanks to a growing number of good restaurants, cafés, an art gallery, an old-school barbershop — and now a traditional village-style restaurant called Buthee, courtesy of Rangoon Tea House (RTH).

Opened in July, the space combines Buthee, which means bottle gourd, with Mr. Wok, an RTH chain popular for its fried noodles and rice. I stopped in for the first time this week after a few strong recommendations from colleagues.

From the street, the white storefront gives the appearance of a coffee shop more than a typical Yangon lunch spot.

An employee prepares tea. / Aung Kyaw Htet / The Irrawaddy

When you enter, the staff greet you with a “mingalar bar.” There are tables both downstairs and upstairs. And though Buthee bills itself as a traditional restaurant, the space is much more modern.

Buthee offers village-style Burmese lunches with a wide choice of a ywat thoke (vegetable salad), a kyaw thoke (fried salad) and desserts, coffee, tea and other drinks.

Like many Myanmar lunch spots, all the main dishes and sides are behind glass. You can take a look at the options and place your order at your table.

A selection of dishes. / Aung Kyaw Htet / The Irrawaddy

They have a very clean the ngapi yay (fish sauce) station, an all-time favorite with most Burmese. There are many fresh vegetables including bamboo shoots, cucumbers and eggplant to eat with the sauce.

My friend and I tried the nga phel hinn (fried fish cake curry) for 2,300 kyats, mixed vegetable salad for 500 kyats, a kyaw sone (deep fried vegetables) for 1,000 kyats, and Pyinmana-style salad, named after a township in Naypyitaw.

A selection of curries. / Aung Kyaw Htet / The Irrawaddy

Most of the dishes and salads are prepared in the Pyinmana style because it’s the hometown of RTH owner Htet Myat Oo's father, according to Buthee’s Facebook page.

Except for the salads, the dishes are ready to eat, so they won't take too long to reach your table.

The nga phel hinn was cooked with tomato gravy, so it was a bit sour, but I loved it. The fish was fresh and the gravy not too oily.

The mixed vegetable salad was excellent. The leaves were perfectly boiled and the combination tasted great. But I didn’t much like the Pyinmana-style mixed salad; It was sweet and had too much bean powder.

But the complimentary gourd soup was also great. I loved it. And the rice is all-you-can-eat.

The a kyaw sone is served with delicious tamarind dipping sauce. The fries are crispy and crunchy, not very oily, and the portion is enough for two.

Inside Buthee. / Aung Kyaw Htet / The Irrawaddy

We had a very pleasant lunch and I wanted to try their desserts but I was full.

The whole meal cost about 7,000 kyats, cheap for what you get. I fully recommend Buthee for those who want to try a typical Burmese lunch.

Though the food and prices are perfect, the restaurant does need to train its staff. While friendly, they don’t pay the customers enough attention. I called and waved to place my order, but they hardly noticed. And while a few of the dishes are written in English, most are in Burmese. So if you can’t read Burmese, try to ask the staff for help.

Other than that, Buthee is a perfect choice for lunch, coffee and tea.

The post Try Buthee For a Village-Style Burmese Lunch appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rakhine Gov’t Sitting on 3-Billion-Kyat Fund for IDPs

Posted: 14 Mar 2019 06:40 AM PDT

YANGON—Despite the fact that the Rakhine State Parliament last month voted in favor of using the state's 3-billion-kyat (US$1.96 million) disaster management fund to assist 10,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in northern Rakhine, the state cabinet has opted not to touch the money, preferring to request funds from the Union government.

Regional lawmaker U Phoe San of the Arakan National Party (ANP) explained that the vast majority of regional lawmakers on Feb. 27 voted in favor of the proposal urging the state government to spend disaster management funds on the IDPs.

State cabinet member U Aung Kyaw San requested the speaker not approve the proposal, saying the Union government was also considering contributing to the relief effort for displaced Arakanese villagers. He pointed out that the state government had provided assistance on only one occasion, providing 50,000 kyats in cash to each IDP in early February. Since then, the IDPs have been relying mainly on donations from local relief groups.

Rakhine State Parliament Deputy Speaker U Mya Than said he had been told that Union Social Welfare Minister Dr. Win Myat Aye recently offered to provide relief funds when Rakhine State Chief Minister U Nyi Pu, a National League for Democracy (NLD) appointee, visited the minister in Naypyitaw.

As of this week, the cabinet members still have not explained whether they plan to use the Union funds. U Mya Than said the state government had spent several hundred million kyats on other projects and still had more than 2.5 billion kyats available for spending.

When asked whether the state government had ignored the state parliament's endorsement of the use of state funds for IDPs, the deputy speaker remarked that lawmakers would have to wait and see what action the state government takes. He pointed out that the IDP population is now over 10,000 in northern Rakhine State.

"We have to wait and see whether they desire to allocate relief funds from the state budget or not," said U Mya Than.

Rakhine State Municipality Affairs Minister U Win Myint acknowledged that his government recently received about 14 million kyats and a one-month supply of rice for 4,000 IDPs but said the fate of the other 6,000 IDPs is still uncertain.

According to him township-level authorities—especially from the General Administration Department (GAD)—have not provided timely IDP numbers. He claimed that ground-level reports indicated only 6,332 IDPs as of March 5.

U Win Myint said local authorities in different townships were providing humanitarian assistance to the IDPs. But he said he had no idea whether these funds were being allocated from the 3-billion-kyat disaster management fund or from a separate fund.

Although regional minister U Win Myint claimed local authorities are helping IDPs on the ground, local relief worker Ko Zaw Tun from Mrauk-U Township said that in reality the contribution from local authorities had been poor. Thus, self-motivated Arakanese youth volunteers had collect donations from locals and distributed food for the IDPs daily.

His hometown of Mrauk-U alone had received more than 3,200 IDPs from 10 villages in recent days. Nearly 2,000 IDPs are currently seeking refuge in eight monasteries downtown and in the schools of Mrauk-U. More than 1,000 other IDPs are staying in neighboring villages without proper shelter, safe drinking water or sanitation facilities. As a consequence, some displaced children are suffering from diarrhea. Fortunately, a doctor from Mrauk-U was treating the ill.

"I don't see any humanitarian assistance from local authorities here. Even international relief agencies like the International Red Cross (ICRC) just showed up once and distributed some buckets to the IDPs in Shwe Taung monastery in town this week," said Ko Zaw Tun.

He said locals speculated that the ICRC relief was delayed because authorities were intentionally blocking it. With the exception of the ICRC and the World Food Program, international relief agencies have been barred from northern Rakhine State since January. And even these two groups are only allowed partial access. Rice vessels are blocked from traveling to upper Kyauktaw and Chin State's Paletwa.

Ko Zaw Tun said many locals are already struggling to get by and cannot afford to share food for long. He pointed out that if the authorities or relief agencies fail to set up IDP camps, and the fighting continues until the monsoon season, then displaced villagers will really be in trouble.

He urged state Chief Minister U Nyi Pu and the Union government to immediately assist those caught in the armed violence, regardless of race or religion. He said he had learned that Japan had made a huge donation to the Social Welfare Ministry and hoped those funds would be used properly to help IDPs.

"We just need help, no matter whether it comes from the state level or the Union," he said.

But as a priority, he requested the authorities take a look at the situation in Bon Kyaung village. He had received complaints that a military unit was stationed near the village and was questioning every single villager attempting to visit a neighboring village or go to the market.

He explained that previous military units had also encamped in many villages and bought chicken, rice and other commodities at street prices, and treated the locals reasonably. However, the military unit currently stationed in Bon Kyaung village was treating people badly, taking chickens and rice without paying for them, he said.

The European Union, Canada and Norway issued a joint statement on Thursday morning encouraging the Arakan Army and the Myanmar military to halt their armed conflict, as it was worsening the humanitarian situation in Chin State's Paletwa and in Rakhine. They also urged the AA to stop targeting police officers and civilian authorities and individuals.

It said the AA's killing on March 9 of nine police officers in Ponnagyun Township, Rakhine State, could not be justified. The EU urged the AA and the Union government to resolve their historical grievances through dialogue and an inclusive political process.

The joint statement urged both sides to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and allow the delivery of humanitarian aid. It mentioned that restrictions on humanitarian work by aid agencies in five townships—Rathedaung, Buthidaung, Maungdaw, Ponnagyun and Kyauktaw—were having "a serious impact on the already precarious humanitarian situation of at least 95,000 people."

To prevent further deterioration, seasonal agricultural and rehabilitation works "must be allowed to be carried out before the start of the rainy season," it said.

The post Rakhine Gov't Sitting on 3-Billion-Kyat Fund for IDPs appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Bangladesh Probes Possible Misuse of Funds for Rohingya Refugees

Posted: 14 Mar 2019 04:28 AM PDT

DHAKA — The Bangladesh government on Wednesday asked intelligence agencies to look into the possible misuse of funds meant to help the more than 1 million Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar.

"I received allegations and there is also prima-facie evidence,” said Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq, who heads the government cabinet’s law and order committee, which requested the probe.

He told The Irrawaddy that the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) and National Security Intelligence (NSI) were given one month to look into how the funds have been used and report back.

The DGFI is the intelligence unit of the Bangladesh Armed Forces and considered the most powerful intelligence agency in the country. The NSI is the principal intelligence agency of the state.

Law Minister Anisul Huq, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, Home Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, Information Minister Hasan Mahmud, State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury attended Wednesday’s committee meeting along with the heads of law enforcement and intelligence agencies and others.

Huq accused some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working with the Rohingya in the refugee camps of having “ill motives.”

"We have received information that NGO officials have spent 150 crore taka [$17.87 million] since September on hotel rooms in Cox's Bazar. They spend only 25 per cent of the funds they receive from different agencies to assuage the miseries of the Rohingya," he said.

"The chiefs of both agencies were present at the meeting and I asked them to complete their inquiries,” he added. “I will come up with evidence and disclose our findings to the public to show how funds were used, because those who donate should also know how funds are being utilized."

Reporting on Thursday on the same committee meeting, the Dhaka-based daily New Age said the government has dismissed the U.N.’s concerns about its plans to relocate tens of thousands of Rohingya from Cox’s Bazar to an uninhabited, flood-prone island in the Bay of Bengal.

"It is an internal matter for us where we should provide accommodation for Rohingya people seeking shelter here. They [the U.N.] can talk about humanitarian issues, if any," Huq was quoted saying.

He reportedly said the government had made all preparations to start relocating refugees, as per orders from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Yanghee Lee, the U.N.’s special rapporteur on Myanmar, told the U.N. Human Rights Council recently that relocating refugees to the island risked creating a “new crisis.”

"There are a number of things that remain unknown to me even following my visit, chief among them being whether the island is truly habitable," said Lee, who visited Bhasan Char island in January.

"Ill-planned relocation and relocations without the consent of the refugees concerned have the potential to create a new crisis. It is incumbent on the government of Bangladesh to ensure that this is not brought about," she added.

In early 2018 the government formed a 10-member committee headed by Disaster Management and Relief Ministry Additional Secretary Muhammad Mohsin to assess whether Bhasan Char was suitable for Rohingya relocation. The committee consists of five members each from the Bangladesh government and the United Nations.

In late June, the Special Branch police in Cox's Bazar reported to the Prime Minister's Office that about 13 percent of the Rohingya refugees were willing to be relocated to Bhasan Char. Among the main reasons most refugees gave for not wanting to move to the island was its isolation, fearing it would mean receiving less aid.

Bhasan Char is about a one-hour boat ride from Sandwip, the nearest inhabited island.

More than 700,000 Rohingya have entered Bangladesh from Myanmar since August 2017 to escape a military crackdown in northern Rakhine State, taking the total number of refugees in Cox’s Bazar to about 1.14 million.

The post Bangladesh Probes Possible Misuse of Funds for Rohingya Refugees appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Yangon Timeout

Posted: 14 Mar 2019 03:43 AM PDT

Jose Abadi: Words, Lines and Threads

This is a solo exhibition by the artist and curator Jose Abadi who has called Myanmar home for five years and is soon to journey home. Using Burmese script as an influence, the artist is focusing on his dyslexia as a creative form rather than a disability. Exhibition opening reception is on Thursday March 14 at 6 p.m.

March 14 to 27 | Myanm/art | 3FL, 98 Bogalayzay Street, Botahtaung Township

Joint Chambers Sunset Cruise Party

Organized by the American and Japanese chambers of commerce with the Singapore Association of Myanmar, this event will allow attendees to take in Yangon's city skyline from the unique vantage point of the Yangon River around sunset. It is also an opportunity to enjoy drinks and canapes while you network and make connections with like-minded folk from a number of industries.

March 15 | 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. | Irrawaddy Boat 01 | Botahtaung Jetty, Strand Road, Botahtaung Township

Farmers Market

A growing community of farmers and producers come together weekly to sell fresh, local, healthy products including bread, veggies, eggs, plants, honey, coffee, tea, juice, salad and more. This is a plastic-free market and market goers are requested to bring along reusable bags or baskets.

March 16 | 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. | Karaweik Compound | Kandawgyi Gardens, Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township

Chin State Investment and Product Fair

This two-day investment fair is organized by the Myanmar government in connection with UKAid and a number of businesses, with the aim of stirring up foreign investment interest in one of the least developed parts of the country. The event will include panel discussions and will focus on potential projects in the tourism and infrastructure sectors of Chin State.

March 16 and 17 | Myanmar Convention Center | Mindama Road, Mayangone Township

Condition by Aung Kyi Soe

This is five-day solo art exhibition by artist Aung Kyi Soe who has exhibited in Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong and elsewhere. Aung Kyi Soe's work usually focuses on political issues and has been the subject of strict censorship, even in recent years. The exhibition opening reception takes place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday.

March 16 to 20 | Nawaday Tharlar Gallery | Room 304, 20/B, Yaw Min Gyi Street, Dagon Township

Our Soul Art Exhibition

This is the second solo exhibition by watercolor painter Pite Tin. Landscapes and scenes of everyday life in rural Myanmar and Bagan are the inspiration for his exhibition of 30 color-filled paintings.

March 16 to 18 | Gallery 65 | No. 65, Yaw Min Gyi Road, Dagon Township

St. Patrick's Day Gaelic Games

The Myanmar Irish Society, representing a small but strong Irish community in Myanmar, is hosting an introduction to Gaelic football—one of the national sports of Ireland—as part of its St. Patrick's Day events this Saturday. This is an opportunity to learn some new skills—or to show off what you've already got. Everyone is invited whether you'd like to get active and involved or to watch and enjoy some drinks and food on the sidelines at Dulwich College in Star City. A bus has been organized to depart 50th Street Bar & Restaurant at 2 p.m. returning at 6 p.m. but preregistration is required.

March 16 | 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. | Dulwich College Yangon (Star City Campus) | Thanlyin

Fete de la Francophonie

Organized by the French Institute, this is a day-long family-friendly event celebrating Fracophone cultures and languages. In the morning there will be a small market with food, handicrafts and books. The afternoon will see a dance performance followed by a singing competition. Games tournaments, including chess, words games and other board game classics, will take place throughout the day. French language skills are not required.

March 16 | 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. | Institut Français de Birmanie | 340, Pyay Road, Sanchaung Township

Thingyan Boat Party

By the same organizers of the very popular Sunset Boat Party events, the Thingyan Boat Party is set to be your first of many, many Thingyan water festival events this summer. As with all good Thingyan events, there will be lots of water spraying and water guns and the beat-synchronized hydro-pump sprinkler system dubbed the Shwe Shower too. Music-wise, you can expect everything from hip-hop to house to electronic played by select DJs.

March 16 | 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. | Botahtaung Jetty 2 | Strand Road, Botahtaung Township

A Sunset Melody

One of Myanmar's long-time favorite bands, The Four, will perform at a special sunset event this weekend at the Yangon Sailing Club. Enjoy a picnic vibe in this special outdoor venue as the sun goes down over Inya Lake. Tickets are 40,000 kyats and include a one free drink.

March 16 | 5 p.m. | Yangon Sailing Club | 132, Inya Road, Kamayut Township

Paddy's Day @ 50th Street

From 8 p.m. onwards, 50th Street Bar and Restaurant will become the center of Irish culture in Myanmar in honor of the international St. Patrick's Day celebrations. Enjoy Yangon's only authentic traditional Irish band, the Drunken Irish Barstools, performing all your favorite Irish classic songs for toe-tapping, singalongs and dancing. Ireland's national brew, Guinness, and traditional Irish stew will be on the menu for this weekend only. Upstairs, the Six Nations rugby final will be screened on the large screen.

March 16 | 8 p.m. | 50th Street Restaurant & Bar | 9/13 50th Street (Lower Block), Botahtaung Township

Taste of France

In celebration of French cuisine, 11 top restaurants across Myanmar are offering special French menus which, this year, will focus on more responsible cuisine featuring reduced sugar, fat and salt. Over 150 countries worldwide take part in this food event each year and here in Myanmar, as well as eight top restaurants in Yangon, French menus will also be served at Inle Lake (Novotel Inle Lake Myat Min), Bagan (The Black Bamboo) and Naypyitaw (The M Gallery by Sofitel).

March 21 to 24 | Countrywide

The post Yangon Timeout appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Suu Kyi Repeats Call for ‘Wider Perspective’ on Myitsone Dam

Posted: 14 Mar 2019 03:11 AM PDT

YANGON—Amid increasing pressure from China to resume the controversial Myitsone Dam project, the State Counselor has promised that her government will make a final decision on the dam based upon political, economic and environmental considerations, and vowed to make public the details of the decision.

When asked her opinion of the Myitsone Dam project at a meeting with local residents in Pyay, Bago Region on Thursday, State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said, "I would like you to think [about the project] from a wider perspective."

She said, "We should not think based on one perspective. If we think from only one perspective, we could make the wrong [decision]."

The State Counselor said the final decision would have to be politically, socially, economically and environmentally sound and sustainable.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi did not offer her own stance on whether the dam project should be scrapped, nor did she say when a decision would be made.

However, she said her government should not abolish projects approved by a previous government just because it did not comply with the current administration's policies.

If government of the day were to break promises made by previous governments, the country would lose credibility, she said.

She added that her government would make decisions transparently, not only when it comes to the Myitsone project, but also on other projects.

The proposed US$3.6-billion (approximately 5.48 trillion kyats) Myitsone Dam is one of seven hydropower projects planned for the upper reaches of the Irrawaddy River as well as the Mali and N'Mai rivers, at whose confluence the Irrawaddy begins. Work on the project started in 2009, but then-President Thein Sein suspended it in 2011 amid widespread public concern over the dam's social and environmental impacts.

Experts point out that the dam site is important for its biodiversity, and environmentalists warn the project would both destroy the natural beauty of the Irrawaddy River and disrupt water flow downstream.

The project remains in limbo. After the National League for Democracy took power in 2016, the government set up a 20-member commission including the chief minister of Kachin to review the project, including its environmental and social impacts. The commission has produced two reports to date, but the government has yet to release either.

Recently, Chinese officials strongly pressured Kachin political and religious leaders on the need to restart the Myitsone project, saying it was an important part of China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Initiative.

In late January, Investment and Foreign Economic Relations Minister U Thaung Tun said at a press conference the government is working hard to come up with a final decision on how to proceed with the controversial Myitsone Dam project. The minister said the government and a commission studying the project are in very serious discussions and considering all possibilities, including downsizing the dam, relocating it or developing other projects instead.

U Thaung Tun said the China-backed project is dogged by major problems and has received nationwide pushback. He said the dam project as it was initially conceived under the previous government was "misguided".

Many experts believe the Myanmar government needs to a make final decision on Myitsone before Daw Aung San Suu Kyi visits Beijing to attend a BRI forum in April. She is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the forum.

The post Suu Kyi Repeats Call for 'Wider Perspective' on Myitsone Dam appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Proposed Coast Guard Belongs in Military Hands: Deputy Defense Minister

Posted: 14 Mar 2019 01:56 AM PDT

NAYPYITAW—The Myanmar military is taking steps to establish the proposed coast guard as a unit of the Defense Ministry, despite the stated goal of the President's Office that the force will be under its control.
Deputy Defense Minister General Myint Nwe told the Lower House of Parliament on Wednesday that the ministry plans to seek Parliament's approval to form the coast guard under the command of the Myanmar military (or Tatmadaw).

The deputy minister revealed the plan in response to a question from lawmaker Daw Aye Mya Mya Myo, who asked about the government's maritime security plans.

"We will be able to better protect Myanmar's waters by exchanging information among concerned organizations and making decisions in real time," the general said.

An integrated command center (ICC) will be formed and led by the Myanmar Navy. The center will consist of officials from the Maritime Police Force, Customs Department, Immigration Department, Department of Marine Administration, Myanmar Port Authority, Fisheries Department and Directorate of Water Resources and Improvement of River Systems, among others.

The Ministry of Transport and Communications held a meeting on establishing a coast guard in December. Minister U Thant Sin Maung told the media that the President's Office wished to place the new force under its control.

The coast guard is intended to protect national security and fight drugs and arms smuggling, as well as human trafficking, the minister told reporters.

Citing Article 338 of the 2008 Constitution, which says that all armed forces in the Union shall be under the command of the Defense Services chief, Gen. Myint Nwe said the Defense Ministry would take charge of the coast guard.

"The most important thing is to have strong coordination between departments, no matter which ministry controls the coast guard," lawmaker Daw Aye Mya Mya Myo told reporters.

As an example of the current lax state of maritime security, she said local authorities only found out about a boat carrying some 100 Muslim Rohingya in Thante village, Yangon's Kyauktan Township, after locals made a report. It is a cause for concern that neither the Maritime Police nor troops stationed in four of the 10 coastal villages in the area detected the vessel, Daw Aye Mya Mya Myo said.

The Myanmar Navy has installed radar in strategic positions along coast, but more installations are needed if the entire coastline is to be covered, said Gen. Myint Nwe. He added that the Navy has no vessel-monitoring system.

"The Navy can distinguish whether a vessel of 300 tons or more is friend or foe using the coastal radar, but for smaller vessels, it can't due to the lack of a vessel-monitoring system," he said.

According to the Defense Ministry, Myanmar's territorial waters cover 14,491 sq. miles, and its coastline is a little over 1,260 miles long.

The coast guard will be tasked with promoting the rule of law in Myanmar's waters, ensuring the security of maritime vessels and ports, investigating maritime accidents, protecting marine resources including the fishery industry, promoting sea environmental conservation, and preventing and counteracting water pollution, the general said.

It will also be responsible for the security of cruise ships along the coastline and island resorts, and for search-and-rescue operations—a range of responsibilities currently assumed by the Myanmar Navy.

Total seizures of smuggled fish, drug, teak, cattle and oil were worth 220 billion kyats from 2011 to 2018; the Navy also took action against 3,677 local and 1,598 foreign smugglers and human traffickers.

The post Proposed Coast Guard Belongs in Military Hands: Deputy Defense Minister appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Kachin Gov’t Vows to Crack Down on China-Backed Banana Plantations

Posted: 14 Mar 2019 01:38 AM PDT

YANGON—The Kachin State agriculture minister will investigate controversial Chinese tissue-culture banana plantations across Kachin State, and plans to tighten regulation of the plantations in response to local residents' concerns about their social and environmental impacts.

The newly appointed minister of agriculture, livestock and irrigation for Kachin State, U Kyaw Kyaw Win, told The Irrawaddy he would soon submit a proposal to the state cabinet to form a special committee.

Subcommittees will be formed under the panel with responsibility for illegal plantations, environmental impacts, local labor rights, and illegal migration from China by banana plantation workers, U Kyaw Kyaw Win said.

The state government has been criticized by local environmental experts for neglecting the social and environmental impacts of banana plantations. Banned from Laos and Thailand, the controversial China-backed tissue-culture plantations started appearing in war-torn Kachin State in 2007.

Despite the backlash by local residents, the plantations have been expanding rapidly, particularly in Waimaw Township, close to the state capital of Myitkyina. The operators are accused of unfairly taking over land previously leased from the authorities by locals, many of whom were displaced by conflict.

As the plantations expand, villagers displaced by fighting and living in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) are increasingly concerned that their land may be occupied, and that they will not be able to farm when they return home.

The state Agriculture Ministry has officially documented around 63,000 acres of banana plantations, but civil society organizations have recorded more than 170,000 acres across Waimaw, Bhamo, Shwegu, Mansi, Momauk and Dokphoneyan townships.

U Kyaw Kyaw Win said, "We will take testimony about the discrepancy between the government data and information on the ground."

He said he had found that bananas have been planted in restricted forest areas, and that serious action would need to be taken against the operators.

"I also see banana plantations expanding in the restricted forest area near my house," U Kyaw Kyaw Win added.

According to the state Agriculture Ministry, there are 40 local companies registered to operate banana plantations. However, civil society and environmental organization say 85 percent of the plantations are operated by Chinese companies disguised as local businesses.

U Kyaw Kyaw Win said, "Most of the companies are backed by the Chinese—everybody knows about it. We will force them to register officially. We will instruct them to follow MIC [Myanmar Investment Commission] procedures if they want to plant bananas here."

A recent report by the Land Security and Environmental Conservation Group comprising 11 civil society organizations said local workers are suffering rights abuses at the hands of the companies, particularly in the form of low pay compared with Chinese workers. Moreover, locals said the huge influx of Chinese workers had resulted in an increase in human trafficking and drug abuse.

According to the minister, the committee will draw up a framework to control the influx of Chinese workers into banana plantations.

"We will also make strict rules for Chinese workers who want to work for the banana plantations. That issue needs to be worked out together with the Immigration Department," he said.

"We all face challenges, particularly supervising the banana plantations under the armed groups," the minister said.

Kachin-based civil society organizations allege that large areas are being planted with bananas in Kachin State's Special Region 1, which is under the control of the government-allied New Democratic Army-Kachin militia. However, data on this issue is hard to obtain for security reasons.

Last week more than 50 farmers from multiple villages in two townships of Myitkyina District told the media that China-backed plantations were causing suffering among local communities. The famers also said they have been threatened by Chinese companies for opposing banana plantations near their villages.

Recently, a mining company detained and assaulted two journalists for reporting local residents' concerns over a controversial Chinese tissue-culture banana plantation in Waimaw Township

According to a 2017 environmental study by the Lisu Civil Society Organization, the companies are using insecticides, weed killers and fertilizers and disposing of them carelessly. This has led to the pollution of water supplies in these areas, in turn causing soil damage and killing fish and livestock.

The post Kachin Gov't Vows to Crack Down on China-Backed Banana Plantations appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Independent Burma Gets Its 1st Democratically Elected Prime Minister

Posted: 14 Mar 2019 12:04 AM PDT

On this day in 1952, U Nu, the chairman of the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League (AFPFL), was elected prime minister following the party's victory in Burma's first general election since independence. In his capacity as prime minister, he faced an array of challenges including an internal insurgency and an incursion by the Kuomintang.

U Nu won respect from the international community for adopting a non-aligned foreign policy. However, the AFPFL government's popularity declined significantly in 1954 due to frictions within the party, and it eventually split into two in 1958.

With the party divided by factions and personality cults surrounding U Nu and other leaders, the military attempted to stage a coup. But U Nu handed power to military leader General Ne Win, who later returned power to U Nu with the latter going on to win the 1960 general election. However, the general seized power back on March 2, 1962, and U Nu was detained.

U Nu was released four years later in October 1966. He left for London and later formed the Parliamentary Democracy Party (PDP) and led an armed resistance group from the Thai border to overthrow the Gen. Ne Win regime. But it failed and he subsequently accepted an offer of amnesty from Gen. Ne Win. He returned to Burma in July 1980.

He led the League for Democracy and Peace after the 1988 pro-democracy uprising and died in 1995 at the age of 88.

The post Independent Burma Gets Its 1st Democratically Elected Prime Minister appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China Prevents UN Blacklisting of Leader Behind Kashmir Attack

Posted: 13 Mar 2019 09:47 PM PDT

UNITED NATIONS—China prevented a United Nations Security Council committee on Wednesday from blacklisting the head of Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), which said it attacked an Indian paramilitary convoy in disputed Kashmir.

The Feb. 14 attack that killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary police, making it the deadliest in Kashmir during a 30-year-long insurgency, increased tensions between Pakistan and India. The nuclear-armed neighbors both said they had shot down each other’s fighter jets late last month.

The United States, Britain and France asked the Security Council’s Islamic State and al Qaeda sanctions committee to subject JeM leader Masood Azhar to an arms embargo, travel ban and asset freeze. The 15-member committee operates by consensus.

China placed a "technical hold" on the request, according to a note from China’s U.N. mission to the committee, seen by Reuters. China gave no reason for the hold, which places the request in limbo.

China had previously prevented the sanctions committee from sanctioning Azhar in 2016 and 2017.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said earlier on Wednesday that "discussions on this issue must be conducted following the rules and procedures of the U.N. Security Council and its subsidiary bodies."

A U.N. Security Council diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that if China continued to prevent the designation of Azhar then other council members "may be forced to pursue other actions at the Security Council."

"The case for designating Masood Azhar – the leader of a group the U.N. already calls an al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist organization – is undeniable," the diplomat said.

Another way for western powers to blacklist Azhar would be through the adoption of a Security Council resolution, which needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by Russia, China, the United States, Britain or France to pass.

JeM is a primarily anti-India group that forged ties with al Qaeda and was blacklisted by the U.N. Security Council in 2001. In December 2001, Jaish fighters, along with members of another Pakistan-based militant group, Lashkar-e-Taiba, attacked India’s parliament, which almost led to a fourth war between the two countries.

The post China Prevents UN Blacklisting of Leader Behind Kashmir Attack appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

U.S. and India Commit to Building Six Nuclear Power Plants

Posted: 13 Mar 2019 09:36 PM PDT

WASHINGTON — The United States and India on Wednesday agreed to strengthen security and civil nuclear cooperation, including building six U.S. nuclear power plants in India, the two countries said in a joint statement.

The agreement came after two days of talks in Washington. The United States under President Donald Trump has been looking to sell more energy products to India, the world's third-biggest buyer of oil.

The talks involved Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale and Andrea Thompson, the U.S. undersecretary of state for arms control and international security.

“They committed to strengthen bilateral security and civil nuclear cooperation, including the establishment of six U.S. nuclear power plants in India,” the joint statement said.

It gave no further details of the nuclear plant project.

The two countries have been discussing the supply of U.S. nuclear reactors to energy-hungry India for more than a decade, but a longstanding obstacle has been the need to bring Indian liability rules in line with international norms, which require the costs of any accident to be channeled to the operator rather than the maker of a nuclear power station.

Pittsburgh-based Westinghouse has been negotiating to build reactors in India for years, but progress has been slow, partly because of India’s nuclear liability legislation, and the project was thrown into doubt when Westinghouse filed for bankruptcy in 2017 after cost overruns on U.S. reactors.

Canada’s Brookfield Asset Management bought Westinghouse from Toshiba in August 2018. Last April Westinghouse received strong support from U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry for its India project, which envisaged the building of six AP1000 reactors in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

The agreement to build the reactors, announced in 2016, followed on from a U.S.-India civil nuclear agreement signed in 2008.

India plans to triple its nuclear capacity by 2024 to wean Asia’s third-largest economy off polluting fossil fuels.

Last October, India and Russia signed a pact to build six more nuclear reactors at a new site in India following summit talks between their leaders in New Delhi.

The post U.S. and India Commit to Building Six Nuclear Power Plants appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rohingya Militants Condemn Violence in Refugee Camps Amid Reports of Killings

Posted: 13 Mar 2019 09:19 PM PDT

YANGON — Myanmar’s Rohingya militants urged their followers on Wednesday to refrain from crime in Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh, following reports of killings and abductions attributed to the group, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA).

ARSA, which emerged with attacks on border posts in Myanmar’s Rakhine state in 2016, is focused on winning rights for Rohingya, the mostly stateless Muslim minority long persecuted in Myanmar.

The government calls them terrorists and says sweeping military action in the western state of Rakhine, which triggered an exodus of refugees into Bangladesh, was justified.

In recent weeks, Bangladesh-based media have blamed the group for organized violence in the refugee camps, including a series of killings. The group acknowledged the violence but denied that the leadership sanctioned it.

“Those people are not only going against the Bangladesh government but are also making ARSA responsible for their own crimes," the group said in a video statement posted on Twitter.

"And because of their activities the whole community is being defamed all over the world," the group said.

ARSA expressed gratitude towards the Bangladesh government and urged refugees to "refrain from any wrongdoing" against authorities there, where close to a million Rohingya are living.

More than 700,000 Rohingya refugees crossed into Bangladesh from western Myanmar, U.N. agencies say, after the insurgents attacked Myanmar security forces in August 2017, triggering an extensive military response.

Since then, the insurgents have been blamed for sporadic attacks in Rakhine State, including an ambush on a border guard post in January that wounded six.

"Our activities for our legitimate rights are ongoing against the Burmese terrorist government and its genocidal military," the group's statement said, adding that attacks would continue until basic rights were restored.

The Myanmar military has rejected almost all accusations of rights abuses.

The post Rohingya Militants Condemn Violence in Refugee Camps Amid Reports of Killings appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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